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My First Year as an ALT in Japan: First Impressions, Recollections, and How a Strict School Shaped Me as a Foreign Teacher
I was scrolling on Facebook and saw an acquaintance’s post about her daughter’s Senior High School graduation. I immediately recognized her daughter—she was a second-grade student at the elementary school where I first taught as an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) in Japan. How time flies—it’s hard to believe that was already eleven years ago! The…
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As a plant-lover and a gardening enthusiast, I have learned many valuable life lessons.
Recently, I got rid of one of my favorite plants in the garden—the Chinese Virginia Creeper. I loved that plant so much that my heart would smile every time I saw its beautiful leaves covering the entire fence like nature’s curtain in my backyard. I found it so magical that, while it was barely there…
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The Pros and Cons of Upgrading to Front Row Seats: A Cebu Pacific Experience
Vacation time, and we booked our ticket to the Philippines. My sister recommended upgrading to seats where we could select spots in the front row of Cebu Pacific, so we could have more leg space and, hopefully, a comfortable flight home. I have never upgraded seats before because I don’t really mind the skimpy space…
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Beware of this beautiful but very invasive, very prolific plant
The Chinese Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus henryana), as innocent as it looked when I bought it in a small hanging pot, when planted in the ground, and if left alone, will surely cover the whole fence, your neighbor’s fence, your house, the entire space, and the heavens and earth. Now, I’m torn between getting rid of…
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The Truth About Summer Vacation of Students in Japan Most People Don’t Talk About
It is natsu yasumi (summer vacation) in Japan. It typically occurs in the third week of July and the whole month of August, lasting about six weeks. It is the longest break from school compared with fuyu yasumi (winter vacation), which lasts about two weeks, from late December to early January, and haru yasumi (spring…
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How to Distinguish Japanese People from Koreans and Chinese
Can you tell if a person comes from a specific country? Before coming to Japan, I had no idea how to distinguish Japanese, Korean, and Chinese people from one another. I had quite a few experiences (when I was in university as an international student) of trying to speak Japanese to a fellow student who…
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10 Differences Between Elementary Schools in Japan and the Philippines
The following are based on my observations and experiences as an elementary teacher in the Philippines for about a decade before coming to Japan, where I have now been living for more than a decade. I am currently working in an elementary school in Japan and have been working in Japanese public schools for a…
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Mati: My Childhood Home
Mati is the place where I spent the first nine years of my life. I was born in Davao City, the biggest city on the island of Mindanao. However, due to my father’s job as a Red Cross Administrator, we moved to the southern region of Davao Oriental, with Mati as its capital town.I have…
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3 Things to Look Forward to on Rainy Days
Rainy days are here again. In most parts of Japan, rainy days start around the beginning of June and last for about six weeks. The amount of rainfall varies from day to day. Some days will have few showers, and some days will have a really heavy downpour. One rainy day, when I was going…
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Hello world!
Hello everyone! I’m Maryanila Morgan and welcome to my website! We are just developing this website and we are very excited to share with you our perspectives about life in a foreign land. We are foreigners living in Japan. I am from the Philippines and my husband is from the United States. We met in…