Hi everyone! This is your friendly neighborhood CIR and PA, Jessica Harvey - but feel free to call me Jess! I came to lovely Fukushima in August 2007 all the way from Tauranga , New Zealand , so I've been here for a while now, but this place still surprises me with its many hidden treasures! I'll be starting my 5th year in August 2011 - but it still feels like I only just got here the other day!! (^_^)

You have probably heard of Fukushima over the news (it's pretty infamous at the moment of course), but don't be fooled by all the hype - Fukushima has always been and still is a wonderful part of Japan to visit. After the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, much of the coast was affected and still bears the scars today, but the rest of the prefecture has recovered admirably and things are pretty much carrying on as normal. Many JETs volunteer their weekends to help with the recovery along the coast, or to cheer up evacuees in centers around the prefecture - a very rewarding experience for both parties. The radiation situation will probably be causing you and your family a lot of concern, but to be honest, much of the prefecture has had little or no change in radiation levels. Apart from some isolated areas (such as parts of Nakadori) outside the evacuation zone that have elevated (though not dangerous) levels, most places around Fukushima are comparable to cities such as New York and Singapore and are a fraction of the levels found in some parts of Cornwall, in the UK, for example, (which has naturally high levels of radon in its soil). Please check out the New JET Info section of this website for more useful information on the disaster, and don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns!!! My e-mail: cir_nz@pref.fukushima.jp

About me - I'm married and have a wee daughter who was born in November last year (2010), and am always kept busy at home!! So for those of you who are bringing along your family, please feel free to contact me - I would love to have another parent to hang out with!!! I also have lots of different hobbies that I enjoy - but one of my favourites of course (as you may have gathered from my photo) is learning how to dress in Kimono! (I started learning after coming to Fukushima). I also like baking, reading, movies, traveling, fishing, and taking my little girl out for coffee (the coffee is only for me of course!)

I am here to help you guys deal with any issues or upsets you may have, so feel free to contact me whenever you need it, or even if you just want to chat! I hope you will have/are having a great time in Fukushima , Japan , and I look forward to meeting you all in the future!

See ya later! (^0^)/