Japan + Journalism...Sheer Jenius

Just wrapped up "Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan" by Jake Adelstein which I blew through during the past three days. What a whopper of the true-life adventure of the intrepid gaijin reporter who broke through the no-foreign-reporter glass ceiling at the Yomiuri Shinbun in the 1990s.

Being an ex-reporter myself (just boring city-council stuff and fluffy features...), and having experience living in the same country, it was a fascinating roller coaster of a read that follows the author's steps to build sources and networks in order to get the ultimate scoop on a widely acknowledged yet largely taboo cancer that plagues any nation: Organized Crime.

Armed with a familiarity of both Japanese culture and journalism tenets, the book was a fascinating read, yet it does not preclude knowledge of these areas. Adelstein spins an increasingly complicated yarn that will hook readers from any background.

Organized crime in Japan? Yakuza, of course. I'll just say this about my time spent there: You know one when you see one. It's not something that is everyday fodder for conversation, and I can honestly say I have never approached the topic with even my closest Japanese friends because I was never sure if that would be "culturally appropriate." It would be like those pals asking me to detail the latest tiff between the Crips and the Bloods.

Tutoring = Psychotherapy

This week I had to keep my cool while I:

• Comforted a tearful student after reading a narrative essay about an employee killed on the job at student's workplace back in student's home country.
• Nodded in feigned interest as a senior student spent 10 minutes describing current prostate problem in graphic detail.
• Explained, tactfully, to a shocked student that being called a trophy wife is not complimentary.

Never a dull moment with ESL students.

A Prime Choice

It took a trip across the Pacific Ocean to finally start reading a book, one of my great joys in life. My perpetual time crush has limited me to flipping through the plethora of magazines I subscribe to.

While relaxing in Japan during Spring Break, I was able to start "My Year of Meats" (1999) by Ruth Ozeki as recommended by a friend/colleague. She commented that she didn't want to "force it" on me, but anything even remotely tied to Japanese culture peaks my interest. Just finished it up yesterday, relishing every last bit.

MYOM follows the narrative of two women: Jane, a Japanese-American TV program director, and Akiko, a beleaguered Japanese housewife who is inspired by Jane's programs to uproot herself and make a drastic change in her terribly horrible life.

The program? "My American Wife!", a pro-American-beef show conceptualized by producers in Japan to push the product in that country's local markets.

The novel traces the adventures of Jane & her production crew as they traipse across the U.S. in search of wives who deftly prepare all things beef to film as consumerist propaganda. Many issues are addressed: women's roles, food safety, cultural conflicts, and yes, even love and redemption.

What a joy this book was to blast through after I finally got used to the jumpy narrative. Highly recommended...but don't worry, I'm still not a vegetarian!

I did "write" for the Los Angeles Times

You'll see what I mean by clicking here and scrolling to the bottom.
At least I can say I've been published in one of the "biggies."

Shameless Plug / Confidence Builder

Tomorrow I'll start round two of a faculty development gig w/professors visiting from Japan. The first time around, Fall '09, is written up here. My name's at the end! I'm such a whore about press.

Don't forget, I used to whore for the press... writer/editor at various college and local papers from about 1994-2003. I was gonna get that proverbial scoop ...until ESL popped into my life. Just as horrible pay, but the polar opposite in terms of reward and personal fulfillment.

A bit nervous to teach this new crop of 教師, as is par for the course, but I'm sure things will go fine. 頑張ります！