About
“Another Whirlwind Adventure” is the blog of Alexis Candelaria, meant to chronicle my (hopefully permanent) move to Japan as of September 2009.
About me:
I am 25 years old. I was born and raised in a small island town off the southeast coast of Alaska. My parents, one through love of new experiences and the other through love of history, instilled in me early on an appreciation for travel and culture. I doubt either one of them anticipated that trips to Civil War battlefields and scenic National Parks would lead to an almost embarrassingly quixotic fixation with Japan, however. When I was in middle school I rented the first video tape of the animated series Ranma ½, and from then on I have been consumed by Japanese media. I earned double majors at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon, one BA in Japanese Language and the other in International Studies; at the behest of these programs I studied abroad in Hirakata-shi, Japan in 2005, which was probably the happiest year in my short life. While there, I met my current long-time boyfriend, Gary Thompson, who suggested that after graduation I should see what life on the east coast was like. I lived and worked in northern Baltimore, MD until receiving an invitation to become Hiroshima Jogakuin’s English teaching assistant for the school year of 2009/2010.
Facebook profile
Other Internet aliases:
Akaitsuru RedCrane
Gyozafox
Akarain (Final Fantasy XI Online, Alexander server)
Hello Alexis,
My name is Tim, I’m a friend of Brianna. She sent me your blog link. It’s cool how the internet has allowed people to blog, show photos, nothing I had when I was there. Very nice photos by the way.
I was in your shoes about 20 years ago, when I went to Japan and became an English teacher. I lived there for two years in Fukuoka and loved it. I’m married to a Japanese woman and have a 17 year old son. We live in Corvallis, Oregon. I didn’t meet my wife there as most people would think, that’s another story I can save for later.
Anyway, Japan is such a wonderful experience, I’m sure you are enjoying it. The people are incredible and love us gaijin. I’ve been back there many times.
Keep up the blog. If you need any help understanding anything about the culture, drop me a line.
Tim
This is so cool. It is the beginning of something big! Happy travels, dear Alexis, and here’s to many more blogposts for my reading enjoyment! You are a very good writer.
Alexis, I love your blog and sorry I didn’t find it until now- keep writing and shooting such great pictures, hope to see you around the neighborhood sometime soon!