Shaykitteh's World of Books

I've always wanted to teach in Japan, but I have never qualified for any of the teaching programs since I don't have a College Degree of any sort. The next best thing is reading about the experiences that others have, especially when you're reading a book written by an author such as Susan A. Sistare, whose writing drags you in and makes you feel as if you are actually part of the story.

"Living In Yen" is a great book because it tells the side of teaching that most books don't.  Instead of glamorizing everything, you experience Susan's frustration and fears as she is thrown into a completely foreign county with no one she can trust completely.  Luckily, she meets a man named Calvin, who helps her adjust in the most amusing ways possible: mailing her maps so that she can find her way to the important sites such as Pubs, helping her laugh when she's dealing with awful roommate situations, and introducing her to people and places that become a part of her life in Japan. It also doesn't hurt that "The Accent" is Scottish and owns a kilt. Throughout the book, Calvin is a part of Susan's world and she would be a very different person if she hadn't met him on that train. What turns into a wonderful experience in the long run, could have easily turned horrible if Susan hadn't formed the network of friends, both Japanese and Foreign, that help her in happiness and sadness.

I admit that I cried several times in the last few chapters.  Some tears of joy and some of sorrow.  And though it's even more sad knowing that this is a true story, Susan's courage and strength in forcing herself to live make this one of the best books that I have read in a while, and probably the best autobiography. The story of her live is not a dry and emotionless telling of facts, but instead shows you the brightness of the world around you, even when sometimes it feels as if it's falling apart.

The kindle edition of this book can be purchased for $2.99 at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006MM1FM2/?tag=shasworofboo-20.