I’d like to introduce my country, the Republic of Ireland. Ireland is very homogenous, like Japan – until recently, almost everybody was white and Irish. Recently, for the first time in history we’ve had immigration into Ireland. Now we have quite a few people from Poland and China, for example, but the country is still mainly very homogenous. The population is quite small at about 5 million people.

Ireland is very small. You can go from the east of the country to the west of the country in maybe three hours. And you can go from the south of the country to the north of the country in maybe four or five hours. So, Irish people feel very local. If we meet somebody, we kind of know where they're from, or we think we have a connection to every place in the country because it's so small. Because of this, it feels local, it feels familiar; it almost feels like everybody is a neighbour.

The people are famous for being very friendly and generous. So we give a lot to charity, including to charity internationally. Statistically, they are the third or fourth most generous country in the world. We're famous for things like Irish whiskey and Irish beer, like Guinness, which is a black beer.

We're also famous for Irish music and Irish dancing, which are popular around the world. Irish music has some specific instruments and the music is quite nice. It's very popular with tourists. Irish dancing is unusual because the dancers keep their arms straight by their sides, and don't move them. The legs are very quick, almost like tap dancing, but very, very, old and more traditional than that. Again, it's quite popular with tourists. There's a famous Irish dance show called Riverdance, and it goes all around the world and has even been to Japan a few times.

Photo Credit: Kelly L@Pexels

Quiz

Q1. What is the population of Ireland?

Q2. What is special about Guinness?

Q3. What is one special feature of Irish dancing?

Scroll down for the answers

A1. 5 million

A2. It’s black beer

A3. The dancers don’t move their arms while dancing

When I tell people that I came from California, various famous locations frequently come to their minds. Of course, you’ve probably heard of Silicon Valley being the innovation heartland of the world and about the beaches around Los Angeles where surfers gather. Maybe you’ve also gotten the chance to visit Yosemite National park and appreciate its beauty. But I can guarantee that you’ve never heard of my small hometown of Auburn, located 20 minutes east by car from the state capital Sacramento.

Truthfully, Auburn is not a town that I recommend going to, and yet it has provided me with the inspiration to be curious about the international world. For Americans who never want to experience culture shock in their lives, Auburn is the perfect little town for them. Its population is just over 14,000 residents, which is shockingly small compared to cities like San Francisco. Its diversity is also minimal with similar like-minded Americans who have almost no contact with the international community. Every time you go to the grocery store, you are guaranteed to run into at least one person you know. Growing up in this environment makes one believe that the world is small.

Fortunately, I received my first cross-cultural experience upon graduating from high school and entering university. My college’s student demographic was significantly diverse, and it felt like I was thrown into a whole new world. It was almost like experiencing culture shock within my own country. Additionally, my professors taught me that the world is quite vast, with many perspectives and interesting people and places. I quickly understood that I wanted to pursue international knowledge as my life passion. Eventually, this led me down the road to studying Japanese and finally moving to Japan six years ago.

Looking back at my experiences, I can honestly say that Auburn helped me understand my path and what I wanted out of life. But instead of providing me with the foundation for cross-cultural knowledge, it deprived me of what I truly wanted. And once that barrier was lifted, there was no chance of me ever going back. Therefore, without this background, I would not have been motivated to seek the unforgettable experiences that have come from me pursuing an international career.

Photo Credit: Kampusproduction@pixels.com

Blog Quiz

Question 1: What is the author’s hometown? 

Question 2: Why did the author move to Japan? 

Question 3: How did the author’s hometown create the opportunity for a global life? 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

Quiz Answers

Answer 1: The author’s hometown is Auburn, California. 

Answer 2: The author experienced diversity in university and learned that there are many perspectives and people to meet in the world. 

Answer 3: Growing up in Auburn deprived the author of cross-cultural knowledge and experiences. The author discovered this after entering university.