00:11
Yeah, very different story. Which, yeah, maybe it's a good segue to talk more about
海外移住 in general, like moving abroad. Because I was thinking, the last time I did this,
I was 18. I was moving from Singapore to New York. I was going to university, my undergrad, and
even though I didn't know anybody in New York, realistically, I was still going to the school.
So the school had arrival package for international students, right? They took care of us, our visas,
our initial onboarding, stuff like that. And maybe because I was 18 and fearless,
I wasn't that nervous. I was not, like, it was more excitement than nervous.
You know, you were more protected, I think, because you already was in this larger system,
you know, like the school provided. Right, I didn't have to sign a lease.
Right, I didn't have to sign a lease, which is a lot of money, you know, because when you're moving,
usually they want first and a last month rent and a deposit. So that's a three months worth of
rent that you need to immediately cash out. Right. And that feels like a lot. Yeah.
So like, yeah, I don't know, it didn't feel, I was more excited. I don't think, it was still
annoying, right? Like, I needed to set up the bank account, I needed to get a social security number
in America, I needed to get my US phone numbers, all of these things were new to me and a very
different system. So I wouldn't say it was easy, but I was still in a protected environment of being
in school, and my housing was taken care of. So no matter how much I fucked this up, I would still
have a house that I can, you know, like, I would still have a roof over my head. Yeah, yeah. And
I won't go hungry. Yeah. But as a postdoc, yeah, when you become an adult, you may actually lose a
place to live. Exactly. Like, if I cannot find a place to live in the two weeks that I signed up
for Airbnb for, I need to extend my stay, which is going to cost me. And, and also viewing apartment
is not easy job, you know, you need to constantly be on a hunt. Yeah. Like, I'm looking at Facebook
groups, I'm looking at a bunch of other websites, and contact the Asian. Yeah. And there's so many,
03:05
so many shitty places. Yeah. Yeah. And it's like, on top of that, I think postdoc is just like a
weird place where, and maybe this is just specific to my situation right now, because I'm still
getting paid in the US institution. I, on paper, I still work in the United States.
I'm on like a long term assignment in Hong Kong. But because of that, I don't have an employment.
And like, like, the museum does not pay me, right? So I'm their staff, I'm their contractor,
I'm their postdoc fellow, but their HR is only responsible for so much of my being here.
And it's not like the US people can help me that much either. So a lot of it is just like left for
me to figure out. Which I think wouldn't be a case if you are going to move to a place where
you're getting paid from. I see. Then, then, you know, they have a little bit more incentive to
take care of you, right? I see. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So that's, that's another layer of being slightly
difficult. That's unique to me. But you know, I knew this going in, right? Like I knew, I knew this,
I chose this path. But, so I don't want to sound like I'm complaining about it. But, but these are
just like reality of moving abroad, which I think sometimes gets glorified, you know?
Yeah.
But still, you know, yeah, I think, um...
Because that, that would, you know, the actual, all the actual experiences, you know, like the
hardship, including the hardship. Yeah. Yeah. Or like the friends you meet and how we communicate
with people from different backgrounds or different cultures. Um, that would help you
broaden, you know, our perspectives and, um... Oh, for sure. Yeah. It's so... Yeah. So I think all
those experiences... It's definitely worth it. It's really, yeah, it's really worth it.
06:08
Yeah. Um, yeah, no, and, and definitely I'm grateful for the opportunities that I get to do.
And, but I also feel like, um, especially as a researcher, you know, um, when you're moving,
you're usually in like a postdoc or like a assistant professor, maybe like that kind of like a
fairly, like academia is not very well designed to move people around like that. You know, whereas
if you're getting sent as like a chūzain from, you know, shōsha toka, like they, they've done
this millions of times for so many people. They like take care of you, moving costs, everything.
Whereas if you're moving abroad as a postdoc or as a ryūgakusei, you know, nobody's paying for your
moving costs and nobody really, unless you really go after and unless they're really nice,
is going to tell you what to do. Right? Like you really need to figure it out on your own.
Yeah. Everything is up to you. Yeah. So like, and, and I thought I was pretty well trained in
that department. You know, I've done this since I was undergrad. Right. And I've done it before.
I know I could do it again, but this was the first time. I mean, this not was, this is currently,
is the first time trying to do this in a country where I don't speak the language of. So
I was kind of nervous, right? Because when I moved to New York, I was already fluent in English. So
the, the issue of not feeling like I can communicate with the people was not really
there. Whereas here, I thought everyone would, everyone will speak English. Oh no, no, no. They
are, they speak English. They do speak English, but like, it's evident that like, it's funny
because I'm Asian in an Asian country. So like, because a lot of people talk to me in Kanto. Yeah,
yeah. And then, and then like they figure out quickly that I don't speak it. And then they're
like, ah, English. Okay. I blend in so well when I'm walking on the street. I don't feel like I'm
outside, but like there are definitely bits and bobs that reminds me. Whereas I think I definitely
stood out more in America, even though there are plenty of American Asian, like Asian Americans
out there. But yeah, another, another interesting, definitely an interesting experience being a
09:01
foreign Asian in an Asian country. I see. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So that's, that's a funny thing. But
that aside, I feel like it's been a good sort of like a wake up call that moving abroad is
not easy, no matter how experienced you think you are. And I can only imagine moving there as
a family or with a partner, how much harder that is because you have so many other people to worry
about. Like me, you know, if I have to extend my stay in a hotel, that's just the cost for me.
But like, if I have to extend the hotel costs for five people, that's suddenly a lot of money.
So like, I think, I hope that whoever listening to this and if you're thinking about going to
going abroad, or if you are already abroad, just like, appreciate how difficult of a job you're
trying to do or you are doing, right? Like, and just like, give yourself a pat on the shoulder.
Like, damn, good job for doing this. You know? Yeah. Because like, I thought I was a pro hikoshi
person. And it's not easy. It's a lot of stressful. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But hopefully,
next time we do our shuroku, I will have a new apartment. Yeah. And hopefully settled in a little
bit. So yeah, I know that I know that this initial fumbling about is temporary, but it's still
stressful. Yeah. Yeah.
Right. So yeah, look forward to the update. Yeah, we'll, we'll definitely catch up.
All right. That's it for the show today. Thanks for listening and find us at Eigo de Science
on Twitter. That is E-I-G-O-D-E S-C-I-E-N-C-E. See you next time.
