Roland Kelts Update: Studio360 in Japan and Interview in Brooklyn Rail
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Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, has a few new things going on since we last checked in with him.
Studio360 – See some photos and read about Roland working with the Studio360 folks in Japan on an upcoming radio program. (Studio360 is a great show that runs on NPR and explores cultures via their artists.)
Brooklyn Rail — Roland has an interview in Brooklyn Rail with David Hadju, A Columbia Journalism School professor and author of Lush Life, Positively 4th Street, and now Ten Cent Plague, a record of America’s pre-code comic book auteurs.
Haiku Challenge! #1 – “Fewmets”
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Welcome to the first JetWit Haiku Challenge! The challenge is to submit one or more haiku using the designated word. The best haiku submitted wins the prize.
This week’s challenge will be judged by James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06), author of The Order of Odd-Fish.
- Designated word (chosen by James): “Fewmets“ (a Medieval English word that means the droppings of an animal, by which the hunter identifies the prey. Mentioned in Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wind In The Door, specifically as dragon droppings.)
- Deadline: Thursday, December 11, before 5:00p.m. EST
- Prize: Free copy of The Order of Odd-Fish mailed to you.
- Form: Haiku are typically 5-7-5 and have a seasonal reference. Though the form actually has a fair amount of flexibility. Ultimately, James is the judge. If you look at his website or read a page from his book, you’ll get a pretty quick read on his sensibilities.
- E-mail responses to: jetwit /atto/ jetwit /dotto/ com
Tadaima! #3 – Knocking on doors
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My name is Rick Ambrosio (Ibaraki-ken, 2006-08). And whether readjusting to post-JET life is something you’re facing now, will deal with in the future or if you just enjoy reconnecting with that awkwardly uncertain feeling you had when you got back from Japan, come along with me as I look for a new job, a new apartment, and yes, mow the lawn of my parent’s house. Tadaima!
I scored my lucky seat on the train. You see, on the LIRR, there is always a fold down seat right near the doors between cars. Granted it wasn’t rush hour or anything, I just always love getting that seat.
I sat carefully in a futile attempt to not wrinkle the pants of my navy suit. I also liked my orange tie that I picked up in the Harajuku Zara back in Japan. I needed to dress to impress, because it was offense time. Read More
Thanks to writer/designer Meredith Hodges-Boos (Ehime-ken, Uwajima-shi, Yoshida-cho, 2003-05), JetWit now has some funky new merchandise. Chotto mite kudasai!
Get JetWit email updates by joining the JetWit yahoogroup
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You can now get JetWit email updates by signing up for the JetWit yahoogroup (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JetWit/).
Jameri-pop?
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I was listening to NY-based band HappyFunSmile on my iShuffle on my subway commute home last night, and it hit me that bands like HappyFunSmile, Gaijin-a-Go-Go, Soh Daiko (of which Ariel Shearman (Ichikawa-ken, 1994-97) is a member) and perhaps others seem to be part of a trend that could be called “Jameri-pop,” i.e., a hybrid of US and Japanese culture, though perhaps with an ironic sense more typical in U.S. culture than Japanese. Sort of a twist on Roland Kelts‘ Japanamerica concept.
I’m guessing someone somewhere has already discussed and described this trend, though I Googled the word “jameripop” and nothing came up. Maybe it’s just a New York thing at this point in time, given the high concentration of young Japanese people in a city already known for setting trends. I don’t travel around to other parts of the U.S. enough to know.
Do you have other examples of “Jameri-pop?” Send an e-mail to jetwit /atto/ jetwit /dotto/ com.
Here’s a sample of HappyFunSmile from a performance at the Knitting Factory in NYC:
Translators Mini-Challenge is a new arbitrarily recurring feature presented by professional translator, interpreter and writer Kia Cheleen (CIR, Aichi-ken 1996-98, ALT 1998-1999).
Update: The winner is Lee-Sean Huang (Oita-ken, 2003-06)
Welcome to the first-ever JetWit Translators Mini-Challenge! The first person to respond by email to jetwit /atto/ jetwit /dotto/ com with the correct English translation of the below Japanese term will win a free Gaijin-a-Go-Go CD (Go-Go Bootcamp)!
*******
凸凹（でこぼこ）
*******
ANSWER: uneven, rough, rugged, bumpy
Stay tuned for the next Mini-Challenge!
Is author David Mitchell a JET alum?
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Can anyone confirm whether award-winning author David Mitchell is an alumni of the JET Program? His Wikipedia entry and other info on the web make clear that he lived in Hiroshima for 8 years and taught English at a technical school. Just trying to confirm whether he’s a JET alum.
E-mail any info to jetwit /atto/ jetwit /dotto/ com.
FYI, he is the author of (among other things) Ghostwritten (1999), number9dream (2001), and CloudAtlas (2004).
INTERVIEWING IN N. AMERICA FOR ALT POSITIONS COMMENCING IN MARCH/APRIL 2009
Interac Co., Ltd., Japan’s leading private provider of Assistant Language Teachers to the Japanese public schooling system, is accepting applications from motivated and committed educators currently residing N. America to join our team of over 1,700 teaching professionals for positions commencing in March/April 2009.
If you love working with kids ranging in age from elementary to junior high school, have a passion for teaching, a willingness to adapt to a culture that is different from yours, and wish to expand your horizons and teaching skills by working in the public schooling system in Japan as an ALT, then you are the candidate we are looking for.
Based out of its head office in Tokyo and its eight branch offices located throughout Japan, Interac’s staff of approximately 1,700 ALTs are now working in locations throughout Japan. Read More
JETAA Chapter Beat – 12.01.08
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Freelance writer/editor Jonathan Trace (Fukuoka-ken, 2005-08) takes us on a walk around the JET community…
- Sunday, December 14 – Bonnenkai. 6:00 p.m. at Tono Sushi, $20 for JETs and $25 for everyone else.
- Tuesday, December 2nd – Konwakai business meeting on “How to address conflicts between American upper management and Japanese headquarters.” 6:10 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. at the Consuate General of Japan.
- Friday, December 5th – Happy Hour at Daisy Buchanan’s.
- Saturday, December 6th – An outing to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts(MFA) and dinner at Sake Japanese. Join the JASM (Japan America Society of Maine) at 2:00 p.m. for a look around the MFA. $15.00 entry fee for the museum.
- Tuesday, December 16th – JETAA Monthly Meeting
- Every Thursday Free Japanese Class
- Thursday, December 4th – PNWJETAA Executive Advisory Group meeting. 6:00 p.m. at Wann Izakaya.
- Saturday, December 6 – Bonnenkai. 6:30 p.m. at Bush Garden. $12 per person. Bring a gift to participate in the White Elephant Gift Exchange. RSVP as seating is limited.
- Sunday, December 21 – Sing for Christmas Service at the Christ United Presbyterian Church(CUPC) Choir. Practices on Dec. 5, 12, and 19th at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, December 13th – Bonnenkai. 7:00 p.m. at the Wakatay Restaurant. $10 for JET Alums, $15 for Friends of the JET Program. Bring a wrapped gift (value $10-15) to participate in the “White Elephant” gift exchange.
- Tuesday, December 2nd – Informal Pub Supper with Ambassador Ebihara. 7:00 p.m. at The Penderel’s Oak. £10 for members of the Japan Society and JETAA.
- Wednesday, December 3rd – Annual Chapter Meeting followed by food. 7:00-8:00 p.m. at the Japan Local Government Centre.
- Friday, December 12 – Bonnenkai. 7:30 p.m. $20 for JETAA Members and JALTs, $55 for all others. Drinks not included. RSVP as seats will be limited.
- Movember – Ewan Morris, one of the JETAA Canberra committee members is participating in Movember this year and has asked JETAA members to support him. Movember is an organization to raise money for awareness of men’s health issues – namely depression and prostate cancer – through the lovely art of moustache growing. Click to donate to a good cause.
- Tuesday, December 2nd – Free public workshop entitled Japan’s Gateway to the West: The Nagasaki Foreign Settlement 1859-1941 by Professor Brian Burke-Gaffney. 5:00 p.m. at the National Library of Australia(NLA), Ferguson Room, 1st Floor.
- Wednesday, January 28th – Kodo “One Earth Tour” Taiko concert at the Orpheum Theatre. 8:00 p.m. From now until December 31st there is a special 15% discount on tickets when you order online using the code ODAIKO
What happened at your chapter’s event? If you attend(ed) any of these exciting events, JetWit would love to hear about them. Just email Jonathan Trace with any info, stories or comments.
Job: Freelance writers needed (Tokyo)
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Interesting job listing from Craigslist Tokyo. Reminds me of the Tom Lehrer line about a certain doctor specializing in “diseases of the rich.”
Freelance writers needed (Tokyo)
Reply to: job-935865525@craigslist.org [?]
Date: 2008-11-27, 4:27PM JT
New bi-monthly magazine looking for freelance writers. The magazine will target wealthy and successful foreigners in Japan and will include topics such as business, politics and culture or anything that might interest the readers. The language will be English.
Reply with a short description of your past experience and an sample of your previous work.
We will also consider Japanese writers even if the English ability is not entirely perfect. We will spell-check and rewrite together with you.
Rise in Elderly Crime in Japan – by The Washington Post’s Blaine Harden
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An interesting article about a rise in crime by the elderly in Japan, by the Washington Post’s Blaine Harden and Akiko Yamamoto. Apparently many older people, feeling isolated and disconnected, are engaging in shoplifting.
A question for JET alumni readers: Have you heard about or experienced this trend or related trends in other contexts? Do any JETs or JET alums out there interact with elderly communities on a regular basis? It seems like there’s a lot of potential for both volunteer and 
work opportunities for JET alums with regard to Japan’s aging population.
Send an e-mail to jetwit /atto/ jetwit /dotto/ com with any comments or perspectives, or post a comment below.
Job Listing: Assistant Director for Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture at Columbia University (NY)
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Position with the Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture at Columbia University. Seeking an organized, dynamic individual to fill the position of Assistant Director.
From Miho Walsh, Associate Director, Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture www.donaldkeenecenter.org
Center, founded in 1986, supports the study of diverse aspects of Japanese culture at Columbia University by organizing lectures, workshops, conferences, film screenings, exhibitions, performances, and other events throughout the year. It also hosts visiting scholars, administers fellowship competitions and prize programs, and collaborates with other academic departments and organizations across campus. At the same time, the Keene Center maintains an active presence on New York’s broader cultural scene, coordinating its activities with academic and non-academic institutions throughout the city, as well as nationwide and abroad.
The Assistant Director is the senior administrator of the Keene Center. He/she is supervised by the Center’s faculty director, works closely with Columbia’s Japan studies faculty, and supervises a research associate and part-time staff. As a full-time officer of the University, the Assistant Director is entitled to comprehensive employment benefits as well as tuition exemption. Among his/her responsibilities are fundraising and representing the Keene Center at national meetings, which require periodic travel to Japan and elsewhere.
Strong Japanese language ability is necessary for the job. Individuals who are fully bilingual in Japanese and English are especially encouraged to apply. Previous fundraising experience is also highly desirable. For further details about this position, including application procedures, please follow the link below.
http://jobs.columbia.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=113446
Tadaima! #2 – Networking, Karate and Stocks, Oh My!
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My name is Rick Ambrosio (Ibaraki-ken, 2006-08). And whether readjusting to post-JET life is something you’re facing now, will deal with in the future or if you just enjoy reconnecting with that awkwardly uncertain feeling you had when you got back from Japan, come along with me as I look for a new job, a new apartment, and yes, mow the lawn of my parent’s house. Tadaima!
My cousin recently published a mystery/horror novel called “Once Upon a Nightmare,” which I read exclusively at night because that’s generally when scary stories are most poignant. She asked me to review it, so I am. But like most books you get really into, you forget what time it is, and I ended up staying up really late. So I end up waking up late.
First I checked e-mails for leads and responses with jobs. A fellow JETAANY member (Steven) needed help with the Kintetsu Essay Contest, and at this point he and I were working on a title for this series. The back and forth was a great way to keep myself engaged and feeling like I was doing something. The Essay Contest data was formatted quickly, but Steven and I went back and forth several more times brainstorming for a name for this series.
Downstairs I went for brunch in my deserted house. Carefully placed on the kitchen table was my daily note from Mom. Tuna in the Fridge. She’s going to Lowes when she gets home. Vacuum all the leaves in the front of the house.
I thought of calling my mother at work and telling her that many houses in Japan lack yards and doing yard work would severely cripple my cultural transition. Instead I threw on my weird leather and faux fur hat (I have a habit of wearing odd hats during chores) and began on the leaves. While doing this my neighbor Tony sauntered over.
Tony is about my fathers age and has two loves: Cigars and Sinatra. Read More
JETAA Philly Mud Shack Social Night – Photos!
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The JETAA Philly subchapter Mud Shack Social Night on Saturday, November 15 was a big hit! Subchapter rep Renay Loper reports, “”We painted pottery, made jewelry, enjoyed some Japanese food, traded JET stories, and laughed the night away! Everyone was excited that the Philly group was re-awakening! Based on the feedback – even from those who couldn’t make it – I am already looking forward to our next event!”
To be in the loop on future Philly events, just e-mail PhillyRep atto jetaany dotto org
