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Biography
I was born in northern Japan to typical Japanese parents, and grew up on a promontory overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
I started to read Japanese at age 3 and, at age 10, I declared I was going to be a novelist when I grew up.
I started to learn English in Grade 7---the normal age for Japanese children back then.
I was so fascinated by my discovery that there were more ways than one in which I could
express myself, that by the end of the year I had finished reading the Grade 8 textbook
as well. This dubious achievement led my Grade 8 English teacher to give me an extra
assignment for the summer break-to translate a small story book. I did not imagine at
the time that this laid the very first brick in my Yellow Brick Road.
Before I was transplanted to Canada, I worked for a shipping agency, and then for a
Swedish company as a manager of its small local sales office selling steel products.
English has been my primary language for the last 20-plus years in Canada. During this
time I worked at several jobs, all of which required the ability to speak and write
Japanese.
I took several part-time college courses on and off in search of a career path-criminology,
business management, computer, and interpreting. Finally I was drafted into what turned
out to be my calling-translation-by my teacher in a court interpreting program.
I love to read encyclopedias and dictionaries, or perhaps anything printed and bound.
I am interested in science in general, as well as in Greek, Celtic and Japanese mythology.
I am an avid fan of New York Times Sunday crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, and
classical music. I have re-kindled my childhood passion for storytelling, and enjoy
writing short stories.
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