Cambodia: famous for its natural beauty and cuisine, but infamous for the atrocities of its past and the current levels of aid required to help in recovery. Landmines, and other unexploded ordinances are littered throughout the country; the shadow of the Khmer Rouge rule during the late 1970s still lingers in the background. Now, Cambodia…
On Saturday, November 26th, ten Americans and one Australian gathered at ten am to begin what has become a Shiso tradition. These self-proclaimed middle-of-nowhere JETs (and friends) have imported a piece of culture in a truly tangible, and dare I brag it, delicious way. Shiso, while relatively spread out and small, boasts a JET population…
Hey there Hyogoites! My name is Miriam, and I was an ALT in Shiso City from 2008 to 2011. I want to introduce you to a new project by a group of Hyogo JET alumni! shisopretty, launched last month, is the brainchild of a group of former ALTs who met while working together in the…
This year I have committed to drawing a picture every day, using nothing more than normal ball pens. No erasing, no time to spare getting frustrated and tossing papers in the bin. Just focused, intent drawings of subjects inspired by Japan. So far subjects include rice, houses, people, history, art, animals, music, festivals, architecture, Tohoku…
PEPY (formerly “Protect the Earth, Protect Yourselfâ€) has a new acronym to reflect their changing focus as an organization. Though they still care about the earth and sustainability, PEPY’s true focus is on education in Cambodia, and the hope that an investment in today’s youth of that country will lead to a better future for…
Two issues back, a comic in this publication compared the chance of a foreign female getting a Japanese boyfriend to one’s chance of winning the lottery. Winning the lottery’s definitely more difficult! Whatever you’ve heard, there’s a shot for those of us raised in the West too. I don’t have any fancy percentages for you,…
Well, alright, I won’t tell you how you should study Japanese; I don’t think anyone should study the way that I study, with my own personal cycle of eXtreme diligence + deathlike burnout. I like to make use of a variety of different types of learning, and even with the pain it causes, I do…
As an ALT or CIR living in Japan, you should study Japanese. I know, crazy, right? Sounds like a reasonable assertion for some of us. The first time I wrote this article on my blog, I received some pretty strong reactions from the other side, so let me be clear about something first: though I…
This is an article published out of Nara by a JET trying to beat the very same heat that lies over all of Kansai. He’s given us permission to reprint his article in the hopes that his tips can help you too! For some of you, the coming of winter brings gloomy thoughts and a…