Swimming with the Trout

Craig explains his experience of immigrating to one of the world's great wonders… Japan. Most people might expect a book like this to focus on futuristic infrastructure, ancient traditions, or the usual cliches associated with this amazing country. Craig does something completely different; he takes you on what can best be described as humorous case studies into the Japanese psyche, showing how a Western background can sometimes clash with a culture where the nail that sticks out gets hammered down, and why blending in is its own kind of logic. He perfectly encapsulates these little moments, transforming them into genuine life lessons about adapting and growing as a person. While Marcus Aurelius has his Meditations on Stoicism, Craig has his own memoirs of being a fish in a new body of water, learning to stop fighting the current and swim with the trout.

As an expat myself who lived in Japan I found myself nodding to everything and laughing at all the stories. Similar things happened to me. He captured that feeling of living in a strange land and not quite fitting in but you`ve changed too much to go home.