Hello JET community! This is Beau Mueller (Miyazaki-ken, 2009-11), over from JETProgram.ME. We wanted to share the list of excellent essays we received for our Summer 2012 Informative Essay Contest.
See below for a list of all twelve of the diverse entries we have received from JETs in all stages of the JET process. If you like a particular essay, by all means, please feel free to Facebook like, comment and otherwise share. The essay authors will surely appreciate your support and feedback!
“Bringing a Family on the JET Programme” by David Pearce, JET Alum (Mie-ken, 1995-98) |
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“Getting Married in Japan” by John McMillen, JET Alum (Fukui-ken, 2006-08) |
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“Married on the JET Programme” by Michelle Zimmermann, Current JET (Shimane-ken) |
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“Tips for Aspiring JETs – the JET Programme Application Process” by Gemma Villanueva, JET Alum (Fukushima-ken, 2008-11) |
Japanese History and Traditional Culture
“The Discovery of the Fountain of Youth: Japanese Hot Springs” by Mary Shannon Teague, JET Alum (Nagano-ken) |
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“The History of the Ninja” by Susan Winterton, JET Alum |
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“Traditional Origami” by Carl Moravec, Current JET (Miyazaki-ken) |
Japanese Anime/Manga
“Inuyasha and Kagome – Reflection on the Power of Love” by Hafizhah Fadhilla, Prospective JET |
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“Spirited Away the Movie: Gateway to the Ghosted Landscapes of Japan” by Heenali Patel, Prospective JET |
Learn Japanese
“Learning HOW to Speak Japanese” by Nathalie Ng, JET Alum |
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“Learning to Speak Japanese” by H.F. Clarke, Prospective JET |
Travel Japan
“Tokyo Attractions — One Gaijin’s Perspective” by Richard Burns, JET Alum (Saitama-ken) |
Aloha! My name is Beau Mueller (Miyazaki-ken, 2009-11) and I am the founder of JETProgram.ME — a new unofficial community site catering to those in all stages of the JET process. With the site, we are hoping to be able to help promote the positive qualities of the JET Programme and of JETs, while fostering a sense of community and facilitating exchange. Being quite fed up with some of the other JET community sites that can be snarky and downright unpleasant, we put together the site aiming for it to be a diverse, friendly, productive and useful resource.
To kickstart the site, we have put together an essay contest for current, former and prospective JETs. Basically, writers have to put together a 400-800 word essay on one of the given topics. After submitting the essay, the goal is to get as many Facebook likes as possible. The writers who get the most likes will win cash prizes (first place is $150).
I hope many of JETwit’s readers will consider participating. The current deadline to pick a topic is 11:59 PM on June 30th, JST. That said, if you are interested in the contest, it is highly recommended you pick your topic soon! Currently, only about 10 people are signed up, so there are lots of great topics left to choose from.
If you are at all interested in or have questions about the site or contest, check out the links below or feel free to contact me at contact (at) jetprogram.me. Note that I am in Hawaii and timing might be a little funny ;)