Monthly Archives: February 2006
I Think I’m Learning Japanese
When I first moved to Japan about two-and-a-half years ago, the only Japanese I knew came from Styx songs. I’ve come a long way since then. Now I know Japanese from Styx songs and commercials for Japanese car insurance.
Okay, I admit it, my Japanese is far from great; I’m barely able to hold a conversation with a five-year-old on my best days. Still, I’ve come across dozens of computer applications and websites that are useful for students of Japanese, and a few of them have even been good enough to fall into the category of “helpful to my linguistically challenged self.” Combine some of these programs and sites with a good study routine and you’ll be pera-pera in no time. (Or omit the good study routine–like me–and you’ll at least be able to avoid ordering raw beef from a menu. I think I understand why my Japanese is so bad…)
Getting More Out of an Office Computer
As a “computer guy” (and borderline obsessive, I think), I’m pretty particular about my computer. I like to have my desktop organized just so, I like to use Firefox for browsing the web and Thunderbird for checking email, I like to keep my documents folder squeaky clean. It’s pretty hard for me, then, to use a foreign computer for any significant amount of time.
For many JETs, though, using a computer other than their own for much of the day is a necessity. Whether they don’t own a computer, don’t want to lug their laptop around or can’t lug their desktop around, a lot of JETs are stuck using an office computer at work. I’ve heard some stories about these office computers that make me wonder how Japan got such a tech-savvy image; 10-year-old PCs with Japanese-only menus and restrictions on internet use can make it awfully hard for a JET to get work (or “work”) done.
Luckily, there are some solutions to office computing woes. Here are some fixes to the most common complaints I’ve heard about using clunky office computers.