What Have We Learned?

Try to imagine a series of TV programs for learning how to do stuff. Do you remember that old show with Bob Ross on PBS? The one where he taught you how to paint happy little trees? Imagine a show with some sincere, knowledgeable, slightly creepy guy telling you how to avoid the most common mistakes of whatever hobby you're trying to pick up.

Now imagine one for business English. And one for advanced business English. And one for British Football English. And one for conversational English. And one for German, Russian, Spanish, French, Italian, Korean and Mandarin Chinese.

Now imagine one for cooking. And making apartment furnishings from stuff you got at the 99 cent store. And one for caring for your pet hedgehog. And one for making miniature aquarium diaramas. And one for making paper airplanes. And one for golf. And one for swimming.

And one for walking in high heels.

Hey, look at that. We've just covered most of the offerings on NHK-E, the educational channel offered by Nippon Hoosoo Kyoukai (Japan Broadcasting Corporation). The Japanese government pays to produce TV programs that teach people how to waltz. Or say "Where's the toilet?" to a guy from Hamburg. Or how to walk in mules and look sexy without making that fpap-fpap-fpap sound.

What... you want some kind of comment that explains the significance of this? It's clearly a representation of some sort that shows what the government thinks the average person with enough free time wants to know, but how the hell can you sum up everything that implies? I'm putting together a jigsaw puzzle with no picture, no border, and no end.