This month’s Kansai Scene has three interesting articles on moving abroad. Not just limited to Japan, the articles cover reasons why one might choose to live abroad, and the resulting impact:

The expatriate becomes hung between two states, never quite of the place she or he lives, and separate from the culture of the home country. In the UK, returned expats are sometimes known derisively as ‘When Is’ for the perceived habit of beginning anecdotes, ‘When I was in Osaka/Vilnius/Bangkok/Johannesburg …”

There are lots of reasons to move abroad, but it comes with a lot of research and inevitable culture shock. Studying abroad is very close to what it might be like to live in the country, but the experience is filtered through the lense of the school and an English-speaking environment. You are in a safe community where you can find other English-speaking people for small doses of home. But once you move abroad for real, it might be hard getting started and creating a new network of friends from scratch (not to mention in another language.)

On the other hand, moving abroad might be ideal for those who don’t feel in tune with their own culture, or who know that they are “destined for greater things.”  Moving abroad definitely helps you grow up fast and get to know yourself a lot better, especially when doing it on your own.  Parents are not just a phone call away–often times they can be in a completely opposite time zone.  All you have is yourself to rely on.

Having traveled between the States and Japan my entire life, I know the feeling of being inbetween worlds all too well. People always ask me where do I feel the most comfortable, or what nationality do I feel I’m more like. I don’t have an answer to either of those questions–both places are my home, and at the same time neither are. I don’t feel in tune with either culture–not the misogynstic oppressiveness of Japan, nor the self-centered consumer society that makes up America.  But I wouldn’t be who I am if I hadn’t lived in either country, which just goes to show the catch-22 of the whole thing–you have a wider perspective on the world, but it’s hard to find a place to call home.

- All Asians Have Beef With Other Asians
- It's Been a Crazy Two Months
- The Candle Night Campaign
- Japanese Version of the Office
- Algorithm March...with Ninja!

Photo taken by me in Ryukyu Mura, Okinawa

Read classic English literature and you will notice that there are often characters that are multilingual, speaking one if not all the romance languages. Why is this not the case anymore? As English speakers, why do we feel comfortable just knowing as much? Why do we get angry or feel threatened when there is a possibility we have to incorporate Spanish into our school systems? People have more access to technology and means of travel than they did back in the days of Humbert Humbert. So why are we satisfied with traveling the world knowing just English?

If you couldn’t tell by my posts as of late, I am all for learning foreign languages. Here are some reasons why you should learn a foreign language:

Improves your conversation level in your native language
As strange as it sounds, learning a foreign language does help your own native language. You will understand broad grammatical concepts better and even learn words you didn’t know existed (like, um, moxibustion.)

Educates you in another culture
This is a great plus when learning a language—you inevitably have the learn the culture, and how much better you will understand a foreign culture when you know the language!

Understand humor in a different way
What, did you think all humor revolved around a guy in a suit with a mic? Humor is expressed differently all over the world, most of the time in ways that can’t be understood in the English language.

Exercises your brain
This is an obvious one. Learning another language requires you to learn a grammar structure that is unlike English grammar—this involves more thinking and brain activity. And because there is a correlation between math and a language, you might find yourself being able to solve logical puzzles easier.

Fights Alzheimer’s
This relates to the previous point—studies have shown that knowing a second language may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease because it forces you to use your brain. I’d imagine this is because speaking in another language requires more brain work than speaking your native one.

Broadens your world
Another obvious point, but one that might be missed, especially those in education systems that require foreign language credits, where it’s easy to see learning a foreign language as a chore rather than something that can open up your world entirely.

Books, movies, and music
You can read books in another language, which means you have access to those that have not (or never will!) make their way into the English speaking world. You will also have access to more music and movies and not be limited by forms of entertainment that are in English only.

Increase job opportunities
It is no secret that learning a foreign language is a huge plus when trying to get a job. A lot of times companies will hire you for the language factor on its own, even if you’ve had no training in the field you’re applying for. Letting a prospective employer know that you are fluent, or even still studying, a foreign language will catch their eye and help you stand out from all the rest.

Can be passed on to future generations
To be able to pass on a foreign language is a great way of enriching your children’s lives. They will have so many opportunities unavailable to those limited to English, and as children they have an easier time learning a new language than adults.

Opens doors to other languages
Learning a language such as Chinese or Spanish will pave the way for learning similar languages, since vocabulary and grammar structures are often shared. This probably explains why many characters in classic novels were able to speak not just in one language, but in several. Think of M. Arronax in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, who could speak not just French, but in English and Latin (!) as well.

It’s not that hard
English by default is a really hard language to learn—there are so many grammatical rules and exceptions, it’s no wonder a lot of people think that they can never learn another language. But if you sit down and look at the grammatical structures of another language, chances are you’ll find they are really logical.

People will respect you in other countries
It’s really easy to encourage negative stereotypes of English speakers abroad (particularly Americans) when they visit countries that they can’t speak the language of. Some people even have the audacity to assume everyone across the globe can speak English, which is entirely untrue. But if you go to a foreign country and rattle off what you know, even in a broken form of the language, it is better than not knowing anything.

There are sooo many more positives in learning another language, but hopefully this will give you an idea of some of the major ones!

- All Asians Have Beef With Other Asians
- Algorithm March...with Ninja!
- Visa Stays are Extended for Those With Japanese Skills
- Speak Our Language or Go to Jail
- Learn a Language Faster By Slowing Down

Photo taken by me at my favorite sushi conveyor belt restaurant

The other day when I was showing my boyfriend around the area that we are staying here in Japan, I accidentally had us take the wrong bus to get to a conveyor belt sushi restaurant that I really enjoy. The bus we took was going to an area I had never been to before. I have done things like this before, and it is really scary when you’re in a different country and you take a wrong turn. (It also looks bad when you are showing somebody else around, haha. Oops.)

Anyway, instead of panicking, we just changed our plans around to accommodate my mistake. I had at least heard of the area we were heading to, and with a little risk-raking we still had a great time. Now we have another place to hang around on our off days, and I found some really great shopping/dining places.

However, we still took some precautions to make sure we could find our way home. If you ever find yourself in such a predicament, here are some ways to help work around it.

- Calm down: The first instinct is to panic and feel like a lost little child looking for their parent in a crowded mall. You are scared that you will never make your way back, and you have no idea where you are going. Instead of letting these thoughts race through your head, take a deep breath and think about how to resolve this.

- Think logically: If you are on a bus line, chances are no matter where you end up, you will be able to get back to your starting point. Get off the bus and find the next one that will bring you home.

- Re-trace your steps: If you are lost wandering around a city, try retracing your steps backwards. You might feel stupid for passing by the same people over again, but it’s worth getting your butt back in line.

- Ask somebody: Never be afraid to ask somebody. You will not look foolish, and people will always try their best to guide you in the right direction. Ask as many people as you need to–it’s not as if they all know each other and will poke fun at your being lost.

- Search for recognizable landmarks: Try to think of what looks familiar and use that as a starting point. Look around; keeping your head down or straight ahead might make you more apt to miss something important.

Here are some steps you can take to prevent getting lost:

- Become familiar with your surrounding area: This one is obvious enough, but even if you are a bus stop or a train station, don’t just focus on the destination. Look at all surrounding stops, become familiar with the names in case you should ever miss your intended destination. You can use the names as a reference point for how far away you are.

- Bring a friend: Two minds are better than one! Your friend may notice something you might’ve missed and prove invaluable when trying to find the way back. However…

- Pay attention: …don’t use your friend as an excuse to not pay attention. If the two of you get lost, you will be kicking yourself when you can’t even recall landmarks.

If you do get lost but have some free time and are in an interesting area, take a chance and explore it–you may discover some hidden gems that you would otherwise be unable to find. There are times when you just have to go along with your mistake. Of course, always take precaution in traveling in unknown areas, especially if you’re alone in a foreign country.

- Learn a Language Faster By Slowing Down
- Using Bilingual Dictionaries
- Learning a Foreign Language for Beginners pt. 3: Main Resources
- How To: Use Chopsticks
- Learn Foreign Languages with Free Online Courses

It might be because I’m used to flying, but it always surprises me when I hear that people have never ventured outside of their own home state or country or have even been in an airplane before. Traveling around the world seems really daunting and expensive, but people do it all the time. Even just going cross-country seems like a bigger deal than it really is. And so, I have gathered up some traveling resources and tips for those interested in traveling the spacious skies but don’t know where to start.

My tips:
- Don’t wear jeans.  Whenever I wear jeans on an airplane my legs feel like rubber at the end of the flight (I’ve been on 12+ hour flights).  I would get “restless leg syndrome,” which, as comical as it sounds, is actually really irritating.  Wear baggy, non-restricting clothes such as dresses or stretch pants.  Unless you are a celebrity, no one will really care what you look like (unless, however, you fly Southwest.)
- Stretch.  It’s really dangerous for your body to remain in a sitting position for a lengthy flight (same goes for cars), so I recommend getting up (or out of the car) and do some stretching.  Some long flights even provide a sitting exercise video for you to follow along.
- Health bars.  This flight to Japan, I tried out some interesting looking organic health bars for in between flights.  I was really happy with them–I unfortunately can’t remember the name, but the ingredients included whole wheats and grains, which is excellent for feeling full on a small amount of food.  Health bars will also help supply some nutrients that plane food will undoubtedly lack.
- Pack light.  This is hard to do for some, but packing light will save so much time in the long run.  If I can help it, I try to keep all of my belongings packed within my carry-ons.  No checking luggage, no luggage getting lost, no waiting in lines with exhausted angry people!  And chances are if you forget something, you can always pick it up wherever your destination might be.
- Read the guidelines for carry-ons and check-in baggage for your respective airline.  This is going to qualm any worries you might have about your luggage, plus you won’t get slapped with a fee for your suitcase being too heavy.

Other resources:
- 15 Tips for Cheap Traveling (Money For the Rest of Us)
- Currency Calculator
- How to Sleep on a Plane (Mahalo)
- Lifehacker Travel Archives (Lifehacker)
- Putting the ‘Rave’ in Travel Since 1983 (Gala Darling)
- True Cost of Souvenirs (Get Rich Slowly)

- Learn a Language Faster By Slowing Down
- Using Bilingual Dictionaries
- Learning a Foreign Language for Beginners pt. 3: Main Resources
- How To: Use Chopsticks
- Learn Foreign Languages with Free Online Courses

Sorry if there was any confusion about the site from last night to about five minutes ago!  I installed a new blog and accidentally uploaded the wrong configuration file to this one.  Sort of a rude introduction to my new blog, which isn’t at all ready yet, but will probably be my primary one starting next week.

I am going to be studying abroad in Osaka, Japan until January ‘08, and will record my adventures and insights on this new blog, tentatively titled Japan 2007, haha. Updates on this blog will be scarce, if any, and I apologize for the lack of new content from here on out.

Thanks for being patient and please look forward to more updates in the new year.

- What's Happenin' Friday
- What's Happenin' Friday
- Roundup: April 2008
- Roundup: March 2008
- Living in Two Worlds: Moving Abroad