#jetaa

[myanamo]

Natsu Matsuri 2019

I illustrated and designed the poster for JETAA Ottawa's Japanese summer festival, Natsu Matsuri, to take place on July 21 at Ottawa City Hall. If you’re in the area that weekend, come for a day of dance, martial arts, music and fun booths celebrating Japanese culture!

[maia-abroad]

Some of my former students graduated the other day. A few of them started following me on Instagram when I left, but I didn’t expect to be “put on blast” for commenting on some graduation pictures... haha; (but he immediately PM’d me and asked if I remember that one time we ran into each other playing Pokémon GO on Miyajima and was stoked that I not only remembered but still had the picture) This most recent third year lot was probably the group I bonded with and miss the most. I feel kind of emotional and so proud of them thousands of miles away and I’m truly expecting great things from them. I seriously feel like the reason I’m now in Australia, doing what I’m doing is because of this group of kids. I think that was maybe the best thing about JET. Just the reaffirmation that, this is somehow what I want to spend the rest of my life doing.

[maia-abroad]

Sometimes I “still” wonder if JET was the best time of my life...

I love Australia and I’m still super happy here, but damn sometimes I really really really miss my life in Japan. 

[maia-abroad]

Used my JETAA connections to get an invite tonight to a dinner with the Executive Director of CLAIR tonight (I.E the government branch that essentially runs the JET Programme). It was lovely to chat about our experiences on JET, where we are now and the future of the programme. I’m constantly humbled by not only the friends I’ve made worldwide through my time in Japan, but also the opportunities JET provided me with.

[maia-abroad]

I was asked to represent Victoria's JET Alumni Association this weekend in Auckland at the Oceania conference. I'm also presenting on sustainability and growth within JET and JETAA. For the first time in my JET career I was given a fancy pants physical dinner invitation opposed to a PDF. (Side note: I've been to four consulates general's residences in three different countries since my "JET Career" started and Auckland by far has the best food- Melbourne needs to step up its game)

[maia-abroad]

Back in Melbourne after a three day JETAA Oceania conference in Auckland. I learned so much about the inner workings of JETAA and it was fun to reunite with some of my buddies from my time on National AJET.

If you’re a recent returnee or returned JET definitely reach out and get in touch. We’re here to help and support you in any way you can when you return.

[5ellaal5]

TIL the first English Teacher in Japan was Native American (Chinook)

Happy Indigenous People’s day in these United States, from Oregon.

So yesterday I went to a talk because a friend was involved in organizing it. I was ready to patiently sit through the usual history of white men extolling the coolness of other white men throughout history.

But I was to be very surprised. He was not White. And he was indeed hella cool.

Turns out the first English Teacher in Japan was a half-Native American (Chinook) half-Scottish man (both Colonized populations) born on the (now) Oregon coast in 1824, who spent some early adult years in Canada, and then stowed away to get into Japan while it was still locked down to any foreigners, and first met the Ainu (Hokkaido’s indigenous population - remember that Japan is also a colonizer) before meeting the Japanese.

Then he was captured by samurai and held prisoner and taught English to them and to Dutch traders while imprisoned. He had taught himself Japanese and wrote a dictionary/glossary by ear.

So, this person said F U to two empires and multiple borders and had a life of adventure! He died age 70 back in Washington State near the Canadian border.

Gonna read his biography now. There are a number of options.

There is a non-fiction manga form:

Ranald MacDonald - Eostre Publications

And a novelization that I just got for no cost, and a number of others, including his own autobiography that has been reprinted.

Unfortunately the room that the talk was in was so horrifically echoey that I had to sleep for several hours after I got home and had to look up all the info that the presenter conveyed because I couldn’t hear him.

So I’m looking forward to learning more.

(I also watched a clip of a show that thwarted the expectations of supremacist culture by informing the game contestants that the city with the largest number of English speakers is Mumbai. Fuck yeah. It’s a good sort of Fuck Colonialist Supremacy couple of days.)

[teriyakitime]

So I actually design mascots, currently for @usjetaa @jetaausa chapters. I'm working on a couple right now, so here is a little preview of one I sketched out. I'm not super positive on this one, but it's a process :) . . . #art #365project #artist #instagramartist #jetaa #japan #mascot #jetprogram #kimono #cute #bison #yuruchara #ゆるきゃら #日本 #かわいい (at Denver, Colorado) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKvZwZtjfzM/?igshid=eusqxfe5x1wx