Relationship day 1
There was no more sign of hesitation on Stuart’s face when we met at Heathrow. On the contrary, he beamed his dimpled smile and welcomed me in his arms. I […]
Sacrifice and reward
When I went into the office the following week, Mr. N told me to watch my behavior because people watched and talked. I figured he was referring to Stuart and […]
Another try
Messaging with Stuart was solace in my stressful life. I was determined to move our relationship forward when we met at the office party in December. I thought I had […]
Me and driving
The legal age for driving in Japan is 18, so many young people in Japan get their driver’s license soon after graduating from high school or the first summer in […]
Commute
I commuted on public transportation in the first couple of months. The nearest station was only a few minutes walks from my apartment. However, I lived in the east, while […]
Kanako and Noriko: the angels
My apartment building had five floors with two units on each floor. I was on the third floor in the European counting, and two Japanese women lived on the fourth. […]
Crisis of loyalty
When my relocation was announced a couple of months before my move, the men started to warn me of becoming “acchi no hito” – “a person on the other side.” […]
Stumbling start
I arrived in rainy Germany. It had only been a month since the last visit, but the day had much shortened, and the heatwave was a long-gone memory. I didn’t […]