Nearby to you over in Korea. I’m also trying hard here to avoid American. I’ve wholly stopped drinking American whisky when I go out, which my local bartenders have noticed and are actually willing to share the issue with customers who ask, and a few others have joined up in support which is kind.

51st state. Trump wants Canada to be the 51st state.

Gratitude journals are amazing. I started maybe twelve years ago now. It’s helped me slow down and appreciate little things more often. I remember starting out my journal and looking for big events in my day.

I quickly learned that on bad days, I’d have to stretch to something like “I saw a cloud that looked like a puppy.” and that was when I started to look for smaller joys throughout the day. I also stopped depending on other people for joy.

One of my biggest changes i made was if I’m not working or on call but spending time with another person, I’ll fully turn off my phone. I realize in an emergency I need it, so I still bring it with me. But when I sit down with someone, my phone is off. And it will remain off.

It’s helped me realize so quickly how often we reach for our phones to demonstrate something rather than describe it. Saw a funny video? Describe it. Can’t describe it? Send a link later. It doesn’t have to interrupt the flow of the conversation.

I was always someone who had a batch of online stuff to show when things got quiet. Now I let the quietness stand. It’s much more enjoyable getting to see friends now.

I don’t particularly want to be remembered for anything in my life. I don’t need fame or standing. I dedicate my life to trying to improve people’s lives as a teacher. I’d give my life if it meant everyone would live a significantly better life forever.

Poorly. They said they don’t have patterns that big. I offered to source them. Still no. Fair enough, I suppose. I get the same treatment looking for a tall bicycle here.

Suoer! Thank you! I will do some digging this weekend :) I’ve got a group of fellow Canadians here who are interested, too, so I’ll also pass it along to them.

Awesome stuff, thanks! I’ll reach out to them about shipping if I can’t find a third-party shipping option.

Solid idea there. I’ll have to go visit an EU community to ask similar questions after I finish sourcing what I can from Canada.

I don’t think there’s a benevolent all-powerful being, so I’m not even sure I believe that there’s a good vs. bad place.

If there were a benevolent all-powerful being, the amount of injustice and brutality in the world that the truly innocent suffer would be spared from it.

If there is an afterlife, suffering continues there. But not all face suffering. And in that same plane, peace continues there, but not all face peace.

So, if heaven and hell exist, they’re the same place.

Agreed on the UK shows. The IT Crowd, Black Books, etc

Solid clarification and expansion there.

For the sake of expanding on cultural/social differences in other places, here in South Korea, most folks i see on dating apps in their 30s are without kids.

It’s in the 30s that most relationships turn serious and get married.

I know two people here who got married in their 20s and had kids. Even the one who got married in their early 20s is open about how she maybe rushed into it.

My time in Canada supports everything you’ve said, mind you. If I hadn’t experienced life here in Korea for so many years, I’d probably wholeheartedly agree without realizing that without knowing where OP lives, it’s hard to describe what their potential dating windows are.

I was fortunate to have a wonderful father. It wasn’t until it was almost too late that I realized and thanked him.

Be firm, but reasonable. Be kind and sensitive. Tease because it gently builds tolerances. Lift up and build up, don’t break down.

Encourage communication and support with understanding. Don’t punish honesty. Encourage it and meet it with respect. Even when honesty reveals a wrongdoing, communicate the next steps to right the wrong. Help them walk those steps. But sometimes, let them take some of the steps alone to build independence.

Be there to catch them when they fall. Be there.

I finally got back to my Taboo generator spreadsheet to quickly create a set of words with related banned words for my classes to use when we do vocabulary reviews. Not only did I get the related words scraping off a database and filtering correctly, I also have it so I can select vocabulary by week, up to that week, and also display it in a printable page with cards for physical play.

Up next, I’m hoping to also tag on a word search generator for vocabulary words.

Spreadsheeting is fun!

This is entirely dependent on where you’re living. If you live in a large city, slim isn’t the word I’d use.

Also, not weird or abnormal in a lot of the world. Lots of areas in Asia value education before relationships and encourage someone to be self-sufficient before marrying.

Two, I’m fine. But I’m a giant. Four, especially if they’re beers, and my sleep quality tanks. Either unable to fall asleep altogether or terrible quality sleep. So I usually stay below that amount.

Disclaimer: Not a doctor, just guessing from life experience here.

Knee sideways/unsupported + gravity = achy knee. I’m absurdly tall, so my knees are never supported by chairs. After an hour or so of that, I’m in dire need of a proper stretch.

No, I don’t want them here, haha. This is my future home, I don’t need that nonsense here! It’s also my friend’s bar, so I don’t particularly want to ruin business for him. But I did talk with him about it later.

Well, that’s comforting to hear!

I recently met two Albertans out here in South Korea at a bar. They were on the other side of the bar from me, and when they walked past, I greeted them as an Ontarian and offered to shake their hands. They both declined the handshake and proudly announced, “We’re not on the same team.”

That was a few weeks ago. I’m still disturbed by it. I knew Albertans had a reputation because of the politicking there. But I hadn’t realized it would be so blatant. That same night, two South Africans happily asked me my thoughts on Trump, and I was perhaps too honest in my first statement, and they grew upset with me and insisted he was good for Canadians and South Africans, both.

I left the bar not long after. Haven’t seen those four come back, so there is a bright side to the story, at least.