ODD-FISH ALUM: A talk with James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06), author of the fantasy novel The Order of Odd-Fish
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Interview by Gina Anderson (Nara-ken, 2003-05) JETAA DC Newsletter Editor
In August 2008, James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06) published his first novel, The Order of Odd-Fish, a fantasy novel inspired partially by his experience in Japan. Book sales have been going well and JETAA DC Newsletter Editor Gina Anderson (Nara-ken, 2003-05) recently talked with James about the book and, well, some other things.
Let’s start with your hair. Do you razor it or clippers? Neither?
Usually my wife Heather cuts my hair. Scissors all the way. Recently I’ve been getting my hair cut by a friend instead. At first it felt like a kind of betrayal, but actually Heather is relieved.
Paper or plastic?
I generally write on paper.
Are you an extrovert or an introvert?
Like many introverts, I enjoy playing the extrovert.
Who’s your favorite author?
POLITICAL ANIMALS – Stories of politics from days of JET
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We didn’t go on JET to run for office or start a revolution, but sometimes politics had a way of finding us. Here are some stories from fellow alums.
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GIFT CERTIFICATE WINNERS
Clara Solomon (CIR Tottori-ken, 1999-2001)
Meredith Wutz (Saitama-ken, 2000-02)
One Prize: $25 to Kinokuniya Bookstore, now on 6th Ave. between 40th & 41st Streets in NYC
The Other Prize: Dinner for two at Bao Noodles (2nd Ave. between 22nd & 23rd Streets), owned by Chris Johnson (Oita-ken, 1992-95) (baonoodles.com)
Domo Domo to the panel of independent JET alum judges: Elizabeth Sharpe (Pacific Northwest), Jennifer Lee (Southern California), Elizabeth White (Southern California), David Kowalsky (Pacific Northwest) and Mark Frey (Northern California)
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Two days before our three-year stint on JET was to end, we had lunch with the mayor of our city, who wanted to thank us for our time and efforts. Nick and I were the only JETs in our relatively 30,000-small Hokkaido city. When the waitress came, we were asked what we’d like to drink and Nick and I both looked at each other and I knew what he was thinking, so I said, “beer nonde mo ii desu ka?” He thought about it for a second and said that he normally wouldn’t drink at lunch, but would make and exception and ordered three beers. Well, it was obvious he “made exceptions” often as he was later forced to resign because Read More
I just noticed that the Chronicle of Higher Education’s website (chronicle.com) provides job listings for international programs, a popular career path for many JET alums.
You can also grab the RSS/XML feed.
JetWit shirts, mugs and more!
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Want something but don’t see it? Have a good idea for something to put on a shirt? It’s easy to create new items, so just e-mail your suggestion/desire to stevenwaseda /atto/ jetwit /dotto/ com.
JETAA NY Newsletter: Bringing Power Back to the People One Call at a Time — Shaun Dakin’s (Shimane-ken, 1989-91) Fight Against Intrusive Political Calls
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Interview by Stacy Smith (CIR Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03)
Although JET Alum Shaun Dakin (ALT, Shimane 1989-91) grew up overseas, his first time in Asia was living in Japan. He spent two years there, an experience that would go on to shape his future as well as that of his family. Shaun shared with the JETAA Newsletter the unlikely connection between his time as an English teacher on JET and the non-profit organization National Political Do Not Contact Registry (StopPoliticalCalls.org) opposing political robocalls,where he is CEO.
Q: What led you to join the JET Program?
A: My reasons for going on JET were adventure and the chance to live in Asia. I grew up in Africa and Europe (Libya, Kenya, Nigeria and the U.K.) and was looking to get to Asia to experience something I never had before. JET was a hot thing to do so I did it.
Q: Is what you do now related to your time in Japan?
A: Not directly, though the skills I picked up while on JET certainly helped me throughout my life. The program taught me how to have self confidence in a new environment, as well as how to write. When I was there I actually had to write letters to friends to keep in touch (there was no e-mail at the time), and Read More
Rocky Mountain JETAA Newsletter – Fall 2008 Issue
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Rocky Mountain JETAA Newsletter editor Cami Cacciatore recently published their Fall 2008 newsletter. Have a look, especially if you’re looking for tatami timeshares for ski season. ;-)
Rise of the West: JET Alum Michael Auslin article on the conservative movement
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JET alum Michael Auslin (Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and former Professor of Japanese History at Yale University) has a new article titled Rise of the West offering some suggestions for the conservative movement as it contemplates its future direction.
Job: Bilingual Exec Asst (DC)
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Seeking Bilingual Executive Assistant
Fri Nov 14, 2008 2:17 pm (PST)
Executive Assistant Position for Fortune 500 Company
Washington, DC
Salary up to $45K Read More
A Book About JETs in Japanese?
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Thanks to Ken Haraguchi, a NY-based reporter for Japanese weekly newspaper Frontline, I recently learned that there’s actually a book called どうしてYesも言えないの-アメリカ人が見た日本の学校現場 (Why Can’t You Say “Yes”?) in Japanese written by Yoshio Hotta, a Japanese journalist who interviewed a number of JET alumni in the Washington, DC area. The title dervies from one of the stories in the book about a JET’s frustration with Japanese people’s tendency to keep things vague, resulting in awkwardness for the gaijin.
Translation Break: “Risk averse” and “Risk taker”
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Last night I was having dinner with a Japanese friend and an American friend (both members of the Writers Interpreters Translators (WIT) Group), and when the term “risk averse” came up in conversation, my Japanese friend hadn’t heard the word “averse.” After we explained it to him, I asked how he would translate that into Japanese. He struggled with it for a moment, and then shared a kotowaza (石橋をたたいて渡る – ishibashi wo tataite wataru) that translates as “Knock on a stone bridge and cross it,” implying someone who test every step on a stone bridge, which implies excessive caution.
I wondered if there is a more direct translation for “risk averse” and also for “risk taker,” and so I put the question out to the WIT Group this morning, just for fun, which resulted in the below responses. (Thanks to professional interpreters/translators George Rose, Joel Dechant, Stacy Smith and Jamie Graves for their responses.)
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risk averse: リスク嫌い or リスクを嫌う人 (risukugirai or risuku o kirau hito)
risk taker: リスクを恐れない人 (risuku o osorenai hito)
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リスク嫌い for “risk-averse”
Although I think something more colloquial might be more suitable. i.e.
リスクを避けようとする
And to get nice and Japanese for “risk taker,” I say
チャレンジャー
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The yomikata is “risk girai no” (someone who hates risks)/”kiken wo saketagaru you na” (someone who tends to avoid risks) and “risk wo ou hito” (someone who accepts the burden of risks (on his/her back))/”bouken suru hito” (an adventurer)/”risk wo osorenai” (someone who doesn’t fear risks).
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Two people also both strongly recommended Alc.co.jp, the definitive Japanese-English online dictionary, from a translation company, constantly being updated and supplemented by completed translations from their company.
“Risk Averse”:
http://eow.alc.co.jp/risk+averse/UTF-8/?ref=sa
And for “Risk Taker”:
http://eow.alc.co.jp/risk+taker/UTF-8/
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Have more to say on the topic? Post your comment below.
Event at Center on Japanese Economy and Business: Lessons from the Japanese Bubble for the U.S.
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Thanks to CJEB’s Jennifer Olayon (Nagasaki-ken, 1999-2000) for passing this along.
Center on Japanese Economy and Business, Columbia Business School Panel Discussion:
Lessons from the Japanese Bubble for the U.S.
Panelists
Takeo Hoshi, Pacific Economic Cooperation Professor in International Economic Relations, School of International Relations and Pacific Studies, University of California, San Diego
Paul Sheard, former Global Chief Economist, Lehman Brothers
Michael Woodford, John Bates Clark Professor of Political Economy, Economics Department, Columbia University
Moderator
David E. Weinstein, Carl S. Shoup Professor of the Japanese Economy, Economics Department, Columbia University; Associate Director of Research, Center on Japanese Economy and Business, Columbia Business School
Wednesday, November 19
4:30 – 6:00PM
Uris Hall, Room 301, 3022 Broadway
Co-sponsored by the Program on Alternative Investments, Center on Japanese Economy and Business of Columbia Business School; Columbia University’s Program for Economic Research and the Weatherhead East Asian Institute
For more information and registration details, please visit www.gsb.columbia.edu/cjeb
Bankruptcy Bill – Haiku #4
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Bankruptcy Bill is a cartoon created by Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) and Gideon Kendall.
Consumers suffer
But my main worry: How to
pronounce BAPCPA?
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If this haiku brought you some measure of inner bankruptcy peace, you can read more on Bill’s Bankruptcy Haiku Page and/or make a donation to the Bankruptcy Bill Karma Bank via the Amazon Honor System.
Bloggers/websites/publications, please feel free to include Bill’s fourth haiku in your blog/website/publication as long as you include all of the text and links in this post (including this paragraph). Feel free to use the image with the haiku as well.
JET alum Michael Auslin (Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and former Professor of Japanese History at Yale University) will be speaking on the future of the U.S.-Japanese Alliance together with Christopher Griffin, defense policy adviser to Sen. Joseph Lieberman, on November 20 at the American Enterprise Institute.
Securing Freedom: A Report on the Future of the U.S.-Japanese Alliance
You can find this online at: http://www.aei.org/event1840
“In a new report entitled Securing Freedom: The U.S.-Japanese Alliance in a New Era, AEI’s Michael Auslin and Christopher Griffin, defense policy adviser to Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-D-Conn.), demonstrate that the United States and Japan should reorient their alliance to support political and economic liberalization. These reforms would in turn create bulwarks against authoritarian expansion and ensure that democracy, free markets, and transparent security policies become the animating principles of politics in Asia.” 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 is seeking an internship or entry level position in editing/publishing/writing. Editorial Pursuits will chronicle her job hunting efforts, experiences and lessons learned.
Here’s one thing I’ve learned about job hunting: Always follow up with contacts because you never know where they might lead. Even if you don’t get the job, or even an interview, you might find that something completely unexpected evolves from the relationship.
What do I mean by these somewhat cryptic “words of wisdom”? Here’s what happened to me.
Last year I worked as a Teacher Assistant at a Madison preschool. No, this has nothing to do with my editorial pursuits, but it was a job that paid the bills and a great place to work for a limited period. I am still in contact with some of the parents of children in my after-school class, and they know all about my job search woes.
One of the parents remembered having a contact at Macmillan Publishers, and he graciously introduced me to his friend who expressed great interest in getting extra attention for my resume.
I was tickled pink at all the possibilities this could mean for me, and I even started dreaming about walking into the Flatiron Building every day for work at a major book publishing company.
Meanwhile, in addition to going to bat for me, she also invited me to her house to meet her and her two-year-old son! How fantastic! She wanted to meet me face to face! Read More
2008 Japanese Ex-pat Election Survey (from JETAA NY Fall 2008 Newsletter)
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Who says Japanese people don’t voice their political opinions? Read on to see what some of our ex-pat friends think about the U.S. presidential candidates.
Voter Turnout LiftUp Bra
The process: An e-mail was sent out to JET alums to ask their Japanese friends and colleagues to tell them for whom they would vote in the upcoming U.S. election and for what reason. Here are their responses:
MCCAIN
Good for Japan’s economy and good for US’s Business.
RON PAUL
I vote neither Obama nor McCain. I think I would vote for Ron Paul. From my understanding, he has specific plans and interesting background (Is he used to be a republic but now a third party?).
OBAMA
I still want Hillary to be the next president but it is not happening, so I would vote for
Obama. The reasons is that I am strong anti-gun and pro-abortion (freedom of choice). So, I don’t Read More
