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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Pictures of my time in Ofunato with All Hands Volunteers. Story to follow:
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Today is a holiday in South Korea: Buddha’s Birthday. My original plan was to enjoy a temple visit, but the weather did not oblige. So, I sit inside my clean apartment and think of things to write. Once you get out of the habit of blogging, it’s hard to start up again. This past...
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One of my biggest pet peeves about living in Asia is the attention one receives as a foreign resident. Not even necessarily kids yelling “HELLO!” in a crowded area. It comes from adults as well. I’ve had cashiers struggle with the English to explain the cost of something when I’ve asked them in their...
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Nothing could be simpler than a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread for a comforting lunch, yet finding all the pieces to this American staple food is one of the first challenges I undertake when living abroad. My dinners can be anything from Japanese blowfish to Ethiopian sponge bread, but when it comes to...
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