ALONE

Do you like to be alone?

Definitely not. As I live alone in a studio apartment, I sometimes get lonely, so I take
every opportunity to have social interactions to avoid sitting at home alone. I would
consider myself a mixture between introvert and extrovert, but definitely leaning more
towards extrovert. Although I definitely appreciate my time alone, I certainly don’t
crave (have an an urge to do) anymore.
When was the last time you were alone?
Last night. I had come from a stressful day of work so I decided to stay in for the entire
evening with some Netflix and hot tea. Although I’m kind of a social butterfly (a social
person), I have come to enjoy nights in by myself from time to time. I think all of us need
that as a balance.
What do you like to do when you are alone?
As I’m a tea addict, that’s my number one activity to do alone. Furthermore, I enjoy
reading a book or a series on Netflix. I tend to get lost in (to become fully involved in)
those two activities. Moreover, I enjoy taking a walk alone around town and people
watching (observing strangers).
In what situations do people need to be alone?
Well, I believe there are so many occasions that people need to spend time on their
own. One is when people are overwhelmed interacting with different kinds of people,
most especially in formal situations. Some easily get drained emotionally or physically
socializing that right after the event finishes, they need to spend time alone regaining
their energy. Another instance would be, is when people need to make a life-changing
decision.
In order for them to come up with the best decision in their lives, they have to spend
time away from distraction contemplating. Well, the best example for that is whether or
not to change a career. These are just the two of the many instances that make people
want to spend their time on their own.
Do you think young people in your country have less time for themselves?
In my opinion, yes, young people are under pressure in school and at work that
spending time for themselves is near to impossible. Let me tell you the sad reality here
in Japan, most young workers including me have been pressured by the demanding jobs
that we do. We work more than the required hours and normally go home very late and
oftentimes miss having dinner with our family. Our time is mostly spent on our jobs
always. Yes, we Japanese are very diligent, and that is really commendable, however,
working so much all the time has taken a toll on us. Mental issues like depression
emerge and what is worse some commit suicide.

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On the other hand, students as well cannot get away with pressure, they have to study
really hard and when I say ‘hard’, they have to spend time studying from morning to late
at night even on weekends. This is for the ultimate goal of entering a reputable
university. It is like 90% of their time is spent on studying. Spending time for doing
personal things has become a luxury.
What kinds of jobs that can be done at home?
Well with the advent of technology, there are several jobs that people can enjoy doing
at home without tackling the hassles such as traffic, crowded trains or buses, waking up
early, and the like.
These jobs are all online-related like virtual assistant, home-based teaching, web
designers, writers, proofreaders, and online marketers. Thanks to technology as these
kinds of jobs are created. Those who want to work in the comfort of their homes can
surely work more effectively.
I believe there will be more jobs in the future that can be added to the long list of home-
based jobs and I see it favorably.

I’d like to stay alone for some period of time if I have to do something without
interruption. But if I have spare time, I would prefer stay with my friends to enjoy the
free time.
I really enjoy being alone in the weekend morning, reading some books and playing
computer games. During that time, I can do something I am interested in, and don’t
have to think about how to brace for the coming problems.
If I were to choose between the two, I will probably go with hanging out with my close
friends because you need to be sociable in the society and friendship really adds spice to
my life; whereas, you know, spending too much being alone is really boring and terrible.
The last time I stayed alone at home was when my wife went on business trip with my
child for several days, so I was living, eating, sleeping at home with myself. It’s quite
quiet so I can do something at ease.

To be honest, I’m an introvert type so most of my spare time is spent on my own.

Normally, I love spending my free time gardening. I’m lucky that I have a green thumb, I
can grow many different kinds of plants from crops to ornamental plants without any
difficulty.
I suppose I’ve inherited this interest or passion in planting from my dad. My dad is
actually a successful farmer in our hometown. Surprisingly, he owns 25 hectares of land

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where he grows a variety of crops. He’s just amazing for amassing a fortune from his
land even up to this day.
Anyway, I’ve been loving gardening since I was a child. I remember I planted
strawberries when I was only five years old in flower pots. I diligently took care of them
and after a couple of weeks, I was more than elated to see that they were bearing tiny
green strawberries. My effort really paid off after seeing them, that’s what I first
thought of. And what made me more thrilled was after two months, I harvested
lustrous red strawberries. It’s still vivid in my memory how delighted I was that a five-
year-old kid could reap irresistible strawberries. My parents were so proud of me. Since
then, I learned how to grow various kinds of plants.
These days, I’m living many miles away from my parents, I can’t deny the fact that there
are times that I feel homesick. Of course, they’re just one call away but sometimes it
doesn’t help much, so my best diversion is to take care of my vegetables and fruits in my
garden.
I have a not-so huge garden in my backyard, and everything I’ve got in there is solely for
personal consumption. However, if there’s a time that there’s just too many produce,
more often than not, I share them to my beloved neighbors.
Well gardening gives me inexplicable pleasure. It’s my way to relieve all the kinds of
stress that I have. Without gardening, I really don’t know how to cope with my stress
and homesickness.
What is the difference between living alone and living in a group?
I guess the first difference is more privacy when living alone. We don’t have to care
about what roommates think when we mess up the room or party all night. However,
life is more tedious and dreary when people do things alone. Living with friends enables
people to have fewer burdens on money and make life easier. Also, people can have
lifelong friends by living together. Those are the benefits that make living in a group
ideally
What are the benefits of living alone?
Well, for me, living alone allows people to enjoy their company to the fullest. They can
invite friends to come over and have fun without bothering anyone. Besides, people can
concentrate better when they live alone. Their roommates may throw a party and
whether they like it or not, they would be distracted by the noise so work would be
less productive. The last thing is living alone helps people handle daily lives as
independent people. They will find themselves in control of everything and be more
mature
What skills are needed to live alone?

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From my point of view, there are some basic skills needed to live alone. The first thing is
cooking. Many people don’t know how to cook and often have fast food. This isn’t only
harmful to their health but also consumes lots of money. Also, I recommend people
stay on top of bills because they may end up in debt without watching their money.
They should set money aside for emergencies too. Last but not least, learning to
balance schedule. It is important to learn how to do multiple things in a day. They need
to be flexible and willing to schedule time for activities, work, and social engagements.
What are problems when living separately?
I see the biggest problem is living separately isolates people. It creates space among
family members and may be the root of conflicts later on. Besides, safety is not
guaranteed and undesirable things like robbers can come up any time. People need
someone to side by side to protect and feel protected when they live alone.
When can people live separately?
In my opinion, people should only live separately once they are economically
independent. It shows that they are mature enough and can sustain their own lives.
Why do some people like living with small family?
I suppose living in a big family brings more tension and even fights amongst family
members. Besides, the more people live together, the less privacy they have. If they stay
with others all the time, there will be less time for them to enjoy their own company

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