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- My Very Brief Fight with a Yakuza
- August 29th, 2012Category: Culture
- This is the story I don’t want to tell, about my fight with a Japanese gangster, because it’s so horrible. But I’ve held onto it too long already, so I’ll just lay it out. The night started out pretty much like every other, drinking with some random Japanese ... » Continue Reading
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- Seven Things all Japanese just Gotta Say
- August 10th, 2012Category: Culture
- It was my very first week in Japan, and already I knew something funny was going on. I guess I’m a little astute like that. I had this epiphany on the second floor of a small cafe in Azabu-juban, which is a rather upscale part of Tokyo, as I was having tea w ... » Continue Reading
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- Japan, Happiest Place on Earth
- July 25th, 2012Category: Culture
- Well, I visited a Japanese elementary school this week and had lunch with the kids, which was some kind of sparrow egg stew or something. It didn’t really agree with me, probably because I don’t like stew that much. Of course, thinking about the main ingredien ... » Continue Reading
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- One Very Small Japanese Motorcycle
- July 9th, 2012Category: Culture
- Why is everything in Japan is so freaking small? I really don’t get it. Like, they say Japanese people are short, but they’re really not. Sure, there’s some grannies who could pass as Seven Dwarf number eight, but there’s also plenty of folks around my height, and I’ ... » Continue Reading
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- My Japanese AIDS Test
- June 6th, 2012Category: Culture
- I went to see my Japanese doctor last week, because I decided I had AIDS. This happens to me all the time, so it’s really no big deal. The problem is that I recently moved, so now going to talk to the man in the white coat means I have to ride the train fo ... » Continue Reading
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- Getting a Japanese Scooter License
- May 23rd, 2012Category: Culture
- So I finally got a Japanese driver’s license, which anyone who lives here for more than six months should really get. Well, okay, so I got a scooter license. Contrary to popular belief, this does not automatically make me gay. Astride my Japanese moped, I’m easily ... » Continue Reading
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- The Grammar-Translation Method: Really all that Bad?
- May 15th, 2012Category: Uncategorized
- When it comes to teaching languages, the grammar-translation method has become the child nobody loves or wants to acknowledge. But is it really hell on toast? No, it ain’t . There, I said it. Leave it to Seeroi to be the one to defend something he doesn’t even l ... » Continue Reading
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- The Best Way to Learn Japanese
- May 9th, 2012Category: Uncategorized
- What’s the best way to learn Japanese? After pouring years, beers, and tears into the question (pretty much in that order), I finally have an answer. Man, it has been one long decade. They say the best things in life should be savored. I got that from an inst ... » Continue Reading
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- Why are Japanese so Bad at English?
- May 2nd, 2012Category: Uncategorized
- Everyone knows Japanese people aren’t exactly Masters of the Universe when it comes to speaking English, despite receiving six years of English education. Six years? Are you kidding? You could build yourself a Great Pyramid in less time. I’m pretty sure. Just ch ... » Continue Reading
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- The 3 Phases of Learning Kanji
- April 25th, 2012Category: Uncategorized
- So you’ve set out to master Japanese and decided to learn kanji. Well, before you march further into the ranks of people who have devoted their lives to learning this arcane form of communication, it might help to step back and take an overview of the entire pro ... » Continue Reading