The concept of a bridge is very personal to me. It comes from my life experience ever since I was a child. I’m an American who was born and raised in Taiwan, and now I’ve lived in six countries total. These countries have exposed me to four different languages and six world religions and philosophies: Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Shintoism, and Taoism.
These experiences have made me a bridge between people, cultures, and ideas.
By no means do I claim that I fully understand all the cultures, languages, religions, and philosophies I’ve been exposed to. Actually, the more I learn, the less I know. The more I experience, the more I appreciate the beautiful diversity.
One thing is for sure: All this diversity has expanded my worldview and enriched my life.
The constant diversity in my life has made me question my values and worldview. The more diversity I experience, the more I open myself up to new ways of seeing the world.
I’ve also lived with both the rich and the poor. For five years, I lived in the slums in India. Yes, it’s pretty strange for someone like me to live in a slum! But it was my desire to learn new perspectives from people on the margins of society that took me there. I wanted to understand how people in the slums experienced life. My hope was to learn from them and share something with them to help them have a better life.
It was in the slums of India where my awareness and passion for gender equality, peace-making, human rights, and taking action against climate change grew to a new level. I had the the opportunity to collaborate with NGO programs, education projects, and small business startups that were creatively impacting people's lives. I learned a lot and it really impacted my way of seeing the world.
Over the years, as I've seen people from different cultures and perspectives work together to create a better world, I've witnessed how important good communication is. It's been sad to see how miscommunication can cause so many problems. But it's so inspiring when people can overcome their differences and communicate with clarity and empathy in order to accomplish a common vision.
This is partly why I love to promote diverse global perspectives, creative thinking, and clear and effective communication. So much is possible if we can communicate well.
Now I live in Japan and have started Bridge Beyond English. This space I offer my students comes from my life experience of being a bridge between people, cultures, and ideas. It brings me so much joy to host a space where I can guide discussions about diversity and creativity as we learn, grow, and connect together - and with the world.
Want to connect with the changing world in English?
online or in Yokohama-Motomachi
to expand your:
creative thinking
global awareness
cross-cultural communication
(Advanced and intermediate only)