Tribe.net. Local Connections Smelkstar's Universe http://tribes.tribe.net/gaijin/thread/e09d225d-49e3-42ce-bf4b-6d6b47c17822 2007-06-18T00:03:51Z 2007-06-06T11:09:39Z

<div>positive or negative?</div> <div> posted in <a href="http://tribes.tribe.net/gaijin">Gaijin</a> - 2 replies </div>

Smelkstar's Universe 2007-06-06T11:09:39Z Smelkstar's Universe http://tribes.tribe.net/gaijin/thread/12e1144f-d263-460a-a8b3-72956f43f1ca 2007-06-14T08:59:00Z 2007-06-06T11:14:24Z

<div>I felt utterly bamboozled at times trying to live in a new culture. Sometimes i felt like I got it, but it would shift again, like it didnt want to be seen. Like an ever morphing thing that I was meant to forever be excluded from. <br/> <br/>What is your perception of the differences and similarities between Japanese culture and your own?</div> <div> posted in <a href="http://tribes.tribe.net/gaijin">Gaijin</a> - 1 reply </div>

Smelkstar's Universe 2007-06-06T11:14:24Z Smelkstar's Universe http://tribes.tribe.net/gaijin/thread/f8283e40-dd9a-4781-89a4-5f5ee6e2e0a4 2007-06-14T08:56:35Z 2007-06-06T11:11:13Z

<div>What are you favourite places in Japan and why?</div> <div> posted in <a href="http://tribes.tribe.net/gaijin">Gaijin</a> - 3 replies </div>

Smelkstar's Universe 2007-06-06T11:11:13Z db http://tribes.tribe.net/gaijin/thread/d8f47975-4cb0-43a8-b91a-9b824f14880a 2007-06-14T08:25:33Z 2007-05-14T01:05:02Z

<div>A year and a half after arriving in Japan,... <br/> <br/>I found, and lived , in a 100 year old straw roofed farmhouse along a beautiful, large river in the boonies. It had no bath so for 2 years I swam in the river or bathed in the rain.(winters out to the hot springs). It was a notch above camping and a great experience(except all of the giant poison centipedes, the deadly poison snakes in the kitchen, the poison caterpillars falling from the ceiling, and the crabs(not the itt-bitty ones) walking through the doma entrance). Oh yeah, and the inside was as cold as the outside. But, it was truly beautiful and a great 2 years. I loved the way 2 whole sides of the house completely opened up with the sliding doors(rouka). The giant dragon flys(oniyama) coming inside and the misty nights with dew lining the cobwebs strung between trees in the moonlight over the pulsating fire flies(hotaru). Playing music and creating my art all night into the dawn and then jumping into the river for an instant awakening of my sleepy eyes. I was so GENKI! <br/> <br/>I was then giving permision to use some land nearby to build a studio, which I did using mostly recycled materials, and lived for another 2 years under a roof extension with only 2 walls in only a mosquito net(winters elsewhere). This was a most memorable form of luxurious camping, with running water outside, all the sounds of the jungle at dawn, my gas kiln for ceramics, my welder, and last but not least- my girlfriend. It was a great contrast to my trips into Tokyoland. <br/> <br/>I eventually continued on to building a house and one day things changed from my freezing cold showers to an automatic cypress bath tub sunk in river stones above a water fall that is controlled by the push of a button from up in my house. It seems my long, live-in camp has evolved to housing and I now, once again, long to go to camping! <br/> <br/>I came to Japan at 23 and I just turned 40!!! <br/>wOw</div> <div> posted in <a href="http://tribes.tribe.net/gaijin">Gaijin</a> - 4 replies </div>

db 2007-05-14T01:05:02Z Smelkstar's Universe http://tribes.tribe.net/gaijin/thread/85ea4d13-68a4-4f77-b636-b620be3a845d 2007-05-13T01:28:05Z 2006-10-20T12:52:30Z

<div>hey lived in Tokyo for 5 years but now back in Oz. Have 5 years of memories, theories, experiences, knowledge would love to share with others who may have the same. Anyone who is thinking about it, has done it or is doing it. </div> <div> posted in <a href="http://tribes.tribe.net/gaijin">Gaijin</a> - 12 replies </div>

Smelkstar's Universe 2006-10-20T12:52:30Z Smelkstar's Universe http://tribes.tribe.net/gaijin/thread/836e796d-310f-4a40-a853-c96e6fc14d09 2006-10-26T05:35:59Z 2006-10-26T05:35:59Z

<div>I know there is another site called baka gaijin, of which Im sure, being a gaijin goes without saying that we are baka. But I want to discuss more stuff, including those who have returned home and the impact that it has had on them. Or the impact that living in Japan, or if you are Japanese, living somewhere else, has had. I spent 5 years in Tokyo and had this amazing love hate relationship with the place. Ive been back in Oz now for 3 years, and its taken all that time for me to readjust and re-examine the impact of the whole experience. I miss Tokyo and the culture of Tokyo and the people like crazy. But when Im there I miss Australia and all that goes with it like crazy. The whole rose colored glasses thing. </div> <div> posted in <a href="http://tribes.tribe.net/gaijin">Gaijin</a> - 0 replies </div>

Smelkstar's Universe 2006-10-26T05:35:59Z