I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve been thinking about returning to Japan as an English teacher. And while I consider a pros and cons list the sign of a mind too confused and weak to truly appreciate his situation (should be able to work it out in his head), I couldn’t help but turn my...
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What can one person do? When he’s faced with something of this magnitude… The international media has practically forgotten about Japan. Remember that potentially dangerous nuclear situation over at Fukushima that no one could shut up about last year? Well, the reactors are still very much damaged, and the fuel rods did melt down....
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Control your gestures. Keep your hands at your sides. The Japanese find big arm movements threatening. Speak slowly. Keep your voice calm and even… It may be difficult to do. The Japanese can be irritating. You’ll probably find them irritating tonight. Handle it as best you can. But whatever happens, don’t lose your temper…...
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Disclaimer: Based on initial impressions, I realized I really should have been much more specific when referring to “expats”. In this scenario, I’m certainly not referring to the zainichi and those with Japanese citizenship, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I wasn’t considering foreigners with permanent residency. In any case, this is...
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Four years ago I was doing pretty much the same thing I am now: staring at my computer screen and contemplating life abroad. The difference is, I was fresh from wrist surgery at Imakiire Hospital in Kagoshima, having shattered my distal radius in December 2007. How could I possibly feel nostalgic for such a...
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Recently, I asked a friend living in Portland to do some shopping on my behalf and ship said items to Korea. Nothing too fancy: Reese’s, apple sauce, gingerbread, etc. Some things that are next to impossible to find here. As far as my taste buds were concerned, it was a wise decision. My wallet...
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Make no mistake: learning another language is serious business. I don’t really buy into those arguments claiming once you immerse yourself completely in another culture, you’ll just start picking up words and phrases until you become completely fluent. Whatever “fluent” is, anyway: “Fine”, you say, “let fluency be someone who is fluent to a...
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As a constant traveler, there are many things I miss out on, but stability is probably my biggest regret. Not financial stability, or even physical stability (staying in the same place). No, I miss mental stability. Yes, I said it: I am mentally unbalanced. In the way that only someone spending the majority of...
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Oh, I’m just asking for trouble with this one. My final thoughts after visiting the disputed island of Dokdo. Xtranormal format, of course.
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I was reading over hikosaemon’s Japan blog not too long ago and came across a very interesting entry on fluency in foreign languages: You see, it is quite plausible for someone to be fluent in some situations, and not in others. This is particularly the case in Japan, where even vocabulary customarily used can...
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