Spring edition
Transcription
Spring edition
Jet Journeys JAPAN EXCHANGE & TEACHING ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NEW SLETTER SPRING 2010 Welcome to the Spring 2010 edition of JET Journeys! It’s only a few weeks to the end of another year, but the Sydney JETAA team has made sure those weeks are packed full of great events for both newly returned JETs and seasoned veterans. The big one, of course, is our legendary Christmas party, an unparalleled extravaganza of good times and great company. But there’s also our annual hanami coming up soon, and the chance to try the art of origami at our workshop session in just a few days – so RSVP today and come join us! Meanwhile, we’ve got the latest updates from JETAA international, and a look back at what we’ve been up to in Sydney over the last few months. With the latest wave of JET alumni just back from Japan, it was great to see so many new faces at our careers evening last month and we hope to see you again at other events in future! We also encourage you to get involved in JETAA yourself; we’re here to provide support for all former JETS so do let us know if you have any ideas or would like to be a part of the committee. And remember, it’s easy to keep in touch with Sydney JETAA – just hop on our Facebook group or take a look at the website, www.sydneyjetaa.org. Until next year, enjoy the festive season! Petroc Wilton, Editor Contents Coming Soon.......................................................................................................................Page 2 An origami workshop, Sydney-style hanami, and that Christmas party – it’s all here News........................................................................................................................................Page 4 Learn the latest from JETAA international after the annual meeting, held this year in the UK JETAA Events Scrapbook..............................................................................................Page 5 The many sides of JETAA, from careers guidance to Hawaiian bowling (grass skirts mandatory) Taste of Japan.....................................................................................................................Page 6 Break out the shochu for a brace of festive cocktails! Jet Journeys Spring 2010 Coming Soon Learn when (and how) to fold ’em at the Origami Workshop Experience an art form developed over four hundred years – and try it for yourself! The Origami People group has grown famous through their TV, radio and magazine appearances and now they’re coming to Sydney to teach JETAA members the basics: square, bird, fish, w-boat, and more. Priced at just $15, the workshop also promises to be the perfect antidote to the pre-Christmas rush, helping participants relax through the meditational powers of origami. The date: Saturday 6th November, 2010 The time: 11am – 1pm The place: CLAIR Office, Level 41 Gateway Building, 1 Macquarie Place, Circular Quay (view map). RSVP via Facebook here or email [email protected] Hanami: purple not pink, but the sake tastes just as good Join us for a chilled-out afternoon of eating, drinking and poetry under the beautiful blossoms. There’ll be yakisoba, sake and the epic yet refined showdown that is the annual Sydney JETAA haiku contest – and just to give it an Australian twist we’ll be taking it easy under the purple glory of the flowering jacarandas. The date: Sunday 14th November, 2010 The time: 11am – 2pm The place: Hogben Park, Rockdale (view map). RSVP via Facebook here or email [email protected] P a g e |2 Jet Journeys Spring 2010 The legendary Christmas Party – now with a touch of yukata style Almost certainly the single most awesome thing about the end of the year, the JETAA Christmas Party is an epic highlight of Sydney’s social calendar that needs no introduction. Suffice it to say, if you only make it to one more event this year, make it this one! For 2010 we’ll be introducing a touch of class to the proceedings, with a special natsu matsuri theme – yes, it’s time to break out the yukata! The whole thing kicks off with a brief workshop on how to wear a yukata and obi, then it’s time to get the party started. And as always, we’ll be conducting a charity raffle with a huge selection of fabulous prizes to give away. The date: Saturday 27th November, 2010 The time: 6pm – 11pm The place: Oaks Hotel, Military Road, Neutral Bay (view map). RSVP via Facebook here or email [email protected] Sun, sea, and sizzling meat: yakiniku BBQ at the beach Looking ahead to the New Year, and what better way to kick off our calendar of events in 2011 than with a delicious feast of grilled meat on one of Sydney’s beautiful beaches? Come help us start next year in style! Keep an eye on the website (www.sydneyjetaa.org) for details. efefefefe scscssc scscscscc scscscs The date: Sunday 30 January, 2011 The time: 11am – 2pm The place: TBC Come and be heard at the 2011 Sydney JETAA AGM Our Annual General Meeting is your chance to let us know exactly what you want from Sydney JETAA in the coming year. But that’s not all – all committee positions will be open for election, and we always welcome new members! Dinner and drinks to follow. Details on our website www.sydneyjetaa.org The date: Friday 4 February, 2011 The time: TBC The place: TBC P a g e |3 Jet Journeys Spring 2010 News JETAA International Positions Itself for the Future Delegates from over 15 countries attended the 2010 JETAA International Conference in Edinburgh, UK from October 1-3. There, they tackled the challenges facing their chapters’ leadership, including how to improve JETAA’s communications and technology footprint to more effectively engage the Association’s 50,000+ members and how best to add new chapters to support that membership. Perhaps the biggest challenge was that posed by the current economic situation in Japan; delegates to this year’s meeting were informed that the 2010 JETAA International Meeting in Edinburgh would be the last face-to-face meeting in the near future, given the withdrawal of funding for JETAA International. The event has been the only opportunity for chapter leaders to influence and improve best practices for chapters worldwide, and JETAA is proud of the unprecedented growth and impact achieved as a direct result of having annual face-to-face meetings. However, this year’s delegates recognised that significant changes to long-term operations would need to be made to serve the best interests of members and ensure long-term success in light of the funding cuts. New ideas and proposals put forward by delegates (and now being finalised) included: THE STRUCTURE OF JETAA INTERNATIONAL Executive Officer positions will continue to be organized according to the specific needs of our memberships, such as communication, IT, and Outreach JETAA International Executive Committee will be more regionally focused with representatives from each region reporting to the JETAA International Executive Officers Community outreach will be a prime directive for JETAA International to increase the awareness of the Association and the JET Programme around the world THE FUTURE OF JETAA INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS Face-to-face meetings will continue to be the highest priority Virtual regional and specifically-themed meetings will be introduced Meetings will be quarterly in terms of regional, executive, and committee that are coordinated to happen with an organized timeframe with standardized reporting Delegates also suggested a number of improvements to the JET Programme itself in order to ensure its longevity and long-term success. These included: • Consider stakeholders and their needs, and take appropriate steps to fulfil them. For example, JTEs want satisfaction in the classroom, while local authorities would like a consistent quality of JET candidates, and tax payers would be keen to see value for money. • Create a proprietary teaching method (for all JETs to step into any classroom anywhere in Japan) or adapted TOEFL course, with the application process contingent on the applicant passing the course. • Conduct surveys through contracting organizations to see what they like in a perfect candidate, and incorporate the feedback into the interview process. P a g e |4 Jet Journeys Spring 2010 JETAA Events Scrapbook October: careers and networking evening The annual JETAA Careers and Networking Evening was held On Friday 22 October at the Japan Foundation. This year we welcomed back eight people from Japan who had just finished JET, plus other former JETs who had recently relocated to Sydney. It was a great chance to meet members of the Japanese community in Sydney and JETAA senpai, and share information about maintaining a connection to Japan while settling back into life in Sydney. We got some invaluable advice about transferable skills and selling ourselves and our JET experience to potential employers. And we gained an overview of some of the many language resources and cultural events the Japan Foundation provides to help us keep in touch with Japan and keep up the nihongo. August: shabu-shabu and karaoke night Juju’s Japanese Izakaya at Kings Cross was the venue for a combo made in heaven – delicious shabu-shabu, followed by the delectable karaoke stylings of a dedicated team of sing stars. The sake and beer flowed freely, the food was cooked to perfection in the bubbling broth, and by the time the singers took to the stage, another Sydney JETAA legend was already in the making... July: Winter Hawaiian bowling showdown The Sydney JETAA Hawaiian themed bowling championship provided some much needed summer fun on a cold winter's night. The $20 bargain included shoe hire, two games, VB, chips and plenty of entertainment. The four teams were eager to impress and numerous strikes and spares made it a close race. The participants showed off their various techniques including the fast paced spin, between the legs backwards hop and shot put inspired throws. Many of these were impressive to behold, but unfortunately resulted in gutter balls. The winning team certainly earned their bars of Lindt Gold chocolate, but the lowest scorers didn't go home empty handed – they were rewarded with top of the range wooden spoons. Thanks to all who attended, it was a great night. Stay tuned for the details of next year’s rematch! P a g e |5 Jet Journeys Spring 2010 Taste of Japan JETAA brings you two festive shochu cocktails to help usher in the Christmas season. Recipes from EatJapan’s Gaijin Gourmet. Sazanami 5 ice cubes Juice of one lemon ½ teaspoon of syrup (or white sugar) The white of one egg Three measures of shochu A lemon wedge Some grated lemon rind Put the ice cubes in a cocktail shaker and pout the lemon juice, syrup, egg white and shochu over them. Shake till frost forms then serve with a lemon wedge in the glass and the rind sprinkled on the top. Winter Martini: Yuki Gesho 2.5 measures of shochu 1 measure of dry vermouth A twist of lemon Stir gently, strain into a chilled glass and add a twist of lemon or an olive if desired Kanpai! P a g e |6