Well; we're locked in now. On the 22nd we altered the flight details for the US leg such that we now fly into LA and out of SF. Dates unchanged.
On the 23rd we paid for our tickets (and the Disney passes). I expected it to be a "watershed" moment in terms of making the trip more real. Nope, just slipped by as another arrangement with a deadline that had to be dealt with. Believe me, the excitement is there, outlaying a wad of cash simply wasn't needed as a catalyst.
21/2 - The Cost of Information
Wow - a month without posting anything. Bet you think we've been doing nothing regarding the trip! If so, you couldn't be more wrong: there's language study (3 languages!), itinerary planning, accomodation planning, contacting friends, etc. etc. I can't recall a day in the last month that hasn't had an hour or more on trip logistics - I already need a holiday from the holiday. ;)
However I wanted to make a simple observation today on the relative cost of information today versus about a decade ago. The background is that I've been grabbing some Japanese language resources when I realised just how important it was for me to speak to our Japanese friends clearly and from my heart. By which I mean more than just simply "I am very happy", "I teach at a university", "I am hungry".
This is a bit of deja vu for me because I've studied Japanese in the past - before both previous visits (and of course while living there). On previous occasions I've searched for textbooks, audio (tapes), etc. etc. While these things weren't scarce (in the early 90s you could find them in any large bookshop) they were neither plentiful or cheap. Today, it seems so much easier to me to find the resources from which to study. For instance I have 50+ lessons of "Brush Up your Japanese" from NHK - now on my PDA - all at no cost. Similarly, there are bountiful free resources teaching listening, speaking, reading, and writing Japanese; just a google search away.
Though I'm speaking about Japanese language study; this principle of The Cost of Information continuing to decline; while the Value of Information increases, seems a global one. Anyway, enough sophistry (intelectual self-indulgence), and on with the trip news.
However I wanted to make a simple observation today on the relative cost of information today versus about a decade ago. The background is that I've been grabbing some Japanese language resources when I realised just how important it was for me to speak to our Japanese friends clearly and from my heart. By which I mean more than just simply "I am very happy", "I teach at a university", "I am hungry".
This is a bit of deja vu for me because I've studied Japanese in the past - before both previous visits (and of course while living there). On previous occasions I've searched for textbooks, audio (tapes), etc. etc. While these things weren't scarce (in the early 90s you could find them in any large bookshop) they were neither plentiful or cheap. Today, it seems so much easier to me to find the resources from which to study. For instance I have 50+ lessons of "Brush Up your Japanese" from NHK - now on my PDA - all at no cost. Similarly, there are bountiful free resources teaching listening, speaking, reading, and writing Japanese; just a google search away.
Though I'm speaking about Japanese language study; this principle of The Cost of Information continuing to decline; while the Value of Information increases, seems a global one. Anyway, enough sophistry (intelectual self-indulgence), and on with the trip news.
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