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| Review of JAVA events in 2004. |
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MONTH |
EVENTS |
MAR. APR. |
Tax seminar |
MAY. |
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Job seminar |
JUN. |
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JUL. |
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SEP. |
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OCT. |
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NOV. |
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DEC. |
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■ Boat cruise May 27th (Thu)
On May 27th, JAVA along with JCSA, CJST, and JETAA hosted an amazing boat cruise party in the Toronto harbour. The event was well attended, with over 200 Canadians, Japanese, and others joining the four-hour cruise around the Toronto Islands at a cost of only $10. The night view from the boat was very beautiful, and many were content to watch the city skyline from the deck. Most, however, spent their time drinking and dancing the night away.
Although we were a little worried that the dance party might be awkward because of the mix of cultures, we were surprised and excited to see the dance floor fill up so nicely. Even those who were shy gradually warmed up to the music and joined the dancing crowd shaking and shouting, especially during HIDEKI’s “YMCA” cover.
When the four-hour cruise was finally over, I felt closer to the city of Toronto and its people than I had since I first came here. I will remember that wonderful night as a special time during my stay in Toronto; at least until I go out for another Toronto boat cruise! JAVA hopes you can join us next year! (Naoyuki)
  
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■ JET-PDO Jun. 19th (Sat) , 20th (Sun)
 JET(Japan Exchange and Teaching) is a program where English is taught at Japanese public organisations by young, native speakers. The Pre-Departure Orientation was organised by JETTA and it gave an idea about Japan to the people who were leaving for their stay there.
* PDO - Pre-Departure Orientation
* JETTA - JET Alumni Association
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| JAVA performed skits about Japanese manners and customs so the new JETs won’t have any difficult adjusting to life in Japan. For one hour, JAVA members performed in front of over 100 JETs, explaining Japanese peculiarities such as confusing subway ticket machines, the prohibition of cell phone conversations on public transit, the proper use of slippers, Japanese toilets, the proper way to wear YUKATA, the proper way to sleep on a futon, the automatic doors on taxis, and the fact that they won’t need to tip in restaurants or bars. Everyone did a great job, including Kevin, who must have had a lot of pressure on him as the main character. I wonder if the JETs will remember these lessons when they arrive in Japan.(Izumi)
On the day of our presentation, the JET participants watched our “Japanese culture” skit attentively. When the skit was over, they asked us a lot of questions. I got a little nervous because we couldn’t answer some of the questions. The skit went smoother than we had expected and therefore finished earlier than we had expected. We had a lot of challenges, but this was the one of the best experiences I’ve had since coming to Canada. I hope I have a chance to meet the JETs again sometime in the future. Thanks to everyone!(Takanori) |
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■ Japanese Summer Festival in Toronto Jul. 10th (Sat)
JAVA made Yaki-Onigiri(fried riceballs) and sold them at the summer festival. The sales were much better than we had expected, and there was even a customer who bought and ate 5 riceballs.
I helped JSS’s(Japan Social Services) carry the Omikoshi (portable shrine). I was shorter than other carriers so I couldn’t carry the portable shrine on my shoulder.
The weather was so nice that at the end of the festival, all JAVA members had nice suntans.(Yuko)
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■ Squash lesson seminar Sep. 18th (Sat)
 On September 18th, I participated in the squash seminar which took place in the basement gym of a certain condominium in Toronto. I was a little nervous because I had not exercised in the last 5 years and had never played squash before. So I left home in my sportswear with a positive attitude.
This time, about 10 participants, men and women turned out, all being equally matched. Some were beginners, and some liked to play tennis as a hobby.
Under the leadership of Izumi the coach, we learned how to grip the racket, take a fighting stance, basic rules and played then played a few games. I thought squash was similar to tennis because both sports were played with rackets and balls, but it was a misconception. Squash rackets are smaller than those of tennis and squash balls don’t bounce. Also the rules are quite different with a need for a lot more strategy than I expected.   Yet beginners can enjoy it because the rules are not too difficult. You don’t need to worry about rain. The refreshing feeling being in a good air conditioned environment along with the feeling of living a rich lifestyle made me want to join the next lesson.
You don’t need come in sportswear because the condo has a locker room.(Kaz)
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■ The autumn leaves trip Oct. 23th (Sat)
 On Saturday October 22nd, JAVA and friends went for a beautiful afternoon of walking and taking in the sights of Edward Gardens. It was a crisp and clear fall day in Toronto; perfect for the 15 people who took the bus up to Lawrence and Leslie to view the autumn leaves changing colour. We all met up at Eglington Station, eager because we knew we had good weather. We had a good view of the red and orange  forests of the surrounding park area on the bus ride over, but once we were walking on the pathways inside the gardens, we were stunned by the subtle array of colours. We did some preliminary introductions while we waited for latecomers, and then walked the grounds for roughly two hours. We stopped for lunch, which almost everybody had remembered to pack, and then set off for a nearby sports field for some Frisbee and some Japanese games that bear a strong similarity to ‘Duck-duck-goose’ and ‘What time is it Mr. Wolf?’ With weary bodies and maxed-out digital camera memory cards, we called it a day. Some of us had an appetite and nowhere to be, so Take led us over to Christie & Bloor for some spicy Korean food before saying our goodbyes. All in all, it was a perfect afternoon: Nice weather, beautiful scenery, and good times with friends of JAVA .(Mark) |
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■ JAVA&JCSA Halloween Party Oct. 29th (Fri)
JAVA & JCSA (Japan Canada Student Association- University of Toronto) had our 2nd annual Halloween Party on Friday, October 29th at Sugar Nightclub. In 2002, JCSA had about 200 people at their Halloween Party. 2003 was the first year that JAVA and JCSA teamed up and we had about 400 people at Elephant & Castle. This year the momentum continued and we welcomed over 600 costumed partygoers. The party was a huge success and was a lesson that collaboration is often more effective than competition.(Atiq)
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■ Job seminar May 29th (Sat) , Nov. 6th (Sat)
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■ Christmas Pub Night Dec. 9th (Sat)
The annual Java Christmas pub was a great success this year. Held on the cold night of December 9th at the Volume Lounge, Java members and friends stayed warm inside with plenty of holiday cheer, snacks and drinks. Java staff members, sporting various red Santa hats and antlers, were surprised at the large turnout and were happy to see so many new faces at the pub night.
The highlight of the night was definitely the surprise visit from SantaTake and his cheery assistants, Santa-chan and Santa-kun! They gave out presents (those visitors who gave a present at the door got a present later). The Christmas presents included a variety of gadgets, accessories and edible goodies. Everyone went home seemed to go home with a good memory of the evening.(Shannon)
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Since I love baseball so much I organized "JAVA Major League Baseball Event". A lot of JAVA members have joined this event. In fact, my main purpose to come to Toronto was to watch Major League baseball. As you know, we can watch not only the games of Toronto Blue Jays but also those of Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees, which means we can see two Japanese super heroes - Ichiro and Hideki Matsui. It's impossible in Japan to see them again. I had watched professional baseball games many times in Japan, but Sky dome, audience, players ... everything were totally different from those of Japan and flesh to me. Now I'm feeling "REAL MAJOR LEAGUE" in Toronto. I'm so happy to have shared enjoying Major League baseball with a lot of JAVA members. Since becoming a JAVA staff member, I can now say that I have realized my dream. Thanks everyone! (Naoyuki)
