Finding Joy
Japan is lovely as a tourist. Working there is another thing altogether
The writer thought a secondment in Japan would be the adventure of a lifetime. Then reality hit.
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On the writer’s first day at work, the cultural realities hit her like a bullet train.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF ELISE LIM
Elise Lim
Working overseas in your 20s is often billed as the adventure of a lifetime.
When my boss first raised the prospect last year for a two-year secondment in Japan, I jumped at the chance. I was 24, eager, optimistic and perhaps a little naive.