All Japanese All The Time

All Japanese All the Time.

A buddy pointed out this blog to me. This guy apparently learned business level Japanese in about 18 months.

From the blog:

"I am your host, Khatzumoto. I learned Japanese in 18 months by having fun. In June 2004, at the ripe old age of 21, all post-pubescent and supposedly past my mental/linguistic prime, I started learning Japanese. By September 2005, I had learned enough to read technical material, conduct business correspondence and job interviews in Japanese. By the next month, I landed a job as a software engineer at a large Japanese company in Tokyo (yay!)."

I've been studying Japanese as well as other languages for years, so once I got over my jealousy, I gave it a good read and there are tons of great insights and resources for language learning and working toward any goal.

I recommend it highly.

Pecha Kucha: 20 Images x 20 Seconds

Pecha Kucha is a very cool ritual event that is now taking place in cities all over the world.

From site: "PechaKucha Night was devised in Tokyo in February 2003 as an event for young designers to meet, network, and show their work in public.

It has turned into a massive celebration, with events happening in hundreds of cities around the world, inspiring creatives worldwide. Drawing its name from the Japanese term for the sound of "chit chat", it rests on a presentation format that is based on a simple idea: 20 images x 20 seconds. It's a format that makes presentations concise, and keeps things moving at a rapid pace."

What I love about this ritual is being exposed to an incredible density of great ideas and designs. It's what I call condensed experience. I highly recommend checking out the site and the event if you get a chance.

Pecha-Kucha Site