Comments by "etherdog" (@etherdog) on "Oriental Pearl" channel.

  1. When we said we wanted to see more of you, we weren't expecting the beach scenes :-) There was a TV show in the 60s with Art Linkletter called "Kids Say the Darnedest Things" which was all about the honest unfiltered speech of kids, and it was quite popular (albeit, there were only 3 channels back then).
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  2. Being positive, respectful, and funny is something almost everybody likes. Doggies attract a lot of interaction, too.
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  3. I learned so much French from a Primsleur video series on PBS that when I was in Montreal, an older women came up to me in a metro station and asked directions to where she wanted to go and I was able to tell her.
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  4. I think for a lot of people lack of confidence can be traced to fear of screwing up/making mistakes. Getting over that fear by knowing that you ARE going to make mistakes, and that you will learn from them, is one key to happiness as a human being. You embody that well, Anming!
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  5. We saw you and Jasmine back-to-back! Your Sakurako and Tokyo Treats promo was the most inventive I've ever seen!
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  6. Oddly enough, when Weird Al released his "I'm Fat" video I started questioning my biases. People are different. Vive la difference!
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  7. Great interview with Lisa. I didn't notice that SHE had any disability.
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  8. An Ming, these "language flexing" type of videos are really empowering. It isn't just the language (which is cool) but it is the interpersonal engagement that is so stimulating, and I think that is something that comes more easily to Americans. When I was in Greece in 1984, on the first night on Paros island, we had together 3 Brits from the Midlands, 2 Welsh lads 3 Irish girls, a Canadienne, (who I will love forever) and a couple of Aussie girls. We were thick as thieves for two weeks, doing everything together in a seemingly spontaneously manner, but in reality (in retrospect) it was because I (as the sole American) said "do you wanna do x?" and they said "Sure!" Doing something is better than doing nothing.
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  9. I realized a few videos ago that your music is either from, or evocative of, Orson Welles spy movie "The Third Man". Ha! Proof you are a spy :-) Nice reflections on your experiences! Travelling when young shapes the rest of your life, for the better. It certainly did mine. I'd be willing to go out on a limb and say that every university student should have a gap year in a foreign (language) country before matriculating. If that were so, our GDP and total happiness would soar.
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  10. You brought not only joy and amusement to the people you encountered, but also your viewers! Well done, Anming!
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  11. I've always thought of "nihongo jozu" as encouragement. Nice vid!
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  12. There is a dynamism in becoming immersed in different cultures that is a benefit for all. The more diverse an ecosystem is, the stronger it becomes.
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  13. Dogs and people domesticated each other. It was interesting to see the young kids trying out their English with you, too.
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  14. Hey, Alyssa, this is one of the most important videos you have made!
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  15. You tip about actually paying for some instruction is a good one--if you have "skin in the game" you tend to pay a lot more attention to results.
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  16. Anming, I got disgusted with Trash Taste a long time ago and it tarnishes my opinion of everybody associated with them. Whilst I don't "Like" everything you do, there are plenty of thing I do like and I appreciate that you put yourself out there.
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  17. Statistically sketchy, but in the mind of a nanpa if you hit on 50 women and even one says "yes", then your method is validated However, if you are putting that much time and effort into it, then you must be neglecting the development of your other skills, which makes you "BORING".
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  18. Alyssa, I don't see this kind of reporting on NHK! Aside from the guy lowballing you in NW Tokyo (your virtue is infinity), it seems these areas are relatively safe and there is less mental illness than in the US. The light you are shedding on this topic of homelessness is making a difference. If you can keep it up, I think the government will do something to address it. It takes an outsider's eye to put the problem into perspective!
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  19. Alyssa, this is getting to be an old trope and beneath the great intellect that you hold.
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  20. Also mad props to Luke from Nomadic Gaijin!
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  21. Sooo funny! Thanks for a cute vid, Anming!
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  22. Anming, when we said we wanted to see more of you, we didn't mean like in an onsen :-)
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  23. You are showing some ferocious tenacity in those bouts! Very fun to watch. I like live streams, but 30 minutes is about the max that I can spend time on (so many other Japan vids!)
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  24. You should tell Nathan exactly what they said about him--that will motivate him to learn!
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  25. At 3:20, the Malay version of Tokyo Mario Cart.🙂
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  26. Jesse and Shota were just on Patricia O'Connor's vid that dropped today, too!
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  27. Does Natalie still work at Iizukatei? She was the concierge there a couple of years ago when TabiEats and Life Where I'm From feature the inn.
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  28. I hope you inspired some of the girls to as big and strong as you seem to be.
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  29. That dance is dope!
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  30. You've gotta take Tommy to the original Buddy's Pizza place at 6 Mile and Conant--the birthplace of Detroit style pizza!
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  31. Trés fantastique! I like your offbeat approach. It is oblique and very interesting.
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  32. Always nice to see Nathan in your vids!
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