Book Review: Geri o Shimasu: Adventures of a Baka Gaijin

Thirty years ago, two months after graduating college, I moved to Korea. I’d never been to a country other than Canada, and Asia seemed light years away from America in many ways. If I said it was a smooth transition, I’d be lying. I struggled with the language, and the food, in some cases, was terrifying. But somehow, I not only survived, I grew as a person, learning just as much about myself as I did about Korean culture. Since my time in Seoul, I enjoy reading about other people’s experiences abroad–their adventures, faux pas, and trials. 

Recently, I read Geri o Shimasu: Adventures of a Baka Gaijin, by Alia Luria. In her memoir, Luria takes the reader on a comical journey through Tokyo and she does not shy away from sharing her most embarrassing moments. Quite the contrary, she openly embraces them, inviting the reader to laugh at her misfortune. Luria's essays take the reader into restaurants to vicariously enjoy Japanese meals. We follow her into karaoke joints, an experience that differs greatly from the American version. And we have the pleasure of participating--vicariously, of course--in festivals that would cause quite the stir in America's more conservative states.

Luria's writing is witty and engaging. She brings the Japanese culture alive for the reader. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in travel, memoirs, or foreign cultures. To learn more about Alia Luria and her work, you can visit her here.