On Doing Mass Radio Calisthenics in Japan

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Everyone in Japan knows how to do Radio Taiso. Continue reading

Posted in Tradition, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment

On Inventing Yourself in Japan

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Living in Japan is living in a thought experiment. Continue reading

Posted in Culture Shock, Homesickness | 11 Comments

On the Salesmen of Sri Lanka

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The first guy approached me while I was standing outside of a train station in Colombo, staring at the wood-and-paint schedule board full of clock faces the attendants adjusted by hand. Continue reading

Posted in Travel, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

On Eating School Lunch in Japan, Part 2

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Yesterday, we looked at the history of middle-school lunches in Japan. For some reason, we’re doing it again today; only this time with a focus on what lunch is like in the modern day.

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Posted in Food, Teaching | 7 Comments

On Eating School Lunch in Japan, Part 1

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Eating lunch at a Junior High School in America was my first confrontation with the absurdity of my situation as a student.

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Posted in Food, Teaching | 4 Comments

On Awkward Acts of Generosity in Japan

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It should have been a yes or no question. Continue reading

Posted in Culture Shock | 25 Comments