Aspiring US JETs 2013

[teabot]

Honestly, that's half the reason right there: I love looking forward to eating. Having a sandwich every day just doesn't cut it for me anymore...Haha...

Yeah, I just bought myself a think to make sealed sandwiches ^_^ I think the added special factor of the pocket sandwich will make me happier about having a sandwich in my bento. Small pita sandwiches and stuff can be good too. I have tried making my own mini-bread roll things before after seeing a Japanese woman's home-made bread in her bento. I'm glad you're excited though ^_^

Also, I love that bento has been listed in the handbook for ALTs before as a good idea because you can bond with your students by eating bento together at lunchtime ^_^ But, I could talk about bento forever and ever and ever. I love bento; my family thinks I need to stop buying bento boxes and whatnot.

try not to get too doki-doki over bento. in Japan it's just normal. like i kind of have almost forgotten that bento is a ~*special*~ thing back home, even though i made them then. my bento here are hardly ever cute. i don't have time for that anymore!

plus, if you get accepted and are placed at JHS or ES, chances are that you won't be able to eat bento with your students. schools much prefer you to eat school lunch if it's available; some schools go so far as to more or less force ALTs to eat school lunch, regardless of allergies (though alternate school lunches are provided/problem foods are left out). so there's that... (i bring bento, but i get the impression that some teachers might be minorly annoyed by the fact that i can bring something other than school lunch--not a major concern, but i do get comments, which usually means something is up.)

[Samurai_Steve]

I love bento;

Enthusiasm is definitely a good thing. I like to eat more than prepare. But I think I can get over that for the sake of Bento...

try not to get too doki-doki over bento

Hahaha, I'll try.

plus, if you get accepted and are placed at JHS or ES, chances are that you won't be able to eat bento with your students.

That's good to know. I just would want the opportunity to connect with my students. (Imagines eating school lunch in Japan with awesome students of English). Alright, back to reality. Whatever makes that possible is fine by me: Bento or school lunch. HECK! I'm in JAPAN, just eating <whatever> there would be freaking awesome, haha.

[Samurai_Steve]

Whoa: apparently it matters where you press the "quote" button in submitting replies. I don't anyone I quoted said anything that I quoted they said. Haha. Next time I will cite my sources better. (And I just graduated college...silly Steve).

[Chrisd928]

Hehehe, well I am definitely very "doki doki" about bento, but just because I love bento, nothing remotely related to JET. I have almost 10 boxes, tons of accessories, four or five cookbooks, etc. I just really enjoy bento and definitely enjoy spreading the addiction >.> XD So I definitely can't help hoping that I'll get to see the bento students bring to school (hopefully) and maybe sharing mine ^_^ At the very least, I'll have to do some picnic bento to share with my bento friends on facebook

[Samurai_Steve]

At the very least, I'll have to do some picnic bento to share with my bento friends on facebook

I'm okay with that. Visuals are always good. And appealing. And, I need food. (Ironically, I'm going to go eat some Mexican.)

Share the Bento love!! Woot!

[Shuck]

I love looking at pictures of awesome bento, but I've never even thought about making my own. It just seems like a lot of effort, having to prepare small amounts of lots of different things. Also I don't know what actually goes in it, especially for a vegetarian one. Some bento boxes are really cute though

P.S. It's my dream to eat panda rice balls.

[Samurai_Steve]

P.S. It's my dream to eat panda rice balls.

Can't say I know what one is. Care to inform me?

[Chrisd928]

I love looking at pictures of awesome bento, but I've never even thought about making my own. It just seems like a lot of effort, having to prepare small amounts of lots of different things. Also I don't know what actually goes in it, especially for a vegetarian one. Some bento boxes are really cute though

P.S. It's my dream to eat panda rice balls.

Panda styled onigiri? Easy! I can do that and I could prolly teach you. Mine certainly wouldn't be perfect, but still decent ^_^ And a panda rice ball generally is a regular onigiri with little black circles for eyes and then a mouth and two small onigiri wrapped in nori. The point is to make the onigiri look like a panda ^_^

And bento can be made of anything and everything. Pick what you like and just do little bits of that. It's about variety, color, and deliciousness! Vegetarian can be easy, check out Hapa Bento; she does mostly vegetarian and it always seems phenomenal!

[Samurai_Steve]

And bento can be made of anything and everything.

Awesome. This is why Bento freaking rocks. Here's a question, though. Can Bento be made to LOOK like anything? If so, koala rice balls, please. Or sea otter rice balls...If so, I'll take pictures and create a revolution in the Bento world!! Haha. Nah.

But seriously. Koala Bento. How cool would that be? He could be chewing on some eucalyptus or something...

[Chrisd928]

Awesome. This is why Bento freaking rocks. Here's a question, though. Can Bento be made to LOOK like anything? If so, koala rice balls, please. Or sea otter rice balls...If so, I'll take pictures and create a revolution in the Bento world!! Haha. Nah.

But seriously. Koala Bento. How cool would that be? He could be chewing on some eucalyptus or something...

Honestly? It's probably out there. You could definitely do it, something like it climbing on a tree and eating leaves would make it clear that it is a koala. Because it is less easy to make clear, map it out. A lot of people keep a bento journal; they draw ideas for ingredients, map out placement in the actual box, etc. Totally possible though. Maybe I'll make a koala tomorrow... Also, it can be made of things other than onigiri. A lot of people use meat cutouts for their decorations. Hmmm.... Koala bento, I'll hopefully make and post it tomorrow. I can even post a pic of it on here as well as the facebook group ^_^

[Samurai_Steve]

Maybe I'll make a koala tomorrow... Also, it can be made of things other than onigiri. A lot of people use meat cutouts for their decorations. Hmmm.... Koala bento, I'll hopefully make and post it tomorrow. I can even post a pic of it on here as well as the facebook group ^_^

I would give you mad props if you do! That would be so freaking rad!!

I gotta tell ya. I was looking over the Aspiring JETS 2012 thread, and I was really getting excited for the coming year. I know that, even if we get accepted for 2013, that we won't be leaving for more than a year from now. But it's awesome to have things in perspective. To prepare well. One feeling I have, Chrisd928, is that this is our year!! We're gonna do it! I'm excited (and still freaked out, haha, cuz you never know...)

私は最善を尽くします！

[Chrisd928]

I gotta tell ya. I was looking over the Aspiring JETS 2012 thread, and I was really getting excited for the coming year. I know that, even if we get accepted for 2013, that we won't be leaving for more than a year from now. But it's awesome to have things in perspective. To prepare well. One feeling I have, Chrisd928, is that this is our year!! We're gonna do it! I'm excited (and still freaked out, haha, cuz you never know...)

私は最善を尽くします！

I hope so!!! We shall certainly be as prepared as we can be XD

Also, it brings me excessive joy to have someone already to be friends with in the application this year ^_^ Hopefully we strengthen each other and cheer each other on and end up going all the way! Then we can meet in Japan XD Please take care of me in this process *bows* (I've been reading too much manga, as I usually do )

[Samurai_Steve]

Also, it brings me excessive joy to have someone already to be friends with in the application this year ^_^ Hopefully we strengthen each other and cheer each other on and end up going all the way! Then we can meet in Japan XD Please take care of me in this process *bows* (I've been reading too much manga, as I usually do )

I am in total agreement!! To be with people who are in the same boat you are, and to be able to connect really helps the process move along better. And heck, it's just more fun! I already feel strengthened and encouraged by your friendship on this thread. Just saw the movie Courageous, so I'm all fired up! I will certainly do my part to take care of you in this process (so Japanese of you ). I never really got into manga...what would you suggest??

For anyone reading this, please join the fun! I know that the app(lication) isn't going to go live for several months from now, but the Summer will be over before you know it, and every day is a day closer to where you want to be. Fall will roll around, and so will the app. And well, then comes the months of nerves. So, let it begin (oh ever so early)

[cupcake]

Hello everyone!

I'm Catherine. I've been browsing the forums for a while through guest & have finally registered (hurray). I had previously been a bit overwhelmed about the JET program application, once I found about it last year, but since then I have decided to apply for the JET this year!!! Hopefully, we can take on this challenge together.

[Samurai_Steve]

Catherine:

Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu!! Glad you decided to register!! Wootness!! Now you can be an official part of the madness that will ensue later!

I had previously been a bit overwhelmed about the JET program application, once I found about it last year, but since then I have decided to apply for the JET this year!!!

te
So glad to hear that you decided to apply this year! I'm guessing then, that you did not apply for 2012. I will say, the application process, certainly, in and of itself is quite hefty. That much I know. The application has many detailed questions and there are certainly a fair amount of docs you need to get together in a relatively short period of time (that is, if you only work on your app from when it goes live to when it must be in at the DC embassy: 1 month it was for 2012).

My biggest piece of advice: prepare now. There are things you can begin working on to make sure you are prepared. Beyond having cultural/ community interests, language study, or getting your references in line, I think that starting on a thorough SoP would be to your greatest advantage. It is the most important 2 pages that you could ever write about yourself. When I look back, I know where mine failed. But if you can assess what will make you a great candidate and explore why you want to do JET (remember internationalization), you will be SO much more prepared in the Fall. Take it all a day at a time.

Trust me. It will be October before you know it.

So glad to have you on board. P.S. the above is just some advice. I'm not an expert, but there are some here in this thread who have words that can prove invaluable.

Finally, ganbatte! And I look forward to walking this journey with you, as well. (Insert cheesy anime music. Oh yeah...)