Julie Matysik (Yamanashi-ken, 2006-07) is a freelance copy editor and aspiring in-house editor who recently moved to NYC with her husband (also a JET alum). She is seeking an internship or entry level position in editing/publishing/writing. Editorial Pursuits will chronicle her job hunting efforts, experiences and lessons learned.
Here’s one thing I’ve learned about job hunting: Always follow up with contacts because you never know where they might lead. Even if you don’t get the job, or even an interview, you might find that something completely unexpected evolves from the relationship.
What do I mean by these somewhat cryptic “words of wisdom”? Here’s what happened to me.
Last year I worked as a Teacher Assistant at a Madison preschool. No, this has nothing to do with my editorial pursuits, but it was a job that paid the bills and a great place to work for a limited period. I am still in contact with some of the parents of children in my after-school class, and they know all about my job search woes.
One of the parents remembered having a contact at Macmillan Publishers, and he graciously introduced me to his friend who expressed great interest in getting extra attention for my resume.
I was tickled pink at all the possibilities this could mean for me, and I even started dreaming about walking into the Flatiron Building every day for work at a major book publishing company.
Meanwhile, in addition to going to bat for me, she also invited me to her house to meet her and her two-year-old son! How fantastic! She wanted to meet me face to face! Read More
Memoirs of Japan – A new blog by Simon Gouldman (Niigata-ken, 1998-2000)
Blogs, Uncategorized, Writers 
Comments Off on Memoirs of Japan – A new blog by Simon Gouldman (Niigata-ken, 1998-2000)
JetWit is pleased to introduce a new blog just started by Simon Gouldman (Niigata-ken, Nagaoka-shi, 1998-2000) entitled Memoirs of Japan: The Story of a Young British Teacher Living in Japan. See a short excerpt below. To see more, go to memoirsofjapan.com, or grab the RSS feed.
Ten years have now passed since I first landed in Narita airport. I’ll never forget the strange smells, sounds and sights that confronted me on that Shinkansen (bullet train) journey to my new home. Although Japan is a world away from my life now it will always remain in my heart. Some memories are distant and some have faded, yet when I cast my mind back to that time it is as clear as the rising sun.
Translators Challenge – Fall 2008 “Politics” Issue (JETAA NY Newsletter)
Anecdote Article, Contest, Humor, Translating/Interpreting, Uncategorized, Writers Comments Off on Translators Challenge – Fall 2008 “Politics” Issue (JETAA NY Newsletter)
Welcome to the second-ever JETAA NY Quarterly Translators Challenge, from the Fall 2008 “Politics” issue.
We once again invited JET alums and Friends of JET (i.e., anyone who wants) to take their best shot at translating a selected text. Why? Well, mostly to entertain, but also to give the greater JET alum community a chance to show their stuff as well as give the rest of us a fun way to study up on our nihongo.
The selected text for this edition of the Translators Challenge is an excerpt from “Political Science,” the satirical 1972 song by Randy Newman.
Prize: $25 gift certificate to BOOK OFF, the discount Japanese boookstore on 41st St. between Madison & 5th Aves.
Asia’s crowded and Europe’s too old
Africa is far too hot
And Canada’s too cold
And South America stole our name
Let’s drop the big one
There’ll be no one left to blame us
We’ll save Australia
Don’t wanna hurt no kangaroo
We’ll build an all-American
amusement park there
They got surfin’, too
Click here to see/hear “Political Science” on YouTube.
********************
THE WINNER!
Mia Simring
(CIR Aichi-ken, 2004-06)
Omedetou gozaimashita on
her second straight win!
********************
アジア込みすぎ、
ヨーロッパダサすぎ
アフリカなんて暑くて
カナダ － 寒すぎ
南アメリカ － 我が名を盗んだ
世界をぶっ潰そう
反対する人間を消しちまおう
カンガルー可愛いから
オーストラリアだけ助けよう
アメリカン遊園地
そこで作るぞ！
Ajia komisugi,
Yoroppa dasasugi
Afurika nante atsukute
Kanada – samusugi
Minami Amerika – wa ga na wo nusunda
Sekai wo buttsubusou
Hantai suru ningen wo keshichimaou
Kangaru – kawaii kara
Osutoraria dake tasukeyou
Amerikan yuenchi
Soko de tsukuru zo!
********************
COMMENTARY
Special thanks to professional translator Jamie Graves (Shizuoka-ken, 2002-03) for providing some commentary and insight.
Mia clearly put a lot of thought into changing the distinctly American rhythms and humor of a folk song into Japanese.
I was impressed at how Mia managed to avoid direct translation, instead finding uniquely Japanese ways of expressing the value judgements in the song. Instead of directly saying “old” in the line “Europe’s too old” she used ダサイ(dasai, “not with it, uncool”), which conveys the contempt a lot better.
She was also very good on keeping the translated text rhythmic and simple, replacing a potentially messy translation of “Don’t wanna hurt no kangaroo” with “カンガルー可愛いから” (kangaroo kawaii kara), which manages to keep the humor and simplicity of the original. She even managed to rhyme the last verse!
Editorial Pursuits #1 – Getting LinkedIn to Your Professional Profile on JetWit
Career, Uncategorized, Writers Comments Off on Editorial Pursuits #1 – Getting LinkedIn to Your Professional Profile on JetWit
Julie Matysik (Yamanashi-ken, 2006-07) is a freelance copy editor and aspiring in-house editor who recently moved to NYC with her husband (also a JET alum). She is seeking an internship or entry level position in editing/publishing/writing. Editorial Pursuits will chronicle her job hunting efforts, experiences and lessons learned.
As a recent transplant to New York City from little ol’ Wisconsin, I’ve had a lot of new experiences thrown at me over the past two months.
I’ve learned to not take it personally when I smile at someone on the sidewalk and they give me a scowl; I’ve learned the exact speed to swipe the MetroCard so you don’t get bumped from behind when you have to re-swipe; I’ve learned that yes, New York pizza is super greasy but oh-so-alluring.
I’ve also learned that job searching in a city of millions of people is not a piece of cake and so, on the advice of a fellow JETAANY member, I decided to try my hand at creating a LinkedIn profile that I could link to in my JetWit Professional Profile.
I’m still getting comfortable with establishing an online presence for myself, but, to my pleasant surprise, Read More
How’s the Economy Treating You? JET Alums Share Their Perspectives
Anecdote Article, Article/Journalism, Career, Translating/Interpreting, Writers Comments Off on How’s the Economy Treating You? JET Alums Share Their Perspectives
Marc Carroll (Gifu-ken, 2001-03)
Senior localization engineer, translation company, New York, NY
As for the economy and me? Hmm, well, I was reassured, unofficially :-), that I am safe, but it could be a mixed blessing if my group was ever reduced in size. A ton more work for fewer people = longer hours. It’s really hard to say what’s going to happen.
And as for the economy and my company? I’d guess we may see a slight shift in our focus. While projects for domestic advertising and marketing materials my decrease, there could be opportunities for companies who are looking overseas to jump the USS Titanic. With all the fanfare, we’ve been contracted to translate a tsunami of internal memos and press releases. It’s not the meat and potatoes of our business, but it seems a bit ironic that some U.S. institutions are basically paying us tell to their foreign investors and constituencies it’s gonna be a’ight and not to panic about their financial situations.
All and all, we’re just following the money and providing a voice for businesses on whatever shores they choose to operate, foreign or domestic. It’d be naive to say we are recession-proof, but hey, we’ve roughed the dotcom bubble burst,Y2K and the cancellation of Baywatch.
**************
Anonymous
Finance, New York, NY
I work at a major financial institution that has suffered billions of dollars of losses over the past year. Thousands of employees at my company, including many friends of mine, have been laid off, and it seems Read More
New Bankruptcy Bill Cartoon
Blogs, Cartoon/Illustration, Humor, Uncategorized, Writers Comments Off on New Bankruptcy Bill Cartoon
Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) has posted a new Bankruptcy Bill cartoon at bankruptcybill.wordpress.com.
JETAA NY Quarterly: Fall 2008 “Politics” Issue
Article/Journalism, Writers Comments Off on JETAA NY Quarterly: Fall 2008 “Politics” Issue
JETAA NY has just published its Fall 2008 “Politics” Issue of its quarterly publications. Click the image below to read.
FALL 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Page 1…..JET Alumni Election Survey
- Page 2…..Letter from the President
- Page 3…..Comings & Goings
- Page 4…..Translators Challenge
- Page 5…..JETAANY Society Page by Yoku Shitteiru
- Page 6…..Interview with Inuyama City Councilman Anthony Bianchi by Michael Glazer
- Page 7…..Political Animals: Political Anecdotes from JET Alums
- Page 8…..Stopping Political Robocalls: Interview with Shaun Dakin by Stacy Smith
- Page 9…..How’s the Economy Treating You?
- Page 10…A Trip to Mitsuwa Marketplace by Kirsten Phillips
- Page 11…Interview with Novelist James Kennedy by Gina Anderson
- Pages 12-13…Photos from Softball Tournament and Career Forum/Welcome Back Reception
- Page 19…Concert Review: Akiko Wada at the Apollo Theater by Justin Tedaldi
- Page 20…Film Review: Passing Poston & Yasukuni by Justin Tedaldi
- Page 21…Book Review: Kenneth Pyle’s Japan Rising by Lyle Sylvander
- Page 22…Top 14 Ways JETAA Would be Different if Obama or McCain Were Your JETAA Chapter President
- Page 23…Index of Sponsors
Blaine Harden on Japan’s Convenience Stores
Article/Journalism, Career, Writers Comments Off on Blaine Harden on Japan’s Convenience Stores
Blaine Harden has another interesting article in the Washington Post, this time on Japan’s convenience stores. He’s not a JET alum, but his articles are generally good reading, so we’ll continue to keep track of his writing and justify its inclusion on the basis that it’s a good model for aspiring writers and journalists in the JET alumni community.
And, if you’re feeling natsukashii for a good ol’ Japanese convenience store, here’s the video from the story:
Roger Ebert – Alone in the Kitchen with a Rice Cooker?
Article/Journalism, Blogs, Celebrity, Translating/Interpreting, Writers Comments Off on Roger Ebert – Alone in the Kitchen with a Rice Cooker?
A reminder to contact me if you’re interested in writing an essay on the “Alone in the Kitchen with a Rice Cooker” theme about cooking for yourself (or eating by yourself) in Japan.
And an interesting (and unsolicited) take on the theme in a recent blog from, of all people, film critic Roger Ebert. (Includes a reference to Zojirushi, the current employer of Fukuoka-ken JET alum and previous “Translator’s Challenge” winner Sharon Tatro.)
WITLife – Episode #2
Article/Journalism, Blogs, Translating/Interpreting, WIT Life, Writers Comments Off on WITLife – Episode #2
WITLife is a periodic post by Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03).
I have now begun my second assignment for the International Visitor Leadership Program, and this time around the person I am interpreting for is a female entrepreneur from the northern island of Hokkaido. We will be traveling around the country together for the next 3 weeks to study issues relating to women and work such as telecommuting, returning to the workplace after an extended absence and work flexibility. Not only that, but she is lucky enough to be here during this monumental presidential election!
In this spirit, our program coordinator arranged for us to visit a polling station in Arlington, Virginia that Read More
Bankruptcy Bill in the WSJ Law Blog
Article/Journalism, Blogs, Cartoon/Illustration, Humor, Writers Comments Off on Bankruptcy Bill in the WSJ Law Blog
“Bankruptcy Bill to the Rescue” – The Wall Street Journal‘s Dionne Searcey yesterday wrote a nice item in the WSJ Law Blog about Bankruptcy Bill, the cartoon written by Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) and illustrated by Gideon Kendall.
From a Japanese perspective, the article is also notable in that it mentioned Bill’s bankruptcy haiku. :-)
NPR Talks to Roland Kelts About Haruki Murakami
Article/Journalism, Audio, Blogs, Celebrity, Interview/Profile, Roland Kelts, Writers Comments Off on NPR Talks to Roland Kelts About Haruki Murakami
Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99) just got back to Tokyo and shared this NPR clip about Haruki Murakami which includes some comments from Roland. Have a listen.
New Bankruptcy Comic Strip by JET Alum Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94)
Blogs, Cartoon/Illustration, Celebrity, Humor, Writers Comments Off on New Bankruptcy Comic Strip by JET Alum Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94)
Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) (i.e., the guy who does this JetWit site) has launched a new comic strip about bankruptcy lawyers called Bankruptcy Bill. The first two strips are viewable at bankruptcybill.wordpress.com. Also, The Deal’s Bankruptcy Insider ran a nice item on the cartoon in this week’s issue (subscription required).
Daily Yomiuri Column by Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99)
Article/Journalism, Blogs, Celebrity, Japan Trends, Roland Kelts, Writers Comments Off on Daily Yomiuri Column by Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99)
There’s a new Daily Yomiuri column out today by Japanamerica author Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99). In his periodic column (“Soft Power/Hard Truths”), he comments on American perceptions of Japan and of foreigners, touching on his recent on-stage interview with Haruki Murakami in San Francisco as well as the recent matchup of the Rays’ Akinori Iwamura against the Red Sox Hideki Okajima.
Electric Chair Bear
Blogs, Cartoon/Illustration, Graduate School, Humor, Writers Comments Off on Electric Chair Bear
Click here to see a recent blog post from Lee-Sean Huang (Oita-ken, 2004-06) on the Electric Chair Bear project he’s working on with his classmates. Lee-Sean, who is the JETAA NY webmaster as well as the JetWit.com webmaster, is currently doing grad work in alternative media at NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) which requires a great deal of blogging on topics that are simultaneously fascinating and completely esoteric.
