Comments for englishbloopers.com Blog http://englishbloopers.com/blog Family, Friends, and Life in General Fri, 30 Mar 2012 07:37:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 Comment on Spring showers, April flowers by bighominid http://englishbloopers.com/blog/2012/03/30/spring-showers-april-flowers/comment-page-1/#comment-42 bighominid Fri, 30 Mar 2012 07:37:41 +0000 http://englishbloopers.com/blog/?p=224#comment-42 Great update and wonderful pics. Glad that the job is going well. The kids are really growing up! Great update and wonderful pics. Glad that the job is going well. The kids are really growing up!

]]> Comment on Moving (Back Home?) by bighominid http://englishbloopers.com/blog/2011/09/04/moving-back-home/comment-page-1/#comment-41 bighominid Sun, 04 Sep 2011 16:03:04 +0000 http://englishbloopers.com/blog/?p=189#comment-41 Glad to see you're still writing! So the obvious question, based on your assessment of the disadvantages of life in Vancouver (and the potentially alienating changes to the city), is: why move back? What does Canada offer that you're not getting after years in East Asia? Canada's economy is doubtless faring better than the US's, but I still have to wonder about your country's job market, especially for people in our field. For me, Korea remains a tempting solution to my current financial woes (all that paid vacation!), but I've decided to try toughing it out here in the States for the time being. Part of the reason is that I've got projects that tie me here. Another part is that I'm no longer in my 30s, and I worry about the quality of Korean health care versus what I can get in the States. Along those same "getting older" lines, I'm also thinking more about settling down rather than about living the sort of unstable, tenuous life I'd been living while in Korea. Finally, moving my possessions back and forth across the Pacific is both tiring and expensive. I've still got a third of my library sitting with a friend in Seoul; another friend has been storing a pile of my non-book-related junk. Moving back to Korea would entail either shipping my US-based possessions over, or paying a few hundred bucks per month to put everything in public storage. But that's me. For you -- what's the impetus behind this move? Hope all's well with the Missus and the kiddies. Glad to see you’re still writing!

So the obvious question, based on your assessment of the disadvantages of life in Vancouver (and the potentially alienating changes to the city), is: why move back? What does Canada offer that you’re not getting after years in East Asia? Canada’s economy is doubtless faring better than the US’s, but I still have to wonder about your country’s job market, especially for people in our field.

For me, Korea remains a tempting solution to my current financial woes (all that paid vacation!), but I’ve decided to try toughing it out here in the States for the time being. Part of the reason is that I’ve got projects that tie me here. Another part is that I’m no longer in my 30s, and I worry about the quality of Korean health care versus what I can get in the States. Along those same “getting older” lines, I’m also thinking more about settling down rather than about living the sort of unstable, tenuous life I’d been living while in Korea. Finally, moving my possessions back and forth across the Pacific is both tiring and expensive. I’ve still got a third of my library sitting with a friend in Seoul; another friend has been storing a pile of my non-book-related junk. Moving back to Korea would entail either shipping my US-based possessions over, or paying a few hundred bucks per month to put everything in public storage.

But that’s me. For you — what’s the impetus behind this move?

Hope all’s well with the Missus and the kiddies.

]]> Comment on Welcome to the World, William by bighominid http://englishbloopers.com/blog/2009/10/16/welcome-to-the-world-william/comment-page-1/#comment-40 bighominid Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:00:15 +0000 http://englishbloopers.com/blog/?p=104#comment-40 Congratulations! My brother Sean turned 30 on October 15, so it's a day of celebration for both our families. Pax, Kevin Congratulations!

My brother Sean turned 30 on October 15, so it’s a day of celebration for both our families.

Pax,

Kevin

]]> Comment on Bad Dad (sometimes) by bighominid http://englishbloopers.com/blog/2008/08/26/bad-dad-sometimes/comment-page-1/#comment-33 bighominid Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:20:57 +0000 http://englishbloopers.com/blog/2008/08/26/bad-dad-sometimes/#comment-33 No updates in two months! Is everything OK? Is Kilim helping you out with money transfers? How're the kids and the MIssus? Kevin No updates in two months! Is everything OK? Is Kilim helping you out with money transfers? How’re the kids and the MIssus?

Kevin

]]> Comment on You can’t get out of life alive by bighominid http://englishbloopers.com/blog/2008/06/05/you-cant-get-out-of-life-alive/comment-page-1/#comment-32 bighominid Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:51:47 +0000 http://englishbloopers.com/blog/2008/06/05/you-cant-get-out-of-life-alive/#comment-32 Max, I'm sorry not to have visited this blog in a long while, then to come here and only belatedly read the sad news about your adoptive father. Please accept my sincere condolences. Pax, Kevin Max,

I’m sorry not to have visited this blog in a long while, then to come here and only belatedly read the sad news about your adoptive father. Please accept my sincere condolences.

Pax,

Kevin

]]> Comment on The Noo Yeer by EnglishBloopers: The Blog » Life’s Little Annoyances http://englishbloopers.com/blog/2008/01/02/the-noo-yeer/comment-page-1/#comment-21 EnglishBloopers: The Blog » Life’s Little Annoyances Thu, 14 Feb 2008 14:18:45 +0000 http://englishbloopers.com/blog/2008/01/02/the-noo-yeer/#comment-21 [...] You may remember how I wrote several weeks ago of my cultural confusion when traveling between Japan and Canada. Well, in my brief foray back to Canada, I had a helluva time readjusting to saying hello to unknown personages in the street. Just as I had gotten readjusted to this Canadian cultural norm, I was back on a plane for Japan. And then a couple days later, I found myself in the part-time teacher’s room (a room that a whole messload of part-time teachers share) at Utsunomiya University. I was just doing a couple dishes at the sink, when a teacher I didn’t know walked in the door. She was new to me probably because it was a Wednesday, and Wednesday is not a teaching day for me (I was at the university to work out). Well, this lady walked in the room and I looked up from the sink into her face. As my eyes met hers, I cheerfully said “Hello”—only to be instantly rebuffed as she walked past me towards the center of the room. In the short moment I had registered her face, I saw that it was was completely neutral and blank, devoid of expression: the classic Japanese mask. (It’s a face so neutral and unexpressive that for dirty furriners like me [or maybe just for me], it can seem downright hostile. Quite often, you can have no hope in hell of reading a Japanese person’s face. Totally the opposite situation in Canada, of course. Our faces are like road maps to our souls.) [...] [...] You may remember how I wrote several weeks ago of my cultural confusion when traveling between Japan and Canada. Well, in my brief foray back to Canada, I had a helluva time readjusting to saying hello to unknown personages in the street. Just as I had gotten readjusted to this Canadian cultural norm, I was back on a plane for Japan. And then a couple days later, I found myself in the part-time teacher’s room (a room that a whole messload of part-time teachers share) at Utsunomiya University. I was just doing a couple dishes at the sink, when a teacher I didn’t know walked in the door. She was new to me probably because it was a Wednesday, and Wednesday is not a teaching day for me (I was at the university to work out). Well, this lady walked in the room and I looked up from the sink into her face. As my eyes met hers, I cheerfully said “Hello”—only to be instantly rebuffed as she walked past me towards the center of the room. In the short moment I had registered her face, I saw that it was was completely neutral and blank, devoid of expression: the classic Japanese mask. (It’s a face so neutral and unexpressive that for dirty furriners like me [or maybe just for me], it can seem downright hostile. Quite often, you can have no hope in hell of reading a Japanese person’s face. Totally the opposite situation in Canada, of course. Our faces are like road maps to our souls.) [...]

]]> Comment on The Noo Yeer by Max http://englishbloopers.com/blog/2008/01/02/the-noo-yeer/comment-page-1/#comment-20 Max Mon, 11 Feb 2008 12:12:07 +0000 http://englishbloopers.com/blog/2008/01/02/the-noo-yeer/#comment-20 Although on further reflection, Japanese neighbors (especially in the suburbs and countryside) always greet each other in the street. And when people go hiking, they often say hello. Deep inside me, I feel conflicted, and I don't know what to make of this, not saying hi in the city but then saying hi on the mountain, and so today in the park when some people said hello to me, my wife and our kids, my wife answered with a hello but I just ignored them. It's freaking hard to adjust, reajdust, and then readjust again. Although on further reflection, Japanese neighbors (especially in the suburbs and countryside) always greet each other in the street. And when people go hiking, they often say hello. Deep inside me, I feel conflicted, and I don’t know what to make of this, not saying hi in the city but then saying hi on the mountain, and so today in the park when some people said hello to me, my wife and our kids, my wife answered with a hello but I just ignored them. It’s freaking hard to adjust, reajdust, and then readjust again.

]]> Comment on Back from a date… by bighominid http://englishbloopers.com/blog/2007/11/05/back-from-a-date/comment-page-1/#comment-18 bighominid Mon, 12 Nov 2007 10:21:40 +0000 http://englishbloopers.com/blog/2007/11/05/back-from-a-date/#comment-18 Who knew that scrotal itching could be such an effective roshi, anchoring one in the present, grounding one in the moment? Kevin Who knew that scrotal itching could be such an effective roshi, anchoring one in the present, grounding one in the moment?

Kevin

]]> Comment on Lesson Learned by bighominid http://englishbloopers.com/blog/2007/09/03/lesson-learned/comment-page-1/#comment-16 bighominid Sat, 08 Sep 2007 18:18:45 +0000 http://englishbloopers.com/blog/2007/09/03/lesson-learned/#comment-16 I don't know how it goes in Japan and Canada, but in America, about the strongest over-the-counter allergy medicine is Claritin. Claritin was a prescription drug for many years until the US Food and Drug Administration finally approved it for OTC purchase. I don't have hay fever problems in Seoul because there just isn't enough green life here to affect me, but back home in northern Virginia, pollen of all types is a killer, and I'm reduced to a slobbering, snotting, sneezing mess for most of the spring and summer there. Claritin is stronger than the other popular brand, Actifed, and it doesn't make you drowsy (in theory, anyway). I swear by it, though I do know results vary. Is Claritin available in Japan? Are you, perchance, already using it? If not, I'll see about finding and sending you some, though I need to read up on the legalities of sending medicine overseas. Might have to get someone to send from the States. Kevin I don’t know how it goes in Japan and Canada, but in America, about the strongest over-the-counter allergy medicine is Claritin. Claritin was a prescription drug for many years until the US Food and Drug Administration finally approved it for OTC purchase. I don’t have hay fever problems in Seoul because there just isn’t enough green life here to affect me, but back home in northern Virginia, pollen of all types is a killer, and I’m reduced to a slobbering, snotting, sneezing mess for most of the spring and summer there. Claritin is stronger than the other popular brand, Actifed, and it doesn’t make you drowsy (in theory, anyway). I swear by it, though I do know results vary.

Is Claritin available in Japan? Are you, perchance, already using it? If not, I’ll see about finding and sending you some, though I need to read up on the legalities of sending medicine overseas. Might have to get someone to send from the States.

Kevin

]]> Comment on It vs. I by bighominid http://englishbloopers.com/blog/2007/07/05/it-vs-i/comment-page-1/#comment-15 bighominid Fri, 20 Jul 2007 06:24:49 +0000 http://englishbloopers.com/blog/2007/07/05/it-vs-i/#comment-15 Does this "I/it" problem occur only in written English, or do you also hear it in spoken English? If the problem is confined to written English, I would immediately suspect the use of an online translation program, which often defaults to the third person singular (neuter) when translating from an East Asian language to English. For shits and grins, you can pop a random Korean or Japanese article into a Google translator (or the old standby, Babel Fish at http://world.altavista.com), and you'll probably notice way more "it"s than necessary. If you're also hearing this in spoken English... then I really don't know. Kevin Does this “I/it” problem occur only in written English, or do you also hear it in spoken English? If the problem is confined to written English, I would immediately suspect the use of an online translation program, which often defaults to the third person singular (neuter) when translating from an East Asian language to English. For shits and grins, you can pop a random Korean or Japanese article into a Google translator (or the old standby, Babel Fish at http://world.altavista.com), and you’ll probably notice way more “it”s than necessary.

If you’re also hearing this in spoken English… then I really don’t know.

Kevin

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