Not working in a toxic environment frees your mind

I've been detoxing from previous hate-filled, backstabbing, unfair work situations (I'm currently working in non-toxic environments, thanks to the advice in the excellent book The Asshole Survival Guide, which I wrote about in a blog post here). One thing I've noticed is that my mind has been freed up to think about things and think about what I really like to do. At first when I unplugged from destruction and from a busy schedule, thoughts flooded my mind. I wanted to get busy again to stop the thoughts, but an introspective person told me that it's good to think and reflect. So I started pondering; here's what I've been thinking:

• Based on a biography I read about Charles Schulz ("Schulz and Peanuts"), it seems like the United States became a consumer society after World War II, though the BBC explains that consumerism started increasing in the early 20th century. Reading about American consumerism caused me to think about ideological consumerism. I've noticed that people who live in isolated situations (a suburban cul-de-sac, a small town, a limited neighborhood) where they don't encounter many people IRL use digital and social media to consume ideas and enticing images. Whereas previously (pre-Internet), the mass media fueled consumerism and put out societal messages, now anyone who doesn't really want to talk to actual humans can consume what they want and identify with trends that define who they are or who they want to be. They'll see catchy slogans that aren't based on actual facts, history, or accurate definitions; if the headline is punchy and the spokesperson stylish, they'll go along with it. Some may even emerge from their enclosed spaces to inflict or wish harm on others, furthering their identification with a perceived cool group. And then they create a clique: if you think like me, you're fine. If you don't think like me, you deserve to be ruined. They're walking around the mall of ideas with their clique rather than having to interact with different kinds of people to survive. 
• Just because someone is educated and/or rich doesn't mean they are more cosmopolitan or refined. I've met barely-educated people who are smarter, friendlier, more perceptive, and more open-minded than people who have gone to college. I've also met people who have more dignity, with better manners, than rich people. Wealth doesn't equal class, and education doesn't equal understanding. There's an assumption that wealthy people have access to more, so they can participate in more mind- and experience-broadening activities, and choose the best style, architecture, possessions...anything exquisitely man-made, but they don't necessarily choose what is tasteful or aesthetically pleasing; they prefer to be brash. And there are rich people who don't use their wealth to expand their understanding of the world or enjoy more of its complexities; such rich folks are simple consumers who don't want to go beyond what they know because they assume they don't need to know anything other than what surrounds them. And educated people have supposedly read more and taken in more ideas, but they can be just as provincial as someone who's never gone beyond 8th grade in an isolated area. The "highly educated" can also be racist, prejudiced, and judgmental, automatically jumping to conclusions about people who are different from them. It's as if their education barely made a dent in their already-hardened minds. Provincialism and narrow-mindedness can be applied to anyone, no matter how educated or rich they are.
• Some people's ideas convey tunnel of mind and cul-de-sac thinking.
• Marilyn Monroe used to stand out for how she presented herself in the public sphere. Now anyone can be like her, and more-so, on social media.
• There are many good writers in the media, which confirms the assumption that educated people can write. And the media pros have to write to tight deadlines. But now that I'm working more in other areas, I'm noticing that various educated people can't write, or their writing is full of grammatical errors (such as lots of comma splices on LinkedIn, poor sentence construction in memos and emails, run-on sentences, misspellings, etc.). So why can't good writers who thoroughly understand grammar get work?  
• You know you're starting to get over grief, toxicity, betrayal, or another negative experience when you are thinking about future plans instead of replaying past events.
• I love language. That's why I started this blog 20 years ago. But eventually, I was so busy trying to survive toxic work situations that I didn't have the mental space to study languages much. Now that my mind is free, I'm spending a lot more time studying and enjoying French, Italian, German, Japanese, Spanish, and Portuguese. And luckily, a boss in one of my non-toxic work situations also loves languages. To reiterate, not working in a toxic situation frees your mind to do what you enjoy. You occupy your own space that no one can violate. Don't let them break through.  
• When I exit my home and walk outside, I see thousands of people. There are people from all over the country and around the world, speaking different languages, wearing different clothes, having a good time. It reminds me that we can't generalize or assume that there are simple solutions to problems. It's easier to judge and simplify societal analysis when people are isolated or live near people who are similar to them. The way to create more harmony is to talk to all kinds of people. People operate like tubes; they get in their cars, drive to their destination, do what they have to, then get back in their cars and go to their next destination, or go back home where they can do what they want alone. American culture's individualistic nature, technology, dynamic digitalization, and developed infrastructure create barriers. It takes effort for someone to get off their own track and interact with others. It's like we're little planets orbiting around the concept of the pursuit of happiness but only latching on to what serves us best.
• Stolen Valor in the non-military sense. I have enough opinions about the topic that I could easily write a blog post about it, and if I were a gifted comedian, I'd do a bit about it. But I don't want to discuss it publicly because the Internet is harsh, and I'm not rich to say or do whatever I want.
• Speaking of being rich, I've been making a list of what I would do if I were rich. I think it's because I often walk in rich areas and have the space in my mind to imagine such things. I'll never be rich, but it doesn't stop me from wondering.
• I have failed many times, but at least I try.
• Smart guys have built successful companies, employing thousands. But because those guys are so smart and not empathetic, it doesn't matter how rich or successful their companies are. If they lack the empathy gene, they'll be awful to work for, and people shouldn't rationalize their behavior. They've created good tech or whatever, but that doesn't give them a pass to treat people badly or not understand human beings.
• If you know what your passion is, stick to it and pursue it. Don't let them win.

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.

Briefly reached first place

I got first place in the highest league on Duolingo, but it happened on the last Sunday in May, right before Memorial Day. But I'm mentioning it now because I forgot to post it a few weeks ago, and it's blog-worthy because such an achievement is difficult. Since then, my language pursuits have expanded: I've been doing Italian on Duolingo every day, am trying to improve my Spanish where I teach (I don't need to speak it well but it's nice to make attempts), and will begin a French course this week. I can read French moderately well, but my speaking is pretty much non-existent, so the class will be helpful because it's immersive and conversation-focused. I'll probably write about it here because I haven't taken an in-person language class in years.

Men's Pocky replacement

Several years ago, I did a post about Men's Pocky メンズポッキー, but after that, I could no longer find it at Mitsuwa, which carries all the Pocky products. When I was at the Sweets & Snacks Expo last year, I asked the Pocky folks what happened, and they just said it was discontinued. I liked it because it was dark chocolate, but I didn't see such a product for a while.

Then last week, I found a Men's Pocky replacement at Hello Tokyo in Niles: Pocky カカオ60％ (Cacao 60%). The first screen at the website says "The most bitter Pocky ever. Whole-grain cocoa pretzels. Bitter chocolate with 60% cacao."

Here's the translation for the main screen: "Dark, fragrant. Pocky Cacao 60%. Bitter chocolate with authentic cacao. Bitter chocolate with 60% cacao is combined with whole-grain cocoa pretzels. Mild sweetness made with beautifully fragrant Ecuadorian cacao. One bag has 367 mg of cacao polyphenols. Delightful, authentic cacao Pocky, with plant fiber."

It's actually better than Men's Pocky. But I can't say the same for Banana Pocky. It's worse than before. I'll post about that later.

Still fake blogging

Someone in a writing group was sort of mocking me for often writing in my fake blogs, but at least I'm writing. The bottom line is that writers write. I've met people who haven't even finished anything and don't post anything in public. I do, and have, and will continue to. I've gotten paid to write, have written a novel, have been blogging for years, and have added two fake blogs to my pursuits.

It's fun to escape reality and pretend I'm someone else. At first I had only one fake blog, but I added another one to process the toxicity that I've experienced and seen over the years. It's so liberating to write in a different space and take on the mind of a created character.  

I wasn't planning on posting this today because I've been working on a Japanese-related post this week, but I wanted to mention the fake blogging because it appears that I haven't posted to this real blog in a while. 

And since I no longer work before dawn nor in toxic workplaces, I'm still using that renewed energy to study various languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, French, Italian, and German. Lately I've been focusing more on French and Spanish, with the other sprinkled in. I love studying languages, and I am so glad I quit draining, abusive, unfair situations!

I finished the Duolingo Portuguese course!

A couple of weeks ago, I said that I was studying Portuguese more intensely and thought I would be done with the Duolingo course more towards June. But I decided to try to finish the course by Easter, which was yesterday, and I managed to finish it last night. So I got to the finish line by the end of March, and now it's the beginning of April, a fresh start for another pursuit. 

Since the beginning of the year, I've finished the Japanese and Portuguese courses. But I don't think Duolingo really cares if we finish; it seems like they want us to stay mired in endless lessons because they keep changing and extending their courses. While I'm very glad I've attained a couple of major language goals, I don't really want to use Duolingo as much anymore. My paid account ends in July and I am not going to renew the subscription.

I wasn't planning on saying anything negative, but the Duolingo admins blocked my post about it on an online forum. I'd posted an image and wrote two sentences about it, but they said that violated their rules because they wanted a more robust written description. I thought, okay, I finished a course. That's a big deal; why aren't they accepting that as-is? They're constantly throwing out stats saying how rare such engagement is, but when you actually achieve something, they downplay it, not just in discussions but in the app. They celebrate tiny wins but don't care about the larger ones. So I wrote a longer description and was not blocked when I posted it again, but there was a bot answer that told people how they should engage with my post. 

I've been studying languages and teaching ESL for several years. I'm obviously really into language and have kept this blog going for almost 20 years. But a bot blocking me, then responding to posts (not just mine) to tell people what they should say, in addition to an app that keeps moving the goal lines, is sort of crass. That's why I'm way more appreciative of what Easy German is doing. I'll be doing a post about them in the future. But in the meantime, yes, I'm happy that I learned a lot and finished two courses, and will still engage with Duolingo a bit every day, but I'm not going to promote them anymore, even to my students.

I translated a bit of German

When I had more time between jobs, I decided to spend more time on Twitch to listen to electronic music, especially from Germany because I was trying to improve my German while listening to music that was very different than what's popular in Chicago. 

What I've noticed is that American music has been hip hop-oriented while Germany seems to not have focused on such beats or sounds, and what they call "House" really isn't the House that originated in Chicago. It's also interesting when the DJs don't speak much English because they play music that is more European-based, and to me it's both enjoyable and interesting. I haven't been to Europe in several years, so it's like I'm traveling via music. 

One day I was listening to a German DJ and I noticed that his bio was only in German. Even if other DJs don't know English very well, they usually manage to translate their info, even if it isn't so perfect. So I asked him in the chat if he wanted me to translate his bio into English, and he said yes. At first, I didn't see it in his profile, so I figured he didn't want to post it. Then he did, and here it is: 

Meine Leidenschaft zur Musik begann schon vor einer gefühlten Ewigkeit. Mit den ersten Schul-Disco's wuchs die Liebe zum DJ'ing.
Seit 89 war ich dann über 12 Jahre aktiv als DJ in Clubs und Diskotheken unterwegs.
Nach einer längeren Pause bin ich jetzt wieder hier am Start und möchte euch auf meinem Kanal eine Galaxie voller elektronischer Musik präsentieren.
Begleitet mich auf meiner Reise durch die unendlichen Weiten mit elektronischen Melodic und Progressive Sounds, chillt mit Deep-House Music oder tanzt ab bei Special-Sets mit House-Music oder ab und zu bei Sets mit Musik aus 80er, 90er oder Trance-Classics.
Werdet Teil einer tollen Community 

My passion for music began what feels like an eternity ago. From my first school discos, my love of DJ’ing grew. I was an active DJ in clubs and discos from 1989 for more than 12 years.
After a long break I’m back, starting here again, and want to offer you a galaxy full of electronic music on my channel.
Join me on my journey through the infinite expanses of electronic melodic and progressive sounds. Chill out with deep house music or dance the night away to special sets with house music, or sometimes sets with music from the 80s, 90s or trance classics.
Be part of a great community. 

The intro is still only in German, so I'll post the translation that I did here: 

Herzlich Willkommmen auf dem Kanal von Galaxy-Music! Neben spacig-elektronischem Sound aus Melodic und Progressive House, gibt es hier auch irdische Klänge mit Deep-House, House... bis hin zu Special-Set's. Enjoy it and feel the Music und werde ein Teil unserer großartigen Community.  

A warm welcome to the Galaxy-Music channel! In addition to the spacey-electronic sounds of melodic and progressive House, there are also the earthly sounds of Deep-House, House…including Special-Sets here. Enjoy it and feel the music and be a part of our great community.  

My next German-translating endeavor is going to be an article about a German electronica group that I also discovered on Twitch.  

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.

Getting more into Portuguese

After I finished the Japanese Duolingo course, I decided to try to finish another course. Before trying to attain the Japanese goal, I'd been spending a lot of time on German, with other languages sprinkled in. But the satisfaction of finishing something I'd started caused me to look at the length of each of the courses I was taking, and they were either really long or extremely long. I think it's because the courses are aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Spanish and French look like they'll take forever, and German will take a long time as well. Italian seems better, but Portuguese seems more manageable. So I've decided to concentrate on that, and I'm having a great time.

My previous exposure to Portuguese was several years ago in some casual lessons and a couple of trips to Brazil. I also translated Portuguese into English for work and for fun, which didn't seem difficult after trying to tackle Japanese translation. So my Duolingo learning is pretty challenging, especially because it's hard to understand the audio. If I want to skip a unit, the vocabulary questions seem easy, but I don't always understand the dictation. So when I see the correct answer, I understand what's written and am pretty annoyed that I wasn't able to discern the words.

It's sort of messed up my Spanish, which wasn't that great anyway. Now I'm working in more Spanish environments, so I have to sometimes speak it and understand what people are saying to me. But sometimes I'll say a word that is correct in Portuguese but is wrong in Spanish, so my mind feels more scrambled. The other day I told some Spanish speakers that I've been doing more Portuguese in Duolingo than Spanish, and they were cool about it, but I was sort of frustrated that I'm attempting different languages but they're just mush in my mind. But I feel like my reading skills are still solid, so at least I have that going for me :) If people email me in Spanish I understand, and I understand articles pretty well, but listening is difficult and speaking is almost impossible at this point. 

Because Duolingo can't be used alone to get a better grasp of a language, I've been looking at some old books on my shelf such as Essential Portuguese Grammar and Teach Yourself Portuguese, which are written for English speakers, and Bem-Vindo, which is more challenging because it's totally in Portuguese. They're all still useful even though they're from early in the century. I even have a Portuguese Bible that I bought years ago in Brazil. It's written in modern Portuguese, so it's not that hard to understand.

I'm planning on finishing the Portuguese course before the summer. And I would love to go to Portugal sometime because everyone says it's a fantastic country to visit, and some people say it's the best.

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.