If only. If only you’d started three years ago. If you’d learned just 5 kanji a day starting three years ago, you’d know 5000 kanji by now. You know what, though? That’s not your problem. What you did(n’t do) three years ago is not what’s wrong with you. What you’re doing right now is what’s…
It’s Easy
by khatzumoto
If you tell yourself it’s easy, you’ll find (a way to make) it easy. If you tell yourself otherwise, that’s also what you’re likely to get. As motivational speaker Les Brown is fond of saying: “Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee”. Self-fulfilling prophecy. It is what you say…
Where Did All the Poetry Go?
by khatzumoto
Recently, I sat back and wondered: Human beings have been creating and reciting poems since before writing even existed. Poetry used to be the default form of both oral and written literature; most of the ancient stories were actually just really long “epic” poems. Back in middle school, they rammed poetry down our throats like…
Entropy: Fight the Power
by khatzumoto
This entry is part 9 of 17 in the series The Art of War of LearningYou are always moving. You never stand still. You’re always either getting better or worse. Even “staying the same” requires input. You’re always either going uphill or downhill. Forward or backward. Progressing or regressing. Entropy wants to take your Japanese…
How to Make Your L2 Writing Not Suck
by khatzumoto
So, I’ve done professional translation work on and off for about ten years now. It’s all been technical or geeky in one way or another, whether software, video games, physics textbooks (I know, right?!), medical instructions, legal/patent stuff, geeky TV show subtitles or comic books. FYI, in case you didn’t already know, translation is where…
Don’t Do What You Should Do: The Case Against Obligation
by khatzumoto
“Un héros, c’est celui qui fait ce qu’il peut. Les autres ne le font pas.” Romain Rolland Don’t do what you should do, do what you can do. You’ll be eternally shocked and consistently surprised by how much more success doing the latter will bring you than doing the former. Most ironically of all, doing…