@EmiBlackinJapan

EmiBlackinJapan
Hello world. Not sure what this is about, but I’m on Twitter. Can’t say much in 140 characters. That’s OK. I don’t have much to say.
23 days ago

EmiBlackinJapan
Mom would freak if she knew I was writing like this. I mean I couldn’t even tell my friends I was leaving. We just packed up.
3 days ago

EmiBlackinJapan
She said Dad dumped us. That he was a bad man, he didn’t care about us. Maybe he doesn’t know where I am?
3 days ago

EmiBlackinJapan
I’m not supposed to mention my Dad EVER. I mean, it’s like he doesn’t exist. We’re not allowed to speak English at home.
3 days ago

EmiBlackinJapan
The teachers told me my Japanese was defective and that was because learning English was confusing my brain.
3 days ago

Satoshi8959
@EmiBlackinJapan You will never learn Japanese if your brain is English! You will be nothing in both languages.
3 days ago

EmiBlackinJapan
@Satoshi8959 The teachers asked a government inspector in. He tested my kanji. He said my brain was not Japanese, so I had to work twice as hard to speak Japanese.
3 days ago

EmiBlackinJapan
But if I forget English, what would I say to Dad?
3 days ago

EmiBlackinJapan
Do you miss me Dad? Will you come and find me out here? If I lose my English, will you still love me?
3 days ago

EmiBlackinJapan
The only chance I had to speak English was with Luc-sensei. But I don’t even think he speaks English. He’s French-Comedian.
2 days ago

EmiBlackinJapan
I don’t want to talk about HIM.
2 days ago

k_takahashi3
@EmiBlackinJapan Please! I’m interested!
2 days ago

EmiBlackinJapan
@k_takahashi3 OK, but Mom found out about me and Luc. That’s when we had to move again. Now I live with my grandparents, but I can’t say where.
2 days ago

EmiBlackinJapan
We had to take an overnight bus from Tokyo. It’s a pretty big city I guess.
2 days ago

EmiBlackinJapan
They keep going on about their fresh fish, but I just want a good pizza. Is that wrong of me? I like all Japanese food though.
2 days ago

k_takahashi3
@EmiBlackinJapan All Japanese food? Even natto?
2 days ago

EmiBlackinJapan
@k_takahashi3 Natto is not food.
2 days ago

k_takahashi3
@EmiBlackinJapan Yes, fermented soy bean is not easy for foreigners!
2 days ago

k_nakanisha3
@EmiBlackinJapan And in Japan we have four seasons. Nature is very important to Japanese.
2 days ago

EmiBlackinJapan
@k_takahashi3 We have four seasons in America too. And we like nature too.
2 days ago

k_takahashi3
@EmiBlackinJapan Ha! You are very funny Emi.
2 days ago

EmiBlackinJapan
I’m the only American in this city. I want to go home.
1 day ago

EmiBlackinJapan
But I have to go to juku for two hours after school. Every Friday. I do math and Japanese. To catch up. It sucks.
18 hours ago

EmiBlackinJapan
I asked Mom if I could do English at juku and she was like YOU DON’T NEED TO! THIS IS JAPAN. But everyone wants to talk here. Sucks.
18 hours ago

EmiBlackinJapan
I like walking on the beach here, and you can walk to school here because it’s so safe. But I know Grandma follows me to the gates. I’m 14! Embarrassing!
18 hours ago

EmiBlackinJapan
I can talk to store clerks and my teachers in Japanese.
16 hours ago

EmiBlackinJapan
Now when I speak to people in Japanese they say: Jouzu! Excellent!
16 hours ago

NihonJim
@EmiBlackinJapan They only say that to people who can’t speak Japanese. When you actually can speak, you never hear it again. Just saying.
16 hours ago

EmiBlackinJapan
I hate moving schools. When I started in January, everybody kept telling me: Speak English! Speak English!
12 hours ago

EmiBlackinJapan
Now I’ve moved 200 miles away, they say, “Look, it’s a movie star!” I guess that’s an improvement. But sometimes I just want to be Emi.
12 hours ago

EmiBlackinJapan
But you know what? Everybody notices me here. In America nobody did—I was just Emi. I was Japanese-American. But everybody said Korean.
11 hours ago

EmiBlackinJapan
But in Japan, I’m American. Everybody tells me.
11 hours ago

Chosenname (retweeted by NihonJim)
People see differences first. Similarities are last. It’s human nature, sadly.
11 hours ago

EmiBlackinJapan
I don’t know what I am, but I know what I’m not. I’m not Japanese.
11 hours ago

EmiBlackinJapan
My teacher calls me Blackmore. Everyone else is called by their first names, but not me.
4 hours ago

k_takahashi3
@EmiBlackinJapan That’s because it’s very confusing. Middle names? First names? Last names?
4 hours ago

k_takahashi3
@EmiBlackinJapan In Japan we have a saying… the nail that sticks out gets hammered down. Have you ever heard that before?
4 hours ago

EmiBlackJapan
Where are you Dad? I miss you.
33 minutes ago

EmiBlackinJapan
She says Dad really hates the Japanese. I don’t know what she means. But then she gets mad. So I drop it.
25 minutes ago

EmiBlackinJapan
And now we don’t ever speak English. It’s like your dirty shoes or something. Got to take them off before you get in the house.
20 minutes ago

EmiBlackinJapan
Where are you dad? Wish you were on Twitter.
1 minute ago

***

Start the novel from Chapter 1 here or use the next/previous arrow keys to flip through the book.

That was a chapter of Half Life: A Hana Walker Mystery. I’m publishing a chapter a day in sequence on this blog to promote the book. You can buy HALF LIFE as a paperback from Create Space here or as a Kindle download from any Amazon site including links to the book here at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.co.jp.

The sequel, Prime Life, is coming out in the New Year.