Life in 2 Languages

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be just Braden in his first year in Japan? Well, you certainly stumbled onto the right podcast! Join us as we listen in to just Braden retelling his tales from scaring a Japanese family while working at a gift shop, to wrestling with body odor anxiety on the train. Lots of interesting stuff in this episode with Hize, Saori, and just Braden. 今回もゲ...

Get ready for them interesting stories of traveling with parents all in the supernova heat that is summer in Japan. Also get ready for some embarrassing moments of trying to order in Japanese and realizing how much your years of effort studying the language is ruined by one kanji. Japanese is very difficult, no matter where you go. 先月ハイズの両親が日本に旅行に来てくれました！滞在中の前半は宮崎に...

Man, we are so lucky to have a plethora of friends who are not camera shy. One of them being, Tyler! A fresh 4th year JET ALT like one of the hosts in this podcast! I wonder who that may be... Apart from our very interesting lives, We thought it would be a refreshing experience for people to get to know how cool Tyler is. Spoiler alert, Tyler is a cool guy! 今回のエピソードには私たちの友人のタイラ...

Get ready for a super interesting, mind-blowing, life-questioning experience as we dive into the mysterious abyss that is… our typical Sunday. That’s right! You didn’t ask, but we’re telling you anyway! We talk about how we spend the one precious day before going back to work. Buckle up, because this thrill ride is about to begin. みなさんは日曜日をどのように過ごしていますか？今回は私たちの普通の...

Oh you thought it was over? No way, ホセ! We are continuing our talks with Kaimu and I am STILL continuing to struggle in Japanese. Please enjoy the Japanese speaking attempts that were made and enjoy the lovely Japanese voices from our wonderful native speakers as well!　 前回に引き続きかいむとのエピソードです！かいむと私が英語を勉強することになったきっかけをはじめ、いったいどうやって勉強したのか...

We are back at it with the 30th episode! If you enjoy watching me struggle through Japanese, then boy do we have a treat for you! Kaimu is back for another round, and this time, we are in Japanese mode talking about his trip to Okinawa! This is only part one of this fun conversation so look forward to part 2 in the future! ちなみに、いつも聞いてくれてありがとうございます。 今回は第３回目の日本語オ...

Thanks for coming back—and hey, thanks for using your eyes to read this part! In today’s episode, we dive into the imminent doom that is summer in Japan: the brutal heat, the humidity, and how it compares to a Canadian summer. We also chat about summer festivals and, oddly enough… kidneys. Yep, it’ll all make sense when you listen. Got your own hot-weather horror stories? Let us know—we’d love to...

Boy, was this week full of pleasant surprises—said with maximum sarcasm. This is our third attempt at recording this episode, but hey, we made it! Despite a bit of brain-dead rambling, we pulled through and finished on time. So, congrats to us—we’re still alive and kicking! Technical difficulties can’t stop us, and neither will sleep deprivation. If you’re still here listening, thank you. Seriousl...

In this episode, we get real about insecurities—everything from how we feel about our teeth, to the way we speak in Japanese (and sometimes even English). From body image to language anxiety, we unpack the quiet doubts we carry and how they show up in everyday life. It's honest, a little messy (technical glitches included), and totally relatable. Tune in and let us know—what are your insecurit...

We did it — one full year of Life in 2 Languages ! We’ve got a lot of exciting things in the works, including something the title of this episode may have hinted at (kind of…). That’s right — today’s episode is audio-only, but video is on the horizon! We are still trying to figure out how to subtitle, heh. Seriously, thank you for sticking with us. Whether you've been here from the start or ju...

Boy, do we have a jam-packed episode for your ears today! Introducing the courageous and joyful Shasha, an absolute joy to talk to with all her experiences and stories about her life in Japan up to now. We talk about her life as a university student camping making marshmallows with Japanese kids, as well as her current life goals of moving to Nagasaki and her completely well-thought-out answers fo...

Just when you thought Mai-chan’s stories were over… think again! If you missed the end of our last episode, now’s the perfect time to catch up—because Mai-chan is back for round two, and she’s bringing even more airline stories, travel tips, and behind-the-scenes gems! From cabin quirks to sky-high secrets, this episode is packed with insights and laughs. So buckle up, grab a glass of sky juice fr...

This episode was bound to happen and we are pretty lucky it happened sooner than later. Introducing the great Mai-chan! The wonderful, well-traveled lady with tons of stories and more importantly, Saori’s best friend! In today’s episode, we talk about her experience working in the sky, secret tips, and stories of the dynamic duo. See if you can tell how excited Saori is in this episode! Coincident...

Get your listening ears ready as we introduce our 2 lovely guests, Ryan and Sayako! To help them get ready for their Permanent Resident interview, we ask them the hard questions such as, “Who asked who out first?” and “Where was your first date?”. Pretty professional stuff in this episode. Don’t miss out!  今回のエピソードのゲストは私たちの大切な友人であるさやことライアンのカップルです ！同じアパ...

I hope everyone enjoyed the cold weather these past few days, cause that is exactly what we did not do! Feel the tropical jealousy of listening in on our trip to the warm and beautiful Okinawa and all the fun activities we did down south. A definite place to go more than once! The cold is cool too, I guess.  先日私たちは沖縄に旅行に行ってきました！今回のエピソードではこの旅行について話しました！宮...

Get ready for an action-packed episode featuring not just one, but TWO languages! Kurumi is back for another episode, and we’re thrilled to welcome Miho for her podcast debut! In this episode, we introduce Miho, talk about a goldfish on Sesame Street , and explain what てげてげ time is. This episode will be quite the challenge for both Japanese and English speakers, but at least we can all laugh a...

Would you look at that! We’ve made it to Episode 20! Just like in Episode 10, you’re about to witness a man bravely attempting to speak Japanese with his very patient girlfriend. For all the Japanese learners out there, let’s count how many mistakes Hize makes together! Oh, and don’t forget to drop some anime recommendations in the comments—we’re always up for a good binge! 記念すべき第20回目のエ...

Today’s wonderful guest is the amazingly sociable Krystin! A fellow ALT with similar concerns regarding the impending doom that is “life after the Jet Programme”. In this episode, we talk about our worries, explore career path goals, and remind ourselves of the hard realization of still not knowing what to do in life. Relatable or not, give it a listen—you won’t be disappointed! (I say that with 7...

あけましておめでとうございます! Happy New Year! Hope you all went to your local shrine and got yourself an omikuji. We sure did, and let me tell ya. Y’all better watch out! Hize got Daikichi大吉 this year so this means to make way for parking at the mall! Aside from the outstanding luck that is yet to come, we also talk about our accomplishments and goals for both ourselves and for the podcast! On...

Get ready for yet another wonderful to enter those lovely ear holes of yours! Welcome the wonderful Kaimu! A popular influence and Japanese teacher from good ol’ Miyakonojo, Japan. Kaimu was kind enough to bless us with his praise of authentic pizza flavors and lay down the law about courts in Japan. You can’t just walk into an empty court and start playing folks. Remember to call your local park...

Oh boy! What a saucy title to kick off the episode, and just in time for the holidays! In this episode, we share our experiences with the holiday season and explore how KFC helped shape Christmas traditions in Japan. We also dive into Saori's memorable Christmas in Italy and Hize’s oh-so- entertaining explanation of White Elephant. But mostly an emphasis on KFC—because hey, who knows? Sponsor?  も...

You are about to hear not one BUT TWO amazing voices in addition to the beautiful voices you always listen to. Meet Jeff and Kilala, two Miyazaki-born locals except one went on to be raised in Canada. Enjoy them reminiscing about the time they first met and how impatient they were becoming an official couple. From co-workers, to friends, to life partners, listen in on just how dang cute they are....

Welcome back to a spooky episode for the podcast. If you are reading this, let me reveal one of the spookiest things that can happen when editing these episodes: not knowing why the quality poops itself after rendering despite having it sound so nice during post production. Truly a scary sight. Speaking of Pooh, Saori reveals a dark secret of spirits in her house and how her sister’s plushies migh...

In today’s episode, we’re thrilled to welcome the amazing Kurumi! Not only is she bilingual and smart, but she’s also an all-around fantastic person. Kurumi co-hosts a language exchange group in our neighborhood, and today, we’re doing it her way. That’s right, folks—this one’s half English, half Japanese! We’re especially grateful for her patience with Hize’s broken Japanese. Truly, she’s a gem—d...

Looks like we’re going back in time and announcing our resumes to the world! We unload our resume histories for all to hear! In this episode, Saori gets schooled on the basics of Canadian university life, while Hize attempts to recall his university days with less and less success. We also talk about our current and past jobs, diving into the ever-so-detailed descriptions of what we do at work. Sa...