From: Vancouver, Canada Placement: Shiogama, Miyagi Time on JET: 2013-2016 Favorite MAJET Experience: My favorite experience occured in 2015, while I was MAJET President. I organized a recovery tour to Minami-sanriku and Rikuzentakata with Roger Smith and some other volunteers. It allowed JETs to explore some of the cities where the 3/11 earthquake and tsunami had hit the hardest. I was so humbled to talk to the locals, hear their survival stories, and learn about their efforts to re-establish their tourism industry. They were left with nothing and had to come together as a community to rebuild the place they called home. I felt their warmth, kindness, and resilient spirit. I was surprised to learn that the number of volunteers in these affected areas since 2011 has decreased by 90%. I hope that during your time on JET, you’ll find time to volunteer in your communities.
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From: Durban, South Africa Placement: Shichikashuku, Miyagi Time on JET: 2016 - Present Favorite MAJET Experience: My favorite MAJET memory occured right at the end of my term on the committee. It was during the leavers party on Oshima island. After a long day of barbequing and games on the beach, a bunch of us went for a late night swim in the ocean. As we did so, we noticed a subtle glimmer of electric blue bioluminescence as we swam through the water. I remember this stirring excitement amongst us as we ran back to tell the others. However, my fondest and favourite memories of MAJET are the little things. Meeting so many great people, road trips, board games, drinking games and just all the chances we’ve had to sit around and share each other’s company. Collectively, these moments and the people are, for me, what makes MAJET a special community. From: Brisbane, Australia Placement: Sendai, Miyagi Time on JET: 2015-2019 Favorite MAJET Experience: My Favorite MAJET experience took place in Spring 2018. Partnering with "Playgrounds of Hope", a group of around 20 ALTs set off for Ishinomaki to help refurbish and maintain a playground set up for children after the Tsunami. We had to strip back the old paint and fix damage to the wooden frame before we could start applying the new coat of paint and doing some other general maintenance. With such a large group of ALTs, it didn't take us long to get all the work done, so we soon took to picking up rubbish in and around the park to the best of our ability. While not the most glamorous of work, it was nice to be able to give back to Miyagi's community in some small way. From: Seattle, USA. Placement: Tome, Miyagi Time on JET: 2015-2018 Favorite MAJET Experience: My favorite MAJET moment was watching the sun set at Mt. Bandai. It was our first night at the camp grounds and everyone was talking by the edge of the lake. All of a sudden, a friend popped out from the trees and said, “you all got to see this.” It was like walking through the wardrobe to Narnia; we walked through the trees and the most beautiful sunset was waiting for us on the other side. It was hard to believe that part of sky looked that red on that side of the lake, when just around the corner it was dark and dingy. It was the best sunset I’ve ever seen, and I remember feeling so content in that moment; like that was where I was supposed to be. From: Canberra, Australia Placement: Ogawara, Miyagi Time on JET: 2013-2018 Favorite MAJET Experience: One of my favorite experiences in Japan was the MAJET trip to Mt Bandai in Fukushima in my first year. I was a little shy and not sure what to expect, but it became clear at the campsite that everyone was just as excited as me. We were all ready to bond over kayaking, a BBQ dinner, drinking games and being totally owned at table tennis by the 8-year-old son of the campsite owner. Lifelong friendships were forged there, as they are every year. Seasoned Bandai’ers enthusiastically show first timers the ropes of important JET skills, like finding the best hiking trail up Mt Bandai, how to barbecue squid, kayak racing, and where to find the little treasures hidden in the area (The Dali Museum, the Five-Coloured Lakes, the local onsens). This trip also showed me that my 2011 media hysteria-spawned image of Fukushima was completely inaccurate. What greeted me was majestic mountains, placid lakes, dense forests; astonishing beauty, and all completely safe. It was a fantastic experience. From: Hawaii, USA. Placement: Tome, Miyagi Time on JET: 2014-2017 Favorite MAJET experience: My favorite MAJET experience was my first trip to Yuki Matsuri in Sapporo. The trip contained a lot of firsts for me. It was my first time riding on a ferry, my first trip to Hokkaido, and my first time having snow and ice sculptures tower over me. It was also an excellent oppurtunity to hang out with and get to know other people in MAJET. The trip started off with a road trip to Noboribetsu Onsen. Once we arrived in Sapporo we dined on all you could eat lamb and beer, toured around the city, and enjoyed all the festivities. My best memories were made with friends on this trip. Sharing this experience with them made it the most memorable MAJET event during my time on JET. |
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