Jon and Jocelyn Donlon

HERE: Jocelyn was an LSU English instructor, Jon an assistant professor in human resources at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette.

THERE: Instructors at Tokai University in Hadano, Japan

Why did you leave Baton Rouge?

Jon accepted a two-year position in Japan. We left in April, so we’ve only been in Japan for (10) months.

What do you miss?

We miss our friends, our family, the language, the sense of community we had living in Spanish Town. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a sense of community in Japan, but it’s just different. I guess it’s the flamboyance of Spanish Town we miss. Japan is very restricted.

What don’t you miss?

The stench of Exxon from my front porch. Definitely the summer heat and conservative politics of Louisiana. And, we don’t miss LSU football.

What does Japan have that Baton Rouge doesn’t?

A trip to the grocery store can be very disheartening. There’s a lot of ugly fish products that sometimes we’re not too sure about.

What’s essential when you come back?

Po-boys and gumbo. If crawfish is in season we have to have crawfish étouffée. We also go to a lot of the ethnic restaurants like Albasha, Thai Kitchen and India’s. You can’t get that over there.