http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoFamDZkb-0

Above is a clip of Dave Chapelle’s stand-up talking about Asians (contains some swearing, probably NSFW.)
In it, he points out that Asians “have beef with other Asians,” and uses the example of mistaking a Korean person for a Chinese person. I have to say that this is an unfortunate truth in many cases, especially […]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDSGmx8c2AM

Hopefully this video will make up for my lack of posting lately–school is coming to an end and of course all papers are magically due at the same time.
Anyway, this is the Algorithm March, which is featured as part of children’s programming in the morning on Japanese TV.  Basically they show you how to […]

Charisma Man–click for full picture
Here is another reason to learn another language (specifically, Japanese): If you should ever want to stay in Japan, your language skills can get your a 5-year resident visa instead of just 3. The article mentions that it’s based on a “certain level of language proficiency,” which hopefully […]

I’ve seen these before (and dog cafes, too), but reading this article makes me want others to know about this bizarre and adorable service.
Cat cafes are establishments where you can go in, pay an hourly fee, and spend quality time with cats while relaxing. You basically have all the best parts of having a […]

Source: Japan Times
Things are starting to look up with new Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda’s plans to increase career opportunities for women.
The government is pledging with the program to increase women’s social participation in areas where they have yet to play significant roles, including medical services, public services and science.
Gender equality minister Yoko Kamikawa plans to […]

There’s a lot of noise regarding Hideki Matsui’s marriage, which is very atypical of most sports marriages in Japan. Normally a sports celebrity marries someone in the entertainment or news industry to increase PR–in other words, make them look good. The woman, an attractive TV personality, normally quits her job after she gets […]

Sweet Rain — see preview here
Does Japan need to think of audiences across the ocean when it comes to marketing films? According to this article from the Hollywood Reporter, Japan’s movie industry carries strength domestically but is starting to see a slight decline. U.S. film executive Bey Logan encourages Japanese filmmakers to think […]

The people who brought you the video on how to eat sushi also made one on how to use chopsticks.  Watch and learn!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKqlUJ_-asg

Photo from J. Sarmiento
I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. - Mark Twain
I find myself thinking this when studying here in Japan more than at the school back in the States. Especially after skipping a semester of Japanese, more than ever have I realize that your are your own teacher.
I love […]

Maybe this explains why I suck at Magic Eye
 According to an article from Wired, it does:
“As an adult, color categorization is influenced by linguistic categories. It differs as the language differs,” said Kay, who is renowned for his studies on the ways that different cultures classify colors. He cited recent research on the ability of […]