Long Time Expat In Japan
The word "semiconductor" changed my life, but it has nothing to do with computer chips, the Internet, or cat videos. It's just me. This blog is a little long and very navel gazey. Forewarned. I got a real kick outta learning languages back in the day. I'm feeling like I lost that a bit, which … Continue reading On How the Word “Semiconductor” Changed My Life – and not in the way you think
China has the badass-iest computer in the world. Had the spot in 2010, lost it for a couple of years, and got it back in 2013. Now, in 2016 they took the number one spot again with the TaihuLight. That makes people nervous. I'm not sure why. Technology is a wonderful thing. We use technology … Continue reading ChauJi DianNao (Chinese for Supercomputer)
I dropped my iPhone the other day. It just fell from about waist height, and it has a case and screen protector. But the fates saw to it that it hit a protruding rock and shattered the screen. It worked, barely, but there was a lot of broken glass. Just moments ago, I took it … Continue reading Un-Plugged
Leveled up in kana and kanji, both. Still giving the pen a break. Below is the kana that the powers that be liked. Lots of pre-hiragana, semi-kanji letters. Now 4-kyu, which means I ranked up 6 times. I need about 7 more to reach a dan. Here is my kanji that leveled up. It's … Continue reading More leveling up
Went away last weekend to Nagano with the fam. I asked them where they'd like to go if they had a weekend and this is what they picked. They picked it because of a TV show, Taiga Drama. It is a period drama, usually with lots of swords, horses, armor, and the like. This one … Continue reading Nagano
Fuji. Never climbed the mountain, only looked at it from afar. Feels wrong, having spent 20 years or so in the country. But I do get nearby for work. So I took a detour on the way back home last time. Took a couple of pics from a lake in Yamanashi. It wasn't the perfect … Continue reading Mount Fuji
I love my sensei. She's a peach, really. She also doesn't pull punches. Been plugging away. Ranked up in kana a bunch of times, kanji a little less. But my pen writing just hasn't budged. Last month sensei likened my pen writing to that of stroke victims she knows. I think it is time to take … Continue reading Break Time
Last month, I submitted some hiragana that was in a really old style, more like really cursive kanji. It was a lot of fun because you can kind of see where modern hiragana comes from. To be honest, half the time I didn't know what I was writing. I just copied what I saw. Still, … Continue reading Hiragana
Japan's relationship with nature is weird, and beautiful. You can't put it succinctly. There's too much history. In many ways, it is much more evolved than in the states. There aren't many Japanese politicians that disbelieve in climate change. Part of the attitude in Japan must come from the intense urbanization of the country. Some … Continue reading Japan is Awesome – Nature
I recently read The Reason I Jump, by Naoki Higashida, translated into English by David Mitchell and KA Yoshida. This is not typical reading for me, but there are more than just a few reasons for me to pick this up. I don't read many Japanese books, even translated in English. Surprising, considering I live … Continue reading A Boy’s Voice from the Silence of Autism
B.S. Donovan 