Plastic Bags 2 Image

Plastic Bags 2

Jan 29, 2017Canadian, Environment, Female, Japanese

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Preparation
CONSIDER

Do you always receive a plastic bag wherever you go shopping?

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Transcript

Yamashita Haruka: Wow! Really? (Um) I didn’t know that.

José Cruz: And, and I think that’s what we need to be aware of (Mm), is um- is that we we produce so much garbage. (Mm mm) I’ll ask you. For example, today, I bought my lunch. (Mm-hmm) And the very nice ladies at the the parlour (Yeah) know me (Uh huh) and they look at me, “Oh it’s Mr. Cruz”, and they know that Mr. Cruz doesn’t usually use chopsticks. He usually brings his own sh- chopsticksJosé noticed that he wa about to mispronounce chopsticks, so he corrected himself (0:25), (Oh yeah) but I forgot mine today, so…

Haruka: Because you were too busy today.

José: That’s right. (Yeah) So the lady at the parlour said, “Oh, Mr Cruz, you don’t need chopsticks, do you?”, (Uh-huh) “No I need them today,” “Oh you need them today! And- uh but you don’t want a plastic bag, right?” (Yeah) I said, “No, I don’t want a plastic bag.”

Haruka: I actually do- do kind of the same thing. (Really?) I every time- I I- I use parlour a lot, (Mm) but every time I use parlour. I just say, A-AnoHaruka was retelling the story in Japanese. (0:51) ka- bag iranai desu.

José: “I don’t want a plastic bag.” Yeah.

Haruka: Plastic bag iranai desu. And then they remember me (Mm mm) because I was- yeah.

José: Because we’re very rare.

Haruka: Yeah it’s so rare to say like, no plastic bag. So like “Ah! Mitai na

José: They’re very happy to see you (Yeah) And most of the students don’t even think about it. (Mm-hmm) And it it- I’m I’m trying to think about a way of making a campaign. (Uh huh) To get the students to under…

Haruka: To not to use plastic bag?

José: Uh- eh, if you watch carefully, if you sit at a table and you watch these students carefully, they will go the register at the parlour, they’ll buy their lunch, they’ll take it in the bag, and then they’llhow quickly José says these three words (1:30) go to the table (Yeah) about 30 metres away. Take out their lunch and then throw away the bag! And I’m- (Yes! Yeah yeah) It just drives me crazy!

Haruka: I just- I wanted to say that actually. I wanted to mention about it because I couldn’t understand why they need a plastic bag. Yeah. They don’t really need it.

José: And and- and not only like- I can understand if you have three or four things. (Yes) But somebody buys one rice ball…

Haruka: Uh huh, and just likeHere Haruka uses a very natural way to introduce a statement, but José interrupts before she finishes (2:03)

José: And they still use a plastic bag!

Haruka: Yeah I cannot unde- I can’t completely understand (Mm) their feeling (Mm) why they need it. And like, what?

José: So I was- I’ve always been kind of been wondering, but I’ve never met enough students who would be interested in working with me for let’s say the school festival. (Uh-huh) We we make a photo booth uh with video and with explanations and- to try to encourage people to stop using plastic bags for things like one item, one PET bottle. I’ve seen- I see people buying a PET bottle drink and then they put it in a plastic bag, (Yeah) and then they go outside throw away the bag and start walking with the drink in their hand. And it drives me crazy! (Yes exactly) It drives me crazy. Um (Yeah) but I think there’s a lot of hope for for things like that uh uh. I also- Did I tell you that I want to put solar panels on my roof?

Haruka: Oh really? I didn’t know that.

José: Yeah. I want to put sola- (Really?) Yeah uh, I- I think that would help. Uh I want to…

Haruka: During the renovation of your house?

José: Well the renovations are finished. I just (Yeah I know) want to get solar panels now (Just recently?Throughout this part of the conversation Haruka doesn’t give up on trying to understand clearly (3:05)) I WANT“want” implies a future uncompleted action, so when José emphasizes this, Haruka understands that it’s in the future (3:07) to get them. I haven’t gotten them yet.

Haruka: Ahh you want to. OK.

José: I want to get them. (Uh-huh) And maybe buy- (That’s so cool) I want to buy an electric motorcycle.

Haruka: Ho.

José: Not an electric car, an electric motorcycle. I already have a car, (Uh-huh) but I thought an electric motorcycle would be fun for moving around here and there (Oh motorcycle) Well I uh- a motorcycle or a small car. But not a- I already have a big car. (Yeah!) I don’t want…

Haruka: A really really, really big one. Really big!

José: It’s a little too big. (Uh-huh) But, I already have a big car. I want something that has a different role (Uh-huh) to play (Uh-huh) And doesn’t use that much electricity (Uh-huh) Because then I can completely power it from my solar panels (Oh that’s cool) Yeah. I hope that works out. (Uh-huh. Yeah)

Consolidation
DISCUSSION

What kinds of plastic items do you think are unnecessary?

Can you imagine a world where you have to pay for plastic bags? How about drinking straws?

We don’t have any pointers for this conversation, but if you have a question, please ask in the ‘Comments’ below. We might use your question as the base for a future pointer.

VOA article:

Plastic Bags: To Ban or Not to Ban?

Image courtesy:

SurprisePally

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Speakers

Yamashita Haruka image

Yamashita Haruka

Japanese

Oita City, Oita

José Domingo Cruz image

José Domingo Cruz

Canadian

Vancouver, British Columbia


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1 Comment

  1. Plastic Bags 2

    I think that we must have our own eco-bags. Plastics in the sea are problem now. Some people litter their litters and the litters are flowing into the sea. Most of the litters are plastic bags. Plastic bags that throwed away by people have negative impacts on the marine environment. To protect the environment, we have to use our own eco-bags.
    Now, in japan, the nation is calling for people to use their own eco-bags. Plastic bags are not free not only at supermarkets but also at convenience stores. However, there are still a lot of people to use plastic bags. Some people buy plastic bags to put a few things in. I think that they don’t know that plastic bags have bad effects on the environment in Japan. Therefore, the nation in Japan should teach people the environmental effects of plastic bags.
    By the way, stores are trying to reduce plastics. For example, some stores use paper straws and paper bags.
    In this way, it is very important to reduce the amount of the plastics. Not to use plastic bags, regulation of plastic bags should be tightened such as raising the price of plastic bags. To protect the environment, people must cooperate not to use plastic bags.

    Reply

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