Two Shores One Story

Yesterday I took the JLPT N1 exam.... for the fourth time. You'd think by this time I'd have everything under control, but no, that's never the case. It was an emotional roller coaster. I'm not certain that I passed to be honest... but I'm trying to stay positive. Find out more about my experience on today's episode.

Question: What day is Canada day? a) June 1st b) July 1st c) July 2nd The answer is.... b) July 1st... which is today! This week I will be studying hard for the JLPT, but I also wanted to give you all a quiz that is related to Canada and Japan. If you're keen on trivia or just learning, give this episode a listen.

Hello everyone! It's the fourth week of June! Can't believe it. At the time of recording this episode, it was Father's Day so happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! I hope you had a great day. Today, I wanted to share my experience of a recent karaoke outing that I had last week. I was inspired to share some of my wisdom on karaoke etiquette and general tips so that you (and others) can hav...

Last week, I ran into some difficulty because I'm trying to apply for repayment assistance (student loan stuff), but I can't get into any of my accounts because my phone number is no longer in use.... the joys of two-factor authentication. Also, I'm preparing for the JLPT (for the fourth time). I feel different about the test this time around (in a good way), but I still need to lock in. Find out...

Hello everyone! Hope you're doing well. Crazy that it's already June... 2026 is going by so fast. As promised, I wanted to share where I think you should go to (and where you maybe don't need to go) if you are visiting Japan. This "itinerary" is based on what places I went to with my sister when she visited Japan for the first time! Get your notebook ready cause I have some notes!

The goal of Two Shores One Story is for me to share my experiences of living in Japan as someone from Canada, and for you as the listener to learn something. Well, this week I have something that is definitely educational (unfortunately for me). On my trip with my sister... I may have (definitely) lost my phone. Find out how and what I did to get it back on today's episode.

This week's episode is a quick one because I will be with my sister next week (the time that this episode airs). I'm so excited! Can't wait to talk about it on the podcast. Until then, I hope you enjoy listening to two things that happened this week: my late-night experience with a cockroach and my time at the hairdresser!

Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode. Today, I have a PSA that I wanted to share with you in hopes that you too can save some yen. I hope to share some more "tips" in the future so look forward to seeing more episodes from the Choking or Chokin series. For those wondering about the series title, I find that when my finances are in a bad pad, I am restricted in so many ways and, somet...

Last week I told you about my trip to Tokyo, but the trip didn't end there. I also visited the most northern region of Honshu: Tohoku! I had many adventures there, both in Sendai, where I stayed, and in other prefectures as well. If you're ever traveling to Japan, I highly suggest visiting Tohoku! Listen to today's episode to get some ideas!

After months of waiting, I finally got to see Twice! It was most definitely worth the wait. Hear about it and what else I did in Tokyo on today's episode. PS: Apologies for the late episode. Lost track of time today.

Since I am seeing a Twice concert in a matter of a few days, I thought I'd share how I came to know one of the greatest girl groups that K-pop has seen.... plus share some of my favorites from their discography.

Stumbled on a Japanese song titled, "Like a Current of a River" while scrolling through Instagram and it made me reflect on my life. If you're wondering how, make sure to listen to this week's episode! There's that and more so enjoy!

Ah... Mondays. You gotta love them.... or else, you might cry. In my case, this Monday was not the best. Let's just say... things happened (or not?). This week was also not the best in terms of calories because I ate more than I think I needed. Sometimes, that's okay. Especially when you're having a fun time like I did when I visited my friend to do some Gattan-go! If you're curious about what hap...

This week, school is finally starting up again. I'm so excited to greet my kids and tell them all about what I did for spring break.... including my trip to Kyoto last Saturday. It was a relaxing trip filled with many culture moments and donuts!

I didn't know until recording this episode but I have a special talent of talking about chicken for an extended period time. If you want proof, please give it it a listen! Don't worry, though. I talk about more things than just what I made for dinner!

Well folks, it's the last week of March and with that comes change. Spring has arrived, the air is getting warmer, the snow is melting (thank God!), and the flowers are starting to bloom. It's also my birthday and this year I am turning 29. The last year of my 20s! The school term also comes to an end. Students are excited for spring break. Some teachers are preparing to move to a new workplace. W...

Hello everyone! Hope the weather is starting to get better where you are. I didn't have anything really planned to talk about today so if you want to listen to an organic rendition of what I did since we last talked, this episode is for you.

As promised, I am going to be talking about last week's junior high school graduation ceremony! For those who don't know, both elementary and junior high school students graduate in March (junior high school students graduate at the beginning of March and elementary high school students graduate at the end). Hear about what graduation is like in Japan and more in today's episode!

Sometimes having a stay cation is a great idea. For me it was anyways! I was a tourist in my own town. Why? Well, my friend from Canada came to visit while on holidays in the land of the rising sun, so I decided to show them around. Along the way, I was also able to experience some new things, which is what makes living in a new country great. Speaking of new experiences, I also had my first ever...

On February 13th, a famous J-pop company, Hello! Project, finally released all of it's music to streaming services in preparation for it's 30th anniversary. Hello! Project consists of many popular girl groups, such as Morning Musume, Berryz Koubo, ℃-ute, Juice-Juice, and more. You may remember me talking about Morning Musume on earlier episodes, so I was excited for all the music I could listen to...

Third time's the charm.... or so I thought. Unfortunately, I failed the N1 once again and this time it stung a little bit more than the other times. In this episode, I talk about the results, my feelings, and how I am going to get better for the fourth and final (I hope) time.

If you've been in Japan long enough you might have been asked this question: Kinoko no Yama (Mushroom Mountain) or Takenoko no Sato (Bamboo Shoot Village)?). These, of course, refer to a popular chocolate cookie snack. People prefer one or the other and it's quite interesting to see how heated people get over these chocolates. In this episode, I give both a try to see which one I prefer!

Well... you wouldn't believe it. I have another episode to add on to Tires and Tribulations. This time it wasn't my fault. I hope this isn't an ongoing series like the New Year's resolutions series was.... if you're interested, give this episode a listen!

Hello everyone! Can you believe that January is almost over?! Only 3 more days. Time flies by so fast... On today's episode, we have the last installment of the New Year's Resolutions series. It's been quite interesting hearing about what other people want to do in 2026, and this next guest is no exception. I had the utmost pleasure talking with Roman, a fresh ALT who arrived to Japan six months....

Welcome to another New Year's Resolutions episode. Today, I had the utmost pleasure of interviewing my senpai and friend, Zhuangman or "Man" for short. Oh "man," what a great show we had. If you're interested in hearing about her goals or what she's doing in Singapore... or great restaurants to eat in Takayama (we went on many tangents), make sure to give this episode a listen.