Not What I Had in Mind | 思っていたのと違う

A travel journal about adventures and love in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Israel

日本、韓国、台湾、イスラエルでの冒険と愛についての紀行文

Adventures in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan

Konnichiwa. I’m Kesem, a writer who lives in Japan.

After growing up lonely and misunderstood in Israel, I travelled to Asia for fourteen months. Delights, discoveries, and dangers exposed me to a whole new world – one where I felt comfortable enough to grow into a confident adventurer, and discover love.

February 2009 –
August 2011

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February –
May 2023

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May –
August 2023

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August 2023 –
January 2024

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January –
April 2024

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April –
June 2024

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July 2024 –
Present

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January 2023 –
Present


April 2024 update: I am rewriting all the posts to improve readability, trim boring sections, and add information from my private journal.

About Me: 10/10 done | Coming Out: 16/16 done | Japan, Round One: 17/43 done | South Korea: 3/29 done | Japan, Round Two: 5/48 done | Taiwan: 23/23 done | Israel: 8/8 done

Latest Posts


  • The Land of Organised Chaos | 組織的混沌の国

    The Land of Organised Chaos | 組織的混沌の国

    This year’s summer festival marathon, courtesy of Shikoku, has it all: rural breeze, reunions, cats, and atrocious night buses; my first time camping, snakes, dance parties, plus a tsunami and mega-quake panic; my favorite dish, and my favorite festival in Japan.

About Me


  • The Story of This Blog | このブログの物語

    The Story of This Blog | このブログの物語

    This is the story of an ambivert who feels abandoned by humankind. After growing up lonely and misunderstood in Israel, I travelled to Asia for fourteen months. Delights, discoveries, and dangers exposed me to a whole new world – one where I felt comfortable enough to grow into a confident adventurer, and discover love.

“Coming Out”

Israel (February 2009 – August 2011)


“Not What I Had in Mind”

Japan: Round One (February – May 2023)


  • Japan: Round One, Synopsis | 日本で一回目の梗概

    Japan: Round One, Synopsis | 日本で一回目の梗概

    A lifelong dream came true when I left the West for the first time and travelled to Japan. Delights, discoveries, and dangers exposed me to a whole new world – one where I felt comfortable enough to grow into a new person.

“New Heights, New Lows”

South Korea (May – August 2023)


  • South Korea, Synopsis | 한국、개요

    South Korea, Synopsis | 한국、개요

    My spontaneous (and reckless) adventures in Asian cities and nature continued in a new, unfriendly land. I couch-surfed, volunteered, and fell in love for the first time. By the end, I became an extrovert who felt abandoned by the human race.

“The Passenger”

Japan: Round Two (August 2023 – January 2024)


  • Japan: Round Two, Synopsis | 日本で二回目の梗概

    Japan: Round Two, Synopsis | 日本で二回目の梗概

    I returned to my favorite place on Earth for more festivals, more dangerous adventures, and one enlightening romance. My love-hate relationship with humanity reached a tipping point with betrayals and abandonments that made me forswear intimacy – until all the financial and emotional pain proved too memorable to reject.

“The Pain Applicant”

Taiwan (January – April 2024)


  • Taiwan, Synopsis | 臺灣、梗概

    Taiwan, Synopsis | 臺灣、梗概

    After a lifetime of abandonments and sexual oppression, the friendliest country in the world was a social and romantic revelation. My dangerous adventures and dating life peaked when I began to pursue pain in order to understand love. In the end, I finished my trip with my mission complete.

  • Zaijian | 再見

    Zaijian | 再見

    My last day in Taiwan sees me rushing to the emergency room and recreating my dizzying first night of partying in this country. I end my trip and dating life on a high note.

  • The Meaning of Love | 愛的意義

    The Meaning of Love | 愛的意義

    A powerful earthquake and romantic Jiufen shake me into understanding what all the fuss is about.

  • Tantalus’s Punishment | 坦塔羅斯的懲罰

    Tantalus’s Punishment | 坦塔羅斯的懲罰

    “I love you,” he said, but my trip was ending, and I was blue. Yehliu Geopark and duck blood offer refuge.

“The Ghost Writer”

Israel (April – July 2024)


  • Israel, Synopsis | ישראל, תקציר

    Israel, Synopsis | ישראל, תקציר

    I returned to my most hated place on Earth after the trip of a lifetime to war, arguments, and peer pressure. After sinking into loneliness and depression, I finally got over my unrequited love, grew close to my friends and family, and left Israel as a tougher, more appreciative person.

“A Resident of Japan”

Japan (July 2024 – Present)


  • The Land of Organised Chaos | 組織的混沌の国

    The Land of Organised Chaos | 組織的混沌の国

    This year’s summer festival marathon, courtesy of Shikoku, has it all: rural breeze, reunions, cats, and atrocious night buses; my first time camping, snakes, dance parties, plus a tsunami and mega-quake panic; my favorite dish, and my favorite festival in Japan.

Poems


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