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Umbrellas
Umbrellas are the must-have accessory in the rainy season. Just as long as you don’t take them out in the rain and ruin them.
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A Cutting Remark
A slip of the tongue in Japanese class nearly implies a slip of the knife.
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Speed Demon
I got my bike fixed today. Now I remember how much I hate pedestrians…
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Cyclists, Bloody Cyclists
Cyclists are annoying, and in Japan they are legally obliged to use the pavement, not the road.
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Identity Theft
Your signature is no good here. No, we demand you use a rubber stamp to prove your identity!
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Instant Karma
My bike’s got a flat tyre. Now that is instant karma at work. Damn.
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Breakin’ The Law
Having parked my bike illegally, it gets impounded, but without a penalty.
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Suspicious Minds
“A suspect is someone who is innocent until proven guilty”. “Why were they arrested then?” “…”
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Adverts
Adverts in Japan are weird. This one is more normal than most.
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The Name Game
Try explaining how to spell your name to someone where there aren’t just 26 options for each character, but 20,000.
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Howard’s End
Dinner at an Italian restaurant, which was about as Italian as I am, but still tasty.
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Recovery
A good old bender, Japanese style, which means staying in one place and having the beer come to you.
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Watashi No Tanjobi Desu!
My 23rd birthday, celebrated at work 🙂
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The Death Penalty
Suicide is already unpleasant enough, but apparently in Japan, the remaining family is also liable for cleanup costs.
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The Sanyo Ark
The Sanyo Ark is a sculpture outside a factory in Gifu. It sounds like a lovely idea, but it’s also a (not so) subtle message to its employees each morning.
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Nicknames
Nicknames are endearing, right?
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At Long Last
Having sourced some Internets, I can get back on with writing.
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Samba De Amigo
A super cheap arcade and pool room makes me very happy.
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Frido!
Boys night out, starting with deep fried food, and culminating inevitably, in karaoke.
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Steamy Windows
My first taste of the infamous Japanese humidity. With steam rising from the ground, the world seems ethereal.
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New Wheels
An angry red letter explains why I still don’t have internet access, and a new purchase makes me more mobile.
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100 Kanji
A minor but satisfying milestone on the way to Japanese illiteracy.
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Beef And Life
The Kanji (ideogram) for Draft beer is the same as the Kanji for growth, birth or life. Steve, you were right; Beer is life!
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The Naked Truth
Nakedness is a no-no in Japan, except when it’s of a schoolgirl in a cartoon.
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Women’s Lib
Pro-tip. There isn’t any.
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Milk Bottle
A new title to add to the collection – “The Whitest Person I’ve Ever Seen”
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Mormons
I was approached by Mormons today. This was one of my less frustrating interactions with a church.
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What’s In A Name?
I was given a cool, if slightly feminine Kanji name today. Now I just need to remember how to write it!
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Japanniversary
Proving just how easy it is to adapt to foreign cultures, a top 10 list of things that would have been crazy only 1 month ago.
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Confrontation
The Japanese approach confrontation in an interesting way. Usually by avoiding it entirely.
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Cable
On the magical appearance of cable tv in our home, courtesy of Warren.
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Media Blackout
Japanese news, perhaps unsurprisingly, is very ethnocentric. I’m left wondering if English news is the same.
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Japlish
Engrish is a loveable quirk here in Japan. I’ve already seen quite a few examples of English gone wrong.
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Bowing
On bowing, which is to say bending at the hips. Nothing to do with violins, ties or boats.
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Warren
My new roommate Warren arrived yesterday. Just don’t call him Brazillian.
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Mascots
Branding a business is important, but in Japan the key to a good brand is apparently a camp soft pink bird-rabbit thingy.
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Cherry Blossom
The blooming of Cherry blossom trees is a great excuse to get drunk and have a party.
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Over Training
Finished training. Went into Nagoya. Drinking and karaoke till 7:30am. Sleep needed.
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Feet Of Clay
A leaving party for my roommate for the briefest of times, Clay.
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Training Day
Teaching English is scary, even when you can speak English and the students can’t.
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Arrival
My arrival in Japan, March 2004.
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Gifu
Nova have finally told me where I will be living in Japan.
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Boong-Ga Boong-Ga
In which I discover the strangest video game I have ever seen.
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First Post
Every blog needs a first post, and this one is mine.
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Howdy!
Technology and travel stories from a global roaming, kangaroo loving, sake drinking gaijin pom.
Check out my projects and my resume, take a look at some code on Github and feel free to contact me.