And then I realized, I'm just slutty.

Shakespeare once said, “All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” I have spent the last four years of my life in Vancouver, Canada, a multicultural haven, but I want to see more. I want to see the world. I spent four years in university studying Japanese history and culture, and then I wanted to come to Japan and experience it first-hand. I have traveled to several countries in Asia, but Japan was always just out of my reach and its somewhere I have always wanted to explore. Having been an expatriate for almost a decade, growing up in Singapore where I learned to speak Mandarin, I already understand the challenges and pitfalls of living in a foreign country, as well as the rich and rewarding benefits. I have been in Japan for a short two months, and I have already seen so much, but there is still more I want to see and do.

My goal in the future is to teach high school English in international schools in Asia. Working and living in Japan would be a stepping stone towards that goal. In Vancouver, I know there are a large number of first- and second-generation Canadians who do not have English as their mother tongue but teachers are currently not equipped with the skills to effectively teach English as a Second Language. Teaching overseas will enable me to teach more effectively in the future, whether it be in Canada or any other foreign country I may happen to find myself in. I think that teaching in a cultural so radically different than my own will allow, and to a certain extent force, me to think of different ways of explaining linguistic problems. Anyone can translate; it takes a lot more thought and dedication to think of the best way to explain something in English to someone who does not speak the language. As a teacher in a school with any international population, catering to the needs of those students with English as a Second Language would be among one of my many duties. In addition, it is important to constantly challenge ourselves and venture outside our comfort zone. Teaching, as well as living in Japan, is a challenge I am eager to meet head on.

I have a thirst for knowledge and want to learn all I can in every country I visit. So far, I have been able to learn to order Starbucks coffee in Japanese, as well as expand my culinary repertoire to include some Japanese cuisine. By the time I leave here, I want to have gone to Kyoto and Okinawa as well as be able to have, at the very least, a simple conversation in Japanese. Not only would I like to increase my own knowledge while living in Japan, I would like to share my cultural heritage and customs with Japanese friends and students. It goes without saying that we can each learn so much from each other.