What They Don’t Tell You About Culture Shock
After not going home for almost a year, I finally went back to visit my family this past August into September. The experience was both…
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Life Updates: I’m Back! (Hopefully)
After a 6-month hiatus, I am back with more to say than ever! (which if you know me is really saying something) Plenty has changed in my life, so I thought I should put out an explanatory post before jumping back into sharing my struggles for the amusement of the general public.
‘Kao’ versus ‘Cow’ and Other Misunderstandings
The new Japanese students have arrived, and with them a chance for me to constantly use my Japanese. However, recently it seems that no matter what I do, everyone seems to find it unwarrantedly funny. Clearly, we have reached that point in friendship where we switch from trying to be as nice as possible to mocking eachother's every error. Unfortunately for me, there are still many.
Confessions of Love: A Japanese Valentine’s Day
after spending approximately 40 hours making chocolate over the last two weeks, I will probably never look at a Hershey's Kiss the same way again. But hey, when in Rome! Or in this case, when in Japan for Valentine's Day.
Getting Sick in Japan
This may be the longest I have ever gone without getting sick, but the streak is now over; I have officially caught a cold, which has brought up some interesting challenges I was not expecting.
Otsukaresama Deshita: The Most Commonly Used Phrase in Japan
Whether you are coming back from classes, finishing up a club practice, or just look like you had a long day, this is a phrase you will hear all the time living in Japan. But what does it mean exactly?
Nihongo Shinkansen: Learning Japanese at the Speed of a Bullet Train
If anyone has been wondering why I haven't posted recently, this is why.
The Longest Trip Ever: My Flight to School
Remember how stressful my first flight to Japan was? Well, somehow I managed to top it on my way to school. If this keeps happening, I don't know if I can ever return to America for fear of never making it back to Japan.
Japan Trip Days 1-3: Tokyo
We spent our first few days wandering around Tokyo way to early in the morning, walking up miles of stairs, and nearly eating the entire country of Japan out of their onigiri supply.
Sleeping Drugs and Coin Phones: My flight(s) to Japan
from leaving Denver at 5 AM to wandering lost and confused through a Japanese airport for 2 hours, here is a play-by-play of our flight to Japan, with emphasis on all the times things went wrong. (unfortunately, there were many.)
