I was chatting with a friend back home I haven’t spoken to in awhile. She praised my exciting adventures and how lucky I was to be living a fairytale life. And then I thought, “Does my life really look like a fairytale?” Sure, as an expat I get to have interesting experiences from trying […] Read more…
Japan
Things I Don’t Understand About Japan
Japan can be a baffling and confusing place. I can tell you how strange it is, but until you experience it yourself, it’s something you’ll have to sit back and be bewildered with. With some things you have to shrug, say okay, and move on. Others will leave you with your brows furrowed trying to […] Read more…
Cheating in Japan
The divorce rate in Japan is low, but why? While it is a social taboo, there’s still some underlying factors. Social outings in Japan are a very important part of making connections. It’s a way to become friends with your workmates and foster a good workplace ethic. Most of these parties start with the first party […] Read more…
My Experience with Sexual Harassment in Japan
This blog post is still very, very difficult for me to read and talk about. Sometimes when I read it, I get a horrible flashback that reminds me of how truly helpless I was during these situations which it occurred. And I feel even more angry that the bystanders did nothing to help us when […] Read more…
Dating Military on Okinawa
Due to a suggestion from a friend, I wanted to discuss dating military on the island of Okinawa. At first, I was unsure how to handle this post due to the possibilities of being called unpatriotic, a military basher, and America hater. In the end, I realized, haters gonna hate and likers gonna like. Many, […] Read more…
Stephanie in Japan’s “My Osaka”
There is this feeling in Osaka that is kind of hard to explain, but I’m going to try. We know we’re the underdog, but we don’t care. We’re okay with it because we know how cool we are…or something like that. We aren’t jealous of Tokyo’s fame because we are satisfied and content with living […] Read more…