Teaching in Asia: Tales and the Real Deal (My FIRST book)

A month has passed since my last post and a lot has happened in that time. Most of what I have been doing is work related. Teaching and all of the other administrative things that go along with my job have been keeping my days and evenings full.

The school year has ended for me and I am beginning to enjoy a three-week vacation. I plan to stay in Kobe and finish up my biggest personal project to date.

Now, I haven’t been writing posts for this blog, but I have indeed been writing, rewriting, editing and revising.

Last summer, while out for a walk during a break at work, I was reading a blog I follow. I read that the blogger has just published an eBook about travel. My interest was caught. I went back to work and for the remainder of my break read about self-publishing. Seemed pretty straightforward as long as I had something to publish.

I decided I would write a short eBook about teaching in Asia. I have experience teaching in both South Korea and Japan. I worked as an ESL teacher for several years and then returned to Canada to get my teaching certification. After gaining some experience in Canadian classrooms, I then came to Japan where I have worked as a homeroom teacher at an international school since.

Teaching in Asia: Tales and the Real Deal is a “how to” guide of sorts. It is mostly for those interested in moving to Asia to teach. It will definitely be a helpful source of information for university students hoping to make the move abroad or professional teachers thinking of moving to Japan or Korea.

The “how to” aspect of the book is only part of it. The rest is filled with stories from the classroom as well as many stories about adventures and inspirational moments I have had outside the classroom. If you are a teacher or thinking of becoming one, Teaching in Asia: Tales and the Real Deal will be for you. If you simply have an interest in education or life in Asia, you’ll enjoy it too!

Teaching in Asia: Tales and the Real Deal will be available on the Amazon Kindle store soon.

For more information about the book, check out the new companion blog, TeachAsia. Loads of informational about the book and the topic are there.

Listen to my Teaching in Asia update podcast on Sound Cloud:

Here is the working cover for the book! Looks great, but there may be some changes in the next few weeks. 

Japanese Eats: Pepsi Energy Cola

It is summer around the northern hemisphere of this big ole ball we refer to as "earth"! It is sumer and if you live in Japan (and many other places), it is freakin hot! It is really hot. In order to get us folks through the summer, the fine people at Pepsi begin getting a little creative. Each summer, Pepsi comes out with some new, and often whacky, summer special flavours.

A few years ago we had Pepsi Shiso. then there was Pepsi Azuki. Now there is Pepsi Caribbean Gold and well as Pepsi Energy Cola. I first saw Pepsi energy Cola a few weeks ago at my local Lawson convenience store and had to grab a can. i quickly realized that it was an energy drink akin to Red Bull. I HAD to try it.

Here is my review of a limited time "in Japan" drink:





Here is my 2 year old review of Pepsi Shiso:

Teaching in Asia: Private Language Schools

It's been a crazy week so far. A typhoon almost hit us and then crawled away in a wimpy fashion. Also, I had a birthday. Today was actually my birthday.

I suppose I can (this being a special day to let my hair down) let you know what I am working on. I have from time to time eluded on my Twitter account that I am in the midst of a "big" writing project. Well, I am. I am writing a book. more specifically, an eBook that I will be self publishing. This book will be about teaching in both Korea and Japan. I have a lot of experience working in both countries as well as Canada. I have been writing for some time now and have been asking amazing members of the teaching community for information and help on the project. You can expect the finished product this Fall sometime.

My new "Teaching in Asia" series is something that I going to compliment this book. I plan to make dozens of videos in this series. I think it will be a great resource for anyone out there interested in becoming a language teacher in Asia.

Here is the latest installment.

Teaching in Asia: Private Language Schools



Teaching in Asia! I plan to have a new and interesting thumbnail for each video.

Japanese Stalkers and Japan in Pictures

Another week of Japan in pictures. I take a lot of pictures everyday and many with the iPhone application, Instagram. Here are some images of Japan I captured.















I also wanted to share a little story. Yesterday, while out for a Sunday training run, I passed a young couple riding a bicycle. Shortly after passing them, the young man decided to hop of the bike and chase after me while his girlfriend took over driving. He followed behind me for more than a kilometer before finally stopping. he was by no means dressed for running and I have no idea why he did it. It was pretty weird though. I'm happy something like tat didn't happen at night or I would have had to practice my sprinting skills!

You can watch the story here:

Japan by Photo

Here are some pictures I took during the last week using the iPhone app Instagram. they are random and a lot of fun I think.

Hope you enjoy. Feel free to leave a comment below if you'd like to see more pictures in the future.


Japanese Beer Garden?


A Sunday morning breakfast audience.


Dead beetle. An untimely demise!


Shoes belonging to the men of the house!


Soon people will be celebrating Tanabata in Japan.


Took this shot the other day after an early morning run. The sun was just rising and the flowers looked great.


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So, you wanna live in Japan? Part 2

Last weekend I wrote a post that seemed to stir a great deal of interest in a lot of people. "So wanna live in Japan?" drew more traffic to my blog than any other post I have written. Actually, my blog saw more traffic that day than any other! I suppose (actually, I know for a fact) there are a lot of people out there who are really interested in Japan and would of course like to come here. Some people would like to venture to Japan's shores simply to visit, while others would like to work and live here. This post will be something of a follow-up to "So you wanna live in Japan?"

I didn't write that post to be a negative person. In fact, I don't think it was negative in anyway. I think it was a realistic look at what you need to do if you are looking to come to Japan long-term. Of course, if you are just planning to come and visit, there are no problems, but if you are seeking a more permanent situation, you must put thought into it. Simply showing up in Japan with a backpack and some money and expecting to make a go of it might not work out. I do realize that it can for some people, but not for everyone.


Japan is a place like any other place. It does of course have a rich history, interesting culture and awesome cuisine, but in the end, other places do as well. I really enjoy living here. There are some wonderful aspects of life in this country. There of course many wonderful aspects to my home country of Canada as well, a place I miss considerably. Much like when I lived in Canada and Korea, I wake up in the morning and go to work. I have a routine similar to that I had in other places. Of course, there are many interesting and exciting things around me, but at the end of the day, life goes on in quite a normal fashion for me.

I think some people have unrealistic expectations. Japan is definitely cool, but it isn't a place where anime characters walk off the TV screen into real life. It isn't a place where manga can solve all of life's problems. It isn't a place where women blindly throw themselves at foreign men just because they are foreign. It is however a place, where you can be very happy and successful if you work hard and have the right attitude.


In my "So you wanna live in Japan?" post, I talked about people who think anyone can become successful and famous in Japan. If that were the case, I wouldn't be doing what I am today. I would be far to busy counting piles of money and managing my television appearances. Sadly (but not too sadly), that isn't the case, but I am doing what I am meant to do. I'm a teacher.

There seems to be a lot of negative sentiments surrounding the education industry in Asia. I suppose that is because many of the people who are drawn to Asia are interested in the place and not the work. They become teachers because it is the only field they can find employment in. They want to be in Japan, not in a classroom in Japan. I of course completely understand. Teaching is definitely not for everyone. Actually, being a teacher isn't for most people.

I was an ESL teacher for five years in South Korea and enjoyed teaching so much that I went back to graduate school in Canada, got my teaching certification and then experience in Canadian public and Catholic schools. Then I came to Japan. I am a teacher now and I love it. Teaching is what I do. I am not searching for something else, but I can understand those who do. My career path may change in the future if better opportunities arise, but for now I am content.

At the end of the day, if you are driven enough to do anything, you can make it happen. If your goal in life is to become a lawyer, doctor or artist, etc., you can do it with enough focus and determination. Coming to Japan is of course no different. You can make your way to Japan's shores and become successful. It may take time though. It will also take persistence. Again, it is the same as in the country you call home.

I hope you set your goals and I hope you can do all of the things you want. Japan is a great place and it makes sense that so many people want to come here. If you are one of those people, do your research and enjoy everything when you finally land in Tokyo, Osaka or wherever you may be.



here is a glimpse of downtown Kobe, Japan as I saw it this evening on my way home from work.

Cool Japanese Shoe Dryer

One of the great things about living abroad is that things can be different than in your native country. This is especially the case if you are a curious person always on the look out for something cool. I suppose that as a blogger/video blogger, I look at the world in a slightly different way. I am always searching for something that would be interesting enough to snap a picture of or film.

The other day while on a break, I went for a brief walk. I wandered through a fairly nondescript residential neighborhood. I came across a coin laundry (laundromat). That alone wasn't particularly interesting, but the sneaker washing/drying machine in front of it was:


You can FOLLOW me on Twitter: @jlandkev

Greener Grass in Japan and Korea?

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. For many, including myself at times, that seems to be true. Some people realize that the "greener grass" thing may not always be true and some never seem to realize that.

When I was 25 and working in a high stress IT job in Canada, I sought greener pastures. I found them in South Korea (a place that has relatively few actual pastures). I found it in a new culture, new food, new friends and travel. Going to Korea was an exciting adventure for me. Life suddenly seemed (and probably was) more exciting, meaningful, fun and downright interesting. Eventually though, days in Korea seemed much like days in Canada. I woke up in the morning. I made a pot of coffee. I had a shower and shaved. I went to work. I came home from work and made dinner. I watched bit torrents of American television shows. I watched Canadian shows on the CTV and CBC websites before they began to geo-block them (I'm still bitter about that!).

Life became routine and just like living anywhere else. There was a difference though. I began to feel the frustration of the language barrier. Even more aggravating was the cultural barrier. The way my Korean coworkers and bosses thought and conducted day to day business began to drive me nuts! The wonderful shades of green started to become brown. It was time to move on. I went back to Canada. I lived in Ottawa and got my Bachelor of Education. After five and some years of teaching children I became a "real teacher."

It is now 2011 and I am going on my third year of living in Japan. I like Japan. It is definitely a pretty cool place. The history, culture, cuisine and many other things are spectacular. I can honestly admit though that I have never been a Japanophile or "Japanfan." I came to Japan because I met an amazing woman from Osaka and followed her here. She is now my wife.

Life is indeed good here, but it isn't a sparkly, wonder-filled existence for me. I work at a school where I would pretty much teach just like I would in Canada. I wake up in the morning and get dressed just like in Canada. I make a pot of coffee and then head to work. I of course see somewhat stranger and slightly more intriguing things on a daily basis than I might in Canada, but things are quite similar (aside from all the Japanese people).

Day after day though, I get so many messages from (especially teenagers) who are hardcore Japan fans! Often they may not be happy with their state of affairs and want a change. For some reason they believe that all of life's problems will be solved if they can just get to Japan! Everything will be better if I can go to Japan. I won't be bullied, I won't have to listen to my boring parents, I won't have to eat crappy food, every moment of life will be an adventure, etc.

Sadly; bullying does happen in Japan (to a much more evil extent that you can imagine…..massive teenage suicide rate). Parents annoy kids (just like in every country/society in the world). Parents are boring too!

Japan is place. You cannot base it on anime (Japanese cartoons) or manga (Japanese comic books) you have read. It is a place just like the United States is a place, just like Canada is a place, just like Britain is a place, etc. Life isn't perfect here. I like living here, but there are always things I can complain about. Then again, I love Canada, but there are always things to complain about there as well.

Long story short: The grass always seems greener. If you are really stoked to head to Korea or Japan, good luck and have fun. BEWARE though…neither place is perfect. Far from it. No place is perfect and every place has it's own set of problems. Not to be a negative Nelly; all places have positives as well!

I am very happy that I have chosen an "international" life. I have been abroad since early 2002. I have to admit that I often long for my home in Canada.

Although change may be a good fit for some folks, the grass may not always be greener for others!

8 Years in Asia

Next month will be my nine year anniversary of coming to Asia. Now of course there was a one year break thrown in there when I came back to Canada to get my teaching credentials, but I have lived eight out of the last nine years in Asia. This was never my plan. In late 2001, when I hatched my plan to move here, I was working as a software developer in Canada and only planned to come for one year. After that one year, I would head back to Canada, refreshed, travel bug having been fed and resume my career as a 3D modeler. Eight years later I am now a certified teacher and still here!

I spent my first five years bouncing between three cities in South Korea and for the last (almost) three years here in Kobe, Japan.

In this post, wanted to write about the Kevin who arrived in Asia in February 2002 versus the Kevin who lives in Asia in January 2011.


Then (2002): I had a small apartment in Ilsan, South Korea.
Now (2011): I have a bigger apartment in Kobe, Japan.

Then (2002): I was getting pumped up for the World Cup coming to Korea/Japan.
Now (2011): No World Cup this year. Could care less about football/soccer.

Then (2002): Was struggling with crappy Korean language skills.
Now (2011): I am struggling with crappy Japanese skills.

Then: Was single and looking for love.
Now: Happily married with a beautiful son.

Then: Ate out at restaurants most nights.
Now: Eat at home every night.

Then: Eating out at restaurants was really cheap.
Now: It's not so cheap.

Then: Lived in a city with few fellow foreigners and very little English around me.
Now: Live in a city with many foreigners and English everywhere.

Then: Was awe-struck by everything I saw.
Now: Somewhat awe-struck, but not so much.

Then: Was 26 years old.
Now: 35 years old.

Then: I trained in Tae Kwon Do.
Now: I enjoy long-distance running.

Then: Worked from 4:00pm to 10:00pm.
Now: Work from 9:00am to 5:00pm.

Then: Smoked heavily and went to bars several times a week.
Now: Don't smoke, rarely go to a bar.

Then: Kimchi everywhere.
Now: No kimchi.

Then: Was told everyday by locals why Japan was bad and America wasn't much better.
Now: Simply don't don't hear that sort of talk.

Then: Had a crappy boss.
Now: Have a boss that respects me a lot.

Then: Guys desperately tried to show me that they were stronger than me at the gym.
Now: Guys don't even notice me at the gym (they're to busy working out).

Then: Everyone around me spoke Korean.
Now: Everyone around me speaks Japanese.

Then: Wasn't a very productive/responsible person.
Now: Am both!

Then: Thought Korean food was great.
Now: Think Japanese food is great.

Then: Kim Jong-il sucked.
Now: He still sucks.

Then: Traveled a lot around Asia.
Now: Save up for trips back to Canada.

Then: Think about the short term.
Now: Thinking about the long term.

Then: Was a PC guy.
Now: Am a Mac guy.

Then: No such thing as You Tube.
Now: I'm a You Tube partner.

Then: Missed Tim Hortons.
Now: Miss Tim Hortons.


Life is different indeed. I may be still in Asia after many years, but as you can see, life for me in Japan is completely different than life for me in Korea. Some of that of course has to do with the time (2002 vs 2011), some has to do with the culture and of course, some has to do with my age.

Long story short; life was good then and life is good now. I suppose that the life I lead is just completely different!

Happy Reading :)

Kobe in Time-lapse

In the Spring I began goofing around with time-lapse video. I made one video that I filmed in Akashi and then I took a lot of footage one afternoon here in Kobe. For some reason though my iMovie09 software no longer wanted to do time-lapse. Something was screwed up with it and I couldn't sort it out. Since upgrading to iMovie11, things are working again. Finally I took that footage and made this video:



Hope you like it!

There will be more tim-lapse videos of Kobe coming up in the future. I filmed a lot of this from Port Terminal and from the new park close to Boeki Center (Port Liner), close to Sannomiya.