Yesterday I was recording a radio show, Kiwi Radio with Yuka Kato, and Yuka told me this great analogy: There are four things that have a knack of rearing their ugly heads exactly when you forget about them: Earthquakes, fires, thunder and lightning, and the fourth one is my favourite: old men. Earthquakes and fires […]

Here in Shonai, people often stick to one lane when they drive, knowing that up ahead the lanes merge. This is fine, except sometimes they do it a bit too early and you get one very long line of cars in a two-lane street. Now, this is ok for me, because I just go in […]

You may have heard of the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby team. Even if you haven't, you've probably heard of something called sport. Well, the New Zealand All Blacks have the highest win percentage for any professional team in sport. 77%. That means they win more than three out of every four games. It […]

That rustling in the bushes? It might be a lion. That storm brewing? Get inside. Not have enough food for the winter? Get ready now. Lions and storms and lack of food were very real fears for our ancestors. These fears were the difference between life and death. Take this point to its logical conclusion, […]

Back in 2016, a friend and I ran an experimental cafe. Every other week, on the day that my chef friend had off, which was always a Monday, we would borrow our mutual friends' cafe and run a cafe for a day. I was in charge of making coffee and waiting on people. My friend […]

Don't go too slow. Always keep momentum. Look ahead to check you're travelling in the right direction. Don't stop suddenly. Slow your pace down gradually. You may not be moving straight, but as long as you're moving in the right direction, that's all that matters. You may come across some bumps. Go over them if […]

Does the phrase 'Every Situation Is Different' mean anything to you? This is the unofficial motto of the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme, and describes how wherever you go in the country, you will be in a different position to someone else on the programme. In my case, I was sent to Shonai town […]