我孫子市国際交流協会

Date: Saturday, February 16, 2008 2:00pm~4:00pm
Venue: Keyaki Plaza 9F Hall
Lecturer: Mr. Ben Youssef Kais
Listener: Approx.: 50

1. Profile: Mr. Kais was born in March, 1977 in Tunis and graduated from Tunis University.
He learned Karate at school and that attracted interest in Japanese culture. Animation is also one of his likings for Japanese culture.
He came to Japan seven years ago for the first time to study management in social system at Tsukuba University. Since finishing its Graduate School, he has been serving as a researcher of an institute at the University.
Today, he gave a lecture on his country using color slides on the screen in fluent Japanese.
2. General information on Tunisia (extracted from the booklet issued by the Tunisian Embassy):
Geography: The country is located at the northernmost tip of Africa facing Italy along the middle of the Mediterranean Sea
Area: 164,150 square meters, about 40 % of Japan. The northern part is rich in green and granary, while in the south the vast Sahara Desert expands.
Population: About 10million Capital city: Tunis, with 2million
Race: The original inhabitant Berbers and the Arabs share about 95 %
Religion: Islam 98%
Official language: Arabic. French is also widely understood.
History: For many years in ancient days this area had been flourished as the leading station in the Mediterranean trading crossroads.
Tunisia had stayed in the status of French protectorate since 1881, then achieved independence in 1956 proclaiming as the Republic of Tunisia.
Culture: The country is abundant in historical relics, and as of today eight national relics are registered as the world heritage.
The nature of the Tunisian culture is not simple one. It is a sort of mixture of major cultures, the traditional Berbers culture, the Phoenician's Mediterranean culture, the Roman culture and the religion-oriented Islamic culture.

3. Today's lecture by Mr. B.Y.Kais:
" I have been to several elementary and junior high schools in Abiko to talk on my country under the education program "Ryugakusei ga Sensei" ("Today's Teacher is a Foreign Student", or "A Foreign Student teaches us today").
I have a pleasure to talk to you audience in the same manner as at the school today.
I was so surprised when I took a school meal for the first time at an elementary school, because we don't have such a custom back in my country.
Contrary to the situation in Japan, due to lack of school rooms, at least 1500 pupil have to learn at a school under the dual class system, starting at 7:30 am and 10:30 am respectively. During lunch time, each child goes back to the house for lunch with the family. The summer vacation lasts from June 15 to September 15 to stay away from killing heat wave. The temperature rises over 45 degrees centigrade.
One year military service after school awaits everyone with few exceptions.
The northern area enjoys four seasons like Japan with occasional snowfall in winter.
As for the tourism, many people visit our country from France, Italy and Germany. Speaking and understanding their words means a chance for earning bread and butter. Therefore many people eagerly learn languages of these countries to work for hotels and other tourism industry. English is rarely understood.
Contrary to other Arabic nations where they tolerate polygamy under certain religious commandment, in Tunisia a man is allowed to marry only one woman."

After his active and instructive lecture, numbers of questions were raised among the audience, to which Mr. Kais courteously answered.

< Prev		Next >