From YouTube Drama to Shibuya 109 Mall, the Top 5 Posts of 2015

Tokyo Skytree and the Asahi Beer headquarters - Tokyo, Japan

Wow! What an eventful year it's been! In 2015, I earned my Master's degree in TESOL, moved back to the States, and most of all, did more writing and blogging than I have in years. In total, I have written 110 posts on this blog; including this one, I posted 67 this year! Furthermore, I've recently started writing freelance, which has given me more opportunities to write, share information, and interact with awesome people. Additionally, I started the Black Women Thrive series here on my blog. Although it's taken a backseat recently, I am going to start sharing stories for the series again once the new year starts!

Before moving forward into the next year, it's fun to look back and review what occurred in the year we'll be saying "goodbye" to soon. Therefore, I'd like to review the top five posts on my blog from this year!

Shibuya 109 mall.

#5 - Tokyo: My General Impressions

Back in February, I treated myself to a trip to Tokyo for my 25th birthday. In less than a week, I was able to visit most of the major parts of the city, including Asakusa, Odaiba, Ueno, Akihabara, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro. It was an exhausting whirlwind of a trip, and my first time alone in a foreign country (aside from living in Taiwan).

Nevertheless, it was life-changing in a way I can't describe because of the autonomy I had. I was able to take in all the sites without being distracted, make my own decisions about where to go and what to eat, and enjoy the city at my own pace. Not only did I fall in love with Tokyo, but I realized that it's okay—even beneficial—to experience a trip solo. I look forward to writing more about my trip to Tokyo next year. Perhaps I will find myself in the city again in 2016!

Christmastime at Home

These decorations are my mom's doing,
aren't they grand?

I apologize for the sporadic updates these days. As it's holiday season, I have been spending quite a bit of time with my family as well as working on other projects. I will restore my regular update schedule after the New Year.

Like Thanksgiving, this year marks my first Christmas with family since 2011. My actual Christmas day was pretty quiet with just me and my parents. We stayed in casual clothes, opened the couple of gifts we gave each other in the morning, then enjoyed Nigerian food for our main meal. Later that evening, my dad and I took a drive around our neighborhood, looked at the Christmas lights, and had a great discussion. 

I suppose our real Christmas was the day after. We had a few family friends over and ate a great meal—more Nigerian food! A great thing about being home right now is eating all the awesome food my mom makes although it threatens my waistline!

4 Ways I Study Chinese

Yes, during language study sessions,
I sometimes have this many books open!
Source

Here's some sage advice regarding language learning:

"If you don't use it, you'll lose it."

I see you rolling your eyes, but believe me, it's true! It's why I can't speak a lick of Spanish anymore!

I do language study one to three hours a day. Sometimes more. Often it involves hitting the books, but sometimes it might be reading comics, watching a drama without subs, or listening to a radio show. 

At the moment, I'm focusing on studying two languages: Mandarin and Japanese; my skills in each language are quite far apart. 

Beginner. Intermediate-advanced. Business level. Those are some of the many levels and labels people use to describe a person's language ability. I don't know which I'd use for myself. For expediency, I'd say my Chinese is a Business/Intermediate-Advanced level and my Japanese is solidly Beginner. 

While my Chinese vocabulary is large and I can respond without thinking much, my tones (I'm tone deaf) are not the best. I can read Chinese subtitles almost as fast as English ones, but always run into a character I don't recognize. I can write slowly, but still make grammar mistakes. I feel comfortable saying I have advanced listening skills, and writing characters isn't much of an issue for me.

I'd also say my Japanese listening skills have passed beginner level and are somewhere in the lower-intermediate category; I can listen to a 1-hour radio show and comprehend 50-60% of the content most of the time. My reading is nearly intermediate as well as I recognize several kanji without having to study them, and have at least the main On-yomi readings down up to mid-level proficency or N3 (thanks Chinese!). I'm working on solidifying Kun-yomi and On-yomi derived from Chinese dialects. But my writing isn't great at all because I'm just starting to study grammar rules (which are way more extensive than Chinese), and I'm still building my speaking confidence.

Anyhow, this post will focus on four of the several methods I'm currently using to improve my Chinese and maintain the skills I have. I think if you're just beginning to learn Chinese, these are things you can do in the now so you don't fall behind later. Keep in mind that I'm not a Chinese teacher (pahaha, faaaaar from it). These are simply things I do to study, and what I've noticed since I started studying Chinese in 2008.

This is the first part of a language learning series on my blog. In the future, I'd like to share more Chinese study methods, and elaborate on my progress in Japanese, especially how Chinese has helped.

5 Ways I Saved Money in Tokyo

Japanese yen
Source

Whether with a touch of fascination or an edge of skepticism, people often ask how I managed to visit Tokyo and do nearly everything I wanted without returning from my vacation with an empty bank account. I understand their sentiments. Tokyo is commonly crowned as one of the most expensive cities in the world. However, I believe this is only a cause of concern if you live in Tokyo. As a visitor, I found Tokyo to be rather inexpensive, especially since the yen is experiencing a decline. For Americans, now is the best time to travel to Japan (as I type this post, $1 equals 119 yen). Nevertheless, no matter where you're from or what the exchange rate is, if you plan your trip to Tokyo carefully and implement simple money-saving techniques you will be surprised how cheaply you can enjoy one of the most popular cities in the world.

Honestly, if you want to travel anywhere, you have to set your priorities straight. I worked three part-time jobs and didn't over spend on luxuries for three months before I traveled. Oftentimes, when people think they "cannot" travel because it's "expensive", they fail to see how much money they're spending on unimportant things. For example, nixing fast food from your daily life saves tons. But I digress.

I feel it's important to note that I present these tips as a low maintenance traveler not a comfort-seeking tourist. In other words, I focus on the sites and immerse myself in my surroundings when I travel; I prioritize these things over comfort.

5 Ways Black Girls Can Cope While Traveling Abroad in Asia

(Edited; Cross-posted on The Blasian Narrative and ForHarriet).

In 2012, I moved to Taiwan as a childish, unassertive, somewhat immature bright-eyed 22-year-old with residual high school insecurities finally striking out on my own. Earlier this year, I left Taiwan mature with more confidence and many good, bad, and ugly experiences under my belt. I wouldn't trade my experiences for anything; however, I know several of my positive experiences would have been impossible for me to recognize or enjoy had I not changed my mindset and attitude toward certain situations while abroad. Therefore, I'd like to share some tips I believe will assist Black women love every minute of their time abroad whether they've moved or are on vacation. 

Sometimes I find Black women are reluctant to travel or live abroad—especially solo—because they already feel marginalized in their own countries. Nevertheless, I don't think anyone should ignore their desire to see the world because they are worried about how they'll be received. Granted, it will certainly require a thick skin, if you don't already have any. Three years ago I didn't, and boy did I learn. There comes a time where you either develop the strength to be yourself in a sea of homogeneity or shut down, a prisoner of your own mind. 

I have only been to three Asian countries for longer than a layover; I lived in New Taipei City, Taiwan for nearly three years, completed a summer semester in Beijing as an undergrad, and vacationed in Tokyo. Nevertheless, I feel these tips likely apply to any nation where there isn't a significant Black population. 

1. Do whatever you like

You shouldn't, either!

Seriously, I think I enjoyed my time abroad most when I simply didn't care. Being a Black girl in a place where there virtually are none isn't a crime. There's no point in feeling bad about having a moment or doing what you'd do at home unless it heavily clashes with the manners or culture of the country you're in. 

Want to sleep on the train during the ride home? Like to whistle while you walk? Want to wear your favorite neon-colored dress? Go ahead! As long as you're respectful, you shouldn't prevent yourself from doing whatever you want.

Oh, you're just having some juice at 7-11? Guess what, even a simple action like that is going to make you stand out, so you might as well do all those other normal things you "can't" do. 

Natrual Hair Overseas

September 2012
A couple months after the
big chop, transitioning hair
worn during graduation
(background photo).

After beginning my blog, the top question I've received relates to how I take care of my hair overseas. This may sound vain, but hair care is a very realistic concern for black women who travel and live abroad, especially in countries that lack a black population. Virtually no black people = no beauty products for black people. In fact, this is a phenomenon I have noticed in the States; in predominantly white neighborhoods, there aren't as many hair products for black women in even mainstream stores like Walmart and Target. Not being able to find beauty products suited for you can be frustrating. I mean, what girl doesn't want to look good no matter where she is in the world?

June 2015
A still a sizable afro,
patted down to look even.

Therefore, it's necessary for black women to equip themselves with the products and tools they need to maintain their hair overseas no matter what texture or state it's in. I have thick, coarse, kinky majority type 4c natural hair (aka, the "bad" hair - ha - with no distinct curls or waves that doesn't grow - haha - and only dark-skinned women have - hahaha) mixed in with a few random 4b hairs. It's a little past shoulder length when stretched completely, but it was only about two inches long when I first moved to Taiwan. So, if you have a different hair type or length, the products I mention or advice I give might not help you, but I think some tips I have could be of assistance no matter your hair type or state (relaxed, transitioning, ect). 

Also, I'm no hair guru or stylist; I'm just an everyday girl who had to care for her hair in a country with virtually no products made for her for nearly three years. In other words, I'm no expert! I'm just sharing my experiences in hopes they will help you or someone you know. 

I won't be discussing my "hair journey"; a short summary of that can be found here.