Alex Farrell's Posts

  • What do you know?
    July 27th, 2009By Alex Farrell
    I know that I know nothing. This quote is attributed to the Greek philosopher Socrates in the “Apology” of Socrates written by his student, Plato. I periodically ponder this phrase when going about various tasks in my daily life such as writing an article, conducting research, drafting a translation or discussing an important family decision » Continue Reading
    CommentsComments
  • Western Justice and Oriental Order
    July 12th, 2009By Alex Farrell
    When I happen to have the spare to time to read something for pleasure, rather than for work, lately I’ve been exploring A History of Japan by George Sansom, published in 1963. Obviously it lacks the historical perspective to enlighten the reader much about modern Japan, but the first 100 or » Continue Reading
    CommentsComments
  • The “English Teacher Trap,” Part 3
    June 11th, 2009By Alex Farrell
    Hello everyone. You’ve arrived at the exciting conclusion of my English Teacher Trap Trilogy, in which I offer some advice on how to avoid getting stuck in what may be an unsatisfactory dead end career. Now isn’t that a cheery subject? If you’re new to this series you can review what I covered in Part » Continue Reading
    CommentsComments
  • The Occult World of Ancient Kyoto
    June 1st, 2009By Alex Farrell
    We all know Kyoto as the most popular tourist destination for Western visitors to Japan, filled with some of the most spectacular temples, shrines, rock gardens etc. But did you know that this city, once the country’s capital for 1,000 years, has over its long history spawned a plethora of dark » Continue Reading
    CommentsComments
  • The “English Teacher Trap,” Part 2
    May 26th, 2009By Alex Farrell
    Hello all. This is the second installment of a three-part series of articles that will hopefully not rile too many of you who’ve been teaching for a number of years. In my first article, I introduced the English Teacher Trap (ETT), in which foreign residents get stuck in a teaching career » Continue Reading
    CommentsComments
  • The “English Teacher Trap,” Part 1
    May 7th, 2009By Alex Farrell
    A good number of English-speaking foreign residents in Japan are English teachers, many of them working for the JET Program, one of the various big “eikaiwa” (English conversation) schools or for some other employer. These typically young and bright-eyed “teachers” come over to the Land of the Rising Sun » Continue Reading
    CommentsComments
  • Bye Bye Job, Hello Gov’t Bureaucracy
    April 15th, 2009By Alex Farrell
    Since this is my first blog entry, I’d like to express my thanks to you for at least reading this sentence, and say that this blog’s angle will be to offer practical advice and insights from the perspective of a long-time foreign resident in Japan. I’ve been here since February 2003, » Continue Reading
    CommentsComments

    • Advertise with us

    Popular Posts

    About GaijinPot Blogs

    GaijinPot Blogs are powered by a community of expert users with in-depth knowledge of getting the most out of living and working in Japan.

    Interested in writing for us?
    You're very welcome to join us and there's plenty in it for you. To find out more get in touch or read on.

    BLOG ARCHIVES