WIT Life #4 – Airport security and death row
Career, Translating/Interpreting, Uncategorized, WIT Life, Writers 
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WITLife is a series by Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03).
My most recent assignment with the State Department had me doing simultaneous interpreting for a group of six officials from Japan’s central government.
They all came from different ministries ranging from Justice to Finance to Health (one of whose former officials was just murdered along with his wife in a recent high profile case). It was neat to talk to the participant from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (aka MEXT), who met his wife in the workplace (when she was a tantousha for the JET Programme) and to hear stories from her experience traveling to promote it.
The trip was a success but was book-ended by two harrowing experiences. When the group arrived the day Read More
Traveling Tastebuds: The Ambassador of Japanese Food – by Devon Brown
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Devon Brown (Tokyo-to, 2002-04) is a freelance writer with a focus on food. You can read more of her writing at TravelingTastebuds.blogspot.com.Is there anyone out there that doesn’t love Japanese curry rice?
Ok, it lacks the sophistication of sashimi and the artisanship of kaiseki, but of all the school lunches that were put in front of me those first few weeks living in Japan, curry rice was the only thing that made me feel like I might not wither away in a world of seaweed wrapped rice balls and soups brimming with tiny dried fish with tiny black eyes.
Even lukewarm (as almost every Japanese school lunch is served lukewarm) it still tasted good. As a matter Read More
Peter Weber (Saitama-ken, Gyoda-shi, 2004-07) is the JET Coordinator at the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco.
Here is how I remember it… My tolerance for food has changed over the years. When I was a child I was they referred to as “picky”. Although exposed to many foreign and exotic foods (at least for Ohio) by my mother I would usually abstain from the meal. The perfect meal for me was alternating days between hamburgers and pizza with an occasional mac and cheese with hotdogs dinner. This changed a bit when I got older, but not by much.
When I was living in Japan I found one of the biggest challenges for me was the diet. Upon my arrival in Japan the difference in types of food people ate was apparent very quickly as I realized that foreign country and foreign food went hand in hand. Luckily there was always an abundance of rice that I could fill myself with until I could hunt down something familiar to my senses. Grocery shopping was also a major challenge trying to find foods that look appetizing. A typical purchase of mine consisted of peanut cream & jelly sandwiches (not peanut butter like I was used to) and potato chips. They were safe and quenched my appetite.
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JetWit note: You must live in the Seattle area do be able to do this job. No telecommuting. Sorry for any confusion.
From the JETAA Pacific Northwest email list:
CHRISTOPHER HARRISON
Aerotek Professional Services, Inc.
* E-mail: chharris@aerotek. com
Our client, is the acknowledged worldwide leader in the creation of interactive entertainment, is looking for 5 Japanese Translators. In this role this person will be will be centered around Fashion and Pop culture (It’s a fun opportunity for anyone that has an interest in Fashion or has a keen fashion sense). The translation piece will be centered around in-game dialogue describing styles and items, accessories etc. Candidates must have a Level 1 certification in Japanese translating. Anyone with a Fashion writing background is great! If you’re interested please contact Chris Harrison at 425 893 6049 or by email chharris@aerotek. com
Tadaima #4 – Put it all on Black!
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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!
“WHEEL…. OF…… FORTUNE!!!!” I yelled in a haze of alcohol and bright flashing lights. A small crowd gathered around my cousin and I as we played “The Wheel of Fortune” slot machine.
We were in Atlantic City for my cousin’s girlfriend’s birthday, and since mine was a couple days away, sure, mine too. I know I know, here I am, unemployed, in a place people go to burn money, when I could be sending out more resumes and following more leads, but instead I’m down 60 bucks, four drinks in the hole, and hitting on my cousin’s girlfriend’s sister. I suppose I really should be… WHEEL….. OF….. FORTUNE!!!! Okay, down 48 bucks now.
It’s sort of funny when I try to draw parallels between gambling in America and the Pachinko parlors of Read More
Roland Kelts Update: Studio360 in Japan and Interview in Brooklyn Rail
Art, Article/Journalism, Blogs, Books, Celebrity, Japan Trends, Roland Kelts, Uncategorized, Writers Comments Off on Roland Kelts Update: Studio360 in Japan and Interview in Brooklyn Rail
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.
Staffing/Recruiting Companies Directory now on JetWit.com
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I’ve created a directory for staffing/recruiting firms that are popular with JET alumni, organized by city. So far it has New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle.
Did I miss any good ones? E-mail me at jetwit /atto/ jetwit /dotto/ com.
Note to staffing/recruiting firms: If you would like your company to have a link, website address, larger font, an image and/or other information listed below, please contact Steven at jetwit /atto/ jetwit /dotto/ com for pricing information.
Kia’s Homemade Bake Sale!
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Professional translator, interpreter and writer Kia Cheleen (CIR, Aichi-ken 1996-98, ALT 1998-1999) is making homemade sweets and baked goods for pick-up or delivery in NYC and Jersey City right out of her home for the holiday season.
Go to www.homemadebakesale.com to place an order.
Job: P/T and substitute ESL instructors for Kaplan Aspect in E. Village (NYC)
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Kaplan Aspect NY East Village is looking for P/T and substitute ESL instructors
If interested in the position, please send your cover letter and resume to jim.dekoning @kaplan. com Read More
Julie Matysik (Yamanashi-ken, 2006-07) is a freelance copy editor and aspiring in-house editor who recently moved to NYC with her husband (also a JET alum). She has just started an internship in editing/publishing/writing. Editorial Pursuits chronicles her job hunting efforts, experiences and lessons learned.
As part of my internship, I’ve been entrusted with reading what we like to call “slush”-unsolicited manuscripts that, almost 99% of the time, come to find an impersonal rejection letter folder in a neat and hopeful self-addressed stamped envelope. Now, normally I like to consider myself a very fair, open-minded, and kind individual; I especially love being introduced to new books, authors, genres, etc. However, when it comes to reading “slush,” I feel a demonic, elitist monster overtaking my body.
That said, this is not the first time I’ve been asked to read through various query letters, synopses, and sample chapters. At an internship I held at Cream City Review literary magazine in Milwaukee, WI I also read short story manuscripts and about half of the time, I passed the manuscript on to a fiction editor for their feedback. So I don’t know if the frustrations with not being able to find a permanent publishing job in the so-called “Mecca” of publishing (a.k.a. NYC) or my need to assert some pent-up dominance over Read More
From Craigslist Philadelphia. There are similar writing/tutoring centers in New York (The Superhero Supply Co.), San Francisco (The Pirate Supply Co.) and Seattle (Space Travel Supply Co.) Pretty nifty concept for getting kids into writing.
Attention Writers and Educators! (Northern Liberties)
Start-up nonprofit organization is looking for writers, tutors, and educators who want to be a part of an exciting literacy program. Inspired by Dave Eggers’ 826 Valencia in San Francisco, we are working to create a dynamic student tutoring and publishing center – with a magic shoppe attached! (Learn more by listening to Eggers’ podcast here:
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/dave_eggers_makes_his_ted_prize_wish_once_upon_a_school.html).
While we’re looking at the Northern Liberties area, we do not yet have a physical space. We’re in need of people who want to research, write, and advise now, and those who want to be in it for the long haul! Great opportunity for experienced writers and educators as well as humanities, writing, English, and education majors. Anyone with an interest in literacy in Philadelphia is welcome!
Join the team!
Philadelphia Youth Literacy Alliance
Meet-and-Greet and Planning Meeting
Saturday, Dec. 13, 2008 at 10:00 a.m.
Cafe Euphoria 1001-13 N. 2nd St. #23
If you can’t make it and are still interested, we’d still love to connect with you! Please reply to the above email.
We can’t wait to meet you and share our enthusiasm for this project!
Philadelphia Youth Literacy Alliance (PYLA)
Job: Coordinator, Study Tours Program (New Jersey)
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From the Chronicle of Higher Education job listings page:
Position: Coordinator, Study Tours Program
Salary: Unspecified
Institution: Rider University
Location: New Jersey
Date posted: 12/5/2008
Coordinator, Study Tours Program
Rider University seeks an individual with strong interpersonal and communication skills to coordinate the Study Tours International Program as it pertains to all US entities, including, but not limited to New Jersey, Florida, California and Massachusetts, as well as Canada.
Successful candidate must have a Bachelor’s degree and 2-3 years’ supervisory experience with the ability to work in a fast paced environment. Additional skills include: strong fiscal management, marketing ability, strong organizational skills, knowledge of international programs and experience in Microsoft Office. Individual will be willing to work a flexible schedule and have the ability to travel.
For more information on this position and for application instructions, please visit our Web site at:
‘Employment Opportunities’. Position #: 605019.
Rider University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer dedicated to excellence through diversity and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, handicap/disability, Vietnam-era/disabled veteran status, or any other non-job related criteria.
Job code: 605019
Web Site : www.rider.edu/hr
A nice JET idea
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Remember all the nice things people in Japan did for you on JET? Some JET alums in the Seattle area have come up with a way to spread the karma to international students in the U.S. An idea that very much lends itself to being replicated if anyone in other chapters is interested. Read More
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
Job: Japanese Language Tutor (Chicago)
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Inlingua Chicago is currently looking for Japanese language tutors on a part-time freelance basis in downtown Chicago and in the near North suburbs. For more information, please contact Nicole Jelinek at 312-641-7370. www.inlingua. com
