I’ve spent almost four years in Japan. Couple that with the year I spent in France and Germany and the three years in the wilderness in Wales and it totals 7 out of my 9 years of adulthood in a foreign country.
With that in mind it’s time to go home. Real home. I had a meeting with my boss today and we agreed I’d finish my contract until March and then I’m a free agent.
I’m going back to England for a change of career. The one downfall of living in a foreign country is that there is a glass ceiling to what you can earn if you don’t speak the language fluently. I have no desire to be an English teacher my whole life.
I’m going back in April alone to look for a job and find somewhere to live so that my wife can get a visa and come with Isabelle hopefully a few months later.
People I talk to about this think I’m crazy for wanting to go back to England. I have a lingering suspicion that if I had gone home once over the last four years I would think the same. But I have to push through the glass ceiling. Especially with the family now.
And what about the blog. Do I get a new one or trim the title down even further to Undercover? Undercover in London doesn’t have the same ring to it…
I’d be really sad if you stopped posting! I think it would be fascinating if you write about your return to England, the things you miss about Japan, and how your wife and daughter adjust to England when they arrive…
It sounds like you’re making the right decision…had to be a hard one, though. I hope everything goes well for you.
Maybe you could be Undercover Around the World? You’ll already have been two places in the world…do you think you might go elsewhere eventually?
Or if you’re going to stay in England, maybe you won’t be undercover anymore, because you’ll be back home? So maybe a name that indicates that, or incorporates what you said in this post. Out in the Open? Breaking Through?
Or maybe you could just name it after your domain name, Quaisi.net.
I don’t know, it’s tough!
Goodbye Japan, Hello UK
There comes a time when most English teachers in Japan have to make a hard decision. Stay or go? Quaisi from the blog, Undercover in Japan, has been away from his native country of England for seven years, the last four being in Japan. He has decided t…
Yes, it is important to have a good job to support the Family. But how does your wife feel about moving away from Japan and her family?
Although she may have said it is ok, it is a hard thing to do, especially for a daughter to leave her family and especially with a grandchild.
Hope everything works out for you. I’ve really liked reading what you write and hope you keep doing so.
I’m sure it was a hard decision to make but I think you’re doing the right thing. At least you’ve spent some wonderful years in Japan which you’ll always remember.
To Jon, the poster above. I think in most cases the wife usually lives in the country of her spouse if he is the main or sole earner.
My husband is Japanese whereas I’m from England and next summer we will be moving to Japan after 4 yrs living in Italy. We couldn’t come up with a compromise because I want to return to the UK and he doesn’t. Basically one of us will be unhappy and it turned out to be me. I’m slowly getting used to the idea of living in Japan and particularly Intl. marriages like ours deciding where to live is one of the main factors which we have to face.
Do what you gotta do, man. I myself have had to take it on the chin a few times just to make things right for my family. I should warn you though, unless Reiko has been to the UK for extended periods in the past, she is probably going to hate being away.
In our case, my wife lived here for a year and a half before moving here on a marriage visa. She wasn’t here a week before she told me she wanted to go back home because Japan made her happy.
As for the glass ceiling, that was the main reason I didn’t go the other way and emigrate to Japan. My inlaws couldn’t see it, but I knew my options were limited there.
I know it’s a hard decision for you both, but it’ll be good to see you again!
Hi, I lived in Japan as a student for 7 years before returning to Singapore this year, so I’ve been following your blog with interest. It’ll be tough for both of you I think. Your wife will have to deal with a new environment, and you’ll have reverse culture shock.
But, I think you should do whatever the two of you agree on. There will be difficulties either way, so just follow your decision.
My wife came to the U.S. to study English and that is how we met. It is career and earning money for the family that keeps us in the U.S. even though she really does not like it. She misses her family terribly and it has caused some conflict.
Just one of the aspects of an international marriage.
Just found your awesome blog. It’s sad that you’ll stop posting soon about your life in Japan. I love Japan. In the future, I hope to spend some time there.
Will your wife be able to work in UK or she’ll stay home and take care of the baby?
Good Luck!
Fortunately Reiko has lived in England for 18 months. It’s how we met. She also lived in China for 5 years. So she’s okay with living abroad although she’s definitely sad about leaving her family.
Hopefully we’ll both get jobs.
Good luck to you and the family with the move – sounds like you’ve made the decision for the right reasons.
Personally I couldn’t keep the blogging going once I left Japan – it felt like the blog was only about documenting that one period of my life – but I regretted not keeping it going in order to document my reverse culture shock, of which there was plenty. I’m sure between you and Reiko you’ll have no difficulty finding things to write about.
Best wishes, wherever your path takes you.