I don’t call something stupid because it is different from my own ideals or my own culture. I call something stupid when it defies logic, reason, and the basic notion of common sense.
Archive for the ‘Hokkaido’ Category
Naivete vs. stupidity: An Inakadelphia rant
June 10, 2010
Smelly fish Friday
May 21, 2010
I don’t mind processed tuna, but any kind of fish with the scales left on it makes my stomach turn. I’ve just never acquired a taste for fish… I don’t mind crustaceans and cephalopods, but fish is revolting. Well… In Japan, the giant island, fish is obviously a staple of the Japanese diet. And, thus, [...]
Convenience store booze bazaar
March 6, 2010
Back in the States, the availability of alcohol varies greatly. New Jersey has liquor stores, Pennsylvania has beer distributors, and New York has cases of beer at the convenience store. However, in the land of beer vending machines, alcohol is easier to come by than anywhere I have previously experienced. There are 3 major convenience [...]
Eye mod purikura
February 15, 2010
Headed to Sega for some Initial D 5th Stage and, of course, Valentines Day purikura. Purikura is the katakana-ized form of “picture club,” and involves taking photos in a large booth, followed by using electronic styluses to draw on and edit them. Purikura booths come in many varieties and can be found in just about [...]
My first zine piece: Musings on pot leaf pen cases
February 2, 2010
After being in Japan for six months, I finally buckled down and wrote something (other than a lesson plan or blog entry). HAJET (Hokkaido’s branch of JET) has a great e-zine, titled the Polestar, and the editor contacted me about contributing in light of my background as a (wannabe) journalist. It was easy to zone [...]
What’s in a name? The business behind Japanese product naming
January 27, 2010
“”If you can’t advertise a product, the name itself must be the advertisement. It has to have instant impact.”
A new record
January 19, 2010
The downtown thermometer hit a new low over the weekend… It has also been snowing quite consistently, as you can see. Hopefully hitting the slopes this Saturday.
Shibareru
December 16, 2009
Parallel universes
November 13, 2009
Even in my small Japanese town, random places and objects remind me of Philadelphia. Here are some things I spotted in Kitami that make it feel a bit more like home… Across the train tracks from my apartment lies the 北見しんきん (Bank of Kitami). It is the only modern architecture to be found among the drab and [...]
School lunch that I actually enjoy: Installment #1
November 12, 2009
I don’t eat fish. I don’t eat sashimi. I don’t eat sushi. There, I said it. I live in Japan and sushi makes me vomit. Get over it, people. This will begin a weekly (hopefully multi-weekly) installment of Japanese public school lunches that I not only tolerate, but actually really enjoy. Today’s fine piece of [...]
