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largemaxa · 3 years

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Devotion Without Religion

Devotion to God has been at the figurative heart of man's religious and spiritual quest for millennia. Saints and texts alike have spoken of man's love for God, God's love for man, and the ecstasy that comes from realizing that love within oneself. But we live in a rational and secular age, and the path of devotion has been de-emphasized. When we admit to having spiritual urges at all, we often speak of the search for peace, with its main route being through meditation. When the emotions are engaged in the spiritual search, they are directed towards aims like self-actualization and healing. Actual devotion—the practice of love, worship, and prayer—is viewed as misguided at best, and dangerous at worst.

It is not at all clear how to reconcile the path of devotion with the independent spiritual path. This is because the way of devotion is associated with the worst aspects of religion, such as irrationalism and fanaticism. The argument goes that only a force like religious devotion is able to lead otherwise intelligent people to embrace the irrational aspects of religion, such as beliefs that contradict mainstream science, or partisanship that rejects or persecutes those who hold differing religious opinions. Therefore, for the modern reformer of spiritual seeking, devotion with its irrational emotional intensity is the force that must be excised when we go to recover what is good about spirituality.

But it's unfair to blame religious devotion for all the problems that the emotions bring to man. On one hand, emotional attachments can lead to fanaticism even without a religious component, as we see in the case of nationalist passion. And on the other hand, as we learn more about man's psychology, we see increasingly that emotional attachments are a key factor that keeps human life and society running. In his treatise The Origins of Political Order, Francis Fukuyama points to research that shows that man was always involved in social and political groupings held together by emotional ties and was never in a solitary state of nature. Modern psychology emphasizes the fact that human relationships are essential for mental health. Even in the hard-nosed field of business management, ever since the publication of In Search of Excellence by Thomas Peters and Robert Waterman, it has been acknowledged that emotional factors like pride in one's work and the joy of serving the customer, as opposed to the rational pursuit of wealth alone, are crucial for success in business.

Therefore, we can't rule out the engagement of the emotions in spirituality solely on the basis of the negative aspects of religion. And while it may seem easier to leave the emotions to the adjacent fields of mental health or business success coaching, the essential connection between engaging the emotions and the search for the Divine cannot be neglected indefinitely. Most people would never be able to undertake an endeavor as difficult as the search for the Divine, not even on the austere path of formless meditation, without a strong emotional connection to the path. And once we admit the possibility of engaging the emotions, we must also admit that deepening that emotional connection to God is one of the most accessible and powerful paths to God.

Devotion to Forms, Abstract and Concrete

The contemporary understanding of God does not allow us to easily see how to do this. Because of the aversion to the religious approach to God, which is caricatured as propitiating a stern old man in the sky, the contemporary tendencies are to either view God as a pure abstraction, a powerful deity but one who is ultimately unknowable in a human way, or otherwise to deny that there is a God in the sense of a conscious being, imagining only an abstract energy. If those two conceptions of God exhausted the reality of God, that still wouldn't necessarily mean that the path of devotion is impossible—after all, such abstractions as a flag, nation, or business organization are all able to command sustained emotional commitment and sacrifice. But it remains true that devotion to tangible forms is a powerful practice—the practice which gives religious devotion its power and which makes the modern spiritual reformer wary.

One interesting thing to note is that just because we find the approach of devotion to concrete forms problematic doesn't make those forms of God any less real. The modern reformer takes God to be an abstract energy because it would be distasteful to worship God in the specific form of Krishna or Christ; but if God really does take the form of Krishna or Christ, the opinions of the modern reformer wouldn't matter. Of course, the modern reformer would hold that there is no specific evidence for God having the form of Krishna or Christ either. Still, if we are open to the idea of devotion at all, we must hold out the possibility of the validity of the recognized forms of God; after all, any argument that discounts the God of specific religious forms could easily be modified to discount the formless and abstract God as well.

But whether we admit traditional forms of God or only abstract forms, the problem for those on the independent spiritual path remains as to how we are to pursue a path of devotion that avoids the trap of the religious approach of exclusivity, irrationalism, and fanaticism. It's hard to see what the options are, but if we are clear eyed we can see that there are only so many possibilities. One is to preserve the old gods of the religions, but to try our best not to get stuck in the religious traps. This approach would acknowledge that there is an unknowable mystique around the forms of God that have been handed down, and that it is not possibly to synthetically come up with a new form or abstraction which can command the same reverence or devotion. In this approach, the heart would be devoted to Christ or Krishna without participating in the other social and institutional structures of organized religion. The danger of this option is that it will slide too far to the faults of the old religious mentality. After all, if the revered forms of God are worth preserving because of their irreplaceable essence, why shouldn't the associated religious practices and social forms be viewed as similarly meritorious? It may not be clear how to extract devotion to these forms of God from concrete religious practice.

A second approach would be to channel devotion to human gurus. There are obvious problems are here as well, and they may even seem to be worse than the problems with the previous option. Namely, this option could lead to personality cults, which are regarded as the worse and more extreme than even religious institutions. If an individual human is loved and regarded as God, they may feel as though they are granted absolute power, which no human being should have. Further, it is not clear whether anyone currently existing on earth is worthy of being placed in this position. What makes this opportunity worth considering, though, is that the human guru provides a target for the devotional impulse that is tangible without relying only on the classical forms of the religions. And in an ideal world, there might be enough spiritual masters and gurus that would make this a legitimate outlet for the devotional impulses of the spiritual seekers.

A third approach would be to reserve the devotional impulse for the forms and institutions of human life as they are: the family, the nation, various secular and religious institutions. This approach would powerfully ground spiritual seeking in the structures of everyday life. The problem with this approach is that even though the human affections can work effectively through these human organizations, it is not clear if the highest form of religious devotion could flow through these mundane channels. A fourth option would be not to try to send the religious devotional impulse towards any forms or structures at all, and instead to focus on revering the abstract forms of God instead. This approach would seem to at least avoid the problems of the earlier methods in principle, though in practice one may wonder if the human heart could really love an abstraction. The modern reformer or critic may hold that any effectiveness of the concrete forms for devotion is still too big of a risk, and that man will have to learn to love the abstract. But it must be noted that even movements with aniconic policies or tendencies have had trouble with fanaticism.

It may seem like there are no good options for how to safely direct the devotional impulse: either there is the option of a cold abstraction that doesn't inspire devotion, or otherwise the problems that come with emotional attachments to people, forms, or institutions that are not fit to bear the pressure of being loved as God. But there is a subtle shift of framing we can use to open another option. In options one through four, we assumed that we were disconnected from God and needed to find the right way to connect with him; if we didn't find it, we might be disconnected forever. In this way of thinking, the old religions may have had a channel through their various forms, and if we can't use their channel as it was initially set up, we could lose access to God completely.

But we don't need to make that assumption. We can assume instead that we already have a relationship with God, and from there assume that we will be guided to the right devotional channels when the time is right. This is a fifth, all-encompassing option that gives us not a simple answer for how we should direct our devotional impulse but rather a way of living that will dynamically channel our devotion. The specific devotional forms may be different at different times; and they may include some of the options from above that may seem "dangerous" for their proximity to religious methods, such as the use of older religious forms of God, devotion to human spiritual teachers or institutions, or the sanctification of human relationships like the family, romantic love, or friendship. But as long as we keep in mind that our relationship with God is prior to any given form of him that we are devoted to, we will be relatively safe as we negotiate the shifting tendencies of devotional spiritual practice.

A Devotional Relationship to God

The possibility of a devotional practice in the contemporary era requires that we have a relationship with God that is prior to any specific form of God, and use that as a basis for devotional relationship to various forms of God. But what is this relationship with God? This may seem like an impossible query. How can a human have a relationship with God, the creator of the entire universe? We are used to relationships with our fellow humans; these relationships are characterized by mutual support, or antagonism, or indifference. Assuming God is a real being, we have a relationship with Him, just as we have relationships with our fellow humans on Earth; if it doesn't seem like we have a relationship with Him, that just means that our relationship is characterized by ignorance, or perhaps worse, indifference, just as so many of our relationships with humans are.

The first step to improving this relationship is to acknowledge that God exists and try to be more open to Him. The first step in improving a human relationship is to listen more, to be more attentive; so it is with God. We do this by being quiet and listening for what God has to say to us. But what if God says nothing? In that case, we might feel that our relationship with Him is characterized by abandonment—as with a child whose father or mother has left. In an adult relationship with God, though, there can be no question of abandonment; we must realize that the issue is not with us or with God but with the limits of our human finitude, our ability to hear. So if God seems quiet, we must trust and wait for His voice to be heard more clearly, whether that takes a day, or a week, or even many years. A relationship with God must take into account the type of being that God is, which means understanding God as a being that works on timescales that are vaster than ours are; we cannot be upset if he doesn't immediately answer us as we might expect a human relationship partner to return our texts and calls on the same day. The relationship with God is not a relationship between humans but rather a relationship between a human and the all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving creator of the universe. We must trust his timing, and we must trust that the circumstances he arranges for us are the best ones for us to be in.

We must be present in our relationship with God just as we stay present in a relationship with a human, being open and listening and staying connected; only then does the possibility of insight and trust open up. We don't need to start with trust—we simply need to start with staying connected. As we communicate and listen, the forms that we need to interact with God will be suggested, whether these are human relationships in our life that are symbols of the Divine, or are ancient forms of the Divine that have been revered through the ages and find a renewed relevance for us, or are the beloved forms of spiritual teachers that come into our lives. By following the path that opens up, we find the forms that are needed to practice the path of devotion. Even in this modern era that has identified the problems with religion without providing a replacement, if we trust the spiritual path that unfolds, the heart will still be able to fulfill its desire for the Love of the Divine.

#devotion spirituality God philosophy

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kurahashi-island · 3 years

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Running YouTuber Koji Tanaka in Kurahashi Island!

In 2019 I met Koji Tanaka at the Hiroshima Peace Marathon 10km. He was wearing a Spiderman costume and finished the race in 32 minutes! Super fast! Here is his YouTube race report about it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er-d4DvGrDw&t=730s (from 10:50 Saori and I show up!) 2019年の広島国際マラソン10kmレースでKoji Tanakaに初めて会うことができた。彼はこの下写真の感じでspidermanのcostume入って32分でレース記録した。めっちゃ早い！彼のYouTube Race Report. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er-d4DvGrDw&t=730s (10:50からSaoriと俺が出る！）

After getting home and checking out his YouTube, found out he was a pretty popular running YouTuber with almost 45k subscribers and tons of views on his videos! 家に帰ってから、彼のchannelを検索すると結構人気のrunning YouTuberで45k登録者とビューいっぱい！

We were able to connect on FaceBook after he returned to Fukuyama and kept in touch once in a while. He plans on starting an English YouTube addition to his channel and wanted to study English so decided to come stay in Kurahashi, study English and enjoy the beauty of the island!

彼が福山へ帰ってからFacebookで連絡を取る事ができて、定期的に話してた。

彼は今のYouTub channelに英語もプラスしたいと計画していて、英語も勉強したいからということで、彼が倉橋へ合宿しに来ることになった！

Even though Hiroshima was in under the state of emergency, he decided to have a test once arriving in Kurahashi at Dr. Morimoto’s Hospital

広島県はちょうど緊急事態宣言が発表されて彼が倉橋に着いてからすぐ森本医院でPCR検査受けて、

and wait until his negative test results before interacting with other people. 他の人と会う前にnegativeの結果を待ってた。

Koji was the first guest to stay at “Hiyama Guesthouse”. After his COVID test was negative, we could begin to have a little fun in Kurahashi! Of course the first thing we did was go to Hiyama mountain together and he tried his best to speak ONLY ENGLISH!

実はKojiは “Hiyama Guesthouse”の初めてのお客様だった。

COVID検査が陰性と分かってから、倉橋の遊びが始まった。もちろん最初はHiyamaへ！英語だけでね！

Koji has been to MANY different countries for travel/races so his English is already pretty good!

Kojiは色々な海外の国へ旅行/レースで行ったりしているから、もう結構喋れた！

He is also a challenger and seems to improve very quickly for whatever he tries.

彼も色々challengeしたりすぐ上達をするタイプ。

I can tell by his personality why he became a famous YouTuber. The first night, Koji cooked his special Curry Rice that includes Tomatoes which are supposedly good for recovery!

彼の性格を知り、なんでYouTubeで有名になったのか分かる。

最初の晩にKojiが手作りカレーを作って、特別の材料（トマト）も入れてリカバリーにはいいみたい！

It was delicious and we had a fun time chatting about different races around the world.

While Koji was here we also got to run with local Shin Taoka and do some intervals together!

美味しいカレー食べながら、世界のレースのことを話したりしてとても楽しかったー。 Kojiがおる間に地元の早いrunner Shin Taokaと一緒にインターバルした。

It was a very hard session of 800m repeats x 10times. Koji and Shin were super fast! haha. It was so exciting running with a group of 3 people. Wish there were always young/fast people to run with on the island! haha Koji was busy working on the computer doing video editing a lot and set Kurahashi was a difficult place to work because of no good WIFI. haha There is no fiber optic wifi cables in Kurahashi so the internet is only ADSL. Kurahashi needs better WIFI connection!!!

He also was able to meet Matsuzaki Sensei for a short drone lesson.

800mで10回なコースでチョーしんどかったー。KojiもShinもめっちゃ早かった。3人で走るとすごい興奮してた。倉橋島でもっと若い/早い人おったら、もっとこんなtrainingしたいなー。w Kojiがよくパソコンで動画編集したりして、ネット環境がひどすぎとよく言われた。w　倉橋にはひかりケーブルがなくて全部wifiはADSL。

倉橋島はもっといいネット環境が必要！あと、松崎��生に会って少しだけドローンのレッスンを受けた

Initially he planned on staying for 10 days but unfortunately Koji had to return to Fukuyama after only 5 days because of work.

最初は10日間泊まる予定だったけど、福山の仕事が入ってしまって5日しか泊まれんかった。

It was sad to see him go back to Fukuyama but fun for the time we had together! Looking forward to being able to meet and keep up with his YouTube in the future.

Here are some of the videos he made for his new English channel while he was here! Check them out! 1st Hiyama https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgsEO19GXWc&t=70s Hiyama https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=appLH9iG0no Downhill Running https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtMkdIsZ-zQ&t=95s His main channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM4TpjdXH67Wz1OxWf7Co-g Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/run_taner/

Good luck Koji with your YouTube, events/coaching and ENGLISH!

彼が福山へ帰ることは寂しかったけど、遊んだ時間はすごく楽しかったー。また会える日をめっちゃ楽しみにしてるし、彼の活躍も楽しみにしとる。

彼の新しい英語のチャネル! 1st Hiyama https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgsEO19GXWc&t=70s Hiyama https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=appLH9iG0no Downhill Running https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtMkdIsZ-zQ&t=95s

His main channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM4TpjdXH67Wz1OxWf7Co-g Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/run_taner/ Good luck Koji with your YouTube, events/coaching and ENGLISH!

#hiroshima

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personalcoachingcenter · 4 years

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Power Coaching Tools: Identity vs. Achievement

New Post has been published on https://personalcoachingcenter.com/power-coaching-tools-identity-vs-achievement/

Power Coaching Tools: Identity vs. Achievement

A Coaching Power Tool Created by Heike Geiling (Intercultural Coach, SWITZERLAND)

Are you an achiever?

When we talk about achievements we talk about what the free online dictionary defines as “a result gained by effort” or “a thing done successfully with effort, skill, or courage”. Usually, we associate positive outcomes with achievements and in our Western world effort, skill, and courage are positively connoted terms. Companies are striving to establish achievement cultures because this drives productivity and thus financial gain.

When we apply for open positions we list our achievements in our CVs to show how valuable our contributions were to our past employers. Sometimes we also talk about our accomplishments without distinguishing between the two. But accomplishments are on a completely different scale as Patty O’Grady points out: “Achievement typically measures an externally imposed standard. Accomplishment typically describes an internally motivated goal.”[1] Far too often we take one for the other thinking of accomplishment when in reality we only line up another achievement. The reason is that we do see achievements in a positive light as the task is usually considered to be difficult and the success is dependent on our will power. We tend to value difficult achievements demanding more will power higher. Having the objective in mind and concentrating on our will power we might forget to ask why we are doing a certain thing.

Perspective on achievement:

A majority of us spend most of our careers in corporate cultures that nurture achievement as a value. Even outside the corporate world achievements are highly valued and we gain acknowledgment and recognition for them. For some people, only life-changing experiences throw them out of this circle of achievement and recognition. In the global expat community, a large number of expat spouses have to deal with the fact of finding themselves excluded from the corporate achievement/recognition circle that they were part of in their home country or previous career. Often transferring into a home maker’s life abroad, expat spouses are facing many challenges while adjusting to a new culture. Even though moving to a new country might be an adventure filled with positive encounters and experiences, once the first phase of exploration is over and life has taken on a regular rhythm, many expat spouses fall into an achievement culture by default.

Consider Luisa who moved from Sweden to Vietnam with her husband and two kids. She had already given up her job as an accountant in a large Swedish corporation to follow her husband on his assignment to Belgium three years earlier. She stayed home to look after her small children and took distant learning courses to prepare for her return to Sweden. Now her husband took on a three to five-year assignment in Hanoi. A wonderful opportunity for the whole family to explore Asian culture. Luisa does not mind that her career will be delayed.

The first three months after the move pass quickly as Luisa is busy setting up the house and the family life. She arranges schools and after school activities, she meets other parents and expat partners. She explores the city and sorts out all relevant addresses from hairdressers to pediatricians and dentists etc. Each evening she can tick off another thing from her to-do list; each one a little achievement.

One day all boxes are ticked off. Luisa finds herself at home with an abundance of free time at hand. So she throws herself into “mum”-tasks. She bakes, cooks sew, or picks up some other hobby also. She volunteers to be a homeroom mum or part of the school’s parent group. She will fill her daily calendar with tasks and activities she never had time for in the past. Now she has time to work out and to take better care of her health and outer appearance. She adds fitness classes, beautician appointments, etc. to her calendar. She joins the parents’ yoga or tennis group. Whatever it is, she will do well and she will add another achievement to her long list of achievements.

Luisa struggles to identify what she wants in life. She feels trapped in her beautiful and exciting expat life. She longs for acknowledgment and recognition so she creates tasks and challenges for herself and starts collecting achievements she can be proud of, share, and get recognition for. These achievements give her the feeling of being active, alive, and doing something meaningful.

In her TEDx talk on authentic inaction, Renée Dineen differentiates five different types of “doers”: the achieving doer, the avoiding doer, the controlling doer, the perfecting doer, and the supporting doer. Each of them having a different motivating force to action. The result is the same: it drives them away from who they truly are into externally driven activity.

Identity

“Identity grows […] out of a distinction between one’s true inner self and an outer world of social rules and norms that do not adequately recognize that inner self’s worth or dignity. […] The inner self is the basis of human dignity, but the nature of that dignity is variable and has changed over time. […] Finally, the inner sense of dignity seeks recognition.”[2]

To put it very simply: We define ourselves through and in contrast to our outer world and thus develop a sense of dignity. To strengthen our self-esteem we need the recognition of others. But we need to be recognized for who we are and not for what we do. In our longing for external recognition, we risk forgetting defining what we want to be recognized for. Thus some people throw themselves into activities, lining up one achievement after the other.

People who feel like living fulfilled lives following their career and identifying with the labels they acquired (Director, Head of.., Mother, Business owner, Associate, Manager, etc), rarely ask the question: Who am I? What is my identity? Our identity (the distinguishing character or personality of an individual)is mostly hidden behind all the labels we carry mother, father, friend, brother, sister, superior, team member, associate, daughter, son, wife, husband, teacher, student, caregiver, etc.

For the lucky ones the acquired labels match their identity, they are committed to their roles, they find purpose in what they do. Few people think about their proper identity, they rather build on values taught in their families or cultures. If you do not develop a sound sense of identity you will have difficulties to identify what you want in life or better said to find your purpose.

“…the processes of identity formation and purpose development reinforce one another; the development of purpose supports the development of identity, and the development of identity reinforces purposeful commitments.”[3]

Uncovering identity

So how can you see through the labels? How can you see your identity? These question can help you to take the first steps:

What are your potentials? What are you good at / better than others? Which activities are you willing to pursue putting will, time, and effort in improving your skills?

What is your purpose? What would you like to accomplish that matches your skills and talents?

Do you have the opportunity to do so? What would you need to change to get this opportunity?

People need to be acknowledged for who they are and not for what they do. A first step into diverting attention from your actions to your true self is awareness. What are you busy with? What do you spend most of your time on? Which of these activities mean a lot to you and why?

Coaching Application

Clients who are achievers sometimes have difficulties to draw the line between achievements and accomplishments. They might be action addicts and thrive on the recognition they regularly receive for what they do. A clear sign for the coach to identify the achiever is if the client still feels hollow or empty despite their many activities/achievements.

The coach can support the client in exploring their struggle for recognition by identifying the activities and objectives linked to internal motivation and separating them from the ones externally motivated. Together with the coach, the client can explore the behaviors they demonstrate when in achievement mode and reflect on how they can use this awareness in the future.

To help the client identify behavior patterns and separate accomplishments from achievements the timeline exercise and be a great tool.

Who am I? The timeline exercise.

Draw a timeline for your life divided into 4 sections and add all significant events to it, refrain from mentioning career-related information. Then use a colored pen to add an emotional graph identifying the highs and lows in your past. Tell your life’s story without referring to any job title or role you held.

Who am I? Tell your story.

Look at your timeline again. How did you tell your story? How we tell our stories can greatly impact how we feel about ourselves. When did you feel proud of yourself? When did you feel authentic? When did you talk about yourself as a victim of circumstances? When did you feel most fulfilled?

Reflection

What are some powerful questions you could ask to help your client shift from achievement thinking to purposeful identity development?

What are some behaviors that would reinforce identity and being instead of activity and doing?

How can you support your client in discovering their identity?

Recommended reading/watching

TEDx talk by Renée Dineen on authentic inaction

Francis Fukuyama: Identity. Contemporary Identity Politics and the Struggle for Recognition (2018)

K.C. Bronk: The role of purpose in life in healthy identity formation: A grounded model. New Directions for Youth Development, 2011: 31-44.

[1] psychologytoday.com, Nov 11, 2012

[2] Fukuyama (2018), pp. 9-10

[3] Bonk (2011), p.31

Original source

#achievement #achiever #best personal development coaching #coaching #executive coaching #identity #leadership coaching #life coach #life coach for women #life coaching #life coaching 101 #life coaching questions #online coaching #personal brand #Personal Branding #personal branding breakdown #personal development coaching #personal trainer #Personal Coaching

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inazuma-eleven-translations · 7 years

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Inazuma Eleven GO + Chrono Stone Translations

General

Inazuma Soulmates (Animage 2011)

Raimon First Years - Boys who just love soccer!

(Animage) Round Table Discussion Raimon Second Year Talk - Interview with Ayahi Takagaki (Kurama), Konno Jun (Hamano) and Yoshino Hiroyuki (Hayami)

(Otomedia 2013) Valentine’s Special

Character Personal Proverb Compilation (Animage)

Holy Road Character Song Special - Terasaki Yuuka and Ohara Takashi Interview (Otomedia)

GO Teikoku - Showdown of Destiny (Animage)

Matsukaze Tenma

Inazuma Eleven GO Highlight Interview with Director Akiyama and VA Terasaki Yuka

Ultimate Bonds Gryphon - Tenma’s Highlights (Animage 2012)

Sharing the Same Dream - Interview with Maeno Tomoaki (Yuuichi), Ohara Takashi (Kyousuke) and Terasaki Yuka (Tenma) (Animage June 2012)

Chrono Stone Reflection - Interview with Tomatsu Haruka (Shinsuke), Terasaki Yuka (Tenma) and Ohara Takashi (Kyousuke) (Animage May 2013)

Q&A with Terasaki Yuka about Tenma’s role in the Best Eleven (Animage 2014)

InaDan Drama CD - Tenma’s Phone Call

Tsurugi Kyousuke

Ultimate Bonds Gryphon - Tsurugi’s Highlights (Animage 2012)

Sharing the Same Dream - Interview with Maeno Tomoaki (Yuuichi), Ohara Takashi (Kyousuke) and Terasaki Yuka (Tenma) (Animage June 2012)

Animage Grand Prix Male Character Division - Interview with Kobayashi Yuu & Oohara Takashi (Animage June 2012)

Chrono Stone Reflection - Interview with Tomatsu Haruka (Shinsuke), Terasaki Yuka (Tenma) and Ohara Takashi (Kyousuke) (Animage May 2013)

Shindou Takuto

Ultimate Bonds Gryphon - Shindou’s Highlights (Animage 2012)

Kobayashi Yuu (Kirino) & Saiga Mitsuki (Shindou) Special Interview (Pash October 2012)

Q+A with Saiga Mitsuki about Shindou’s role in the Best Eleven (Animage 2014)

InaDan Drama CD - Shindou’s Phone Call

Kirino Ranmaru

InaDan Drama CD - Kirino’s Phone Call

A quick Shindou-centric exchange with Kobayashi Yuu (Animage 2011)

Stormy Beginnings - Kobayashi Yuu Interview about Kariya (Animage 2012)

34th Anime Grand Prix Male Character Division (Animage June 2012)

Kobayashi Yuu & Saiga Mitsuki Special Interview (Pash October 2012)

Thank you for your kindness - Kobayashi Yuu and Tai Yuuki Interview

Prince Animage Spring 2012 - Why are Kirino and Kariya so popular? Interview with Director Akiyama

The password is Trick or Treat!! Kobayashi Yuu Interview (Otomedia October 2012)

Autumn Ikemen Harvest (Otomedia October 2012)

Anime Grand Prix Male Character Division - Interview with Kobayashi Yuu and Ohara Takashi (Animage June 2013)

Kimura Akiko (Fei Rune) & Kobayashi Yuu (Kirino Ranmaru) Interview (Prince Animage Winter 2013)

Q+A with Kobayashi Yuu about Kirino’s role in the Best Eleven (Animage 2014)

Nishizono Shinsuke

Chrono Stone Reflection - Interview with Tomatsu Haruka (Shinsuke), Terasaki Yuka (Tenma) and Ohara Takashi (Kyousuke) (Animage May 2013)

Kurama Norihito

Assemble! One-eyed boys! Interview with Ayahi Takagaki, Megumi Tano and Yuka Nishigaki about Kurama, Sakuma and Kazemaru (Animage 2012)

Kariya Masaki

34th Anime Grand Prix Male Character Division (Animage June 2012)

Thank you for your kindness - Kobayashi Yuu and Tai Yuuki Interview

Prince Animage Spring 2012 - Why are Kirino and Kariya so popular? Interview with Director Akiyama

Tsurugi Yuuichi

Sharing the Same Dream - An Interview with Maeno Tomoaki (Yuuichi), Ohara Takashi (Kyousuke) and Terasaki Yuka (Tenma) (Animage June 2012)

Interview with Maeno Tomoaki (Otomedia Summer 2012)

(PASH 2011) Tsurugi’s Thoughts Revealed

Yukimura Hyoga

Hakuren Snippet (Animage 2012)

ANIMAGE JANUARY 2013 - INADAN MOVIE CROSSOVER - FUKUYAMA JUN (HAKURYUU) AND TERASHIMA JUNTA (YUKIMURA HYOUGA) INTERVIEW

Kishibe Taiga

Kidokawa Seishuu Snippet (Animage 2012)

Hakuryuu

ANIMAGE JANUARY 2013 - INADAN MOVIE CROSSOVER - FUKUYAMA JUN (HAKURYUU) AND TERASHIMA JUNTA (YUKIMURA HYOUGA) INTERVIEW

Amemiya Taiyou

Prince Animage Spring 2012 - Eguchi Takuya (Amemiya Taiyou) Interview

Isozaki Kenma

Holy Road Beginnings (Pash 2011)

Mannouzaka

The Keshin Users (Pash 2011)

Fei Rune

Kimura Akiko (Fei Rune) & Kobayashi Yuu (Kirino Ranmaru) Interview (Prince Animage Winter 2013)

Director Hino Akiyama

Animage January 2014 Part 1

Animage January 2014 Part 2

Inazuma GO Galaxy

Ibuki Munemasa - The Lonewolf Sportsman

Kuroiwa Ryuusei (Kageyama Reiji) - From Final Boss To Coach

#this is wip i got a lot to write here

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toraonice · 7 years

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Yuri on Ice BD booklet translation (with Kenji Miyamoto interview) - Volume 2

Finally a new translation… This is a full translation of the booklet contained in the BD/DVD vol.2. This time I also decided to translate the captions under the pictures in the “TOPIC” sections because some of them actually have important information (like the one about the 3 sisters). Since it would be weird to only translate some based on what they say, I just translated them all and added them to the translation of the vol.1 booklet as well (you can find that here). If you check it you will understand why I hadn’t thought of translating them in the first place…

Like vol.1, the booklet has 3 parts: 1) Character introduction for Yurio and (short ones) for most characters living in Hasetsu like Yuuri and Nishigoori’s families. By the way, regarding Makkachin’s voice actor listed as “?”, I read in a recording report on Otomedia Plus that (at least in one of the scenes) Suwabe offered to voice him, lol. (I’m writing Makkachin as “he” but actually the gender is not officially confirmed yet) 2) “Topics”, in other words random curiosities. This time this section has some interesting information, especially if you are not too familiar with figure skating. (It also clears up why Yuuri and Victor are always alone in the rink and why they necessarily need to practice very early in the morning) 3) Interview with the choreographer Kenji Miyamoto. It explains more in detail some of the things that were mentioned in the commentary to the choreography footage of vol.1. The parts in round brackets are exactly like they are in the original text, it’s not something I added.

Hopefully I will be able to translate the audio commentary and choreography footage (which I still haven’t even had time to watch of course) too by the end of Sunday…

***If you wish to share this translation please do it by reblogging or posting a link to it***  ***Re-translating into other languages is ok but please mention that this post is the source***

A beautiful monster that continues to grow

Yuri Plisetsky voiced by Kouki Uchiyama

Russian Height: 163 cm Date of birth: March 1st Blood type: B

Past record: 2 times consecutive winner of the Junior Grand Prix Final 2 times consecutive winner of the Junior World Championships

Introduction He debuts in the senior class at the age of 15 after repeatedly winning the Junior Grand Prix Final and Junior World Championships. Now a pupil of the noted scouter of young talents Yakov, he is Russia’s new hope. During his junior years he already mastered quadruple jumps, but his coach prohibited him from using them in matches. With his sharp jumps, he is in the focus of attention as everyone is curious to see how far he will be able to go in his first year as a senior. His talent was noticed when he was still little and he left his family in Moscow to train under coach Yakov in St. Petersburg. On the ice he is as beautiful as a fairy, but off the ice he is quite mischievous and is known for the striking aesthetic sense of the outfits he wears in the selfies posted on his SNS. He’s also famous for his devoted fan group Yuri’s angels, who cheer on him wearing cat ears. His favorite food is his grandpa’s pirozhki. Katsuki Family

Mari Katsuki voiced by Kyouko Sakai Yuuri’s older sister who works at “Yutopia Katsuki”. She likes idols and has a thing for blond boys. She named Yuri “Yurio” when he came to Hasetsu.

Toshiya Katsuki voiced by Souryuu Konno Yuuri’s father. He owns “Yutopia Katsuki”, the only day onsen in Hasetsu. He is not very familiar with figure skating and actually likes soccer.

Hiroko Katsuki voiced by Kei Hayami Yuuri’s mother. She runs “Yutopia Katsuki” with her husband. She knows Minako-sensei from when they were students, and Hiroko is the younger one. Nishigoori Family

Takeshi Nishigoori voiced by Jun Fukuyama Yuuri’s childhood friend and former rinkmate. He works at “Ice Castle Hasetsu”, is Yuuri’s good supporter and helps him with his basic training.

Yuuko Nishigoori voiced by Mariya Ise She is Nishigoori’s wife, works at “Ice Castle Hasetsu” and Yuuri has always admired her. She is Victor’s fan and doesn’t only care for Yuuri but for Yurio as well.

Axel, Lutz, Loop Nishigoori voiced by Akiko Yashima The 3 twins of the Nishigoori family, also known as the “3 skating otaku sisters”. They skillfully use their parents’ smartphones to post on the SNS and they organized “Onsen on ICE”. Their potential is bottomless. Minako Okukawa voiced by Yuka Komatsu Former ballet dancer who currently teaches a ballet class in Hasetsu, she is Yuuri’s strict but affectionate teacher. She travels around the world to support Yuuri and as a personal hobby.

Makkachin voiced by ? Victor’s pet dog, a standard poodle. He came to Hasetsu together with Victor. He is quiet and friendly to people, but is a bit greedy when it comes to food.

YURI!!!’s TOPIC

TOPIC 1: Skate Otaku Sisters The triplets of the Nishigoori family. Since they can do anything people tend to forget that they’re still 6 years old kindergartners. Axel, Lutz and Loop can be distinguished by their hairstyle and personal color. The reason they are called “skating otaku” sisters is that they use their parents’ smartphones and PC to check information about skaters on the social media and enjoy watching real time live streamings of international tournaments. By watching their behavioral pattern you will be able to understand how skating otaku all around the world live. Their parents work at an ice rink, but it’s not clear whether the 3 sisters can skate too.

*Each of them has an assigned task: taking movies, pictures or uploading *Their carefree action strongly influenced the story *A perfect spin. Maybe they can skate…? *They are even good at drawing, but they use crayons *Axel has pigtails and her color is purple. Lutz has a bun and her color is light blue. Loop has a ponytail and her color is pink.

TOPIC 2: Off ice training Of course, figure skating is mostly practiced on the ice. However, there are also many kinds of training that must be done off the ice, like fitness training, stretching exercises, core training and so on. Beside running and stretching, many skaters also incorporate ballet lessons into their basic training. In addition, some of them take lessons or hear the opinion from dancers and performers of various genres, to improve their expressiveness and understanding of the program. Sometimes they might even go stand under waterfalls to train their mental strength… maybe. There are no restrictions on the types of training, as long as they can improve their skating skills and expression.

*It’s a tough sport that requires lots of basic training *It’s important to have a trainer that supports you *Stretching exercises at any time *Russia is the home of ballet *Training your mental strength might be the hardest

TOPIC 3: Music Choosing music is important to create a program. Cases where music is created from scratch, like for Yuuri’s FS, are actually rare, and most skaters choose existing songs and have them edited so that their length is according to regulations (in case of the men’s senior class it’s approx. 2:40 min. for the short program and 4:30 min. for the free). Usually songs are edited by either the choreographer, music professionals or skaters themselves. Most of the times they use the original title of the song, but in cases of original songs such as “Yuri on ICE” or when the skater wants to deliver a certain message they use a different title for the program.

*It’s important that the song gives you an image *Sometimes they choose from what are called “standard songs” *The CD is an important object that they must hand out at tournaments

TOPIC 4: Choreography Program choreographies are commonly created by coaches or professional choreographers, but there are also skaters who create them on their own like Victor, and some who order them from professionals unrelated to the skating world, like for Yurio’s FS. When a choreography is created by a dancer or someone who doesn’t skate, usually the steps and exact footwork will be thought by the coach. Most professional choreographers aren’t always by the skater’s side, therefore skaters practice the choreography on their own and then have the choreographer come over a few times during the season to adjust it. Yuuri is really lucky to have a coach & choreographer teaching him on a one-to-one basis every day.

*Victor was already creating his own choreographies when he was competing *Yurio’s choreographer is a legendary prima ballerina *A choreographer that skates together with you is very precious

TOPIC 5: Ice rink Every skater has a home rink that they use as their base, but rink conditions are very different depending on the country. In Japan, except for the rinks owned by a few universities, most rinks are open to the public, therefore if athletes want to reserve a rink for personal training they need to book it outside of normal opening hours. Yuuri and Victor also look like they’re comfortably training alone in a large rink, but actually that’s usually in the early morning or late at night**. In some countries with better conditions there are many rinks and some of them even have different training hours depending on the level of skaters, therefore some Japanese skaters choose to have their home rink abroad. Yuuri must be really grateful to Nishigoori. [**translator’s note: for your reference, most normal rinks in the Tokyo/Kanto area are open to the public from 10:00 to 18:00]

*The Detroit rink Yuuri used to belong to *Yurio’s home rink in St. Petersburg *The Thai rink is downtown

Figure skating choreography Kenji Miyamoto interview

I said that if I was going to do it I would do everything myself, and choreographed about 20 songs.

The first time I was asked about the choreographies was in the summer of 2015. The first meeting was around October or November. My first thought was that it sounded like fun. There were countless possibilities, and I thought that we might get more people interested in figure skating, therefore I was really looking forward to it. At that time I didn’t think about the difficulties, and replied that I definitely wanted to do it. When I received the first request there were lots of songs and I was told that since it was hard schedule-wise they might have to ask someone else, but I said that if I was going to do it I would do everything myself, and adjusted the schedule.

-Choreographies were created at night, over a short period of time-

If I were working with a skater normally it would take about 3 days to create a program. We talked about the fact that it would have been difficult to create programs for dozens of songs right away, but since I was going to just skate them myself (instead of teaching them to a skater) I guessed it would have been faster. In the end I created choreographies for about 20 songs. I left 2 weeks of my schedule free from any other job. Every day I’d sleep during the day and we’d start from 23:00, after the rink’s business hours, until about 5:00-6:00 in the morning. It was still early spring, but everyone was freezing and every time we’d come out of the rink all clad in down jackets. We must have looked like some suspicious gang (LOL).

-Programs were conceived based on the songs and a little information-

On the day I had to choreograph a song I received information from director Yamamoto and Kubo-sensei, like what kind of person the skater is, where he’s from, what kind of songs he likes, the way he usually lives and so on, and I would get into his role and create the choreography. I only received 2-3 songs in advance, and the rest all came basically the day before choreographing. The songs were mostly original so it took longer to work on them, it was really a tight schedule. In some cases they said “today we were going to choreograph 2 songs, but 1 isn’t ready yet”, so on that day we only did 1 song and the next day we choreographed 3. If I were working with a skater it (3 songs in 1 day) would be absolutely impossible (LOL). All songs were difficult to choreograph. I was told that the programs need to be used in tournaments and skaters must be able to get levels for them, so even though the songs were edited slightly shorter than what you would normally use in a match, they include all necessary elements (required in a competitive program such as jumps, spins etc.). A program that was easy to picture is the protagonist Yuuri-kun’s. Also, Victor-san. About Victor-san I was told that “he is an absolute champion with a stately presence, a skater that no one can surpass”, so I created “Hanarezu ni Soba ni Ite” as a majestic and excellent performance. I made him raise his head in a way the line of his throat would look beautiful, like a white stone statue. It’s not something I was told by Kubo-sensei and the others, I came up with that idea myself. A program that was hard to imagine was maybe the FS of Thailand’s Phichit-kun. The reason is simply that I’m not familiar with Thai folk songs, so I had to look up pictures and movies and it took some time. Just at that time I couldn’t lift my left shoulder anymore and had my trainer come over and tape it, I guess that was really when I had the hardest time. I had to do movements for many different skaters, some of which are not movements I normally do myself, that’s why I ended up injuring my shoulder a little.

-Trying different camera angles and clothes-

There were 4-5 fixed cameras on the side of the rink, and Kanako Odagaki-sensei skated after me with another one. The sense of speed feels different when looking through a camera compared to looking normally though, so whenever I sped up I would end up going too far from the camera. In the beginning it was difficult because I kept leaving too much distance between us, but we got better with each time and in the end we were able to basically move in synchrony. For every program I told the director and the staff what the skating course would be in advance, and depending on the choreography we discussed on what would be the best way to film it, for example if it was better to film it from the center of the circle or from the outside, and I discussed with Kubo-sensei as well. Even for the clothes, in the beginning I was skating with a pitch black outfit, but I was told that it was hard to distinguish left and right and so I wrapped tape on one side. Also, since all athletes skate with costumes, I tried to wear clothes like large blouses so that the staff could see how they flutter in the wind when you skate. I always used to set my hair, but I also skated without setting it so that they could see how it moves when you turn around, how you sweat and so on. (We didn’t only film each program once,) I repeated every program a few times. However, doing everything again from the start to the end was difficult, also because my body wouldn’t last. (When I felt that it was difficult) there were times when I asked them to film as best as they could because I was only going to skate the full program once. If it still wasn’t enough, I skated just the parts they needed to see again the next day. (As it also happens when I create choreographies for real skaters) sometimes I would realize that I needed to shorten the skating part, or that even though the sequence was very difficult there was still a chance that they could land a jump. The rink was small, so jumps were done differently than normal ones, and I thought it could be fun to change the curve too.

-People who started skating after watching Yuri-

To be honest, I thought that once it became animation it would look very different from the actual thing, but in fact it was almost the same. Of course flat pictures are not the same as tridimensional reality, but it got really close to the essence of skating. I was surprised at how realistically they recreated muscles and other details. The staff is seriously amazing. Some shots were different than what I had created, because when the director, Kubo-sensei and the staff watched it they thought that another form would look better and so they changed it. It was interesting to see how different people see things in different ways. But they really did a wonderful job, because when I watched the programs they were indeed beautiful. I see a lot of response now that the series has started airing. (The other day when I went to a tournament) a foreign coach grabbed his pupil just before they were going to skate and told them “you know, Kenji did all the choreographies for Yuri!” (LOL). I replied “you don’t have to tell them now” though. It’s great that it’s having so much response, and I’m very happy about it. I was asked to do choreographies for those songs, and there was even a boy who said he started skating after watching “Yuri on Ice”, that really made me happy. Looking back, I’m glad that I said I would do everything myself.

Kenji Miyamoto / Born in 1978 in Hyogo. Ice dance winner of the Japan Figure Skating Championships in 2001-02. After retiring from competition he became one of the leading choreographers in Japan, creating programs for skaters of all ages, from children to world champions, both Japanese and foreign.

#yoi #Yuri on ice #interview #translation #comment #Kenji Miyamoto #BD #Booklet #Yuri Plisetsky

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michaelfallcon · 4 years

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2019 Los Angeles Coffee Masters Champ Carlos De La Torre: The Sprudge Interview

Add another trophy to the shelf for Mexico’s Carlos de la Torre! The Mexico City coffee polymath has already taken home some serious hardware, having won national titles at Cup Tasters (2012), the Brewers Cup (2015, 2016), and the Barista Championship (2018, 2019). And he has just added Coffee Masters Champion to his CV in his first-ever appearance in the competition. If this isn’t a coffee EGOT, I’m not sure such a thing exists.

Yet, even with his impressive résumé, keeping the US Coffee Masters title in a producing country (matching the efforts of 2018 New York Coffee Masters Champion Remy Molina of Costa Rica) would be no easy task. Standing in de la Torre’s way were no less than three national champions, multiple finalists, and two Coffee Masters Runners-Up. But even as a rookie, de la Torre was able to call upon his vast competition experience to rise to the occasion, even mowing down two of those national champions along the way.

To learn more, Sprudge caught up with Carlos de la Torre after his big win to find out what the fast-paced weekend was like and what’s next in store for him.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Hey Carlos! Congratulations on your Coffee Masters victory! By way of introduction, can you tell us a little bit about what you professionally in the coffee world?

I’m the green buyer and head roaster at Cafe con Jiribilla and I’m in charge of Quality Control and Training at Café Avellaneda, both in Mexico City. I have an oncoming Cold Brew project and I run the coffee program for the new bar Cafe Ocampo. I’m also the current Mexican Barista Champion and I’ve been involved constantly in barista competitions as a competitor and coach for other baristas, and randomly I give some workshops and lectures on coffee.

As an experienced coffee competition veteran, what was it like competing in your first Coffee Masters?

It was an amazing experience. Even before I knew I won the competition I was saying to my wife, “I guess I’m not winning, but it was a lot of fun, I’m going to try again next year.” But now I guess there’s no Coffee Masters for me in the future at least as a competitor.

How did it compare to other coffee competitions?

It has long performance times with the big stress of competing one-on-one, so it demands a lot of energy and focus. I was so tired after it all that I didn’t even go out to celebrate, just a quick takeaway dinner before going straight to bed. But the most notable difference is not just the variety of abilities that the competitors need to display, but the fact of having the competitors perform against each other under the same circumstances, which removes a lot of advantages some competitors may have; it’s all up to the skills and knowledge inherent to the competitors.

Do you feel like your extensive competition experience (and success) gave you a leg up in Coffee Masters?

Yes, for sure. I was already a national champion in Cup Tasters, Brewers Cup, and Barista, which relates directly with the cupping, order, sig drink, espresso blend, and brewing disciplines at Coffee Masters, so it was sort of familiar to me and I guess that helped me a lot. On the other, I have almost no experience at cupping various origins or presenting latte art.

There were a handful of other national champions at Coffee Masters this year. Was it intimidating going up against such accomplished competitors?

For sure it was intimidating. Since Round One I was asking myself, “what the hell am I doing here?” I heard a lot of great things from Cole Torode about the competition when we hung out in China at the Fushan Cup last summer, and that inspired me to compete but I never expected to face him in the Semi-Finals. I was just scared as hell since he is not just the third-best barista in the world but one of the professionals I admire the most. Then Shin [Fukuyama] at the Finals, man!! He is a latte art god (fourth in the world) from a prestigious company and he trained so hard. Obviously I was so intimidated by every competitor and I respect them A LOT, but they were very friendly and supportive with me because it was my first time and they had more experience in Coffee Masters, so it made for a good friendship.

What was your favorite discipline in Coffee Masters?

I guess it was the cupping, I’ve always loved the rush of combining speed and precision in a competition.

What was the most challenging discipline?

I guess the origin because I have so few experiences cupping non-Mexican coffees.

vimeo

Can you tell us a little bit more about your signature beverage?

It was a cocktail with “overnight espresso,” made with tamarind, lemon, Sotol (a Mexican distilled spirit), and gin. So refreshing, complex, spicy, and harmonious that I couldn’t resist to drink one with the judges so I crafted one for me too.

It’s actually a cocktail I created a while ago, thinking about giving “second chances” to the espresso that some times you don’t use when serving single shot drinks using a double spout portafilter, or just the coffee you forgot to drink at home and is “overnighted.” We used to have a lot of those espressos at the coffee shop and we would throw them into the sink, so this cocktail is crafted with stuff you can find at any party or in some fridges very easily; it’s almost a cocktail built from scratch turning a wasted espresso into an amazing drink.

Originally about recycling “overnight coffee,” for Coffee Masters we turned it into a concept drink using some Mexican ingredients representing the L.A. Mexican and Latin culture and also the second chances we look for when migrating to the US. Actually, that was part of bringing the ingredients across the border by car haha; we really wanted to build the experience of the drink and believe the story ourselves. For me, it was a very meaningful drink because it connected my passion, my origin, and my family (my wife is from Chihuahua, and that’s where Sotol comes from).

And more importantly, where did you get that wonderful pink silk robe in the video and will it a regular part of future competitions for you?

Hahaha! It’s my wife’s robe, I got it as a gift for her when I went away from home for two weeks to help out at Coffee in Good Spirits at the International Coffee Week last year. I don’t know if it’s taking part in competitions hahaha but surely in more funny coffee videos I’ll be borrowing it from her.

How does this win compare to your national competition victories?

It’s unbelievable, the warmth of an international audience giving you recognition as a well-structured professional in a field in which you have invested a third of your life in some way gives you a big satisfaction, but not quite as satisfying as having the opportunity to give a bit of exposure to Mexico and Latin America, not just as producing countries but also as consuming ones.

Any big plans on what you will do with the $5,000 cash prize?

Yeah!! I’m going to use it for the birth expenses of my son and the remaining cash I’ll use it for my road to WBC in Melbourne, maybe equipment, tools, or some training expenses.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank?

The other half of my success in coffee, Yaris Barrientos who supported me all the way, giving me advice, tasting, helping with stuff I may not be able to handle alone, even when she is currently having some difficult time expecting our first son. No one can read me better than her, she’s a wonderful woman and an amazing coach struggling with the fact that she cannot actually drink a lot of coffee or any alcohol. But she has that super-sensitive nose that her pregnancy gave to her as a very helpful side effect hahaha.

I also want to thank Cris Mancilla (Mexican Latte Art Champion) and Ale Lugo (two-time Latte Art finalist and Brewers Cup Runner-Up) who helped me improve my pouring. And last but not least, Sam Ronzon, my friend and coffee producer who supported us a lot during the competition days, showing that the relation between baristas and producers is not just about coffee; it’s not meant to be just a business relation but a great friendship supporting each other, not just as professionals but as human beings in regular everyday circumstances… and also, Sam smuggled my ingredients across the border.

Thanks, Carlos!

Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.

Photos courtesy of Los Angeles Coffee Festival/Coffee Masters

The post 2019 Los Angeles Coffee Masters Champ Carlos De La Torre: The Sprudge Interview appeared first on Sprudge.

2019 Los Angeles Coffee Masters Champ Carlos De La Torre: The Sprudge Interview published first on https://medium.com/@LinLinCoffee

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shebreathesslowly · 4 years

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2019 Los Angeles Coffee Masters Champ Carlos De La Torre: The Sprudge Interview

To learn more, Sprudge caught up with Carlos de la Torre after his big win to find out what the fast-paced weekend was like and what’s next in store for him.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Hey Carlos! Congratulations on your Coffee Masters victory! By way of introduction, can you tell us a little bit about what you professionally in the coffee world?

As an experienced coffee competition veteran, what was it like competing in your first Coffee Masters?

How did it compare to other coffee competitions?

Do you feel like your extensive competition experience (and success) gave you a leg up in Coffee Masters?

There were a handful of other national champions at Coffee Masters this year. Was it intimidating going up against such accomplished competitors?

What was your favorite discipline in Coffee Masters?

I guess it was the cupping, I’ve always loved the rush of combining speed and precision in a competition.

What was the most challenging discipline?

I guess the origin because I have so few experiences cupping non-Mexican coffees.

vimeo

Can you tell us a little bit more about your signature beverage?

And more importantly, where did you get that wonderful pink silk robe in the video and will it a regular part of future competitions for you?

How does this win compare to your national competition victories?

Any big plans on what you will do with the $5,000 cash prize?

Yeah!! I’m going to use it for the birth expenses of my son and the remaining cash I’ll use it for my road to WBC in Melbourne, maybe equipment, tools, or some training expenses.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank?

Thanks, Carlos!

Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.

Photos courtesy of Los Angeles Coffee Festival/Coffee Masters

The post 2019 Los Angeles Coffee Masters Champ Carlos De La Torre: The Sprudge Interview appeared first on Sprudge.

from Sprudge https://ift.tt/37otCyX

#Sprudge

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shysheeperz · 2 years

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#happee high volleyball club #high school family #kokosei kazoku #ichiro ietani #noboru funakoshi #kaname fukuyama #rui shibuya #tohru suzaki #tooru suzaki #daichi yamaga #caps #mangacaps #mahiro kaido #kotone akai #coach kawato #kawato

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jonathannunezg-blog · 5 years

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Where to peer Japan's excellent blooming blossoms without the crowds

1: Mt. Shiude, Kagawa cherry blossoms on Mt. Shiude, searching over the Seto inland Sea standing at 352m aloft sea degree, Mt. Shiude presides over the Shōnai peninsula, offering panoramic angle throughout the numerous islands in Seto civil Sea and across to the amazing Seto arch. The mountain is commonplace among nature enthusiasts, with a vast array of blooming blossoms in springtime and hydrangeas in aboriginal summer season, both framing the view of the Seto civil Sea. The viewing platform at the top is the gold standard vicinity to savour this noted cherry blossom site, acclaimed for its 1,000 blooming timber.

2: Himeji fort, Hyōgo Himeji fortress all the way through the blooming blossom division Sitting on a hilltop, in the Hyōgo prefecture west of Kyoto, Himeji castle is regarded with the aid of many to be the premiere blooming bloom viewing destination in japan. The fortress offers amazing angle of mount Fuji and basin Kawaguchiko and is amidst via blooming bushes. assume a boat shuttle along the canal to in fact recognize the fantastic thing about this UNESCO world ancestry website all over the cherry blossom division.

3: Hitome Senbonzakura, Miyagi train passing abounding bloom cherry timberline along the Shiroishi river half-hour from Sendai base with the aid of teach, essentially 1,200 sakura bushes band the Shiroishi beach in Ogawara town, in clear view from your window. With views of snow-coated Mt.Zao within the background, this enviornment is referred to as “Hitome Senbonzakura" – 1,000 sakura bushes at a look. it be worthwhile disembarking from your coach to live a while. A sakura pageant is additionally captivated every year for individuals to enjoy the cherry bloom and highway stalls, with sakura meals supplied for picnics below the trees.

4: Fukuyama castle, Hiroshima Fukuyama castle in bounce Fukuyama citadel in Fukuyama city is one more customary part for hanami cherry blossom viewing. The rows of tall blooming bloom bushes in full blossom surrounding the majestic white fortress exudes a abnormally eastern sensibility. other famous cherry blossom spots in the jap a part of Hiroshima Prefecture encompass Senkoji esplanade in Onomichi city, which sits on higher floor overlooking the Seto inland Sea.

5: Matsushima Bay, Miyagi blooming bushes in Matsushima ache-clad islands dot the amnion of Matsushima, a littoral town just outdoor Sendai, Miyagi’s basic. studded with 260 small, jewel-like islands lined in pine groves, Matsushima Bay has long been generic to offer scenic angle. during cherry blossom division, these islands are coated with sakura trees providing distinctive spots to take advantage of sakura.

6: Handayama Botanical garden, Okayama Handayama in spring Handayama Botanical backyard is found in a hilly enviornment close city Okayama city. approximately 1,000 cherry timber, made from 45 forms, cowl the whole abundance in red when the trees appear into abounding blossom. blooming bloom festivals held in season the place friends can enjoy mind-blowing nighttime view of blooming blossoms.

7: Ritsurin garden, Takamatsu Ritsurin garden in Takamatsu Ritsurin backyard performs host to a 'bounce beam' competition every year from the conclusion of advance to launch of April, celebrating the arrival of the blooming bloom season. visitors can stroll across the area underneath the sakura bushes, or buy a ship trip on the northern lake, below the twinkling, artful lights. More on japan's blooming blossoms.

Resource- https://medium.com/mihuru-direct/where-to-peer-japans-excellent-blooming-blossoms-without-the-crowds-68c04f974748

#trips #tripplanner #Tourist Attractions #Things to Do #places to visit #placestogo #tourist places

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recentanimenews · 7 years

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Bookshelf Briefs 7/10/17

The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Vol. 7 | By Kore Yamazaki | Seven Seas – It is becoming increasingly apparent that, whatever his own emotional turmoil, Elias made the right decision in bringing Chise into his fold, as we keep hearing about her value as a specimen rather than a young girl. Actually, that line of thinking rolls through this entire volume, as a baby dragon is snatched to be used in experimentation and auctioned off to the highest bidder. Fortunately, an increasingly powerful Chise is there, and is working hard to retrieve it. Unfortunately, we keep getting more hints that she’s simply not going to live to be middle-aged, much less an old woman. As for Elias and Chise, she seems more like an older sister now than a bride. Still fantastic. – Sean Gaffney

Anonymous Noise, Vol. 3 | By Ryoko Fukuyama | VIZ Media – Huh. I didn’t think I’d ever grow to truly like Anonymous Noise, but I have to say that it’s beginning to grow on me. For the first time, when In No Hurry to Shout makes their TV debut and Nino scream-sings her feelings after an unpleasant encounter with Momo, I actually kind of bought into the idea of the manga being about a kickass band. Of course, the plot soon detours into love polygon angst, with Nino loving Momo, who’s a jerk to her for no apparent reason, and Yuzu loving Nino, and Miou loving Yuzu, and even a random angsty bit of foreshadowing from the drummer, who has barely registered as a character up to this point. I certainly don’t love this series, but I’m not ready to give up on it yet. – Michelle Smith

Days, Vol. 3 | By Tsuyoshi Yasuda | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Seiseki High is progressing through the Interhigh Tokyo Preliminaries. Tsukamoto continues to be the weakest member of the team, but he’s still enjoying himself so much that he’s doing all that he can to hang on to his spot. His dedication inspires the much-more-talented Jin Kazama not to slack off, either. As before, we learn more about some of the other teammates and their personalities and strengths—this time it’s Kimishita, a second-year who stresses whenever Tsukamoto is on the field because he’s not a viable pass recipient. Yet, even he ends up impressed by Tsukamoto’s efforts to improve in this area, and it’s eventually revealed that the whole team has benefited from this energic newbie, as they increased their stamina while striving to avoid being shown up by the shrimp. Good stuff! – Michelle Smith

Flying Witch, Vol. 2 | By Chihiro Ishizuka | Vertical Comics – While Makoto continues to be the least-secret witch ever, she at least is impressing (somewhat) her cousin Chinatsu, who is now asking them to train her in being a witch. I suspect that this may end up being the main plot going forward, though that may be putting too much faith in Flying Witch to have a plot. Witches or no, it’s a slice-of-life series at heart, and so it’s content to meander along. We also meet Akane’s friend Inukai, who at first seems to be an example of Akane’s overly uncaring nature, but in reality turns out to be a lesson on the dangers of getting too drunk. It’s a cute and fun title, but don’t expect excitement—this is a series where weeding gets multiple chapters. – Sean Gaffney

Honey So Sweet, Vol. 7 | By Amu Meguro | VIZ Media –First-year Miyabi Nishigaki has a crush on Taiga. He remains oblivious throughout the majority of the volume, but it’s really bothering Nao. Of course, being Nao, she doesn’t want to be annoying or come across as unreasonable, so she only finally says something after Miyabi invites herself along with the gang to a festival and not only wears the exact yukata Nao is wearing, but even emulates her actions, including a creepy moment where she tries to spoonfeed Taiga some of her shaved ice. Because Nao and Taiga are incredibly nice, instead of wondering about Miyabi’s mental health, they feel bad for not considering her feelings. Eventually everyone reconciles. It’s a decent volume with plenty of cute moments for our leads, but I hope Meguro-sensei dispenses with love rivals for the next, and final, volume. – Michelle Smith

Kuma Miko: Girl Meets Bear, Vol. 5 | By Masume Yoshimoto | One Peace Books – Honestly, we’ve gotten to the point where I feel the series needs more of the bear. And, I mean, there’s already a fair amount of bear in here. The scenes where he has to pretend to be the village mascot in a highly realistic suit are cute, as is his stress about Twitter. The difficulty is that when the focus is not on him, it turns to Machi, whose total social ineptness really raises the bar for every other socially inept manga character. The scenes of her trying to use a computer are more painful than funny. She works better bouncing off of Hibiki, whose constant simmering anger is an oasis of calm compared to Machi’s stress. Mostly, though, this series continues to be highly variable. – Sean Gaffney

No Game No Life, Please!, Vol. 1 | By Kazuya Yuizaki and Yuu Kamiya | Yen Press – The actual No Game No Life main manga adaptation got one volume out and then seemed to fall into limbo, so to a certain extent this may be the closest we get to more of the manga. As you might guess by the title, the series focuses on Izuna, the Werebeast girl with a mind for games and a mouth for swearing. As you’d expect given this is No Game No Life, there’s a certain amount of perverse fanservice, but in fact it’s actually a lot less than I feared. Mostly this serves as a collection of short stories starring Izuna, as she grows and learns about games and actual life lessons. She even learns from Steph! Gasp! If you enjoy NGNL and wish the manga continued, this is worth picking up. – Sean Gaffney

RIN-NE, Vol. 24 | By Rumiko Takahashi | VIZ Media – RIN-NE continues with its episodic Shonen Sunday stylings. The first half is incredibly dull, relying largely on more gags involving Anematsuri-sensei’s crystal ball, but the second half is actually kind of neat. A large reward is offered to whomever defeats a black fox spirit. The best tool for the job is a specific scythe, which happens to pick Sakura as its owner. A smitten Rinne enjoys coaching her on how to use the thing, and even wonders if she has the aptitude to be a shinigami. Stupid me, I actually got my hopes up for a second that this would be some kind of turning point in the manga, but no. Although Sakura does gain a greater appreciation for the job Rinne performs, she’s content to move on once she fulfills her quota, leaving the scythe ready to choose someone else. It was reasonably entertaining while it lasted, though! – Michelle Smith

By: Michelle Smith

#Anime #News #Manga Bookshelf

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personalcoachingcenter · 4 years

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Power Coaching Tools: Identity vs. Achievement

New Post has been published on https://personalcoachingcenter.com/power-coaching-tools-identity-vs-achievement/

Power Coaching Tools: Identity vs. Achievement

A Coaching Power Tool Created by Heike Geiling (Intercultural Coach, SWITZERLAND)

Are you an achiever?

Perspective on achievement:

Identity

Uncovering identity

So how can you see through the labels? How can you see your identity? These question can help you to take the first steps:

What are your potentials? What are you good at / better than others? Which activities are you willing to pursue putting will, time, and effort in improving your skills?

What is your purpose? What would you like to accomplish that matches your skills and talents?

Do you have the opportunity to do so? What would you need to change to get this opportunity?

Coaching Application

To help the client identify behavior patterns and separate accomplishments from achievements the timeline exercise and be a great tool.

Who am I? The timeline exercise.

Who am I? Tell your story.

Reflection

What are some powerful questions you could ask to help your client shift from achievement thinking to purposeful identity development?

What are some behaviors that would reinforce identity and being instead of activity and doing?

How can you support your client in discovering their identity?