43rd Stop - Hirakatashi, Japan

Before leaving Osaka, I had to run a Wordfast Classic training. I want to thank Haruko Masuda from JCI Osaka for helping me find a venue I could use to run the training; it was perfect! Haruko is a traditional Japanese tie-dyed professional artist. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to see her work, though I did get some photos from Jacob who did!

Haruko preparing the fabric

Ironing the fabric

Washer and dryer instructions (I think, but am probably wrong)

Another friend of mine from high school and fellow soccer teammate, Mark Swanson, was also living in Japan, just outside of Osaka. I couldn’t pass up the chance to go see him now could I?

The last time I had seen Mark, he had recently returned from teaching English in Japan for a few years and was going to do a master’s degree in education. Once he completed that, he made his way back to Osaka and landed a sweet job at the Kansai Geidai University.

Lots of energy in Mark's class

Kansai Geidai Uni rocks!

It was nice catching up with Mark over the next few evening and hearing all about his experiences in Japan. During the day, I got to play mystery guest in Mark’s classes and give his students an opportunity to ask questions about who I was and what I was doing in Japan.

One more day of training in Osaka on Thursday. A word to the wise, even if you have a really good sense of orientation (like me ;-), you’re going to get lost in Japan. No road signs and everything in kanji makes things a little confusing. I must have gone into 4 buildings, showed people the address I was looking for and no one had any idea where the place was. If you drew lines connecting all of these buildings, the place I was looking for was right at the intersection of these lines. I guess I’m not the only one who has a hard time navigating in the land of the rising sun.

Mark and me

Thanks again Mark for hosting me few nights. It was great seeing you and catching up and I wish you the best of luck for your job and life in Japan! Thanks again to Haruko and hope to see you again soon!

Next stop: Sydney, Australia!

40th Stop: Tokyo, Japan

Forgot to take good pictures in Tokyo

At the beginning of the year, when this trip was still in the early stages of planning, I was a little disappointed because one of the translation industry’s biggest events, the American Translators Association Conference, was being held in the US, right before I had to be in Japan for the JCI World Congress :-(

While I was in Kuala Lumpur, Kristyna Marrero, Head of Sales for Wordfast, sent me an e-mail and asked if I could come to give them a hand at the Wordfast booth. Sure, why not! This meant, after just returning from France, leaving KL for Denver, Colorado, with a short stopover in Tokyo!

What luck! Tokyo had been dropped from the itinerary and now I had the chance, albeit short, to meet up with Ryan and Josh, two friends from high school who were living and working there as a headhunter and English teacher/musician respectively.

Congratulations to Josh who recently had a baby and to Ryan who just got married this past summer! Good luck with your newest album Josh and do keep us posted! Thanks Ryan for arranging the meeting and best of luck with your new family. Hope to see you guys again soon.

Next stop: Denver, Colorado!

Guess how old Josh and I are in this photo?