Geri o Shimasu: Adventures of a Baka Gaijin chronicles the experiences of the author, Alia Luria, an American law student, during her time living in Tokyo in 2008. Luria shared some challenges she faced during the time of her stay in the city, ranging from cultural norms to adaptations, as well as the fun times and new experiences she had. Luria spent more time immersed in Japanese society and provided insights into various cultural elements, including the Shinto fertility festival Kanamara Matsuri, the prevalence of "Engrish" throughout the country, their social interaction, and more. The book also touches on the author's romantic relationship.

Alia Luria's writing is engaging and vivid so that I could almost see the sights, the sounds, and the cultural contrasts that she discussed. The book is written in such a way that, in the first-person narration, the author describes her day-to-day life, while there are "Ainote" sections throughout the book in poetic interludes or narrative asides. Luria does an excellent job of providing relevant cultural and historical context without interrupting the narrative flow. One of the things I loved was that Luria wasn't afraid to reveal her assumptions and biases in this book; the way she showed the differences between American and Japanese cultural norms was nice to read and inspiring. Geri o Shimasu would be a great read for anyone interested in travelogues and cross-cultural experiences.

The subtitle of Alia Luria’s book Gerio o Shimasu is Adventures of a Baka Gaijin which translates to 'stupid foreigner' in Japanese. Her collection of short essays on her stay in Japan in 2018 covers a wide variety of topics, interspersed with her haiku poems and pen and ink drawings from photographs. As a law student, the author was there to study, and she had already learned some of the language; however, there was still much more. Away from her home in America and in a different time zone, the experience was a whole new world. Luria shares with us the mistakes she made, the times she amazed or upset the local Japanese, and the places of interest she visited. She slowly learned how different Japanese culture is from the American way of life. Simple things like talking too loudly on the subway, etiquette in eating and what was on offer to eat, living arrangements, and descriptions of the furniture, buildings, and apparel. She explains problems with pronunciation, and that there is no ‘l’ in the Japanese language. There are no punches pulled in this book; it is raw and honest, from very personal accidents to views on transgender issues and observations on life and introspection.

As I was reading Gerio o Shimasu: Adventures of a Baka Gaijin, Alia Luria took me back to my own days in Japan. Over a decade further on, I could see that many things have changed, but much remains the same. I loved comparing her experiences to familiar sights and the charming and hospitable local people. I could relate to her descriptions of customs and places, and the poems and line drawings at the end of each chapter add an extra dimension to the book. It is a fascinating read, a first-hand experience of a world unfamiliar to many, and for this reason alone I would recommend it. I also applaud her honesty in discussing delicate topics and sharing her life and personal growth which begins as she rediscovers herself in a new and very foreign environment.