Volume 9
April 2015 - March 2016
JJETAA NEWS Inside this issue: Message from the Ambassador of Japan to Jamaica
1
JJETAA Executive 2016-17
2
The President’s Message
2-3
Introducing Reika Inoue
3
Picnic by the Poui
4
15 years of the JET Programme
5
My JET Experience
6-7
Beach Clean Up 2015
8
Perspectives from a former JET - John Lucas
9
The Inaugural Trip
10
JET Alumni Vox Pop
11
Update on JETAAi
12
About JJETAA
12
Calendar of Events 2016-17 Beach Clean-up Activity (September)
Awareness Session for Tertiary-level Students (September/October)
Picnic by the Poui (October/November)
Annual General Meeting (March)
MESSAGE FROM THE AMBASSADOR OF JAPAN TO JAMAICA On behalf of the Government and people of Japan, I take great pleasure in congratulating the Jamaica JET Alumni Association (JJETAA) on the achievements made during 2015, especially during the commemoration of the 15th anniversary of JET in Jamaica. Your contribution over the years has deepened the bond between the people of Japan and Jamaica. The Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme was introduced to Jamaica in 2000. Since then, over 300 participants have been sent to teach English at public schools throughout Japan. Last year was a very special time in the history of the JET Programme, as we celebrated its 15th Anniversary in Jamaica. We were honored to have Rev. the Hon. Ronald Thwaites as the key note speaker at the symposium held at the Medallion Hall Hotel to mark this milestone. His presence was evidence that the Government of Jamaica also highly values the Programme and Jamaica’s participation. I applaud you JETs for the fundamental role you have played in achieving this huge milestone. JJETAA has undertaken several initiatives to promote Japan to the Jamaican people. In so
doing, you have become an outstanding partner of the Embassy of Japan in various aspects. Over the years, you have assisted in the selection process and orientation of new JETs for Japan.
Ambassador Masanori Nakano
Last year, we saw 40 participants going off to Japan, which was an increase of 60 percent over 2014. You also promoted the Japanese culture of “Hanami” by a “Picnic at the Poui” as well as participating in the “Annual Beach Clean-up Day” along the Palisadoes beach front. These initiatives have demonstrated Jamaicans fondness for our educational programmes, resulting in an increased number of Jamaicans in Japan. In addition, there is also a growing awareness of Japan in primary and tertiary institutions in Jamaica through your school outreach programmes.
I hope that these initiatives will be prolonged as we strive to promote mutual understanding among the youths of both countries. The Embassy of Japan remains committed to strengthening the Japan-Jamaica relationship through activities including commemorative events such as the annual Japanese Calendar Exhibition Festival, in which more than 1000 persons participated and enjoyed last year. We also collaborated with the Scout Association of Jamaica to showcase Japanese culture at a “Jamaica Scouts discover Japan” event, which was a huge success. We are hoping to have an even bigger audience this year through your help. Finally, I must commend JJETAA for your commitment and hard work in building closer ties between our countries. To this end, I would like to ask that JJETAA continues to widen its network throughout the length and breadth of Jamaica. Once more, I express my sincerest gratitude for your support and ask for your continued cooperation to make 2016 an extraordinary year. Arigato gouzaimasu - Thank you.
This newsletter is made possible through the kind support of the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR)
JJETAA NEWS
JJETAA Executive 2016-17
Roxanne Seaton-Chambers President
The President’s Message Last year was truly a milestone for the JET Programme in Jamaica. It marked the 15th Anniversary of Jamaicans going to Japan to work as Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) and cultural ambassadors. The Embassy of Japan in Jamaica held a symposium in October to celebrate this milestone and the JJETAA played an instrumental role. JJETAA Members served as panelists, ushers and Master of Ceremonies.
ca Environment Trust (JET), the organizer of International Coastal Clean-up Day activities in Jamaica. The JJETAA joined other clean-up groups at JET’s satellite site on the Palisadoes Strip in Kingston. The 24member JJETAA group - which included our affiliate members, high school students, staff of the Embassy of Japan, friends of JJETAA and the JJETAA membership - collected 16½ bags of garbage, totalling 247.5 pounds.
Sheena Jarrett Vice President
Marsha Dennie Treasurer
Another significant development was that the highest number of Jamaicans was selected to participate in the JET Programme since Jamaica’s involvement. We said farewell to forty Jamaican ALTs who went to Japan to spread our Jamaican culture in the land of the rising sun. In June, we were delighted to participate in the Send-off Reception for the 34 ALTs who departed for Japan at the end of July.
Terrike Brown Public Relations Officer (PRO)
Maria Mutidjo Secretary Page 2
In September, we engaged in our annual beach cleaning activity. For the first time, instead of coordinating a clean-up site of our own, we joined forces with the Jamai-
Our annual Picnic by the Poui was held at Hope Gardens in November. It was a wellspent afternoon, filled with fun, food and a lively intercultural exchange.
We were happy to welcome John Lucas, one of the first Jamaica ALTs, who had gone to Japan on the JET Programme. He is now an international gospel artiste and visited Jamaica in December along with some members of the JL Gospel Family choir to present two benefit concerts - one in Kingston and the other in Mandeville. We were thoroughly entertained at the events. During 2015-16, the JJETAA also supported the Embassy of Japan in the execution cont’d on page 3
Volume 9
Introducing Reika Inoue turned in 2013 for the same reason. In 2014 I studied in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of the West Indies (UWI) for 8 months. In addition to pursuing a number of sociology courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, I conducted research for my Master’s thesis, which examined the issue of the global debt system as a political problem and how it has been impacting the Jamaican economy and society.
Reika Inoue is a Cultural Officer at the Embassy of Japan and serves as a liaison between the Embassy and JJETAA. She is from Osaka, Japan. While she has only been working at the Embassy since February 2016, her time in Jamaica predates this period. We will allow Reika to tell you more about herself and her experiences.
I enjoy many aspects of Jamaican life including the weather and its natural environment. I particularly like that it is summer all year round. During all my visits to Jamaica to date, I have enjoyed visiting the rivers to enjoy their peacefulness and to hear the sweet sound of the water. I am looking forward to exploring more rivers and other aspects of the Jamaican natural landscape during my sojourn in Jamaica as an officer in the Embassy.
I first visited Jamaica in the summer of 2012 to conduct research. I re-
I find Jamaican people easy to understand because of the expressive way in
which they convey their thoughts and emotions. My favourite Jamaican foods are otaheite apple, ackee and scotch bonnet pepper. One of the challenges I have been experiencing in adjusting to life in Jamaica is understanding patois. I find it frustrating at times to understand some persons because of my limited understanding of this language. I love learning languages and I am confident that as time progresses, my understanding of patois will improve. In my free time I like to read, draw, play sports, listen to music and dance. I am looking to be involved in activities that will help me to deepen my knowledge of Jamaican culture. Hajimemashite! Dozo yoroshiku onegaishimasu!
The President’s Message (cont’d) cont’d from page 2
of other activities including the JET Document Screening Process (December), celebration of the Japanese Emperor’s birthday (December), JET Interviews (January), Predeparture orientation (June), and the Annual Japanese Calendar Exhibition (March). The JJETAA is not just an association of persons willing to volunteer and share about the Japanese culture and way of life, we are also a family that supports and celebrates the achievements and milestones of our members. In January, the JJETAA family held a Baby Shower for me and Mieko Araki, the Researcher/Advisor at the Embassy of Japan, to celebrate the pending birth of our babies. Page 3
I take this opportunity to thank the members of JJETAA who selflessly gave of their time and energy throughout the year. I also thank the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR), the Embassy of Japan and our affiliates and friends for their continued support. I welcome all those who have returned to Jamaica during the year. Please know that the JJETAA family is here to support you as you settle back into your life in Jamaica. We look forward to your participation in our future activities. Roxanne Seaton-Chambers
JJETAA NEWS
Picnic by the Poui east in 2015 to represent Jamaica on the Programme. The “Brave Eight” having paved a path of excellence, the demand for Jamaican JETs had grown steadily he noted, making the Programme a good fertilizer for Japan-Jamaica relations. With that said, and best wishes offered for many more years of success for the Jamaican JET Programme and the Alumni Association, it was time for the merriment to begin! The ample fare provided was accompanied by musical contributions, courtesy of Mr. Oyama and his trusty guitar. And with appetites sated, it wasn’t long before he was joined by enthusiastic alumni members and friends, singing along lustily and dancing to the range of catchy rhythms.
Memories, Melodies
and
Merriment set the tone
for the Association’s Annual Picnic by the Poui held at Hope Gardens on November 14, 2015. For the third year in a row, an enthusiastic group of JET Alumni members, along with representatives of the Japanese Embassy, students from UWI and UTech and other friends and supporters of the JJETAA, gathered together to celebrate a Jamaican-style hanami. With the little but increasingly “tallawah” Poui tree forming part of the scenic backdrop, Mr. Hiromoto Oyama, Counsellor in the Japanese Embassy took the group on a trip down memory lane as he lauded the aplomb of “The Brave Eight” – referring to the very first set of Jamaican participants to embark on the JET Programme some 15 years ago. Mr. Oyama recalled that it was the same year that the first expedition of astronauts had embarked on their mission to spend a year at the International Space Station, and drew a parallel with the Jamaican JETs who too were stepping bravely into unchartered territory of their own. He went on to note with satisfaction that the JET Programme had grown impressively since then, with some 40 participants heading
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The afternoon would not be complete without the traditional round of games to get the competitive juices going, and the Japanese version of 1-2-3 Red Light brought out the Olympic runners, and yes, a few crafty er….. cheaters! It was as always, a day to celebrate nature, celebrate our successes and celebrate the meaningful relationship between Jamaican and Japan. And as the two cultures merged in the shade of the Poui tree, we left proud of the legacy left behind by the “Brave Eight”, and of our own contribution to the continued strengthening of the bonds of friendship and cooperation forged and nurtured between two nations for over 50 years.
Contributed by Janet Crick JJETAA Member
Volume 9
15 years of the JET Programme in Jamaica time learning a new language and culture and adapting to a new way of living. Mr. Hiromoto Oyama, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy, lauded the participation of Jamaicans in the programme and stated that Jamaicans, in particular, are in high demand, resulting in the programme being expanded this year to accommodate 40 participants, compared to eight in 2000. He said that over the years they have successfully fostered ties between Japanese youth and Jamaican youth and have made a significant contribution to improve foreign language education and to develop international exchanges at the grassroots level. Mr. Oyama attributed JET’s continued success to the support provided by Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Most Hon. Portia October 21, 2015 marked the 15th Anniversary of the inception of the JET Programme in Jamaica. The day culminated in a symposium which featured a keynote address by the Education Minister, Hon. Rev. Ronald Thwaites, a Panel discussion with members of the Jamaica Japan Exchange and Teaching Association Alumni (JJETAA), a Video Message from Japan by a current Assistant Language Teacher and the launch of the JET Programme song. The celebration of this milestone is significant in that it showcases the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme as a vehicle through which over three hundred (300) Jamaicans have been given the opportunity to become ambassadors for Jamaica to Japan while at the same Simpson Miller, as well as Japan’s Prime Minister, His Excellency Shinzo Abe, who endorsed the programme during his visit to the island in October 2015. Over one hundred and forty persons attended the event held at the Medallion Hall Hotel in St. Andrew.
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Contributed by Yolande Lewis JJETAA Member
JJETAA NEWS
My JET Experience cipal requested that I run the anchor leg of the PTA relay. Of course I believed that he was under the misguided impression that all Jamaicans could run as fast as Bolt. I was terrified by the thought that I would go and make a complete fool of myself on the track. I had nightmares of my falling face down on the track only having run a couple of metres, covered in the dust left behind by the unassuming teachers and parents who dedicated themselves to keeping fit by running marathons and hiking mountains during their spare time. It took much convincing on the part of my colleagues before I eventually agreed to participate in the relay.
I recall my arrival in Omura as if it were yesterday, a hot, humid July afternoon made tolerable by the warm smiles of welcoming faces that greeted me at the airport. When I applied for the JET Programme in the year 2011, I had wanted to go to a big city like Kobe or Kyoto. Of course, I was disappointed to be told then that I would be going to Omura, a relatively small commuter town in Nagasaki on the Southern island of Kyushu, with a population of about 90,000 people. Little did I know that while living in this small town, I would have learnt the most meaningful lesson that would change my outlook on life. I had no experience in teaching children or teenagers prior to the JET Programme, so naturally I became very apprehensive when I found out that I would be teaching at an elementary and junior high school. My first year was a bit challenging, as my Japanese language ability was very minimal and I had no background in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). However, after a year or so my knowledge and confidence grew and I was able to make significant strides. Ironically, though I enjoyed teaching, I found that much of my teaching and learning took place outside of the classroom.
Sports day had finally come. It was 2:00 o’clock in the afternoon and we were getting ready for PTA events. “This will be a defining moment in Jamaica-Japan relations” I said to myself, “the moment when Japanese people are confronted by the ultimate truth that not all Jamaicans are track stars.” The gun went off and in no time I received the baton and made my hasty dash to the finishing line. As I hurried down the track, students and parents erupted in chants of “Gambatte Terrike Sensei! Gambarre! ” (Gambatte/ Gambarre translated loosely means “you can do it/ don’t give up!” ). Although I had not lived up to the standard of my fellow countryman Bolt, I was moved by the applauses and appreciation showered upon me despite my pitiful performance. I had stolen the show, a star like none other. Who knew that
I remember the first time experiencing an undoukai (sports day). An undoukai is not just a school event, it is a community activity. My elementary school prinPage 6
cont’d on page 7
Volume 9
My JET Experience (cont’d) cont’d from page 6
running sixth would have earned me such level of respect. Fast forward to later that afternoon, I witnessed the special needs children taking part in their team races and experiencing similar sub-par performances. However, the level of support was unfailing, at no point were the disabled students made to feel inferior or less than their “ablebodied” classmates against whom they had to compete. After that undoukai, I came to a very important realization. No one was concerned about my winning the race. In fact, everyone was just pleased to see me participate and give of my best effort. Gambatte is more than just an expression in Japanese language, it is a cultural term of reference used to endow one with a sense of great hope and possibility. Whenever I would feel too afraid or self-conscious to try anything new or different, I would always remind myself that the biggest failure would be to not try at all, “Gambatte Terrike Sensei.” Living in Japan was not always easy but the Japanese way of life was most enlightening. I found Japanese people to be very reserved and humble so I made an effort to interact with as many people as possible despite my less than perfect Japanese language skills. For example, I looked forward to my random encounters on my way home from work; the obaachan (old lady) who lived next door to my elementary school or Yuki, one of my junior high school
students who would always stop by the konbini (convenience store) to read manga (a style of Japanese comic books) after school. Many of us living in the western world, looking from the outside in, may think of Japan only in terms of sushi, anime, cars and hi-tech gadgets such as heated, automatic toilet seats, which can prove to be quiet useful during those cold winter months. While living in Japan was really convenient and while the country lived up to the fantasies envisioned by many foreigners, personally I was struck by the communal spirit of the Japanese people. Material possessions and modern conveniences were insignificant compared with values of family traditions, community building, respect and appreciation for all things. Living in Japan for four years made one thing very clear to me. Cultural differences aside, the moment we decide to listen to, understand and connect with a fellow human being irrespective of their ethnicity, creed or colour, is the moment we begin to identify with the core essence of our humanity. The race of life is not all about winning nor selfish gains, it is about doing your part so that you may uplift other people around you, moving forward as one people.
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Contributed by Terrike Brown JJETAA Member
JJETAA NEWS
Beach Clean Up 2015 For the 4th consecutive year, the JJETAA joined in the commemoration of International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Day on September 19. ICC Day takes place on the third Saturday in September every year and is the largest one-day volunteer event in the world! For over three decades, the Ocean Conservancy in Texas has been coordinating volunteers across the globe to collect millions of pounds of trash in over 100 countries. In Jamaica, ICC Day is coordinated by the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET).
and the JJETAA membership. We look forward to participating in the effort in 2016. Please join us as we seek to tackle Jamaica’s solid waste problem.
Unlike previous years, the Association joined JET at its satellite site on the Palisadoes Strip in Kingston instead of selecting and coordinating a site on our own. Each year, an increasing number of groups have been joining in the effort resulting in an increase in the competition for available cleaning sites. At the end of the activity, emotions were mixed. The large amount of garbage collected by the groups was appalling, however at the same time, there was a feeling of accomplishment as each piece of garbage collected from the coastline represented an item of waste that we prevented from entering the sea, where it would be more difficult to eliminate. Over 7,900 volunteers cleaned 121 sites covering over 122 miles of coastline. The 24-member JJETAA group collected 16½ bags of garbage, totaling 247.5 pounds. Island wide, 5,258 garbage bags totaling 79,560 pounds were collected. After the cleanup activity, JET produced a National Report that was submitted to the Ocean Conservancy in Washington DC, USA and also circulated it to various ICC stakeholders, including government ministers and agencies, manufacturers and distributors of plastic products. We are grateful for the support that we received from our affiliate members, high school students, staff of the Embassy of Japan, friends of JJETAA Page 8
Contributed by Marsha Dennie JJETAA Treasurer
Volume 9
Perspectives from a former JET - John Lucas John Lucas was an ALT from 2000 to 2003. He taught at several schools in Miyagi Prefecture. He currently lives in Japan and is an international gospel artiste who directs a choir of over 200 persons. In this article, he shares his views on being a JET, provides advice to prospective JETs and shares the lessons he has learnt from living in Japan. What would you say is/was your biggest success being a JET? My time on JET was a life changing experience. Working with the students, both in and outside of the classroom, was one of the most rewarding experiences I have had. It is hard to choose one success, so I will list a few and you and can choose - I coached the speech contest and drama contestants to first and second positions for two years consecutively in prefectural competitions. - Through my work with the English clubs in my three senior high schools, we created school based radio (lunchtime) broadcasts, newspapers and other fun English based projects. It was amazing to see how English came alive for the students outside the classroom - Living in Japan for as long as I have, running into my students that I taught close to 15 years ago, I get to see them all grown up, with families...and making their contribution to their communities and society. It is the MOST rewarding feeling to think that my time with them on JET, may have influenced - in some small way - who they are today. What would you say was your biggest challenge being a male Jamaican JET? Being a foreigner, particularly a man of colour, was challenging initially because of a lack of references and opportunities to meet / interact with non-Japanese. For the average Japanese person, the stereotypes portrayed by Hollywood and the movie industry at large are believed and accepted as truth. Breaking down those barriers was a challenge. But the only way to beat stereotypes is to educate. And that is a main part of our role in Japan as JETs. There is positive and negative in any country in the world. Good and bad people anywhere you go. You shape your experience by what you choose to focus on. If you focus on the negative it will be a negative experience. If you highlight the positive! It will be just that; POSITIVE. In spite of some challenges, and cultural differences, my experience in Japan has been remarkable. What advice would you give to any prospective JET? I would love to give a balanced outlook of what to expect so allow me to start with pros and cons. Page 9
PROS: - particularly because I lived in the countryside initially, I found people to be so warm and accepting. Being a foreigner some people will be naturally more interested in you. Also you’ll find that in Japan the opportunities for professional and educational advancement are numerous! Be wise! Dream ! And maximize each opportunity. CONS: - Language barrier. The struggle is real. Japanese is a difficult language, with many alphabets and complicated rules. It is not a quick study, but once you put in effort, it is possible. Procrastination will not help, I suggest start early. Forget pride! Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. JUST SPEAK! The more you use the language the better you get. Native speakers generally don’t think about grammatical perfection when they speak. Just communicate. More than you can imagine, distance from family and friends takes it toll. Brace yourself for it. And indulge in all the technologies available to help cut the distance in half. What would you say is the greatest lesson you have learnt from living in Japan? Differences in culture are a given! Be OPEN MINDED: It’s not good, it’s not bad, it’s just DIFFERENT. This is now my motto for living in a new cultural environment. Be a GO-GETTER! To succeed at what you do especially in a foreign environment is not easy. Expect that you will have to work hard… sometimes x2 or x3 times harder than others. But if you stay focused and work hard… success will definitely be yours.
JJETAA NEWS
The Inaugural Trip How strange is this combination of proximity and separation. That ground - seconds away - thousands of miles away. Charles A. Lindbergh
Check-in time at the airport was 5:30 a.m. That time had been carved into my brain for the last week as we had met for orientation and for the pre-departure reception at the Ambassador’s residence. I remember finally getting everything I had prioritized into the suitcase at around 3:30 a.m. and as I closed the doors and windows of the house to head to bed I remember saying to myself. This is it! No turning back now! This is the beginning of the rest of my life! From my home near to Devon House to the Norman Manley International Airport takes approximately 30 minutes. At 5:30 a.m. I was at home. In fact I was just about ready, but had to wait on my mom, the driver. At 6:15am I arrived at the airport slightly annoyed, a bit embarrassed but very sad to leave. My mom was being brave as she helped me get my things from the car and join the group already congregating. The group with which I would literally fly around the world comprised eight of us. Of the group of eight, there were six females and two males: the first Jamaican JETs to Japan. When I arrived I guessed that we would be all ready to go through customs, after all I was more than forty-five minutes late. Well, ladies and gentlemen; then SHE arrived. SHE arrived in a cloud of grandeur as she came in ahead of a line of trolleys of loaded suitcases being pushed by a team of porters. Followed by what appeared to be an entourage of persons. The Queen had arrived! Literally! I knew she was one of us, because I had seen her at one orientation or another and I was sure I had seen her at the farewell reception held recently. I wondered Page 10
who she was and if she had heard that only two suitcases were allowed. Satoko, our Japanese guide/caretaker was awestruck, along with the rest of us. It took us a while before we took our jaws and tongues from the floor. This young lady then proceeded to explain that after careful analysis, NOTHING could be left behind and just like that she expected that the Embassy of Japan in Jamaica, or whomever, was going to make sure that she had EVERYTHING she needed for this life changing journey. After some ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’, laughter and a whole lot of negotiations we were ready to enter customs. The group was ready! And, reality set in! Tears!!!!! Yup! Tears arrived in gallons! Some persons were afraid to fly! Others were realizing their “terrible mistake”. Others were overwhelmed. While others like myself just got quiet and watched. The tears dried up somewhat as we leaned into and onto each other for support. We bonded like never before. Our parents, families and friends at the airport congealed into one big conundrum of joy and anxiety. The trip was like no other I have ever been on nor have taken since. We were traveling business class. Plush, cushy seats. Our route Kingston to Newark; a transfer to JFK airport , then JFK to Narita, Japan. The flight from Kingston to Newark seemed really short as the majority of us slept. But the trip from JFK to Narita seemed like a lifetime. We all became instant best friends for life! We all revealed ourselves to each other, talking about our dreams, expectations and our disappointments. I remember sitting beside J, as we shared our lives, loves and hopes and boxes of tissues as we flew and ate ourselves across the world. Business class on Northwest airlines… rocked! I swear we were fed and re-fed and overfed all the way to Narita. We tried foods that to this day I can remember their flavours. None of us slept on that flight. None of us could!
Contributed by Kay Dunkley JJETAA Member
JJETAA NEWS
JET Alumni Vox Pop JJETAA Members share some thoughts on their favourite Japanese word or phrase.
One of my favourite Japanese proverbs is “Nanakorobi Yaoki” - fall seven times, get up eight. I’m all about perseverance and not giving up.
Terrike Brown Nagasaki, 2011-2015
I can’t decide on a favorite Japanese word so I will provide two. - “Taihen” - it encapsulates all the emotions when I have a very trying day. To list the feelings would just lose the essence of how I feel at the time so… TAIHEN … does it. - In times like these I have been sharing with as many gatherings as I can the saying “ichi go ichi e”. We really should “cherish every moment we spend with someone because we never know if it will be our last”. Shawn Aarons Kochi, 2000-2002
“Natsukashii” is my most favourite Japanese word simply because it is so difficult to translate into English. The dictionary definition is “dear’, “beloved”, longed for” or “missed”, but don’t believe that they do the word justice. Natsukashii” is the feeling that comes over you when you hear a favourite song from your childhood that you haven’t heard in years. “Natsukashii” is the word I use when I see a video or a Facebook post about Japan and Osaka, my second home.
My favourite Japanese word is “ai” - love. This is a simple yet powerful word that is expressed as an action and experienced as a feeling. I have come to recognize that there is seemingly no limit to the amount of love I can give or receive.
Marsha Dennie Tottori, 2002-2005
Sheena Jarrett Osaka, 2008-2013
Like other Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs), I had many things to do when I first arrived and the phrase I kept hearing as I went about was “chotto matte kudasai”. I asked my amazing supervisor what it meant and he told me. “Wait a moment”. This crisp, gentle phrase always assured me that there was someone working to get me settled in what would be my home for the next three years. What I also loved was that I really only had a short wait to get many things done; efficiency and great service are such important parts of Japanese organizational culture.
Maria Mutidjo Osaka, 2006-2009
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I fell in love with the word “kawaii” because of the emotion that it carries with it when uttered. Whereas in English, we’d simply say “Oh, that’s so cute” or “He/She is so cute”, the Japanese are able to condense all that into one short word which is always said with an acute and distinct intonation, and is usually accompanied either by a sharp intake of breath, a giggle, a wide smile which spreads right up to their eyes and makes them pop or a combination of all three!
“Dame! Dame! Dame!” - Bad! or No Good! or Don’t do that! - I usually use this Japanese word when I am in a panicked state or when I see an injustice or wrong. Yolande Lewis Nagasaki, 2010-2013
Janet Crick Miyazaki-ken 2002-2004
Update on JETAAi The JET Alumni Association International (JETAAi) fosters positive relations between Japan and the home countries of JETAA Chapters, serves as a support and network group for JETAA Chapters, and promotes the JET Programme. In November 2015, Kay Dunkley, former Chair of JETAAi travelled to Japan to engage in discussions with other country representatives about how to restart JETAAi. A strategic plan for the way forward for JETAAi was also presented. This meeting was particu-
larly insightful since the country representatives present had not participated in the last JETAAi meeting held in Japan in 2011. At the meeting, CLAIR revealed that in 2016 it would support special events worldwide in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the JET Programme. The special events would include an international meeting to be held in Japan in Fall 2016. In addition, CLAIR outlined important upcoming events for Japan including Rugby 2019 and Olympics 2020.
About JJETAA The Jamaica Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme Alumni Association (JJETAA) was established in 2002. Individuals who have completed at least one year in the JET Programme are automatically recognized as Full Members of JJETAA.
Individuals who have worked in the education sector in Japan, have studied in Japan, or any person, club or society who/which has an affiliation with Japan and/or with Japanese culture and who/which expresses a genuine interest to share in the Association’s activities are eligible to join the Association as Associate (or Affiliate) Members.
Objectives of JJETAA
facebook.com/JamaicaJETAlumniAssociation
jamjeta@gmail.com