The Ruby Ronin

Grocery Shopping in America vs. China and Japan

April 23, 2015 rubymary Comments 18 comments

Whenever I travel abroad, the first thing I usually do is pop into the local supermarket. While it may sound strange to pass up temples and ruins for a run to the market, the seemingly average grocery store is a gigantic window into the country itself. What people buy in a store–and the food that is offered in the market itself–speaks volumes about a country and its culture.

When I returned to the United States last year, it was no surprise that going to the giant sized American market was one of the big toppers on my lists of reverse culture shock. Even after a year here, stepping into the grocery store still feels like I’m treading into foreign territory. read more

Working as a Doctor in India

April 20, 2015 rubymary Comments 9 comments

My second featured guest for the bi-weekly MyAsia Monday post is none other than my boyfriend, Richard. After laboring through four long years of med school, he’s currently a resident doctor at a local hospital. While he may be a doctor in title, he is actually a traveler at heart. During his last year of med school, he volunteered to work in India and Thailand on an exchange program with his school for his first foray into the land of Asia.

I always write about the far east (and sometimes southeast) Asia. For a change, however, I would like to write about a country in Asia that hardly gets any light on this blog: India. My boyfriend is absolutely in love with India, and his visit there only deepened the connection. I asked Richard if he could share his experiences in India as a doctor on the blog, and ~~he jumped at the chance to post on here~~ gratefully accepted 😉 read more

My Favorite, Must-See Places in Los Angeles

April 15, 2015 rubymary Comments 10 comments

I complain about Los Angeles. A lot.

Yet beneath all of its guck and yuck, Los Angeles does have some gems. While I officially rank Los Angeles as the worst city I’ve lived in thus far, I still think it’s a great place to visit (especially if you live in a colder state–L.A. is great for winters!).

Whenever I need to feel a little better about Los Angeles (or have my friends from afar in town), I go to my favorite spots. Usually starting with…..

Taking in the Waves at Manhattan Beach read more

Learning Kung Fu in China: The Real Story

April 6, 2015 rubymary Comments 12 comments

With a few years of tai-chi practice and teaching under his belt, my good friend Cory was convinced that the final step to mastery would be training on Mt. Wudang in China—the birthplace of Tai-Chi itself.

With absolutely no knowledge of the Chinese language and a passion to train in the art of tai-chi in the homeland, Cory traveled to rural China and braved the unknown: Mt. Wudang in Hubei province. Here is his story:

How Did You Originally Get Interested in Tai-Chi and Kungfu? Can you give a very brief history on Tai-chi? read more

The Cherry Blossoms of Japan’s Snow Country, Niigata

March 23, 2015 rubymary Comments 24 comments

The harsh, cruel winter had come to a calm end. The roaring winds from the sea of Japan quieted to a whisper, and the walls of snow melted down into the nearby Shinano River, flowing along the rice fields and out into the open sea. The locals opened their windows to welcome in the fresh air of a spring long awaited, the sun a welcome sight from the months of grey skies and winter storms. In yukiguni—or snow country, as Niigata prefecture is famously known thanks to the Nobel prize winning book of the same name—winters can bring up to seven feet of snow fall. read more

Glenn, The Walking Dead, and Asian Men On TV

March 15, 2015 rubymary Comments 26 comments

My best friend sent me a clip of Conan O’Brien and an Asian guy named Steven Yeun going to a Korean spa in Los Angeles. Like always, Conan had me giggling and I went into fits of laughter as he went butt-naked into the hot tubs (just watch the video, trust me).

Still, when the clip ended I had one question lingering through my mind:

“Who’s that Asian guy?”

“What?” My best friend was in shock. “Have you not seen The Walking Dead?”

I’m clueless when it comes to the latest “trends” in the United States, since I’ve been in Asia for the previous six years. All I know is Taylor Swift is played far too much on the radio (and I can’t stand her) and American Idol is (unfortunately) still on the air (right?). The only show I keep up with is Game of Thrones. read more

The Truth About Working at a Japanese Company

March 6, 2015 rubymary Comments 121 comments

The clock struck 5—it was officially time to head home and call it a day at the office.

Yet no one was leaving.

Japanese companies worry about local staff pressing legal charges for unpaid overtime in the U.S., so they order us to clock out at 5 p.m. Of course, I wasn’t complaining.

So just like I do everyday, I shut off my computer, grabbed my purse, bowed and announced to the office:

“O saki ni shitsureishimasu” (I humbly apologize for leaving early).

To which they instantaneously replied, read more

Save Over $10,000 a Year By Living in Tokyo

March 4, 2015 rubymary Comments 57 comments

I know, you think I must be crazy for suggesting you could save over $10,000 a year by living in Tokyo, a city famous for its supposed ‘high cost of living.’

But if there’s one big smack in the face I’ve received from reverse culture shock in the United States, it’s this:

It’s goddamn expensive to live in America!

I want to compare cost of living in America with what most people consider an expensive country: Japan.

More specifically, Tokyo.

This scenario is based on a single individual working in Tokyo with an English teacher’s salary, which is about 30,000 USD per year and averages out to 2,500 dollars per month. read more

Turning 29

February 27, 2015 rubymary Comments 16 comments

Last weekend I turned 29—in other words, I’m that much closer to 30.

I used to dread turning 30. Growing up, we often believe 30 is the age that you become a true “adult.” If you didn’t have your life in order by 30, then by society’s standards, you were seen as a failure or a screw up. It’s why if you google ‘turning 30,’ you’ll find questions and blog posts filled with fear, anxiety, and questions.

Yet I’ve met countless people my age or older that have been struggling not only to find a job—but their path in life. For many, life begins at 30. read more

Life in Los Angeles is Killing Me

February 17, 2015 rubymary Comments 29 comments

My alarm buzzed at 6:00AM, waking me out of my deep slumber. I fumbled in the darkness of the early morning to shut the alarm off and begin yet another 12+ hour day of work and commuting.

Originally, I didn’t want a car. I wanted to just get by with a bike, a ride form my boyfriend every now and then, and the trains—yet it was impossible. The distance from my boyfriend’s house to the train station was 20 minutes away by car, which is almost 90 minutes away by bike. Thus I was forced to lease a car, which costs me a ridiculous amount of money every month. An asset I honestly don’t want, but is impossible to live without in the United States. read more