Relationship day 1

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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 […]