Take Me Out To The Ball Game!
Back by popular demand! The game is Jays vs. Angels. Come join your fellow JETAA members (+ family and friends) to cheer on the Jays!! We can do the 7th…
Cooking Class For New JETs A Success!
On Monday, July 11th, newly minted JETs - along with the help and guidance of JETAA members and volunteers from the Japanese community - gathered at Trinity St Pauls for…
New JETs Take Off For Japan!
The annual Pre-Departure Orientation (held June 24-26) was a huge success. New JETs learned more about their soon-to-be new lives in Japan by attending various workshops covering areas such as rural living, office relationships, traveling in Japan, and being a first time teacher and many more. JAVA once again put together a humourous skit about Japanese social etiquette, which has always been a welcome addition to orientation. Now with the new JETs arriving in Japan, we at JETAA wish them all the best and hope they will adjust well to their new lives.
After a full day of preparation for their upcoming adventure in Japan, our enthusiastic group of newly appointed Toronto JETs headed to the Bedford Academy pub to relax and unwind over a few drinks and light appetizers.
A Boat Cruise To Remember
July 10th was a perfect summer evening to sail by the Toronto skyline. That’s exactly what dozens of JETAA members did along with members of JAVA and CJS, coming together for an awesome summer boat cruise. The sold out evening with over 250 Canadian and Japanese participants included two floors of talented DJs and well stocked bars.
The photo-worthy sunset over the lake perfectly complimented the bright yukatas that dotted the boat.
Manju and Mochi 101
A culinary adventure by Sabeen Abbas
The Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (JCCC) is located just off the Don Valley Parkway at Wynford Drive. After a stop-and-go ride through post-work traffic, my mom and I arrive a few minutes late for Chef Shoji’s manju and mochi workshop at the JCCC. We sneak into the class as he demonstrates how to mix a paste for dorayaki – a red bean stuffed pancake. He shows us his kitchen tools – two heavy iron skillets with nine circular holes, branding irons with kanji characters. He drops the dorayaki mix made with flour, baking powder, eggs, milk, sugar, soya sauce, and mirin into the iron skillet. He has bent the length of his measuring spoon so that it hooks over his mixing bowl. When bubbles form on one side, he lifts up the pancake with a knife and flips them onto a hot tray to cook the other side. Chef Shoji is a retired auto mechanic who brings a methodical approach from his years of fixing cars to fixing up desserts. There is a tool for everything, he instructs us, and if there isn’t you have to make one.