[Akai-San]

Aloha from Japan



It is a scary thought that only 11 months ago, I first signed on to the Koi-Bito Forums, only to be overwhelmed and captivated by the wealth of knowledge, expertise, personalities and friendships developed locally and online throughout the world. The more I think about it, this new found hobby has opened my eyes to experiences, life opportunities and relationships that I never knew existed for me and my family. Without planting a seed, a tree cannot grow…Thanks to all of you for planting that seed.



OK, before I commit myself to keeping a journal of my experiences during my 3-5 year tour in Japan, I would like to know how many of you are interested in following me along in my journeys and lessons throughout Japan. Also let me know if you think this is not the place to do this or if not interested in my trials and tribulations. Right now everything is totally new to me …the exchange rates, the roads, the driving, public transportation, pedestrians, the local areas, the language, etc. etc. I will be honest, that “in the beginning” my experiences will not be focused on Nishikigoi, but more on my experiences with living in Japan. What I see (Photos), what I try, what I learned, etc. etc. Being part Japanese myself, I have committed myself to learn as much about Japan as I can during my stay here. I hope after about 2-3 months, I should be able to read hiragana & katakana symbols, and start working on my food and money vocabulary. It will be a loooooooong time before I will pickup conversation, but I think being able to read signs (place names), and recognize restaurant menus will be vital for my travels. I got to eat! Hahaha…The food is all awesome. The guys in my office are taking real good care of me. The izakiya’s in the area are all really good too. Beeru nome mas .



Where I work, there are Japanese who speak English well, in fact, one of my co-workers in the building has a home in Niigata. He lives in town closer to work (Kanagawa) and goes home to Niigata on the weekends. Hopefully, I will be able to make friends and get to learn some insider Niigata information.



Aloha All,

Carl