Hi! My name’s Abi and it is an absolute pleasure to be here! Not just to be writing for Gaba and living my best content creator life (who knew), but to be here in Japan generally. I’m coming up to my fourth year here in Japan as a teacher at Gaba and am still waking up excited to be here.
If you’re a fan of premier league football you’ll know my hometown, Newcastle (Howay the lads!) and if you don’t, It’s a city in the North of England, closer to Edinburgh than London. We’ve got beaches, castles and plenty of pubs. Lots to love! That said, I took the first opportunity I could to escape the cold summers and (admittedly top-tier) pasties and moved to the South of England for university.
Moving to London didn’t quite scratch the itch in terms of travel, though, and I wound up falling in love with Tokyo on a vacation here in 2017. I found myself applying for jobs in Japan and a few interviews later, accepted by Gaba as an instructor. Not long after that, I was sat on an aeroplane watching the UK get smaller and smaller.
I’m not much of a crier, so I will always remember the plane taking off and the tears shed into my plastic cup of cola (never been much of a drinker on planes). Living abroad had always been high on my bucket list, and to be finally achieving that was an unforgettable experience.
Since my arrival, I have been consistently impressed by this city and its resident’s capacity to surprise me. Working for Gaba has provided an opportunity to meet such interesting people from all walks of life, who have shared with me details of the places and things they love. It all adds to my overall enjoyment of life here!
Further adding to my enjoyment has been joining kickboxing classes, taking part in a speech competition, and eating my way around various cities in Japan. Some of my favorite moments so far include: swimming the cool rivers of Okutama during a heatwave, watching snow fall from the warmth of the outdoor hot springs, watching the cherry blossom leaves fall while sat on an old blue piece of tarpaulin. I hope to have the opportunity to share more about these experiences with you! I’m looking forward to it. Speak soon!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Hey there! I’m Abi from Newcastle, England. I’ve been teaching with Gaba since 2018 and living in Tokyo for the same amount of time. I love night views, nama beers, and watching Japanese variety shows that I don’t understand. Thanks for reading- until next time!