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James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06), author of The Order of Odd-Fish, has a new blog post in which he “attacks” the American Library Association in a uniquely entertaining way. Below is an intro which doesn’t even begin to do justice to the full post.
In January the American Library Association held its Midwinter Meeting in Denver. Teenagers were invited to talk about their favorite books that were nominated for YALSA’s “Best Books for Young Adults” list.
It was reported that one fan of The Order of Odd-Fish wore a three-foot-long red-and-white fish hat in its honor, declaring that the book was “incredibly, ridiculously funny. You just don’t see books like this very often.”
I was able to track down a photo of the gentleman. His name: Kevin Buckelew. I have written a factual account the incident below.
You can meet James on March 22 at the JET Alumni Author Showcase in New York, along with Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, and Robert Weston (Nara-ken, 2002-04), author of Zorgamazoo. Space is limited to RSVP to reserve your spot. Details at http://jetaany.org/authors.
Job: Director, Office for Latin American Programs – Texas A M (TX)
Jobs 
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Via Chronicle of Higher Ed’s international programs job listings:
3/4/2009
- Texas A&M University at College Station (Texas) : Director, Office for Latin American Programs
- Learn more in our Employer Profiles
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By translator and writer Jamie Graves (Saitama-Ken 2002-2003)
If you studied Japanese at the college level, your first exposure to the language most likely came from the red and black circles of Eleanor Harz Jorden’s seminal textbook “Japanese: The Spoken Language.” Jorden recently passed away at the age of 89, having spent her entire adult life studying and teaching Japanese linguistics to English speakers. Jorden was part of the generation of Japanese scholars that became active and influential just after World War II, and whose work laid the foundations for modern study and understanding of Japan in the English speaking world. When the translations of Donald Keene and Edward Seidensticker inspired many to study Japanese language and literature, it was often the system Jorden developed that they used to learn it.
As a linguist, Jorden was extremely concerned with accuracy and precision. Switching to Japanese in the middle of my junior year, I moved from the copiously illustrated “Genki” series of textbooks, with its illustrated storyline of Mary-san the exchange student slowly learning Japanese language and culture, to Jorden’s blocky and forbidding introduction. There were no photos, illustrations or cultural asides in Jorden’s book, just rows of text and the occasional explanatory table. Instead of hellos and introductions the book begins like a science text, defining its most basic terms. “Mora is the term we will use to refer to the syllable-like unit of Japanese: each mora represents one beat and occupies roughly the same unit of time (a 3-mora word takes three times as long to pronounce as a 1-mora word).” Read More
By Kirsten Phillips (Niigata-ken, 2005-08)
I had an inaka bank. 弟四銀行. Anyone outside Niigata even heard of it? Is it just a Niigata thing? Do they have those in Nagano/Toyama/Nagoya?
I was always nervous going to Tokyo because the only ATM that would recognize my ATM card was the 7-11. Not the Save-On, not the AM/PM, not the Circle K, not even some of the LAWSON’S in the big city would take my card but I could always rely on 7-11. Oh, how sad I was when I parted with my cute little pink ATM card with the cartoon duckies on it. Nah, I’m not shitting you.
Learning the Japanese ATM ropes was quick enough. Once I recognized the kanji for “balance” and “withdrawal”, my financial worries were over. Furikomi? Yeah, I love those! They’re sooo yummy, especially when they’re r-….wait, that’s not a food?
Ohhh, friends. Nothing could be more tragi込み than watching American citizen Numero Uno trying to pull off a delicate kanji procedure such as a furikomi on her own. Read More
Introducing the 2009-10 JETAA DC Council
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Via JETAA DC:
2009-2010 JETAA DC Council
- President: Michelle Spezzacatena
- Vice President: Justin Manger
- Secretary: Brooke Howell
- Treasurer: Susan Gundersen
- Ad Hoc Chair: Heather McDonald
- Outreach Chair: Margaret Burton
- Newsletter Chair: Abby MacBain
- Online Chair: Ben Bucher
- Returnee Handbook Chairs: Abby MacBain and Jeff Herman
- Social Chair: Cynthia Hawkins (Rosalyn Adams)
- Volunteer Chairs: Naomi Basik and Stacey Yanagawa
- Non Profit Chair: Mac Maloney
Japanese art and anime festival at the Orlando Public Library
Events, Japan Trends, JETAA Chapters Comments Off on Japanese art and anime festival at the Orlando Public Library
Via JETAA Florida:
There will be a Japanese art and anime festival at the Orlando Public Library Friday, March 13 through Saturday, March 14. Check it out. http://ld-e.com/jclub/J.Fair2009.jpg
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Big news to announce. This event is a direct outgrowth of the Writers Interpreters Translators (WIT) Group and JetWit.com.
Click on image to go to jetaany.org/authors to access full-size PDF of the poster.
Read on for more details about the event and the authors.
By Kirsten Phillips (Niigata-ken, 2005-08)
My first year in Japan schooled me.
Learn how to suck it up, you soft American pansy. This is Nippon and we don’t care if your carcass is rotting and your soul is spiraling rapidly towards damnation. We will smile and hand you the five letter dirty word: G-A-M-A-N. Now get your sorry ass into that tanmoku of 40 revved up first years or we will not be amused.
Going in to work sick is a part of life. You popped your meds, filled your water bottle and dragged your dead weight to class. Some days you just don’t have the juice to perform. When you haven’t seen the sun for 3 straight months and Kocho thinks its a swell idea to keep the heaters turned off in January to save money, you sometimes have to look under the couch of your soul and hope to scrape up some change in order to get through the day.
Nonetheless, sick is sick.
I only ever got heinously ill once in Japan. Heinous enough to see a Japanese doctor, that is. The guy was curt, handed me a vast array of Read More
Bankruptcy Bill #12 – Facebook #1
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Bankruptcy Bill is a cartoon created by Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) and Gideon Kendall. To see more strips as well as original bankruptcy haiku, go to bankruptcybill.wordpress.com.
*Note: For those unfamiliar with the bagel reference, you can find the explanation in this NY Post article along with some additional modern bankruptcy cultural history in this NY Observer article.
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WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). Recently she’s been watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
In these tough economic times we are all looking to save money where we can. In eco-conscious Japan, this is taking the form of restaurants looking to reduce their amount of waste. Not only is this better for the earth, but they are also able to decrease processing costs so it’s a double bonus. An interesting phenomenon is that this idea is being applying to the ubiquitous enkai, known to be the worst waster of food. Instead of putting out a great spread and having much of it end up as leftovers, Read More
JETAA Chapter Beat 3.3.09
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Freelance writer/editor Jonathan Trace (Fukuoka-ken, 2005-08) takes us on a walk around the JET Alumni community…
- JASW Sushi Making Workshop – Sunday, March 8th, at Maneki Neko Restaurant. Workshop A begins at 10:00, Workshop B begins at 1:00. Come learn how to make perfect sushi rice, flawless maki rolls and some nicely shaped nigiri sushi with Chef Tao.
- JASW Discussion: Comparing US & Japan Litigation Processes – Thursday, March 5th there will be a discussion about US and Japanese litigation laws. Do not miss the conversation about this interesting subject.
- Events at the Freer – March 6th through April 5th at the Freer Gallery there will be a series of free screenings of films by Nagisa Oshima. March 13th be sure to join the free shamisen/violin/computer concert. Don’t miss the fun.
- FLUID Pub Night – Wednesday, March 4th, 6:30 at Fluid. Have an Asahi and catch up with old friends at this month’s Fluid night.
- JETAA Speed Dating – Wednesday, March 25th, 7:00 at James Fleet Place. Looking for that special someone? Join JETAA London for some fun and romance.
- Sake Tasting – Sunday, March 22nd, 12:30 at Yumenoki Restaurant. Learn about Japanese sake with a qualified sake lecturer and enthusiast. See how it is made and get a taste for yourself.
- Happy Hour – Friday, March 6th, 6:00 at Wann Izakaya. Toss back a drink with old friends at this month’s happy hour.
- Seattle Buddhist Temple Spring Bazaar – Sunday, March 15th, 11:00 to 3:00 at the Seattle Buddhist Temple. Come out for some home made Japanese food including sushi, barazushi, curry rice and apple pie.
- Nomikai Happy Hour – Thursday, March 5th, 6:00 at Jade Bar. Join JETAANC for a drink and some conversation at Jade for this month’s happy hour.
- Tax Seminar – Wednesday, March 4th, 6;30 at the Japan Information Center, Consulate General of Japan in SF. Wondering how to get your taxes in order after spending the last year(s) in Japan? Come get some help from your local JETAA community.
- Japanese Discussion Group “Taboo” – Saturday, March 7th, 3:00. The topic for the discussion is marijuana and Japan and the legalization/illegality of it and other drugs in Japanese society. Come have a hand in this interesting topic.
- JETAA Meeting – Wednesday, March 18th, 6:00 at Jerry’s Deli. All members welcome, so join in if you can.
- JETAA Job Fair – Saturday, April 4th, 12:00 to 5:00 at the Japan Information Center. Mark your calendars for this important chance to network with Chicago Japanese businesses.
- Japanese Literature Book Club – Tuesday, March 17th, 6:00 at the Japan Information Center. Chicago is starting a new book club to meet once a month and discuss a Japanese novel or short story. This month’s selection will be Haruki Murakami’s short story collection “After the Quake.”
- JETAA Wisconsin Subchapter Party – Sunday, March 22nd at Edo Japanese Restaurant. Come out and join the fun in Wisconsin! Talk, share experiences and, best of all, get some good food.
- Quiz Night – Thursday, March 19th, 7:00 at the UWA Tavern. Join in for the ever popular Quiz night. Food, drinks and some trivia. Don’t miss it.
- AGM – Friday, March 27th, venue to be determined. If you are interested in joining the JETAA committee this year please come by and participate.
- Returnee Reception and Family BBQ Write Up! – On Friday, February 20th there was a welcome-back reception at the CG’s residence for ’08 returnees. It was great to hear some natsukashii stories. Most of the committee was in attendance, along with the usual line-up of dignitaries. The next day, Saturday, February 21st, we held the annual JETAA Family BBQ at the Synergy Parkland at Kings Park. Despite his busy schedule, Hidenori Yoshikawa from CLAIR was kind enough to attend the event, along with plenty of JETAA members, family, CD representatives, Japanese residents of Perth and juicy watermelons. Photos will be up shortly on Facebook.
What happened at your chapter’s event? If you attend(ed) any of these exciting events, JetWit would love to hear about them. Just email Jonathan Trace with any info, stories or comments.
Job: Development Assistant Manager (bilingual) (LA & SF)
Jobs Comments Off on Job: Development Assistant Manager (bilingual) (LA & SF)
Via JETAA Southern California:
Development Assistant Manager
Requirements:
- Japanese/English bilingual a must
- Must have minimum 3 years experience in development
- Visual Basic 6 knowledge and experience is preferred
- Oracle SQL knowledge and experience is preferred
- Crystal Report knowledge and experience is preferred
Locations
San Francisco, CA & Los Angeles CA
If you are interested in this position, please send resumes to t.hashiudo@ tsconsult. com
Today’s NY Times has an article about the attempts of citizens in Hitoyoshi to block a dam that the Japanese government has wanted to build.
Any JET alums or current JETs out there who are familiar with this area and can add some perspective? Anyone have experience with anti-centralization movements in Japan?
JetWit Blog Beat by Crystal Wong (Iwate-ken, 2002-04) is a recurring item featuring posts from the blogs of various JET alumni. Crystal is a former English-language writer for Kyodo News. She now works as a media planner in Chelsea and sorely misses all her favorite midtown ramen joints.
Even though it doesn’t seem like it here in New York, the calendar tells us spring is right around the corner. Here’s a smattering of some freshly picked blog posts with same dashes of whimsy to round out your web surfing.
Robert P. Weston (Nara-ken, 2002-04) wishes a happy birthday to someone with a key part in inspiring his book Zorgamazoo.
Rose Symotiuk (Hokkaido, 2003-2005) shares some truths about ringing in March with a New York snowstorm.
For all the old-school Batman fans out there, Jamie Patterson offers this video clip.
And from Lee-Sean Huang’s (Oita-ken, 2003-06) blog, he shares an intricate performance art game developed for his Visual Music class. He’ll also be performing at Arlene’s Grocery this Wednesday with JC Cassis’ band.
Job: English Language Program Director, Office of International Education – Virginia Commonwealth University
Jobs Comments Off on Job: English Language Program Director, Office of International Education – Virginia Commonwealth University
Via the Chronicle of Higher Ed’s international programs job page:
3/2/2009
- Virginia Commonwealth University (Virginia) : English Language Program Director, Office of International Education
Learn more in our Employer Profiles
