sydenham said...

sydenham at 05:49 PM JST - 23rd December

herefornow-

Commercialism and materialism are rampant everywhere. I learned that lesson in grade school. It's nothing new. Get over it. I'm 37, married with 2 kids and happy living in Japan. Stranger things have happened. Your friend's girlfriend is superficial. Plenty of my ex-girlfriends in both Canada and Japan were…

Posted in A very Japanese Christmas at 05:49 PM JST - 23rd December
sydenham at 11:41 PM JST - 22nd December

herefornow-- firstly, have you actually experienced this "Christmas hotel booking for sex" thing or are you just going by the sensationalist rumors? I have been here for 11 years and not yet met one Japanese or foreign person who has had this experience...not a one. secondly, none of the foreigners…

Posted in A very Japanese Christmas at 11:41 PM JST - 22nd December
sydenham at 06:24 PM JST - 21st December

wow, guess nobody reads. so, i'll repeat:

there aren't enough Japanese nurses to do the job at present, and the shortage is growing as the population ages. This is the main reason why Japan signed onto this deal in the first place. So somehow, sometime, an accomodation is going to…

Posted in Filipino caregivers, nurses to face language hurdles in Japan at 06:24 PM JST - 21st December
sydenham at 06:14 PM JST - 21st December

..... i guess that means no takers.

Posted in Dance all night at 06:14 PM JST - 21st December
sydenham at 06:08 PM JST - 20th December

imacat, cleo, yang yong, agreed.

the only thing i hate about xmas in japan is seasonal whingeing by certain members of the ex-pat population. i have a blast with my family, roast lamb from costco and all (sorry imacat).

imacat: CHRISTMAS IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT!! here, here! but to…

Posted in A very Japanese Christmas at 06:08 PM JST - 20th December
sydenham at 10:33 AM JST - 20th December

Nessie, I do spy the quantifier "if" in that sentence. Still, that's a pretty big "if".

I prefer to point fingers than speculate about the future. The elderly and retiring baby-boomers are the ones who kept the inept LDP in power, while letting the extended family unit and social mores…

Posted in Population Decline and Ageing in Japan—the Social Consequences at 10:33 AM JST - 20th December
sydenham at 06:31 AM JST - 19th December

OhioDonna, lucky you.

I was the kid with the dry celery sticks, cardboard bread sandwich with unsalted peanut butter, and carib bar. For my juice box....kale.

Posted in Box-lunch day becoming popular at schools at 06:31 AM JST - 19th December
sydenham at 06:24 AM JST - 19th December

sf2k, well, not really.

I think the difference lies in the fact-and I'm guessing- that you learned "Japanese as a second language" here in Japan, where you saw the immediate benefit of learning the language. In this case, exposure to as much of the language as possible "JSL", makes sense,…

Posted in Panel proposes doubling textbook pages for Japanese, English, science at 06:24 AM JST - 19th December
sydenham at 05:48 AM JST - 19th December

shiuu, the "poor me" foreigner complex is beside the point.

there aren't enough Japanese nurses to do the job at present, and the shortage is growing as the population ages. This is the main reason why Japan signed onto this deal in the first place. So somehow, sometime, an accomodation…

Posted in Filipino caregivers, nurses to face language hurdles in Japan at 05:48 AM JST - 19th December
sydenham at 09:31 AM JST - 18th December

Dogdog, let's clear some things up here.

You misinterpret the Ishihara phenomenon. His popularity lies not with the fact that he is a nationalist. Rather, is is that he is viewed as holding the greater good of Japanese people in general as his first priority (whether this is actually true…

Posted in 26 cities request emergency support for foreign workers at 09:31 AM JST - 18th December