Well, I thought I would root this blog in a little description of who the heck I claim to be.
:-)
Hmm. Okay, here's the official story:
I'm a US expatriate, living in Japan.
I sometimes go by the handle, "Joseph Daniel Zukiger", or "joudanzuki" when hanging around newsgroups and forums on the 'net (especially soc.religion.mormon and /..)
Sometimes I go by my real name, too. (Left as an exercise to the interested reader, of whom I assume there are few.)
I've tried to figure out why I waste time on 'net forums, and I guess the only answer is that I start losing it if I don't maintain contact with my mother tongue.
And then sometimes I think I might as well just go with the tide and lose it and see if I can't just become Japanese.
My wife thinks she would like that. Except that then I wouldn't be American. She has a hard time with the ambiguities.
So do I.
I've worked (so to speak) in Japan as a computer programmer and as that glorified teaching assistant referred to as ALT (or AET) -- Assistant Language (English) Teacher.
I've also worked temp over holidays, sorting and moving parcels for one the Japanese parcel services, and such. Good, real-world experience, also helps to keep one sane, in addition to helping pay the bills.
No, teaching English in Japan is no longer a good way to get rich quick. (Never was, unless you accidentally lucked into making connections with the entertainers' guild or some such in the process, and not necessarily then, either.)
Some people think I have really radical views on politics, religion, social responsibilit, and such. I originally established this handle primarily as a flag, to indicate when I really want people to understand that I don't mind if they have different opinions.
(I really don't mind. Well, sometimes, if those opinions turn into actions that exceed certain bounds. As will probably be readily apparent by the time anyone reads this.)
Hiding behind this handle should also make it possbile for me to describe my experiences in Japan without breaching the privacy of innocent bystanders (like my family).
Heh. Well, if you read this far, I hope what you've read was useful. If not, well, get outside, get some sunlight and fresh air, go to the library or to a store. Get a job. Try to understand your religion. Lots of useful things to do in the real world.
The internet was originally just supposed to be a souped-up telephone index, you know.
Oh, and, yeah, I am Mormon.
