Big thanks to my former Japanese language teacher for letting me interview her about all sorts of things, from the types of Japanese language schools, to what it’s like on the other side of the classroom, to the ambitions of the students.
LWIF EP107: Have You Tried Tonkatsu (Japanese Pork Cutlets)?
Do you know what Tonkatsu is? It’s a deep fried pork cutlet with brown sauce. It was inspired by pork chops and Worcestershire sauce from Europe. Sources Bulldog Sauce – http://tonkatsu.bulldog.jp/about/ Cooked Pork Chops – CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=864939 Worcesterschire sauce By photo: Qurren (talk)Taken with Canon IXY 10S – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17417461 Pig in Japan – https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2011/10/28/food/pig-in-japan-the-nations-most-popular-meat/#.WyOm_kiFMuV Tonkatsu – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonkatsu What are pork chops or cutlets like where you’re from?
LWIF EP 106: Being Japanese Documentary Intro
What makes a Japanese person Japanese? While Japan is thought of as a homogeneous country, there’s a lot of diversity if you scratch beneath the surface. I’m creating a feature-length documentary about what it is to be Japanese and I’d love your support on Indiegogo. You can support at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/being-japanese-documentary/.
LWIF X EP33: Quality of Life in Japan: Q+A v4
In this month’s Q+A about life in Japan, I answer questions about the quality of life. To ask questions in next month’s Q+A, support on Patreon.
LWIF EP105: First Time in South Korea (Seoul)
Despite living in Japan for five years, I’ve never been to visit another Asian country before. Follow along with me as I visit Seoul, South Korea for the first time.
LWIF X EP32: Japanese Groceries: Q+A v3
In this month’s Q+A about life in Japan, I answer questions about groceries:
LWIF EP104: Japanese Quality of Life: My Family’s Experience in Tokyo
I often get asked “How’s Life in Japan?” What I think they’re really asking is what is the quality of life like. I live in Tokyo, the biggest metropolitan area in the world. It’s got to be a hectic life, right? The easiest answer I can give is “I bought a house”.
LWIF EP103: Learning New Languages – A talk with Risa from JapanesePod101
Last year I interviewed a bunch of people about learning Japanese. One of them was Risa from JapanesePod101.com. Although the purpose was to talk about learning Japanese, as she teaches it on YouTube, we ended up talking about how she learned English and about language in general.
LWIF EP102: What Going to a Japanese Language School in Japan is Like
Ever thought of immersing yourself in Japan and going to a Japanese language school. I interviewed my friend Jess who did just that. She talks about her motivations to go to Japan, how the classes were like, and what she did post-school to continue her Japanese language learning journey.
LWIF EP101: First Time Visiting Japan: Expectations vs. Reality
It happens in life where you only get a single opportunity to capture an experience. So it was so with my brother and his family when they visited Japan for their very first time. I forced — I mean politely asked — them to tell me how their expectations of Japan differed from the reality of being here.