Cartoon/Illustration, Humor, Uncategorized, Writers 
Comments Off on Every Situation is Different: Holiday Edition
To get everyone in the Japanese Christmas spirit, here are a few cartoons from the archive of Earth Bennett’s (Aomori, 2000-03) JET cartoon Every Situation is Different:
Welcome to the JetWit Haiku Challenge! The challenge is to submit one or more haiku using the designated word. The best haiku submitted wins the prize.
This challenge is courtesy of Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the U.S., published by Palgrave Macmillan. You can also follow Roland on his blog japanamerica.blogspot.com.
Prize: Free copy of Japanamerica + Susan Napier’s Anime: From Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle mailed to you.
Robert P. Weston (Nara-ken, 2002-04), author of Zorgamazoo, has reviewed all haiku submissions containing the designated word “prose“ for Haiku Challenge #2 and has selected a winner to receive a free copy of his book. Read on for his decision and rationale.
Following in the footsteps of James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06), I feel obliged to assemble a short-list of honourable mentions. I make no claims, however, as to having any insightfulness when it comes to properly appreciating haiku…
Second runner-up, for its tenderness and topicality (’tis the season, after all), we have Justin Tedaldi’s entry:
The gift was thoughtful
The letter’s prose delightful
Happy holidays
—Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02)
First runner-up, for it’s gritty natural realism, is Alexei Esikoff’s ode to the grim weather of the Midwest:
The temperature drops
Buried under slushy prose
Minneapolis
—Alexei Esikoff (Fukushima-ken, 2001-02)
Finally, the winner this week is Meredith Hodges-Boos (who had an honourable mention in the previous contest, incidentally). Her haiku appeals to my love of word play — and even manages a nifty metaphor in the meantime. Congrats, Meredith!
Take roses with ‘P’s
Mix in the ordinary
Watch word gardens grow
—Meredith Hodges-Boos (Ehime-ken, 2003-05)
Click “Read More” to see the other haiku submitted.
Art, Article/Journalism, Audio, Books, Celebrity, Japan Trends, Roland Kelts, Writers Comments Off on Roland Kelts on NPR’s The World
Listen to Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99) being interviewed on NPR’s “The World.” http://www.theworld.org/?q=node/23341 Summary below:
As a global power, Japan is fading, but increasing numbers of people outside the country are opting to learn Japanese. What’s fueling the new interest is a growing obsession with Japanese Manga comics and Japanese animation. The World’s Patrick Cox has the story.
Career, Japan Trends, Translating/Interpreting, WIT Life, Writers Comments Off on WITLife #10 – Creative Dating
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). In her recent posts, she’s been watching the news in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends along with her own observations.
This morning’s news profiled how the faltering economy has affected couples and their date courses. They carried out two surveys, one on how date spots have changed and one on how much money is spent per date. For the first survey, the top three answers were:
Stay at home
“Zero yen” spots
Window shopping
Many couples are seeking ways to spend time together without spending a lot of money, and as might be expected relaxing at home is the most popular method. They profiled a couple who hung out in the girl’s room while she surfed the internet and he Read More
Career, Celebrity, Translating/Interpreting, Writers Comments Off on Favorite translator – update
On December 12 JetWit asked the question: Do you have a favorite translator?
Here are two responses received so far. Feel free to post additional comments or e-mail them to jetwit /att/ jetwit /dotto/ com:
Cheleen, Kia (CIR, Aichi-ken 1996-98, ALT 1998-1999) says:
Linda Hoaglund is one of my favorites. She is famous for doing subtitles for Japanese movies (like Kurosawa films) and she is an AMAZING interpreter as well. She has a massive vocabulary and everything she does sounds so natural. Linda doesn’t just do big-name projects — she does a lot of translation & interpreting for the arts/artists as well. Even though she grew up in Japan (to which some would say, “of COURSE she can read/write/speak Japanese”), I still think that her interpreting and translation skills are extremely polished and give the rest of us translators/ interpreters something to strive for.
Joel Dechant (CIR Kagoshima-ken, 2001-04) says:
Welcome to the 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 Robert P. Weston (Nara-ken, 2002-04), author of Zorgamazoo, a “rhyming, rhythmical tale of Katrina, a girl with a big heart and an even bigger imagination” published this year by Penguin Books and available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Powells. You can also follow Robert on his blog wayofthewest.wordpress.com.
Note: The winner of Haiku Challenge #1 will be announced later today. Stay tuned!
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). In her recent posts, she’s been watching the news in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends along with her own observations.
While watching the Japanese news this morning, the story that headlined hit a bit close to home. It profiled a recent scandal regarding takenoko (bamboo shoots) that took place in Kumamoto City, where I served as CIR for three years.
This vegetable was being marked as “Made in Kumamoto,” when in fact supplies had come from China. Even worse, when representatives of the parent company came to visit the local supplier, Kumamoto Cannery, they made three employees pose as farmers and had them take a commemorative photo in a bamboo grove. This picture was then used on the packaging with the caption “Kumamoto Prefecture Bamboo Grove Farmers,” creating a wholesome image for a product that was different than what was being advertised. They claim that their bamboo shoots were selling so well that they had to resort to other sources as their own production couldn’t keep pace.
Food safety is a topic of immense concern in Japan, though in the beginning of the year the threat was largely from abroad. Now that the scandals are domestic in origin it will be interesting Read More
Lee-Sean Huang (Oita-ken, 2003-06), JETAA NY’s webmaster and a grad student in NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program, will be presenting his interactive music interface, the head(banger)
phones, at the Interactive Telecommunications Winter Show at NYU this
Wednesday and Thursday nights (tonight and tomorrow night). So drop in to take a look. (721 Broadway, 4th Fl – just east of Washington Sq Park)
The show features a variety of interactive sights, sounds and physical
objects created by student artists. The show is FREE and open to the
public. No need to RSVP. Just show up any time during the 2 nights.
http://itp.nyu.edu/shows/winter2008/
Dec. 17th & 18th from 5pm to 9pm
@ 721 Broadway, 4th Fl
Lee-Sean AKA JETAANY.org Webmaster
http://leesean.net
Events, JETAA Chapter Beat, JETAA Chapters, Uncategorized, Writers Comments Off on JETAA Chapter Beat 12.17.08
Freelance writer/editor Jonathan Trace (Fukuoka-ken, 2005-08) takes us on a walk around the JET Alumni community…
JETAA Texoma
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.
Blogs, Food & Drink, Writers Comments Off on Thank God for Fridays in Japan – by Peter Weber
Peter Weber (Saitama-ken, Gyoda-shi, 2004-07) is the JET Coordinator at the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco.
This is how I remember it… As previously mentioned, even though I had overcome many of my dietary obstacles, I still hungered for “American Cuisine”. Although McDonald’s was always easily accessible, it was only a temporary “fix”.
I wanted a more hearty burger. So I went to the place where all answers are found… the internet. After searching words like “Applebees”, “Chili’s”, and “Fuddruckers” I finally hit the jackpot. My salvation was when I entered three wonderful letters followed by one word that makes everyone happy. Located less than 50 miles away in Ueno we found our salvation, and it came with a Happy Hour!
Contest, Translating/Interpreting, Writers Comments Off on Translators Mini-Challenge #3
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).
Welcome to this week’s 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)!
**************
**************
Stay tuned for the next Mini-Challenge! You never know when we’ll strike again!
Blogs, Books, Cartoon/Illustration, Writers Comments Off on JET alum Robert Weston’s “Zorgamazoo” wins New York Bookbinders Guild award
Robert P. Weston (Nara-ken, 2002-04) reports on his blog (wayofthewest.wordpress.com) that his book Zorgamazoo, just published this year, has won “some sort of design award” from the New York Bookbinders Guild.
This means, he explains, that the book will be on diplay at the New York Book Show on March 24, 2009. He goes on to extend “huge congratulations” to Christian Fuenfhausen, who designed the interior pages, Natalie Sousa, who designed the cover art, and the whole design team at Razorbill Books and Penguin USA.
Article/Journalism, Books, Celebrity, Japan Trends, Roland Kelts, Uncategorized, Writers Comments Off on JET alum Roland Kelts quoted in The New Yorker
Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, was quoted or mentioned this week in articles in:
Blogs, Cartoon/Illustration, Humor, Writers Comments Off on Bankruptcy Bill #7: Debtor Education
Bankruptcy Bill is a cartoon created by Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) and Gideon Kendall. To see more strips as well as bankruptcy haiku, go to bankruptcybill.wordpress.com.
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