tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50977005757922576062011-07-08T05:23:47.850-04:00an exercise in adaptationRob 朗武http://www.blogger.com/profile/08619409173186603319noreply@blogger.comBlogger101100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097700575792257606.post-47009804163404415302010-08-13T04:04:00.006-04:002010-08-22T20:32:23.986-04:00

I've sat on an idea for a few months now, pondering and poking at it little bits at a time. This idea first came to me after making an overnight trip to Tokyo, the nature of which allowed me to clearly see the distinction between the environments in Tokyo and the countryside. I spent most of my summer vacation summer playing the role of translator for my travelling friends and family before

Rob 朗武http://www.blogger.com/profile/08619409173186603319noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097700575792257606.post-51785400378601035832010-05-08T06:30:00.010-04:002010-05-08T12:05:31.340-04:00

This week marked the end of my first full year working/teaching in Japan and I feel like a new post is long since overdue. I feel this way partly because I have had two different topic ideas floating around in my head for about two months now; but mostly I feel this way because for the first time today I was able to diagnose myself with the very thing this blog is meant to keep in check: gaijin

Rob 朗武http://www.blogger.com/profile/08619409173186603319noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097700575792257606.post-56752319029631240432010-01-26T04:13:00.014-05:002011-06-26T11:16:49.974-04:00

Last week marked my 9-month anniversary of returning to this beautiful and mysterious island nation and the start of my new life. Having three quarters of a year under my belt, I feel like I have grown significantly into a new kind of person. What kind exactly has yet to be seen as I continue to learn the language and culture while balancing a job that asks me to remain for educational purposes

Rob 朗武http://www.blogger.com/profile/08619409173186603319noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097700575792257606.post-46490348199814906682009-09-03T06:44:00.006-04:002010-05-08T22:25:12.053-04:00

Being a foreigner in Japan has many challenges. Most are cultural or result from the sometimes overbearing language barrier. What I am discovering through writing this blog and reflecting on my experiences is that foreigners are also heavily stereotyped. I always knew that it would be assumed I don't understand Japanese, but the extent of the gaijin stereotype is even deeper than what I had

Rob 朗武http://www.blogger.com/profile/08619409173186603319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097700575792257606.post-16684450531054032962009-08-25T09:42:00.004-04:002009-08-25T10:48:25.878-04:00

After I had been living in Japan for a while, I started to notice a recurring condition that was affecting my sleep on a nearly nightly basis. It's a little hard to explain, but I will do my best.Dreams are rarely considered hallucinations because the conscious part of our minds is turned off while the images and very real feelings course through our still-active brains. But sometimes our

Rob 朗武http://www.blogger.com/profile/08619409173186603319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097700575792257606.post-82581467257482832212009-08-18T09:51:00.004-04:002009-08-18T11:52:02.683-04:00

Hello my faithful readers! (Do you really exist?)Life has been pretty intense since my last post as I have somehow managed to settle into an apartment, find some kind of rythm at work, and overcome the language barrier day after day. On top of that, I spent the last four weeks travelling all across the country visiting my friends and sightseeing the most significant of locations in Japan. With

Rob 朗武http://www.blogger.com/profile/08619409173186603319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097700575792257606.post-22995270256729218122009-05-25T08:49:00.006-04:002009-06-01T02:05:26.254-04:00

I know this post is long overdue, but hopefully I can remember all the best details from my stay in Nagoya, now one month ago. I am working on getting Internet at my apartment, so I haven't had the best conditions for blogging regularly.Anyway, a photo album of the stories in this post is linked below!! After my stressful, but fun, four days in Tokyo, I jumped on a bullet train and headed inland

Rob 朗武http://www.blogger.com/profile/08619409173186603319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097700575792257606.post-13567361183085288522009-05-06T08:12:00.002-04:002009-05-09T10:01:21.628-04:00

See below for a link to the photo album for this post!Now that I am settled a bit and started working, I have found some time to sit and recount my first week in Tokyo. As I mentioned before, arriving at Narita was a familiar feeling for me and my excitement for being back held off my eventual defeat from jet lag for the first train or two. At the baggage claim I caught up with a Japanese teacher

Rob 朗武http://www.blogger.com/profile/08619409173186603319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097700575792257606.post-72729148257304440152009-04-28T08:33:00.003-04:002009-04-28T09:46:56.758-04:00

Not even one week in Japan and I was quick to learn my first lesson.  Returning to Japan with memories of my time studying here years ago, I could feel a refreshed sense of familiarity.  Having spent the last couple of years continuing to study the language and culture while dreaming of returning again someday, stepping off the plane at Narita was like stepping through the looking glass and into

Rob 朗武http://www.blogger.com/profile/08619409173186603319noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097700575792257606.post-46249603517110256102009-02-14T00:03:00.011-05:002009-02-15T11:05:50.427-05:00

Welcome to my blog!  Gaijin Syndrome was created as a multipurpose blog for the brief period of my life that I will be spending in Japan.  I will be publishing my experiences for friends and family, reflecting on my personal growth in a culture much more different than my own, and generally keeping in touch with any who wish to pay regular visits to this corner of the web.  So please feel free to

Rob 朗武http://www.blogger.com/profile/08619409173186603319noreply@blogger.com2