I have had the absolute pleasure and honor to work with Viola from The Blessing Bucket over the past couple of weeks. I look up to her for multiple reasons: her rockin' travel blog for one, along with her sweet career teaching english abroad in Japan, and the fearlessness that has led her to become a full time expat/ explorer! I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I have enjoyed getting to know Viola!
Bio
Viola is a Canadian girl who is obsessed with seeing the world. She loves hunting for unusual destinations and best sunset spots with her camera. Viola currently documents her adventures living in Japan and travels throughout Asia. Read her easy to digest itineraries, foodie guides, packing advice and more on her blog www.theblessingbucket.com.
How long have you been away from Canada?
I have been away from Canada since August 2016! It’s been about a year and a half now. Don’t want to sound cliché but, it’s crazy how fast time passes!
Why did you make the decision to move?
It’s always been a dream of mine to experience living in different countries. I’ve lived in Australia for a while a couple years ago and loved it. Also, I wanted to go somewhere with less severe winters. I love Canada but boy it’s so cold!
Where do you live now? Do you plan to be there for a while, or do you consider
yourself to be more of a nomad?
Right now, I am living in Sendai, Japan! I will be here until the end of July this year. From there, I will probably move to another country for a while. I like to stay for a period of time in one place and get to know the culture and people. So I guess I am a nomad in that sense. I am dying to go to Costa Rica, South Africa, and Peru in the very near future!
Why Japan, and why that specific city?
Japan has fascinated me for a long time. I’ve associated Japan with beautiful imagery of Mount Fuji surrounded by pink cherry blossoms, girls in gorgeous kimonos, and majestic temples. So I really wanted to experience living here. Also, Japanese food is probably my favorite type of food in the world! If a bonus reason is needed. After coming to the land of the sun, I can say that my imagination has been met and exceeded! Japan is not only a country with stunning sights, it’s a country with rich traditional culture, great respect for nature, and the most polite people you will likely ever meet! In my article Why Japan is the Best Country to Work and Live Abroad, I explain more about why I think Japan is a great place for expats.
I currently live in the city of Sendai, the capital of Miyagi prefecture in northern Japan. I always introduce it as a city with all the conveniences of Tokyo, but way less crowded in terms of people. There’s wonderful nature and many unique sites nearby such as the cat island of Japan! I love it here. In terms of how I ended up in Sendai, it was actually a lucky placement decision by the program that sent me to Japan as a foreign language teacher. I came to Japan with an organization called the Japan Teaching and Exchange (JET) Programme. I am currently working as an English Assistant Teacher in public junior high school and elementary school.
Is travel blogging a part of your income?
Writing and travel blogging is a passion of mine. I have recently started receiving some income from the blog with advertising and affiliate marketing for brands and products I love. I hope to build more income with the blog this year, use that income to travel even more and provide awesome content for my readers!
If not, are you working? And what do you do for work in Japan?
As mentioned, I am working as an English teacher in Japan currently. I think if you want to travel more, you don’t always have to take the dramatic route of quitting your job and trying to become a blogger/digital nomad full time right away. Getting some kind of work abroad is a great way to experience living in another country, and teaching English is a fabulous option if you are a native speaker!
What is the biggest difference culturally you’ve felt being in Japan for an extended
period of time?
Japanese culture is much more conservative comparing to western countries. There are many formalities in the workplace as well as daily life. The biggest cultural difference I notice is how often people are afraid to be direct in expressing how they feel. Sometimes, you have to guess the true meaning behind people’s words because they may not be saying something to you out of politeness. Someone may ask you “are you cold?” but what they really want to say is “you are showing a bit too much skin, so you should probably cover up a bit.” How funny is that? But feeling out the sub-message is something you get used to after living here for a while.
For the expat rookie- can you explain a bit about Visas? Do you have to deal with Visa runs in Japan?
Fortunately for me, the JET Programme that I am a part of took care of visa applications for all participants. Before departure from Canada, we had to fill out a form and provide our passport to the program, and they took care of the rest. It was an easy process. I currently have a work visa that lasts for three years.
Did you find it easy or difficult to sort out things like insurance and banking? I think
that is what stresses me out the most...
Again, thanks to the amazingly organized JET Programme, it was not hard to sort out banking and insurance. Our local program chapter provided a lot of assistance for us and facilitated a smooth orientation when we first arrived. There are also many Facebook support groups for expats that have been super helpful during my time in Japan. So if you are concerned about moving to a new country on your own, you may want to consider joining a program. For people who are interested in teaching English in Japan, I wrote a post on comparing different programs that you can join which you can read here.
Have you found it easy to make friends as an expat? Do you meet a lot of other expats or do you generally hang out with locals?
It was easy to meet people in Sendai because there are many foreign English teachers here. I have friends from Australia, America, the UK, Singapore, South Africa, Canada and more! I also hang out with locals, such as my friends whom I met through being a part of a traditional dance team in Sendai. If you really want to immerse yourself in the culture of where you are, I think joining community groups for things you are interested in is an amazing way. You get to meet locals and enjoy learning something new!
Can you speak to language barriers and how that has affected your time being away
from Canada?
My Japanese has gotten better after living in Japan but I definitely still struggle with understanding a lot of things all the time. While language barriers are real, they can definitely be overcome. I teach this way of thinking to my Japanese students who are trying to learn English as well. Body language often counts for so much more. A simple smile and some gestures can go a long way in communication!
Do you have plans to return to a “non-travelling” life at any point?
While I enjoy being a “citizen of the world” currently, I do have thoughts of choosing a long term home base one day in a city I love. For now, I will keep enjoying each day as they come and see where the future takes me!
What is the hardest part of being far away from home?
I would say being a part from my family. My parents and my brother are currently back home in Toronto and I miss them everyday. They came to visit me last year and we saw the amazing cherry blossom season of Japan together. Looking forward to reuniting with them later this year!
What’s your favourite part of being an expat, in Japan specifically?
I really like how enthusiastic the people are in trying to learn about foreign culture. My students and friends always ask many questions about Canada and countries I’ve visited. They’ve also embraced me into their culture with open arms, teaching me about their traditions and customs. I can’t emphasize enough how sweet Japanese people are.
What is your biggest piece of advice for someone hoping to follow in your footsteps and become an expat in Asia?
Do it for the food! Just kidding sort of. Seriously, moving to Sendai was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’ve traveled not only in Japan, but all over Asia, and learned so much about other people and myself. I am a believer in the saying that twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do. So if becoming an expat in Asia is something you want to experience, just go for it! You can always find a way through potential struggles. In turn, they will help you grow into a better and stronger person.
Thanks so much to Viola for being on my blog, interview style! She is such an inspiration to me, as I hope she is to all you aspiring expats out there! Go check out her blog and follow her adventures in Japan @ www.theblessingbucket.com.
Chat soon.
C
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