Fall 2003 Volume 9 Issue 3

Vo l u m e 9 - N u m b e r 3

Fall 2003 The JET Quarterly Update IN THIS ISSUE Departing JETs..........

1

Rice Balls..................

2

Vice-Consul...............

3

Ama Divers................

4

Past Presidents'

5

Membership Vs. E-list.........................

5

Re-Entry Seminar......

6

L i f e Tr a n s i t i o n Workshop................

Reception for Departing JETs - by Sunita Mathur

3

Consulate Updates.....

Reunion....................

T h e J a p a n E x c h a n g e a n d Te a c h i n g A l u m n i A s s o c i a t i o n N e w s l e t t e r

7

The summer sunshine was in full s w i n g o n J u l y 2 5 th a t t h e h o m e o f To s h i r o O z a w a , t h e C o n s u l G e n e r a l o f J a p a n i n Va n c o u v e r. Yo u c o u l d f e e l the mixture of nervous jitters and bubbling excitement among the dep a r t i n g J E Ts a t t h i s f a r e w e l l r e ception. For many of them, this was only the day before their f l i g h t t o To k y o ; h o w e v e r, t h e y s t i l l came to the Shaughnessy residence to share in the anticipation amongst t h e i r f e l l o w J E Ts .

After a bit of mingling and a glass of wine in hand, a few speeches were made, beginning with the C o n s u l G e n e r a l . M r. O z a w a s p o k e about life in Japan, and gave a kampei or a toast to the s u c c e s s o f t h e n e w J E Ts .

T h e p r e s i d e n t o f J E TA A B C , Kristen Olsen, also delivered an encouraging speech about both the challenges and the joys of teaching in Japan.

Along with the new J E Ts w e r e the numerous JET alumni

(such as myself) who were there to lend their advice and support, and perhaps, as in my case, simply to remember the excitement of leaving for Japan all over again! It was wonderful to see so many genki new faces going to represent Canada!

After this, there was a buffet of both Japanese and western food that was served for all to e n j o y. I t h i n k t h a t t h i s w a s an excellent foreshadowing for the new J E Ts o f t h e w o n d e r f u l J a p a n e s e hospitality and culture that they would be experiencing upon arrival to Japan.

The evening was a wonderful farewell t o t h e J E Ts a n d we all wish them well in their journeys that lie ahead.

PA G E 2

Vo l u m e 9 - N u m b e r 2

GREAT BALLS of RICE !

Classic Snack Gets New Lease On Life

Rice balls ( onigiri ) have long been a staple of Japanese picnics and lunch boxes. Made by wrapping dried seaweed around a triangularshaped portion of rice, normally with a pickled plum, piece of grilled fish, or other filling inside, onigiri are simple and quick to prepare and perfect for taking on outings. There is evidence that soldiers from the Heian period ( 7 9 4 - 11 9 2 ) u s e d t o c a r r y t h e m , s o t h e y h a v e a l o n g h i s t o r y.

The triangular shape of most rice balls has not changed. But recently there have been major changes in consumption patterns.

In the past, onigiri were usually made at home and eaten by family members, but now they are a top-selling product in convenience stores, and some cafes

that separates the rice from the dried seaweed, keeping the seaweed crisp, and that allows consumers to do the wrapping without the rice sticking to their hands, has helped to make store-bought o n i g i r i p o p u l a r. S o h a s a w i d e r range of fillings, some of which add an overseas touch to this venerable Japanese food. Chopped tuna and mayonnaise, for example, has been a hit ever since con-

venience stores began selling rice balls with this filling. At around ¥100 each, store-bought onigiri have become a staple of life.

years and of the general revival of interest in Japanese style.

Fashionable onigiri cafes have been appearing all over the place.

I n t h e O j i a r e a o f n o r t h e r n To k y o , the fast-food chain First-Kitchen has opened an onigiri eatery called Onigiri Kitchen Om’s, while i n t h e c e n t r a l To k y o d i s t r i c t o f Aoyama, Reins International, the firm that runs the yakiniku (Korean-style barbecued beef) chain Gyukaku, has launched an onigiri cafe called Ony. .

The options for working women seeking a light meal had previously been limited to traditional fastfood restaurants or cafes offering little more variety than sandwiches and spaghetti. Onigiri cafes have struck a chord with young women and - unusually for fast-food stores

The Quest for a Superior Rice Ball

have even opened with onigiri as their signature dish.

Changes Began in the 1970s The traditional image of the onigiri is of a bulging clump of rice, perhaps filled with grilled salmon or kelp, which has been lovingly shaped and wrapped in dried seaweed by a mother. It was the advent of the convenience store that altered t h i s i m a g e d e c i s i v e l y. R i g h t f r o m the start of the conveniencestore era in the 1970s onigiri were one of the stores’ key products, and they retain that status t o d a y. .

The development of packaging

The latest development in the rice-ball world has been the appearance of onigiri cafes.

These specialty outlets are a product of the cafe boom that has been in full swing for several - w i t h m i d d l e - a g e d p e o p l e , w h o are often reluctant to enter hamburger restaurants. The cafes offer a level of service not available in convenience stores. In some, for example, fresh rice balls are shaped by hand after the order is taken.

Rice-ball fillings are another area in which the quest for that something extra is gathering pace.

In department-store basements, whose rich selection of foods make them havens for gastronomes, onigiri made with only the finest ...continued on page 8

PA G E 3

Fall 2003

Walk Together: Culture or Individual?

- by Akiko Fujikawa

It has been half a year now since my involvement with the JET Programme. And, wonderful as it may be working with some of the JET alumni, I a m s o r r y t o s a y t h a t i t i s t i m e t o s a y S AY O N A R A as the Vice-Consul of the JET Programme.

ther, thinking, “OK, they are different. So, what can I do next?” It appears that culture or nationality is not for defining who they are. This is what a multi-cultural city of Vancouver and Vancouverites have taught me.

What I learned from this experience was that when I worked with Canadians, I had to try my best to respect an individual first before his/ her culture. While I was trying to understand Canadian culture first, I tended to find an answer to the question: “What is Canadian?”

People who never say “eh?” are called Canadians; people who speak more fluent Chinese than English are called Canadians. These kinds of things trapped me into a black hole.

Whenever Canadians frustrated me, the word “different” became a good excuse to barricade my heart from them. In time I started to realise that understanding individuals is not the same as understanding the culture.

M r. K o s u k e K u r o e , a n e w V i c e - C o n s u l i s n o w in charge of the Programme. I wish him well as h e w i l l w a l k t o g e t h e r w i t h J E TA A B C t o s e r v e as a bridge between Japan and Canada.

R e s p e c t i n g a n i n d i v i d u a l c a n n e v e r b e e a s y. I b e l i e v e t h i s i s a l i f e - l o n g p r o c e s s . H o w e v e r, w i t h an open heart, I believe I can go one step fur-

I’d like to say again, with all my heart, that every moment I spent with you was a precious o n e . D O U M O A R I G AT O U !

Greetings from the JET Desk at the Consulate General of Japan in Vancouver - by Steve Chevalier

It seems like yesterday that we were just waving goodbye to the new JET participants.

A new cycle has begun, and we are ready to begin recruiting next year’s g e n k i A LTs a n d C I R s . A p p l i c a t i o n f o r m s will be ready to download from the Embassy of Japan’s website ( w w w. c a . e m b - j a p a n . g o . j p ) d u r i n g S e p t e m b e r. I f y o u r friends, family members or acquaintances have trouble with the downloadable version, they can contact the JET Desk at 604-684-5686, ext. 415 or culturalcentre@consuljpnvan.com.

As part of our recruitment campaign, we will be visiting universities around

BC to speak at JET Programme Information Sessions. Dates, times and locations are a v a i l a b l e o n t h e E m b a s s y ’ s w e b s i t e . R e m e m b e r, i f y o u h a v e not participated on the JET Programme since 1994 and you are under 40 years of age, you can reapply to relive the JET life!

Vo l u m e 9 - N u m b e r 2

PAGE 4

Ama Divers - by Bobby Taylor

I never thought that I would find myself bouncing like a beach ball at the bottom of a Japanese fishing boat, which was skipping along the ocean swells as it was returning to the harbour just west of the village of Gouza Mura in Mie Prefecture.

Nor would I have thought that four husky Ama divers in wetsuits would be bouncing along beside me as we hung off the gunwale of our lurching craft. And, I never dreamt that one of the toughest ladies I have ever met would be serving me the still moving remnants of a prized abalone that she had just plucked from the ocean floor. “This is the best way to eat it,” she barked over the roar of the engine as the salty spray spattered our backs. I stared at the writhing foot of the animal as it was served to me in its shell. Then I looked at the other divers for confirmation to see if she really wanted me to eat it, or if this was some cruel joke to play on the gaijin. Did they just want to see me sick over the side of the boat?

I had eaten this prized delicacy before. Mind you, it was not on the floor of a pitching fishing boat, but in my family’s kitchen when it was still legal to gather abalone on the B.C. coast. I knew I quite liked the delicate taste of this much sought after mollusc. But never had I eaten it so fresh from the sea and never while it was still moving a u t o n o m o u s l y. W h a t w a s I t o d o ?

After weighing the consequences: deathly ill from food poisoning (never a fun gig), or the prospect of facing an angry and insulted Ama diver (a lady who could probably tear my head off with one arm), I decided to try my taste of a very fresh abalone.

Delicacies aside, what exactly is Ama diving? Ama diving is a job where people, traditionally women, dive to collect shellfish from t h e o c e a n f l o o r, w i t h o u t the use of scuba diving air tanks. This means that

the divers cannot comb the sea floor at length, b u t m u s t f r e q u e n t l y r e t u r n t o t h e s u r f a c e f o r a i r.

These days, wetsuits are used; but in the past, only cloth provided protection between a diver’s body and the frigid waters of the North Pacific a chilling prospect!

What is a day of Ama diving generally like? The day usually begins around 9 am when the divers gather at their warming hut (amagoya). The amagoya is basically a ramshackle hut with a roof, f o u r w a l l s a n d a f l o o r. A r a g i n g f i r e i s b u i l t i n t h e middle of the floor and the divers all sit around it in their respective places to warm up. It is here that they drink tea, sleep, or chat and tell stories while they wait for their body temperature to rise.

An interesting note is that there is no c h i m n e y. T h e s m o k e f r o m t h e f i r e s i m p l y e s c a p e s through the various holes and cracks in the walls and roof, of which there are many. The result is a room, which feels like a hot sauna, but is so terribly smoky that your eyes sting and lungs burn.

I cannot help but feel that this is where the toughening of divers begins.

After an excruciating long hour of warming (required by law) the divers don their wetsuits, board their boat and embark to the diving grounds. Once they reach the grounds, which can be nothing more than a small rock jutting out of the ocean, the divers all jump into the chilly water and float about like a small pack of seaotters. They then dive and surface repeatedly, collecting abalone, turban-shell snails, s e a w e e d , a n d i f l u c k y, a n octopus! After an hour (the amount of time that they are allowed to dive) the exhausted divers climb a b o a r d t h e b o a t a n d r e t u r n t o t h e h a r b o u r. T h e y put their catch into tubs of seawater and go back to the amagoya, where the fire is rekindled. The ...continued on page 7

Fall 2003

PAGE 5

JETAABC Past Presidents' Reunion - by Patricia Birch

On a hot summer’s day on July 5, 2003, when summer had finally found its destination, J E TA A B C P a s t P r e s i d e n t s m e t f o r a n i n f o r m a l B Y O B B B Q R e u n i o n P a r t y. T h e v e n u e w a s p r o v i d e d

by Stacy Fujimoto (President 1998) and her husband Darryl who welcomed us to their beautiful home in Coquitlam. In attendance were myself, Patricia Birch (President 1996), Jason Hicks (President 1997), Paul Donovan (President 1999), Liz Stephens (President 2000 & 2001), as well as some significant others.

It was a beautiful day and it was a great day for schmoozing and reminiscing about t h e g o o d o l d d a y s o f J E TA A B C . W e kicked back and spent the time relaxing on the deck and enjoying a BBQ Potluck.

Our conversation soon wandered off to our current lives and experiences of postP r e s i d e n c y. O u r t o p i c s s o o n l e a d t o discussions of travel and current affairs (yes, even politics!) and world events. (No w o n d e r w e b e c a m e J E Ts i n t h e f i r s t p l a c e ) .

Although everyone has taken widely different paths and turns along that twisted road w e c a l l l i f e a f t e r J E T, t h e r e w a s a c o m m o n F r o m l e f t t o r i g h t : P a u l , J a s o n , P a t r i c i a , S t a c e y, L i z . thread of JET and Japan still inherent in our Photograph sumbitted by Paul. lives. Many of us are working for Japanese companies or using our JET and Japan-related experience in some capacity as a skillful marketing tool for our current careers (and career changes!). ...continued on page 6

JETAABC Membership Vs. JETAABC E-list Serve - by Damien Vilaysane

Confusing, isn’t it? Which is which? Aren’t they the same thing? Contrary to popular belief, especially a m o n g t h e n e w l y r e t u r n e d J E Ts , t h e y a r e N O T t h e same. The membership allows us to know the size and distribution of our members across BC and the Yu k o n . F r o m t h i s m e m b e r s h i p d a t a b a s e , w e k n o w w h e r e t o s e n d o u r J E TA A B C n e w s l e t t e r s .

T h e e - l i s t s e r v e , w h i c h i s o u r Ya h o o ! G r o u p , a l l o w s each member who has signed on to post and receive m e s s a g e s , a n d r e c e i v e J E TA A B C s t e e r i n g c o m m i t t e e event announcements. Furthermore, this is also where some job postings and similar opportunities can be found. Messages being posted are always moderated by one of the steering committee members.

While some people assume that signing on to the membership automatically means signing on to the elist serve, it doesn’t. If you have signed on to one or t h e o t h e r, b u t n o t b o t h , t h e n v i s i t o u r w e b s i t e ( h t t p : / / bc.jetaa.ca) and get yourself on both lists.

PAGE 6

Vo l u m e 9 - N u m b e r 2

So you're back from Japan.

It's home sweet home.

Or is it...?

Looking for a job? Struggling with reverse culture shock? Want to reconnect with fellow JETs and share your stories from Japan with people who actually understand?

JETAABC will be hosting a Re-Entry Seminar for JETAA and Returning JETs on Saturday, November 15th, 2003, in Vancouver, BC. Stay tuned to http://bc.jetaa.ca/ for future details, and please make sure you are on the JETAABC yahoo! List (http://bc.jetaa.ca/ topic/email.html) if you want to hear more about it!

UPCOMING RE-ENTRY SEMINAR: LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS! Though several of the details have yet to be confirmed, we are looking for volunteers who would be able to speak to other career-minded JETAA members and share their work experiences and information on relevant topics, particularly: • • • • •

Public/Private Education in BC Private ESL Education in BC IT industry International Trade or any other Japan-related job market

The talks will be geared towards benefiting JETAA members who are currently searching for work, and/or who are contemplating a career transition. Other key topics that will be covered include re-entry issues and coping with reverse culture shock, as well as practical job search strategies and resume-building tips.

If interested, or to share any suggestions or ideas, please email Stephenie Gold, Re-Entry Seminar Coordinator at stephgold@yahoo.com.

Hope to see you there!

J E TA A B C P a s t P r e s i d e n t s ' R e u n i o n ( c o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e 5 )

Speaking of career changes, Stacy read an email from a certain Sasaki-san who was one o f o u r m e n t o r s f r o m t h e e a r l y d a y s o f J E TA A B C i n 1 9 9 6 & 1 9 9 7 . F o r m e r l y i n c h a r g e o f J E T A l u m n i a t t h e C o n s u l a t e i n Va n c o u v e r h e h a s n o w m o v e d o n t o a j o b i n t h e r e a l w o r l d ( a s h e put it) in the Financial Division of the Fukushima Prefectural Government. He wished us well and said he would have loved to attend, but he was going camping instead (in Fukushima!)

Also unable to attend were Ryan Butt (President 2002) and current President 2003, Kristin O l s o n . Ye s , s i n c e w e a r e a f r i e n d l y b u n c h w e i n v i t e d t h e c u r r e n t p r e s i d e n t , t o o ! B i g K u d o s goes out to Paul Donovan for the idea and to Stacy and Darryl Fujimoto for being great hosts and to everyone who attended…our reunion was a big success!

PAGE 7

Fall 2003

Strategies for a Successful Life Transition

W e l c o m e b a c k a l l r e t u r n i n g J E Ts ! W o u l d y o u l i k e t o a t t e n d a 6 - w e e k w o r k s h o p o n S t r a t e g i e s f o r a S u c c e s s f u l L i f e Tr a n s i t i o n ? T h i s s e r i e s o f w o r k s h o p s w i l l b e l e d b y S t e p h e n i e G o l d ( F o r m e r J E T, 9 8 - 0 0 ) a n d L a u r a J o n e s , t w o M A s t u d e n t s i n t h e U B C C o u n s e l i n g P s y c h o l o g y P r o g r a m . A l l a r e i n v i t e d t o r e g i s t e r, b u t e n r o l l m e n t i s l i m i t e d ! B e l o w a r e t h e d e t a i l s a n d a description: Are you facing personal, career or relationship transitions? Transitions are a normal but challenging part of life and can often be painful and confusing. Through group support, discussion, and exercises, this six- week workshop will help you understand this difficult time of change.

Yo u w i l l b e e n c o u r a g e d t o l e a r n s k i l l s s u c h a s i d e n t i f i c a t i o n o f f a c t o r s i n v o l v e d i n c h a n g e , coping techniques to reduce stress, and goal setting strategies in order to establish new priorities.

N O T E : T H E R E I S O N E C L A S S P E R W E E K ( 6 T U E S D AY S ) , A N D N O C L A S S O N N O V E M B E R 11 t h .

When: October 21, 2003 - December 02, 2003 Time: 10:00am - 12:00pm Where: Women’s Resources Centre classroom, Rm 1.400, 8 0 0 R o b s o n S t r e e t , Va n c o u v e r Cost: $35.00 plus GST

To r e g i s t e r, p l e a s e v i s i t t h e U B C C o n t i n u i n g S t u d i e s r e g i s t r a t i o n w e b s i t e : h t t p : / / w w w. c s t u d i e s . u b c . c a / r e g i s t r a t i o n . h t m ( t e l : 6 0 4 - 8 2 2 - 1 4 4 4 ) Or the Women’s Resource Centre website: h t t p : / / w w w. c s t u d i e s . u b c . c a / w r c / Hope to see you there!

Ama Divers (continued from page 4)

divers must warm up for another hour before repeating the whole process in the afternoon.

After the hour of diving in the afternoon is finished and the divers have warmed up, the divers take their catch to the market where i t i s s o l d t o a l o c a l d i s t r i b u t o r. F r o m t h e r e the catch is sent to markets throughout Japan.

An interesting note is that Ama diving is still one of the few occupations that maintain its tradition by employing mostly women. This in turn, e m p o w e r s t h e w o m e n o f t h e c o m m u n i t y.

Ama diving is regulated in each town. It is only within the ocean limits of the town that the divers can dive. Therefore, other towns may have differing ...continued on page 8

Vo l u m e 9 - N u m b e r 2

Fall 2003

PAGE 8

Ama Divers (continued from page 7)

regulations than those of Gouza Mura.

From the outset, Ama diving may seem like a great w a y t o s p e n d t h e d a y a n d m a k e a b i t o f m o n e y. B u t , it is no easy life. The two hours of diving is a grueling process of diving and surfacing, diving and surfacing.

T h e d i v e r s a r e e x h a u s t e d b y t h e e n d o f e a c h d a y. To c o m p o u n d m a t t e r s , t h e w e a t h e r i s a s i g n i f i c a n t f a c t o r.

Large ocean swells will crash onto the shores of Japan. Thus, the divers have to endure the strong c u r r e n t s o r l o s e o u t o n a d a y ’ s s a l a r y.

I never thought that I would be eating morethan-fresh abalone at the bottom of a fishing boat that day off the coast of J a p a n . M o r e s u r p r i s i n g l y, I wouldn’t have thought that I would be eagerly hoping for another chance to eat it again. Sugoku oishikatta!

Great Balls of Rice (continued from page 2)

ingredients are selling well. These deluxe treats are made with top-quality rice transported direct from where it is grown. Even the water in which the rice is cooked is specially selected, and luxury fillings like bamboo shoots, aromatic matsutake mushrooms, and crab deliver a truly classy taste that differs markedly from that of machine-made onigiri. Convenience stores, too, are looking to tempt customers with higher quality. The 7-Eleven chain has launched a new line of gourmet onigiri that cost around ¥150 ($1.25), a little more than the chain’s standard rice balls, and are hand made using select i n g r e d i e n t s . Va r i e t i e s i n c l u d e rice cooked with sea bream and charcoal-barbecued mushrooms.

But what may be the subtlest attraction of rice balls is their handmade feel. The normal fare served up by fast-food chains looks and tastes the same no matter where you go. But when you have onigiri prepared just for you or add the seaweed wrapping yourself, you get the warmth of the personal touch.

Check out the following site for instructions on h o w t o m a k e o n i g i r i : h t t p : / / j i n . j c i c . o r. j p / n i p p o n i a / nipponia16/bon.html

As for those of you who are JET alumni, and especially the newly returnees, a Japanese cooking class is currently being organised by your friendly J E TA A B C . T h e c l a s s e s w o n ’ t b e g i n u n t i l a f e w m o n t h s f r o m n o w. S o , s t a y t u n e d !

Satisfying Health-Conscious Consumers Another reason for the recent popularity of rice balls is that they now appeal not only to people seeking a tasty, convenient snack but also to the increasing number of consumers who are concerned about health. Many fast foods, including hamburgers, are cooked using oil, which inevitably makes them high in calories. The main ingredients in onigiri, on the other hand, are rice and seaweed. Even if they contain fillings like meat or mayonnaise, rice balls are modest in size and therefore unlikely to expand the waistline. .

Thank You Contributors Sunita Mathur, Steve Chevalier, A k i k o F u j i k a w a , B o b b y Ta y l o r, Patricia Birch, Stephenie Gold, Paul Donovan