Review: The South China Sea by Bill Hayton

December 17, 2019October 24, 2019Leave a comment

From rising sea levels due to climate change to acts of terror from various groups such as ISIS and jihadist radicals to global viral pandemics, China’s quest for hegemonic jurisdiction over the South China Sea might not be high up on some lists in regards to global trepidations. Bill Hayton’s The South China Sea—The Struggle for Power in Asia could not have arrived at a more crucial time. Hayton calls to attention the issues regarding China’s rising power in Asia and what it means for the international order of the globalised society we live in.

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I Moved Into a Mansion?! My Housing on the JET Program

September 2, 2019September 5, 20191 Comment

Hey JETsetters!

We’ve discussed housing here and now it’s time to show you my humble abode. What did I end up with on the JET Programme? Did I draw the short straw or get the house of my dreams?

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So You Wanna Be A JET: Placement

August 15, 2019August 11, 2019Leave a comment

Hey JETsetters!

The JET Programme application process is a terribly long one. You apply in October, and if you started prepping beforehand even earlier, and then spend half a year waiting for news on acceptance. Once you get that acceptance letter, you’re stuck waiting once again for news on where you will be uprooting your life to for the next one to five years.

For me, the wait for my placement was one of the hardest ones. I couldn’t really start planning my packing until I knew where I would be located. Would I be in the city where shops are abundant, and I don’t have to worry about sizes or comfort food? Or would I be in the countryside on a remote island where I would only get grocery deliveries once a week or two by boat (true story for one of our JET speakers at Tokyo Orientation)?