International Political Will

There is a joke that circulates among ex-pat teachers of English in Japan (though Japanese never found it funny):
On the Titanic, moments before it sank, there were special announcements.
“Attention all British citizens. Women and children first. It’s the gentlemanly thing to do.” And all the British men replied with “here, here,” and “I say, cheerio, [...]

There are many different definitions and examples of “homelessness” in the world. It seems every country has their own brand. You never know how good - or how bad - you have it until you see how other people live.
American homeless create makeshift shelters in alleys and empty lots, only to be told to “move [...]

What is your answer when asked: “What are your hobbies?”
Probably depends on whether you’re a woman or a man. I’ll go out on a limb and make a sweeping generalization: In America, neither men nor women would ever publicly include “drinking” among favorite things to do with their free time.
Of course there are [...]

Admittedly, even before we moved to Japan, I carried with me a couple of stereotypes about the country and the people dealing with food and education.
First, I had the preconceived notion that they ate sushi all the time. I can assure you that while sushi isn’t quite an everyday thing, they definitely have some [...]