Hi there!
I’m Angela (aka curious ordinary) and I am a Japanese folklore, religion and culture enthusiast. Hanashi is a way for me to dive a little deeper into the things I’m passionate about and share my discoveries with you. My aim is to write semi-regularly about the things I am learning about. If you are curious about Japanese folklore, religion or culture, I welcome you to take the journey with me.
Why Hanashi? 話
In Japanese, hanashi has several translations which include talk, conversation, and a story. This brings together the essence of what I hope to do here. I enjoy talking about Japanese folklore, religion and culture, I want to create a space for conversation between fellow enthusiasts, and I hope to explore how the different threads of my interests can be woven together into their own story.
A little bit more about me
I’ve been sharing content online as Curious Ordinary for about seven years now and along the way it has become a huge part of who I am in the world, despite it remaining a passion project, rather than an occupation. I am a very private person, but I feel that now is the time to be a bit more open so I can have a greater connection with others who share my interests.
There are some things about me that I think it’s important to clarify. I am not Japanese, I don’t live in Japan, and despite my ongoing efforts I’m still only an absolute beginner when it comes to learning Japanese. I live in Australia but also lived in Scotland when I was in my 20s, which is rather a long time ago now. I’m a mum to both adult children and cats. Professionally I am an ex-teacher who mostly worked in the diversity space before training as a career counsellor. The thing that gets me out of bed each day is the possibility of learning something new.
While I am not an expert, I’m most definitely an enthusiast when it comes to traditional Japanese folklore, religion and culture and I have a relentless drive to learn as much as I can. For me, part of the joy of learning involves sharing what I discover with others, which is the motivation for Curious Ordinary and now this newsletter. I’d like to create a space here that is informative and also welcomes curiosity and fosters discussion.
Please subscribe for free to get the latest updates and to participate in the chat section where I hope to create a community of like-minded people.
