It is no secret that we live in a fast-paced world. Present-day urban centres in the West are all about the hustle, the bustle, and the absolute non-stop. Naturally, that translates into the media that we create and consume every day. Our action-movies are filled to the brim with fight-scene after fight-scene, and when those…
The holidays are a fantastic time to practice giving. This year, I want to focus on giving the gift of empathy and understanding this holiday season, and I think you should too! Below is a list of holiday phrases in different languages, and I encourage you to use these with people you know who’s first…
The traditional Japanese art of kintsugi supposedly originated in the 15th century, when shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa sent a broken bowl to Chinese craftsmen in hopes for its repair. When the bowl returned to him from China, he was dismayed to find it awkwardly put together with… staples. Large, bulky staples, which frankly did not improve on its…
Produced by the acclaimed Dentsu creative director Kaoru Sugano, Japanese girl group Perfume’s performance last week at SXSW 2015 was nothing short of mind boggling. Featuring complex visual projections and synchronisation of military precision, the massive production team of the SXSW performance created a dizzying, seamless audiovisual treat with the help of enormous technical production…
With exams coming up, everyone is stressed. So voila! I present to you a list of 10 cool Japanese words that you could read as a break from your studies. Wabi-sabi n. beauty found in the imperfections; an acceptance of the cycle of life and death. Tsundoku n. a…
It was an unproductive day on the Internet. You’re just minding your own business, scrolling through some hilarious cat pictures. Then it hits you. Something so amazing and extraordinary that you stop and wonder, “Why have I never seen this before?” This was one of those moments for me. Jed Henry, an amazing illustrator, and…
I’m not Japanese and I can’t understand it but there are some tunes that I definitely enjoy listening to regardless if I know what they’re saying or not. There’s something magical that makes the language sound differently musically than the English language. If you’re relatively new to J-pop, the songs may seem strange to you…
What is so good about manga and anime? Why do we read it? Why do we watch it? At first glance it seems like an over the top comic book with completely unrealistic characters but once you read a really good manga for the first time, you’ll find yourself hooked in the masterful creations of…
Urban planning here in Calgary need to account for the parking crunch; in Japan, bike storage is gobbling up prime real estate that is hard to come by in such an urbanized country. Engineers created underground parkades to solve the car crunch, so now they have devised a method to park all those bicycles and…
A Japanese study investigating the effect of age-related changes to the immune system discovered this could contribute to the gap in life expectancy between men and women. Researchers found that the immune systems of men age faster then that of women. The blood from 356 healthy men and women from the ages 20-90 was studied.…
Okay, it’s not quite what you’re thinking. Yet it fits perfectly with the Japanese theme of Otafest (officially my favorite convention now, hehe). Shogun Teppanyaki Grill was my lunch choice on the Sunday of that long weekend, partly because I didn’t have a volunteer shift that day (no free food), but mostly because four food trucks…
If you head to any Asian supermarkets in Calgary, you’re likely to see one of these large jars sitting on shelves sitting along with other tea products instead of with jams. The contents are much more reminiscent of a marmalade than something to make “tea” with. The doubts are definitely reasonable – Citron tea, yujacha (유자차 in Hangul), is…
The horror story of Wentao Li trying to fold origami flowers at a Youth Volunteer Corps Steering Committee meeting… LUCKILY, YOU DON’T HAVE TO ENDURE THOUGH THAT! Watch this tutorial and make interesting blossoming lotuses. 🙂 The music is quite soft and soothing too.
Japanese + Italian. Yes, that’s right! While it may sound a little odd at first (I mean, Asian with European food – that’s almost like pouring spaghetti sauce on a bowl of rice and topping it with wiggly octopus tentacles protruding from raw meat balls), Carino is seriously one of the best restaurants I’ve been to in Calgary. Though…
Even for those who are not visiting Fernie, if you’re passing through on highway 3 The Curry Bowl is an a quick turn off, very easily accessible for those wishing to make a meal stop, yet not wanting a diet of fast food. However, those planning on going should know that the restaurant is not…