The Gifu JET Stream
A blog brought to you by your PAs and RPAs to keep you updated on Gifu JETs.
Our 2019-2020 team of Regional Prefectural Advisers is ready to serve Gifu JETs! From left to right (* denotes a new RPA ) : Standing - Daniel B.* (Seino), Colby D. (Hida), Kamala C.* (Hida), Gaelle L. (Gifu), Julia T.* (Gifu), Hannah W.* (Gifu) Kneeling - Cedric O. (Seino), Chevaughn W.* (Hida), Clinton B.* (Tono) Not Pictured: Logan M.* (Tono) Now for some words from our fresh RPAs:
"Hi JETs, I'm a third-year CIR working at the Institute of Advanced Media Arts and Sciences (IAMAS) in Ogaki, a prefecture-run graduate school for new media art. I was born and raised in Oregon State in the USA. After coming to Japan, I got into martial arts in an attempt to stay active. Lately, I've been practicing Kenjutsu and Kali (if you want to know more about those, let me know). I've also gotten into dozens if not hundreds of bowls of ramen. I can show you some good ramen joints, but I'm always looking for recommendations. I hope I can contribute to making your time in Seino fulfilling and enjoyable." - Daniel B. "Hello" I'm Kamala, a lover of languages, cultures and travel. I'm a Jamaican but I'm becoming a citizen of the world through travel. I love motivating people to chase their dreams! I want to become a gym enthusiast and I believe ice-cream is a food for every season. Find me online: Polyglots & Itinerants to know more." - Kamala C. "Hey everyone! My name is Julia Taylor. I am a special education teacher from Toronto, Canada who somehow (fortunately) ended up as an ALT in Gifu City. My hobbies include writing, cooking and riding my bike around Gifu to gape at mountains and cultural sites. I periodically host low key potluck dinner parties because I like the company and maintaining the illusion that my apartment is clean, so feel free to drop by for Canadian Thanksgiving, pancake nights or just to play cards. I understand how overwhelming working and living in a new country is (I’m still figuring out things too!), so please do not hesitate to ask me any questions about Gifu and I will do my best to help you! I am excited to meet the incoming JETs- let’s have a great year together! :) " - Julia T. "Hello! My name is Hannah Wehrer and I'm from the lovely Washington State, USA. I currently work at Gifu Shotoku Gakuen High School in Gifu City. Outside of work you can usually find me walking around Gifu or Nagoya, reading, or feeding my slight obsession with Pokémon (mostly the last one). Although this is only my first year on JET feel free to come to me with any questions and I'm looking forward to working with you all!" - Hannah W. "Chevaughn Whyte is a 2nd year JET from Jamaica, living in the High Mountains (Takayama) of Hida and yes, he likes reggae music. Other than his dedication towards his students, he also plans to be an aikido master within next 2 years. He enjoys anything that has to do with being outdoors, which includes: hiking, chasing waterfalls and swimming in random rivers. So, if you’re interested in going on epic adventures through the inaka (countryside) of Japan please feel free to hit him up for any advice or suggestions." - Chevaughn W. "My full first name is Clinton-Khile, but if you call me that, you’ll end up sounding like my mom when she’s angry, and no one wants that. I come from the mysterious land of Los Angeles, California, just north of downtown in a place aptly named “The Valley” – and yes, in case you were wondering who to thank for the incredibly charming “Valley-Girl” accent, you can take your praise to my people. I graduated from UCLA’s school of film and television where I learned all about how to struggle to make money. I came to teach in Japan because I know that most of the film work in the world revolves around LA, and having been born in LA, raised in LA, and will probably die in LA, I figured maybe a little time away might be nice. In Japan, I live in Mizunami, but I work a couple towns over at Tajimi Kita High. My favorite things to do here are roaming around Nagoya (with Logan), practicing Kyudo, and chilling in my apartment. I hope Logan and I make the dream team that we think we will, but only time will tell! Either way, we’re lookin’ forward to it! Peace!" - Clinton B. "Logan McCarthy is a second year municipal JET in Toki City. He's from Wrentham, Massachusetts (just off Boston's front yard). Backed with two years experience pointing out turtles and swans for little children at a wildlife sanctuary, he made the courageous leap to teaching English in Japan. He likes to walk around, make music, dine, and waste money at claw machines in Nagoya (which acts as a stellar replacement for Boston). He is also a “konbini connoisseur”. When it's not a city day, he and friends like to hike for waterfalls in the pretty mountains of Nagano.” - Logan M.
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With the start of the new Japanese fiscal/educational year, we say farewell to our 2018-2019 Regional Prefectural Advisers. Thank you for all of the support you've given to Gifu JETs! Pictured from left to right: Sam L., Nicole P., Emmy F., Harly L. (kneeling), Nicholas J., Sammy E. (kneeling), Michael P. Words From Our Departing RPA Team:
"I have enjoyed my two years as RPA. The SDC feedback was a personal highlight. Thank you everyone." - Sam L. "I've enjoyed working on the RPA team this past year and have learned a lot from the experience. Thanks for everything!" - Nicole P. "Thank you for everything this year! Gifu region was the best!" - Emmy F. "Hey Tono Peeps. As the emperor and seasons change, so do the RPAs. Though our time together was brief--or possibly non-existent--I shall remember you all fondly, and think of you all as the chillest of ALTs I've had the pleasure of working with. And so with that, I take my leave as your RPA, and return to the mountains of Chuno, where I shall live my remaining days as Mino's last JET ALT." - Harly L. "Good day to all you Gifuans. It has been my true pleasure serving as your RPA this past year. This summer I will be moving on to more urban pastures (Tokyo), but I will always cherish green and glorious Gifu. I hope to return often to my second home, and to meet all of you again. I wish you all the best in current and future endeavors! Ganbatte kudasai!" - Nicholas J. "Hi everyone, I can't believe two years have passed already! I thoroughly enjoyed my time working at Kengisho and loved living in Gifu City. I have made some great friends and priceless memories since coming to Japan. Thank you to everyone who made my time as part of the JET programme such a wonderful experience." - Sammy E. "They say everything that has a beginning, has an end (except, erm, a circle and The Simpsons and that awkward bowing you do when you don't know how to wrap up a Japanese conversation with your principal). And so, my time as the Seino RPA must also come to a close. If I have been remotely useful at any point, or passed on even the tiniest piece of information that has proven helpful, well, now I can happily fade away, knowing I have passed on all I know, sort of like Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back, but with less living in isolation in a swamp. Well, summer was a little bit like that. Whether you have four months left on JET (argh) or four years, I hope you all enjoy your time in Japan to the fullest. If you're ever having any trouble here, just remember: I was accidentally using hand soap as shower gel for my first two years, and if I can overcome that, then you can overcome anything. Good luck to everyone in the future! (Really, I should have realised, given how foamy and light it was...)" - Michael P. |
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January 2024
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