by Elaina Olmo In what feels like the season of never-ending desk warming and a global pandemic, there is no shortage of time for us to sit there and… well, think. Reflect. Especially as the new school year is (unfortunately) beginning, we can look back over what we accomplished in the last year. Or, as … Continue reading
by Elaina Olmo We all know the usual story of what it’s like to arrive in Aomori fresh out of Tokyo Orientation and new to Japan. “I got to see Goshogawara’s [festival] the day before it ended. I was group two, so I got to see that. Which was super cool, cause, you know, this … Continue reading
by Elaina Olmo A lot of people apply to the JET Programme in order to continue or improve upon their Japanese studies. Very few are already fluent in Japanese (or were at one time). “I used to speak Japanese fluently, cause I was a really little kid living in Japan,” says Rian Williams, a second-year … Continue reading
by Elaina Olmo This month I got to sit down for an exclusive, never-before-seen interview with none other than Elaina Olmo, a 4th-year ALT placed in Aomori City. It took weeks of begging and some bribery to convince Elaina to sacrifice a mere five minutes of her time to speak with me, but my efforts … Continue reading
by Elaina Olmo FADE IN: EXT. AOMORI CITY — EVENING Zoom into a small apartment complex next to the local train station. INT. 1DK UNIT — DINING ROOM TABLE A woman sits alone at the table. A hastily thrown together plate of food is ignored as she fiddles with her laptop. After a few minutes … Continue reading
by Elaina Olmo “I think in the back of my mind I had been wanting to live abroad for a long time. I went to school for social work, so I was working in special education for the four years I was out of college, and then I realized, Oh shit, I’m only getting older, now’s … Continue reading
By Elaina Olmo EXTRA EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT! This month we take a break from our regularly scheduled programming to bring you a special edition of Brief Interviews with Hideous JETs™ where we interview not one, but four hideous participants in Aomori, current and former! The topic of interest for this issue is none … Continue reading
By Elaina Olmo Unlike most JETs, Pokere Paewai did not know much about Japan before he decided to live and work in the foreign country. “I didn’t really know what I was going to do after I graduated. One of my professors is a former ALT, and he was like, ‘You should go to Japan … Continue reading
By Elaina Olmo But he eats them anyway. “It doesn’t stop me eating them from time to time. I risk my life to eat apples,” says Noah, a second-year ALT placed in Hachinohe, earning himself the honor of being one of the only true citizens of the largest apple producer in Japan. But fear not, … Continue reading
by Elaina Olmo When applying to the JET Program, we are constantly told not to get our hopes up in regards to our choices in placement. Although the application allows us to list our top three picks of areas or cities we’d like to live in, ultimately participants are placed where there is demand. More … Continue reading
by Elaina Olmo “For all the people who want to be good singers, John recommends to start with Opera. Start learning some Opera. Opera is the shit.” This unorthodox piece of singing advice given in third person is from none other than Jonathan Williamson, 2nd year ALT living in Oma-machi. “If you can sing Opera, … Continue reading
by Elaina Olmo August marks the beginning of a new JET term. Old friends have gone on to other adventures, while many new friends are settling in to their new lives and homes. Beginnings are wonderful and exciting occurrences. It means there are new things to be discovered, tried out; a fresh, new canvas awaits … Continue reading
By Elaina Olmo July is a hideous and bittersweet time for the JET community, as friends we’ve come to know and love leave to continue their journeys elsewhere, while new ones eagerly await their arrival to Japan. Such a time is perfect for reflection before the next chapter begins and things change. And it is … Continue reading
By Elaina Olmo For this month’s article, I managed to sit down and chat with a person whose work I have been admiring for quite some time. “My very first memory of doing art and being proud of myself was maybe between kindergarten and first grade. My parents had already started trying to train me. … Continue reading
By Elaina Olmo For the inaugural edition of this column, I wanted to make sure that the first honorable JET interviewed is particularly hideous. Luckily, he lives two floors above me. Perhaps you know him. Maybe you’ve seen him biking around Aomori City. (Sometimes sporting a red ski mask in the colder months.) More than likely, you’ve … Continue reading
Guest Writer: Anonymous Andy Howdy y’all, it’s ya boi, Harrison, here with his last article for GMA’s Aomori Spotlight. PLOT TWIST: What if the subject of my last interview was myself??? BIGGER PLOT TWIST: What if the interviewer for my last interview, WASN’T EVEN ME???? Sound dumb? Well, here it is anyway….. ENJOI Continue reading
By Harrison Gordon Well, I’m back from that long, bleak winter break, and I’ve been ready to bring another member of our community into the Spotlight for everyone to see. This week we’ll be having a short conversation with Hachinohe’s CIR, Matt Bola and finding out where he was before coming into Aomori, and how … Continue reading
By Harrison Gordon Aomori Spotlight is back at it again! This time around, we got the inside scoop on one of our newer ALTs, who’s been Goshing it up on the Tsugaru side of things. Dive in and see what makes the mysterious Whitney Wu tick, and get ready for some food cravings along … Continue reading
By Harrison Gordon Coming back with a new community member here, and this time we’re looking into the life of one of our newest CIRs! Get nice and comfy while you hear a little bit about Germany, Rokkasho, and your friendly neighborhood Dominique in this month’s Aomori Spotlight! Alright, let’s get started! Could you tell … Continue reading
By Harrison Gordon Here we are, back at it again with the interviews. This month we’re featuring a Kamikit-kat JET by the name of Daniel Hontos. Imagine his smooth baritone as you read all about his growth as an educator and his advice for all us ALTs! Continue reading
Good Morning Aomori 