Categories
Recent Posts: M Thomas Apple Author Page
Plants can grow in lunar soil (barely)
The samples were extremely hydrophobic, and repelled water as if it were the most disgusting thing ever invented. Researchers labored to get the lunar soil to gradually soak up water. They also added a nutrient solution. https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2022/05/12/plants-grow-in-lunar-soil/ Turns out that it is possible to grow plants on the Moon… …although you might want to wear […]
Super Flower Blood Moon coming soon
…if you are lucky enough to live Western Europe, parts of northwestern Africa, and some of the Americans… As for why the Moon appears red… “You’ll actually be seeing every sunrise and every sunset occurring around the Earth at once. All of that light will be projected on to the Moon.” (Dr Gregory Brown, Royal […]
FB censorship, here we go again…
Stop wasting everyone’s time #FaceBook with your ridiculous #censorship – Grow up, #Zuckerberg!
Top Posts & Pages
copyright disclaimer
© Matthew Apple and Taking Leave, 2009-2020. Duplication of this material without express and written permission is strictly prohibited. If you would like to post or copy brief excerpts from the blog, please provide a link to the original URL along with an author’s credit.
Category Archives: Japanese culture
Ten Years of Taking Leave
Looking back, it’s amazing to me now that I dared to even apply for a year of paternity leave while living in a foreign country. But I’ve never regretted the decision. As I told an audience of university students and … Continue reading
Posted in book, day care, education, gender roles, Japan, Japanese, Japanese culture, Japanese society, parenting, Paternity leave, school
Tagged bilingualism, blogging, child care, child-raising, children, education, family, family leave, fatherhood, gender roles, haafu, Japan, Japanese, Japanese kids, parental leave, parents
Leave a comment
First Year Wall (Part 2) – The (not-so voluntary) parent-teacher conference
In mid-April, I went to a parent-teacher conference. Actually, it was more like an enforced PTA committee, which one parent per kid had to attend. As a group. We sat at our kids’ desks (tiny!) and introduced ourselves. This was … Continue reading
Posted in education, Japan, Japanese, Japanese culture, Japanese law, Japanese society, parenting, school
Tagged education, elementary school, Japan, micromanaging, names, parents, PTA
1 Comment
Death of a Cherry Tree
This past Monday, city workers came to cut down a cherry tree near our house. It had been there for years. We found out later that a neighbor had complained that leaves falling in her backyard were a nuisance to … Continue reading
Posted in death, Japan, Japanese culture, nature, spring
Tagged children, family, inspiration, Japan, life, trees
Leave a comment