Kinoko is one of my ESL students and the author of I Have Two Partners: Living the Polyamorous Life, a ground-breaking book in Japanese about polyamory, as well as the organizer of Poly Lounge, a series of events for polyamorous and questioning people and allies.
We publish archived videos of our lessons as a podcast. Today, our conversation covered the following topics:
* Changing hair color with products like color shampoo and treatment, and reminiscing about having vivid hair colors in the past.
* The social perceptions of having unconventional hair, particularly how it can be viewed differently based on age, gender presentation, and cultural environment (such as in Japan versus abroad).
* Navigating middle age, including feelings of being “on the verge” of aging, the balance between holding onto youth and accepting the aging process smoothly.
* Physical challenges and new activities, such as pole dancing and fire performance (including fire eating), and the bruises that come with practice.
* The concept of introversion versus extroversion, with one speaker identifying as a talkative introvert who needs alone time to recharge, while the other identifies as more outgoing and energized by social activities and new experiences.
* Learning new vocabulary, including the words “verge,” “click” (as in forming a connection), “allocate,” and the difference between “introvert” and “extrovert.”
* Running a restaurant business, managing multiple roles (server, bartender, problem-solver), and the goal of allocating tasks to new hires to balance the workload.
Connect with Kinoko-san
* Kinoko-san’s X: https://x.com/kinoko1027
* Kinoko-san’s blog: https://ameblo.jp/kinoko1027ameba/
* Her book: https://amzn.asia/d/0gusbsvA
* Her interview: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/ad17531bef6f9307a429f45f450a9fb2817f8196
