One visit a month to the orphanage does wonders. The anticipation that builds up from one visit to the next is dumbfounding. I’ll have kids not pay attention in class just to ask me when we are coming back and what we’re going to be doing. That right there is how I know we are making at least a bit of a difference. There’s expectations there, excitement. There’s a lot that we can’t do for these kids, but by giving a little time and a little effort we give them at least one bright spot every few weeks.

A short video documentary about Onomichi City.

Top ten tips picked up by a JET who attended the 2011 Conference for Returning JETs.

A few days after I was rejected for a Softbank credit card I received a letter in the mail from a credit card company. It stated in the politest keigo possible that I was not eligible for a credit card. Does this sound familiar to those of you who have tried (and failed) to get a credit card in Japan?

You wake up at 4 am. You eat vegan food, and only before noon. The two pieces of fruit you can eat during the rest of the day are a treat. No drinking, flirting, touching, reading, listening to music, exercising (except walking), or even speaking for 10 days. Does that sound like heaven or hell…?