Ask Dr. Muse-Life Coach: Time & Money
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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:
I don’t have time for all these creative exercises you post and I can’t afford to leave my current job, what can I do? B.B., Texas
Dear B.B.:
A common lament even from people who love their current jobs is that they want more time but cannot give up their current income level . Your question may involve several underlying issues. First, ensure you have accurate information regarding your current financial situation. Do you have a budget and understand exactly how much money you need to live responsibly now and in the future? Understanding your money now empowers you so that life does not force you to understand it later [with harsher consequences, usually]. The internet offers many resources for self education on this topic.
This information allows you to strategically plan for a job search or transition and aim higher for salary and job satisfaction. Also, pay attention and be responsible for the words you choose to characterize your life. If you find yourself stating you cannot afford something, an internal alarm should sound. We can afford the things in life we truly need and want; we allocate our resources—time and money—toward what we value. Finally, evaluate whether this statement hinders you from having what you want and challenge its veracity.
A second issue concerns the scarce resource of time. If you operate from a premise that you can make more money but not time, you may assess your life differently. What would you like time for? How do you currently spend your time in a day? Can you adjust something and make time to plan a change in your life? Again, we spend our money and time on what we value, so what we really want we find a way. If you really do want time to plan and do these things, you will find time. If not, then investigate other ways to shift your thinking around your current job.
Finally, this type of question often arises when people are stressed and in “survival” mode. During times like this, it may be helpful to first assess your lifestyle and health before embarking on big changes. Get enough sleep, exercise, and choose to take care of your health so you have a clear mind and energy to do the things you want. I hope this was helpful.
If you want to expand on any of these areas, email me with questions.
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.
Tom Baker’s review of “Ooku” manga
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Tom Baker (Chiba-ken, 1989-91) is a staff writer for The Daily Yomiuri. A big part of his beat is the Pop Culture page, which covers manga, anime and video games. You can follow Tom’s blog at tokyotombaker.wordpress.com.
Here is his latest manga review, of Ooku by Fumi Yoshinaga:
With its shrinking population, chronically depressed birthrate and rising average age, Japan is fated for major social changes in the fairly near future. How that will play out remains to be seen, but Fumi Yoshinaga’s manga series Ooku: The Inner Chamber is an example of how popular art can tap
into real-world social anxieties.
Ooku is set in an alternate-history Japan that also faces a demographic crisis, but of a different type. In the 1630s, a mysterious epidemic called Redface Pox kills 75 percent of Japan’s men, while leaving women physically unharmed.
The disease lingers, the gender imbalance never rights itself, and Japanese society comes to resemble a colony of bees or ants, in which the large female majority does every kind of work while the male minority are seen as delicate creatures valued only for their “seed.”
With women forced to share the limited supply of men, the institution of marriage largely disappears, as only a rich woman can keep a husband all to herself. The wealthiest and most powerful woman of all is the shogun, who keeps a crowded male harem in the innermost chambers–the Ooku–of Edo Castle…
Read the rest of the review here.
WIT Life #79: After the testimony
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WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
A thought-provoking article in Salon regarding Japanese reactions at home to President Akio Toyoda’s Congressional testimony and apology to dealers. It describes how the populace was moved by him getting choked up when addressing the latter, but also that the Japanese can be fickle in their acclaim for someone. I found it interesting as I am currently traveling as an interpreter for a seven-person group of political aides, and they are overwhelming in their opinion that Japan is getting the short end of the stick regarding this situation.
At one dinner they expressed difficulty in understanding Read More
Roland Kelts sought as commentator on Toyota by major media outlets
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If you’ve been following Toyota’s problems of late, then you may have also noticed JET alum Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, popping up a lot as a commentator.
He recently appeared on ABC’s World News Tonight. And even more recently he was commissioned to write an op-ed for the Christian Science Monitor to clarify some of the vast cultural misreadings evident in the Congressional Toyota/Toyoda hearings.
- Toyota and trust: Was the Akio Toyoda apology lost in translation? Stung by Toyota recalls, Toyoda had to convey sincerity – and bridge the gulf in communication styles between Japan and America. http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2010/0225/Toyota-and-trust-Was-the-Akio-Toyoda-apology-lost-in-translation
- Roland is also quoted in this AP article on Toyota: “Toyota President Battles Crisis in Family Company“ http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2010/02/19/toyota_president_battles_crisis_in_family_company/?page=full
And addressed the topic of Toyota in an interesting way in his recent Daily Yomiuri column on The Super Bowl, Toyota, Anime and Hollywood:
- SOFT POWER, HARD TRUTHS / Anime must eventually transcend Japan ‘national’ brand http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/arts/20100219TDY11003.htm
And if you’re looking for commentary on non-Toyota topics, then you can listen to Roland’s recent appearance on NPR discussing a wild relic of Japanese popular culture, a viral video of Japanese ‘Jazz Opera,’ produced in 1986 by Tamori, the great comedian:
Mansfield Fellowship in Japan
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Via JETAA DC President Michelle Spezzacatena:
Mansfield Fellowship in Japan
Federal employees with a strong career interest in issues of importance to the U.S.-Japan relationship now have the opportunity to apply for a Mike Mansfield Fellowship.
During the two-year program, Fellows spend a year working full-time in Japanese government offices, preceded by a year of full-time rigorous language and area studies training in the United States. After completing the program, Fellows return to their U.S. agencies with proficiency in Japanese and practical, firsthand experience with Japan and its government that enables them to contribute to their agencies’ Japan-related work.
For more information about the Fellowships, information sessions in Washington, D.C., and application guidelines, please visit www.mansfieldfdn.org or contact Ms. Sara Seavey, Program Assistant, Mansfield Fellowship Program at 202-347-1994 or sseavey@mansfieldfdn.org.
Application deadline: April 1, 2010.
The Mansfield Fellowship Program is administered by The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation with the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, as grantor.
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!
Submit your “Shin” photos for the JETAA Toronto Photo Exhibit – March 6
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The JETAA Toronto photo exhibit, entitled ‘shin‘ for the Japanese symbol for “new,” is our way of marking the start of a decade.
What symbolizes shin?
Perhaps it’s a picture that sums up the way everything felt new to you in Japan when you first arrived. A festival, a ritual, a small cultural difference. Or perhaps it’s a Japan-inspired photo taken back home in Canada that shows the old in a new light.
Selected works will be exhibited March 6 at the Gladstone Art Bar, where we will also have a deejay spinning tracks throughout the night.
Come join us as we celebrate the memories of our time in Japan and enjoy the good music. Drinks will be available on site.
Date: Saturday March 6, 2010
Event: Shin Photo Exhibit: Japan-inspired works by former JET’s
Location: Gladstone Art Bar, 1214 Queen St. W., Toronto, ON, Canada See map
Website: Toronto JETAA Homepage http://toronto.jetaa.ca/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=26
Time: 7 p.m. until the bar’s closing time Cost: $5 entrance fee
Job: English teaching position at Speak Up (Iwate)
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Via Iwateminions Yahoo group:
Speak Up conversation school is looking for an English teacher to start in late May. Working hours are Tuesday to Saturday, noon to 8.30/9 pm. Pay is 250,000 yen /month. Paid holidays include Golden Week, Obon, and the New Year, plus 7 additional days/year. If the teacher wanted to work four days a week, or some time off in the summer, that could be arranged also.
Students range from 4 to 80 years old. Classes have a size limit of 6 students. The instructor will be required to teach a small company class off-site about 2 times a week. A driver’s license is recommended. Teaching materials are available but teachers are encouraged to develop their own resources as well. There is considerable freedom regarding what and how you teach.
An apartment is not provided but taking over the departing instructor’s apartment may be an option. Sponsorship for a working visa is available. Applicants will be considered immediately as Speak Up is looking to fill this position as soon as possible to facilitate visa sponsorship.
Interested applicants should contact Phil Williams ASAP at phil_speakup (at) yahoo (dot) com.
JETAA Chapter Beat 2.25.10
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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.
- Hinamatsuri Workshop – Saturday, February 27th, 1:00 at the Lorton Workhouse Arts Center. Anne Cox, a scholar of Hinamatsuri for 30 years, will be heading a workshop on the Japanese Girls’ Day festival. Come and learn about traditional dolls and have the chance to make a pair of your own Hinamatsuri dolls.
- Nihongo Dake Brunch – Sunday, February 28th, 11:30 at Cafe Atlantico. Practice your Japanese and meet new people at this relaxed Sunday get together.
- Family Okonomiyaki BBQ – Sunday, February 28th, 11:30 at Synergy Parkland in Kings Park. Free BBQ and soft drinks in the park, as well as dessert and watermelon provided by the Consulate General. Spend the day outdoors and catch up with old friends.
- Nihongo Dake Dinner – Saturday, February 27th, 6:00 in San Gabriel. Dust off those rusty Japanese skills and come out for a night of food, friends and Japanese conversation.
- Networking Event with Lighthouse San Diego Magazine – Tuesday, March 2nd, 6:30 at Jasmine Seafood Restaurant in San Diego. Check out this chance to meet with local Japanese business leaders.
- Income Tax Seminar – Saturday, February 27th, 3:30 to 5:00 at the Japan Information Center. Bring a pen, paper and your questions on tax issues as the guys at JETAANC are offering to help out JET alumni with questions about filling their taxes after returning from Japan.
- SF Nomikai Happy Hour – Thursday, March 4th, 6:00 at Gordon Biersch. This event is being cohosted by GEOS, so come on out and share in the good times.
- O-Shaberikai – Wednesday, March 3rd, 5:30 at the Holy Grail in Civic. Join in and meet Japanese people living in Canberra and other locals interested in Japan.
- Happy Hour – Thursday, February 25th, 6:00 at the Rustic Kitchen. Come in from the cold and share a drink with friends old and new.
- Nihongo Dake Lunch – Sunday, February 28th, 1:00 at Fuji in Quincy. Enjoy sushi and brush up on that Japanese with the gang at JETAANE.
- Career Workshop – Tuesday, March 2nd, 3:00 to 6:00 NEJETAA will be holding it’s career workshop for JET alumni. This year’s theme is, “Marketing Yourself in a Tough Economy,” so come on out and get a leg up on that new career. Location to be announced.
- JETAA Winter Ball – Saturday, February 27th, 7:00 at the Grange Holborn Hotel. Champagne, a three course meal and a disco with a live DJ make this event one not to be missed. Check it out.
- Orlando Yakiniku and Karaoke – Friday, February 26th, 8:00 at the Shin Jung Korean Restaurant in Orlando. Join the gang in Orlando for a night out and start the weekend off right.
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.
Japanese Events New York City – Nihongo Dake Dinner
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The Nihongo Dake Dinner is one of the few regular Japanese events in New York City designed to bring both Japanese and non-native Japanese speakers together. Currently run by Jon Hills for JETAANY (http://jetaany.org/), he’s also the founder of Hills Learning (http://www.hillslearning.com), a language school based in Grand Central, New York City.
The event usually numbers around 20 people, and is designed to be half Japanese, half non-native Japanese speakers. The Japanese participants come from all industries and backgrounds, from JETRO and JLGC to Mitsui and Nomura. There are also Japanese who are artists, recruiters, volunteers and students.
- Nihongo Dake Dinner – 02/23/10
The past event held at the Congee Restaurant in Chinatown was a mix of languages, intimacy and fun. As mentioned before, the typical attendance for the Nihongo Dake Dinners is about 20, quite a number for a Japanese language speaking event in New York. This past event only housed 7 people, pushing all participants to try their Japanese skills and get to know each other a little better. Also thanks to our Chinese American participant Ann, we had Chinese translation when ordering and handling the bill.
If you’re involved in the JET organization please be open to signing up for future Nihongo Dake Dinners. If you know someone from JET and would like to go as a friend of JET, it’s also possible to attend. Japanese people who would like to meet English native speakers who have an interest in Japanese are also encouraged to attend. As one of the best Japanese Events in New York City, it’s an event that can’t be missed!
Request: Tokyo apartment and language immersion program info
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*****
A request from WITLife writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03):
My friend Ryoko is looking to get some information for a college classmate who is hoping to spend a short time in Tokyo studying Japanese. Can anyone help out with the following questions? If so, please contact her at sr960002 [at] gmail.com. Thank you and yoroshiku onegaishimasu!
1) Do you have any suggestions for safe, short-term apartment leases/rentals in Tokyo? Or any idea of how to search for one?
2) Also, do you have any suggestions for good Japanese language immersion programs in Tokyo? (The kind where you stay in the country/program for 1-3 months.)
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.
Japan-America Society Roundup 2.21.10
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Current Hiroshima-ken JET Gail Meadows, Editor of Hiroshima JET webzine the Wide Island View, shines a light on some of the upcoming events of Japan America Societies…
Hina Matsuri Festival — Long ago in Japan it was believed that wizards drive away evil on the first day of the snake in March. The wizards transferred the evil to paper dolls and then placed the dolls in the river to float the evil away to the sea. Eventually the day became known as Hina Matsuri and dolls to represent the Emperor and Empress were displayed. Today, Hina Matsuri is known as the Doll Festival and is also referred to as Girls’ Day in Japan. Come see JASSA’s valuable set of dolls on display during this event.
- Date: Saturday, March 6
- Time: 9 a.m. to noon
- Place: Sally Cheever Girl Scout Leadership Center, 811 N. Coker Loop, San Antonio
- For more information, click here.
- Yamamoto Kyogen — Designated “Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity” by UNESCO, Kyogen, much like Noh, is a world-renowned form of traditional Japanese theater with a more than 600-year history. The Yamamoto Kyogen Company, on their debut U.S. tour, will feature two plays that are unique to the Okura School of Kyogen. This event is sponsored by the Japan Society.
- Date: Wednesday, March 24
- Time: 7:30 p.m.
- Place: Hall of Flags, University of Pennsylvania, 3451 Walnut St., Philadelphia
- For more information, click here.
Bourbon Distillery Tour and Fusaichi Pegasus — Did you know that 90 percent of the world’s bourbon is distilled in Kentucky? Did you know that Kentucky Derby winner, Japanese-owned Fusaichi Pegasus, lives near Lexington at Ashford Stud Horse Farm?
JASGC has partnered with the Japan-America Society of Kentucky to create a family event including tours of two bourbon distilleries (Four Roses and Woodford Reserve) and Ashford Stud in one day. Sounds like a true “Bluegrass Kentucky” experience.
- Date: Saturday, March 27
- Time: 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- Place: In the Greater Cincinnati area, meet at 7300 Turfway Rd., Florence, Kentucky (Exit Turfway, I-75) no later than 7:45 a.m. In the Lexington area, the bus will pick people up at the Candlewood Suites at 603 Adcolor Dr., Lexington, Kentucky. Participants are asked to arrive no later than 9:15 a.m.
- For more information, click here.
- Tea Program — Melinda Varner, a doctoral student in Japanese history at the University of Kansas, will discuss her personal and professional involvement in the study of chanoyu, the Japanese way of tea. She will offer personal insights on the tradition drawn from 15 years of study in the Urasenke school and place these in historical perspective based upon her current research in early modern tea texts.
- Date: Tuesday, March 23
- Time: 7 p.m.
- Place: Loose Park Garden Center, 51st and Wornall, Kansas City, Missouri
- For more information, click here.
Does your Japan America Society have an upcoming event that you’d like to share with JetWit readers? Email Gail Meadows the info.
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WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
I just started an assignment as an interpreter for a delegation of young political leaders from Japan, divided about evenly between members of the LDP and the DPJ as well as one journalist. Over our first dinner tonight it was interesting to hear their respective viewpoints regarding various issues, especially ones that are personal to them. For example, one DPJ rep and one LDP rep were having a friendly debate regarding day care. Both of these men have wives who work and 3-year old daughters, and as they live in the Tokyo area child care options are limited. There are not enough facilities to meet current needs, and those that exist are deluged by requests leading to long waiting lists.
As part of the Manifesto, the DPJ has proposed the implementation of a 子供手当て (kodomo teate) of 26,000 yen per month to provide financial aid to those who have a child. The LDP, on the other hand, does not advocate this and thinks this money should instead be put toward Read More
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
