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bousozoku said:
People live so much longer in Japan because it takes so much longer to read and to eat with chopsticks. 😁
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I love Japanese cuisine (and, indeed, elements of Japanese culture - I love their design, that fusion of form and function that marks so much good design), but, alas, chop sticks are a skill that yet eludes me, as I have yet to master how to use them.
 
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Scepticalscribe said:
I love Japanese cuisine (and, indeed, elements of Japanese culture - I love their design, that fusion of form and function that marks so much good design), but, alas, chop sticks are a skill that yet eludes me, as I have yet to master how to use them.
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My adoptive mum showed me how to hold them. I remembered how to use them, somehow.

Back when I was 25, I was in Japan, staying with friends I met during their exchange student programme in the U.S.A. At one house, my friend was dropping his food. His father called for the mother/wife to bring dry beans to the table. My friend was slow and dropped his food only after one year away from Japan. The father showed much more skill and speed. Then, they both pointed to me. I didn't want to participate in something that might get me thrown out of the house. I didn't drop any beans and I was faster than both of them.

Now, for the sake of my friend's honor, I should have dropped a few. They were the same family who rented the French restaurant so that I could try Kobe Beef. My family gave my friend a good, American Christmas experience, and his family showed me how it would be to be relatively rich in Japan.
 
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bousozoku said:
My adoptive mum showed me how to hold them. I remembered how to use them, somehow.

Back when I was 25, I was in Japan, staying with friends I met during their exchange student programme in the U.S.A. At one house, my friend was dropping his food. His father called for the mother/wife to bring dry beans to the table. My friend was slow and dropped his food only after one year away from Japan. The father showed much more skill and speed. Then, they both pointed to me. I didn't want to participate in something that might get me thrown out of the house. I didn't drop any beans and I was faster than both of them.

Now, for the sake of my friend's honor, I should have dropped a few. They were the same family who rented the French restaurant so that I could try Kobe Beef. My family gave my friend a good, American Christmas experience, and his family showed me how it would be to be relatively rich in Japan.
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Fortunately, Japanese - and Asian - restaurants - that I frequent have no problem in equipping me with Western utensils and cutlery when I request them.

The important thing is the food, the cuisine, the culture, and that, I love.
 
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And, on the related topic of Japanese manufactured, or crafted, utensils, or cutlery, or knives, I must also add that the very best knives (for cooking, and food preparation) that I have ever had, are a few Shun knives (made in - or, rather, crafted in - Japan), which I treated myself to, around a decade ago.

Not only are they wonderfully sharp, but, ergonomically, they are superb, beautifully balanced, exquisite in the hand with balance and movement that allows for full wrist control (and not too heavy, unlike many Western knives); an absolute pleasure to use, and gorgeous in appearance. I use them daily.
 
Scepticalscribe said:
And, on the related topic of Japanese manufactured, or crafted, utensils, or cutlery, or knives, I must also add that the very best knives (for cooking, and food preparation) that I have ever had, are a few Shun knives (made in - or, rather, crafted in - Japan), which I treated myself to, around a decade ago.

Not only are they wonderfully sharp, but, ergonomically, they are superb, beautifully balanced, exquisite in the hand with balance and movement that allows for full wrist control (and not too heavy, unlike many Western knives); an absolute pleasure to use, and gorgeous in appearance. I use them daily.
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You'd be better off with Valyrian steel knives. They are the best!
 
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DaveFromCampbelltown said:
BTW, you have to watch the 'Cricket' episode...
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We've seen it! Our daughter is only 3 and we don't let her watch much TV, but Bluey is one of the few kids shows that my wife and I enjoy watching as well.

I made the mistake of mentioning to my daughter that my employer is going to begin flying direct to Brisbane, and that we should hop on a plane to visit the Heelers. She won't stop asking me about it!
 
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Scepticalscribe said:
And, on the related topic of Japanese manufactured, or crafted, utensils, or cutlery, or knives, I must also add that the very best knives (for cooking, and food preparation) that I have ever had, are a few Shun knives (made in - or, rather, crafted in - Japan), which I treated myself to, around a decade ago.

Not only are they wonderfully sharp, but, ergonomically, they are superb, beautifully balanced, exquisite in the hand with balance and movement that allows for full wrist control (and not too heavy, unlike many Western knives); an absolute pleasure to use, and gorgeous in appearance. I use them daily.
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I had a set of Henckels 4 star knives, in the block, that I got at a Sidewalk sale in a mall from US$399.99 down to $199.99, that were so good. They had wonderful handles and I never had one slip.

While I would be happy with a sword of Japanese manufacture, I'm not sure about knives, especially since I only see the cheapest of them here.
 
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bousozoku said:
I had a set of Henckels 4 star knives, in the block, that I got at a Sidewalk sale in a mall from US$399.99 down to $199.99, that were so good. They had wonderful handles and I never had one slip.
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I have found the Henckels knives to be too large, and too heavy, for my (rather small) hands, although I don't deny that they are very good knives.

My brother inherited my set.

Shun knives (the Shun Classic range) are superb, perfect for my hand (and yes, quite expensive, but I love them); they are light, sharp, and beautifully balanced.
bousozoku said:
While I would be happy with a sword of Japanese manufacture, I'm not sure about knives, especially since I only see the cheapest of them here.
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The knives - well, the ones I have - are excellent. Actually, they are superb.
 
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Scepticalscribe said:
For me, Shun works exceedingly well; the knives are perfectly balanced in my hand, are not too heavy, and feel as though they are an extension of my wrist, such is my control when using them.
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It’s a Game of Thrones reference.

The trick with knives is knowing how and when to sharpen them. Funnily enough I did Mrs AFB at the weekend.

Son of a butcher so I know how to use a stone.
 
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Apple fanboy said:
It’s a Game of Thrones reference.
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Ah, okay.

I hadn't got the GOT reference.

I never saw (watched?) the TV adaptation, and, for that matter, I never managed to finish the books.

Mind you, as GRR Martin has never finished the books, either, I'm not so sure that this is such a great loss.
Apple fanboy said:
The trick with knives is knowing how and when to sharpen them.
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Yes, you are not the first person to have said this to me, or written this.

When my mother was still with us, but after my dad died, I used to sharpen our knives.
Apple fanboy said:
Funnily enough I did Mrs AFB at the weekend.
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I'mm sure that she appreciated this.

A sharp knife is a wondrous implement.
Apple fanboy said:
Son of a butcher so I know how to use a stone.
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Excellent.
 
Scepticalscribe said:
Romance isn't just the tired clichés of chocolate and flowers, you know.

Sometimes, sharpening knives and attending to - or, even, better still, anticipating - other domestic delights and chores can work an awful lot better in the romantic stakes.
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I read what he wrote a bit differently.
 
dmr727 said:
We've seen it! Our daughter is only 3 and we don't let her watch much TV, but Bluey is one of the few kids shows that my wife and I enjoy watching as well.

I made the mistake of mentioning to my daughter that my employer is going to begin flying direct to Brisbane, and that we should hop on a plane to visit the Heelers. She won't stop asking me about it!
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Heelers (Red and Blue (and you'll see both in the series)) are probably the smartest dogs there are. They have been bred for it.
When you tell a heeler to do something, and they just sit there, with their head to one side, looking at you, you know you've just told them to do something stupid...
 
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yaxomoxay said:
Yeah for all practical intents and purposes it’s usually seen as part of lent. Liturgically, they are their own thing, called the Triduum (three days), which include Holy Thursday (celebration of the Washing of the Feet and Last Supper), Good Friday (celebration of the crucifixion, includes the prostration and is the only day of the year in which Mass is not celebrated), and Holy Saturday (which is basically a vigil).

By the way, whoever invented the calculation of Easter must have been on mushrooms.
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And very good 'shrooms they were too...

Now, try and calculate next year's Easter using Roman Numerals, with both the Julian and Gregorian calendars.

No calculators allowed, and only dip pens. You can use a metal nibbed one because nobody knows how to trim a feather quill anymore.
 
yaxomoxay said:
I just lost brain cells reading this article which compares learning cursive to learning hieroglyphs:
https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/readers-opinion/guest-commentary/article285960076.html

Long live cursive!
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An interesting display of creative ignorance.

Writing by hand (using printing or cursive, it doesn't matter) has all sorts of benefits --
  • Primary students learn language better when writing by hand.
  • Secondary and tertiary students learn lessons better (retain and comprehend more) when taking notes by hand.
  • When writing a new document, if your first (and possibly second) draft is by hand you will write a better, more concise and better explained document. You can then copy-type it to computer and make more edits as you go. If you only write one draft on computer and send it off like that it will be nowhere near as good as it could be.
Now, I find that if I am writing a draft by hand then cursive, for me, is easier and quicker. It doesn't have to look good (no flourishes or the like) but it needs to be legible to me.

Also cursive doesn't have predatory auto-correct...

PS, I also use an $8 fountain pen.

s-l1600.jpg

It's dark green and doesn't have a snowflake...
 
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Scepticalscribe said:
Romance isn't just the tired clichés of chocolate and flowers, you know.

Sometimes, sharpening knives and attending to - or, even, better still, anticipating - other domestic delights and chores can work an awful lot better in the romantic stakes.
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I’ve never bought Mrs AFB any flowers. She doesn’t appreciate them. She just sees it as a waste of money and killing a flower.
As for chocolates, that would just be buying her a weekend in the bathroom as she can’t eat them.

But yes romantic gestures are about the little things. Doing chores that you know your significant other doesn’t like doing.
Not necessarily ordering gifts.
 
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Apple fanboy said:
Nope. My grammar could have been better. I just meant I sharpened her kitchen knives.
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Ah, yes.

Thank you.

That is what I had thought.

My dad used to fix light bulbs, and electrical stuff that went on the proverbial blink, and other related stuff, and I simply (at the time) put it down to part of the language of love.

And my mother noticed (and appreciated, and recognised) this, and reciprocated, in ways that he, in turn, recognised and appreciated.

Again, it doesn't have to be confined to chocolates and flowers. Or words.
 
Apple fanboy said:
I’ve never bought Mrs AFB any flowers. She doesn’t appreciate them. She just sees it as a waste of money and killing a flower.
As for chocolates, that would just be buying her a weekend in the bathroom as she can’t eat them.

But yes romantic gestures are about the little things. Doing chores that you know your significant other doesn’t like doing.
Not necessarily ordering gifts.
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Well said.

And, couldn't agree more.
 
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