There’s one part of culture in Japan that is the exact opposite in New Zealand that was highlighted yesterday when I took my car in for a WOF (warrant of fitness). We all have an image of Japanese cars as being safe and reliable, and able to run for years, right? In New Zealand, at …

100,000km or 10 years Read More »

So I caved in. The little stamp on my concession card said I hadn’t been to the pool since January 23. I hadn’t gone because the pool is full (in NZ English those two words rhyme) of elderly people and I didn’t want to risk passing anything on to them (I’m not sick, don’t worry). …

Back in action Read More »

I figured out why I haven’t been writing as much or doing as much in the mornings. It’s fatigue. I have a new found respect for people who have to get up early everyday and go to work. I’ve been doing that for the past month or so and it’s taking its toll. I guess …

Fatigue taking its toll Read More »

TLDR: watch things in your native tongue with subtitles in the target language So here’s a trick I picked up with a bit of luck. I did my undergrad at a university that was half Japanese students, half everyone else (it’s a good uni called IPU in Palmerston North), and I had a few Japanese …

My trick for learning vocabulary in a second language Read More »

I think it’s worthwhile putting your thoughts into words and sending them out into the world at regular intervals. For the past year and a half, every day I have been writing this blog. People seem to be reading it, and I’m extremely grateful for that, but at the moment I’m more focused on exploring …

Finding your voice Read More »

Following the footsteps of those in front of you is a great way to do things safely and all but guarantee a safe finish, but it’s no way to win a race that’s never been run before. The only way to win a race that’s never been run before is to forge your own path. …

Races that have never been run before Read More »

I was searching for a cafe yesterday on Google and I came across an article for a cafe that I had made about a year and a half ago and had forgotten about. Actually, it was a test page for expanding my blog beyond the scope of these random posts, and an attempt at providing …

Finding an old post Read More »