I’ve long been a fan of Richard Dawkins’ books. I read the Selfish Gene as a teenager and found it absolutely fascinating. Not only was that book the foundation of sociobiology, but it also coined the term “meme”. Little did I know that a few years later, millions of people would be [...]

This was totally like, you know… not bad lip-syncing?

During the time I’ve been living in Taiwan, I’ve occasionally been shocked at the way Hitler is portrayed here. His image has been used by (completely ignorant) marketers, and there have been occasional restaurants and exhibitions themed in a way that could never happen in many countries. A couple of years ago, a [...]

Reading the Taipei Times today, I came across an article that highlights yet another aspect in which Japan is returning to its nationalistic roots– education. The education minister, Ibuki Bunmei (伊吹文明), is a reactionary. In various speeches, he has stated that most young Japanese are incapable of writing or speaking well and that [...]

Here’s a Danwei video interview with the two founders of Antiwave, arguably China’s most influential podcast. “When I was a kid, my father used to tell me stories about the Japanese during the war. But history sometimes should just be left as history.”Pingke, a veteran of over a decade in the traditional radio [...]

Does the ability to write with a pen and paper matter? Apparently not, to quite a few Chinese as a second language learners. “Nobody really writes by hand anymore,” says one.
“Writing by hand is useless; I can just type everything at my computer,” explains another.
I disagree both arguments. While it is possible [...]

There are some times when the whole 差不多 attitude here drives me nuts. Now is not one of them.

Back when I first got to Taiwan, I had some pretty amusing experiences going to the gym. They were nothing like back home. In fact, the first twelve I visited, didn’t even have free weights! None! Just row after row after row of machines, treadmills and stair-steppers. The first gym [...]

Last night, I met my friend Nathan at the Taoyuan train station. We decided to go the night market, so we hailed a cab and jumped in. Before I mention what happened, I should point out that I generally like cab drivers in Taiwan. They’re usually personable, chatty, and sometimes even interesting. [...]

A few days ago, John (of Sinosplice) sent me a link to an article titled, “Against School”. Interestingly, it was written by John Taylor Gatto, former New York State and New York City teacher of the year. He goes into a long explanation about how public schooling is used more as a tool for promoting social conformity than as means to an education. Quite a bit of the article rang true in my ears. Indeed, I’ve found a very large disconnect between schooling and education in my own life.