Those Chinese, Indian, Hispanic, Somalian, Congonese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Norwegian, etc etc. people that you see in numbers and label as simply “foreign”. Their stories are similar: they are here for a better life, they are here supporting their families, and maybe they’re here so see how the United States works on a deeper level […]
Too Close – Aurora Bridge
September 24, 2015 Aurora Bridge. Seattle, Washington. It was a normal day. I was hard at work with my coworker on our company’s mobile app, Penster Docs. Though mostly focused, I was excited to leave so that I could go picnic with my girlfriend, Juri. She just started school across the water, and was available […]
What Norway Has Taught Me
Two years ago, I was going to go to Norway by student exchange. I told everybody; friends, family, colleagues, cousins, and people I just met. My friends were excited for me. It became a conversation starter. Christmas, birthdays, and paychecks went to saving for it. But as the financial reality materialized, the vision deteriorated. This […]
5 Reasons Snapchat Works (& Why Facebook Doesn’t)
There are various reasons why teenagers and younger age groups are flocking to social applications like Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter. Some of these reasons can be attributed to the bandwagon effect, but certainly this is not why users stick around and actively use these applications. As a teenager myself, and as someone who’s grown up […]
Particularly Japanese Quirks
You know, there are some things that Western culture does that are just plain weird. Take “bless you” for example. Why do we say “bless you” after someone sneezes? Are you showing your gratitude for the mucus projected into the heavens? Or are they in trouble? Indulging further, why do Americans* feel the need to […]
Hyper-Practice Japanese While On Vacation
Traveling and vacation are similar in theory but very different words in practice. One might think that if you don’t know the language well enough, you should just stick to your mother tongue until you’ve ‘studied enough’ to come back. Or even the converse; that you can’t go to Japan until you’ve mastered conversation and […]
A No-Nonsense Guide To Japanese Trains
Japanese Trains are confusing. I mean, really confusing. Just look at this map of Greater Tokyo by JR Trains.
Teenagers Attention Spans Suck
I am a child of the internet generation; 18 years old in 2014. I have known the internet as it is my entire life. I am so different in the way that I grew up. My friends and I just arrived home from a weekend trip to Portland, Oregon. We took tons of pictures. On […]