Moving to Texas for Work and What Life is Like in Dallas

Moving to Texas for Work and What Life is Like in Dallas

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A few months ago I mentioned that I received a baller job offer, but with one catch: I had to move to Dallas, Texas to take the job.

It’s already been four months since I first set foot in the heartland of America.  Before coming here, I had no to connection to Texas whatsoever–no family, no friends, no nothing.  To be quite frank, I probably could have gone through life without visiting Texas and been totally ok with it.

If you told me four years ago that I would be moving to Dallas, Texas, I would have rolled over laughing and said you were out of your mind.  Now, here I am.  Just goes to show: you never know where life will take you.  From Niigata to Shanghai to LA to Dallas.  I literally ask myself everyday–how did I end up here? read more

Discovering My Irish Roots in County Galway, Ireland

Discovering My Irish Roots in County Galway, Ireland

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Kylemore Abbey in Connemara

Countless Americans make the journey across the Atlantic for one reason alone: discovering their Irish roots in the homeland of Ireland.

I’m no different.  When my father first told me that I was Irish (around six years old),  I went to the library and checked out every book on Ireland I could find.  Each page was filled with green pastures that stretched out to the ocean, castles dotting the rolling green countryside, and cobblestone streets in cute seaside villages.  As a young girl growing up in the deserts of coal-mining Utah, Ireland looked like the setting of a faraway fairy tale from a Disney movie. read more

The Intimacy of Names in Japan

The Intimacy of Names in Japan

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Lately I’ve been watching cheesy Japanese dramas and I started to notice something bewildering: when a young Japanese couple begin to date officially as a couple, they start to address each other by first name.  The dynamic of their relationship completely changes.  In one particular drama, the boyfriend told his new girlfriend that she should call him by his first name, “Kotaro,” instead of his last name, “Taniguchi-san.”  She blushed and said she wasn’t ready to take their relationship to “first name status” intimacy. read more

Chinese Sci-Fi Book Review: Three Body Problem

Chinese Sci-Fi Book Review: Three Body Problem

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Three Body Problem was on my “must read” list ever since it won the Hugo Award two years ago.  Unlike past Hugo award winners, this book was special because it was the first time a Chinese author won the most prestigious award in science fiction literature.  As someone who loves both sci-fi and China, I just had to read this thing.

But for whatever reason, I didn’t get around to it.  It was probably the not-so-appealing cover.  Maybe it’s the weird title.  Or perhaps it was the summary of the book, which involves the overdone plot of “humanity fights aliens.”  I have to admit–from first glance, it didn’t seem all that appealing. read more

How Do You Know Where to Settle Down?

How Do You Know Where to Settle Down?

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Whenever I travel somewhere new, especially a city, I always find myself asking the same question:

Could I actually live here–or better yet–settle down here?

In Utah’s middle schools, I was brainwashed–erm, I mean, taught, that when the Mormon Pioneers hauled their wagons to Salt Lake City and first set their sights on the blue skies and the Great Salt Lake, they cried:

“This is the Place.”

Thus, Utah became the home of the Mormon Pioneers…. and Salt Lake now has a (ridiculously) named “This is the Place” museum. read more

Going to Kyushu, Japan? Why Visiting Yakushima is Worth it

Going to Kyushu, Japan? Why Visiting Yakushima is Worth it

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When I told my Japanese friend Tohko that we were going to be in Japan, she said she would meet us in Kyushu on one condition:

We go to Yakushima.

Yakushima?  Where and what is it?

It’s the greenest and wettest place in the country, receiving more rainfall than any other location in Japan.  On top of that, the island has a strong reputation for being a spiritual and mystical retreat, and rightly so; it did, after all, serve as the inspiration for the animated film Princess Mononoke.

I always told myself that, someday, I just had to go to Yakushima (similar to my desire to go to Kumano Kodo).  Not only is Princess Mononoke my favorite Studio Ghibli movie, but when I googled Yakushima and looked at the images, the greenery blew me away. read more

Guns, an American Way of Life

Guns, an American Way of Life

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My husband and I went to see Black Panther last weekend.  Although my husband has had enough Marvel movies for one lifetime, I was quite stoked to see this one in particular.  It wasn’t just the all-black (and beautiful!) cast, but I was also excited to see a unique marvel world crafted out of African culture.

The movie was great—until a group of young teenagers a few seats behind us began to provide loud and offensive commentary on the film.  I won’t repeat what was said, but let’s just say they said the ‘n’ word twice, among other things.  From start to finish this group of teenagers just kept at it—and no one said anything. read more

The Best Birthday I’ve Ever Had

The Best Birthday I’ve Ever Had

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Today’s my birthday.

As I get older, I start caring less and less about birthdays–but I still loathe to spend them alone.  Luckily, my husband always spoils me on my birthday with a nice dinner, a just-what-I-need present or a surprise vacation.

However, I must admit, the most memorable birthday I’ve ever had happened before his time.

This is the story of the best birthday I ever had–in Shanghai.

How I Turned 28 in Shanghai

“I hate to sound demanding,” I said to my Chinese-Italian friend, Leona. “But I really need to do something on my birthday.  Can we get our friends together and have a quick dinner or something?” read more

Are All Americans the Same?

Are All Americans the Same?

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In the last year alone, I’ve managed to live in almost every single region of the United States.  West, Pacific Northwest, Rockies, Midwest, South–you name it, and I’ve probably lived there for a month or two.

The experience was eye-opening and made me realize an extremely important fact: not all Americans are the same. In fact, the US does not feel like one country at all.  Each region is so culturally and geographically different that, when I travel from coast to coast, I have to remind myself that I’m still in the same country. read more

How Can Learning Japanese or Chinese Get You a Job?

How Can Learning Japanese or Chinese Get You a Job?

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According to the news, China is about to rule the world and the Japanese are poised for extinction via low birthrates.  With an ever-rising China and a Japan on the decline, one has to wonder:  Will learning Japanese actually get me a job?  And more importantly, will learning Chinese get me an even better job?

In my post “should I learn Japanese or Chinese?” I gave the cop out answer of “go with your heart.”  I still stand by this super cheesy advice.

However,  via this particular post, I received multiple emails from young college students asking for even more advice.  What kind of jobs can I get with these language skills?  What level of proficiency do I need?  And most of all: Are learning these languages just a massive waste of time? read more