a bit About Me
Teacher. Writer. Student. Fighter.
Content Creator. Story Teller.
Seasoned Traveller.
Translator.
What you need to know about me
Whatsup? My name is Lay and I’m a Content Creator from Cape Town, South Africa.
I graduated from university in 2012 with a degree in Linguistics. Soon after that, I packed my bags and headed for Japan solo to teach English. My plan was to stay for one year, but I fell so deeply in love with the people, culture, food and language that I never felt the urge to leave.
Eventually, I made it back to the Motherland in 2020 to further my studies and venture into my newly discovered passion: writing.
Through my work, I hope to encourage more people to travel, learn another language, better manage their time, and never give up on their dreams.
Lay Yoshimoto-Matthews
how i came
to write
I had my ah-a moment in 2020, after finishing up my last teaching job in Japan. I was unemployed, locked down and a little bit lost. Teaching was all I had ever done…
Then, as I was clearing out my devices, I came across my memo’s folder. There were so many! Notes from ages ago that had started as one-liners, that turned into sentences, which became paragraphs… It was all still there, perfectly preserved.
The best part is that I could remember making every single one of them! I remembered when and where I was, who I was with and why I made the note. I knew then, that that was the beauty of writing… just like photographs – it reminds you of where you were, what you did, and how you got this far.
personal interests
Travelling
Personal Finance
Language Learning
Productivity
Mental Health
Time Management
Minimalism
Content
with
a cause
I started writing for one reason and one reason only: to educate. Even though I, personally, may not know it all, the hope is to create, coordinate, and facilitate platforms where like-minded people can help one another. When it comes to budgeting, self-care and travel, there is no way to know it all … and it’s never a sin to ask.
Did you also know that 93% of adults (myself included) don’t ask about these “adult” things – mainly because we are too embarrassed that we don’t know the answers yet … but we shouldn’t be!
I feel like the older we get, the more there is to learn and let’s face it: it’s so overwhelming. And it’s okay not to be okay with it all.
You are never alone.
fast facts
(about me)
Can’t go a day without …
Will never get sick of …
Terrified of …
Firmly believe in …
Don’t for a second believe in …
Particularly good at …
Not particularly good at …
When stressed, I …
Wouldn’t mind meeting …
I’ll never understand …
When I get ready, I …
My last meal on Earth would be …
My spirit animal is a …
Can never own enough …
Sad my kids won’t know …
Looking back, I probably shouldn’t have …
Recently recovered …
coffee.
How I Met Your Mother.
birds.
manifestation.
destiny.
learning languages.
directions.
clean.
Zac Efron.
pineapple on pizza.
choose sneakers first.
Spaghetti Bolognaise.
Lion.
stationery.
One Direction.
gone to Rand-a-Brand.
shopoholic.
Countries Visited
USA
Namibia
Botswana
Morocco
Thailand
Argentina
Brazil
Chile
Uruguay
Japan
South Korea
Taiwan
Laos
Myanmar (Burma)
Hong Kong
The Philippines
Cambodia
Vietnam
Sri-Lanka
Malaysia
Germany
Czech Republic
Slovakia
Slovenia
Italy
Spain
France
Belgium
The Netherlands
The UK (England)
The Maldives
Singapore
Mozambique
and counting…
Book Club
When I was a kid, I hated reading… but then again, most of us did. However, while living in Japan, somewhere between loneliness and a lack of English practice, I fell in love with words and the stories they could tell.
These days I stick to books about business, the psychology behind building good relationships and autobiographies of some of the greatest minds. Here are a few of my personal favourites:
INCIDENTAL INSPIRATION
6 WAYS TO STOP GETTING DISTRACTED
The High-Performance Podcast –
E30 – Matthew McConaughey: Looking for life’s green lights
about me , about me , about me , about me
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