7 - The Dry Cleaner

Andy Vogel an American working and living in Switzerland. His professional and familial journey in the era of COVID is truly unique. Gaining dual citizenship as an adult? No problem. Moving a family 9k+ miles away from LA? No problem. We'll also learn of one of the local restaurants that will delight listeners from Louisiana.   #expat #Switzerland #Zurich #abroad #foreign #TheOther #storytelling 

Russell Iriye shares unique insights about living as a Japanese-American in rural Japan. Long before he was working in the gaming industry in Los Angeles he was navigating the endless valleys of Oita Prefecture. His time on the JET Program shaped many parts of his life.  #JET #JETProgram #Japan #oita #losangeles #storytelling

We had a wanderlust guy living in our region of Japan. He would appear every few months with a deep sun tan and stories from abroad.  #JET #JETprogram #Japan #surfer #surfing #storytelling

Nature plays a unique role in Japan. Even during a jog through the rice paddies nature can tend to be a character in the journey if living or traveling abroad. Paths Beyond can even manifest in the mind and in stories. Times like these are just one example of the sorts of things that can happen when living abroad as a JET on the JET Programme.  #JET #Japan #storytelling #nature #job #boss

Surprisingly, I had a miscommunication with a dry cleaning proprietor one day. Who knew that dropping off a set of clothes could be so though provoking years later. Miscommunications in the rural countryside of Japan can happen anywhere. One that a person can count on is that they will arise when one least expects it. That's one of the great things about the JET Programme because it puts foreigners in the position of interfacing with locals. It are those situations that push us to explore Paths Beyond where we're comfortable.  #JET #Japan #chiba #storytelling #foreigner #TheOther

Japanese language barrier in a moving car is exacerbated when the local has no idea what you're talking about. When both people are weak at the other's language can make for frustration or fun. It all depends on how you look at it. The drive to Tokyo was probably more stressful for my friend than she anticipated. It's situations like this that make the JET Programme such a great and unique experience. In the car, both of us opted for the Path Beyond to look beyond the miscommunication and look for the fun opportunities for the day.  #JET #Japan #chiba #storytelling #foreigner #TheOther #translation #Tokyo #roadtrip

Korean BBQ is popular in Japan. In fact, I had never heard of it until I landed in my small rice farming town. This Path Beyond is about an awkward conversation about a homestay. Homestays are a commonly understood thing in Japan. In my time as an employee of the JET Programme, I encountered many interesting situations that occurred during a meal. This one was a unique story by any world traveler's standards.  #JET #Japan #chiba #storytelling #foreigner #TheOther #KoreanBBQ #BBQ #homestay

Japan has no shortage of festivals. In the rural areas where farming is still king, it's quite common for a Harvest Festival to signify the end of the summer growing season and prep for the impending autumn and winter months; which can be brutal in many parts of Japan. Most foreigners (especially before video streaming) had no concept of a Japanese festival. This story talks about my first (and accidental) introduction to the festival in the Land of the Rising Sun. Many people current and alumni of the JET Programme have experienced such a feeling, though I know many villages and towns across the world have their version. I hope to meet those world travelers soon to hear the tale.  #JET #Japan #chiba #storytelling #foreigner #TheOther #festival #matsuri #harvestfestival

Asahi, Japan has a gym called Bang Fitness. What happens when you want to stay fit, but don't have the vocabulary to communicate that with the gym staff? What about understanding the gym contract written in a foreign language...though I was the foreigner? It's a tough one. It requires that both me and the local staff push into the Path Beyond in an effort to sort things out. The JET Programme has countless stories, but this is one that was a bit of a curveball for me. Of course it's not unique to the JET, any world traveler or a person on a journey can encounter similar situations.  #JET #Japan #chiba #storytelling #foreigner #TheOther #gym #workout #application #Asahi

Farming town in Japan. What happens when faced with eating two dinners? Saving face isn't the half of it. When the sun sets and there is nowhere to go or nothing to do, one has to crafts ways to get through boredom; especially in the days before mobile phones and streaming.  the Path Beyond. Sometimes it's simply seeking out human interaction. It's an important nuance. Finding a place where one can be anonymous when it's clear that they are "the other" is tough sometimes when living abroad. We all have those places where the proprietors and customers leave us alone and treat us like the locals.  This is a story about what could have been a dull night on the JET Programme in Chiba Prefecture. #JET #Japan #chiba #storytelling #foreigner #TheOther #dinner #interaction