Daily Yomiuri: “Study halls opened in honor of ‘Monty-sensei'”
Earthquake Tsunami, Fundraising, JETs in the News, Local Government, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment 
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JETAA Sydney Christmas Party and Photo Competition
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| Christmas Party and Photo Competition Do you like taking pictures? Whether your weapon of choice is a point-and-shoot or a DSLR, why not share your photos with us? This year we are running a photo competition as part of the JETAA Christmas party on 10 December. Interested? Keep on reading.Photo Competition
We’re sure you have many pictures in your collection, so start sorting and start sending them in! Good luck! Christmas Party In addition to the photo competition and general Christmas party fun, we will also have a giant raffle, with a great range of prizes. All raffle proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross Japan Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami Appeal. There will also be a donation box for anyone wanting to make further contributions. When: Saturday, 10 December from 7:00pm until late. Where: Parkview Hotel, 178-170 Mitchell Road Alexandria (closest station is Erskineville). Cost: Only $25 per person includes food and drinks for 2 hours (get there early to get the full drinks package). RSVP: Email sydney@jetalumni.org by Wednesday 7 December to confirm your attendance. |
JET alums Lee-Sean Huang (Oita-ken, 2003-06) and Peter Weber (JET Coordinator at the Consulate in San Francisco) are both quoted in this article titled “Teaching English in Japan: JET vs. Alternatives” on the GoTeachAbroad.com website.
http://www.goteachabroad.com/teach-abroad-blog/teaching-english-in-japan-jet-vs-alternatives/2994
JETAA USA establishes Sister City Support System
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Since just before the 2011 National Conference in DC this past summer, a few of us (e.g., U.S. Country Reps Jessyca Wilcox and Mike Shu as well as myself) have been working on setting up a JETAA USA system to encourage JETAA chapters to connect with and engage with their sister city/ prefecture counterparts in Japan. We met with Sister Cities International prior to the start of the conference (SCI is HQ is based in DC) to see how we might get this put together and how we can have a symbiotic relationship.
We established that some of the key needs of U.S. sister cities are the ability to communicate in Japanese and familiarity with and ability to navigate the Japanese culture, which are key ingredients for helping to grow, re-inspire, or create those relationships. This, as you are likely well aware, is the exact skill set we, as JET alumni, possess.
While JETAA has not yet established any formal relationship yet with SCI, JETAA is very much looking forward to working with them more closely in the future. But in the meantime, JETAA has begun to lay necessary groundwork to enable the JET alumni network and community to begin providing support when ready.
This has now been created in the form of the JETAA USA Sister Cities/ States JET Initiative (thanks to a lot of behind the scenes work by Jessyca Wilcox). Click the link (or read further down) for more background about this project and the tools that will enable JETAA chapters to get started. Simply connecting your JETAA chapter with your Japanese counterpart is valuable in and of itself! It demonstrates to local governments in Japan one more way that the JET alumni community is eager to provide “Return on JET-vestment” to our adopted home country.
New JETAANY Long Island Subchapter!
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JETAANY has announced a new subchapter in Long Island, and Carolyn Brooks (Ishikawa-ken, Kanazawa, 2006-11) will be the Long Island Subchapter Representative. You can contact her at longislandrep [at] jetaany.org.
Carolyn Brooks (Ishikawa-ken, Kanazawa, 2006-11) is co-author of the blog MadSilence–a cross-cultural blog written with her father–and a current culture/education related job-seeker in the NY area available for full-time or consulting work.
Industry Experts: Pam Kavalam, Shannan Spisak, Clara Solomon, Jillian Rodriguez and Katrina Barnas
Update: Click below to listen to a recording of the panel discussion.
Monday found about 15 JET alums meeting on the 20th floor of 3 Park Avenue, current home of the New York branch of CLAIR (The Council of Local Authorities for International Relations, aka the “Japan Local Government Center”). Gathered over jasmine tea and Thai finger food, JETAANY presented a chance for job-seekers to talk to JET alums (and a few non-alums) who currently work in the worlds of higher education and exchange programs. The five panelists included Pam Kavalam (Shiga-ken), a student advisor at NYU’s Wagner School, Clara Solomon (Tottori-ken), Director of Counseling and Career Development at NYU’s School of Law, Katrina Barnas (Chiba-ken), Associate Director at the Institute of International Business at Columbia Business School, Shannan Spisak (Kanagawa-ken), Program Officer at the Institute of International Education, and Jillian Rodriguez, who works for the Program of Financial Studies at Columbia Busies school.
Amber Liang (Kochi-ken), herself a Senior Programs Coordinator for the International House at Columbia, moderated the forum with a series of questions that laid bare the realities of working in the higher ed world. The panelists explained how they got into the field, the pros and cons of their job, the education requirements needed to work in a college or university, and where they thought the higher ed industry would be in five years.
While all the panelists had very different jobs and fell into the industry in different ways, there were a lot of things they agreed on. First, higher ed hiring is slow! Don’t be discouraged if you apply and don’t hear back for months. Second, having a Masters degree isn’t required to start at an entry-level position, but people will expect you to start one while you work there, especially of your institution offers free classes or tuition benefits. And even if you don’t get hired for the job that you apply for, many resumes are shared internally, so put your best foot forward and apply anyway! Third, there are good opportunities for mobility in higher ed offices. Starting in administration is a good way to start, as long as you don’t stay there too long. Learning more about the institution and the other offices will give you a chance to move to different, and possibly higher, positions. The one downside being that while you may move up, your paycheck might not.
Lastly, as for the future of higher ed jobs: they aren’t going anywhere in the near future, however free classes for employees or benefits are likely to be reduced or cut because of budget constraints. It’s important to think carefully about the benefits other than money that you can gain working in higher ed. If you want to earn a Master’s while working, it’s an excellent opportunity, but if you want to make a fortune it might not be your cup of tea!
Hearing the stories of our sempai was a truly helpful and inspiring experience. A lot of us are struggling in the job market at the moment, and it’s events like these that give us a glimpse of the struggle our successful friends have had, and the gumption to keep on trying our best!
Job: Bilingual webmaster for Solar Frontier (Tokyo)
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Via JET alum John Ellis-Guardiola. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London but is interested in hearing about any Japan-related opportunities across the globe.
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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***
Job Position: Bilingual webmaster for Solar Frontier (Tokyo)
Job Details:
This is a fantastic opportunity for an accomplished bilingual (English / Japanese) webmaster to marshal his or her skills and ambition in the service of a company that is building a leadership role in the world’s sustainable energy future.
http://www.linkedin.com/jobs?viewJob=&jobId=2143840
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Job: Several Postings from idealist.org
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Via idealist.org. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London but is interested in hearing about any Japan-related opportunities across the globe.
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***Note: If you apply for any of these positions, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***
Part–Time Sales Associates, AsiaStore
Posted by: Asia Society
Location: New York, New York, United States
http://www.idealist.org/view/job/fcjJjH9CCw8d/
Marketing Associate
Posted by: Cross-Cultural Solutions
Location: New Rochelle, New York, United States
Salary: Salary is commensurate with skills and experience.
http://www.idealist.org/view/job/TXFdBPnwkfXd/
Administrative Assistant
Posted by: Polytechnic Institute of New York University
Location: Brooklyn, New York, United States
http://www.idealist.org/view/job/b6sJpzDmM7SP/
Press & Public Affairs and Visits Officer
Posted by: UK Mission to the United Nations
Location: New York, New York, United States
http://www.idealist.org/view/job/8wfZCpn7nhSP/
Web Promotions/Marketing Coordinator
Posted by: UNICEF Internet, Broadcast and Image Section, Division of Communication, UNICEF
Location: New York, New York, United States
Salary: Fixed Rate
http://www.idealist.org/view/job/H8ktBPwWxpFP/
Job: IT workshop trainer (Seattle area)
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Via JET alum Stacey Jehlik. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London but is interested in hearing about any Japan-related opportunities across the globe.
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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***
Job Position: IT workshop trainer (Seattle area)
Job Details:
A Northwest organization in the disaster management field is looking for 3-4 individuals with an IT background to work on a 7-10 month project involving the implementation of training workshops related to IT recovery.
Ideal candidates will have:
· A bachelor’s degree in an IT field (familiarity with LDRPS a plus)
· Experience giving presentations (or willingness to be trained)
· Ability to lead an organized discussion around recovery strategy improvement
· Ability to help guide working professionals in their adoption of a new IT tool
· Interest in the field of disaster management
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Job: Quality Assurance – Futaba North America Engineering & Marketing Corporation (Chicago area)
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Via JET alum Bianca Jarvis. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London but is interested in hearing about any Japan-related opportunities across the globe.
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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***
Job Position: Quality Assurance – Futaba North America Engineering & Marketing Corporation (Chicago area)
Job Details:
Company: Futaba North America Engineering & Marketing Corporation
Title: Quality Assurance- General Administrator
The corporate office of three auto manufacturing subsidiaries is seeking a QA General Administrator.
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Job: Fujisankei TV Assistant (LA)
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Via LA JET alumJohn Ellis-Guardiola. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London but is interested in hearing about any Japan-related opportunities across the globe.
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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***
Job Position: Fujisankei TV Assistant (LA)
Job Details:
The ideal candidate is a near-native Japanese/English bilingual, written and spoken. This candidate will assist in compiling materials to present to Hollywood executives. Duties include translating TV program material (game shows and comedies) mainly from Japanese to English, as well as, interpreting in meetings between Japanese and American TV executives.
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Job: ESL Tutors needed for Japanese learners on Skype
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Via Scarlett Orork. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London but is interested in hearing about any Japan-related opportunities across the globe.
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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***
Job Position: ESL Tutors needed for Japanese learners on Skype
Job Details:
My name is Scarlett and I live in Wilmington, NC. I own a small business that is growing quite rapidly called Hello English.us. I give English conversation classes to people in Japan on Skype. Currently, I have around 230 students. I have about 15 current tutors but it is not near enough. I have over 700 classes that are prepaid.
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Posted by Ashley Thompson (Shizuoka-ken, 2008-2010) of Surviving in Japan: without much Japanese and Lifelines columnist for The Japan Times.
Most homes in Japan aren’t equipped with central heating, so people typically rely on space heaters and similar items. Now, we all know that wearing some extra clothes and warm fleece is a good way to avoid turning the heat all the way up, but most likely you will need (or desperately want) a heater at some point.
And, just to note, I am not an expert on heaters, so if you are curious about how a heater works a certain way, go ahead and google that.
Also, most of the heaters below have timers and auto-turnoff options in addition to running constantly. They also often have automatic shutoff features such as if the heater fell over.
*Keep in mind another way heater might be written is 電気ストーブ (denki stobu).
*The word used for “heating” is 暖房 (だんぼう, danbou).
A guide to heaters in Japan
1. Aircon – エアコン
The air conditioner is commonly known as an aircon in Japan, and most aircons are equipped with a heating function. So, if you have an aircon, you may want to check that out (look for “暖房”). From experience I know it does a pretty good job heating a room, although I found that all the heat rose to the ceiling which was somewhat pointless if you spend most of your time sitting on the floor and don’t have a ceiling fan.
I also found that running the aircon was incredibly expensive. Some are much more energy efficient (look for 省エネ on the outside or description). Aircons are also one of the more expensive options, considering that most will be ¥30,000 – 40,000 and up, depending on the size.
2. Oil heater – オイルヒーター
This heater is the one that looks like a radiator, and some of you may be familiar with already. My family used these when I was a kid, and though they work really well, they are typically energy hogs. Some are better than others though, so it’s best to compare when looking at energy usage. Some of the ones I looked at operate at 1200 watts at the highest level, with an estimated ¥15-20/hour cost to operate (though this varies). Price may range from ¥5,000 – 30,000, though it’s possible to find cheaper options at a recycle shop (this goes for all of the following options as well).
3. Panel heater – パネルヒーター
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the post.
Justin’s Japan: Theatre Review — ‘Kutsukake Tokijiro’ an Inspired Yakuza Yarn
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'Kutsukake Tokijiro' runs through Nov. 27 at New York's Flea Theatre. (Courtesy of Kurotama Kikaku Company)
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his page here for related stories.
Mounting a 1920s Japanese gangster play with J-pop flavored fillips may seem like a tough sell, but the new Off-Off-Broadway production of Kutsukake Tokijiro is a successful hybrid that should appeal to fans of “world” stage productions.
Opening last week at Tribeca’s Flea Theater and running through Nov. 27, Kutsukake Tokijiro (if you can pronounce it, you’ve probably already seen it) caps a nearly three-year journey to the stage by New York’s Kurotama Kikaku Company and its artistic director, Jun Kim. A native of Japan with Korean heritage, Kim is an actor, dancer, and director of the show, doing double duty in the opening scenes as Mutsuda-no-Sanzo, the target of the titular Tokijiro (played with noble gravitas by Yasu Suzuki).
If these names sound hoary, consider the source material: written by Shin Hasegawa in 1928, KT is a hallmark of Japanese popular theatre, based in turn upon on a 19th century Japanese Yakuza/lone gambler story cut almost from the same cloth as the Spaghetti Western. In its first-ever English translation by the venerable Keiko Tsuneda, KT is reborn for an American audience.
Kim’s vision for a 21st century KT is to inject Japanese pop culture animation and folk songs as well as the dance movements of Noh, Kabuki and contemporary dance to form a “J-pop Theatre.” This is achieved via Japanese-language scenes between Tokijiro and his rivals (English supertitles are helpfully flashed above center stage) and through his more tender moments with Sanzo’s widow, Okinu (Hiroko Yonekura), whom Tokijiro elopes with along with her young son Tarokichi (Asuka Morinaga).
For the rest of the article, click here.
JET Alumni Parents Facebook group
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Update: This is now a “group.” I originally set it up as a “page” but realized that’s not the way to go. Apologies for any inconvenience.
Are you a JET or JET alum and a parent? Or planning on being a parent? Then here’s a new JET alumni group for you:
JET Alumni Parents Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/231863163545612/
Yes, enough of us have reached that stage in our lives where it makes sense to set this up. So join the group, meet other JET alum parents, share stories and photos, and maybe even set up exchanges across countries where we swap our kids for a week or two! :-)
