Karen Pond

"We are moving where?"

A few years ago, my husband, three sons, one anxious border collie, our drawer of old forks and a collection of new stir fry cookbooks, moved.

Not across the street.

Not across the state.

Not to my mother's.

But across the world.

We moved from small town New England, USA to Tokyo, Japan.

To my sons' dismay (and sometimes embarrassment, sorry boys!), their middle-aged mom chronicled the family's follies, foibles and absurd "fish-out-of-water" experiences as we attempted to fit in and figure out a new home, new language, new food, new city, and new toilets. Many days were challenging; other days surprisingly easy, but every day was an adventure. I hope you enjoy reliving these experiences as I got "genki" and jumped feet first into our new life...even if that meant ending up in a pool of epidermis-eating fish.

When not writing stories about living in Japan, I am a dinnertime referee, beginner taiko drumming student, and Japan adventurer. I love to laugh.

Over the years, I have written for local newspapers, magazines and catalogs in the US.

"Getting Genki in Japan" is my first book.

Thanks for checking it out! I hope you enjoy it!