Living abroad: How it really feels

 

All along I considered that foreigners who reside in another country treat life like a piece of cake; especially if they’re the adventurous types. Travel shows and advertisements on TV and print played it well. The smiles of every tourist or expatriate displayed such an attractive sign of comfort—as if living abroad can be such a convenient alternative.

But truth be told—it’s not what you think.

My uncle often convinced me to move to Canada, explaining to me how it can change my financial distress into a life of breakthrough and a brighter future for obvious reasons. I know the Philippines has never become a competitive economy, and looking for that ‘brighter’ future there is a murky option. And although I tried to search for a job in Canada, there was very little luck until I finally shared a life in Japan instead, to where I currently work as a teacher in a humble school in the countryside.

Believe me; Japan is honest to goodness, one of the most beautiful places to live in. It has quite a fair government system, people are nice, crime rate is so far one of the lowest in the world, and working here revolves a great opportunity especially to expats from developing countries. But then again, life here is not always a blooming paradise. Dwelling abroad can be dragging especially if you’re alone. Yes, there’s money to shed from the wallet every now and then, seeing new things is just as fun as ever, but being a standout in the crowd can become exhausting, too.

Friends
People can be friendly, yes; but that’s how they can only be—friendly. It’s just a ‘face’. In reality, making friends abroad can be an excruciating assignment and it takes a lot of time and patience to win the real ones. Oftentimes they won’t think like you, talk like you, nor act like you because they’re different from you. They misunderstand you—and that can be tiring.

Climate
If you’re living overseas in a country where the seasons are exactly like yours, you’re pretty much a lucky dude. Otherwise it’s an occasional nightmare. Climate in Japan is opposite from the Philippines especially to where I am located at in one of the coldest areas of Hokkaido. I came to this prefecture on the edge of winter. It was my first time to experience snow. And although it was an exciting feeling, too much of it made me think of home. Back in the Philippines, I didn’t have to worry about what to wear. But here in Japan, I need to layer myself with tons of thick clothing. It’s cool and fashionable to wear scarves, boots, a trench and a pair of velvet gloves, but it isn’t always comfortable. In my case I have to remove my gloves every time I need to type on my smart phone, and I have to wear my clothes at least twice in a week because of little time to hit the laundry machine. The cold temperature helps in keeping the garments fresh for several days; on the other hand it’s tough to take a bath and stay in the tub for too long. Also, staying outside for more than ten minutes can literally kill you. The cold temperature causes ear ache and your hands can ‘burn’. These are just during the winter season though; but perhaps in tremendously hot climates like deserts, it’s a different story. 

It's my first time to wear something as thick as this ever!

One of my first few days of experiencing the real thing.

Sushi...my favorite, but sometimes I get tired of it!

Food
Some people may think it’s easy to adjust in eating local food in the countries they stay in. Wrong. I’m Filipino, I love Japanese food, but I can’t eat it forever. Every wonder why OFWs (Overseas Filipino workers) bring their adobo abroad? That’s because eating something you don’t swallow everyday is at times I call, “forced feeding”. You control your mind and say, “Sushi is normal. I can eat it daily.” But what about your stomach? Will it take it normally all the time? No, of course! (And I just wonder how foreigners in the Middle East gobble up couscous!)

 When I miss Filipino junk food, this is my alternative. But this is not available in Japan!!!

Communication
One of the biggest challenges in a foreigner’s life abroad is the ability to impart with the locals. Although some may have the skill to speak the language, culture is at most, the shock of a lifetime. No matter how good an expat can be at expressing himself in that dialect, he can never fully adapt to the mindset of natives. At times it can be frustrating and misleading. It can also cause serious and personal troubles.

So what am I trying to say? Now I'm not discouraging anyone to go abroad and taste a different life; what I wanted to say is, what you see on TV, what you hear from other people, and what you know about living abroad isn't always a life of colorful butterflies. Behind that stage is a long path of struggles. We may smile in pictures and enjoy where we are in, but deep inside we also cry like normal people. We have money problems, too. We miss our families, and we still love our home country. Life abroad is a different adventure, but it should be decided seriously. Well, it's just really an extraordinary feeling. Don't get me wrong; I enjoy where I am now (I love Kyogoku!) but then again, there's still no place like home.