journal features

working the Japanese network in Toronto

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

Toronto, 2011.08.28

I went into a card shop for a birthday card for my wife, and found just the thing - in the section for 75 year olds.

She's not quite that old (in fact that's our combined age) but the sentiment of the card was perfect for her. It was a happy coincidence that I could scratch out the irrelevant age and put in her own. She laughed quite a bit, thinking that I was purposefully deflating the sincerity of the first page. I confessed that I'm not that subtle.

The lady who sold me the card happened to be Japanese as well. I tried communicating to her in her language that my wife and son and had been in and had met her. All I managed to do was confuse the hell out of her though. Reverting to English, we talked about her recollection that we wanted to get Kenny into the Japanese language program at the Japanese community centre here in Toronto. When I explained that the teacher had turned us down, she said that she knew a teacher with the school and would see if she could mention our case.

These ethnic types sure stick together (woohoo)!

rand()m quote

The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to such a pass that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love, and in order to occupy and distract himself without love he gives way to passions and coarse pleasures, and sinks to bestiality in his vices, all from continual lying to other men and to himself.

—Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov