Long Time Expat In Japan
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
Book Review Saint Odd by Dean Koontz At the beginning of the year I reviewed a bunch of Odd Thomas books. I read a bunch of them back to back. It was kind of like binge watching your favorite show on Netflix. For TV, that can often be a lot of fun. Many shows now … Continue reading Book Review – Saint Odd
The first installment of my "Japan is weird, sort of" posts. As a reminder, these are things I used to find weird, but actually really like, now that I've lived here for 17 years. Bathrooms Twenty five years ago, I saw my first squat toilet. It was a big deal, even a traumatic experience. But … Continue reading Japan is Awesome – the bathroom
I've spent more of my adult life in Japan than in my home country. I came to that realization the other day. It shouldn't have been such a realization. Simply do the math. Assuming 18 as an adult, I've lived 31 years as such (that makes me 49 for the arithmetic challenged). I live in … Continue reading My “Japan is weird – sort of” Series
Book Review Annihilation: a Novel By Jeff VanderMeer The fantasy/mystery novel hooked me at the beginning, but failed to keep my interest the whole way through. I did read it all the way through, however. I've decided to stop reading mediocre writing anymore, so it passed that bar. A couple of things pulled me in; … Continue reading Book Review – Annihilation: a Novel
Amazingly, it's been a year since I started Japanese calligraphy. I started it because of my youngest. She was struggling with her kanji tests at school, and I saw it as a way to encourage her, and also a way we could spend our Saturday's together. About three months in, I decided to pursue it … Continue reading Shodo Anniversary
Image from wikipedia Book Review The Martian by Andy Weir The best novel I read in 2015. I should probably just stop there. Or maybe I've said too much. Personally, I suffer from post-hype depression. When a book, novel, movie, or game is over sold, I feel let down when it isn't a good as … Continue reading Book Review – The Martian
Netflix was in the news last month. The company announced that employees can take a year of maternity or paternity leave during the first year after having a child. Sounds great. Most people hear this and think, "what a great company to work for. They must really care for their employees, think of them as … Continue reading Championing Disaffection
B.S. Donovan 