| Name: Maho Kashiwazaki Market: Japan Role: Content Quality Lead, QA Support |
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I'm currently in...
Chiba, Japan, my hometown and home to Japan's largest airport. Taking advantage of the proximity to the airport, I have travelled to around 90 countries from this base in the three years since 2016. For the past two years, I have been travelling and working in Japan.
When I’m not freelancing, I enjoy…
Break dancing, kickboxing, hiking, and doing yoga. Other than those physical activities, I enjoy cooking. I cook almost every day for me and my family using vegetables from our home garden. I also love to learn new cuisines and try to make Thai, Italian, and Kyrgyzstan food. Sometimes, I'm watching cooking YouTube channels or Instagram for hours.
My biggest professional achievement to date was...
Managing to work while travelling around the world. Thanks to the environment that allows me to work remotely, I was able to backpack for more than three years in countries in North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia etc. while working.
On one occasion, when the train stopped in the middle of the Tanzanian wilderness, I worked while tethered to a local's smartphone. On another occasion, in Turkmenistan, I hitchhiked in the desert under a blazing 40°C sun, worried that my computer would break down in the heat.
I'm very grateful to my colleagues and clients for their flexibility in dealing with the changeable situation during the trip, and to the local people for helping provide an internet environment.
If I could share one piece of advice it would be...
If there is something you are eager to do, just do it. Don't overthink it in your head and decide you can't do it, try it anyway. You will somehow manage it. There may be failures, but they will add to your life experience and open doors to discoveries and new interests. And the people who help you then will become trusted partners, friends, or colleagues.
The last book I read was...
Made in Abyss by Akihito Tsukushi. It is a manga (comic book), and the story is about a girl, a boy and a robot who explore the "Abyss", the only remaining unexplored cavern in the world. Despite the cute and innocent characters, the story also depicts the cruelty of nature and the darkness of the human heart. I love this manga because it has a good mix of the lighter side of fantasy and humour and the darker side of reality and suspense.
When I was little, manga was something that you could be scolded for reading too much. But, nowadays it is accepted by society as a respectable culture and is enjoyed by people of all ages, genders and races. I'm reading more mangas as I get older and have learned a lot from them.