OK. Everyone knows that quote by Woody Allen or whoever about showing up. You know, “70% of winning is showing up”. Well, Woody Allen, that daughter-dating scoundrel, lied to you. The truth is that “70% of winning is showing up” is a bunch of bull… …because, in fact, 100% OF WINNING IS SHOWING UP. I…
Mental Tools
I Meant To Do That
by khatzumoto
Early in my time at a stuck-up, British elementary school (we called it “preparatory school”, some people call it “primary school”, the name doesn’t matter), a Canadian kid called Sean (or was it “Shaun”?…freaking variant spellings) transferred into my class. This kid was hilarious! He knew all kinds of playground games from his school in…
There Was A Time When…
by khatzumoto
For all of my early life, Japan seemed as far away and exotic to me as it must now to you. There was a time when I balked as a TV narrator commented that “the Japanese alphabet has over 2000 letters” (on a show called “Japan Video Topics” in the late 1980s/early 1990s). There was…
Make the Process Fit the Person
by khatzumoto
I don’t know about you, but I’m always starting up plans and projects and schemes. There was “the 7 o’-clock bedtime” project (a good book by the way). The “liquid food only project” (would have worked, except for having to clean the stupid blender). And of course, the Japanese immersion project that led to me…
Inertia Can Be Your Friend
by khatzumoto
A while ago someone asked me whether I still maintained a Japanese environment and why…I told him that yes, I did. And that it was because I believe that while sucking ends, learning never does. Don’t I sound so deep and wise? HahaHaha. That reason may be partly true, but it may also be self-righteous…
Desires and Decisions
by khatzumoto
Just to start, let me say this. I love confessing other people’s sins. You know how it is — other people are just so messed up! Other people have so much crap for me to be angry at them for. And it’s so much easier than dealing with my own stuff. I could go on…