Kirsten Phillips (Niigata-ken, 2007-08) is part of a yosa-koi dance group that is taking part in another Japan Arts Matsuri (JAM) function on December 23rd at the Knitting Factory. The last one they did in Greenpoint, Brooklyn was very well received and a huge success. In Kirsten’s own words:
“JAM brings Japanese dancers, musicians, martial artists, comedians from around the city under one roof. The atmosphere is that of a traditional Japanese matsuri, complete with taiko and akachochin. The one in Greenpoint even had oden! I know it’s a little inconvenient in the middle of the week, but it’s totally worth it if you miss the way Japan throws a festival.”
Japan Arts Matsuri (JAM) 2008
Tuesday, December 23rd.
Doors open 6 PM. The entire event lasts until 2 AM; Advance Tickets: $10/ $15 at the door
Knitting Factory
74 Leonard Street, New York, NY Tel: (212) 219-3132 Directions: 1 or 9 to Franklin OR St. A,C, E at Canal.
From www.fewmets.net
James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06), author of The Order of Odd-Fish, has reviewed all haiku submissions containing the designated word “fewmets“ for Haiku Challenge #1 and has selected a winner. Read on for his decision and rationale.
I was blown away by the quality of the fewmets haiku I received. I can state with absolute conviction that these are the best haiku about fewmets that I have ever read!
First, the honorable mentions. Meredith Hodges-Boos (Ehime-ken, Yoshida-cho, 2003-05) wrote an appropriately grim, medieval-epic haiku that ends with a wonderfully forbidding promise of violence:
Fewmets steam on bleak
Frost-covered leaves, hunter stoops
Soon blood will melt ice
Chillingly beautiful! Worthy of Beowulf! I can almost imagine Ms. Hodges-Boos is the kind of woman who makes her own chain mail.
Rick Ambrosio (Ibaraki-ken, 2006-08) put a decidedly modern spin on fewmets:
The fewmets of love;
lipstick wine glass, lost overcoat . . .
painful cotton swab nurse!
Every man who has endured a gonorrhea test will find the last line poignantly evocative. Mr. Ambrosio is clearly a gentleman about town, a chap of wide and varied experiences, a man who almost certainly has chlamydia. He came very close to winning, except that the second and third lines each have one more syllable than a fastidious interpretation of the haiku form allows. As sloppy as a tart’s kiss, Mr. Ambrosio!
Finally, we come to the winner, from the talented Ilya Blokh:
A French truffle, on the
Tongue, melts, but how I was wrong
It was a fewmet
True, the first line might has one more syllable than usual, but Mr. Blokh’s brilliance trumps formal quibbles. The imagination is set giddily free. How did the poet come across this spurious truffle? On what pretext is he eating it? From what beast does this fewmet issue? What does the fewmet taste like? Mr. Blokh creates an entire world for me to inhabit.
And thither shall I now flit, to freely and sportively bombinate among the flowers of his soul.
Click “Read More” to see a couple more haiku submissions.
Elizabeth Bass (Kochi 2002-2004) reports that she finally got a job (YEAH!). However, that means that she is now looking for a replacement intern at the literary agency where she works. The position is unpaid, but because it’s a small office there is a ton of opportunity to get some invaluable hands-on experience in the industry. We are looking for someone to fill the position ASAP, if possible.
We are currently accepting applications for an intern at a small literary agency.
The intern will read and recommend submissions, answer the telephone, draft emails and help in various ways around the office, including filing and restocking office supplies. Because it is a small office (myself and an assistant) the intern will have an opportunity to see close up how a literary agency works and become familiar with the book publishing industry.
QUALIFICATIONS: I am looking for someone with computer skills and some office experience to work 5-6 hours per week. (The days are flexible.) I would hope that the intern was fairly well-read and interested in books.
Please submit a short cover letter and your resume to:
Regina Ryan reginaryanbooks @ rcn . com
DURATION: 5-6 hours per week
COMPENSATION: None
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.
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Designated word (chosen by Rob): “Prose” (you must use this word in your haiku; multiple submissions welcome)
- Deadline: Thursday, December 18, before 5:00p.m. EST
- Prize: Free copy of Zorgamazoo 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, Robert 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
Note: The winner of Haiku Challenge #1 will be announced later today. Stay tuned!
Job: Japanese legal document review (long-term project)
Jobs, Translating/Interpreting 
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Just received this via e-mail from Evan Lerner of legal staffing firm Lerner, Cumbo & Associates, who was referred to JETAA NY by JET alum Jonathan Golub, who is an attorney in NYC.
Please direct all responses to Evan Lerner at elerner @ lernercumbo. com.
Our client has a long-term document review project commencing immediately in New York City and has asked us to recruit for it professionals who are fluent in written Japanese, have legal experience or knowledge, and are permitted to work in the US. The “legal experience” could be as a lawyer (US or foreign), paralegal, or legal translation or comparable endeavor.
Update: Roland Kelts
Academic, Article/Journalism, Blogs, Books, Celebrity, Japan Trends, Roland Kelts, Uncategorized, Writers Comments Off on Update: Roland Kelts
Here’s the latest update on JET alum Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica and professor at Tokyo University:
ADBUSTERS: A feature story, co-written with Leo Lewis of the Times of London, about signs of socialism and unrest among Japanese youth and the Kanikosen phenomenon is now online:
http://www.adbusters.org/magazine/81/big_in_japan.html (On a related topic, Stacy Smith comments on recent political unrest following the closing of an auto manufacturing plant in Japan in WITLife #7-Totyota Shock (Part 2).)
DAILY YOMIURI: In his latest Soft Power/Hard Truths column in the Daily Yomiuri, Roland revisits Michael Arias, the only American to have directed a feature anime film in Japan–Tekkonkinkreet—(which, incidentally, premiered in the US at MOMA in 2007). Arias’s forthcoming film is the live action Heaven’s Door (opens 2/7/09 in Japan), which Roland attended at a private screening last week. Link to the column: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/arts/20081212TDY13004.htm
Seikai University Talk: Roland’s blog (japanamerica.blogspot.com) has a post about his recent talk at Seikei University in western Tokyo about Japanamerica where he introduced both the ideas examined in the book and the latest happenings in the trans-cultural exchange between Japan and the U.S.
JET alum Rosie de Fremery launches new blog and website
Art, Blogs, Food & Drink, Uncategorized, Writers Comments Off on JET alum Rosie de Fremery launches new blog and website
Former JETAA NY Vice-Prez Rosie de Fremery (Shizuoka-ken, 1998-2001) recently launched a new blog about food (working with a couple friends) and also a new Etsy store website. In Rosie’s own words…
Nosh Pit is a group food blog I’ve started with two friends who are as passionate about food as I am. We launched it on Sunday and have already put up several recipes and restaurant views, with discussions beginning in the comments section. So far I’ve posted a friend’s recipe for maple bourbon sweet potato pie and a review of a French patisserie I discovered this week. Please check it out at http://noshpit.wordpress.com/
The second is Shining Flower Productions, an Etsy store where I am selling hand-painted greeting cards for the upcoming holidays. For now I’m just selling two designs, one of an angel for Christmas and one of a Chanukiah for Chanukah, but I do plan to offer more watercolor card designs and some original Japanese calligraphy in the future. The store can be found at http://shiningflower.etsy.com/
Remember that episode of Family Ties where Alex mentions his favorite economist (Milton Friedman)? Well, I was wondering if JET alums have favorite translators.
If you have a favorite translator (or translators) , please let me know, and let me know what you like about the translator.
I’ll publish the aggregated results on JetWit in the next week or so for the benefit of the JET alum community. (So if for any reason you don’t want your name included with your comments, just indicate that in your email.)
E-mail responses to: jetwit /at/ jetwit /dot/ com
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03).
Not to continue the doom and gloom of yesterday’s post, but a good portion of today’s news was again devoted to Toyota Shock. For this company itself, out of 9,200 temporary workers, 3,000 of them will be laid off. In regard to next year’s sales forecast for the whole Toyota group, an estimated 9.5 million cars were anticipated to be sold to the American market, but this forecast has been reduced to 8 million.
The car company Isuzu fired 1,400 workers from its factory in Kanazawa, and those affected took it upon themselves to fight back. Footage was shown of these workers handing out pamphlets to co-workers asking them to join their union and asking executives to retract their dismissal. Evidently these cuts came without notice, causing Read More
Job: Japanese speaking intern for global market research firm
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Seeking Japanese Speaking Intern at Global Market Research Firm (From home or Herald Square)
Reply to: job-954318271@craigslist.org [?]
Date: 2008-12-11, 4:58PM EST
An industry leading global market research firm based in Manhattan is looking for a Japanese reading, speaking and writing intern to work part-time with the sales staff. Hours would be up to the intern and this job can be done partly from home, however some evening hours may be required (come at 6 or 7pm leave at 9 or 10pm) due to need to call Japan (+13 hours)
No prior sales experience is required, however must have good communication skills, and some knowledge of standard Japanese business practice is a plus. However we will TRAIN you.
Duties Include:
Ø Sorting and entry of information into company database
Ø Translation of sales materials and e-mails into Japanese
Ø Translation and creation of marketing materials in Japanese
Ø Phone calls to potential and current Japanese clients in Japan from office
Ø Translation of report summaries into Japanese
Reply to the e-mail address above to schedule an interview. This is an UN-PAID internship but we will help you to with course/college credit.
Career advice from the WSJ’s Elizabeth Garone (Saga-ken, 1993-95)
Advice, Article/Journalism, Career, Interview/Profile, Writers Comments Off on Career advice from the WSJ’s Elizabeth Garone (Saga-ken, 1993-95)
It turns out there’s a JET alum writing a career advice column for the Wall Street Journal. Check out the latest column from Elizabeth Garone (Saga-ken, Omachi-cho, 1993-95) at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122874945537188153.html#articleTabs_comments.
It also turns out that she is a freelance journalist with more than a decade of writing for publications that have included Business Week, The Washington Post, Money Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal. Her specialties are technology, education (specifically SAT and test prep), human interest and children.
You can learn more about Elizabeth through her website at www.garone.com or through her LinkedIn profile at http://www.linkedin.com/in/lizgarone
Another attempt to replace ALTs
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Yet another devious attempt to replace ALTs. And this one doesn’t like being touched on the breast. (I’m not making this up. Read the article for yourself. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/10/aiko-the-female-robot-inv_n_149860.html)
From a JETAA Pacific Northwest email about Kevin Kajitani (Hyogo-ken, 2006-07) who has created Japanese Accelerator, a new online Japanese study method for keeping your Japanese skills up. He’s offering a special discount to JET alums who want to try it out.
Research Proven Japanese Conversation Training System
Japanese Accelerator, presented by Speekit, is a unique Japanese language education tool specifically designed for Japanese. It’s method has been proven through University research to significantly improve your overall conversational fluency by putting you inside real, everyday conversations.
Japanese Accelerator will take you beyond simply “learning” the Japanese language and help you to truly *acquire* it. To learn more about Japanese Accelerator, visit us as www.JapaneseAcceler ator.com
If you are a JETAA members, you can save more than 50% off the normal price of Japanese Accelerator. Get full, unlimited access to Japanese Accelerator and it’s growing library of content for a one-time fee of just $29.
To get in on this great deal, go to: www.JapaneseAcceler ator.com/ jetaa-sign- up Read More
NHK live broadcast and free synthetic ice skating today at 4pm
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Kind of last second but….JET alum Marea Pariser (who is an associate producer for NHK in NY) sent me this last night, which I finally have time to post:
We’ll be broadcasting live from the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) tomorrow, Thursday, Dec. 11, for the NHK morning news. Because of the 14-hour time difference, we’ll go live at 4:15 p.m. and 6:05 p.m. (Japan time that will be 6:15 a.m. and 8:05 a.m. Friday). It will air on NHK’s “Ohayo Nippon.”
We’ll be reporting live from AMNH’s new Polar Rink, which is an outdoor skating rink made from synthetic ice. It’s good for the environment and it complements the Museum’s current Climate Change exhibit. There’s a good chance of rain tomorrow, but our live broadcast goes on-air rain or shine. We’re looking for people (who can ice skate!) who are available at either 4 p.m. or 6 p.m. — or at both times — to appear as an “ice skater” on our broadcast. Free ice skating! No close-up shots, just in the background. We’re especially interested in children ice skaters. Could you pass the word along? If anyone is interested or available could you ask them to contact me at the details below for more information?
FYI-Location: American Museum of Natural History, Polar Rink, which can be accessed from 79th Street and Columbus Avenue.
Web site: http://www.amnh.org/
I just found about a blog by JET alum Aaron Madlon-Kay (CIR Ehime-ken, 2006-08) that seems to do a good job of addressing translation issues. (e.g., this post on Romanizing Japanese Addresses, this one on Translating Place Names, and this one on an attempt to translate into Japanese from English.)
Definitely a resource that other JET alums, especially other translators and those of you interested in getting into translation, might want to check out. Wish I had found it sooner, but glad to have it the JetWit orbit now.
