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 […]
September 2005
September 2005 was a whirlwind. The company would pay the moving cost of up to 30 boxes, but there were just 17 boxes when I finished packing. I felt a […]
The rest of the trip
My flight to Germany was not until the evening, so Stuart and I spent the Sunday afternoon wandering about Hyde Park. I had put on a bright yellow-green camisole with […]
Weekend in London – part 2
The following afternoon, Stuart took me on a boat ride on the Thames from Westminster to Tower Bridge. The sweltering heat persisted, and the sun was glaring. But coming from […]