After graduation, life took Flossy Matekwor Azu ’09 half-way around the world to Sendai, Japan to teach English. A native of Ghana, West Africa, she has adjusted nicely to her new home. How she got to Japan is all a blur—from the sleepless nights spent searching for a job, through working as teacher of special education in Natick, MA, to finally secure a teaching job in Sendai.

Azu currently works at one of the MeySen Academy schools, a group of schools intended for teaching English in Japan and started by missionaries from the U.S. more than 40 years ago. She teaches third graders at the Immersion Friends Club there. The program’s curriculum seeks to integrate children into a full English school day in a more natural way. Azu believes the program has yielded amazing results.

“I see that in Japan, people take their work more than seriously, and they are perfectionists,” said Azu about the cultural differences she observed there. “Things that may seem trivial like a misspelled word or neat handwriting is valued a lot here, especially in my job. I am expected to dress and act in an exemplary way, both on the job and out in the community,” she added. In the U.S., where she did not have to “perform” a show of perfection, her dress code was mostly functional.

Azu’s experience at Mount Holyoke opened her to opportunities abroad. It spurred her curiosity, stimulating her to learn about other cultures and countries. From Mount Holyoke she also learned that people can easily misjudge based on preconceived notions about other countries. “Many a time, [being from Ghana], I have “surprised” people with my good English, or with my lack of experience living in trees or eating bugs,” Azu said. “Hence, I learned that I shouldn’t expect anything from people or places I know nothing about.”

Coming to Japan, she had no expectations. “I got here before I learned and found out about the culture, food and lifestyle! So far, not having preconceived notions has cushioned the blow of culture shocks,” she said.

So how does one get to Sendai, Japan? Keep your options open, she advised. And travel light. “Do it now, before you have six kids and a husband in tow, because you can’t pack those light,” Azu joked. But most importantly, “look hard, believe it and follow your heart!”

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