Ornate designs of a hostess’ kimono worn during chado (茶道), the traditional Japanese tea ceremony. The muted colors express a modest and humble attitude toward the guest, but profound beauty can still be found within the folds, the textures, and the finer details.
How do you know you’re on vacation? When you’re setting out to start your day and every single other person is in corporate attire, heading in the opposite direction.
“A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you’ve been taking.” –Earl Wilson
Although it was officially on Thursday, happy lunar new year from my frozen ice cabin (with wifi, of course)! May the new year bring you luck, opportunity, and other things of general goodliness.
Chúc mừng năm mới!
新年快乐!
새해복많이받으세요!
旧正月おめでとうございます!
[Insert other language here!]
We value communication in every industry and every job. We practice it daily, but rarely master it. When we awkwardly talk with strangers, we find ourselves sweating profusely. Our neurons rapidly fire, choosing the right words to say in the right order, tailoring on the go. Communication isn’t easy, and when we add controversy, anonymity, and the internet into the mix, communication becomes a nice, juicy flustercuck.
Online debates are often bubbling, boiling pots of irrationality, anger, and hatred. Differing perspectives are met with preset skepticism and condescension. Interweb citizens are wrong until proven right. And if you just so happen to misspell a word or use improper grammar? Heaven forbid! All notion of a sensible argument is lost, as the ravenous commenters feast on your mistakes. You lowly piece of turd, how could you have missed the ‘m’ in “whom”?! Do you speak English, you America-hating troll nugget? Alas, you have failed as a human being…
Japan is full of complexity, and as an advocate of simplicity, it’s as confusing as it is interesting. For example, the theme of dualities is one that I see prevalent within modern day Japanese culture. While they seem to conflict, they somehow coexist together in harmony, often seen side by side in the same place at the same time.
izrofel 