Welcome

Photo by Matheus GonCalves

Welcome

Hello and welcome to my small nook. Thank you for stumbling upon this small space in which I pen my thoughts, narratives, and opinions about identity, culture, and experiences. This blog will mainly be about my personal thoughts about my own identity as a third culture kid (TCK), although I am not sure if I can fully call myself as a TCK because I grew up in two places: my host culture and my parent’s culture and I’m still doing more growing up in a completely foreign culture (Japan). This blog is also a place where I can write about my own experiences regarding work in recruiting, event management services, and the Japanese startup scene, along with my experiences as an international student in Tokyo. I started this blog not only to showcase the work I do for clients/other publications but also to write any other blogs/narratives with a more personal touch.

A City By The Bay

The reason why I named this blog, “A City By The Bay” is because I’ve lived in three different places but they were all by the sea: San Francisco (to be exact, a suburb in the Bay Area), Hsinchu (an industrial city off the coast of Taiwan Strait), and Tokyo. I love going to the beach and just sitting besides the seaside, either watching the waves or smelling the sea air. Of course, I love seafood! I always joke that I can’t live in anywhere that isn’t near the sea because I’ve been spoiled by the abundance of seafood from both sides of the Pacific Ocean. I started blogging or writing blogs because I wanted to further develop my writing skills; my academia doesn’t include many papers and I want to further strengthen my writing. In high school, I used to write a lot and I also attempted to write a novel (I might go back if I want to).

Hobbies

I love reading, baking, playing piano, and volunteering. I currently write for a food publication, Spoon University, so most of the articles about food recommendations, recipes, or food experiences will be on my university’s chapter, Waseda Spoon. My favorite food is ice cream; I have a sweet tooth. I’m an avid baker and I love trying out new recipes and sharing my creations with my friends, family, and co-workers. I love both coffee and tea, and I’m in love with chocolate and wine (often both). My favorite genre currently is history; nonfiction or fiction. I love reading oral histories or narratives from people from a specific place or period of time; war stories and slave stories are my favorite. I’m currently reading an analysis about Africa after decolonization and the struggles African governments face. After I finish, I might write a review. I’ve played piano for roughly 15 years but I decided not to pursue it professionally after high school. However, I am teaching piano to an elementary school student right now. I am part of Hands on Tokyo Youth Impact Team, meaning I’m part of a team of college students that helps with Hands on Tokyo’s volunteering projects or related NPO projects. I currently teach English at a children’s home and I’m also helping create a food truck for disabled individuals with LIVES Tokyo.

My Studies

I’m currently studying political science and economics. I’m very interested in international relations as well as environmental policy/security. I almost majored in environmental policy, but I’ll explain later perhaps in another post why I chose to come to Japan instead.

Work

I am currently working in a recruiting and consulting agency, and I previously worked in a startup that dealt with rental housing. I’m also in an organization that creates events for international students to meet with companies in Tokyo, so I’ll also write about my experiences regarding event management and hosting. I also do freelance writing on the side, and hope to further develop my skills.

Conclusion

Thank you for visiting my page and this blog will mainly focus on a few niches: narratives about identity and studying/working in Japan. This blog will reflect my personal views and I don’t speak for any other individuals. All my photos are mine, or sourced from Flickr or other platforms with the creative commons license. Please contact me for collaborations, freelance work, or any questions. Have a nice day!