Japanese hospitality in general is much better than in NZ, but the lack of human emotion can be painful at times. In NZ, people are less fake, meaning that you can usually tell straight away how they are feeling, whether they really want to be in their position, or whether they're just passing the motions. […]

In the corner of the table of any Japanese kitchen, more likely near a tv, you will find a pile of snacks. For someone who has grown up with them, they are a great lesson of self control. For someone who hasn't, they are a reminder that you need self control. For me especially, I […]

The aim to learn a language is not to learn a language. The aim to learn a language is to be able to use that language to get things done. This should be the core of language learning, not learning the language for the sake of learning it. Only learning a language for the sake […]

When someone close to you dies, it can be really hard. But it can also be a really good chance. Only those who have experienced this will truly appreciate it, but having someone close to you die is a reminder for you to live. Once it happens, a lot of the little things start to […]

In recent years I've taken on the Stoic philosophy espoused excellently in this book. It's safe to say that this book had an enormously positive impact on my life, as in the past few years I've been through a lot, today is actually exactly 3 years after my father died, but this book has allowed […]

The role of the education system should be to create people with the ability to share and enact upon their ideas. These two ideas encompass so much of education, the ability to share ideas means you are not afraid nor incapable of spreading them. The ability to enact upon them means again you are not […]

You step into the door of your local cafe and the whiff of freshly brewed coffee hits you as you hold up one finger to indicate you're there for a cup of the brown stuff on your lonesome. The stern eyes of the grumpy old man look at you on an otherwise expressionless face, and […]