10 sats \ 4 replies \ @cryotosensei OP 13 Oct \ parent \ on: AskSN: When have you taken the road less take ? AskSN
My career took a back seat because I signed up for the Japan Exchange Teaching program and had to restart all over again when I returned to my home country. I have zero regrets because those two years were the best of my life - spent meaningfully immersing in a different culture and visiting many of its attractions. Though it’s hard to stay grounded when my peers are now in managerial positions and I am still trying to work my way up. Haha.
But ya those memories are irreplaceable.
Woah! 10 years?! Which prefecture were you based in? Did you teach English?
I taught English in Shizuoka Prefecture to kids 3-years-old to 80-year-old folks and everyone between. I spent time with martial arts while I was there, too. When I got back to my home country, I really could not have cared less about my position because I had saved enough money to buy a home outright for cash. That made life much easier.
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Cool! I also paid for my wedding with the savings I had accumulated from working there for two years. Japan isn’t as expensive as many people fear.
I am scheduled to hold a Japanese food immersion lesson after the final year exams. Any interesting insights to share about unagi in Hanamatsu?
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It is delicious, but I liked going to a small shop in Shizuoka-shi (premed with Shimizu). Japan is really only expensive if you are using resources from the outside. When I landed there, I stayed at the cheapest hostel in Tokyo that I could. I ran out of money within two weeks. I HAD to find work as soon as possible, and I did. From then on, I was living within the economy, which, as you said, was very reasonable. The only time I really had problems was when I had to come up with a huge amount of money. I was going to the local bakeries and buying their pan-mimi for 50yen for a huge bag that would last me for about 20 meals. Yep, ai learned about the bread and water diet real quick, up front and personal. The only respite was when my students felt the need to take me to lunch or dinner.
Unagi anywhere in Shizuoka prefecture is really good. Yaizu, near Shizuoka, is a fishing town that had really excellent unagi. I only ate it once in Hamamatsu and it was good, but I liked Yaizu and Shizuoka product better (I also ate it many more times).
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Thank you for the insider knowledge. Have never heard of Yaizu before. Hope to go there some day n see if the unagi there is superior to the one I ate in Yanagawa, Fukuoka
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