I first came to Japan with the intention of staying only one year and now 7 years later, I am in the habit of refering to it as home. Why live in Japan? Well if you lived in south Florida like I did, you will find it easy to appreciate the variety that life in Japan offers. Beautiful temples, festivals, amazing food, easy access to nature.
I am taking advantage of this variety by exploring different sides of Japan. At first my experience in Japan was all about work. I first came to Japan as a teacher and than I became a student at a Japanese University and completed my master’s degree. Writing my thesis in Japanese and working, didn’t leave me with much time to do the things I really wanted to do. After graduating as valedictorian, I was exhausted and burned out. I took the leap quit my job and turned my attention to other things . Now things are great.
I am now experiencing in a better way the elegance Japan has to offer. I am now a hardworking student of tea ceremony, and kimono, and an on-line store operator on Ebay. For several hours per week I do the practical side of things (going to class, dressing people in kimonos, attending tea ceremonies etc) and spend another several hours reading the theory part of things eg tea ceremony tools, kimono fabrics, dying techniques etc. Through these studies I now have a deeper appreciation of the elegance that is embedded in the culture of this place I call home. I am still a novice on these subjects but I will share the little I have learned and am still learning as time goes on.
yoroshiku onegaishimasu
