JETAA VIC TAS Newsletter
October 2003
October 2003
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JETAA VIC TAS Newsletter
October 2003 |
Greetings fellow Alumni, I’m Zoe Thompson (JET 2000-2002 Yamanashi) and
I’ve volunteered to be newsletter editor for a year. I hope to provide
an interesting and informative read. I apologise for getting it off to a late
start. I’m grateful to Chris and Yvette and Jennifer for showing me the
ropes and helping out with photos and articles. Thanks guys!
Did you receive the June 2003 JET Streams Newsletter? For those still pondering
their post Japan life – like me - this well conceived article is worth
the read. Titled “Go back to school!” written by Peter Matanle (ALT
Tokushima 1989-91). For the recent returnees (since July 2003) we have included
an article by Rowena in your return-pack. These will be posted out to you as
soon as we receive your addresses from CLAIR. If you’d like to receive
it a little earlier please contact Justine at JICC - 9639 3277.
Any short articles on any Japan
related topics are appreciated. Please email me at: VICTAS–newsletter@jet.org
Christmas
Dinner – Saturday 6th December (to
be confirmed)
The end of the year is coming up fast again so keep our annual Christmas dinner
in mind. At this stage we haven’t picked a venue, but the date has been
tentatively set as 6th December. More details coming soon.
Careers Evening
– late October early November
We’re also planning a Career’s Evening for late October / early
November. The event is not only for people who have just returned from Japan,
but those who are wondering how to utilise their experiences in Japan, or those
wanting to update their resumes. More details will be coming soon.
Inaugural
JET Alumni Car Rally
The beautiful warm month of March saw the inaugural JET Alumni Association car
rally get under way, accompanied by devious, cunning tactics, as all participants
engaged in a very serious combat of clue spotting. The day started out at the
Melbourne zoo in Parkville, with twenty or so participants meeting to gather
clues and forms teams. The rally was based on careful observations of surroundings
along the way and allowed for a meandering wander through the Victorian countryside,
with stops in Flowerdale, which consists of a General Store and a pub, or nearby
towns, for a leisurely lunch. The trip ended in Mansfield, with the hotel staff
astounded and a little worried about how seriously we took the whole event.
The winners, by a very narrow margin and a bout if junken were Jennifer, Justine,
Shayne and Mayumi. We then enjoyed a hearty dinner, lots of drinks, and an enjoyable
evening, returning home the next day. Overall the event was undoubtedly an unequivocal
success and if we didn’t already now know the answers to the clues, we’d
do it again. Any ideas for next year, please let us know, although a Murder
/ Mystery may be in the pipe works.
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Car Rally - Jennifer Swanton, Justine Osborne, Mayumi Fukushima, Shayne Conway |
Japan Festival
The annual Japan festival went off again this year with a huge bang! Around
8,000 people turned up at the Box Hill town hall to participate in the event,
which offered the chance to watch various acts, taste all your favourite foods
and stock up on all sorts of Japanese goodies. Outside was the SBS radio van
broadcasting live, along with numerous foodstalls offering goodies such as takoyaki
and okonomiyaki. Inside you could buy cheap noodles, sake and manjyu, along
with Japanese items for the house such as tatami mats, shoji screens and pillows.
On stage, a great array of musical events were held all day, with a fantastic
taiko concert to finish off the day. An event not to be missed, but if you did,
it will be on again next year around June, so write it in your diaries.
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Pre-Departure
Events
The latest cohort of JETs has just headed off to Japan, making us all wish we
were heading off again. Before heading off, the participants attended a day
of seminars on living and teaching in Japan and got to grill JET alumni members
of the nuts and bolts of living in Japan. Everyone was remarkably early on the
day of departure, a first according to Justine Osbourne from the Consulate.
Family members galore farewelled their friends, who’ve begun a journey
that’s hard to describe even when you get back! We wish them the best
of luck for their stay in Japan.
Diner’s
Club
What a night! At this authentic one chef Japanese restaurant we enjoyed the
cosy atmosphere and food. What a turnout! There were 20 of us in total so pre
ordering the entrée was a very good idea. We had plenty of time to laugh
and talk. We were pleased to meet recent returnees Ruth and Laura and hope to
see more recent returnees at future upcoming events. If you’re in the
area why not try Dontaku Restaurant (Kyushu-style) 526 City Road, South Melbourne.
Baby News
Congratulations to Deborah and Courtney who on August 16 this year became the
proud parents of baby Ashton (boy) 8lbs 3oz.
News from
the Consulate
We’d also like to welcome the new Vice-Consul for Cultural Affairs and
Director of the JICC, Mr Ashida, to Melbourne.
“Look, no
toothpaste” Herald Sun, Friday 12 September 2003 p.24
Family squabbles about who left the top off the toothpaste could become a thing
of the past. Scientists claim to have invented a toothbrush that cleans teeth
without the need for toothpaste. The Ionic hyG, invented in Japan, works by
sending a mild electric current through the fibres. Teeth are naturally negatively
charged, whereas plaque carries a positive charge, making it stick to the enamel
surface. But when the brush, powered by a lithium battery, makes contact with
the teeth, they receive a positive charge and repel any plaque, inventors say.
More than 20 million hyG brushes have been sold in the US and Japan. (Wow! A
few days later, another article ran in the paper saying that this new system
was just as good as the humble toothbrush - Editor)
Andrew MacGregor
accomplished shakuhachi player now residing in Melbourne, in collaboration with
award winning koto player Miho Yamaji from Japan have release a new CD called
“ren-men”. This is a collection of pieces that they performed during
their acclaimed tour of Australia earlier this year. For more information about
Andrew MacGregor please visit http://www.japanworldmusic.com
