JETAA Chapter Events – July 2021
**Page will be updated as new events are created**
We welcome corrections or omissions! Email us at contact@usjetaa.org!
Links to events in private/closed Facebook groups may not be available unless you are in the group.
WEEKLY VIRTUAL EVENTS
JETAANY Nihongo Dake Conversation Hour
Date: Every Monday
Time: 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. EDT
Details: Join us virtually every Monday to keep your Japanese language skills sharp. This chat is for Japanese speakers at the intermediate level or higher. Each week is a different theme, so come join in on the fun! There’s no fee to participate.
RSVP & Questions: contact Giuseppe di Martino via email
JETAA Southern California: Water Cooler – Every Tuesday at 12:00 PM PST via Zoom (passcode: 018586)
WFH blues got you down? Not being productive anyway? Just need a place to eat lunch? Take a break at the JETAASC Water Cooler!
This is a casual drop-in type hang out where you can say hi, stick around for some lunchtime conversation, or just tune in to some ambient social interaction we’ve all been missing away from the office. Bring your favorite drink or a full meal, pop in for a few minutes or an hour. We’re continuing to make this a weekly event to start your week off right.
JETAA Great Lakes Netflix Watch Party – Every Wednesday at 6:00 PM PST. Join Facebook group for details.
Every Wednesday at 8 we’ll be hosting a watch party! See the posts for specific details on what is currently being viewed, and how to join. We hope to see you there! We will still use teleparty due to size limitations on Hulu’s watch party service. Please remember that the teleparty app will need to be installed into your browser ahead of time and can be found at netflixparty.com ! In addition, you will need an account with Hulu to be able to join. The first watch party link will be posted at 8 and the video will begin playing at 8:30. We will watch four episodes per week so if you miss this week, you can always watch them in your own time before next week! Register by Email
JETAA Radio Taiso – Every Friday morning at 8:30 AM PT/11:30 AM ET
NEW Registration link
https://tinyurl.com/y55o4rzl
Fill out this quick Zoom registration once to get access to Radio Taiso that will work for every week you are able to join. Join your fellow JET alumni for Radio Taiso every Friday morning! It’s a 3-6 min stretch followed by a quick social check-in if you have time to chat. Join the virtual stretch via zoom:
11:30am EDT (New York); 10:30am CDT (Kansas City); 9:30am MDT (Denver), 8:30am PST (Los Angeles)
JETAA Washington DC Japanese Script Reading Club – Every Sunday at 2:00PM to 3:00PM ET. Sign up form
Join your fellow Japanese language learners and read through a Japanese short play script! The first read-through is for language study, the second read-through is for putting emotion into your Japanese. There will be three language levels available (easy, medium, hard), and a native-speaking Japanese Pronunciation Coach in every zoom breakout room.Email jetambassador@jetaadc.org with any questions. yo sign up : https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScl3pMd4reYVdHdyo_iqkjKubOKrL2m_ejc_KEKJFjBl1lzMg/viewform
July 3 at 6:30 PM CT – JETAA Texoma Offline Happy Hour
Heights Bier Garten, Houston, TX
July 10 at 2 PM EDT JETAADC and Study Japanese in Arlington (SJA) Virtual Art Seminar with Carol Morland, PhD
Date/Time: Saturday, July 10 at 2 pm EDT
The tale of star-crossed lovers celebrated on 7/7 has spurred the imagination of painters and poets since ancient times. Please join expert Carol Morland on July 10th at 2pm EDT for a journey beyond the colorful summer festival of today to explore Tanabata’s rich history and the ways it has been represented in Japanese art. The seminar will be hosted on Zoom with ample time for Q&A.
Register Here by July 8th: https://docs.google.com/forms/
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/animal-crossing-game-night-tickets-161811587815?aff=newsletter
Unwind this weekend with a virtual trip to an island getaway filled with your favorite friends and whimsical island stay-cationers. That’s right, it’s a night just for Animal Crossing!
Grab your Switch and join us on Discord to chat and receive Dodo Codes while we fly the Dodo way across islands and seas.
Have fun, explore, and if you get into trouble, ask yourself, “What would a dodo do?”
We’ll begin at 7:00 PM, and we will be voice chatting on Discord. Click this link to join the Discord or sign up for free.
July 11 at 11 AM PT – JETAA Portland, JETAABC & PNWJETAA Present: Kyara-Ben Contest!
Kyara-ben is short for Character Bento, the art of making cute, detailed box lunches that look like popular characters. Extremely popular in Japan, it is not uncommon for Japanese moms to create cute and intricate designs for their children’s lunches, even every day. However, Kyara-ben is not just enjoyed by children, but has been popularized for people of all ages in Japan and around the world through social media and magazines.
We challenge you all to exercise your creativity and cooking skills to create some amazing bentos and meet some fun, like-minded people. JET Alums, JETAA friends and family– everyone is welcome. The more, the merrier! All are welcome to compete or just watch and admire the amazing bentos that everyone has created.
Main event: July 11th @ 11:00am – for contest winner announcements, discussion, and socializing.
More details at: the PNWJETAA website or the Facebook Event Page
Registration: Sign up here! (<–For contestants and observers.)
July 11 at 4-6 PM ET – JETAA Great Lakes Membership Meeting
Would you like to get further into our little alumni community? Do you have ideas to contribute for future events, or have feedback for us? Anything you want to talk about? Or you just feel like saying hi? Well then, you are welcome to come to our Zoom meeting!
July 12 at 6:30 PM CST – JETAA Chicago July Open Board Meeting
At our July meeting, we will be discussing plans for future events and other opportunities in the virtual space! Interested in taking part in the conversation? Join us for our July Open Board Meeting!
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS MEETING IS ONLINE ONLY!
Monday, July 12, 2021
6:30 pm – 8 pm CST
Online – In the Comfort of Your Own Home
What is an Open Board Meeting?
Previously known as Monthly Member Meetings, Open Board Meetings are where we get together to discuss events from the past month, any upcoming events in the near future, and news relevant to JETAA.
Meetings are also a chance for non-board members to share ideas, get involved in JETAA Chicago activities, and make connections in the alumni community.
Who can attend?
Meetings are open to all members of JETAA Chicago! For RSVPs, in the interest of including those that do not use Facebook and other social media platforms, a Guestlist event will be made for each open board meeting. All alumni interested in attending are required to RSVP through that event. Facebook event pages will still be posted to promote the monthly open board meeting in the JETAA Chicago Facebook group, and questions can still be e-mailed to info@jetaachicago.com.
When are they?
Open Board Meetings are held on the first Monday of every month unless it falls on a holiday. A full schedule for the year will be posted on our website.
What if I can’t make it in person?
For those unable to attend in person (EVERYONE FOR NOW!), but still interested in being involved in the discussion, simply register through Guestlist. There are conference details to dial in and they will be shared with you automatically once you have RSVP’d. Otherwise, email info@jetaachicago.com and we can work on another way to make sure you can participate!
Note that there are still positions open on the JETAA Chicago Board:
- Junior Treasurer
Please email us if you’re interested in learning more or applying for a position. Details about the open positions can be found here.
July 13 at 6 PM CT/7 PM ET – USJETAA Japanese Reading Group – July 2021
Reading Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/329855701779350
The goal of the USJETAA Japanese Reading Group is to help advanced beginner and intermediate level students improve their reading skills. Each month we will look at a short reading from Aozora Bunko, a repository of public domain literature. Participants should attempt to do the reading on their own and come to the meeting with any questions. We will spend the meeting each month reading the assignment sentence by sentence to understand how the Japanese is working.
The event can be accessed here (No registration needed):
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85423674456…
In July, we will mix things up and leave the safety of Aozora Bunko! I found a great essay online titled 承認欲求が強かった私に天才ダンサーが教えてくれた生き方 (https://newstoday-bd.com/life/2664). I’ll let you all dissect the title to learn what it means, but it’s a personal essay by a woman named Aoi, writing about how she learned to live from a very talented hip-hop dancer she met. This essay may take us two months to read, but let’s see how much we get through in July.
July 14 at 7 PM JETAANY Cooking Stream: Dessert Editions
Via Facebook Live on this event: https://www.facebook.com/events/140819744815764
July 16 JETAADC Japan Networking Happy Hour
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jetaadc-japan-networking-happy-hour-tickets-161354695237
Nagomi Izakaya is opening their restaurant just for our happy hour! Come and have a drink with former JETs and others within the Japan-America community. JETAADC will spot the first round of appetizers. For those who want to practice Japanese, some tables will be marked with “Japanese: Novice,” “Japanese: Intermediate,” and “Japanese: Advanced.” All other tables will be English!
This event is open to the public, but all attendees must register in advance for capacity monitoring purposes. Those who have not registered will be turned away at the door. Registration will close at 50 attendees with an anticipated 15% attrition rate. Please cancel if you learn that you cannot attend. You can cancel with Eventbrite or by emailing professionaldevelopment@
July 16 Among Us & Gartic Phone Game Night
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/among-us-gartic-phone-game-night-tickets-161845493227?aff=newsletter
A night of Among Us – a fast-paced race to find your enemy, before your enemy finds you – and Gartic Phone – a cross between Pictionary and the telephone game.
Despite the “phone” name, we suggest you forgo the app and play Gartic Phone in a browser for best results.
We’ll begin at 8:00 PM, and we will be voice chatting on Discord. Click this link to join our Discord or sign up for free.
July 17 – JETAA Portland Chapter Meeting
July 18 at 6-9:30 PM ET – JETAA Great Lakes HBO Max Movie Night: Seven Samurai
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hbo-max-movie-night-seven-samurai-tickets-161813320999?aff=newsletter
What better way to end a weekend than a classic and critically acclaimed movie with friends and family? We’ll be watching Seven Samurai together on HBO Max, using Teleparty.
Share your dinner (virtually) and chat along using the Teleparty browser extension. Make sure to have Teleparty downloaded before the event and to click the “Tp” button when joining. A subscription to HBO Max is also required to view the movie.
Register to receive the Teleparty link (Eventbrite registrants will receive the link on the day of the event).
July 20, 2021 – JETAA Chicago and Japan American Society of Chicago YPC (Young Professionals Committee) Book Club – July’s Choice!
Join JETAA Chicago and the Japan America Society of Chicago YPC for our July 20th book club meeting! July’s choice is “The Housekeeper and the Professor” by Yoko Ogawa. It is an enchanting story about what it means to live in the present, and about the curious equations that can create a family.
The book club focuses on highlighting voices and stories with a strong connection to Japan. Even if you did not attend the first meeting, you are still welcome to join at any point!
Registration is limited, so be sure to grab a spot and pick up a copy of the book!
July 21 from 7-8 PM CT – JETAA Chicago Japanese Language Series – Game Night 2!
JETAA Chicago welcomes you to another installment of the Japanese Language Series!
Join us Wednesday, July 21st from 7-8 pm CST, for the next JETAA Chicago Japanese Language Series game night! This time, we will be playing Karuta (modified for Zoom) and more Shiritori! Never played before? Unsure of your proficiency level? That’s okay! All levels of experience with Japanese are welcome!
The Japanese Language Series events are intended to bring together JETAA members and supporters who want to stay engaged with Japanese language learning and use.
Click the button below for full event details and to sign up via Guestlist.
Questions? Contact our Networking Coordinator, Rurik Tywoniw, at networking@jetaachicago.com
Join us for our second author event featuring JET alumna Sarah Coomber (Yamaguchi, 1994-1996)! Sarah will read a short passage from her book and then we will take questions from the audience. You do not need to have read the book to enjoy this event. We hope you’ll join us.
About The Same Moon
Recently wed—and quickly divorced—twenty-four-year-old Sarah Coomber escapes the disappointments of her Minnesota life for a job teaching English in Japan. Her plan is to use the year to reflect, heal and figure out what to do with her wrecked life while enjoying the culture of the country where she had previously spent a life-changing summer that included a romance with a young baseball player.
About the Author
Ever since she turned seventeen, Sarah Coomber has held two homes in her heart: Minnesota, where she grew up, and Yamaguchi, where she spent a summer with the Maeda family, who welcomed her like a third daughter and introduced her to what became an on-again, off-again Japanese life.
That life has included teaching English in Yamaguchi on the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (1994-96); teaching Japanese language and dance to children at an immersion camp in Minnesota; and studying the koto—Japanese zither—in Yamaguchi and Portland, Oregon, where she achieved her level four Seiha School certification.
Sarah has worked as a public relations professional, reporter, science writer and college English teacher, and her stories and essays on Japan have appeared in the Christian Science Monitor, the Japan Times, the Star Tribune, Cha: An Asian Literary Journal, Memoir Journal, the Font: A Literary Journal for Language Teachers and elsewhere.
She now works as a communications/writing consultant and coach, and teaches Holy Yoga, exploring the nexus of yoga and the Christian faith. She lives … and tries to remember to breathe deeply … with her family in Minnesota.
You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Jul 29, 2021 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcpc-yhpz8sEtOCgSPjIY92_O5khI-QndHe
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
We’re getting together for our bi-monthly Nintendo Night! Grab your Switch and join us on Discord for chatting as we play Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart.
We’ll have an hour and a half for each game, so there’s plenty of time to pop in and out, or play to your pixelated heart’s content.
We’ll begin at 7:00 PM, and we will be voice chatting on Discord. Click this link to join the Discord or sign up for free.
July 30 at 7:30 PM PT – JETAA Southern California: Sake – A Deep Dive
JETAASC is proud to present a Sake webinar and tasting session with JETAASC member, Greg Beck (ALT/CIR Hiroshima ’06-’11) of www.SakeSecret.com.
The event will start off with a presentation on the history and different types of Sake and will lead to a food pairing and Sake tasting session for participants.
In preparation for session, participants will receive a Sake and food pairing list when they sign up for the event. (*Participants are asked to purchase their own Sake and food for the event so please make sure to register ahead of time. If you’re not able to purchase food and drinks beforehand, you are still welcome to join the event!)
A general outline of the session is as follows:
– Self-Introductions
– Common knowledge vs. misconceptions
(What do you know already, what have you heard?)
– The 4-1-1 (Basics of Sake, what it is, why it’s special)
– Show-and-Tell (review of what everyone has, including food)
– Q&A
– Reflections and Recommendations
Please sign up here to register for the event
For questions, please contact us at: officers@jetaasc.org
Thank you for your interest. We look forward to seeing you there!
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