JETAA British Columbia Newsletter Seeks Articles
JETAA Chapters 
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Call for articles for the next JETAA British Columbia Winter Newsletter.
We always welcome new contributors to submit an article related to your life after JET such as in career, travel, education, recipes, or Japan related stories.
If you would like to share something with other Alumni in the newsletter please send your stories to us. Contact Philippe at newsletter /atto/ jetaabc /dotto/ ca
The deadline for submission is Wednesday, December 10th! Thanks!
Job: Entry level economic correspondent for major Japanese newspaper (DC)
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This just in from JETAA DC:
Job at Major Japanese Newspaper Bureau
Tue Nov 25, 2008 3:06 pm
The JET Office in DC just got word of a job opening at a Japanese newspaper’s DC bureau. Not sure yet which newspaper it is for, but if you have questions, please contact Ms. Oya, whose contact info is at the bottom of this message.
Job Title: Entry-level Economic Correspondent
Job Category: Editing/Writing
# of Openings: 1
Job Description / Qualifications: DC office of Major Japanese newspaper company seeks an Entry-level reporter on economic/financial news. Must have bachelor’s degree or higher in Economics or related field or equivalent job experience. Advanced English and Japanese language skills in speaking, writing and reading absolutely necessary.
Location: Washington DO.CO. (Washington DO.CO.)
Salary: Up to 40K(DOE)
Job Type: Permanent Job Preference: Full-Time
Visa Sponsor: Yes
Languages: English: Business Level, Japanese: Native Level
Anyone who is interested in this position can send your resume to Ms.
Madoka Oya moya /atto/ actus-usa /dotto/ com .
Chopsticks NY – Latest issue now available online
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I just picked up the latest issue of Chopsticks New York at Cafe Zaiya on 41st St. between 5th Ave & Madsion, which means that it’s now also available online. (FYI, Chopsticks New York is the English language magazine with the cool cover art published by Trend Pot (which also publishes New York Japion, the Japanese language weekly free newspaper).
It’s also worth noting that freelance writers/interpreters/translators Kia Cheleen (CIR, Aichi-ken 1996-98, ALT 1998-1999) and Stacy Smith (CIR Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03) are both frequent contributors to the magazine (though their bylines are not always shown). In the current issue, I think Kia wrote the “Ask the Beauty Guru” and in the upcoming January issue Stacy will have an item on hai chu as well as a restaurant review of Saburi.
ALTs Beware
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Next they’ll be using them as ALTs. :-)
Mark Frey (Kumamoto-ken, 2002-06), the hardworking newsletter editor for JETAA Northern California, just published the Fall 2008 issue of Pacific Bridge.
So have a look! Take it with you to Thanksgiving. Read it while you’re stuck in traffic or at the airport. ;-)
Job Listing: JetWit
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JetWit is looking for people to help with the following jobs (which are unpaid for now):
1. Ad Sales – One or two people to pursue and follow up with leads for potential advertisers.
2. Updater – One or two people to send out a daily or periodic email update to an email grouplist with links to the latest posts. Room to be creative if you want.
3. Job Listings – One or two people to help me gather and post relevant job listings.
4. Other – If you have other ideas for ways to help, feel free to email with suggestions/proposals.
Among other things, JetWit is intended to be a way to help JET alums get some work experience, even if you don’t have a job, whether writing, translating, business or other experience. A way around the catch-22 of needing experience to get a job but being unable to get a job without experience.
Feel free to get in touch to discuss more. Contact: jetwit /atto/ jetwit /dotto/ com.
Job Market Update
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I was in touch with a couple recruiters from Japanese staffing/recruiting firms this past week, and it sounds like there really are no job listings right now, at least from Japanese companies seeking Americans with some level of Japanese ability. The one glimmer of light was a comment that, starting in 2009, Japanese HR managers may be more open to hiring given that down markets are always a good time to hire talented people.
So buckle your seatbelt and be creative and proactive if you’re in the market for a job. And by all means make use of JetWit and the JET alumni network. (And any other networks you have too, for that matter.) Most of all, remember that every challenge offers new opportunities. It’s just a matter of figuring out what they are. Ganbarimashou!
NDD (Nihongo Dake Dinner) Southern Cali Style
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From JETAA Southern California. (Not that you’re going to fly in to LA just for the event, but I think it’s interesting to see how different chapters do their versions of the nihongo dake dinner.)
It’s time for another NDD! For those not familiar with the NDD (Nihongo Dake Dinner = Japanese Only Dinner), it’s a chance to meet up and practice your great Japanese ability. But whatever your ability, all levels of Japanese are welcome. Whew! We will start with a potluck dinner at about 6pm, and continue with fun and games ’till the early morn!
The NDD will be on Dec 6th in San Gabriel. Co-President Christine Chow has volunteered her house for the event, so let’s thank her with a great genki turnout. For those coming from afar, or for those who drink a little too much, she welcomes anyone who would like to stay over to do so. Directions will be provided to those who RSVP.
To RSVP, please reply to jim /atto/ jetaasc /dotto/ org with NDD RSVP in the subject, and note:
-What food you will bring for the potluck (salad/appetizer, entree, dessert); your city/ken’s “famous” dish is most welcome!
-2 interesting things about your home/host prefecture in Japan
-Your favorite J-music singer/group
-If you are interested in carpooling and where you’ll be coming from
Hope to see you there! NDD de aimashou!!
Jim Smith, ’08-09 JETAASC Co-President
P.S. This is NOT the bonenkai. Details for that are coming!
Job Listing: Assistant Director for Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture at Columbia University (NY)
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Position with the Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture at Columbia University. Seeking an organized, dynamic individual to fill the position of Assistant Director.
From Miho Walsh, Associate Director, Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture www.donaldkeenecenter.org
Center, founded in 1986, supports the study of diverse aspects of Japanese culture at Columbia University by organizing lectures, workshops, conferences, film screenings, exhibitions, performances, and other events throughout the year. It also hosts visiting scholars, administers fellowship competitions and prize programs, and collaborates with other academic departments and organizations across campus. At the same time, the Keene Center maintains an active presence on New York’s broader cultural scene, coordinating its activities with academic and non-academic institutions throughout the city, as well as nationwide and abroad.
The Assistant Director is the senior administrator of the Keene Center. He/she is supervised by the Center’s faculty director, works closely with Columbia’s Japan studies faculty, and supervises a research associate and part-time staff. As a full-time officer of the University, the Assistant Director is entitled to comprehensive employment benefits as well as tuition exemption. Among his/her responsibilities are fundraising and representing the Keene Center at national meetings, which require periodic travel to Japan and elsewhere.
Strong Japanese language ability is necessary for the job. Individuals who are fully bilingual in Japanese and English are especially encouraged to apply. Previous fundraising experience is also highly desirable. For further details about this position, including application procedures, please follow the link below.
http://jobs.columbia.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=113446
Translation Scam
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The below posting was from Craigslist Cincinnati, yet it has no connection to Cincinnati. Odds are it’s a variation of a common scam. The London connection and the writing style are clues, plus I’ve seen scams with similar feels in other contexts. Just something to be aware of since the same listing may likely pop up at some point in connection with a Japanese translation gig.
language translator needed
Reply to: goodlordaka@yahoo.com [?]
Date: 2008-11-25, 11:39AM EST
I am an amrican but I am presently in london and will be going to work soon in italy and i will need some one who can help me translate from italian to english and this is a work that can be done by emails with not much of stress or qualification.and i am willing to pay per word.
Interesting job listing from Craigslist Boston. Something every JET has done at some point.
Wanted: copy editing translated material (Anywhere)
Reply to: review.translations@gmail.com [?]
Date: 2008-11-21, 7:45PM EST
I’m looking for copy editors who are interested in editing materials translated from a foreign language by non-native English speakers.
Qualification: – Native English speakers with college level writing; Telecommuting ok
Rate: – $10 / 1000 original words
Anyone interested please copy edit the following short paragraph and send it to: review.translations /atto/ gmail /dotto/ com
Your attention is appreciated!
Sample:
At the age of six, my son was full of “you must” all day long. Very often he goes like “You must do this or that” when speaking to us. After noticing this, I tried to correct him by telling him “you must” was not a good word. If someone uses “you must” frequently enough people will gradually depart him and he will no longer be able to receive help and strength from his surroundings. Not quite see the reasoning, my son asked “why is that a bad word? And why won’t I receive help if I say that?” I told him that is because behind this word “must” there is no spirit of negotiation. We have to have negation in mind when working together. Using words like “must” to demand other people will only provoke their hostility, rather than to accumulate their strength. Nothing can be achieved without negotiation in mind.
Tadaima! #2 – Networking, Karate and Stocks, Oh My!
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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!
My cousin recently published a mystery/horror novel called “Once Upon a Nightmare,” which I read exclusively at night because that’s generally when scary stories are most poignant. She asked me to review it, so I am. But like most books you get really into, you forget what time it is, and I ended up staying up really late. So I end up waking up late.
First I checked e-mails for leads and responses with jobs. A fellow JETAANY member (Steven) needed help with the Kintetsu Essay Contest, and at this point he and I were working on a title for this series. The back and forth was a great way to keep myself engaged and feeling like I was doing something. The Essay Contest data was formatted quickly, but Steven and I went back and forth several more times brainstorming for a name for this series.
Downstairs I went for brunch in my deserted house. Carefully placed on the kitchen table was my daily note from Mom. Tuna in the Fridge. She’s going to Lowes when she gets home. Vacuum all the leaves in the front of the house.
I thought of calling my mother at work and telling her that many houses in Japan lack yards and doing yard work would severely cripple my cultural transition. Instead I threw on my weird leather and faux fur hat (I have a habit of wearing odd hats during chores) and began on the leaves. While doing this my neighbor Tony sauntered over.
Tony is about my fathers age and has two loves: Cigars and Sinatra. Read More
Holiday Memories from Days of JET
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To get everyone in the mood for the holidays (or reflect back on your JET days), here’s a selection from the JetWit Library, an anecdote article from the Fall 2004 JETAA NY Newsletter.
Living in Japan posed some unique challenges during our favorite holidays. But we know that’s also what brings the best out in us. Below are some of the ways your fellow alums celebrated their traditional holidays in Japan.
Lyle Sylvander (Yokohama-shi, 2001-02)
I had Thanksgiving at the ambassador’s residence with about 100 other JETS from the Tokyo area. Ambassador Howard Baker, former Senator from Tennessee and Chief of Staff under Reagan, and his wife Nancy Kasslebaum who was a former Senator from Kansas, greeted us as we entered the door. It was a real Thanksgiving feast with a choice of Turkey, Roast Beef, Ham – all layed out in display style. After dinner, we got to mingle with the ambasador and his wife as well as talk with numerous marines who were also invited. The ambassador and his wife were both very down to Earth. We could also see the room where the famous picture of MacArthur and Hirohito was taken.
******************
Nicole Hebert
Saga Ken 1998-2000
My most memorable holiday had to be Thanksgiving. A group of us from AJET decided to put together a Thanksgiving Dinner just for us- the gaijin. We ordered food about a month in advance from that foreign food shop in Kobe…or was it Osaka?? Surely you know what I’m talking about. It was an ordeal to find a place in my city that would hold us all for some reason that had a working kitchen and tatami room available. Eventually, a JET in another town found one through her Board of Ed. We had it all planned out, how much was needed for the lot of us and it looked like had enough food. Although it was two days after
READ MORE
Job Opportunities Shifting Overseas?
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As the US economy slides (crashes?) and the job market seems less and less supportive here in the US, many JET alums are likely starting to look back to Japan for work opportunities. Sure Japan is in a recession, but they don’t seem to have quite the negative exposure that the US financial institutions have had and in several instances Japanese finance has helped bail out some struggling US banks and auto companies.
An article in today’s NY Times seems to support this trend, taking about lawyers increasingly moving to their firms’ offices in Asia and the Middle East. Notably, the article starts off with a female lawyer who decided to accept her firm’s suggestion to move to their Tokyo office.
Are you in a similar boat? If you’re a JET alum who’s moving (or considering moving) back to Japan or elsewhere for better opportunities, get in touch and share you’re story. Just e-mail stevenwaseda /atto/ jetwit /dotto/ com.
JETAA DC reports opening of a new Japanese grocery store
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Hana Grocery recently opened at the corner of 17th and U Street, NW. I went there for the first time today, and it’s a small store, but it has a good assortment of products and the prices are reasonable. The store hours are 10am – 7pm, 7 days a week. Nearest metro stops are Dupont Circle (red line) and U Street/Cardozo (green line).
