Another Side of Travel
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Laura is a current JET who writes fantasy and science fiction for children and young adults, and is an occasional playwright/film maker.
Namaskaram! Greetings from India! Ever consider volunteering abroad? With all our JET paid vacation time, there`s lots of opportunities. It looks great on your resume, and it’s a sure way to give you inspiration for your writing! Why stick to the touristy spots you can read about? You can get a feel for “the real thing” by helping out in the rural villages and slums, and see a part of the world you might never see otherwise.
I definitely just got a feel for the “real India” after spending ten days in Andhra Pradesh building houses and teaching the children of Dalits (untouchables) with five other English teachers through Longitude International. What an amazing experience! The moment we entered Chuvuru village we were greeted by drums and dancing. The people welcomed us into their homes and there seemed no end to the smiles, laughter, and chai tea!
We spent our mornings helping build new cement houses that would stand the tempest of the fall monsoons, and our evenings teaching and playing with the children. In the beginning they were shy and called me “madam,” but within a few hours they completely opened up and called me “sister.” “Sister, one more song, one more photo, one more dance!” Boy, did they love to dance! We taught them the hokey pokey, the Macarena, head-shoulders-knees-and-toes, everything we could think of, and in return they showed us their “Bollywood moves.” They also loved my fife and recorder. Whenever I brought them out, they instantly began shouting requests.
During a game of “let`s travel,” one of the kids asked me, “Your village?” I didn`t know how to respond. Temple, Texas, where I was born? Owasso or Tulsa Oklahoma where I was raised and went to school? Nabari, Japan, where I live now? Malawi, Africa, where I left a huge part of my heart with the AIDS orphans? Or right there in Chuvuru where I felt so at home?
It was a bit of an identity crisis. I asked myself if I really “belong” anywhere. For weeks I`ve been nervous about my upcoming visit back to the States and wondering if it has “changed,” or more importantly, if I`ve changed. Will I feel “at home” in the place my friends and family consider to be my “home?”
After puzzling over it I came to a rather relieving, though somewhat clichéd conclusion. The world is my village. Perhaps that sounds cheesy, but I really think so. Not that I would be welcome let alone feel comfortable anywhere in the world, but I think wherever I do go where there are welcoming hearts and warm smiles, that place will be my home, my village for as long as I am there. And the villagers of India really are so welcoming, so loving that you feel like one of them from the very beginning. There is no insider/outsider. Only friend and family.
Of course, the trip wasn`t all fuzzy feelings. It was very difficult to see how some of the people suffered. Thirty years ago in a nearby village, the government gave the Dalits land to farm, but are now taking it back. This forces the villagers to migrate long distances through dangerous roads or hire themselves out as domestic servants where they are physically and sexually abused. Disease is still a major problem, claiming many lives.
So a lot of people have asked me, why did you bother going to India? There`s not much you can do to help anyway; why not just send money? Sending money is great, but if I`m traveling anyway, I might as well make a difference as I do and experience the “real world.” I can already tell you, those kids and that place are already showing up in my fiction!
We were the first volunteer group to visit Chuvuru, but this is only the beginning of their brighter future. Hopefully many more teams will come to help build and teach, continuing the cause of awareness, human rights, and global friendship. Who knows, maybe you`re next? If you`re interested in learning more about longitude and their work, you can visit their website at http://www.golongitude.org/.
For more details, pictures, and videos about Laura`s adventures in Asia, visit her weekly blog at laurajanepopp.blogspot.com.
JET alums who work on “human trafficking” issues?
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Are there any JET alums out there who work on or are somehow involved in dealing with or researching or reporting on the issue of human trafficking?
I’ve received an inquiry from a current JET who is interested in working in this field and would appreciate the opportunity to talk or email with any JET alums currently working on this issue.
You can just send an email to jetwit @ jetwit .com if you’re willing to be contacted.
Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.
-Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94)
JET alum David Boling to run for Congress
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Thanks to JET alum Harlan Rosacker of Washington, D.C. for passing along this information:
JET alum David Boling has announced his candidacy for the 2nd Congressional seat in Arkansas. You can see David’s website at: www.bolingforcongress.com and you can follow his blog at: www.bolingforcongress.com/blog.html.
Harland adds:
“We have known David since the mid-1990s. Our association grew as a result our having lived in Japan ourselves from 1969 to 1976. Our son Andrew (born in Tokyo) was a JET in Kanagawa-ken from 1996 to 1998.”
Here are a few JET-relevant snippets from David’s bio:
- David Boling, 45, is a fourth-generation Arkansan. He is a 10-year veteran of the U.S. Department of Justice; a one-time lawyer at the Mitchell Williams law firm in Little Rock; and, until last month, the Chief of Staff to Congressman Vic Snyder (D, AR-2).
- Boling is married to former Fuji Television reporter Mine Sasaguri; he and his wife are the parents of two children, Christopher (7) and Ellen (5).
- Fulfilling a desire to learn more about the Japanese educational system, David took a one-year break from law school, 1988-1989, to teach English to students in Fujishiro. He was later selected for a competitive Rotary scholarship which he used to master the 1800 character Japanese language, visit Pine Bluff’s Sister City, Iwai and, most importantly, gain an understanding of the Japanese legal system and trade between Japan and the United States – specifically, about trade between Japan and Arkansas.
- David passed the Arkansas Bar Exam in 1993 and then completed a Masters in Law (LL.M) at Columbia University School of Law in 1994, where he focused on international and Japanese law.
- In 1995, David joined the US Department of Justice Antitrust Division as a lawyer. He worked there for 10 years, spanning both the Clinton and Bush Administrations. As they increasingly litigated cases against Japanese firms, David’s background was a strong asset to the Justice Department, but he also worked to investigate alleged illegal monopoly behavior in the concert ticketing business and on criminal investigations to crack down on international price-fixing cartels, which steal from American consumers. He helped prosecute a Japanese executive and Japanese company for obstruction of justice in two separate antitrust investigations. In 1999, Janet Reno signed an international antitrust agreement between Japan and the US to further open the Japanese market and improve antitrust enforcement that Boling helped to negotiate.
- Boling was selected for a Mike Mansfield Fellowship at Justice, during which he worked in the Japanese Justice Ministry and other government agencies, deepening his understanding of their legal system.
David-san, ganbatte kudasai!
I’m looking for JET alum lawyers or law-related types out there. Especially ones who would be willing to be contacted by fellow alums seeking career advice and perspectives on careers in law.
Please contact me at jetwit [at] jetwit.com if you are willing to be contacted.
Yoroshiku.
Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94)
p.s. If you’re not already familiar with these, here are some JET alum law resources out there:
- JETAA Law Facebook Group (open to all JET alums) (Admins: Zach LeNarz & Steven Horowitz)
- JET Alumni Restructuring & Bankruptcy Group on LinkedIn (Admin: Steven Horowitz)
- Japan Law Society (Admin: S. McIntire Allen)
The Global MBA at Doshisha Business School, Kyoto, is a young, growing, high-quality and globally orientated program that builds upon the existing and highly regarded Japanese language MBAs. We welcome applications from highly motivated individuals seeking to develop internationally orientated careers in the global economy. As a former JET myself I consider the GMBA an excellent option for those looking to gain an MBA and to develop careers in international business and management. The Global MBA will equip you will the knowledge, skills, network and intellectual framework expected and required of twenty-first century global businesspeople. Our first JET alumnus will be joining us as a GMBA student in September and we look forward to further applications from JETs.
Find out more
If you are interested in finding out more about our program I strongly recommend that you visit our webpage, http://gmba.doshisha.ac.jp/ , where you can find more details about course content and structure, video interviews with faculty and students, online business seminars and much more.
Provisional applications
We welcome provisional applications from potential candidates as an initial step towards the formal application process. Simply submit your CV/resume and a personal statement outlining your motivation for applying to the Global MBA by email at your earliest convenience. These documents will be reviewed by faculty members who will pass on their comments within a week. This is an opportunity for potential candidates to confirm their eligibility and suitability for the program. There is no cost for this provisional application.
Funding opportunities
I should also like to draw your attention to the generous funding opportunities that we are offering for 2010 entry including two full MEXT scholarships (full fee waiver, monthly stipend and return flights) and a range of monthly stipends. Full details can be found on our webpage but please be aware that only applications received by the March 31st deadline can be considered for this funding.
Visit us
If you are in or near Kyoto, why not call in and see us? We are delighted to meet with applicants and to show them around our facilities. During normal teaching periods we are also more than happy to introduce you to current students and faculty. Please contact the office directly should you wish to arrange a visit.
Any questions?
Feel free to contact us at anytime should you have any questions or queries related to the course and the applications process.
Finally
As a JET alumnus I can fully appreciate what it means to be contemplating the end of your time on the program and what your next step will be. The Global MBA offers an excellent bridge to your future career and will equip you will the knowledge, skills, network and intellectual framework expected and required of twenty-first century global businesspeople. I look forward to receiving your application.
With best wishes,
Dr. A. Staples
Global MBA
Doshisha Business School
astaples@mail.doshisha.ac.jp
JETAA NY Meishi Exchange – Thursday, March 11
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JETAA NY’s annual Meishi Exchange is this Thursday, March 11. See the slick flyer designed by the wonderful and talented JETAA NY Secretary Amber Liang:
JET alum Chris Kennedy helps launch Tokyo branch of translation and localization co. Keywords Int’l
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JET alum Chris Kennedy recently helped his company, translation and localization specialist Keywords International, set up a Tokyo branch.
Here’s the press release: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/pressreleases/55566/Keywords_International_Limited_Launches_Branch_Office_inTokyo.php
Chris added that, “Translation and localization are definitely fields that former JETs can get involved with, so if there is anything I could do to provide some information about the field, or anything similar, just let me know.”
New England JETAA Career Workshop: “Marketing Yourself in a Tough Economy” – March 2
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New England JETAA Career Workshop: “Marketing Yourself in a Tough Economy”
Make sure to RSVP to president [at] nejetaa.com!
When: Tuesday, March 02, 3:00PM – 6:00PM (This coming week!)
Where: Downtown Crossing, Borders Bookstore, Robert M. Morgan Conference Room
Map: Borders Boston Map (near Downtown Crossing T station): http://bit.ly/%20BordersDTX
Cost: Free! (There will also be some free food)
Highlights:
We will get a pep talk from Professor Ian Condry of MIT about how to use your JET experience to further your career.
We will have a discussion with people in several different industries in which you may have interest:
*Translation
*Academia
*Teaching
*Entrepreneurial/ Non-profit
*Biotechnology
There will be a resume workshop. Bring some copies of your resume to trade with others and help each other out! The more eyes you have looking at your resume, the more ways you’ll be able to improve it. We will also have a discussion on resume dos and don’ts.
We will adjourn to a nearby bar/restaurant afterward for informal networking and relaxing. This is a great way to meet new people and
discuss your career.
Finally, for those who cannot attend the event but have some career-related wisdom/advice they would like to pass on, please send an email to webmaster [at] nejetaa.com. We’ll make sure to share your comments with our attendees at the end of the workshop.
Here’s your chance to get some JET-specific advice in your quest to career-up!
Thanks for your attention, and we look forward to seeing you there!
Ask Dr. Muse-Life Coach: The Quest for the Dream Job Continues
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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.
Over the past couple of weeks, a few different readers have emailed with questions related to finding the “creative spark” or inspiration for finding their passion in life through work. Here is another creative task that may help, inspired by the highly recommended book “The Artist’s Way,” by Julia Cameron.
Task 1: Collect magazines of different types that you can cut up. One afternoon or evening, listening to music or watching a movie, skim through the magazines and without judgment, purely on attraction only, cut out any words or images that appeal to you for any reason. Do not analyze the selection, but instead enjoy the sensory aspects of the images or words that appeal to you. Take all your cutouts and place them into a shoe box, folder, or envelope for another task later.
Task 2 [different day]: Reread your paragraph and list from the exercise of February 15, 2010. [If you did not do that exercise, you can still proceed with this activity] Then, gather the following materials: a poster board of any size; some glue; scissors; and your shoebox or envelope of magazine words/images from Task 1. Lay everything out on a table or work space, and while listening to some good music or during some quiet time, make a collage of all these words and images.
Task 3 [different day]: Take some time to really look at your collage and reflect on what it tells you about what inspires you, what you like, and the type of work/profession you would enjoy right now. What story does the collage tell about how you want to show up/be perceived in your profession? Take time to journal all the thoughts and feelings that arise in a stream-of-consciousness way while looking at your collage. You may wish to do this over a period of time as new ideas and expression bubble to the surface of your mind. May you be pleasantly be surprised at what is revealed to you about your dreams and desires.
Like hiring a personal trainer to reach your fitness goals, a personal life coach can assist you to attain your personal goals. You may write the Muse with any coaching questions, or inquiries into life coaching options on a one-time or ongoing basis at drmuse@jetwit.com.
Call for JET alum actors in the UK by Tea Leaf Theatre
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Call for Japan-related actors,
Tea Leaf Theatre (www.tealeaftheatre.com) will be hosting some workshops to explore Japanese theatre.
We are looking for actors who has some sort of connection to Japan or has an interest in the culture.
The aim of these workshops is to explore how Japanese theatre skills can be transformed into British theatre context. These workshops will stretch your skills and enable you to look at acting from a different perspective.
Tea Leaf Theatre is a London-based theatre company. Our aim is to bring together the East and West through modern theatrical media such as physicality, projected images, and live music (think Theatre de Complicite).
Unfortunately, we are unable to offer you any payment at this stage. However, you will not only gain some Japanese traditional theatre techniques but also learn how to use them for your day to day acting requirements. (i.e., Auditions)
There’s no long term commitment required, you simply need to attend one or two day workshop over a period of time. Each session will focus on one element of Japanese theatre for you to explore.
There will be several sessions over this year. So if you are interested to be involved in this project, please send your CV, headshot, and a short description about your relation to Japan; to tealeaftheatre@gmail.com. We will send you further information on when they are going to happen.
Thanks for your help.
Tanroh Ishida
Artistic Director of Tea Leaf Theatre
tealeaftheatre@gmail.com / 077 9154 1749
Jun Kim Theatre Workshop
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Actor/ Director, Jun Kim (Heavenly Bento) brings his Tokyo based theatre workshop to New York.
For more info click here.
– Date: 2/20, 2/28, 3/6, 3/13
– Time: 1pm-4pm
– Place: Center StageNY Studio A 2/20, 3/6, 3/13 (SAT)
Rod Rodgers Dance Co Studio 2/28 (SUN)
– Fee: $120
– Limited to 15 participants
Study in Japan: Keio University Graduate School of Media Design Information Session
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Thanks to JETAA NY Webmaster Lee-Sean Huang for passing this on:
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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.
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:
I feel so stuck and frustrated in my current job, but I can’t quit and don’t know what else I want to do. What if I feel the same in my next job and I will never be happy? –N.H., Long Island, NY
Dear N.H.:
This common issue resonates with many people who hire a life coach. Over the next few columns, I will break down some of the layers of this question and give you some tools to determine what changes you can make to feel less “stuck” in your life.
Step One: Gathering Information.
In any construction project you first have a plan, and it should be no different when it comes to building a life you want, including the profession you want. So, to begin, you need to assess your starting point and the resources at hand. Often a feeling of dissatisfaction at work is actually a distraction from dissatisfaction in other areas of life, so it is important to evaluate your life as a whole. Moreover, before you embark on a journey that involves change, implement measures to ensure your health and wellbeing remain balanced.
For this first week, take some time to assess where you are right now. First, obtain a blank notebook or journal to record your thoughts, ideas, and progress. On that first page, write your full name and then write out your commitment to make any changes necessary to create the life you want. Now, agree to have fun with the exercises and start with the Rating System.
The Rating System
First, rate each of the following, as it pertains to your life at this moment, on a scale of zero [absolutely stinks] to ten [could not get any better]:
- fitness/health
- money
- career
- friends/family
- fun/recreation
- personal growth/spiritual development
- physical environment/home
- romance/significant other
Next, on the other sheets of paper, put each label from above at the top of a page. Take time to look at each section and write a description of what a perfect ten would look like. Describe your perfect TEN in an uninhibited, entitled, and passionate way. In other words, you may not write what you think you can have, you must write what you really WANT.
Stay tuned for the next Dr. Muse post where I’ll expand on this exercise.
JET-Popp: Yokohama Children`s Book Conference
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Laura Popp (Mie-ken, 2009-Present) is a current JET who writes fantasy and science fiction for children and young adults, and is an occasional playwright/film maker. Her short work includes a short story titled “In theShadow Realm” and a documentary she made in Malawi. To read about her amazing adventures all over Japan, go to her blog at laurajanepopp.blogspot.com. (And check out the Authors/Books section of the JetWit Library for a list of more writers in the JET-o-sphere.)
Hello again! This week I would like to report on the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) conference in Yokohama. It actually occurred on November 14th, but, alas, I have been ill with swine flu and other “opportunistic infections” so I was unable to report. But now you get to hear all about it!
For those of you who don`t know, SCBWI is a great group to get involved with if you write for kids. They have lots of events, critique groups, contests, and resources. Here is their website: http://www.scbwi.jp/
A note on transportation. There are many events for writers and translators in Japan, but most are confined to the big cities. For those of you who live in a small town like me, you may be wondering how you will ever get to this wonderful career-building opportunities and still stay within your tight school-teacher budget. Fear not!
There is a wonderful, often overlooked form of transportation in Japan called the night bus. It may seem like a pain, but the bus I took from my home in Nabari to Yokohama was very comfortable. The bus ride was about eight hours, so if I were more accustomed to sleeping on a bus, I probably could have been well rested when we arrived very early in the morning. The earliness gave me plenty of time for sightseeing before the conference, and since my bus home didn`t leave until 11:00pm. Plus it cost less than half than taking the shinkansen, and there`s no need to pay for a hotel!
That said, I was very tired when I arrived back in Nabari at 7:00am. Fortunately it was Sunday, but I would not recommend taking the night bus if you have to go to work the next day. Also, be warned, not all night buses are created equal. Check to see if the bus you want to ride has reclining seats or not, and if there is a bathroom on board or if they stop ever few hours, turn on the lights, and have people jostling past you trying to get in and out constantly. If you are interested in taking a night bus somewhere, I would recommend contacting the main bus station in your town. Most of them don’t speak English, but a Japanese friend helped me get the information and make reservations over the phone. You may be surprised how many places offer night buses to common destinations such as Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, etc.
(FYI, Yokohama is famous for its Read More
