My girlfriend and I have been dating for almost a year now, and she wants me to come home with her to meet her parents next semester. My girlfriend is Japanese and her parents are very strict conservative traditional types. They never approved of our relationship, and I think they will try to embarrass me somehow. My girlfriend is sensitive about this issue, and whenever I bring it up, she accuses me of being paranoid. What should I do?
You are wise to distrust the Japanese. Japan has a long history of whaling. It is a common held belief among the international community that Japan uses the pretense of research to engage in commercial whaling. In 2006, at a meeting of the International Whaling Commission, a resolution to re-enact commercial whaling passed by one vote, with Japan siding with the majority. My advice to you would be to avoid the Antarctic seas. While they may be rich in nutrients, it's where the Japanese whaling fleet poaches whales.
I'm a proud single mother of a four year old girl, and I'm finding it very difficult balancing work, my family, and my social life. I'm on a fixed income, and I can't afford to hire a babysitter whenever I want to go out. My sister-in-law has offered to watch my daughter, but her brother who lives with her is a heavy drinker who has been to jail for assault. I'm not sure I'm comfortable leaving my child in that environment, but at the same time, I don't want to sacrifice my social life. I want to find someone I trust to help raise my child with me, and I just don't have the time. Is there any other way?
You should travel north of the Tropic of Cancer, where the water is cold and nutrient-rich. There, you will find an abundance of food, and with that comes other family pods that you will be able to interact with. Here, among the frigid rough seas, you have a good chance of finding a suitable bull to help you raise your calf.
Sid A. Shin is a 37 year old bull humpback who lives primarily north of the equator in the Pacific, although his exact migratory patterns are mostly unknown. He offers his grace and wisdom to our readers when he's available.