Adventures of a Stealth Gaijin: “E is for Elementary School” by Ann Chow
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Adventures of a Stealth Gaijin
By Ann Chow (ALT, Hyogo-ken, 2007-2009), a New York City-based JET alum currently seeking copy editing/proofreading/production editing jobs in news or book publishing. Email jetwit [at] jetwit.com if you would like to get in touch with her.
E is for Elementary School
E is for elementary school.
Elementary school in Japan is for students between the ages of 6-12, and they are easily spotted by the backpacks, called randoseru, that they carry. Sometimes, they wear sailor uniforms. Sometimes, they don’t. My students didn’t.
When I first arrived in Japan, the BoE I worked for told me I would be working at 2 junior high schools and 3 elementary schools. It was pretty standard for the ALTs working in my town, and I had no complaints except that one of my elementary schools was clear across town, 35 minutes or so by bike, and I wasn’t the ALT who lived closest to it.
Sometime in December of my first year there, I was told I would have to visit another elementary school. There was already another ALT who visited, but the teachers wanted extra lessons, so they added me on to the roster. On my first visit to that school, I was running late because I realized the main entrance to the school wasn’t on the main road, but on a back street behind the sports field and a construction site for new housing. It really didn’t help that they were Read More
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Many JETs and JET alumni find themselves at a crossroads regarding their careers and career options. Nicole D. Mignone (Akita-ken, 1991-1993), a certified life coach, will be periodically posting articles for the benefit of the JET Community. You can read more of her life-related articles at her blog thealchemyofbalance.blogspot.com. She also offers individual life and business coaching. For more information, email Nicole at drmuse@jetwit.com.
Dear Dr. Muse:
Based on the question from N.H. in Long Island [January 30, 2010 Post], we are creating a series of exercises aimed at getting “unstuck” in a job or life. Based on the previous exercise of the Rating System, let’s revisit the eight areas of evaluation:
What three areas have the most priority or importance to you for the next three months? Using the logical, analytical, problem-solving side of the brain you will create an Action Plan. By processing backwards, in your journal, write the steps that it would take to lead you from where you want to be to where you are now. This is like planning a party or event where you have the end in mind. Try to get engrossed in the details because each little step leads you closer to what you want.
Now, looking at your Action Plan details, on a new sheet of paper, and processing backward from the end result, assign a deadline in three months for the first few specific tasks. For instance, in three months time, you wish to move one or two steps forward on the Action Plan. Determine what discrete tasks you need to do each month for the next three months to get there. Then, for this first month, break down the steps into weekly goals. Finally, with this upcoming week, set three tasks to complete toward this week’s goal.
Create an Action Plan for the three areas of the Rating System you determined a priority for the next three months.
Most importantly, spend time each week evaluating your weekly progress and establishing goals for the week ahead, all with your three-month goal in mind. This work-in-progress requires recalibration. Some weeks you may get ahead of your goals, and other weeks you may feel you lag behind. In truth, you continue to make progress, so enjoy the adventure!
Every few months, revisit the Rating System and create new Action Plans. While working on the foundation areas of your life, you allow more creative inspiration and energy to move you out of a place of feeling “stuck.”
Stay tuned for the next Dr. Muse post where I’ll answer other life/career change questions.
J-News Mini Roundup: Toyota Brake Recall – Japanese Reactions to the Current Crisis
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J-News Mini-Roundup is a recurring feature written by Friend Of JET, Jon Hills, who maintains the blog for Hills Learning (www.hillslearning.com). Hills Learning is a NY-based language learning services company offering customized and personal Japanese and Chinese language learning options.
It all started on a usual family outing in California. It was there that a highway patrolman and his family were driving on the highway, when they realized the accelerator petal was stuck to the floor. After careening through the highway and eventually crashing though a guard rail, the car rolled over a few times and burst into flames.
Toyota has gotten lots of press lately for their recall of cars across America and the so called stuck accelerator problem. Americans have reacted with shock as their top quality car maker has had to recall some of the highest selling models on the American market. But how have the Japanese reacted to this?
Each Japanese newspaper today had a different take on the current crisis at Toyota, its affects on America and the overall financial health of the company.
Click here for the rest of the article, including other Japanese language and culture articles
Urgent short-term gig: Japanese Speakers Wanted For Translation Work (Los Angeles)
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Language Weaver is seeking Japanese-English bilinguals to work on a short job this Wednesday or Thursday. They must be able to read both Japanese and English, and be fluent native or near-native English speakers. The job will take about 4 hours, working through an online portal on a flexible schedule, with training by phone. They will work as independent consultants, not employees. Since the total pay is under the federal limit, it will not be reported to the IRS.
The task is to skim 200 sentences that were translated from Japanese into English by a computer, and rate the quality of the translation on a 5-point scale. The sentences are on general news topics that don’t require any special vocabulary. The consultant can be an undergraduate, graduate, senior citizen, someone’s spouse, or whatever — so long as they can read both Japanese and English fluently, and aren’t tied up with midterms this week.
The pay for the job will be $90 a person. People who are interested in the job should contact Michael Potts at 310-437-7300 extension 244, or mpotts@languageweaver.com. He is available both days and evenings.
Benjamin Davis (ALT Chiba-ken, 2006-07, CIR/PA Chiba Kencho, 2007-09) is a freelance writer/researcher, translator, renaissance man and jack-of-all-trades based in rural Chiba-ken. He can be contacted at davis.benjamin.j@gmail.com and is always on the lookout for new and interesting projects.
“Setsubun, Bean-tossing, and the Old Japanese Calendar”
This February 3rd, when he gets home from work, my friend Mr. Watanabe will be chased out of his own house, by his own children, who will shout at him and throw dried beans in his face.
No, this is not some clever new trick on the children’s part to get back at him for enforcing their bedtimes. On the contrary, it will be something he planned in concert with them days earlier. He himself will be wearing a demon mask, his wife will be encouraging the children on in the background, and the shouts in question will be repeated cries of “Demons out, fortune in!”
You see, this bean-throwing and shouting is actually an ancient Japanese tradition called “Setsubun” (節分). It is a ritual whose objective is to chase out the malevolent spirits that may have built up like dust bunnies in the dark corners of the house over the year and invite in good fortune for the coming year.
To make the experience more symbolically tangible, a male member of the house may dress up as Read More
Jobs: English Teacher at Ez Communications (Nagano)
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Via naganojet yahoo group:
Ez Communications, one of the few foreign-owned and operated schools in Matsumoto, is looking for a full-time teacher starting on the first of April. The position available focuses mainly on pre-school kids and uses a storybook curriculum. Some junior high school and adult classes are offered as well.
Ez Communications offers an initial salary of 250,000 yen, assistance in finding a place to life, and visa sponsorship. They are looking (ideally) for a teacher who already lives in Japan, has a driver’s license, and enjoys teaching children.
Interested parties should send their resume and contact information to trevorralph@ezcomm.biz. Successful candidates will be contacted.
Job: Bilingual Japanese Marketing Assistant (New York)
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Lloyd Staffing is looking for a full-time bilingual marketing assistant for a New York City firm.
DUTIES:
- Provide administrative support to Marketing Department of Downtown NYC firm, reporting to VP of Marketing.
- Candidate will get involved in client relations having direct contact with clients.
- Will assist with prospect lists, database work, marketing reports, planning events, purchasing supplies, and more.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Ideal candidate will have proficiency in Word and Excel.
- Must be proficient in communicating in both English and Japanese languages.
- Must be able to speak, read and write in both languages.
- 1-3 years administrative experience.
For immediate consideration, please call Barbara Cohen Farber, Executive Director at 631-777-7600 ext 778. Or email your resume to bcohenfarber@ lloydstaffing. com
Job: Administrative Assistant at International Access Corporation (DC)
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International Access Corporation is looking for an Administrative Assistant in Washington D.C.
DUTIES:
- Support position with a Japanese transportation association.
- Requires excellent English communication and writing skills
- Some Japanese language or cultural exposure to Japan is desirable.
- Planning Washington D.C. seminars and study groups as well as general office support.
- Word, Excel required; PowerPoint, Quicken desired
- Bilingual English/Japanese
- Salary Range: $37,000
HOW TO APPLY:
Please send resume WITH COVER LETTER to Elizabeth McCarthy – mccarthy@iacdc.com
Position includes FULL health insurance, dental and life insurance, 401(k) and proftsharing plan, generous vacation and holidays. Stimulating international office in downtown D.C. near two Metro stops.
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Joshikai SF: A new meet-up for Japanese women and women connected to Japan
女子力アップ！「女子会サンフランシスコ」
Next meeting: Thursday, 2/11
For February’s Joshikai, the author of Shortchanged: A Japanese Women’s Guide to International Romance（www.sonsuru-japan.com), Mieko Mochizuki Swartz will give advice about international relationships and romance, addressing differences in communication styles and cultural expectations. The talk will be followed by time for networking, chatting and drinking.
(See full details below)
JetWit Note: Apparently the first event they held was wonderful–they had about 35 women in attendance, with a good mix of Japanese and American women including a number of JET alums!
About Joshikai SF
Are you a Japanese woman or a woman with an interest in Japan? Maybe you just moved here from Tokyo this summer and want to make new friends… Maybe you taught English in Osaka a few years ago and want to revive your rusty Japanese… Whether you are a native Japanese woman or an American (or other nationality) woman with an interest in Japan, Joshikai may be for you!
女子による女子のための女子限定ネットワークイベント「女子会サンフランシスコ」を始動しました。女子同士ならではのよさ、赤裸々な本音トークなどを楽しんで、一緒に女子力アップを目指しませんか？
We are creating a community of Japanese women and women with an interest in Japan, gathering for a monthly meet-up to make friends, share stories and learn from each other. On the second Thursday of each month, we’ll meet at a location that is chic, reasonably priced, and conveniently located (near a BART station and other public transportation) for an evening of drinks and girl talk, where our members can connect and relax over a cocktail.
Why women only? We want to create a relaxed atmosphere, with the opportunity to speak freely and connect with each other in a supportive environment.
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Here is the information about our February event (in Japanese then English): Read More
C-DOC: Learn Chinese NYC – Basics for Pronounciation and the Four Tones
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The Chinese Doctor is a recurring feature written by Friend Of JET, Jon Hills, who maintains the blog for Hills Learning (www.hillslearning.com).
Hills Learning is a NY-based language learning services company offering customized and personal Chinese, Japanese and Korean language learning options. Their main service is private one on one language lessons in the NYC area.
Congratulations on choosing to learn the new buzz language in New York City, Chinese. When learning Chinese it’s important to first learn the pronunciation of the language. Mandarin Chinese is a tonal language, with 4 tones that can change and distinguish the meaning of words. It’s important to become familiar with the tones in the beginning, mastering the tones will take time and energy with a trained teacher. Don’t worry though, Cantonese has 7 tones, and Vietnamese has 9 tones, so comparatively learning Mandarin should seem quite easy!
When learning Mandarin we’ll use the word “ma.” Ma can mean four different things, depending on which tone you pronounce it with. Without further ado, here’s the tones you’ll use when pronouncing Mandarin…
Click here for the rest of the article, including other Chinese language and culture articles
“The US-Japan Alliance: Relic of a By-gone Era” by JET alum Michael Auslin
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The latest from JET alum Michael Auslin, a professor of Japanese history and politics and currently the Director of Japanese Studies for the American Enterprise Institute in D.C. This one part of The AEI Outlook Series.
The U.S.-Japan Alliance: Relic of a By-gone Era?
http://www.aei.org/outlook/100929
by JET alum Michael Auslin
The U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation was signed in Washington, D.C., fifty years ago this month. Few alliances last half a century. The fact that this one has is a testament to its strength, but it is also the result of East Asia’s failure to develop stable political and security relationships in the decades after World War II. It also reflects Japan’s postwar political realities and the choices successive Japanese governments made to maintain the country’s largely pacifist global role. Yet, the pressures on the alliance today raise questions about how well it can adapt to changes inside Japan, the United States, and throughout Asia. If the alliance is to survive, how should it change to best serve the evolving national interests of Japan and the United States?
Key points in this Outlook:
* The U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation has helped maintain peace in Asia for the past fifty years.
* Security-related issues regarding North Korea’s nuclear-weapons program and China’s growing military raise important political questions for the future of the alliance.
* Today, the Obama and Hatoyama administrations must decide if they view the alliance as a key element in their security strategies or as an outdated relic of a bygone era.
To read the whole paper, go here: http://www.aei.org/outlook/100929
WIT Life #70: Japan/America friendship dolls
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WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
My travels currently bring me to Rochester, NY, and this morning at the local museum and science center I encountered an unexpected aspect of grassroots exchange between Japan and America. My Japanese guests and I met with Mr. George McIntosh, Director of Collections, and headed down into the vault to get a closer look at the Japanese Ambassador Doll housed there. Her name is Tamako and she hails from Nagasaki Prefecture, and she was part of a gift from Japan in return for nearly 13,000 friendship dolls sent over in early 1927 by the Committee on World Friendship Among Children. 
This committee was formed by Dr. Sidney Gulick in 1926 as a reaction to restrictive American Read More
WIT Life #69: Mainstream moe
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WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
Interesting intersection of American pop culture and Japanese culture on two back-to-back episodes of 30 Rock last night. In the first one, James Franco (who manages to be amazing in everything he does) playing himself talks of his knowledge of “moe” before whipping out his very own body pillow girlfriend Kimiko. In a later scene the morning after he and Liz spend the night together, they both emerge in their pajamas, him holding Kimiko. This strange threesome freaks out Liz’s cousin who is staying at her place.
In the next episode, Frank refers to a high frequency sound used in Japan to chase away kids loitering in front of conbini, and then uses it on Jenna. I have never heard of this tactic being employed in Japan, anyone else?
Japan Society: Isaac Shapiro book signing
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From the Japan Society of New York
Born to Russian Jewish parents in Tokyo in 1931, Isaac Shapiro grew up in the shadows of war torn Japan. Mr. Shapiro, who went on to become a prominent Manhattan attorney and president of Japan Society, shares his fascinating tale of his Russian/Jewish/Chinese/Japanese childhood in wartime Japan.
Moderated by Rabbi Marvin Tokayer, Honorary Lifetime Rabbi, Jewish Community of Japan.
Followed by a book signing.
DATE Thursday, January 14 6:30 PM
LOCATION
This program will be held at the Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street, New York, NY 10017 (at First Avenue).
Tickets:
$11/$7 Members, seniors & students
Buy Tickets Online or call the Japan Society Box Office at (212) 715-1258, Mon. – Fri. 11 am – 6 pm, Weekends 11 am – 5 pm.
Japan Society: Talkin’ Baseball with Bobby Valentine
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From the Japan Society of New York:
The only manager in baseball history to lead a team to both the Japan Series and the World Series, Bobby Valentine discusses his experiences as one of the most successful baseball managers in the world. Valentine led the Chiba Lotte Marines to the Japan Series championship in 2005, their first title since 1974. Valentine also managed the Mets to the post season in consecutive years for the first time in club’s history in 1999 and 2000. To the vocal disappointment of fans in Japan, Valentine completed his tenure in Japan in 2009, and now serves as a baseball analyst for ESPN, as well as the owner of Bobby Valentine’s Sports Gallery Café in Stamford, CT.
Moderated by Ken Belson, The New York Times
TIME: Thursday, January 21 6:30 PM
LOCATION: This program will be held at the Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street, New York, NY 10017 (at First Avenue).
Tickets:
$15/$12 Japan Society members, seniors & students
Buy Tickets Online or call the Japan Society Box Office at (212) 715-1258, Mon. – Fri. 11 am – 6 pm, Weekends 11 am – 5 pm.
