Below is a request from Eliot Honda (Ehime-ken, 2009-2012) who is seeking to interview other Ehime JET alumni as part of a project aimed at re-establishing the Ehime Kenjinkai in Hawaii. Original post from JETwit.
My name is Eliot Honda, I am a former ALT in Uwajima city. I was there from 2009-2012, I had a blast and learned a lot about Uwajima, and Ehime in my three years. I found out that my home, Hawaii has deep ties to Ehime dating as far back as Japan’s first interaction with a Head of State. King Kalakaua and Date Munenari would meet during Kalakaua’s trip to Japan.
Since returning I’ve attempted to stay active in JET and in international exchange. My wife and I have been working to rebuild the Ehime Kenjinkai (Ehime Prefecture Club.) One of the things we talked about doing is a series of videos on the Ehime area. I wanted to add a bit of JET in there, since I’ve also become a board member of the JET Alumni Association in Hawaii. I wanted to do a screen cap of Skype/Facetime interviews and get former/present JETs to talk about the area in Ehime they lived in. A bit about the history, the landscape, the people, the attractions, and overall lifestyle of the area they live/lived in.
Ehime and JET hold a very special place in my heard, and Uwajima has become a 2nd home for me; a place I can always return to. (And not just because my wife is from there.) I have so many friends, and now family in Uwajima. This prefecture is rarely visited, but has a lot of beauty in it, and the JET Program is constantly on the chopping block, and I think people outside of the program miss the value of the program.
If you’re interested in doing an interview (which will eventually go on YouTube) and also helping to show the beauty of Ehime and just how helpful the JET Program can be for international exchange, please email me.
Thank You,
Eliot Honda
Email: eliot.honda [at] gmail.com
Here are some previous JETwit posts with Eliot’s videos about JET and Ehime. And here is a JQ Magazine “Life After JET” interview with him.
- May 15, 2013
Join NEJETAA on Sunday May 19 for the 2013 Japan Festival! Last spring — as a celebration for the 100 year anniversary of the gift of cherry trees from Kyoto to Washington DC — Boston hosted a Spring Festival. The Festival, or Haru Matsuri, exceeded any and all expectations and it has been decided to turn this one-time event into an annual celebration of Japanese culture, food and the Japanese community of Boston.
With over 13,000 attendees in 2012, the event has been moved to from Copley Square to the heart of Boston — Boston City Hall Plaza in Government Center.
NEJETAA will be represented with a booth, representing the JET Programme and handing out fortunes from our Omikuji Tree.
Any interested in volunteering at the NEJETAA booth should email membership at nejetaa dot com (volunteers are not required to volunteer for the entire day, just an hour would be great!). Anyone interested in attending please see the details below and visit the official festival website. We Look forward to seeing you there!!
Sunday, May 19, 2013, 10:00am-6:00pm
Boston City Hall Plaza (Green line, Government Center station)
Admission: Free
- May 13, 2013
NEJETAA elections are now open for Vice President, Treasurer, and Social Chair. There were no platforms received for Webmaster/Communications Coordinator although members can submit a write-in candidate to webmaster at nejetaa dot com.
Please cast your votes ONLINE here on our website: www.nejetaa.com by 6pm Tuesday May 21st. The voting section will appear on the right side of the page after you login with your username and password.
To vote, you need to be a registered user on our site (just takes a minute to sign up!). See end of the message for details on how to register and vote online.
If you prefer to vote in person you can join us at our General Meeting Tuesday May 21st, 6pm. RSVP to Katie at social at nejetaa dot com by Sunday May 19th if you’d like to attend! NEJETAA will be providing complimentary snacks from Wing Works!
GENERAL MEETING INFO Click here for the meeting agenda
Where: Eastern Bank Community Room, 647 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, Central Square T stop on Red Line (map)
When: Tues. May 21st, 6pm.
Why: Vote and discuss upcoming events (JET Orientation, Japanese language/culture classes, Membership update, and more fun summer events!)
PLATFORMS
Jeffrey Kennedy for Vice President
Hi NEJETAA, my name is Jeffrey Vales Kennedy and I am running to become your next Vice President. I was an ALT in Okayama-ken from 2011 to 2012. Since returning from Japan in September last year, I’ve been an active participant in the NEJETAA community and would love to have the opportunity to give back.
My number one goal as Vice President is to increase participation in NEJETAA. One way of doing this is in assisting the rest of the council to plan enticing events like nihongo dake dinners and industry networking nights. Another important area of exploration is in reaching out to former JETs living outside of the Boston area.
I appreciate you taking the time to consider my ballot and I hope to see all of your smiling faces at upcoming events this year.
Thank you,
Jeffrey Vales Kennedy
Patricia Frisoli for Treasurer
My name is Patricia Frisoli, and I hope to serve as your Treasurer for NEJETAA for the coming year. I was an ALT in Taka-chou, Hyougo-ken from 2005 to 2008. For the past couple years I have been an avid member of NEJETAA, and have been your treasurer this past year. I love to have the opportunity to give back. I really enjoy being involved in NEJETAA’s many events throughout the year and connecting with Boston’s Japanese community.
My goals for this year include:
– balance budgetary concerns so we may continue to connect members with activities they are interested in
– provide logistical support to officers & events
– strengthen partnerships with other local Japan-affiliated organizations
Like many of you, JET was an amazing time of my life, and I have made incredibly rewarding relationships with like minded people through NEJETAA.
I would be proud to represent the New England JETAA chapter.
Thank you for your vote!
~Trish
Katie Mulroy for Social Chair
Hi NEJETAA Members,
My name is Katie Mulroy, and I’m running for re-election to the position of Social Chair. I was an ALT in Aomori Prefecture from 2008-2011. I have been involved with NEJETAA since my return to the US in 2011, originally helping plan social events such as karaoke parties and later taking a more active role as Social Chair. During the past 6 months on the NEJETAA Board, I organized several successful events including the Nihongo Dake dinners, Shinenkai, Hanami, and our happy hours. I’ve really enjoyed working with NEJETAA members and officers when planning these activities, and I hope to continue to do so in the future. When running events, I’ve tried to be as organized as possible in order to make everything run smoothly and I try to attend almost all of our social gatherings. My goals for the next year include further connecting returned JETs with each other through Nihongo Dake dinners, happy hours, and other activities. With your assistance, I would like to continue to make our events a success by involving the Japanese community and other friends of NEJETAA. I also hope to integrate our new returnees into NEJETAA, thereby helping them continue the strong connection with Japan that they gained on the JET Program. As always, I would be happy to make anyone’s suggestions for specific activities a reality, and if elected, would love to have a social committee.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Katie Mulroy
Voting instructions below:
VOTING INSTRUCTIONS: for registered members
Visit nejetaa.com and login on the bottom left corner. Click “Forgot login?” if you can’t remember your username or password and it will be resent to you. After you’ve logged in, on the right side you will see the voting/polling area. Please select the candidate(s) you wish to vote for.
VOTING INSTRUCTIONS: for unregistered members
Visit nejetaa.com and click “Register” in the bottom left corner and fill out the registration profile. You’ll receive a confirmation email and then after confirming you can return to the site and login. You’ll see the on the right side the voting/polling area. Please select the candidate(s) you wish to vote for.