BLOCK MEETINGS WINTER INFORMATION RECONTRACTING ALTS IN THE NEWS AKITA-BEN
In this issue Tips on staying warm in winter ··························· 4 Recontracting information ·································· 7 ALTs in the news ·················································· 8 Block meetings ···················································· 10 Traveling ······························································ 12 ALTs in the news ·················································· 14 Winterizing your apartment ······························· 16 English Camp photos··········································· 18 ALTs in the news ·················································· 20 Akita-ben corner ················································· 22 Lesson corner ······················································ 23 JALT······································································ 24
Winter is quickly approaching and for some of us it will be the first time experiencing it. Even if you are used to winter back home, you will encounter many differences here in Japan. This issue of The Akitan will cover many important points necessary for surviving this winter. Make sure you don’t miss the useful information on staying warm and active!
PA Info Randy Umetsu 080-4608-1073 randy.umetsu@gmail.com
Josh Drewry Remember that if you ever need anything you can always call your PAs. If you don’t already have their phone numbers in your phone, then put them in now! We hope everyone enjoys this edition of The Akitan and has a fantastic Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year! -Your PAs
090-2987-1984 jdrewry.akita@gmail.com
Stephanie Hupp 090-7565-5049 stephaniehupp11@gmail.com
Taylor Fustin 080-3322-3820 taylor.fustin@gmail.com AJET Peer Support Group Everyday 8 p.m.–7 a.m. Toll free: 050-5534-5566
As the changing leaves start to fall and the wind starts to bring in the first snow of the season, we find ourselves once again in the throes of winter. Worry not though; there are plenty of ways to stay warm, safe, and happy here in The North. Here are some various ways to keep you and your apartment warm and cozy this winter.
Kotatsu A kotatsu, or heated table, is a staple in many Japanese homes. Essentially, it’s your run of the mill coffee table with a heating element underneath. Remove the top, throw down a blanket, turn that baby on, and trap the heat inside. The heat is adjustable to get the temperature just right. Warning though, once seated, you may find it extremely difficult to get up and do anything else. Available at many home department stores, prices can run 7,000 yen to 20,000 for the table and blankets.
Kerosene Kerosene heaters are a cheaper alternative to using a wall unit. These, like most other appliances, come in a variety of sizes. Some are attached to the wall for ventilation, while others are free standing. To get kerosene for your heater, get your container, head to the gas station, and ask for touyu ç Ż 沚. Gas attendants will gladly fill up your container for you. Caution though, kerosene heaters emit more fumes, which can be very strong with older appliances. If yours is NOT ventilated, make sure to crack a window open every few hours to allow ventilation and prevent a build-up of carbon monoxide.
Wall Unit Though generally more expensive because of its use of electricity, your wall unit can also be used to heat your apartment. Using your remote, select the 暖房 kanji, adjust the temperature, and you’re good to go. Many wall units have timers on them, so set them about an hour before you come home to enter a nice, cozy apartment rather than the likes of a walk -in fridge.
Heated Fan Sometimes called a ナノコン カーボンヒーター, or Nano Carbon Heater, in Japanese, these run like a normal electrical fan but emit heat rather than blow out cool air. You can adjust the temperature to low, medium, or high, or set it to rotate around the room. These are a great alternative to kerosene heaters, but may not be as effective depending on the size of the room. Larger ones can cost upwards of 6,000 yen.
Heated blankets and carpet Japan has a huge variety of heated housing accessories to make the winter a bit more bearably. You can buy heated carpets in different sizes; simply plug them into the wall, and you’re good to go. Electric blankets are a great way to stay warm while you sleep. Though some suggest you don’t lay directly on the material to avoid being burned. Instead, tuck it under your fitted sheet or sleep with a sheet on top of it.
Heated Packets Also called hokkairo ホッカイロ in Japanese, these are perfect for warming your hands or stuffing into gloves, boots, and pockets. Ranging in size, these pocket warmers heat up only after you take them out of their individual package and generally last a good 12 hours. They are perfect for skiing, snowboarding, or those cold, long waits for the train. They are very inexpensive, and be found at most conbinis, drugs stores, and supermarkets.
Get out of your apartment! As tempting as it is to hide under your kotatsu and watch copious amounts of Dexter and Game of Thrones, get out of your apartment once in a while! As you’ve been told countless times already, Akita gets very cold and snowy and winter which may lead to seasonal depression and cabin fever. Get out of your apartment once and a while! Go out for coffee, visit a friend, or try a new winter sport; just do whatever you need or want to do to get you out of the house for a least a few hours. The hardest part is forcing yourself to get out, but once you do, you’ll be glad you did.
Don’t fret over costs The cost of electricity is higher in Japan than where most of us are from, but don’t let pinching pennies keep you cold this winter. Slightly higher electric bills or the cost of filling up on 灯油 is well worth the money to keep yourself warm. With no insulation in many houses and apartments, they get cold very quickly. Spend the extra money to keep yourself warm; I promise you it’s worth the money to not be miserable. “Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.” -Edith Sitwell.
Lastly, remember that Akita has many renowned winter festival and dishes. Have a nabe party with your friends then go out to see the Namahage or duck inside a kamakura. The winter is only as long and dark as you let it, and it certainly doesn’t have to be! Contributed by Stephanie Hupp
Soon it will be recontracting time! And you know what that means... You have to decide if you will recontract! Some of you may have already received your Contracting Organization Intent to Reappoint and JET Participant Intent Confirmation Form (A-1) or the Confirmation Regarding Reappointment Form (A-2), which means you will not be reappointed. Most, if not all, JETs will receive Form A-1. Please be sure to review the terms, conditions, and other provisions of your next appointment and indicate whether or not you choose to accept it. Regardless of your choice your form must be returned to your CO by February 7, 2014. For 1st year ALTs it may feel like it is very early to be asking for a decision on a second year. That’s because it is. However, use these next few months to think about what you’d like to do.
If you choose not to recontract, then make sure you start your job search early. You don’t want to find yourself packing to go home and wondering about whether you will have a job. Remember your PAs and Block Leaders are always more than happy to talk about anything you may have on your mind regarding recontracting.
For detailed information visit http://www.jetprogramme.org/e/news/reappointment.html
Foreigners and College Students Join the AJJ Halloween Party Halloween Costumes Win Applause and Cheers October 30, 2013 On October 26, Akita Association of JETs (AAJ), which is run by Assistant Language Teachers who teach English in the prefecture, sponsored a charity Halloween party at the club Jamhouse in Nakadori, Akita City. Three-hundred and seventeen foreigners and college students in Akita attended in costumes. Participants came as zombies, the Frankenstein monster, Alice of Alice in Wonderland, etc. and enjoyed the costume contest and dancing. Loud applause and cheers rocked the venue as participants explained their outfits on stage. AAJ has held this Halloween party annually since 2011, and part of the profits from the event has been donated to hospitals and welfare institutions. This year 400,000 yen will go to Japanese Red Cross Akita Hospital, Akita University Hospital, Nakadori General Hospital, and Kanonkou Childcare Center. (Shoko Fujita) Picture: Participants at the Halloween party Translated by Gaketsu Ko, edited by Randy Umetsu
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Block Meetings The yearly Block Meetings are coming up soon! This year they will be held on Friday, January 24. For those of you who have never attended, the block meetings are when all the people within your block come together for a day to meet. People will present on various things and you will participate in a cultural activity. You will be expected to wear work attire. If you have any questions regarding your block meetings or would like to present, then please contact your Block Leaders.
Block Meetings will be held on Friday, January 24.
Information will be posted here when available.
Traveling If you are traveling this winter break, then please be sure to inform a Block Leader or PA of your plans. To be safe it is always a good idea to leave a photocopy of your passport in your desk at work or somewhere in your house that is accessible. If you lose your passport or your bag is stolen while you are gone, then you will be in trouble without some way to verify your identity. Remember to have fun and be safe!
For more information about traveling in and out of Japan, click here.
Where in the World is Sugichi? Sugichi is the Akita mascot. In past years we have encouraged ALTs traveling abroad to bring a picture of Sugichi and take a picture with him. Please add to our Sugichi photo archive on the Akita Wiki.
This beautiful man brought Sugichi with him to New Zealand.
Print out a picture of Sugichi from the internet or make your own!
www.akitajet.com/wiki/
Butterbur Sprout Introducing the Attractions of the Japanese Garden in English Ayako Suda, a former school teacher in Takanashi, Daisen, introduced the Ikeda Family Garden, which is also a Nationally Designated Place of Scenic Beauty located in Akita prefecture, to foreign tourists in English on November 5. Suda was the principal of Takanashi Elementary School before she retired this spring. She then registered as a volunteer guide for the garden and practiced continually introducing the attractions of the garden to foreigners using her strong abilities in the language.
This day was Suda’s first actual guide in English. She explained the attractions of the garden in autumn and the distinguished services of the Ikeda family in establishing a free medical clinic and starting school lunch programs to Xiuli Lee (ALT from Singapore) and Airen Lin (visitor from Singapore).
Lin smiled and said, “On top of being able to enjoy such beautiful scenery I was also able to learn so much about the Ikeda family’s involvement in this area. Thank you very much.”
(Tomonori Sato) Translated by Gaketsu Ko, edited by Randy Umetsu
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Winterizing your Apartment
Seal your doors- there are often spaces around the door frame, especially between the bottom of the door and the floor. You can visit the hundred yen shop or home center and purchase stop panels; these can be the tape ones or foam. If all else fails you can stuff a towel at the base of the door.
Face your windows with bubble wrap of the plastic sheets with double stick tape at the back. Bubble wrap may be cheaper though as it can be purchased at the hundred yen shop or home center
Close all unused spaces to avoid heat loss. It would be great to heat your entire house but it is not cost effective. Instead heat only the spaces you need and use thick curtains and carpets to trap the heat inside.
For other crafty ideas please check : http://www.survivingnjapan.com/2010/11/8-waysto-winterize-your-japanese.html Ways to make your apartment cozy for winter
Scented Candles- buy yourself a selection of candles with warm festive fragrances such as cinnamon, chocolate, pine or even lavender. You can stack them together or distribute them through your space. These will provide subtle warmth and make your space smell inviting.
Have warm fuzzy blankets on your couch and take time to layer your bed with an electric blanket, comforters and heavy blankets.
Take a long steamy bath as often as you like with some of the best bath salts easily obtained at the drugstore or home center. If you can’t make it an onsen create your own, with essential oils such as peppermint or rosemary and breathe in the aromas. Also have a thick bathrobe or sweater on hand for leaving the shower.
Another way to make your space feel cozy is to add drops of your favorite essential oil to your humidifier. The vapor will caress your nostrils and make your space smell heavenly. NB. (Scrub your humidifier regularly if you use essential oils in it)
Cook lots of soups and stews and the heat from your stove will help to warm your space. Quick 20 minute soup recipes can be found here http://www.cookinglight.com/ food/quick-healthy/20-20-superfast-soups-00400000039394/page40.html Contributed by Alexia Nelson
D
riving in the winter can be tricky, especially if it is your first time. If you haven’t already,
then it is time to go have your winter tires put on. The roads in Akita are not usually salted and sometimes not even plowed. This means that the chance of having an accident is greatly increased during the winter. Here are some tips to drive safely this winter. 1.
Decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you.
2.
Brake gently to avoid skidding. Most cars in Japan have ABS now. It is no longer necessary to ease of the brake for fear of your wheels locking up. If the ABS begins to work, then break strongly. You should feel your pedal vibrate if the ABS has been activated.
3.
Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.
4.
Keep your lights and windshield clean.
5.
Use low gears to keep traction, especially on hills.
6.
Don’t use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads.
7.
Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses, and infrequently traveled roads, which will freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing, if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges.
8.
Don’t pass snow plows and sanding trucks. The drivers have limited visibility, and you’re likely to find the road in front of them worse than the road behind.
9.
Don’t assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.
10. Assemble a survival kit to keep in your car in case of emergencies For more awesome tips check out the wiki section on winter driving! www.akitajet.com/wiki/winter_driving
Have you been to English Camp yet? If not, you are missing out!!!
I love English Camp! How about you?
! s w e n e h t n i ALTs
181 ALTs and Educators Within Akita Prefecture Learn English Teaching Methods from the Conference Held in Katagami City October 29, 2013 A conference for Assistant Language Teachers (ALT) and educators from elementary, junior and high schools within Akita prefecture was held at the Prefectural Education Center in Katagami City on October 28. One-hundred eighty-one participants learned English teaching methods through mock lessons and other such workshops. The mock lesson was presented by two ALTs. One presenter was Kenneth Grant (24) from the United Kingdom, who is in charge of nine elementary schools in Oga City. They played games in English with students (acted by the other participants), such as finding objects of a specific color in the room and guessing the object in the box. At the end of the workshop, they asked participants to discuss the interesting points and assignments in groups. An ALT from Kitaakita, Sean Corrigan (27) from the United States said, “English is easy to remember for those who enjoy it. It was useful to learn games that get the participants moving.” Jonathan Stimmer (27) from the United States is an ALT from Mitane. He presented the mock lesson together with Kenneth Grant and said, “I hope both students and teachers can experience the cultures of English-speaking countries while they learn English.” This workshop is held annually by MEXT (The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) and Prefectural Board of Education. (Ryoma Sato) Translated by Gaketsu Ko, edited by Randy Umetsu
Akita-ben Corner With Pat Costello, a.k.a Akita-ben Mastah
What is Akita-ben? Akita-ben, literally translating to “Akita dialect,” is a sub-dialect of the Tohoku dialect umbrella (often called Zuzu-ben). For most of us, learning Japanese is hard enough as it is. Throw Akita-ben into the mix and we have a nearly unintelligible language. (It is often accompanied by subtitles in national broadcasts). But not to fear! Give these Akita-ben phrases a try and you will be conversing with the local obaachan and ojiichan in no time (WARNING: Not for use in formal situations)! In every new issue of The Akitan, we will be featuring a new Akitaben word or phrase.
タンセ By now most of us know how to ask for something or for someone to do something using ください or おねがいします. However, Akita-ben has its own way for asking.
Example: Randy, てつだってください！ (testudatte kudasai) ↓ Randy, てつだってタンセ！ (tetsudatte tanse)
Translation: Randy, help me!
I wou ld lov e to help y ou!!!! !
Pictionary Relay This activity is great for reviewing vocabulary!
1.
Cut out individual slips of paper for all the different vocabulary words that you wish to review
2.
Make enough so that each group gets a set
3.
Explain how to play pictionary
4.
Break students into groups and assign them each a portion of the blackboard
5.
Each group has to draw and correctly guess all their words (students switch after each word)
6.
The group that finishes first is the winner
The amount of time depends on the amount and difficulty of the vocabulary. Words like simple nouns will be easier while verbs or feelings will be much more difficult. This game is fun as a warm up or review for previously learned vocabulary. It also gets the students up and moving .
Lesson Corn
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Akita JALT
A
re you interested in learning more about language teaching? Would you like to connect with other language teachers around Akita or maybe Japan? If so, then you may be interested in The Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT).
JALT is a non-profit organization dedicated to the improvement of language teaching and learning both within Japan and internationally. The Akita JALT chapter meets monthly and invites you to check out the workshops. You will find a schedule for workshops for the year on their website.
There is a charge of 500 yen for all non-members (It used to be 1,000 yen, but they lowered it for
us!) JALT members and students are free. Scheduled meetings are at JOIN US in Akita City.
NOTE: The Akita JALT community would love to learn more about the JET Programme in Akita and team teaching. If you are interested in presenting something, please contact Wayne Malcom: wamalcom@gmail.com
We hope that you found this newsletter useful. If you have any suggestions to make The Akitan better, please do not hesitate to contact us. Lastly, submissions from you will make this work-related newsletter all the more interesting. So, if you have lesson activities, work-related essays, job postings, news articles, photos, etc., please submit them to one of the PAs. As always, thanks for reading!
Life After the BOE by David Namisato
We are looking for great photos and articles by you! Please send anything you would like to contribute to one of the PAs and help make The Akitan even better!
Created by your PAs Design and layout : Randy Umetsu and Taylor Fustin Contributors: Jordan Oxborough Randy Umetsu Pat Costello Stephanie Hupp Alexia Nelson
This edition’s photos were contributed by Jordan Oxborough. Check out his photo blog at: http://oxborough.co.nz/tohoku
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