Image Source: Flickr | Jimmy Baikovicius " Stone Mountain, Lasershow, Atlanta" (cc 2.0)
We have some big events coming up over the next few months. As you can see, this month will be busy with a family friendly BBQ and undokai along with the 2014 Q&A Session for Departing JET Participants. After the JETs depart we will be working on Japanese classes, showing some films, getting ready for Japan Fest Atlanta, and a welcome back for the returning JETs! If you have an idea for a monthly "Tanoshii Time" or social / networking event please let us know.
Thanks,
Stephen Haverfield
Yeu-Li Huang
(Contributions to the newsletter are welcome! Please send ideas and/or content to jetaase@yahoo.com)
Joint JETAASE / JASG Annual Family BBQ Picnic and Undokai
Come help us welcome the summer season and join us for an afternoon of fun, good food, and friendship. We will gather at Kennesaw State University on Saturday, June 14th for a family cook-out and field day. If you are interested, please register by Thursday, June 12th at the link below. $10 will cover all food, drinks, games, and special door prizes! All JASG, Young Professionals, Tomodachi Club, JETAASE members, Kennesaw State University Japan Club members, and your friends, family, and guests are welcome so please encourage your friends and family to come!
Date: Saturday, June 14, 2014 (Rain-Out Day: Sunday, June 22, 2014)
Location:
Kennesaw State University (on the Green)
1000 Chastain RoadKennesaw, GA 30144
www.kennesaw.edu/alumnifriends_directions.shtml
Cost:
ADULTS: $10
CHILDREN under 10: $5
Register at: www.jasgeorgia.org/register/form.php?id=36
Schedule of Events:
- 10:30am: Registration & Team Division
- 11:00am: Undo-Kai/Field Day Events: (Tug-of-war, Tama-Ire, Beach Ball Dodge Ball, Tee-shirt Relay Race, Egg Relay, Yopparai Relay, Kumitaiso Kanji, Beach Ball Hanetsuki, Janken Battle Game, Doughnut Eating Relay - final activities to TBD)
- 12:30pm: Family BBQ Picnic Lunch
- 2:00pm: Children's Games
- 2:30pm: Awards & Door Prizes
2014 Q&A for Departing JET Participants
On June 28th, 2014, 35 departing JETs and 13 guests will meet with JET alumni (and one JETparent) to get answers to their questions about living in Japan. The volunteers will help the departing JETs with topics such as Expectations and Community Involvement, Culture Shock,Emergency preparedness, Banking and Finance, Job functions (ES&JHS/ HS/ CIR, Parents & Spouses,) Packing / What to Bring, Learning Japanese, Team-tTaching/ Coworker Relations, Food and Etiquette, Setting Goals, and Issues Particular to Female JETs, Rural JETs, and Minority JETs.
Thank you to all volunteers, officers, and coordinators who have all been working hard to make the departing JETs transition to life in Japan a smooth one: Liz Bigler, Emily Clanton, Kate Cotter-Reilly, Stephen Haverfield, Yeu-Li Huang, Lorena Jordan , Judy O'Reilly, Paul Schultz, Princess Small, Jason Smith, Valerie Stewart, Mellissa Takeuchi, Rachelle Udell, and Elizabeth Williams!
2014 Q&A Nijikai / June Tanoshii Time: Come and Meet New JETs
JETAASE will be holding our annual JETAASE-sponsored Q&A session/orientation for newly departing 2014 JETs from the Southeast. For those who couldn't volunteer at the pre-departure orientation, we hope you will join us at the post-orientation get-together, otherwise known as the nijikai. Meet new JETs as well as JET alumni!
Date and Time: Saturday, June 28, 2014, 5:00 PM
Location: Hudson Grille Brookhaven
4046 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30319 (across from MARTA Brookhaven Station, parking in rear lot)
RSVP to: jetaase@yahoo.com or via Facebook
The Nihongo / Eigo Kai
The Nihongo/Eigo-Kai is a JASG friendly social gathering for anyone looking for an opportunity to chat in, practice, and improve on their Japanese and English conversation skills - speaking, listening, pronunciation, accent reduction, etc. The meetings will be held at coffee shops, meeting rooms, and other venues in Metro Atlanta on the last weekend of each month.
June Nihongo/Eigo Kai Meeting Information
Date and Time: Sunday, June 29, 2014 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Location: Joli Kobe Bakery & Cafe
5600 Roswell Rd, Atlanta, GA 30342
(404)-843-3257
Topic: TBD
RSVP to: jasgevents@mindspring.com or 404-842-1400
Kakehashi Project: Atlanta Report
From March 25th-27th 2014, 400 high-school Japanese students traveled to Atlanta as part of the Kakehashi Project, a fully-funded, large-scale youth exchange program between Japan and the United States. These students visited local schools and organizations, as well as popular locales.
Randy Crutchfield, a teacher and JET alumnus, hosted one of these groups at Lanier High School. His report is below:
Twenty-three students and their chaperones arrived at Lanier High School on March 26th. Their group split in half and made presentations in two classes. In each class, the students had time for free-conversation. Before the end of the class, both classes convened in a large room where the Kagoshima group taught the Lanier students a traditional dance which people in Kagoshima perform during one of their annual festivals. The two photos attached show students enjoying this dance.
Following the dancing, the students from Kagoshima and about 50 students from Lanier enjoyed a pizza party complete with live music provided by students from Lanier's guitar club. During this time, students exchanged email addresses and shared photos. Students also formed tour groups to tour Lanier's spacious and beautiful building. Before the Kagoshima students left, Lanier students presented each of them with a gift bag containing an LHS t-shirt, lanyard, stickers, and a few other small items. LHS is thrilled that the students from Kagoshima could spend part of their day with us. We hope to host other Kakehasi events.
Following their tours, the students convened at Georgia Tech, where they discussed in small groups their homestays in America. Each group gave a speech presenting the highlight of their experiences. In those speeches, they touched upon the differences between Japanese and American culture, learning to adapt in a foreign environment, the difficulties in learning English, as well as other topics. Regardless of the different experiences, every speech shared a common theme: the students felt they were enriched by their time abroad and motivated to continue cultivating global experiences and connections.
Many thanks to the Japanese Consulate and the Laurasian Institute for coordinating the students' trip to Atlanta!