Globalization's impact on me

Naturally globalization has affected my life in various ways, but the most obvious one is that it played a part in me choosing to live in Japan. I first came to Japan in 1989. At that time I was feeling adventurous and just wanted to explore the world as much as I could. I had been in India for 4 months before I arrived in Tokyo, and was curious to see what life in Japan was like (maybe I was also kind of chasing an American girl, but that's another story).

I knew very little about Japan then. I was even surprised and relieved to discover that there were some trees in Tokyo!! It was hard to adjust to the crowds at first. Being inside Shinjuku station at night made me feel like I was some kind of fighting spaceship in a video game, dodging missiles. After a few happy years here I realized I could enjoy having a career in Japan, even without speaking good Japanese (because of globalization). I went back to Brisbane to do my M.A., but always planned to return.

A magical experience

I took this photo while standing on top of an old, ruined temple in the countryside in Cambodia. The sunset was spectacular, and we could see across a really wide area of jungle. The sound of the insects was very mysterious, almost like some kind of machine. They must have been a similar creature to cicadas though.

Angkor Wat was very near this place too. If you have a chance, I really recommend you go there. There is a strange sense of something "special" as you approach it. It's hard to describe, but you might feel how wonderful the Khmer culture must have been. The Khmers came from present day Cambodia, but ruled a huge Asian empire from about 900 A.D.- 1400. The stone walls of Angkor Wat are decorated with countless carvings showing events from the daily lives of the people.

A great city I've visited

Have you heard of Dubrovnik? Maybe not. It's on the coast of Croatia, which used to be part of Yugoslavia before the war in the early 1990s. A few centuries ago, it was controlled by Venice (when Venice was an independent city-state, before Italy was formed). Many of the better buildings in the old town were designed by the Venetians. You can still walk around the outside of the old town on top of the city walls. Down below are charming stone houses built close together, some of them on a steep slope. My wife and I rented an apartment here for a few days. The people are friendly, the weather is usually good and the seafood is always fresh. This is a photo I took of the old town after swimming at the beach below. It is a beautiful beach.