There are two types of dreams, the kind we have when we sleep, and the kind that we aspire to have. The first kind is conjured up in our mind and isn't real. The second kind is conjured up in our minds and can become real. But by the time we reach them, they're no […]

Yesterday we were talking to our architect who had designed a path from our laundry through the kitchen then outside so that we could easily get the laundry out. He couldn’t quite fathom our proposed redesign of the kitchen because we took out that path, citing the lack of a clear path for laundry, saying […]

Here’s an interviewing technique I’ve seen used to great effect by Tim Ferriss, among others, that our more talkative friends should follow for the sanity of those around them. If you love to talk, that’s fine. But spare a thought for the people who don’t, who are tired of being suddenly thrust into the conversation, […]

Don't worry about the quality of the medium first, worry about the quality of the post. YouTube, blogs, Instagram, FB, whatever, if the content you are posting is good quality, it can and will do well. I've watched some horrendously filmed videos and thoroughly enjoyed them because the content was good quality, and I've also […]

When you live in another country, you start to understand different ways of life and different ways of thinking, and as a result, you can learn to understand the same issue from multiple perspectives. It’s quite interesting. It makes it easier to argue both sides of an argument if necessary, and it also makes your […]

I’ve been asked to give a presentation on NZ’s response to the coronavirus for Sakata City. The presentation will be in Japanese, so I thought I’d use this blog as a way of collecting my thoughts, before organizing them into a presentation. As such, I have collected a lot of notes, but I need to […]

The most technologically advanced place in the Japanese house is the toilet but besides the seat warmer, it’s not that useful. Besides the toilet, western homes are much more advanced, for example fridges that have an ice dispenser or in my sister’s case, a TV and internet connection. Google home etc. is slowly making an […]