You'd be surprised what you can learn as an English teacher. When teaching, especially one-to-one (or man-tsu-man as it is called in Japanese, even when your student is a woman) your role becomes less of a lecturer bestowing wisdom from on high, and more of a co-conspirator, a sort of cross-between a catholic priest and psychiatrist, there to offer advice (and correct verb endings) in exchange for a glimpse into another life. Here's just a sample of what I have learnt between the syntax:
- It is considered rude for women to wear strong perfume while at a sushi restaurant, as others will be unable to appreciate the taste of their food.
- Most kids want a Nintendo DS (cheap portable computer game with extortionately expensive software) for Christmas.
- While others dream of becoming doctors or lawyers, one bright boy said he wants to be a "freeter" when he grows up (a temp worker, not tied to one company for life).
- Japanese are apathetic or cynical about politics because "the bureaucrats run everything anyway".
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4 comments:
I'm with the bright boy.
good on him.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f9d8af36-c6ec-11dd-97a5-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1
death of small papers USA.UK to follow
Excellent link. I'm saddened of course by the cuts, but not surprised and maybe I'm coming round to the idea of blogs and such taking on the role of the fourth estate. The article states blogs are not likely to have a Baghdad bureau for example. But they could link to folk in Baghdad. Equally the uber bloggers could afford to have their own branches wherever.
I think it will be interresting to see how the uber bloggers and those with real money behind them eg guido,go about expanding overseas.
there seems to be a real libertarian streak in many bloggers,maybe because it's pure vanity publishing and you are your own editor,so it attracts those types.
currently alex hilton,manager of Labourhome.com is getting sued for libel and various bloggers from the right are giving money to his defence.used to blog as recess monkey.
the bloggers are better than nothing at worst and at best,particularly on national stories,they have stopped the big papers from supressing stories.
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