NOTE: I'm mostly working on Saturdays so I'm a bit busy and can't host anybody, but if you want to meet up on Sundays, I think I can make time.

I was a university instructor back home but I left my career in order to be an eikaiwa teacher here in Japan. I've always loved Japan and it was a dream for me to be able to work here.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I think it's fun to meet people from different cultures and learn various things about them. I also think that I would like to show Japanese omotenashi as a way of giving back to Japan the opportunity it has given to me.

Interests

I mostly like anime and manga because they enable me to learn Japanese. While I can learn how to speak and listen to Japanese through anime, I learn about Japanese culture and mannerisms through manga (I still can't figure out kanji for the life of me). I also like Japanese dramas and I watch Japanese series, but I'm still not that proficient to be able to understand every single sentence. I'm not too much of a sports fan, but I do like brisk walking and biking, and to a certain extent badminton and table tennis.

• culture
• literature
• instructor
• walking
• anime
• reading
• traveling
• socializing
• cycling
• sports
• tennis
• table tennis
• badminton
• teaching

Music, Movies, and Books

I like anime songs, particularly ones that were featured as opening or ending themes in animes I've watched. Basically I like Japanese pop and I am following several artists. My favorites would be NEWS, Arashi, Goose House, AAA, Sekai no Owari, and Sakamoto Maaya. On movies, I don't usually watch them but recently I've been watching LAs (live actions) of manga here. Books... I haven't been reading recently but I've always loved Harry Potter and Paulo Coelho's books.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The biggest achievement I have done so far was to move here in Japan. I have never thought I would set foot on places outside the Philippines (much more outside my home island) and given my measly savings, I had thought moving to Japan was impossible. Thankfully my family has given me their biggest support and I was able to live the dream I always had.

Also, I was not the type to travel alone (especially back in the Philippines where modes of transportation can be REALLY confusing), but since I moved here, I've been travelling alone and I find it really easy to move around. I love the trains and the public transportation system - though buses can be really a challenge as I would have to decipher what kanjis I would be using / reading. Outside of Yamaguchi, I've been to Tokyo, Chiba, Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Hyogo (Sannomiya, Kobe, and Himeji), Yamaguchi (my first Japanese home), and Fukuoka. I would love to travel more!

Teach, Learn, Share

I have a master's degree in applied linguistics and a bachelor's degree in linguistics and literature. I also have a JLPT N5 certificate. Honestly though, I don't think I have much to offer. But I can definitely listen to everything and I can share opinions on things that I really know about. Drop me a line and then we'll probably talk things out? XD

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share experiences about similarities and differences between my home country and Japan. I can also share opinions on things that we mutually like.

Countries I’ve Visited

South Korea

Countries I’ve Lived In

Japan, Philippines