My new blog!

If this is your first time viewing my blog, hello and welcome! My name is Keith and I am going to Temple University in Tokyo, Japan. I am an American who has lived mostly in Alabama and California.

I've been blogging on Mixi and Myspace for a while now, but I feel like I've outgrown social group blogs. I've been meaning to start something new for a while, so now here I am.

I chose the title "Not Just Visiting" after thinking about it for a long time. I wanted to express in a title that I am here to learn and understand what is going on in the world in which I now live. I've already seen a lot of non-Japanese people in Tokyo, and I'm sure most of them are visitors.
Having previously visited Japan, I understand that it is a very interesting experience to
view Japan as an outsider. Since I will be here for two years a least, I can't think of my experience as just visiting a foreign land. I must try to become a part of the culture, and not just a person visiting and looking in from the outside.


At the same time, I know that I can never fully be a part of the Japanese culture and history. I feel it may be possible to have a great life in Japan, but I don't feel it is possible to become Japanese. The title reflects this as well, because I'm sure I'll be asked many times if I'm just visiting.

For everyone who has been (and still is) reading my Myspace and Mixi blogs, thanks for checking this out too. For everyone new, thanks for saying hi.