December 2010
WWW.JETAAPORTLAND.COM
Inside This Issue:
From the Kaichou .......................... 2
New JETAA PDX Secretary........... 2
JETAA Career Panel ..................... 3
Okaeri-kai ...................................... 4
Book Club Book Review:
Never Let Me Go .................. 5
Fun with Kanji ................................ 5
Tabemashou! :
Shigezo and Yuzu ............. 6
Bilingual Crossword Puzzle ........... 7
Life After the B.O.E. ...................... 7
In January,
why not check out the
O­Shogatsu
events in Portland:
@ Portland Japanese Garden:
O-Shogatsu Festival: January 9th
O-Shogatsu Cuisine with Chef Naoko:
January 16th
@ Scottish Rite Center:
Mochitsuki 2011 , January 31
(see back page for more details)
JETAA PDX Records Rajio Taiso
Bringing a piece of Japanese culture home
by Bob Schnyder
Members of JETAA Portland perform Rajio Taiso at the Portland Japanese Garden.
B y now, many JET alumni are aware that the JET Program has recently
come under scrutiny and the future of the program is being evaluated by
the Japanese government.
In an effort to show the reach of Japanese culture via the JET Program,
it was decided at the JETAA National Conference this year that all
JETAA chapters throughout the world would create videos showing
chapter members performing Rajio Taiso, the infamous Japanese
calisthenics routine.
Doing their part, a group of intrepid JETAA Portland members gathered
at the Portland Japanese Garden on Wednesday, September 15th, to shoot
our chapter's video.
Although we were a bit out
of practice, the result was
an unqualified success, as
you can see by viewing the
video on the JETAA
Portland website
(www.jetaaportland.com).
We hope that this video
can help show people in
Japan that their culture and
influence extend well
beyond their borders.
Getting in some last minute warming up before showtime.
From the Kaichou...
New JETAA PDX Secretary
Welcome
JETAA
Kim Miyake
back to all of the newly
returned JETs! I hope over the next few
months to see you at our events and that
you’ll find JETAA as big of a support
system as I did when I first returned. We
all know what it’s like to come back
home after, 1, 2 or even 5 years away, to
find that you have changed and grown as
a person, but that
most people don’t
understand what you
went through. Your
friends and family
may even be at the
point where they
groan when you say
“When I was in
Japan . . .” But not to
JETAA Portland
President
worry – JETAA
Kim Miyake
Portland is here! We
are always happy to listen to your Japan
stories because we’ve been there and we
get it. I hope everyone will join me in
welcoming back our new members when
you see them at our next event.
Welcome aboard!
Portland welcomes new Nike through Bruce International;
Secretary Brooke Muetzel. Keeping hunting for a full-time job.
with our tradition of getting to know
our new officers, here are Brooke's - What you hope to contribute to
answers to our standard set of "get to JETAA:
know ya" questions:
To get more
people
- Location and years on JET:
involved, to
Kumamoto City, 2004-2007
come up with
even more fun
- Blood Type:
events, and to
O+
increase our
- Konbini snack you miss most:
presence in the
Gobo salad, tuna-mayo onigiri, LG21 Portland
yogurt, Royal Milk Tea (I liked konbini community.
Brooke Muetzel
snacks...)
---- Best thing about being back:
Thanks,
Brooke!
Being able to see my family more often
than once a year.
For anyone else interested in
participating in JETAA Portland, there
- Hardest thing about being back:
Lack of secure job and no free housing. is a Social Chair position open now,
and the process for electing new
Officers will take place starting in
- What you are doing now:
Interning at the World Affairs Council March of next year. All the information
Speaking of our next event, it’s time for of Oregon for the International Visitor will be posted on our website and in our
our annual Bounenkai. The time to forget Program; freelance English instructor at monthly e-mail.
the woes and troubles of the past year,
while enjoying a delicious sukiyaki meal
and karaoke. I encourage you all to attend
JETAA Portland Contacts
this fun event as well as the Tunes of Officers:
Japan Networking event just prior to the
Kimberly Miyake
[email protected]
Bounenkai. There will be many Japanese President
Vice
President
Veronica
White
[email protected]
affiliated groups attending and it’s a great
Brooke Muetzel
[email protected]
way to get to know what other groups are Secretary
Treasurer
Beth
Schnyder
[email protected]
out there, what they do and make some
Matt Turner
[email protected]
valuable connections. Also, in late JET Coordinator
January we have our big community
volunteer event, Mochitsuki. Keep your Committee Chairs:
eye on the emails for new events and Cultural
Amanda Gray
[email protected]
information.
Community
Stephanie Smith
[email protected]
J-Kaiwa
Vicki Bridges,
If you are looking to get more involved in
Scott Klein
[email protected]
JETAA and want to help out, please Sports
Britt
Sexton
[email protected]
contact me at:
Career
Red Gillen
[email protected]
[email protected].
Webmaster
Bob Schnyder
[email protected]
Newsletter
Steve Thenell
[email protected]
Yoroshiku,
Kim
The JETAA Portland Newsletter is published by the Portland Chapter of the JET Alumni Association.
Information presented and views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the JET Program, the
government of Japan, or any of its entities. For comments and questions please contact the JETAA Portland
President. Please direct newsletter comments and submissions to the JETAA Portland Newsletter Editor. Keep up
on all current JETAA Portland activities and events by visiting the official website at www.jetaaportland.com.
JETAA Career Panel 2010
Annual event provides alumni with advice and a networking opportunity
In the middle of a tough economy, JET alumni recently
attended JETAA Portland’s 2010 Career Panel, to learn
useful job-hunting advice and tips. The event, held at the
Mark Spencer Hotel on November 3rd, was a chance for
2010 returnees and other alums to listen to, and mingle with,
professionals from various areas. 32 people attended.
The panel portion of the 201 0 JETAA Career Panel event.
The evening was divided into two parts; the career panel
itself, and a follow-on networking session. To best address
the varied interests of the JET alumni in attendance, the
event placed equal focus on the public, private, and
educational sectors.
Prior to kicking off the career panel, JETAA Portland
President Kim Miyake introduced JETAA Portland to the
recent returnees, including mention of the web site jobs page
and LinkedIn group. JETAA
Portland Career Chair Red Gillen
introduced other Japan-related
groups in Oregon and pointed out
a number of networking groups in
the Greater Portland area.
Noah Siegel, Director of
International Affairs for the City
of Portland, was the career panel’s
first speaker. Noah spoke about
growth areas for international
business in Portland, such as software development, sports
apparel/outdoor gear, clean technology and renewable
energy. Noah also mentioned that there were quite a bit of
in-bound international education opportunities in Portland.
Next up was Doug Smith, CFO of Inspec Group, a local
construction and engineering company. Doug explained his
long-term involvement with the Oregon-Japan business
community and spoke about the skill sets most desired by
employers. Doug also shared his observations about how
employers typically look for job candidates.
by Red Gillen
After Doug was Jeff Millard, Director of Admissions at
PSU’s MIM (Masters of International Management)
Program. The main focus of Jeff’s discussion was about
graduate degrees, the admissions process and the importance
of making the right choice about continuing education.
The evening’s final speaker was Scott Edwards, an HR
(human resources) professional and expert networker, who
used his time on the panel to share and explain networking
tips. Using visual aids, Scott explained a number of
networking “best practices”, including preparing an
“elevator pitch” that job-seekers can use to quickly convey
their skill sets and assets for a potential employer. Scott also
provided detail information about a number of networking
groups in the Greater Portland area.
After the career panel was over, networking “clusters” were
formed, to group people
of shared interests.
Keeping with the
focuses of the evening,
three clusters were
formed, one each for
the public, private and
education sectors.
Each cluster contained
Participants talk with the panelists
career panel speakers
during the networking session.
and other professionals
representing the respective sectors. In many cases, JET
alumni in professional positions took part in the clusters, to
serve as “mentors” for recent returnees. If the
conversation volumes and interaction levels were
any indication, the networking component of the
evening was a success, and useful job-hunting
information was hopefully passed onto JET
alums.
Part of JETAA Portland’s mission is “to provide
a social/professional network and peer support for
JET alumni,” and “to serve as a resource for
alumni seeking Japan-related education and
employment opportunities.” We hope the annual
career panel and other
resources and events
help both recent
returnees and past
alumni connect with
others in the business
community to find and
expand professional
opportunities.
Okaeri-kai 2010
JETAA welcomes recently returned JETs back from Japan
To all the recently returned JETs, we at JETAA would like to say,
by Veronica White
“Welcome back!” Whether you are a native Oregonian or are new to
the Portland area, we wish you a smooth transition as you settle into
your new life post-JET.
This year 25 JET alums, old
and new, gathered to
celebrate our annual Okaerikai Returnee Party. The
event began at Festival
Japan, where participants
mingled in the beer garden
and explored what the
festival booths had to offer.
Waiting for the food at Koreana (and plenty was to come).
The party then moved to
Koreana restaurant for a
Korean-style dinner, provided by JETAA Portland. Finally, the festivities moved
downstairs to Family Karaoke Studio, where participants sang their favorite Japanese
and English songs.
Once again, we would like to welcome our newest JETAA Portland members back
from the JET Program! We hope you will continue to be involved with JETAA
Enjoying conversation and lots of food.
Portland in the future.
More pictures from the Okaeri-kai:
Book Club Book Review: Never Let Me Go
Kazuo Ishiguro's haunting novel of a British boarding school for special students
Kazuo Ishiguro, a Japanese-English Hailsham. Narrated by Kathy, we learn prove that they are
novelist, moved with his family from
Nagasaki to England in 1960 at the age
of five. Therefore it is no surprise that
many of his novels, including Never Let
Me Go, are set in England
and explore aspects of
British culture and society.
Named by Time magazine as
the best novel of 2005,
Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go
is a story of childhood
nostalgia and blossoming
love, but also of a world
where humans are raised and
sacrificed in order for their
own race to survive.
Set in a dystopian British society,
Never Let Me Go follows three
children: Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy, at an
English boarding school called
that at Hailsham the students do not
follow a traditional curriculum, but are
taught to take vigilant care of their
health and are encouraged to produce
various forms of art and poetry
for the school’s art gallery.
Forbidden to have contact with
the outside world and treated
with distantness by their teachers
and outside visitors, the students
at Hailsham are aware that they
are different, even if they are
never explicitly told why.
Upon leaving Hailsham, Kathy
and her friends move to a
residential complex that will prepare
them for entering the outside world and
for their predetermined futures as
“donors”. Here they hear rumors that
former Hailsham students who can
by Veronica White
in love can defer
their donations for three years, giving
them a short opportunity to live a
normal life. This rumor follows the trio
into adulthood, as Tommy and Ruth
begin their donations and Kathy
becomes a “carer.” Finally, at Ruth’s
urging, Kathy and Tommy set out to
discover if the rumor is true, and during
their journey they discover the truth
about Hailsham and its elusive art
gallery.
Never Let Me Go is available at
Washington,
Multnomah,
and
Clackamas county libraries. A film
based on the novel, starring Carey
Mulligan and Keira Knightley, is
currently playing a limited release in the
Portland area.
JETAA Book Club Rating:
Fun with Kanji
by Steve Thenell
Do you know the character used to write the Japanese
word tsumi, meaning 'crime'?
Here it is:
But this wasn't always the character used.
When Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi unified China in 221
BC, starting the Qin Dynasty, he took a new title for
himself, written at that time in this way:
The Emperor felt that the character then in use to write
'crime':
bore too close of a resemblance to the first character in
his title, and so he ordered it changed. The replacement
was a character which at the time meant a particular
type of net for catching fish, and is now the modern
way of writing 'crime'.
It is not certain why that character was chosen as the
replacement, but some people try to interpret the
elements of the character (a 'net' on top of an element
now meaning 'bad') to explain the meaning: catching
bad people with a net.
Tabemashou!
Restaurant review group visits Shigezo and Yuzu
The
monthly Tabemashou! gatherings
have continued. Here are our reviews of
two recent restaurants:
Shigezo
Portland’s newest Japanese restaurant,
Shigezo, isn’t another sushi bar or bento
place. Located on SW Salmon Street in
downtown Portland, Shigezo features a
type of Japanese cuisine that few
Americans may be familiar with, but
every JETAA member knows and
remembers quite well: izakaya food.
Shigezo definitely has the izakaya vibe
going for it as well. Upon entering,
customers are greeted with a loud
“Irasshaimase!”
Seating options
include the sushi bar, traditional booths,
and several private tatami rooms. The
interior is beautifully decorated with
Japanese art and round lamps
resembling Japanese lanterns.
The menu at Shigezo is quite extensive
and includes kushiyaki and kushiage
skewers, okonomiyaki, ramen, several
cooked fish and meat dishes, and a few
Japanese-fusion items. Some in our
group felt that the prices were a bit high,
Shigezo Rating
Menu Selection:
Food Quality:
Service:
Ambience:
Value:
Tabemashou! Overall Rating:
on the web: shigezo-pdx.com
The group attending the Shigezo outing.
by Veronica White
and Steve Thenell
Japanese restaurants in town.
The food is generally izakaya style,
and the choice of appetizers is large. We
ordered the natto with shiso, and it was
well-received by everybody, even those
who are not typically fond of natto.
Best known for their ramen, that's the
dish most of us ordered. The opinion of
the ramen itself varied among the
connoisseurs in the group, with one
declaring it the best in the metro area,
and another disappointed by the thin
noodles.
Overall our group certainly enjoyed the
food at Yuzu, and solidly recommends
this restaurant.
but everyone agreed that the food was
totally worth it.
Standout dishes from the evening
include the tonkotsu ramen, available in
standard a family size, which was big
enough to feed all 11 of our diners! The
made-from-scratch noodles were well
liked for their firm and chewy texture. A
Japanese-style Caesar salad with dashibased dressing, smoked salmon, and a
poached egg had a delectable, delicate
flavor. The most raved about item was
the kushiyaki shiitake mushroom
skewer, seasoned and grilled to
perfection. As one Tabemashou diner
stated “That shiitake will be in my The Cha-shu ramen at Yuzu.
dreams…”
Many of our diners agreed that there is
Yuzu Rating
so much to try on Shigezo’s menu that Menu Selection:
one visit simply isn’t enough. For those
of you who miss the food your local
izakaya served in Japan, Shigezo is a
delicious and surprisingly authentic Food Quality:
option, right here in Portland!
Service:
Even when you know the exact address,
Yuzu can be difficult to find. Located in
a Beaverton strip mall, the only sign
marking the restaurant is a set of three- Ambience:
inch high letters on the door. But as
Yuzu has set itself up as a reservationonly restaurant, that works for them. Be Value:
sure to call in advance, and expect to get
an answering machine. Leave a message
and you'll get a call back, perhaps the
next day. Note that Yuzu is open for Tabemashou! Overall Rating:
dinner hours only, starting at 6pm.
Inside, the decorations were also kept
to a minimum, so Yuzu does not have as
much of a Japanese feel as other 4130 SW 117th Ave., Beaverton
Yuzu
Bilingual
Crossword
Crossword
PuzzlePuzzle
Although the clues are in English, all answers to this puzzle are in Japanese.
by by
Steve
SteveThenell
Thenell
Enter the answers into the grid using katakana. (In
Japanese puzzles, large and small katakana characters, such as and , are treated as the same.) Six of the puzzle blanks have
an extra box inside of them. When the katakana characters in these six boxes are placed in the proper order, they provide the
answer to the following question: When is a good time to be forgetful?
The solution to the puzzle will be posted on the JETAA Portland website in early January and in the next newsletter.
Answer to the September newsletter puzzle:
. Contest winner: Andrea Erickson.
ACROSS
1. You wear them on your lower half
3. A pickpocket, or Tom Cruise's
daughter
5. Where?
7. An expert
8. Ground meat
10. Time at school when the brooms
are out
11. But...
14. '______ deshita': That was delicious!
16. Seed. Read backwards, it's what goes
on top of the sushi rice
17. One of two Japanese irregular verbs
(The one that's not a Star Trek
helmsman.)
18. The extra word that would make
thanking Mr. Roboto more polite
21. Tokyo, before 1868
22. Room
24. A person, slangily
25. Future
26. One frame in manga
27. What's left after you've eaten a treat
on a stick
28. Fly
29. '______ douzo': Take your time
32. A bundle (such as flowers)
33. Companion to made
34. Words of apology
38. Japanese drum
40. Era
41. Polite language
43. Onion
45. Tibetan holy man
46. On and kun are two kinds
47. The rest; remainder
DOWN
1. 'Hitotsu ______': one at a time
2. Cap
3. Calligraphy ink
4. A fruit that is also a Beatle
5. Movement
6. Small islands
9. My Dad, not yours
10. South Korean capital
12. Hard; firm
13. Film, from the French
15. Speed
18. Mistranslation
19. Bungei Shunjuu and Shuukan Josei
are two popular ones
20. Ink and wash painting
21. The subject ALTs teach
22. The Japanese island with four
prefectures
23. That is to say
28. Cuban capital
30. More casual than a kimono
31. Bitter; miserable
32. Any unit of measurement
34. Hideki Matsui's nickname
35. '______ yaki': Sunny-side up
36. Alcohol or salmon
37. 'That's OK. Don't worry about it.'
39. Kitten
42. Sometimes mistakenly called 'dust', it's put in a dustbin
44. The kind of choko given as an obligation
You can find more of David's comics at www.lifeaftertheboe.com.
JETAA Portland
P.O. Box 8772
Portland, OR 97207
Like books? Like tea?
Us too. Even more so together.
JETAA Book Club
Next meeting:
February (date TBD)
@ Jade Teahouse
Our next book: The Thousand
Autumns of Jacob de Zoet
by David Mitchell
(see website for more details)
Japanese getting rusty?
Join us at the next
J­Kaiwa
Fri 1/7 @ Lucky Lab Brew Pub (on Hawthorne)
7:00PM ­ 9:30 PM
Would you like to contribute
to the next newsletter?
All contributions are welcome:
articles, essays, art, comics,...
write to us at
[email protected]
Upcoming Events
Sun 12/12
Fri 1/7
Sat 1/8
Sun 1/9
Sun 1/16
Sun 1/30
Fri 2/4
Tue 2/8
mid-Feb
(visit www.jetaaportland.com for more details)
Origami Workshop, Consulate-General of Japan, 1:00 PM
J-Kaiwa @ Lucky Lab (on Hawthorne), 7:00 PM
Sand & Stone Raking Workshop, Japanese Garden, 9 AM
O-Shogatsu New Year's Festival @ Japanese Garden, Noon
O-Shogatsu Cuisine @ Japanese Garden, 1:00 PM
Mochitsuki 2011, Scottish Rite Center 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
J-Kaiwa @ Lucky Lab (on Hawthorne), 7:00 PM
Tabemashou! (venue TBD), 6:00 PM
JETAA Book Club @ Jade Teahouse, 1:00 PM
Book: "The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet"
Mon 2/21 Free Admission Day, Japanese Garden
Fri 2/25 PSU Lecture: "Japan's Challenge to the International
System of Racism", by Dr. Ken Ruoff
2/25-3/3 Hina Matsuri, Japanese Garden
3/5-3/6
Bamboo Fence Building Workshop @ Japanese Garden
Tue 3/8 Volunteer Orientation @ Japanese Garden, 10:30 AM
mid-Mar JETAA Book Club @ Jade Teahouse, 1:00 PM
Book: "Norwegian Wood" by Haruki Murakami
Wed 3/16 Noh and Kyogen Plays @ PSU, 7:00 PM