JQ Magazine: Book Review - "Life in Japan: The First Year" by Victor Edison

My latest article for JQ Magazine is out. Read my book review about "Life in Japan: The First Year,"by Victor Edison.

Original Link: http://jetaany.org/2013/11/30/jq-magazine-book-review-life-japan-year-2/
Date published: November 30, 2013

By Lana Kitcher (Yamanashi-ken, 2010-12) for JQ magazine. Lana is the business development associate for Bridges to Japan. To read more about Lana’s adventures in Japan and New York, visit her blog at Kitcher’s Café.

Victor Edison is a young man who remembers always having some Japanese influences present throughout his life. His family hosted a Japanese exchange student during his childhood, and he was fascinated by anime and manga from a young age. After graduation he found himself working a job he didn’t really want that wasn’t really going anywhere. A friend that was working in Japan at the time encouraged him to apply to be an English teacher and all he could respond to this was, “why not?”

Published by Nagoya-based Big Ugly Robot Press, Life in Japan: The First Year is a bilingual graphic novel written and drawn by Edison about his first year working for an English language school in Mie Prefecture. With little previous knowledge of the Japanese language or customs, he travels blindly to his new home armed only with his enthusiasm and determination to succeed, his ultimate goal to one day become a full-time artist.

His first choice was to work in Tokyo, simply because that was all he knew. After his interview with “Noba,” he soon learns that he has been offered a position in Mie, and accepts.

He starts work at an English conversation school located in a semi-rural area. While the majority of the clients were adults and young adults, the teachers often had to “teach” toddler classes as well. Because the school was located in a shopping mall, many parents would drop their kids off at the English school to fit in some uninterrupted shopping time. The teachers quickly learned that the child classes were thinly disguised babysitting sessions.

Although he often felt like he was drowning at work and struggling to keep up, when he started settling into a routine and feeling more comfortable he began taking a few trips to other locations around Japan. This gave him a new set of experiences, and new material for his comics. In addition to his traveling, he was able to start setting time aside for his art and language studies. Several of his art projects from his time in Japan can be found within the pages here.

Edison’s artistic talent captures Japan’s essence and his autobiographical account is honest and direct. JET alumni will be able to follow his story and find many of their own experiences and thoughts represented within his work. From his first encounter ordering a hamburger to his dissatisfaction with being a glorified babysitter, his tone and pace keeps the reader hooked throughout, allowing us to relive those vulnerable and turbulent first few months. He is also able to find humor in these experiences, which enable us to appreciate the moments and make a connection with the author. He is also able to write honestly and recount vividly, as we see in his visual representation.

Edison’s story is not only a great read for the former expatriate, but also for Japanese citizens that are wondering what it is like to be a foreigner in Japan. Although the Japanese translation can be distracting while reading, it allows insight into the foreign experience, which would otherwise be inaccessible to them.

By reading Life in Japan, it is possible to see that regardless of the program you work for, the age group you teach, or what you look like, many of the challenges that we face as teachers and foreigners in Japan are universal: we arrive with expectations that are quickly shaken, and we face times of uncertainty and growth. Regardless of the exact experience, we all leave Japan changed—usually in a good way—that refuses to allow us to forget the people, places, and encounters. Edison thought that teaching English in Japan would be different. He thought his coworkers would be more serious, or that he would have more free time for his art. If you just returned from Japan last week, or have been back for ten years, you’ll be able to find a chapter of this book that resonates with your own story.

Although he doesn’t mention it in great detail, it can be deduced (or learned through his blog) that Edison is still living in Japan today. He continues to follow his passion doing art, teaching English, and spending time with his family. Perhaps we will get to read about his latest adventures in his next book.

He starts off by trying to answer the question, “so what brought you to Japan?” Although he doesn’t have a concise answer by the end, he knows that it was worth it. This graphic novel is perfect for a friend who will soon be venturing to Japan to become an English teacher or alum looking for a humorous and accurate account of what it’s like to live and teach there.

There is a timeless quality to Japan that you can observe by reading works by different authors across history. Consider comparing Life in Japan to works by Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904), in addition to my recent review on Laura Kriska’s book The Accidental Office Lady (1998). On the surface it may feel like Japan has transformed, but you will notice deep cultural roots that remain unchanged.

Winter in the Nash

Here is a blog of a friend of mine who was living in the same city that I was in while on the JET Program.  She was a new ALT when I originally wrote this entry, and had posted a lot of interesting photos and stories about living in Japan.

She had a very fresh perspective to her writing and her blog.  She posted about things that I took for granted at that point in my "Japan career," but I liked her entry about the Japanese appliances in her house and what it is like to function in her everyday life.

Here is the link to her blog: http://gettingalifeabroad.wordpress.com/

Yamanashi JET, Fuefuki

I have recently been in contact with my JET Program successor!  In order to help prepare her for her transition to Japan, I showed her a few blog entries that I had posted when I first arrived.

One that I found particularly amusing was my homemade video of my apartment, posted on August 19, 2010.

I don't find that I look much different, but it seems that everything about me compared to this video feels different.  I speak differently, dress differently, and even move differently.  It's hard to believe that that was me a mere two years ago.  If I have time I think I'd like to record another video similar to that one before I leave.  If I'm not too embarrassed, I'll post the second video here so that you can compare them, too.

Looking back at the first photos that I took of the school made me remember how new it all felt once.

I also mentioned updating the English Board and posting some pictures.  I did update it several times throughout the two years, but I think that I neglected to post any pictures... So however overdue, here they are!

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Pulling me here and pulling me there.

Sakura, さくら、桜

The Japan chapter of my life winds down, and my stomach churns as my emotions fluctuate from day to day.  One day I count down how many days left on my calendar until I hop on the plane at Narita and return to NY.  The next day I walk around my apartment, feeling nostalgic for something that's not even gone yet.  When I think about never living in Japan long-term again and saying goodbye to all of my students and friends here, a stinging feeling wells up in my eyes.  But then I think about everything I've missed for two years back home, and I get jittery with excitement to return and start the next phase.

I realize that these swinging emotions are natural, and that I'm certainly not the first or last person to feel torn between my new home and my old one.  Deep down I know that going back to the US, pursuing the next step in my career, and being closer to friends and family are what I want in the next step of my life.  But despite knowing what I want, how do I effectively cope with these kinds of changes, and embrace the conflicting emotions?

I expect the first 6 months or so in America to be difficult.  I won't have a place to call my own, no steady income, a feeling of lack of independence, and unfamiliar culture and customs around me.  I ask friends and family to please be patient with me during this period.  Things in the US have probably changed while I was away that I know nothing about, and I may have changed more than I realized too.  The way I speak is without a New York accent (for the time being at least), and I accidentally pick up my bowls when I eat.  Hopefully we can discuss these differences, and share our experiences from the past two years in stories and pictures.

I can't wait to see you all soon!  The page turns, one chapter ends and the next begins!

See you in just over a month.

Lana

PS. After I returned home from Japan in University, I stopped writing in my livejournal blog since my adventure in Japan was over.  This year I'd like to continue writing in my blog in hopes that I can continue to reach out to people in some way.  I haven't decided what I'll write about then, but I think I'll figure all that out as it comes.  I look forward to writing , and I hope you're there to join me in the next chapter as well!

Golden Week Holiday

I spent one of Japan's beloved holidays, Golden Week, in my house sick with a cold.  I was able to get out for one of the days however, and we drove down to Kawaguchiko, one of the five lakes on the north side near the base of the grand volcano and Japan's symbol, Mount Fuji.  Here are a few shots from the day.

We visited Itchiku Kubota Art Museum and Saiko Iyashino-Sato Nenba, a traditional craft village.  We had also planned to visit a common starting point for Fuji's climb, Sengen Shrine.  The Golden Week traffic caught up with us however, and instead of sitting on a 4-mile stretch for several hours, we decided to cut our day short and go home.

I can't believe that my time in Japan is coming to an end.  I want to focus on having fun, creating lasting memories, and packing to go home, but my mind is also preoccupied by the Japanese Language Proficiency Test that I will be taking on July 1st.  I have very little chance of actually passing this test, but I will take it none-the-less.  If nothing else, it will be good practice for the next one I plan to take in NY next year.

Spring is here! Eco-challenge for this week - try drying all of your clothes on hangers or on a line instead of using a drying machine.  They dry faster than you think, and you'll save some money too!

Breakdown - but not mine

I'm glad to find out that I'm not the only one who has difficult days from time to time at the Junior High School.

Today I was walking through the library at the school, searching for nothing in particular.  The librarian and I like to chat about books and life when we have some free time after school.  I am often able to find some kind of book to read for fun, and I just enjoy looking even if I can't read anything.  Don't forget, this is a library in a Japanese school...

I was looking around for a few minutes, paying little attention to the librarian who was putting books away from the previous class.  She went to her desk once or twice to get a tissue to blow her nose, but there was very little communication between us for the first five minutes as she tidied.  Finally, we ended up near the same bookshelf and at last she said, "Oh it's no use."

I saw her sniffling and holding a tissue, so I asked her, "are you sick?  Did you catch a cold?"

"No," she replied, and her eyes started to water.  "It's just because I'm crying.  I'm so mad."  At this point the real tears came, and she started to choke over her words.  I finally figured out that she had been softly crying that whole time.  I asked her what was wrong, and we talked about her day.

Several classes had come in to use the library that day, and the last class of the day had been particularly childish and difficult.  I only understood about 20% of what she was trying to tell me, but I got the main gist of everything.  On top of the misbehaving students, she was also offended by a teacher in the staff room who made a back-handed joke about her age.*  We talked about the situation for a while, and I reassured her that these specific students were not only bad for her, but for everyone.  Also, I told her that it isn't her fault that they act this way.  There are probably a large number of reasons that the students have turned out this way; they want to impress their friends, they are still children, they have mental/social disorders, they have a rough time at home, their parents have problems, they only think about themselves and don't worry about how it effects other people, they grew up in a bad environment, and so on.  We ended up talking for about an hour or so, and tried to gear the conversation away from the students so that she could stop thinking about her bad day and think about something else fun.

I was sorry to see her so upset, but glad that I could be there to support her, and also glad to see that other people sometimes feel hurt by the words or actions of the teenagers at the school.  I do my best not to let the youngsters get to me, but every once in a while when a variety of events pile on top of one another, it's normal to break down a little.  Even someone who's been teaching for 20 or 30 years can still feel these things.  It makes me feel a lot better to realize that everyone has similar problems.

After our conversation she was worried that I would bring bad memories of Japan back with me to America.  I told her that every once-in-a-while there were indeed difficult and trying days, but in general my image of Japan and sentiment is still a good one.  I will most definitely bring all of my good stories and experiences back to America, and I think that the ones that I'll remember the most will be the good ones.

Today was actually a good day for me, despite having a few difficult classes of my own.  First period I was supposed to go to a first year class, but on my way through the hall there was news of a special education class that got changed and would have no teacher for the period.  There were only two girls in the class (both of whom I teach English to once a week) and I volunteered to just sit with them while they did some Japanese worksheets for the hour.

I've gotten a lot better at what I do as an ALT I think.  It may seem like a weird time to post this, but I'm really happy that I came to Japan, even though originally I would have preferred to come as a CIR.  I've learned a lot about Japan, about human nature, about consulting, Japanese, communications and more.  I think I'm stronger now, too.  I'm definitely ready for the next step in my career, and I'm excited to see where the experience and connections of the past year and a half will take me come July.

Thanks for your constant encouragement and support!

Sincerely,

Lana Kitcher

February Project

Here is an article I wrote for the local JET monthly publication called the Yamanashi Panache.  It won't be printed until March, so you have a head-start to read it!  It may not be very interesting to non-English teachers, but I'm posting it here so that you can see what kinds of things I've been working on.

Happy reading!

-Lana

Yamanashi Panache

Active Participation in the JET Program ; Making your experience mean something to you.

By Lana Kitcher

I would like to begin by saying that I am not much of a writer, and I do not intend to sound preachy or forceful in the following article.  My passion is helping people accomplish their goals by providing them with the tools and resources they need to do so.  That being said, I hope you are able to find something useful here today!

              Have you become bored with your daily routine at your school(s) or office?  Did you decide to stay with your current job not because you love it, but because there is a decent pay-check and well, you are not really sure what is next anyway so why not?  I will shamefully admit that a large part of my decision to re-contract was financially motivated.  I already have everything set up, I am able to pay all of my bills on time as well as my loans in America, and I can even afford to travel from time to time.  Several of my friends back in the U.S. still do not have decent jobs nine months after graduation.
In deciding to stay for another year I was able to postpone any serious ideas of what I would like to do after JET. Having a “type A personality” however, I decided that applying for an AJET chair position or “block representative” might help with any skills or credentials needed for future employment.  While doing research into AJET, the Association for Japan Exchange and Teaching, I rediscovered the mission of JET, which over time I seem to have forgotten.  Many ALTs, CIRs, and SEAs are making an enormous impact in their local communities and with the JET Program at large during their time spent working in Japan.  As the Tokyo Orientation booklet states, “Make a deeper impact at local and international levels while here on JET.”
              While I delved further into the interconnected organizations such as JET, AJET, JETAA (JET Alumni Association), YETI (Yamanashi English Teachers International) and other sponsored links within these institutions, I was reminded of the JET application process and what kind of people they were looking for when they hired us.
              As taken directly from the JET Program official website, (http://www.jetprogramme.org/e/introduction/index.html) the JET Program “is aimed at promoting grass-roots international exchange between Japan and other nations.”  Not only are the majority of us expected to teach English in schools, but we are also expected to further this exchange by participating in local community events and “international exchange activities.”  The website says that they are looking for “enthusiastic, motivated, and dedicated individuals.”  How many of us remain all of these things past the application and orientation processes?  In their 2010-2011 Informational Pamphlet (http://www.jetprogramme.org/e/current/pubs/pamphlet.html) they list nineteen points under criteria for eligibility.  Below I have listed five of these points.

“All applicants must:
1) Be interested in Japan, and be willing to deepen their knowledge and appreciation of Japan after their arrival. Make an effort to study or continue studying the Japanese language prior to and after arriving in Japan. Be motivated to participate in and initiate international exchange activities in the local community.

3) Have the ability to adapt to living and work in Japan.

15) Be interested in the Japanese educational system and particularly in the Japanese way of teaching foreign languages.

16) Be interested in working actively with students.

17) Be qualified as a language teacher or be strongly motivated to take part in the teaching of foreign languages.”
              Do you remember how long the application process was?  I recall writing all sorts of essays, getting recommendations, and sending in various forms and copies of forms to the government offices and Japanese consulates.  Then after all of the writing and sending was finished, the waiting began!  We had to wait before hearing whether or not there would be an interview, then go to a far-off city just to take the interview, wait again to hear if you had gotten into the program, wait to be told exactly where you would be placed, just to wait again to hear about what kind of school you would be working at or where you would be living.  For putting yourself through all of this simply to sit at a school and settle for teaching a few English classes sounds like a waste of talent.  Anyone here can make a difference in effectively teaching and communicating about our home countries.  There are a number of ways that I have recently discovered to get involved, and I hope that you can find at least one of the following interesting or inspiring.  Why be satisfied with mediocrity when you can make your experience in Japan a great one?  Also, do not forget to consider what you would like to do after your time as a JET.  There are plenty of things you can do in addition to being in the classroom that will build your experience and skill sets.  I hope that you are able to look back with pride and see how much you were able to accomplish in such a short amount of time.   Here are some ideas I have found or thought up.

Ways you can get involved with YETI Japan:
http://www.yetijapan.com
-Help write articles for the YETI Spaghetti.
-Participate in YETI events.
-Run for a YETI Council position.
-Help plan, organize, sponsor, or host events.
-Keep up with the YETI Forum.  There are often events and opportunities posted there by fellow English teachers!  Many people in the prefecture advertise social and international events that are being held locally.  This can range from international day at a local library or school, to a photography exhibition.  Also, it is a good chance to communicate with the other English teachers and foreign community members within the prefecture!

Ways you can get involved with the Yamanashi Panache:
David McCarthey <alt-fzyk@pref.yamanashi.jp>
-Anyone can contribute to the Panache.  Simply send an e-mail to David McCarthey our Prefectural Advisor, and discuss your ideas with him.  He is a great listener and is prompt in responding to e-mails or inquiries.
-If you do not want to write a full article, you can submit school games and ideas, information about local events, shorter articles, or even propose a new idea to David.

Ways you can get involved with AJET and JET directly:
http://ajet.net
http://www.jetprogramme.org/
-Join a special interest group.  If there is nothing there that you relate to, you can create your own group!
-Run for a block or council position.
-Send ideas to the council for e-bulletin topics and events.
-Nominate a JTE that you think is doing a fantastic job to receive national recognition.
-Prove to the council that we are doing a fantastic job in Yamanashi, and our prefecture can receive national recognition.
-Participate in the returning JET conference, opinion exchange conference, or volunteer for the various orientations.  You can even lead some of the workshops!
-Vote!  Make sure the people representing the entire JET body to the Japanese government deserve to be there.
-Ask your PA and CIRs how you can get involved.  There are often international events taking place that need volunteers and participants.  Put your name out there so that they are likely to contact you when they are in need of a helping hand.  If you think you are not being informed of events or are being informed too late, tell your supervisor, JTE, co-workers and BOE that you would like to be involved if something comes up.
-Take a look at “The JET Effect.”  Every month it features one JET that has taken the JET mission statement above and beyond, and has made a huge impact in their community.  Maybe we can all be inspired by them to work for something that we are equally passionate about.  Maybe you can be the next JET in the spotlight of “The JET Effect.”  Maybe we could work together as a group of individuals, not as JETs but as English teachers and community members in the prefecture aiming for a common goal and producing something truly great and influential.
-Have any ideas concerning JET on a large scale?  Consider sending your ideas to executive council members or specific liaisons within the council to have your ideas or concerns heard.

Ways you can get involved with JETAA:
http://www.jetalumni.org
-Find your home country/city JETAA group, or join the group belonging to your future residence.  Connect with past JETs there, and learn how you can get involved with JET back at home as well while you are still in Japan.  Maybe someone needs a connection you happen to have.  Maybe you could do an event simultaneously across the globe.  Maybe you could update them about how JET is going now and bounce fresh ideas off of one another.
-There are even more publications offered from these various groups!  Writing to them, or at least getting ideas from people who have already tried different events might get you working on your next big project.
-Look into CLAIR’s annual publication called “The JET Streams.”  It can be found on the “Former JETs” tab of the official JET Program website at http://www.jetprogramme.org.

Other sites, resources and ideas:
-There are tons of groups that you could join on networking sites such as LinkedIn, facebook or twitter.
http://www.facebook.com
http://www.linkedin.com
http://twitter.com
-A part of being able to promote internationalization and awareness of the culture and customs in your country involves being able to communicate with the native population in Japan.  Japanese can be a difficult language to learn, but it is important to try if you want to really maximize the effectiveness of your time here.  JET offers free courses to participants at varying levels.  According to the JET Program, “Courses are designed for participants to improve their Japanese language abilities and to assist in the promotion of the understanding of Japan upon returning home.”  There are language books that you can borrow from the International Center in Kofu or from various libraries in the prefecture.  Borrowing from friends, other English Teachers, or foreign residents in the area may also be an option.  Other than books, there are many Japanese learning websites and free JLPT downloads on the AJET website.  “Yamanashi Nihongo Volunteers” is an inexpensive option if you want one-on-one classes with a Japanese native speaker.  If you do not like learning the traditional way there are more interactive ways to learning as well. Take www.Japanesepod101.com as an example.  They distribute a series of free to download podcasts and lesson videos.  Listening to Japanese music, going to karaoke, or watching Japanese movies are also more entertaining ways to get Japanese language practice. 
-Does Yamanashi have any official sports teams that the English teachers are involved in?  Some teams could be organized and possibly even compete against teams in other prefectures.  Maybe local Japanese people would be interested in joining as well?
-Is anyone interested in theater or film?  We could put together a play or make a movie for awareness about different cultures.  Not only might it be fun to participate in this kind of event, creating a team and building a production from the ground up, but it would also involve the local community actively in either participation or viewing of the final product.
-If you want to get involved, it does not mean you have to do it through a JET-run organization, or even with other JETs.  Let your imagination take you somewhere new.

What else can we do for our students?
-Organize events for them involving other native English speakers in the area.
-Set up pen-pal systems between them and schools in your home country.
-Set up fund-raising and charity events to build a local scholarship program to help students study abroad to your home country.
-If you have any ideas about teaching techniques, organize a concise plan with reasons supporting your new teaching ideas and propose them to your school.
-Bring cultural education into your classroom.  So much of language is culture.  No one will understand idiomatic expressions or set phrases without learning a little about culture.  However, do not forget that internationalization is a two-way interaction.  Japanese rituals or customs may sometimes seem pointless or mundane, but how much effort are we putting into fully understanding them?  We are as much here to learn about Japan as we are to teach about our own countries.
-Share your trials and errors with other English teachers!  Why all make the same mistakes over and over again if we can learn from each other?  Why not share what events or games were a hit and hope that another teacher can use them just as effectively?  ALTs and Eikaiwa teachers used to have to communicate via facsimile.  We now have websites, forums, mobile phones, local and national publications, and e-mail to contact one another quickly and easily.
-Are you involved with any clubs at your school?  English club tends to be strongly suggested if not required, but do they meet every day?  Are there any other activities or clubs that you are interested in?

         What other ideas do you have that I have not mentioned above?  How many people are informed about the ideas that might be interested in your mission and like to join in the completion of it?  Did you ever make a list of goals, either before coming to Japan or after arriving, about what you would like to accomplish while you are here?  If you did make something resembling such a list, take a look at it.  Is there anything you can cross off of it?  Is there anything you would like to add?  If you have not made this kind of list, what would you put on it now?

Everyone keeps telling me that the JET Program, and any experience for that matter, is what you make of it.  If you find something that you are passionate about you are bound to get far and make great things happen.

If you would like to discuss anything at all about this article or would like more information about a specific resource mentioned within, please do not hesitate to contact me.  You can send me a personal message on the YETI forum to “LanaKitcher,” or e-mail me at LanaKitcher@gmail.com.

Thank you and good luck with your next endeavor!  There may be many more people willing to get on board than you think, so get the word out and have a great time!

Lana Kitcher
First Year JET
Isawa Junior High School ALT

2011, Shrines, Mochi, Style, e-reader

Welcome 2011!

Well, on the first of January, year 2011, I am taking the day to chill out and catch up.  It looks like a bomb exploded in my closet and sent my clothes flying around my room.  Various adventures this week have left me wanting some quiet time at home just to sit and reflect.  Instead of "spring cleaning" like we have in America, in Japan they do New Year's cleaning.  If it weren't so cold, I'd agree that it makes sense to reorganize and clean up your life to start the new year out on the right foot!

So far, I have come up with a few new year's resolutions.  Here they are!

1) Answer all e-mails and letters within one week of receiving them.

2) Be more productive in my free-time by utilizing time management skills, and focusing on one task at a time.

3) Take more/full advantage of language tools while living in Japan, for example television, Japanese films, magazines, and daily life conversations outside.

I don't have many photos, but yesterday (December 31st) we went on a mini Kofu pilgrimage.  There is a road that runs through the back streets of Kofu on the north side, and it takes you to 52 different temples, shrines, and other important sites.  We only hit a handful of them, but it was still fun to do this.  At first, we were paranoid that we were doing something wrong.  A Japanese teenager who looked like he was helping set up at one shrine, followed us to another one nearby.  Then a police car seemed to be following us.  It turned out we were doing nothing wrong, and these two events were just coincidences. Most Japanese people go to the shrines on January first, so we were just getting a head start.  My camera battery died, so I only got a few but I'll try to post some more later.

Also, on the 30th we got to make "mochi" at one of my coworker's home.  She and her family are among the few that still make their own mochi for New Years, so it was fun to go and experience this!  I don't have pictures of this either, but hopefully I can get them soon.

New Years Traditions in Japan (Wiki) - Click this site to learn more about "mochi" and Japanese traditions on new years.

(Above) Making it looked something like this.  Take special steamed sticky rice and dump it into this large  mortar.  Then the men pound the sticky rice while the women flip it, and then roll it into a desired shape.  The rice was still steaming the whole time, so dipping the pounder and your hands into cold water helped the process.

We went to the internet cafe across the street, simply to say that we had experienced it, and I searched through some magazines while we were there.  Here are a few pictures of fashion and home design that I thought were neat.

 And from this point down, are the photos I was able to get from the shrine adventure.

"Yamasuso, Inishie no Michi" = foothills, the road of antiquity, aka the ancient road?

This was a garden in someone's backyard that I someday hope to be able to replicate.  It was so green despite the cold!  Such a garden in December?  Up in the mountains?  What is their secret?

On an unrelated note, I'm currently reading the book Eat, Pray, Love.  I think it's good, and hope to watch the film once I finish the book.

On another unrelated note, I'm thinking about purchasing a Kindle or a Nook with my Christmas gift money!  Why not put it to use other than paying bills...  Do you, or any of your friends have either of these devices and do they advise or suggest one over the other?  I'm interested in hearing your advice or comments on either of them.  Thank you!

Love and Peace.

-Lana