Sushi Daze

Lori A. Dunn is an ESL teacher and an event coordinator, with a
background in linguistics and education in Okanagan, B.C.

Sushi Daze is a comedic romp through the life of Jamie, a cynical
troublemaker on a quest for something real in his life. In the course of
his search, he catches the English teaching wave to Japan and finds
himself washed up on the shores in the world of “Hello Kitty” and
“Pokari Sweat” sport drinks. What follows are his misadventures and
those of his fellow gaijin teachers, as they find themselves in the
“urban crush” of Japan. Jamie’s roommates, co-workers, and love
interests are a delightful mix of peculiarities, all with their own
reasons for being away from the West.

Anyone who has had the fish-out-of-water experience of living in Asia
will recognize the difficulties that the author of this amusing novel
inflicts on his main character. That said, Sushi Daze lacks an
understanding of the things that Westerners and the Japanese have in
common. One hopes that the next generation of novels about young
Westerners in Asia will speak to these similarities.