วีดีโอ

音声レベルが低くて聞き取りにくいです。

シンガポールは人口密度が高いから５分間隔で運行するんでしょうね。山手線と同じだから東京とシンガポールは同じような人口密度でしょう。

ごめんなさいこんなところに、、Some people ask shops repair their clothes instead of buy new one. Do you think this is good idea?みたいな質問だったんですけど添削お願いしたいです、、、 I think that shops should repair visitor’s clothes for the following two reasons. Firstly,it is important for shops to repairi visitor’s clothes. Repairing clothes contributes to good opinion of shops,and as a result shops will be more famous. Secondly,Repairing clothes makes visitors happy because they can become handsome or beautiful people by doing so.also,a lot of people love it. That is why I believe that shops should repair visitor’s clothes. と書きました。スペルミスはbeautifuを間違えたこととalsoを小文字で書いてしまいました。時間が無くてとにかく抽象的で主語も人じゃなくて店にしてしまったし、めちゃくちゃな文章を書いてしまいました。また、論点がずれていてあんなに勉強頑張ったのにと考えたらショックです。どのくらい点数貰えてると思いますか。 受験に使いたいので今回で受からなければならないのですが、多分このライティングじゃ結構やばいですよね。白黒つけたいので正直な感想お願いします（ ｉ _ ｉ ）　気になって受験勉強に専念できません(T ^ T)

あけおめ

Hello Floria..i really love this episode very much! The viewing of the first sun and the eating of special foods is so interesting.... Yes..as we enter the 3rd stage of pre-retirement life, it is time to slow(er) down..love ourselves a bit more and spend time on and for ourselves! Looking fwd to your videos for 2025! PS: love the pic of your whole family😍

明けましておめでとうございます よい一年になりますように。

love that sesame dresssing yum...we have that in Daiso store in Sydney too:)

Vielen Dank!! ありがとうございます！！ Thank you very much! ☺

楽しいビデオありがとうございました。ヒロさんの武勇伝もっと聞きたいですね😂

Yes, I was very moved by this presentation: we have a very strong coffee culture here in Portugal because of the old connection with Angolan… but much has gone…

A very nuanced story: how often do we jump to conclusions about people, even more so coming from a far: yes, nuanced…. Thanks for sharing:)

Hi ! Some interesting points indeed! I really liked that note about the attentiveness of the Japanese when they are talking to the other person...that shows politeness and good manners... I did notice the Japanese tend to dress in sombre colours ..maybe they do not want to stand out in the crowd? so boring! Therefore i do think you should take out that orange coat to wear again...haha!😊

Like your husband, I am usually a little 潔癖症, but in 2000’s, I had no problem eating at hawkers. And unlike typical Japanese, I talked laud and said things straight when I needed I’m not married to Singaporean, but love Singapore 🇸🇬 Oh, but I’d like to share one of my culture shock experiences in Singapore. For me, it was so strange to see young local couples on Valentine’s Day, because every single girl was holding an arranged flower in her hands like showing off that her boyfriend was sweet enough to give it to her. Does this custom still exist?

旦那さんが日本の方で奥様がシンガポールの人だったのですね、最初の印象では旦那様がなんか中国人に見えました。そして奥様が日本人に、長く住んでいると御互いに国籍など関係なくなって夫婦は似て来るのですね。ちなみにうちの嫁はラオス華僑ですが、わたしは中国人に間違われます。ちなみに結婚して30年です。シンガポールは福建人が多いのですか？ちなみにうちは客家です。

80년대 일본에 유학했는데 도쿄 고마바에 싱가포르 유학생들과 같이 살았어요. 중국에서 온 유학생들과 중국어로 대화하는게 신기했어요.😊

初めてコメントします。 旦那さんと話す時の関西アクセントに親しみを感じます。 今年の8月に33年振りにシンガポールに行ってきましたが、すっかり変わっていました。 シンガポールが好きなのでいつも楽しみにしてます。 また旦那さんの登場を楽しみにしてます。

Enjoy hope you do more

Hello Little Merlion...absolutely love this interview and i thought your husband shared very good insights into what Singapore was like 30 years ago..i found myself nodding my head and chuckling! He is very good (felt potentially he had lots to say !) and would love to see him sharing more of his thoughts about Singapore and Japan...can't wait!😊

Well, thank you for introducing and including your very sweet husband: this was an interesting and fun way of highlighting and contrasting cultures: looking forward to hearing more of both your life experiences ❤

keep going!

Thank you! This is helpful to learn Japanese💖

A good initiative but not being very good at Japanese, I have been struggling a bit. If you included the phrases in your description with the times they occur in the video, it would make them much more accessible. (By the way, if you offered a conversation with other youtubers teaching Japanese, you could introduce your unique perspective and experience, creating some traction for your channel - given you wish to pursue this approach.)

Wa..really enjoyed this interview.....although you sound very cheery, i am sure the beginning years were difficult...but you got over the hurdles and i am glad you are well settled in Japan! Loved those personal snippets of your life:) BTW i thought the interviewer was very good...her command of English was excellent! Keep more interviews coming ...would love to see you interviewing more local Japanese too!😍😍

Hello Fiora..i find myself nodding my ahead as i too have left Singapore for Australia:) I missed Singapore in the first few years but after 20 + years, i feel a little out of place whenever i visit..people feel as if they are very stressed a lot of the time...and i long to go back to big, wide open spaces and my garden and the beach.. Only thing i miss now is my family and the food haha! All the best!😀

Hi Floria i am from Singapore married to an Australian and now living here in Sydney...i totally understand your experience of having to start all over again in a new environment to make friends...i have now lived in Australia for 24 years! I happened to come across your channel as i am researching spending part time living in Osaka.. Will watch all your past videos...tks for sharing!😀😀

I learned Swedish but it was a frustrating process. I attended compulsory Swedish classes and found the tutors quite lacking; they were obviously primary school teachers who changed careers to one that was less demanding. The standards were really low, and a couple of my classmates had been in the same class for over a decade. Though an exaggeration, a kernel of truth holds a lot of weight: the education system for immigrants seemed to serve the purpose of slowing down their progress to university and did not teach enough for them to stand a chance competing with Swedish people, thus people with masters degrees take jobs that natives feel is below them. The system keeps running. On thing my first teacher told me proved to be true: the classes are not enough. Those who purchased books (a minority) became more proficient in Swedish, but at a cost; the other students only understand each other's childlike, mispronounced and 'alternative' grammar (incorrect but regular). My then fiance only spoke Swedish with me a family gatherings, most of which were spent not understanding what people were saying and keeping quiet. Whenever I had to speak everyone went quiet and I felt really self-conscious. I did not have anyone to really practise the language with on daily basis. I joined an 'English speaking society' and noticed a couple there had good Swedish skills. Why had I been struggling for 3 years, yet I get no help at home? This caused a few arguments with my then fiance. She did not seem to understand - or was disingenuous - how important it was for me to be able to speak with strangers. I think on one level she did not want to lose her domestic English practice machine. One of the group members said even since residing for 25 years his Swedish was awkward at best. I joined a small Swedish practice group. This really helped, but the leader became frustrated with my questions and eagerness to learn; refer to 'my fiance's attitude'. Later, something happened which improved or rather 'synthesised' the Swedish I already knew. I used the college's public computers and found someone hadn't logged out of MSN messenger. I added her and started text chat conversations and within a very short time something clicked. I think I was listening to audiobooks at the time and found I remembered things quite effortlessly. Obliquely, she was one of the Swedish practice group members, but neither of us revealed we knew who the other was (or indeed, she may not have known). I don't know how I learned listening comprehension. It really is a mystery, and I can't pinpoint when the pieces fell into place - when I could effortlessly understand comedy (I disagree with the suggestion that comedy is a useful learning tool, as it can really only be understood when one has almost mastered a language). I did eavesdrop on conversations when I ate lunch at cafes, and perhaps this taught me unconsciously. What is most peculiar is I forget that I know this language. I no longer live in Sweden, but I can read wiki articles and it doesn't register that I'm not reading my native tongue. I actively avoid listening to Swedish content for a few minutes as retain the program that I don't understand. My next language-learning venture was a failure. I wanted to learn Chinese then it dawned on me that there is little to no Chinese (or diaspora) content that I like and I have had too many bad experiences with 'mainlanders' to want to pursue it any further. Another thing is I know too little to participate in audio chat rooms and it's just an annoyance for other people. Another thing that got in my way is the tendency of western Asian language learners: it's all about points, getting a badge for acquiring the trickiest of tricky languages and the persist in comparing me with others. No comfortable language-learning environment. I resigned myself to the understanding that I can only learn Chinese if I live in China or a diaspora country. Oh...wait... half the time people speak dialects in China rather than Mandarin, so there truly is NO POINT. I have since started learning Japanese. Anime is in Japanese; what better reason does one need?

I admire that there are so many wonderful people in Japan, from the elderly to small children. When I lived in Japan, I strongly felt that Japan has a wonderful community, such as volunteers who actively participate in volunteers to keep children safe on their way to and from school even elderly, and parents who ride bicycles around the city as a patrol during the day.

息子さんを自立するように育てていましたか？それとも特定の日本の環境に依存するように育てていましたか？

Hello Floria, I share your view that a combination of a good text-boox, knowledgeable teacher and one's eagerness to go over the notes on a regular basis can ensure noticeable and satisfactory progress in one's studies of a foreign language. This has certainly been the case for me, as far as English is concerned. First, my English teacher provided me with insights into how to approach learning the language and what elements to look out for in particular, the foundation which I then supplemented with studying the "English in Use" series by Cambridge University Press on my own. A couple of years down the road, I have now passed all the Cambridge ESOL exams and topped them off with an introductory teaching qualification (CELTA). As is often the case in life, when one thing draws to a close, soon another one emerges: almost a year ago, having seemingly exhausted the examinatory pathway to improving my English, I made up my mind and decided to shift my attention to studying the Japanese language in earnest. Many conducive factors led to my decision, e.g. a) having already studied one foreign language to the point of being a proficient user of it (English), b) the experience of being in Japan and having already had the opportunity to do sight-seeing in various towns across the country (which was made possible thanks to my employment as a jazz pianist on a Japanese cruise ship pre-pandemic), and c) a knack for hand-writing kanji characters, which remain my favourite part of learning Japanese; the visual aspect of it plays a huge role in my finding motivation for further hard work. As of now, I have passed the JLPT N5 exam and I am about to take the N4 one in a little under a month's time. Regarding these exams - I am definitely in for the long haul here and expect to go on to prepare for higher levels later on as well. At some point in the future, I hope to find a way to make good use of knowing both English and Japanese well as a native Pole. In what shape or form exactly - that I don't know yet, but I expect the idea to eventually crystallise sometime during the learning process. Kind regards 👋

I would add, that because you look "Asian", even though you are foreigner, it is easier for Japanese to treat you normally. If you don't look Asian, trust me, there will always be a massive difference in the way you are treated in Japan. Sorry if that upsets anyone, just spitting facts.

I have lived in Japan since 1997. I am married to a Japanese woman and we have 3 children (grown up now). I am fluent in Japanese for over 20 years, and I have worked at a major Japanese company since 2006, surrounded by hundreds of Japanese coworkers...yet, all my friends are other foreigners. I just don't 'click' with Japanese men, at all. I have given up caring about it now.

Hi again, Floria.Thanks for your input... I suppose your knowledge of Chinese must have helped in terms of the written language that uses Kanji and possibly loan words - although the Japanese pronunciation seems to make them almost unrecognisable, doesn't it? And English, too, as there seem to be so many loan words, written conveniently in Katakana.. I guess what I am asking or looking for is: are there any specific approaches that make it easier to learn Japanese in particular - rather than languages in general. What you do seem to stress is starting off with a grammar book, which probably would stifle most people's interest rather quickly. That said you were learning at university, which would tend to use a more linguistic approach, I guess. Later, you had a common interest in bringing up children with other mothers. So finding an interest one needs to express is also a strong line of thought (I grow fruit and flowers - camellias) Anyway, food for thought..Thanks once again: I was looking forward to this video. Perhaps, you can make another one targeting the language and culture more specifically... if you have the time and inclination. Bye for now...

Cleanliness doesn’t mean they are superior to others but it’s nice for them to care. You should share and apply what you learn from Japan.

Aaaw bento

日本人より日本が好きというタイトルの話がなかったですね🤔 日本は旅行するのはいいけど、住むのはちょっと…と言う外国人が言いそうなセリフです。 動画主や出演者のことではなく、一般的な外国人の話をします。 外国(特に欧米)では、いつでもどこでも主張すべきと思っていて、自由や権利は自分で守るのが基本。日本は真逆で必要な時だけ自由があり、主張できればいい。それ以外は他人に譲る。そうすれば争いが少なくなり社会に秩序と効率が生まれるから。 そんな外国人は日本旅行が大好き。なぜなら自由だから。自由の基本は安全です。多くの外国は危険で自由じゃない。シンガポールは自由かな？そして日本ではおもてなしが受けられる。外国では金持ちや権力者はお金でおもてなしを受けられるけど、日本ではお金持ちでなくても誰でもおもてなしされる。お客様は神様だから王様になった気分になれる。だから日本旅行は感じが良い。 で、その王様気分で日本に住もう！って日本に来ると逆になる。秩序ある日本を作る一員でいることを求められて、日本人と同じ様にルールを守ることを要求されると、母国ではルールを守っていないので、日本は守るルール多くて息苦しい😩なぜ自分が思うように行動できず他人に配慮すすべきなのか？って思う。すると日本で住むのは大変って思う。他人を尊重して配慮する利他的な社会に馴染めない外国人もいる。まぁ異国に住むのはどこの国でも大変です。 日本が好きなら日本人が好きなはずなのです。だって好きな日本を作っているのは日本人ですから。でも日本だけが好きで、日本人が好きじゃないなら、自分に都合の良い日本の上辺が好きってことです。 外国人が沢山日本のことを褒めてくれたり、不満を言ったり、色々教えてくれる。日本人は当たり前で気づかないので、自分で調べたり考えたりすると色々わかってきました。日本人の最大の特徴が利他的ということ。勿論日本人も根本には利己的ですが、利他的な面が強い民族で、外国人が「日本は安全だ清潔だ静寂だ正確だ丁寧だ」と驚くのは全部利他的社会が生み出したものだった。日本の良さが利他的であることに多くの外国人が気づいてくれるといい。世界中が日本のようになれば犯罪も戦争も減るはずだから。 長文失礼しました🙇

シンガポールは日本と同様に経済が豊かで、安全な国です。日本と違って人口は少ないけど、多民族国家だから、安全を維持するのは難しいはず。シンガポールは刑罰が重いから安全なのか？タバコを道端に捨てると罰金取られるとか聞いたことがある。 道徳教育もかなりされるのかな？シンガポールに安全が何で作られているか知りたい。 日本は刑罰はあるけどタバコのポイ捨てで罰金取られることはないし、取られても僅かな罰金で抑止力がない。 日本の安全は、学校での道徳授業と家庭での利他的な躾で成立している。数百年の教育が日本の安全を作っています。 【⑴嘘をつかない,⑵規則や約束を守る,⑶自分がされて嫌なことはしない,⑷人に迷惑をかけない,⑸挨拶·御礼·謝罪の礼節】この５つは小さい頃から親に言われます😅

普段は住み慣れた母国に住み、年に数回海外旅行をするのはBESTですね。シンガポール同様に安全で、異文化や日本食を味わえるので日本は良い旅行先でしょうね。楽しんでいるのが伝わってくる動画でした。

日本人が英語でお話ししているように聞こえました。きっと日本語ペラペラでしょうけれど。素晴らしい！！！！！！

a funny story about the snails... no wonder he was a slow learner... sounds like you have incredible patience...

Yes, times have changed as you are demonstrating ... you have so much to share that brings about a sense of togetherness.

Yes, the thing about living on the dragon's back and the resilience ingrained in those who live that reality... thanks, Floria, for helping to extend our horizons..

I found myself listening along again... and I can imagine how your present life contrasts with those back in Singapore. But it is not about numbers is it? It is about quality of life, actually being free enough to experience it and say hello to 'our' friend the heron... Not so much about worrying about the future but living the moment, living movement by movement. For the future takes care of itself... and will take care of you in ways you have never imagined. People today in the material world seem predisposed to think of the worst and live 'that' fearful existence daily and even more so into their nightmare future, creating that terrible place, not just for them but for those around them. So you have learnt to hold on loosely; let go tightly. And 'that' is something worth sharing, I feel. I think you will find many people who resonate with that. I do!

This was very interesting... by the way, what is your name? I found myself watching a number of your videos and found them eye-opening.. I have started studying Japanese, so if you'd like to make a video about the language, I am sure your insights would be telling. I was wondering if you started making these video to make new friends, my name is Ian:-)

Wow: that was a bitter sweet story - after all you did never to be able to see your foster son again - that must have been terribly painful! I used to work with children in care and know that the idea was that they should move on, but there was always the hope that they might come back and visit.. From this point of view the Japanese systems seems overly inflexible - paradoxically not leaving space for individuality.

I lived in Singapore for some years. I found it was difficult to make local friends there. I can totally relate to you though I’m back in Japan for many years now.

Thank you so much. I enjoyed your presentation and am on the same page with you.

"Is it possible or impossible to have Japanese friends? " It's all depends of how you are understanding of "Friendschip".

ペットの糞を片づけたり、おしっこを水で流したりするようになったのはここ20～25年くらいじゃないかな。 地域にも拠るんだろうけど。

Thankyou for sharing your story. Your suggestions indeed has triggered good advices to me when I too a new resident in Bangkok less than a year . Yes, definitely not easy to foster close relationships as I don’t speak their language so have to remind myself be patient and continue to find different ways to get connected to the locals.

とても素敵なお話しでした。