New year resolution
Very much like 90% of the population, I have made a New Year resolution. This time, I actually went all the way… I recently read Your best year ever from Jenny Ditzler. I went through the book and then sat…
Thierry Bourret
Thierry Bourret is a French expatriate, toy industry entrepreneur and founder of Konomocha. Based in Bangkok since 2018, he writes about business, expat life and rugby.
Queen in Japanese
Freddie Mercury eat your heart out…..
Summer Holidays
On the 9th of August we made our annual trip to France. For our first night, we stayed in Novotel near Senlis, the first bedroom we were given was not quite clean enough as we found some hair in the…
The exam
Like 15,000 other victims I took the mismanaged and poorly organised Japanese Proficiency Test last December but this is not only a test of Japanese Language but also a test of patience. I’ve no gripe with the test itself. It’s…
The rubbish problem
Have you noticed when you come to Japan that everything you buy in the shop is packed for you nicely? Even chewing gums in a packet are individually wrapped!But this mountain of packaging material needs to be disposed off. Everything…
Japlish
I have a language problem, not because I find it difficult to get on with the Japanese language but to do with English.Please don’t misunderstand me. I appreciate all the efforts our Japanese hosts have made to help us around…
The invisible Gaijin
Nothing seems to phase us, Gaijins, as we skillfully skip past that seventh pool of vomit; not that mass of people racing towards us like world-class athletes nor the high-pitched ringing of that bicycle trying to weave its way through…
The sneeze
I am not easily startled out of my commuting reverie: the laughing school kids, squeaking shoes, mobile phones melodies and dozing salarymen on my shoulder do nothing but instill in me a sense of the familiar and safe.That was until…
Roppongi
I have been in Japan for over six months now, and in my sunnier moments I like to think that I’ve integrated into the culture. I can converse somewhat in Pidgin Japanese. I know that Ichiro Suzuki now plays baseball…
Chit Chat
When on Monday morning I normally ask my colleagues what did you do for the weekend I always feel I am making a cultural faux pas: chatting to my colleagues during company time. Having been in Japan just six months…