GAIJIN - Peter Smith - Bog

That itch is getting worse. Your dreary office job is simply not doing it for you. You're sick of reading all those exciting tales of other people taming gorillas in Rwanda or scaling Andean peaks. How you wish you were brave enough to quit and follow in their footsteps. Isn't there somewhere a little less scary?
And then one day you see the advert in the paper: "Teach English in Japan! Experience a new culture! Earn money!"
Now that's more like it, you say. Yes, Japan! Perfect! An enticing blend of the exotic and the modern. And safe too!
Next thing, you're on the plane, excited at the prospect of your own adventure about to start.
What could possibly go wrong?
Quite a lot, it turns out.
'GAIJIN: Nine Cautionary Tales of Life in Japan's English Teaching Community' is the story of a bunch of ordinary folk who, for a variety of reasons, decide to strike out and make a new life for themselves in the Far East. We watch as their lives unfold. There are highs and lows. There are shocks and surprises aplenty. There's a contender for the world's worst karaoke performance.
There are challenges and tough choices. Spoiler alert: It rarely ends well.
Anyone who's spent time in Japan will find plenty to relate to.
And anyone considering a change of country might do well to read this first.
Some people are probably better off staying home.