Me, in front of Matsumoto Castle Now that I have less than a month left on this island, I feel this constant, nagging urge to dig out my Lonely Planet guide book and get to work crossing off all of the touristy “must sees” of Japan. Just yesterday I was actually contemplating if I should… Read More Top Five Things I Want to Do Before I Leave Japan
One of my old co-workers once had the name and image of the cruise ship we worked on tattooed to his upper arm. We were on Nassau in the Bahamas and he was drunk on this sudden, new found love for the cruise line industry as well as just plain drunk from two many tequila… Read More The Souvenir Tattoo
Last night I witnessed no less than three people throw up in the Shinagawa train station: An elderly man, a college kid and a very drunk, teenage girl. I’d just missed the last train home and was stranded seven long subway stops from my apartment. It was 1:30 in the morning and I was exhausted… Read More The Drunk Girl
Photo by Diabolo-Spinner Every day I’m finding it harder and harder to leave Japan. It’s not just that my boss has offered me more hours, more pay, and a chance to design and run my own weekend art courses. It’s not just that my friends question my sanity and guilt trip me with “Everyone is… Read More Globe Trotter: Thoughts on Leaving Japanland
Everyone’s always told that when my time came to leave Japan, I’d intuitively know. As if I’d wake up one morning and start to make myself a breakfast of curry and rice and the realization would just hit me that I’ve had enough. And that I’d realize that I want to go back to the land… Read More I’m Leaving Japan
I found something strange in the bathroom this morning. It was a real, live, breathing White Dude. And he was washing his face in bathroom sink. “Um, hello.” I said, uncertainly. Who was this guy and how did he get into the apartment? Had yet another foreigner moved in over night? And if so, where… Read More The Phantom White Dude
When I went to pick up my key to my new apartment, I asked the receptionist at the agency to look up some information about my soon-to-be new roommates. I was then informed that I’d be living with five people: Four guys and a girl. An American, a French, an Australian, a Brit and an… Read More My New Apartment Situation
At first glance, there’s nothing seemingly unusual about the building. Just your average seven story, red brick building on a nondescript street in Tokyo’s financial district. But upon second glance, you might notice that hanging from every apartment window are identical, lime-green, plaid curtains, or perhaps you spy the giant sign posted near the front… Read More The Foreigner’s Ghetto
It is my belief that there are a few things in life that one should never have to experience alone. One of them is celebrating a birthday. Another is being 16 and eating at an empty table in a crowded high school cafeteria. And another is…moving. Yesterday I moved to my new apartment with only… Read More Moving Day
I spent all of last week shuttling back and forth between my old job teaching (mostly North American) pre-schoolers at an International school, and my new job, teaching ESL at a Japanese after school preschool program. The whole experience was exhausting (imagine working for nine hours straight, all of your students under the age of… Read More Are Japanese and American Children Really all that Different?