Gaijin on Parade
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Joshua Small is a First Year JET currently living in Ikaruga-cho, Nara-ken and has been chronicling his experience on his blog Snorlax87.
32 Nara JETs, 60 Japanese people (ranging from infants to the elderly) gathered at Miwa station, all dressed in costume. Let me paint a picture for you: 30 FOREIGNERS BOARDED A TRAIN COMPLETELY CLAD IN HALLOWEEN COSTUMES. To say people stared would be an understatement. They LEERED…
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Instant Noodle Comics is a new cartoon by Shun Endo (Ibaraki Prefecture, 1998-2001), who also served as Treasurer and Webmaster for JETAA Pacific Northwest. He works as a Game Artist at Real Networks( Gamehouse Studios). To see more of his cartoons go to instantnoodlescomics.com.
Click the image to see the full comic!
Facebook Boss Filter Comic
Japan Trends: “Jersey Shore” to air in Japan, titled “Macaroni Rascals”
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This CNN story on Jersey Shore as the latest U.S. pop-culture import to Japan and how the title translates loosely as “Macaroni Rascals.”
http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/none/macaroni-rascals-mtvs-jersey-shore-comes-japan-490032
Here’s the official title:「MTV Jersey Shore〜マカロニ野郎のニュージャージー・ライフ〜」And CNN just decided to translate “yaro” as “rascals” to keep the story family friendly, but they acknowledge that the term could be translated less politely.
If anyone watches this in Japan, first, I’m very sorry. And second, JetWit would love to hear about reactions from some of your Japanese friends and colleagues.
JETAA Chapter Beat 10.25.10
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Freelance writer/editor Jonathan Trace (Fukuoka-ken, 2005-08) takes us on a walk around the JET Alumni community for another edition of JETAA Chapter Beat.
- JETAA Meeting: Elections – Tuesday, November 2nd, 7:00 at Kyoto Sushi. Get involved in the future of JETAA and even throw your name into the hat as a candidate for the upcoming year.
- Job Fair – Sunday, November 6th, 12:00 at the Japan Information Center. Take the first step towards a new and better career with Chicago JETAA, and don’t forget your resume.
- Halloween Party – Saturday, October 30th, festivities start when the sun goes down. Dress your scariest, show off your most inventive Jack O’Lantern and celebrate All Hallow’s Eve with Texoma JETAA. Personal hygiene products will be collected to donate to the Thomas Street Clinic, so please donate.
JETAA New Orleans
- Kami-shibai for Kids Day – Saturday, November 13th at the local Latter Library. JETAA volunteers will be dressing up in happi and reading kami-shibai plays to children. Volunteer and spread some Japanese culture to a new generation.
- Japan Fest Writeup – JETAANOLA participated in Japan Fest at the New Orleans Museum of Art on Saturday, October 9th. Japan Fest is the largest annual celebration of Japanese culture in the Gulf South. There were performances by taiko groups, many local Japanese restaurants had booths outside the museum, and there were also tours of the small Japanese garden in the nearby Botanical Gardens. Over a dozen JET alumni helped host its popular dress-up activity. The Consulate in Nashville provided yukata and obi for people to try on, and the JETs helped show people how to wear them. We also sold Japanese candies and sweets acquired by JETAANOLA treasurer Mike Brinkman when he was in New York for the national JETAA Conference. In addition to helping promote JET and Japan, the festival helped reconnect several local JET alumni with JETAA, increasing out numbers by half a dozen names. –JETAA New Orleans
- Careers Seminar – Tuesday, October 26th, 6:00 at UWA Social Sciences Lecture Room. Get a head start on finding a new job at this year’s career seminar. Delegates from CLAIR Tokyo will be in attendance, so do not forget your resume and business cards.
- Career Seminar – Thursday, October 28th, 5:30 at MacMillan Bloedel Room, at the YMCA of Vancouver. Get back into the job market with a little help from JET alumni.
What happened at your chapter’s event? If you attend(ed) any of these exciting events, JetWit would love to hear about them. Just contact Jonathan Trace with any info, stories or comments.
Job: Employer Relations Manager, Career Services Office (Western Washington University)
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Via JET alum Effie Eisses of Western Washington University. Effie recently accepted a position as Assistant Director, MBA Services at Western Washington, and the school is now looking to find a replacement for her. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika currently works as an in-house translator for PFU (a Fujitsu company) in Kahoku-shi, Ishikawa-ken. She is also the vocalist for the Japanese hardcore punk band DEGRADE.
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Job Position: Western Washington University is looking for candidates to fill the position of Employer Relations Manager at Career Services Center
Send all enquiries to:
Aaron Ignac
Assistant Director of Operations for the Career Services Center
e-Mail: aaron dot ignac at wwu dot edu
Job: LEX Internship Program
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Job posting via LEX America. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika currently works as an in-house translator for PFU (a Fujitsu company) in Kahoku-shi, Ishikawa-ken. She is also the vocalist for the Japanese hardcore punk band DEGRADE.
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Job Position: LEX Internship Program
LEX America is currently accepting applications for the 2011-2012 LEX Internship Program. The application deadline for the program is December 15, 2010.
Intern Eligibility:
Applicants must be between the ages of 18-25 at the time of application. Applicants should have a strong interest in international exchange, language learning, Japanese culture, working with people of all ages, and living with host families for one year. Prior knowledge of Japanese is not required, but applicants must be willing to learn Japanese, and immerse themselves in other languages. Previous participation in LEX activities and homestay programs is encouraged, but not required for this position. 4-H members are strongly encouraged to apply (LEX partners with the 4-H organization for exchange programs and a familiarity with 4-H is preferred). Essential qualities in an applicant include strong communication skills, maturity, flexibility, openness, enthusiasm and interest in all cultures and people. For work experience, we look for strong office skills, organizational skills, public speaking skills, writing skills, and experience or potential in counseling and orienting exchange students.
Job Description:
The interns will act as the Assistant Exchange Program Coordinator in the LEX Japan office in Tokyo.
Duties include, but are not limited to, the following:
Interns will find that one of the benefits of working for LEX is the great people! Interns work with terrific people, from the staff to language club members and fellows, who will provide a lot of support and encouragement!
For more details, and for how to apply go to http://www.lexlrf.org/Exchange%20Program/Internship%20Program.htm
Job: Full-time copy editor/writer (LA)
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Job posting via Rafu Shimpo. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika currently works as an in-house translator for PFU (a Fujitsu company) in Kahoku-shi, Ishikawa-ken. She is also the vocalist for the Japanese hardcore punk band DEGRADE.
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Job Position: Full-time copy editor/writer
Job Details:
The Rafu Shimpo, the nation’s premiere Japanese American community newspaper, is seeking a copy editor/writer, to join our English section editorial staff on a full-time basis. This is an excellent opportunity for anyone looking to begin a career in journalism and news reporting in one of the largest news markets in the world.
Duties will include:
Applicants should have a keen sense of current events and a “nose” for news, as well as an eye for detail. Previous journalistic experience will give applicant priority, as will familiarity with posting information online. Native fluency in English is essential and Japanese fluency is a valuable plus.
After a trial term, health/dental benefits and 401k are available. The Rafu Shimpo is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
For a look into the Rafu and its mission in the community, visit www.rafu.com.
Contact:
For employment information or to submit a resume, contact:
Mikey Hirano Culross
The Rafu Shimpo
(213) 629-2231, ext. 108
mikey at rafu dot com
Loss in the JET community
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From the October 20, 2010 edition of CLAIR News, a bi-monthly newsletter for the JET community published by the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR):
“It is with deep sadness that we inform you of the death of Alan Buckley, a second-year ALT in Tomioka City, Gunma Prefecture. Alan, from Ireland, died on Sunday, 22 August 2010 due to injuries sustained from a traffic-related accident. We express our most sincere condolences to Alan’s family and friends during this difficult time.
If you knew Alan and would like to talk, please feel free to call the JETLINE at 03-5213-1729 (M-F 9am-5:45pm).”
Elementary School Musical PART 1
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Joshua Small is a First Year JET currently living in Ikaruga-cho, Nara-ken and has been chronicling his experience on his blog Snorlax87.
Midterms are a strange time. Students come into school, take their test, then take off for the rest of the day presumably to practice their club activity or maybe even study. Either way, there is nothing for ALTs to do during midterms. There are no real classes and no midterm test for English conversation class. As such, I was “voluntold” to teach at an elementary school Tuesday and Friday. I gladly olbliged. What follows is a tale of cuteness, creepiness, and all around awesomeness…
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Translation: Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Prize for the Translation of Japanese Literature
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Via Kia Cheleen (CIR, Aichi-ken 1996-98, ALT 1998-1999) of the Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture at Columbia University:
Call for submission for the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Prize for the Translation of Japanese Literature
We are currently accepting applications for Japanese to English translation of literary works for the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Prize for the Translation of Japanese Literature.
The Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Prize has long set a standard of excellence in its field, playing a central and enduring role in enhancing the quality, quantity, and scope of Japanese literary works that receive translation into the English language. Annually, it awards the Prize to the best translation of a book- length modern work or a classical work, which is selected by the translators themselves.
The 2011 Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Prize application deadline is Thursday, October 28, 2010.
For submission guidelines and the application form, please click here: http://www.keenecenter.org/content/view/58/76/
Translation: First Annual William F. Sibley Memorial Translation Prize
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Via JETAA Chicago October Webletter:
Call for Submissions: First Annual William F. Sibley Memorial Translation Prize
To honor their late colleague William F. Sibley, The Department of East Asian Languages & Civilizations and the Committee on Japanese Studies of the Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Chicago have established the William F. Sibley Memorial Translation Prize in Japanese Literature and Literary Studies. The competition will be held annually and judged by members of the Committee on Japanese Studies.
In keeping with William Sibley’s lifelong devotion to translation and to the place of literature in the classroom, up to three awards of $2500 each will be given for the translation from Japanese into English of a work of fiction, poetry, or drama (including screenplays), or scholarship in literary studies, broadly understood. To encourage classroom use and comparative research, winning entries will be published on the Center for East Asian Studies website (http://ceas.uchicago.edu).
Submissions should be on the scale of short story rather than novel, on the one hand, but a body of poetry rather than single poems, on the other. Essays, reportage, and criticism are all genres for consideration. Retranslations of works previously translated, especially of premodern literature, may also be submitted. Translations of manga and anime will not be accepted, but scholarly essays about these genres will be considered. Translations of subtitles, no; scenarios, yes. Co-translations are acceptable.
Each entry should not exceed a length of 15,000 words and should be accompanied by an introduction of no more than 1,000 words presenting the significance of the work in Japan and its potential life in English. The rationale for retranslation should be separately addressed. Entries should be for unpublished works only. The committee will not consider more than one submission per person per year.
The deadline for the first competition is December 1, 2010.
Application materials should include:
A cover letter with the applicant’s full name, mailing address, email, and phone number.
Introduction (1,000 words or less)
A single printed version of both the English translation and the Japanese original, as well as a digital copy of each, preferably in .pdf format.
If applicable, a rationale for retranslation of previously translated works.
If applicable, proof of permission to translate. It is the responsibility of the applicant to secure permission from copyright holders for any works not in the public domain.
Send materials to:
Chair, Selection Committee, Sibley Memorial Translation Prize
Committee on Japanese Studies
5835 S. Kimbark Ave.
Judd Hall 302
Chicago, IL 60637
For additional information about William F. Sibley and his work, we encourage you to visit the William F. Sibley Memorial Symposium website at http://ceas.uchicago.edu/events/Sibley_Memorial_Conference.shtml.
For additional inquiries about the translation prize, contact Sarah Arehart at sarehart@uchicago.edu or 773-702-2715.
Income Based Repayment Helps Law Students, Not the Tuition Bubble
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Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules. He operates a think tank of one, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States. He also maintains the “Bankruptcy Legal Topics,” and, “Bankruptcy Billables,” sections for Steven Horowitz’s Bankruptcy Bill. For further reading regarding JETs and the law, he recommends JETs with J.D.s.
Newer law students (and graduate and other professional students) can take hope: between fully financing their legal education with Direct Loans & Grad PLUS loans and electing the Income Based Repayment option, legal education isn’t a crippling investment. Find out why it’s not a great solution, and why it certainly won’t reduce law school costs.
Jake Shimabukuro performs at NYC's Highline Ballroom Oct. 25. (Sencame)
By JQ magazine’s Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his NY Japanese Culture page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories.
Fifth generation Japanese American Jake Shimabukuro has been recording music since the late ’90s. At age 33, he’s earned comparisons to Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis on the ukulele, and will release his latest album, Peace Love Ukulele (Hitchhike) in January. After playing high-profile shows like the Asian American Music Festival in Los Angeles earlier this month for his national tour, the artist answered some questions prior to his upcoming gig at New York’s Highline Ballroom on Oct. 25.
Tell us about Peace Love Ukulele. Do you have a few favorite songs? Why?
Peace Love Ukulele is an album compiled of songs that I hope will bring joy and happiness to listeners near and far. I hope the emotions expressed in the music will connect people and make them realize that we all feel the same things—we just express them differently. I believe music is the greatest gift, and the ukulele is the friendliest way to present that gift to the world. A few favorite tunes on the album include “143,” a song inspired by the pager code 143, which simply means I love you; “Go For Broke,” a song written for the Japanese American veterans who served in World War II; and “Bohemian Rhapsody,” one of my all-time favorite classic rock tunes.
How does this album differ your last studio album?
The new CD, Peace Love Ukulele, is my first independent release. I had a lot of fun putting things together for this album. I really took my time with this one and tried to present the ukulele in ways that were fresh and exciting.
What do you hope people take away from your music?
I hope listeners experience the same joy that I’m experiencing when I’m strumming the ukulele. The ukulele is probably one of the easiest instruments to play. Anyone can pick it up for the first time, learn a couple chords and immediately start strumming songs. It’s so relaxing. I always tell people that playing the ukulele is like an entire yoga session in one strum.
Read the rest of the interview here.
Job: Sushi Chefs (Chicago)
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Job posting via Jet alum Bianca Jarvis, Consulate in Chicago. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika currently works as an in-house translator for PFU (a Fujitsu company) in Kahoku-shi, Ishikawa-ken. She is also the vocalist for the Japanese hardcore punk band DEGRADE.
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Job Position: Sushi Chefs
Job Details:
Opportunities to work at a new restaurant “Wicker Park Seafood & Sushi” that will be opening in O’Hare airport, Terminal 2.
Contact:
Interested applicants should go to the following website for more details:
http://www.hmshost.com/careers/
Or call:
(777) 619-0050
FoxHound87: Disaster is my middle name…
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Joshua Small is a First Year JET currently living in Ikaruga-cho, Nara-ken and has been chronicling his experience on his blog Snorlax87.
Last Sunday, I attended a seminar about what to do during a Natural Disaster. It was sponsored by the Nara International Foundation: Commemorating the Silk Road Expedition. Yes, I know. It should be called NIFCSRE…but that just isn’t catchy enough. Once the seminar began, we were all broken into 2 large groups. My group went first. We were going to “experience” the 3 major disasters that Japan has to offer: Fires, Earthquakes, and typhoons…
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