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Previously, I asked how Bitcoiners live a freedom-driven life other than acquiring sats. I’m happy to have asked that question because I managed to put two and two together a week later and come up with my own answer.
I was lucky enough to have lived in Japan for two years. I arrived there with rudimentary knowledge of the language. Despite the fact that more than a decade has passed, I still vividly remember how I inwardly panicked on my first day in my apartment, intimidated by the recycling materials. I also recall fondly how I took two years to sign up for my mobile phone contract - and just how patient the service staff was in trying to understand my half-baked Japanese.
However, I gained a lot of fulfilment from absorbing the cultural norms and growing more proficient in Japanese. In a land-scarce country like Singapore, people typically stay with their parents until they get married. I relished the opportunity to fend for myself, foot my bills, cook my meals, and hold my parties. I was not accountable to anyone and could lead life as I wished.
Hence, living in Japan was overwhelming at first, but I found a friend in my Japanese teacher. She not only taught me valuable skills, but also showered me with love. I think that you should live overseas as you will definitely gain invaluable experience. The taste of freedom and the mastery internalised from navigating a foreign culture are indelible memories that will stay with me for a lifetime.
Have you lived abroad before? How was it like?
I lived in Japan for ten years. I never felt lonely because I like to talk to people. I had some basic Japanese language (3-years at college) and was familiar with other Japanese thought and customs through martial arts.
Martial arts was my first “in” into Japanese society. I was talking to someone who was giving me a ride to a worksite and I mentioned that I wanted to study more martial arts. She was the daughter of the head of the association for that prefecture. Soon after, she made me an offer on taking a chance on studying martial arts by going to a dojo and “showing my stuff”. I guess I made the cut, because they invited me to practice with a high school team. It was murder until my body reacclimatized to the workouts. Keeping with it earned me a certain amount of respect in a traditional cultural area in Japan.
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How do you keep up with Japanese now that you are back in the States?
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