مکالمه ی فعالانه قسمت الف

ACTIVE SPEAKING / PART A

LAUGHTER AND TEARS

Have you ever wanted to just let go, break down and release all your problems in a river of tears?

Depending on your gender and your culture crying in public might not go over well.

What might not go over well? Crying in public might not go over well.

Entrepreneur Hiroki Terai is trying to change that.

Who is trying to change that? Entrepreneur Hiroki Terai is trying to change that.

His business is offering a unique service, corporate crying workshops.

Whose business is offering a unique service? Terai’s business is offering a unique service. What kind of workshop is he offering? He is offering corporate crying workshops.

As a teenager, Terai had no friends.

As a teenager, who had no friends? As a teenager, Terai had no friends.

He spent his lunch breaks eating his meals in a toilet cubicle.

Where did he eat his meals? He ate his meals in a toilet cubicle.

It was difficult for him, but his solitude allowed him to become a keen observer of his peers.

Was it difficult for him? Yes, it was difficult for him. What did his solitude allow him to become? His solitude allowed him to become a keen observer of his peers.

Terai says, “It was around then I feel I started to find out more about people’s real emotions.

What did he start to find out more about? He started to find out more about people’s real emotions.

On the surface they’re smiling but that’s not always how they feel.” Are they smiling on the surface? Yes, they are smiling on the surface. Is that always how they feel? No, that’s not always how they feel.

As an adult, Terai started a business offering divorce ceremonies.

Did Terai start a business as an adult? Yes, as an adult, Terai started a business. What did the business offer? The business offered divorce ceremonies.

To symbolically separate the couple, he created a ceremony where couples could air their grievances.

Did he create a ceremony? Yes, he created a ceremony. What could couples air? Couples could air their grievances.

The ceremony ended with the former couple crushing their wedding rings with a hammer.

Who crushed their wedding rings? The former couple crushed their wedding rings. What did they crush their wedding rings with? They crushed their wedding rings with a hammer.

During these ceremonies, Terai noticed that the couples who cried together felt healed by the experience.

Did couples who cried together feel hurt by the experience? No, couples who cried together did not feel hurt by the experience. Couples who cried together felt healed by the experience.

In Japan, where Terai lives, crying is frowned upon.

Where does Terai live? Terai lives in Japan. What is frowned upon? Crying is frowned upon.

People often have great difficulty expressing their sadness in any way.

What do people often have great difficulty expressing? People often have great difficulty expressing their sadness in any way.

In a study of 37 countries, Americans were the most likely to cry and Japanese were the least likely to cry.

Who were the most likely to cry? Americans were the most likely to cry. Who were the least likely to cry? Japanese were the least likely to cry.

According to one Japanese psychologist, “Hiding one’s anger and sadness is considered a virtue in Japanese culture.”

Is showing one’s anger and sadness considered a virtue in Japanese culture?

No, showing one’s anger and sadness is not considered a virtue in Japanese culture. Hiding one’s anger and sadness is considered a virtue in Japanese culture.

Terai is determined to change this, both at home and at the office.

Who is determined to change this? Terai is determined to change this.

Where is he determined to change this? He is determined to change this both at home and at the office.

He says that crying in the office has an especially negative image associated with it.

What has an especially negative image associated with it? Crying in the office has an especially negative image associated with it.

So he’s hitting that issue head-on with his corporate crying workshops.

What is he hitting head-on with his corporate crying workshops? He’s hitting that issue head-on with his corporate crying workshops.

These workshops help the participants cry through watching sad films as a group.

Do these workshops help the participants to cry? Yes, these workshops help the participants to cry. Do they watch sad films alone? No, they do not watch sad films alone. They watch sad films as a group.

Terai has found that when people cry in front of others, it improves the work environment.

What does crying in front of others do? Crying in front of others improves the work environment.

This display of vulnerability brings people together, helping them to get along better and work together as a team.

What brings people together? This display of vulnerability brings people together. Does it help them get along better? Yes, it helps them get along better. Does it help them work together as a team? Yes, it helps them work together as a team.