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Gearing up for Japan - Packing

January 17th, 2008 · 3 Comments · Gearing up for Japan

I have traveled and lived in different places for periods of time before but moving to a foreign country is a whole different ball of wax! The last time I moved to Japan was back in 1994 and I have forgotten all of the little things that I missed from home.
What do I need […]

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Getting to Japan?

January 14th, 2008 · 2 Comments · Gearing up for Japan

Well today was just another day closer to our departure to Japan. My husband will leave in two weeks and I will leave at the end of February to meet up with him in Chiba (our home base for the next two years, at least). It has been an interesting road so […]

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Top Ten Reasons I am excited to go back to Japan

December 19th, 2007 · 2 Comments · Gearing up for Japan

I’ve been pondering a lot lately on all of the reasons that I am looking forward to my return to Japan. I’ve been having a hard time nailing down my thoughts so I created a top ten list….
The ability to continue the journey that I started in 1994 and revisit my favorite places. […]

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Gearing up for Japan – not too American Please!

December 17th, 2007 · 3 Comments · Gearing up for Japan

I’ve noticed something lately that’s beginning to trouble me. When I tell someone that I am moving to Japan they immediately tell me how lucky I am and that they wish they could do it too. Often, if they have been to Japan, they tell me about how great their visit was and […]

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Memories of Japan - The Gardens

December 12th, 2007 · 2 Comments · Memories of Japan

To visit a garden in Japan is to take a step away from reality for a moment and step back in time. Many of these gardens are an oasis in the center of a very vibrant and bustling country. Once you step foot within their walls it’s really hard to imagine all of […]

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Memories of Japan - The Language Barrier

December 11th, 2007 · No Comments · Memories of Japan

Learning Japanese can be a tough proposition, trust me, I know, but life in Japan when you can’t speak the language is fraught with uncertainty and some pretty amusing experiences (looking back that is!). Here is a portion of a comic strip from the Japan Times that illustrates the challenges well (click on the […]

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Gearing up for Japan - Technology

December 5th, 2007 · No Comments · Gearing up for Japan

Technology sure has changed since 1998 (our last time living in Japan). Here are some of the technology decisions that I will need to make, hopefully with some guidance from my husband’s employer:
Long Distance Calling - Should we use a callback service as described at dial-abroad.org or a VOIP (voice over IP) such […]

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Gearing up for Japan - Things To Do At Home

December 4th, 2007 · No Comments · Gearing up for Japan

There are a ton of things that I need to do before I head off to the land of the rising sun…but what are they? Here are some links that have helped me make my list.
JapanNewbie.com has a great article on how to drop everything and move abroad. Here is a […]

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Gearing up for Japan - About Chiba

December 4th, 2007 · 3 Comments · Gearing up for Japan

Starting this week I will be getting you up to speed on all of the things that I need to look into and get done before heading off into the land of the rising sun.
I thought that I would start by giving you some information about where I will be living. The area is […]

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Japan News & Notes - November 2007

November 30th, 2007 · No Comments · Japan News and Notes

While surfing the web this week I came across a number of stories and photos that I thought were interesting and worth sharing. I hope you enjoy them too.
Some great posts from the Tokyo Times:
Moving Japanese Masks as seen at festivals - click the link for more fabulous photos.
A beautiful and moving photo from a […]

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