Adventures of a Blonde Geisha

I met Michael when I was living in Japan- we have worked on lots of projects together, including voice acting for the classic video game, Shenmue. So I brought him on my podcast to talk about living & working in Tokyo, as well as the world of theater of improv....something he knows a lot about, as you will find out when you listen to the episode!

In this episode, I continue the Wilkerson Japan stories by getting my brother, Chris, on to talk about his fond memories of growing up a TCK.

The Blonde Geisha all started with this woman...my mother. So while I was making a trip to South Carolina to visit her, I decided to have her on my podcast to get her thoughts on living in Japan, working in Japan, and raising a family in Japan. So enjoy!

This weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to connect with some of the amazing alumni from Christian Academy in Japan (CAJ), the international school in Tokyo where I spent my high school years. Such food for the soul to be among people of all ages who understand the joy and pain of being a TCK. So I decided to sit down with two good friends of mine, Priscilla Knoble and Laurel Young, and get their TCK stories. Enjoy!

I first met Baraa when I was a guest at the first ever Saudi Arabia Comic Con in 2017. And since then he has become one of my favorite people in the world. Baraa is one of the most sought after bilingual (Arabic/English) event MCs. And I recently worked with him in Muscat, Oman so of course I took the opportunity to interview him about life, work, and crossing cultures through pop culture.

No, just because you speak some Japanese doesn't mean you are qualified to interpret...in this episode I talk about some of the interesting...sometimes amusing...sometimes frustrating things that I deal with all the time as an interpreter.

Darrel is one of my favorite people in the world. We first met at an anime convention  where we were both voice actor guests...we were both just starting to do conventions, so we instantly clicked. And when I get a chance to appear at an event with Darrel, I know it will be a great weekend:) 

Yep, it's the end of another year...time to reflect...be grateful...laugh at all the crazy.  Ain't That The Life!

I am in Atlanta right now with one of my favorite people, Eric Kelso. We have worked together on various voice acting projects, including Sega's Virtual Fighter (I am the voice of Sarah Bryant, and Eric plays the voice of  Sarah's brother, Jacky Bryant). We also worked together on Sega's Shenmue, which has one of the most amazing fan bases I have ever seen.Sonic & Sega Fan Jam 2022 is a Sega event produced by Patrick Gardner, and he's the one that brought us together here in Atlanta.So I was delighted that I could sit down with him and pick his brain a bit while we are here. You'll enjoy this...trust me! (a line from Sarah Bryant ;P)

Yep. I couldn't resist. I just love talking about Engrish!:)

What can I say...it's a thing. And off I go to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to sprinkle some of my Wilkerson Magic dust!

Ok, mini rant...in this episode I talk a bit about this new "work trend", and why it is kinda driving me crazy. 

These are a few of my favorite things....

What can I say... I live, eat, breathe, love music! This is one (of many to come!) tributes to music and how big of a part it has played in my life over the years.

You're probably thinking "HUH?!? What's translating got to do with ninjas??" In this episode I explain my "translating ninja" theory as well as talk about some of my experiences as an interpreter/translator. 

Wait...what??? Japanese don't eat sushi every day? Sigh...yes...in this episode I talk about some of the funny & interesting cultural misconceptions I have run into over the years. Brace yourself...

Summer in Japan was such a magical time for me as a kid...in this episode I talk about some of my favorite summer sights, sounds, and smells.

Now everyone that knows me knows how much I adore Prince and everything and anything having to do with his Purple highness. In this episode I get the wonderful opportunity to interview St. Paul Peterson, who was discovered by Prince at the age of 17. He also went on to front The Family, one of many side projects for Prince. You may know The Family from the song "Nothing Compares to U", which was later made popular by Sinead O'Connor. In this interview, I get to talk to St. Paul Peterson about how life working with Prince and many other incredible musicians, as well as his journey as an ambassador of the Minneapolis Sound. He also talks about his brand new album, "Break On Free".

Once upon a time in the streets of Tokyo a 5"10 blonde geisha met her match in a 5'10" raven haired beauty who was born in South Dakota and then lived most of her life in China...even though they had quite different backgrounds, they immediately connected and knew they would have a lifetime of fun and crazy expereriences.  And that continues to this day! Ladies and gentlemen...an interview with one of my favorite people in the world...Linda desu!!

This time of the year is full of commencement speeches and advice for all the wonderful graduates that are getting ready to conquer the world. And as I reflect on when I was getting ready to gradate from high school, I have been asking myself this question a lot...What advice would you give your younger self?