Japanese Quick Reference Guide
When I moved to Japan in 2013 I spent the first six months taking…
Filed underlanguage
Chinese Characters for the 99%
Learning to read and write Chinese characters known as hanzi in Chinese, and kanji in Japanese, has to…
Why Japanese Web Design Is So… Different
In the mind’s eye of many people, Japan is a land of tranquil Zen…
Randomwire Moves To Tokyo
Usually at the beginning of each year I write a ‘new years resolutions’ post, but…
The Worlds Hardest Languages
If you assumed that Asian languages were the hardest to learn then you’d be…
How To Tell The Difference Between Asian Languages
To the untrained eye or ear, Asian languages can appear completely incomprehensible and indistinguishable from each…
Life Without Language
Undoubtedly one of, if not the, hardest things about living in a foreign country…
Green Hat a No-No
Here’s a little tip for men in China hoping to avoid public castigation: don’t…
Chinese Culture 101 | Part 2 – Language
This post is part of a series exploring Chinese culture. See the links at…
Chinglish Shop Signs
In China the English language is a fickle thing where the normal rules of…
Deconstructing Mandarin Chinese
One of my goals for this year is to learn spoken Mandarin Chinese. Given…
2009 Goals
Looking back 2008 was a pretty good year on balance. My largest personal achievement…