Two Shores One Story

If you want to learn Japanese, learning how to count is very important but it isn't as easy as you may think. There are many "counters" that exist in Japanese, so in this episode I go over the basic counters that you should know and share some stories about why learning counters are important.

After a week break filled with studying for the JLPT N1, I am back! The test has been written, which means I have finished the N1 (for a second time). Hear about my thoughts and other random tangents in today's episode.

Today I experienced my first flood in Japan (yay?). It was a bit monumental for me so I wanted to share it with you.

Last week I expressed my worries about the JLPT, but this week I feel a bit better about it. Find out why on today's episode!

As of the recording of this podcast, the JLPT is 27 days away. Am I ready? No. Absolutely not. Find out what I am doing and why I am worried about the JLPT on today's episode. Also, I go into a completely different topic at the end of the podcast so please enjoy that.

Today I'm welcomed with a special guest, Kaleb! We met each other during the Japanese language pedagogy training and I knew I wanted him on the podcast. He is such an inspiration when it comes to learning Japanese. In this episode, he and I discuss our language learning journey, best methods to learn Japanese, favorite books, and so on. If you want to take the next step in your Japanese learning,...

I'm back from my 10 day Japanese language pedagogy training course! I learned so much and had such a great time being in Saitama. Here all about it in today's episode!

Have you ever wondered how you can stay healthy why you are in Japan? Well, look no further. Fortunately for you (and unfortunately for me), I have a lot of experience being sick and going to the clinic for multiple reasons during my exchange. Give it a listen!

Last week I went to Gifu city to convert my license. I had many documents prepared and I was so ready to get my license... but when the time came I wasn't able to. Listen to why that was the case and how you can get your license the first time!

Living has its' ups and downs and currently.... I'm at rock bottom. Financially, at least. Why is that the case? What am I going to do? Do I have any hope? Make sure to listen to today's episode to find out!

How have we reached episode 20 already?!? Time has flown by! Throughout the first 19 episodes, you have gotten to know me little by little, but in today's episode you'll get to know me a lot. Why? Because I'm answering 20 questions about myself and they're all related to Japan!

Last weekend, I went to a festival in Furukawa called.... the Furukawa festival. It was an interesting experience filled with great food (like, really great food) and sights.

It's April in Japan (and the rest of the world) and that means the new school term has started! So exciting. In today's episode, I give recount my experiences of what happened during the first few (or many) days of the new term.

In today's episode, hear about my simultaneous journey of seeing cherry blossoms with friends in Kagamigahara while also eating less food to lose weight.

*Warning: I sadly recorded this podcast with my laptop mic unknowingly. My deepest apologies. In today's episode, I briefly talk about my trip to Kanazawa. If I had to rate this trip.... I would give it a 3/5... maybe. Listen and find out why!

It's my birthday (well, my birthday in Japan anyways)!!! Today, I just felt like yapping. So, if you're interested in hearing my reflections about the past and future, my thoughts about how cool Irish and Korean are, or you want to hear about my recent Netflix obsession, please give this episode.

Last weekend I had the wonderful experience of carrying a Mikoshi (portable shrine) along with fellow ALTs and Japanese community members). In this episode, I talk about that experience and more!

Last Friday was graduation for junior high school students all over my placement and it was my first ever junior high school graduation ceremony in Japan so of course I had to talk about it. But, before I talk about the ceremony, I had to talk about something that happened over the weekend. It was just too fun not too share!

There was a three day weekend in Japan and my friends and I took advantage of it. We went to Kusatsu, a famous onsen town in Gunma, and other surrounding locations. Hear about my travels in this unscripted episode!

Today, Two Shores One Story welcomes its first guest, Callum! Callum is an ALT who hails from Ireland and its' his first time living in Japan. He has quite a lot of experiences that are quite funny but also full of wisdom. I always love reading his blog since he has such an interesting perspective (you can check it out here https://www.callumeaglehendrick.com/blog) and I'm so glad to have his same...

When going to another country, one may not expect the holiday traditions to be that different from their own country. However, this is not usually the case. In this episode, I talk about just that in regards to Valentine's Day.

Who knew that watching Netflix could improve your language skills? In my case, I learned a lot (and I a lot) of surgical terms thanks to a show on Netflix called Doctor X. I could easily create connections because I was watching what was happening as I heard the words. Context is so important in language learning and I often forgot that I should really use it to learn Japanese rather than a textbo...

Beep beep! What's that? It's the sound of my new car! How did I buy a car? I'll tell you everything; from from what what service I used to find used cars to when I picked my car up.

You may think that being a J-Pop fan is nothing but amazing, but that is not just the case. I've had my fair share of experiences and have realized a common negative theme of being a J-pop fan.

It's January so that means it has been approximately four months since I started my job as an ALT. In today's episode, I share my reflections of what it's been like being an English teacher in Japan (both work and non-work aspects). Give it a listen!