8.15 ht Inside • Special Interest Groups • Why Did They Stay? • Summer Festival Delights Letter from the Editor Hello! W ith August comes the continuation of Refuge and I’m very excited to see where her sickeningly humid heat, the buzzing story will lead! Returning this year are Rackle, of cicadas, and a new year on the JET program. with articles on summer matsuri and special It is a time of beginnings and goodbyes. To all of interest groups, and myself with a review on our new JETs, I say “Welcome!” To our returners, Fukuoka and some suggestions to pass your “がんばれ!” To those leaving, “Good luck!” My time while at school this summer. You’ll also get name is Brittany Teodorski and I’m taking over as to read greetings from this year’s members of ht editor from Sean Mulvihill. I’m a third year in the HAJET and a little bit about some second and small town of Ono. Only one person I’ve talked third year JETs. to has ever heard of it and it was quite a cause for celebration in my beloved Kyoto. Over the next year, I hope I can serve Hyogo August Features well as editor. I also hope you write for us! We’d One of Ono’s welcoming weekends (right after love to have your submissions, be it current 9 Special Interest Groups the Yashiro orientation coming up for prefectural events, fiction, pop culture, pictures, reviews; ALTs) was awfully wonderful and wonderfully you write it, we’ll almost definitely publish it! In 13 Why Did They Stay? awful (okay, maybe just awful). I went to Himeji the meantime, work hard and take in as many with several new friends to see the then-still- experiences as you can. As one of my friends is under-construction castle and one of my favorite fond of saying, “We’ve got a long drive home.” 2 Letter from the Editor 21 Fukuoka: Yatai and Gyoza cat cafes. That was good. The first attempt getting But it’ll be over before you know it. Don’t let your 3 there went horribly awry and led to thumb- tank run dry and don’t be afraid of taking a less- Letter from the PR and Cats! Oh My! twiddling at Ao station. Never heard of it? There’s traveled path. You never know what wonders 4 Your Hyogo PRs 23 Super Speedy Avocado a reason. That was bad. I went to the Ono Matsuri you may discover. 17 Summer Festival Delights Sauce and watched some truly spectacular fireworks. That was good. I later fell into a gaijin trap trying 19 What to Do When There’s 24 Sometime Last Week: Fire to outpace dawdlers in the dark. That was bad. Nothing to Do 25 Calendar Returning to the matsuri was good. Losing my wallet was bad. Having had only a bit of cash in there was good. Finding a mukade on my pillow later that night was bad. To this day, I still check Hyogo Times Staff Contributors: Rackle Beaman, Tyler Bissonnette, my bed every night. While I’ve had more many- Brittany Teodorski, Louise Warren, Mandy Wong legged visitors, they’ve thankfully stayed away Editor: Brittany Teodorski from my mattress. Hopefully everyone has a All JETs in Hyogo are encouraged to send in Online: Dana Warren much more enjoyable first few weeks here! articles, musings, poetry, prose, and any ideas to Designer: Brittany Teodorski improve the Hyogo Times for the betterment of PR: Tyler Bissonnette In this month’s edition of the Hyogo Times, we the Hyogo JET community. Submit by the 15th of Cover: Alan Lau welcome Mandy, an Osaka JET, as our food and each month to hyogotimespublications@gmail. Backpage:Alan Lau cooking columnist. Her recipe this month is Photo courtesy of Ryan Hertel com Brittany Teodorski perfect for even the culinarily challenged (such 2 as myself). Our online editor is taking over The 2 1 || Hyogo Times - August 2015 Hello! Letter from the Prefectural Representative Your Hyogo Prefectural Representatives Hello! Peter Hein-Hartmann To tell you a little about me, I am Ash, a 3rd year prefectural ALT in the Akashi/Kakogawa area. I T he cicadas are chirping, the sun is melting Hello everyone. My name like pina coladas and gettin caught in the rain… everything, and for some unexplained is Pete. I am just starting just kidding! I like wine, good food, road trips, reason your neighbors are wearing yukata on a my fifth year on JET (I singing badly and Formula 1 (so you can imagine random Tuesday. That’s right folks; it’s August am finally becoming how I feel about singing badly on a roadtrip to here in Japan and that means a few things. one of those fabled the Formula 1). First of all, it means hundreds of new JETs have and rare creatures!) and just arrived in Japan! To them I say, on behalf have been a member of the Hyogo Since moving to Japan in 2013, I have become of all JETs currently in Japan, we’re really glad AJET council for the past 3 years. I teach senior a ‘YES’ person and I highly recommend it. Some to finally meet you. Regardless of how lost you high school in Akashi and West Kobe. I’m very of the greatest experiences I have ever had may feel now, just remember, we’ve all been in lucky to have two great schools and I’m loving my here were unplanned, and were a result of me your place. We’ve all done things like standing in time on JET so far! Alas, I am bidding farewell to saying YES to something new. The best part is the soy sauce aisle thinking “Okay… which one my long suffering co-worker Caitlin Rich. I hope that being a yes person is easy! If someone asks of these is just regular soy sauce?” only to wait you have an awesome time back in America! you if you want to do/eat/drink/learn something for someone to make a decision so that you can something new (within reason obviously), you buy that one because “They seem like they know In terms of my main duties on AJET this year, I am should reply with a resounding YES and see what they’re doing.” the main admin for our Facebook page. I will also where the adventure takes you. be responsible for helping out at certain events, August also means festivals everywhere. So go such as the farewell party we just enjoyed, and I am excited to be working as a out and enjoy them while you can. I’ll be trying also for trying to find more businesses that member of Hyogo AJET for my As Block 6 Representative of these prefectures, to keep you up-to-date on what events are you, as JET members, can get discounts second year. This year, I will be I have a few responsibilities: organizing events happening around Block 6 on the Facebook page. at. I am also our official Hyogo/Kobe AJET working alongside Ty (the such as the Welcome Party (September 5th) Another change that August brings is a new Block liaison…for all your liaising needs… block 6 rep hailing from and the Halloween Party (October 31st), and 6 Representative, namely, me. My name’s Tyler our very own Sasayama representing you as part of the AJET National Bissonnette and I come from a relatively rural As one of the long standing members of AJET, Tamba area) and Hyogo Council in front of CLAIR and the Japanese part of Hyogo known as Tamba city. I’d like to give a warm welcome to our new AJET to organize some ministries. volunteers and wish that they enjoy all the events kickass events as well as trying You’re probably asking yourself: “What’s Block 6 we have coming up in the next year. to wrangle some amazing discounts/ That about sums it up. I’m your voice while here and what does a Block Representative do?” Well deals for you. Please feel free to contact me on the JET Programme. So when issues arise, luckily I’m here to answer those questions. First Ashlie O’Neill about helping you out or with any questions you don’t hesitate to contact me. Conversely, if things off, Block 6 encompasses three prefectures in the have in the coming year. are going amazing and you just feel like talking Kansai area of Japan: Hyogo, Kyoto, and Shiga. Hi all of you good-looking Hyogoians. about what a nice day it is, you can contact me for that too. My email is tyler.bissonnette@ajet. New JETs… WELCOME TO HYOGO! The land of all net things great (especially the people). Tyler Bissonnette 3 4 Chris Goodman I have learned that the best way to enjoy your opportunity and really look forward to the events Cody Christensen time here is to just let yourself be swept along we have under works. ! Hey everyone! It’s with it all and give it time to sink in. It’s a pretty Hey there, lovely people. just me, your friendly drastic lifestyle change, but not in the ways you’d While many of you may only experience Awaji neighborhood Hyogo AJET always expect. I think if you let yourself open up at the Mid-Year Conference in November, this My name is Cody Christensen. rep-person thingy, just to it all, it makes the transition that much easier.