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Priceless Information  

This is Ian's piece of web. See it go. Go, weblog, go! Go travel in Asia. Go study in Tokyo. Go home to Portland. Nah, what the hell. Go, study in Beijing.

Stop. I am a student studying Chinese language in Beijing.

I started this weblog in the Summer of 2002. It keeps following me wherever I go. But, I'm glad to have the company.

Thanks to Clifton for hosting Domodomo. If you need a flash or website designer, you can do no better.

Enter the Domo  

Domoblog - My old Tokyo mobile weblog.

Domo Music - Music I done made. Shockingly presented under the artist name of "Domo Domo."

Exit the Domo  

READ THIS IF YOU ARE A LAWYER

I have read this email through fifteen times and cannot find a loophole:

Do any of you have the power to cancel all flights to East Timor out of Narita? If you can find me a way out of this, please let me know ASAP!
Update: Finished paper. Please cease all evil scheming.
Discuss

Posted by Ian at 1/30/2003 07:25:17 PM    Permalink

Oragami that Speaks the Word of God

Not really, but Joseph Wu's oragami gallery is just as about as miraculous.

It features the work of several other artists, also has instructions and articles on theory.

By the way: god damnit, I need to do my international development report. Please don't let me keep surfing the web.
Via Speckled Paint
Discuss

Posted by Ian at 1/30/2003 07:10:13 PM    Permalink

Todai Gets Crappy Marks on Original Thought

A recent survey of University of Tokyo graduates (aka Todai, most prestigious school in Japan) found that they were lacking when it came to producing creative work:

All the employers gave UT graduates top marks for their ability to work hard on their own. But none of the companies, ranging from electronics manufacturers to banks, thought UT graduates were successful when it came to creative output. UT graduates, said one employer, tended to undertake projects that looked promising or where a solution was in sight, but avoided taking risks. The university reportedly plans to review its liberal arts programmes, taking the survey results into consideration.


This is just a study; undoubtedly many graduates are exceptions. But, the Japanese bureaucracy is made up of a disproportionate amount of Tokyo University grads. New plans and programs require creative thinking. Questioning the old guard and vested interests requires huge risk taking even though a solution may not be clear. Really, the act of creativity itself is taking a risk and putting yourself before the judgement of others. Suprisingly, many students I talk to are critical of the schooling systems focus on rote memorization. Things may change yet.
Discuss

Posted by Ian at 1/30/2003 12:37:45 PM    Permalink