There are few more quintessentially American experiences than volunteering on Thanksgiving. Here’s a nice photo of Fumitake “Fumi” Saijo and Koki Kimoto from the Japan Local Government Center (a/k/a
CLAIR New York) working in the kitchen with Kia Cheleen (CIR, Aichi-ken 1996-98, ALT 1998-1999) (not pictured) to prepare Thanksgiving meals through a project run by the Grand Central Neighborhood Social Services Network.
JETAA Chapter Beat 12.10.08
JETAA Chapter Beat, JETAA Chapters, Uncategorized 
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Freelance writer/editor Jonathan Trace (Fukuoka-ken, 2005-08) takes us on a walk around the JET Alumni community…
- Japan Outreach Initiative (JOI) – Got any Japanese friends who want to volunteer to spread Japan awareness? JOI is seeking outgoing, energetic Japanese nationals interested in joining this program to volunteer.
- South Bay Nomikai/Dinner – Friday, December 12th, 7:00 or 7:30 at Gochi. Last event of the year, so be sure to join in.
- 9th Japanese Discussion Group – Saturday, December 13th join in the discussion about “What is Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan” moderated by Nobuko Oshima.
- The Obama Administration and US-Japan Relations – Wednesday, December 10th at 6:00. Lecture by Dr. T.J. Pempel of the University of California, Berkeley and Mr. Ben Self of Stanford’s Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center.
- The Totoro Forest Project (Dec. 6 – Jan. 18)
– Exhibition at the Cartoon Art Museum based on Hayao Miyazaki’s most celebrated film Tonari no Totoro.
- Monthly Pub Night at FLUID – Wednesday, December 10. Pushed back a bit, but not forgotten is Fluid night. Nothing like a pint to celebrate the comin’ ‘olidays!
- Vocalist Jazz Audition at Jazz Alley – Monday, March 23 audition with the Seattle Kobe Sister City Association (SKSCA) to be selected to perform in Kobe, Japan at the kobe Jazz Queen Vocalist Contest in May. Start practicing now and be ready for March.
- Fun and Gaming – Looking to fight some holiday loneliness? Join JETAAPNW for some games, puzzles, movies, etc over in Kirkland. A chance to meet some new people and make some international friends.
- Bounenkai! – Tuesday, December 16th 6:30 at Issian. Join in to forget the year and have a hand at some trivia and prizes.
- Bounenkai! – Friday, December 12th at 7:30.
- Movember – Don’t forget to check out this great charity for moustaches and the fight against depression and prostate cancer.
- Christmas Carols – Saturday, December 20th, 5:30 at Cowra Japanese Garden. Celebrate the holiday with song and candlelight.
- Bounenkai! – Sunday, December 14th, 6:00 at Tono Sushi.
- “Managing Relations with Korea and Asia: An Agenda for the Obama Administration” Lecture – Wednesday, December 10 at 11:00 a.m. Presentation and Luncheon brought to you by The Korea Society.
- Happy Hour – Thursday, December 11th, 6:00 at 18th Amendment. Don’t miss the last Happy Hour of the year with the DC Alums.
- Bounenkai! – Saturday, December 13th, 6:00 at Koume Japanese Restaurant. Come celebrate the end of the year with JETAA Florida.
- Loss of a JET Alum – Some tragic news comes to us from JET Southeast chapter that Jody Brooks, Chiba-ken 2003-05, passed away on October 11. Donations are being collected by Friends of Washington Park(FoWP) in lieu of flowers, and the goal is raise fund to hold an annual community even in Jody’s honor. The event will be held in the park and will do what Jody did best – bring people together.
- Raise funds for Leukemia!
– Ingrid Garcia-Galinat is training to participate in her first half-marathon-13.1 miles for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team on March 29, 2009 to raise money for blood cancer awareness. Donate and help the cause today! - Yukiko Shimo Exhibition: Today’s Top Woodblock Print Artist in Japan – December 2nd through January 31. Check out these fascinating and inspired woodblock prints at the Roswell Teahouse & Gallery.
- Triangle Taiko Performance – Saturday, December 13th, 5:00 at Pullen Park. Come listen to the performance and see the park as it is decorated into a winter wonderland from Dec. 10 through Dec 14th.
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: Sakura Matsuri Assistant (D.C.) – paid internship
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From the JETAA DC group list:
JASW: Sakura Matsuri Assistant
Seeking a Special Events Assistant for the Nation’s Largest Japanese Festival Read More
JETAA Book Clubs – 3’s a magic number
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After some initial research, I’ve so far found three JETAA book clubs out there:
JETAA NY – just being revied by Michael Glazer and Jessica Langbein after a hiatus of a few years. Having its first gathering this Wednesday evening (still time to rsvp!)
JETAA Northern California – same story, but with Melissa Chan playing the role of Michael and Jessica
JETAA Portland – Run by Lynnette Yasuda for the last 2 years, and with lots of success and fun.
I knew about NY and Northern California, but I just learned about Portland after getting a nice e-mail from Lynette who shared the following sentiment:
I think one of the best parts of the JETAA book club is that through the books we read, it sparks such interesting conversations about our own JET experiences in Japan – and I think that is what sets it apart from other book clubs. It’s very “natsukashi” if you know what I mean :)
Any other JETAA book clubs out there? Let us know by posting a comment or by emailing jetwit /atto/ jetwit /dotto/ com. Yoroshiku!
Job: Coordinator of Japanese Outreach Programs (Mississippi)
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From the Chronicle of Higher Ed job page:
Position: Coordinator of Japanese Outreach Programs
Salary: $40,000 to less than $60,000
Institution: University of Mississippi
Location: Mississippi
Date posted: 12/8/2008
Application deadline: 1/5/2009
Japanese: University of Mississippi, Coordinator of Japanese Outreach Programs. The University of Mississippi Division of Outreach is seeking applicants for the position of Coordinator of Japanese Outreach Programs. The duties of this position are to oversee the Japanese Saturday School and other programs for Japanese families settling in the area, to teach in the Saturday School, to oversee the budget, and to supervise faculty and staff. Minimum qualifications include a Master’s degree in Education, Teaching English as a Second Language, or a related field from an accredited college or university and at least two years of experience related to the above duties. The successful candidate must be able to speak, read, and write Japanese and English. Interested, qualified candidates must apply online at: http://jobs.olemiss.edu. The University of Mississippi is an EEO/AA/ADA/ADEA/Titles VI & IX/Section 504 employer.
WINNER: Meredith Hodges-Boos (Ehime-ken, Uwajima-shi, Yoshida-cho, 2003-05)
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)!
*******
すかすか
*******
CORRECT ANSWER: “Hollow”
Stay tuned for the next Mini-Challenge! You never know when we’ll strike again!
Swirly Swirl Dates – an intercultural dating experience
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Even in such a melting pot as the U.S. is known to be, who’d actually understand how difficult it is to meet single people from other cultures?
SwirlySwirlDates does!
If you’re ready to step out of your comfort zone and date outside of your race, SwirlySwirlDates provides you with the opportunity to do just that!
SwirlySwirlDates is a speed dating company which attracts an interesting mix of charming, educated and motivated singles and we promote and encourage diversity among its members.
As a participant, you get to chat with someone new every 6 minutes at an event. In order for the contact information to be exchanged, the people you have picked must also have chosen you. After your initial meeting, you will be able to engage in SwirlySwirlMessages – a special feature on the website which allows its members to contact other compatible members.
Speed dating is all about having fun and meeting new people. Whether you’re looking for a causal or a meaningful relationship, you will find plenty of people, with different backgrounds and yet similar interest, at SwirlySwirlDates’ events.
*Sign up now and apply a 20% off coupon code: 6N68N6 for upcoming events this month!
Have fun and good luck!
WIT Life #4 – Airport security and death row
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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
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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.
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.
