Comments on: Standing Tall in a Foreign Land http://sevententotokyo.com/2008/09/standing-tall-in-a-foreign-land/ A blogazine written by bloggers for everyone interested in Japan. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:53:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: john turningpin http://sevententotokyo.com/2008/09/standing-tall-in-a-foreign-land/#comment-292 john turningpin Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:51:45 +0000 http://sevententotokyo.com/?p=72#comment-292 Great stuff, Billy. Totally found myself relating. I still can't say I find myself sold on Tokyo, but after all the ups and downs I've been through in this country, Japan is home for me now. Oh, yes. Great stuff, Billy. Totally found myself relating.

I still can’t say I find myself sold on Tokyo, but after all the ups and downs I’ve been through in this country, Japan is home for me now. Oh, yes.

]]> By: Michael John Grist http://sevententotokyo.com/2008/09/standing-tall-in-a-foreign-land/#comment-185 Michael John Grist Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:13:05 +0000 http://sevententotokyo.com/?p=72#comment-185 Hey Billy- interesting post, good honesty, takes balls to make yourself vulnerable like that, I've been up and down in my time here too- 5 years and counting. I've outgrown old hobbies and developed new ones. In the past I used to hide out a lot and watch TV downloaded from the Internet. Not all weekend, but most nights. I wouldn't want to go out with a bunch of vapid transitory friends, do empty stuff. I realized the way forwards is just to get busy doing something- kind of what you're saying. You gotta just plough ahead and do something productive. you have to level up. If you're not levelling up, you're stagnating, and that's the worst trap to fall into in Japan, especially if you're an English teacher. It's easy to let it happen- but it'll wither you away to nothing if you let it. Anyway, yup. Mike. Hey Billy- interesting post, good honesty, takes balls to make yourself vulnerable like that,

I’ve been up and down in my time here too- 5 years and counting. I’ve outgrown old hobbies and developed new ones. In the past I used to hide out a lot and watch TV downloaded from the Internet. Not all weekend, but most nights. I wouldn’t want to go out with a bunch of vapid transitory friends, do empty stuff.

I realized the way forwards is just to get busy doing something- kind of what you’re saying. You gotta just plough ahead and do something productive. you have to level up. If you’re not levelling up, you’re stagnating, and that’s the worst trap to fall into in Japan, especially if you’re an English teacher. It’s easy to let it happen- but it’ll wither you away to nothing if you let it.

Anyway, yup.
Mike.

]]> By: billywest http://sevententotokyo.com/2008/09/standing-tall-in-a-foreign-land/#comment-155 billywest Wed, 15 Oct 2008 13:49:18 +0000 http://sevententotokyo.com/?p=72#comment-155 Thanks for reading, Kates. Thanks for reading, Kates.

]]> By: Kates http://sevententotokyo.com/2008/09/standing-tall-in-a-foreign-land/#comment-154 Kates Wed, 15 Oct 2008 03:08:00 +0000 http://sevententotokyo.com/?p=72#comment-154 This was a really cool article. =) I don't anticipate a move to Japan for a few years yet, but I'm really glad to learn about the lows before I actually experience them, so I know things'll go up too. Thanks! This was a really cool article. =) I don’t anticipate a move to Japan for a few years yet, but I’m really glad to learn about the lows before I actually experience them, so I know things’ll go up too. Thanks!

]]> By: Al-san http://sevententotokyo.com/2008/09/standing-tall-in-a-foreign-land/#comment-75 Al-san Sat, 27 Sep 2008 19:17:18 +0000 http://sevententotokyo.com/?p=72#comment-75 Its easy for me to adapt to any setting. Maybe thats because I really don't care where I am. I can be in the middle of the Sahara desert and not care as long as I got a roof over my head, food, people to chat with, and air-conditioning. Oh cars too. Its easy for me to adapt to any setting. Maybe thats because I really don’t care where I am. I can be in the middle of the Sahara desert and not care as long as I got a roof over my head, food, people to chat with, and air-conditioning. Oh cars too.

]]> By: Emsk http://sevententotokyo.com/2008/09/standing-tall-in-a-foreign-land/#comment-71 Emsk Sat, 27 Sep 2008 12:41:08 +0000 http://sevententotokyo.com/?p=72#comment-71 My rose-tinted glasses came off a lot earlier, partly due to being hungry. I'm a vegetarian and wasn't prepared to give that up. I found it very difficult being out with friends because ordering veggie food is a nightmare in Japan, unless you're in Koyasan or parts of Tokyo. I wasn't in Tokyo. I also encountered something which is apaprently quite normal in a Japanese work situation. My co-worker, a Canadian girl with whom I became very good friends, was the one they "liked", while I was the one who got criticised. She was aware of this and would often say she was sorry they gave me a much harder time. It certainly got to the point where I was checking the prices of flights back to the UK. I went through ups and downs and had a longing to meet other British people - every time I heard a British accent I would make a beeline for its owner and find that they too were pleased to talk. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy meeting Japanese, American, etc folk, but I had a huge need to connect with my "own people" at times. But the thing that really saved me was my art. Through that I gained confidence, learned more Japanese, met much more interesting people and realised that not every Japanese person was like my manager, HT etc. And that if I were working in a a place as faceless and Stepford-Wifey as my eikawa back home, I would probably hate my British counterparts. It made me appreciate home a lot. But in a similar vein, going to a wedding in the outer suburbs a few years back made me appreciate London. I guess what I mean is you wouldn't be where you are for so long for no good reason, but there are still times you wish you were elsewhere. My rose-tinted glasses came off a lot earlier, partly due to being hungry. I’m a vegetarian and wasn’t prepared to give that up. I found it very difficult being out with friends because ordering veggie food is a nightmare in Japan, unless you’re in Koyasan or parts of Tokyo. I wasn’t in Tokyo. I also encountered something which is apaprently quite normal in a Japanese work situation. My co-worker, a Canadian girl with whom I became very good friends, was the one they “liked”, while I was the one who got criticised. She was aware of this and would often say she was sorry they gave me a much harder time. It certainly got to the point where I was checking the prices of flights back to the UK.

I went through ups and downs and had a longing to meet other British people - every time I heard a British accent I would make a beeline for its owner and find that they too were pleased to talk. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy meeting Japanese, American, etc folk, but I had a huge need to connect with my “own people” at times. But the thing that really saved me was my art. Through that I gained confidence, learned more Japanese, met much more interesting people and realised that not every Japanese person was like my manager, HT etc. And that if I were working in a a place as faceless and Stepford-Wifey as my eikawa back home, I would probably hate my British counterparts.

It made me appreciate home a lot. But in a similar vein, going to a wedding in the outer suburbs a few years back made me appreciate London. I guess what I mean is you wouldn’t be where you are for so long for no good reason, but there are still times you wish you were elsewhere.

]]> By: astrorainfall http://sevententotokyo.com/2008/09/standing-tall-in-a-foreign-land/#comment-56 astrorainfall Thu, 25 Sep 2008 03:25:53 +0000 http://sevententotokyo.com/?p=72#comment-56 I, too, stay home if Tokyo gets a bit much for me...And when I used to have a telly, I wouldn't turn it on because it would blast more Japanese. But Japan has a way of working its way back into your heart before you feel like giving up. I, too, stay home if Tokyo gets a bit much for me…And when I used to have a telly, I wouldn’t turn it on because it would blast more Japanese. But Japan has a way of working its way back into your heart before you feel like giving up.

]]> By: freedomwv http://sevententotokyo.com/2008/09/standing-tall-in-a-foreign-land/#comment-55 freedomwv Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:42:57 +0000 http://sevententotokyo.com/?p=72#comment-55 I feel you on that one Billy. Going out is fun but after a while the old bank account does start to look a little lean. I have started to try and find ways of having fun in Tokyo while spending a little less yen. To my surprise that are some things that you can do which cost very little money.? I feel you on that one Billy. Going out is fun but after a while the old bank account does start to look a little lean. I have started to try and find ways of having fun in Tokyo while spending a little less yen. To my surprise that are some things that you can do which cost very little money.?

]]> By: billywest http://sevententotokyo.com/2008/09/standing-tall-in-a-foreign-land/#comment-53 billywest Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:03:08 +0000 http://sevententotokyo.com/?p=72#comment-53 You know, it seems like I've been going out way too much lately, though. That's put a little dent in my bank account. As for the ratings system, here's the wordpress plugin I'm using: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-postratings/ You know, it seems like I’ve been going out way too much lately, though. That’s put a little dent in my bank account.

As for the ratings system, here’s the wordpress plugin I’m using:
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-postratings/

]]> By: Tom http://sevententotokyo.com/2008/09/standing-tall-in-a-foreign-land/#comment-52 Tom Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:24:44 +0000 http://sevententotokyo.com/?p=72#comment-52 I spend time inside too. I don't think there's anything wrong with it. Everyone has their own way to cope. When I first got here I'd go out all night a few nights a week. Where'd you get the ratings system? I spend time inside too. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it. Everyone has their own way to cope. When I first got here I’d go out all night a few nights a week.

Where’d you get the ratings system?

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