Marysia

Many years ago I was a member of a forum where in one dark corner people were challenging each other to write stories meeting certain conditions. Usually, there were 5 conditions and they could be anything. Sometimes one challenger gave all conditions and sometimes there were several challengers giving one condition each, it was whoever posted first so it could get pretty random and crazy. I remember I once had to write a story set in modern Japan, with mistaken identity, with a ghost, referencing a classic fairy tale, and all happening on New Year...

Sometimes two people would write a story together - 1st person would write a chapter meeting several conditions, then new conditions were made for 2nd person who had to write a second chapter of the story incorporating all the weird stuff people were demanding, then it was again 1st person's turn to write 3rd chapter with yet another set of conditions. It could go on until one of the conditions was to conclude the story or number of chapters could be agreed upon from the start.

Anyway, sorry for going onto so many details, my point is it was really fun and I miss that a lot and I was wondering if anybody heard of something like that still going on somewhere. Thanks for all the help :)

I am of course talking about books translated into English.

When I was visiting bookstores in Britain I've noticed that "foreign language" section was very small and had a rather poor selection. All internet lists of best books of all times or books You need to read before You die show the same trend - a handful of die-hard classics are included and next to them are pleasure reads like Harry Potter or Bridget Jones Diary that are nice but hardly a grand literature. Many people who call themselves book lovers claim how books help them learn about the world but when I look at their blog I see massive disproportion between number of reviews of books written in English and the ones translated from another language.

Thank You in advance for sharing Your thoughts.

Google translate gives "There are objections" but I don't fully trust it and would like someone who actually know Turkish to tell me if it's correct.

I know sport clubs in Japan participate in various tournaments and competitions between schools (obviously) and I need to know a bit more about it. I am particularily interested in kendo if it makes any difference. Most of all, when do such tournaments take place, which month? And is it annual event or is it possible to organise some special competition between few schools?

Thanks in advance!

I need to know some details about position of captain in japanese high school clubs, especially sport clubs. Most of all I would like to know:

1. How is it decided who will be a captain? Is it up to a teacher in charge of a club or do the members decide themselves?

2. When is new captain named? Like at the very begginning of school year in april, at the end of a previous school year or when?

3. Is it possible to become a captain when you are in 2nd year of high school and if so how common it is?

4. What are sport club captain duties?

Thank You very much in advance for Your help!

Hi! I am taking part in story challenge and I need a name for a female character that is mistaken to be a man because of her name. I'd prefer it to be an unisex name that is pronounced and written the same way for both girls and boys but is simply very uncommon to be given to girls. But a name with different reading of the same kanji is also fine (I don't know japanese but I think it happens, right?), as long as reading that gives male name is much more common then the one giving female. Thanks in advance!