My Life as a Gaijin and Kimono Reincarnate are two different blogs written by Melanie Gray Augustin. The former centers around the experiences of an Australian native living and teaching English in a foreign land, while the latter offers a taste of her artistic interests and entrepreneurial efforts selling creations made from kimono fabric. Having first moved to Japan in 1999, Melanie returned to Australia after living in Japan for three years. "The whole four years living back in Australia, I pined for Japan, and wanted to come back again," she wrote in an e-mail interview. Returning in 2006 with her husband, she began blogging My Life as a Gaijin and Kimono Reincarnate. Recently, Melanie took some time to share with us her appreciation for Japanese design, how to incorporate a blog into e-commerce, and her love of shoes.
What was your inspiration to start blogging?
I started two blogs at the same time, both for different reasons.