Comments for wotBlog

Comment on Settled In. by M

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:28:42 +0000

Thanks for the comment, Johnny! I’ll be back from Japan around mid-June. We need to get together!

Good question: one would think you’d need to know the native language of a person you’re teaching to teach them another language. However in Japan, starting from junior high school, all students are required to take English grammar courses. They do a lot of reading and writing all the way through high school, but not much speaking. So all my students have been exposed to English at some level. Even the kids I teach have been exposed.. And the really young ones are young enough that it’s like learning what would be their native language.

But having been here for six months, I’ve definitely picked up some Japanese and I can communicate using the language. So that does come in handy in class.

Comment on Settled In. by John Victoria

John Victoria — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:02:27 +0000

Hey em,
These are some cool words. i like a it a lot. I feel the same way and i feel to totally happy that i was able to do a deployment here in afghanistan. Coming here and contributing here was something that i have always wanted to do. sometimes at night i stay awake in bed and just think about a lot of things. i think about my day, how i should have handled things different. sometime i think about you and other people. sometimes i stay awake and try to write them down in my book. i hope to turn them into songs later on down the road. its been pretty cool. ive learned how to speak italian and persian, and drive stick shift. one thing ive wondered…dont you have to speak japanese to teach a japanese person english???

hmmm…i hope to live in some different countries too. experimental living. i like it.. well see you in cali sometime. when do you get back? i get back in febish-marchish

Comment on Ah, Japan… by M

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:29:48 +0000

that is too true.

Comment on Ah, Japan… by Diane

Diane — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:09:08 +0000

A favorite Bill Bryson quote, on traveling:
“Suddenly you are five years old again. You can’t read anything, you have only the most rudimentary sense of how things work, you can’t even reliably cross a street without endangering your life. Your whole existence becomes a series of interesting guesses.”
Enjoy it :)

Comment on Things about Japan that Surprise me by M

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 14:06:11 +0000

you know, i thought i saw something ‘walmart’-esque while i was there….

Comment on Things about Japan that Surprise me by tokyo5

tokyo5 — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:19:03 +0000

Actually, Seiyu is partially owned by the U.S. company Walmart... So, although most of Seiyu's products are normal Japanese department store ware...it also has alot of merchandise imported from America. And the layout of the store is inspired by Walmart. So, Seiyu almost feels as foreign to me as it does to you...cuz I'm more used to "normal" Japanese stores. ;)

Comment on Differences by Found a link...

Found a link... — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:18:59 +0000

Given where I found the link to your blog… I am pretty sure I know which company you are working for in Japan. (Sorry, I know that sounds stalkery, but I promise it wasn’t meant to. :( ) Anyway, I’m similarly pretty sure I know which blog you’re talking about. I worked for that company at one point. I’m one of those horrible people they talk about that quit in the middle of a contract.

Yes, the person in the blog I am thinking of complains about some silly things but honestly – as with all eikaiwa… it depends ENTIRELY on your branch, and especially your manager. My manager was not so good, and therefore I hated my life. If your manager is good, you’ll have a good time. It’s not a bad company to work for, all told – but they put a lot of pressure on the managers and depending on how they handle effects how it hits you. Mine was not so good at it. Luck of the draw.

Anyway, this is totally longer than necessary – if you read this and aren’t totally afraid of me for wandering here feel free to email me and I’ll explain my route here, too.

Comment on Connectivity by roxanne

roxanne — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 05:56:37 +0000

hi. i’m stealing this game and utilizing it for my own personal pleasure.

i hope this is awkward.
your thoughts made me smile, just like ye olden days. and no, that doesn’t mean we’re old. i’m still shorter than you. and yes, you’re still capable of laughing far louder than i am :)

have a wonderful day!

Comment on Land of the Rising Sun by abstract conformity

abstract conformity — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 03:34:23 +0000

Rad news. The world holds so much depth, knowledge awaiting at each new experience. At the heart of that journey to collect these experieneces we must travel. Get on across the ocean that’s really cool to hear.

Comment on Connectivity by loretta

loretta — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 12:12:06 +0000

This is very interesting, Emily. Your observation and analysis is what sociologists commonly refer to as social capital which describes the strength and quality of one’s social network.