Hi and Welcome
I moved to Okinawa in 2016 from the hustle and bustle city of Tokyo. I currently write and conduct research relating to children learning more than one language, with a focus of children in Japan. I also enjoy exploring topics relating to life in Okinawa, christian living and discussing about books that I have read.
Why I am writing this blog
I tend to focus on negative things with ease compared to things that promote gratitude and joy in my life. Thus I believe that paying attention to things that I may naturally take for granted and writing about them, will help me to be a more joyful and express gratitude to those who are most important. And in sharing the stories with you I hope it will benefit you in the same way.
In this blog I will present stories and articles about things that are related to my daily life (of which I hope you can relate to as well) - whether that be how a baby can pick up more than one language, stories of local Okinawan communities and artists, dealing with addiction and hard to overcome issues and so on.
日本語の読者たちへ To my Japanese Readers
現在の記事は英語がメインですが、バイリンガルや言語習得に関しての記事はバイリンガルサイエンス研究所のサイトからアクセスすることができます。個人的に連絡したい場合は日本語でもOKです。
A little more about my life in Okinawa
・My wife and I both are English / Japanese bilingual speakers and we plan to raise our daughter to know both languages and cultures.
・I have worked closely with the local community in Okinawa, from artists (Oki Social), to farmers (Takero Farm / 神谷マンゴー園), to construction workers, and have unique stories to share. Certainly there are many things I haven’t experienced yet, but as I experience them I will write and share them with you.
・Lastly, I am leading a small christian congregation - Okinawa Central Church of Christ - here in Okinawa. I began leading this group right at the start of 2020 - the same time the COVID-19 pandemic began and have been adjusting and learning how to have a vibrant faithful community in the midst of so much uncertainty.
・On a personal note, recovery from addiction has been a large theme in my life and over the past 5 years I have been blessed to make great progress in overcoming. I am still learning to rely on God’s grace and others to continue to live free from the addictions that ruled my life for many years. I will share about books and ideas that have helped me.
Before Okinawa
Born: 1984, Florida, USA
Ancestry: Italian, Lebanese, and German
Education: Masters in Japanese Language and Translation - University of Colorado at Boulder
Languages I Speak: Japanese and English (moved to Japan when I was 7 years old until 17. In 2012 I moved back to Tokyo for a full-time company job. Quit and moved to Okinawa in 2016)
Get in Touch
Email: paul.c.jacobs4@gmail.com