“When one of the biggest English conversational schools in Japan went bust in 2007, I suddenly found myself jobless. With no income, I would desperately find former students, go to their house, and do a group lesson for not even so much money. There was even a single mother who asked me to do lessonsContinue reading
“I wasted half my life trying to make other people happy. My family and relatives were totally against me moving to Japan. My stepdad is from the Caribbean and the traditional culture there is you’re not supposed to go against what your parents said. But I didn’t really want to study Spanish or something elseContinue reading
“I will always be a minority in every country I go to. I’m Punjabi but I was born and raised in Birmingham, England. My parents are both from East Africa, grandparents all from India. If I go to India, I’m a Brit. In the UK, I’m British Indian or British Asian. In Japan, I’m aContinue reading
“I was a single mother in California when my son told me he wanted to study Japanese. So I let him, and after he graduated from high school, we both came to Japan for two months using money I saved up. After that, my mother got sick and died, my son went to college, andContinue reading
“I used to be an accountant so there’s a voice telling me to take calculated risks. But Japan is really the safest place in the world. I try to convey that. People don’t believe that it could actually be that safe. You have nothing to fear, except perhaps, if you hate certain types of food.Continue reading Shape Your World
“It’s not easy living in Japan as a foreigner. If you can’t speak Japanese then your options can be limited. You may find it hard to rent an apartment. If you’re not a native English speaker then you’re instantly not eligible to apply for the bulk of jobs readily available to foreigners, which is EnglishContinue reading It Ain’t Easy
“Tokyo can change people. When you first come here, you’re starry-eyed, full of hopes and dreams. Then one day, your career or business takes over your life. It’s all about the money now. Not saying it’s bad to make money. But wearing a suit every day is not how I imagined my Tokyo life wouldContinue reading The Business of Tokyo
“After eight long years, I’ve decided to pack my bags and head back to Vancouver because I feel as though I will never go beyond being `the foreigner’ in Japan. Initially, I came to Japan as a game designer. But due to a high burnout rate and my inadequate Japanese, I taught English, instead. FromContinue reading Homeward Bound
