#16 Emily - the Polyglot from Keio University

DISCLAIMER: This episode contains a large amount of Japanese and even some Chinese words. Make sure to watch the video on Youtube for a glossary and subtitles! https://youtu.be/gva1MN3F4oQ

In this episode of the KoreKara Podcast, we interview Emily, a half-Japanese and half-Taiwanese student at Keio University. She grew up speaking and going to school in three languages, which means she's essentially native level at all of them. Although Emily grew up in Taiwan, she ended up going to college in Japan, where she faced new challenges fitting in culturally. Emily shares her story of how she learned three languages growing up, her experience going to college in Japan, and her stories of Japan's working and drinking culture. 

About Emily:

Emily grew up in Taiwan, with her dad being Taiwanese and her mom being Japanese. She went to a Taiwanese elementary school, then a bilingual school, then finally an International School. Because of these environments growing up, she is native level at reading and writing in three different languages, which gives her a unique position of being a polyglot. She also speaks Taiwanese as well as French. 

Initially when Emily joined the International school in Taiwan, she faced difficulties getting up to par, but was able to reach a high level after 4 years in an all English environment. She ended up only applying to colleges in Japan, after finding a school that perfectly fit her unique personality. 

At Keio University, she was able to fit in and meet many interesting people, such as someone who enjoyed eating bugs, or other people that didn't care about the cultural norm within Japan. Initially, Emily joined the Volleyball Club in an effort to meet more Japanese people, but due to the difficulties she faced in fitting in and conforming, she ended up leaving the club. 

Emily shares her experiences of working part-time at Mr. Donuts, where she learned the importance of being punctual within Japanese society. She ended up being late for a couple minutes on the first day, and after being reprimanded, she ended up oversleeping for 3 hours the very next day. 

Lastly, Emily shares her future outlook on searching for a job within Japan, even though she knows that it might be a bit more difficult for her to fit into a Japanese company. She shares stories of working over-time and stories of deciding not to conform to Japanese societal pressures. 

Follow Emily on Instagram: @onopoop