International students
I arrived at Occidental College in mid-August. The program organizer welcomed me in the lobby of the administrative office, and I joined the rest of the Waseda students and other […]
Departure
I left Japan with one suitcase. It was a large suitcase, but I packed unnecessary things like the books I had already read while forgetting to pack a toothbrush. My […]
How not to get shot
In 1992, the same year that I saw videos of an African American man bludgeoned by multiple police officers and the ensuing riot in Los Angeles, a Japanese high school […]
Challenges
There was a popular narrative among very high-minded students that you should immerse yourself in the environment in which you had no choice but to speak English because having Japanese […]
Study abroad program
At school, I was preparing to apply for the study abroad program. I attended talks and meetings with organizers and students who had done the same program and met with […]
Nobu’s insecurity
When my sister’s boyfriend, Nobu, learned that I got a tutoring job after failing the waitress and sweetshop sales jobs, he said to my sister that I couldn’t hold the […]
Tutoring job
The next job I landed was a tutoring job at a tutoring school. I had tutored before, and it didn’t require carrying anything heavier than a textbook. The school had […]
Waiting tables
Next, I got a job at a beer restaurant. Many college students worked waiting tables, so I thought it must be easy enough to do even if you are an […]
Job at a Sweetshop
I had to look for a new part-time job as I had left Kubo when I moved, though I would return two years later. First, I found a sweetshop a […]
Tyranny thy name is sister
I asked my sister one thing I worried about. “He’s not going to live here, is he?” She said, of course, he was. I told her I wouldn’t have agreed […]