How To

How I Picked Up Japanese In 7 Months

The limits of my language are the limits of my world. – Ludwig Wittgenstein Recently, I’d received several questions on tips for learning Japanese. This is a topic I’d covered in a post 6 years ago, but I’ve since had the time to reflect and work on my Japanese more, so I’m adapting a more recent piece I’d written for another platform and republishing it here. I hope it’s helpful! Preamble I know learning Japanese …

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How to Speak a New Language in Half a Year

I love discovering the world and learning about how it works, which is a big part of why I travel so much. But discovery takes many forms; language is another fascinating domain to explore because understanding the lingua franca of a country is a great way to understand the underpinnings of its culture. In 2015, I was finally able to fulfill a dream I’ve had for the last 20 years: being able to speak Japanese. I was only …

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Chasing the Northern Lights: FAQ

I’ve gotten quite a few accommodation questions from people looking to go to Yellowknife to view the aurora borealis. I thought it would be expedient to compile a list of frequently asked questions here so that it can serve as handy reference for everyone. If you still have any questions regarding a Yellowknife trip, feel free to get in touch by clicking on the Contact button in the menu bar …

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How to run an ultramarathon in 2 weeks

Dedicated to Dad. I’ve been told many things about my 84km race – “crazy”, “amazing”, “hard core” are some common superlatives used. I speak from the heart, however, when I say: anyone could have done it. Perhaps you would not have finished in the 15 hours stipulated by the competition, but I would bet my bottom dollar that if I’d walked up to you and told you to race 84km because …

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Mind Over Matter

I DID IT!!! I completed the adidas Sundown ultramarathon (84km or 52 miles) in 12 hrs 28 mins 5 secs. Really quite happy, considering the furthest I’d ever run prior to this was the 25km Passion Run last weekend and I didn’t know I was going to run in the 84km ultra until 2 weeks before the race. I can tell you, though, starting a run at 6pm and racing …

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