Back in February, just when the newborn-giraffe version of this site began to wobble on spindly legs, I was busy trying to gain visitors. I sent emails, visited forums, and plagued Facebook with invitations to check us out and contribute. One of the forums I visited was on I Think I’m Lost, which is a fine website in and of itself. In a thread about prefectural websites I made a brief plug for both the Ganbatte Times and Kyoto AJET sites. It looked like this:
Two Kyoto sites!
Kyoto Association of JETs is at Kyoto Association of JETs
The brand new web publication is the Ganbatte Times, which can be found at Ganbatte Times | The unofficial Kyoto Jet Programme newsletter gone webzine. The Ganbatte Times just moved from PDF newsletter to website a few days ago, but we’re hoping for contributions soon!
Notice my use of exclamation points to indicate how friendly we Kyoto-ites are.
I didn’t expect any responses to my post. It was just one in a long list of websites. However, on Monday, June 21st in the Year of Our Lord 2010 I received an email alert. My small advertisement had garnered the attention of one sir or madam who had the following to say:
The “Ganbatte Times”?!?!
hahahahahhaaha way to pick the WORST title ever.
I resisted the urge write an indignant apothegm about how I hadn’t chosen the name, and didn’t think that Ganbatte Times was a terrible name for anything. After all, no matter how horrible the name of our fine publication, it won’t change anytime soon. Instead, I issue a challenge to all our readers: What would the real worst title for this site be?
My suggestions:
- JETs in Kyoto Tribune
- The Geisha/Silk/Temple/Amanohashidate/Old Famous Shiz Herald
- Stuff about Kyoto for JET Programme Participants Site
- Kyoto JET Gazette
- The Kyotoer (like the New Yorker, but for Kyoto, which is totally biased towards Americans)
- The Wakarahen Post
- Kyoto’s Digest
- Old Capital News*
That’s all I could think of within ten minutes. Are any of those better than our current title? Have I not scraped the bottom of the Kyoto-Themed Bad Titles barrel? Do your worst in the comments!
*Thanks, Margaret, for that terrible pun.
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Laurel is a 4th-year municipal ALT in Kameoka, Kyoto-fu and the current co-editor and "webmaster" (is that a thing?) of the Ganbatte Times. Her leisure activities include taiko, aikido, making jewelry, and general silliness.
You know? I think I’m fond of the Wakarahen Post, myself. ;)
How about the Gaikokujin ‘Zine?
And that’s all I got for now…
Wakarahen Post is definitely the coolest out of those, but I think Wakarahen Gazette has a bit more of a ring to it?
Thought of another one: Oideyasu News
I’m not sure it can top the horrible rhyme scheme of “Gaikokujin ‘Zine.”
There are a lot that are far worse:
“Sh*t Times”
“I Can’t Believe You Read This Crap Gazette”
“Get a Life Post”
“We Hate You Times”
“Die in a Fire Gazette”
“The Daily F**k You, Mel Gibson”
I could go on all day.
I was going for Kyoto-themed, but if we’re heading in that direction:
“My Home Country Is Better” Herald
Mukade Country Crier
“You Must Be StOOpid for Reading This Webzine” Webzine
“Imma Cut Yo Face, Son” Sun (which will be the title of my autobiographical newspaper, so no one steal it)
You’ll have to forgive me for this one, but I can’t resist.
The Kinki Chronicle.
(For those scratching your heads, Kyoto is part of the Kinki region of Japan, an area more or less synonymous with Kansai.)