You know that communication will be difficult when going to a different country, but it is a whole new dimension of difficulty that I found myself in after…
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Chloe Kirk
Every article by Chloe Kirk in one place: honest, practical writing on Travel, Asia, Japan and life in science.
Chloe Kirk’s Articles
159 articles 
My company apparently really likes parties, and so we went out one night for chicken sashimi. I didn’t know what chicken sashimi meant, but I like chicken and…
This weekend was my first time in Tokyo, and I thought plane would be the best way to go. Tokyo is only one hour away from Osaka by…
I have never been an adventurous eater. In fact, some might call me a relatively picky eater, almost exclusively sticking to the Italian cuisine (pasta and pizza). If…
In rural Wisconsin, you hunt and eat deer; in urban Minnesota, you scare deer; in Nara, you feed and pet deer. My lab director, Ray-san, invited me to…
During my stay in Japan, I am living in a women’s dormitory provided for by work. When I was first told I would be staying in the dormitory,…
I’ve never been fond of beef. I never understood why someone would want to eat an almost raw cow, with jokes such as “I want it so raw…
Behind the endless skyscrapers of Tokyo and Osaka, Japan portrays her culture and heritage in every aspect of Japanese life. None of this holds more true than in…
When I first arrived at the dormitory I was about to spend the next half of the year in, and had dragged all my suitcases upstairs, I was…
Most people like barbecue and most people like chicken, including myself, so I thought nothing could go amiss when I agreed to go to a Japanese barbecue grilled…
Japanese pop culture has many unusual quirks such as J-Pop (Japanese pop music), slapstick game shows and anime cosplay. But one facet of Japanese pop culture I was…
Japanese pop culture has many unusual quirks such as J-Pop (Japanese pop music), slapstick game shows and anime cosplay. But one facet of Japanese pop culture I was…
This first week has been very busy and full of me trying to learn Japanese culture. It has been so packed full of events that I haven’t had…
Twenty four hours and 6,159 miles later I am sitting on a bed in a hotel room questioning whether it is worth it to get up and shower…
Days race by as I procrastinate to pack. There is so much I am going to miss from home that I am trying to see and eat everything…