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π 36 hours in North Korea without a guide...
by JamesOur train trip via Russia to North Korea - using an officially closed for foreigners route inside the "Hermit Kingdom"....
NEW:
A 26min film about the trip - with photos, videos and music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1mzXFAzUjQI miss when the internet was full of travel blogs like this. Random photos of everyday things. Not super-polished or photoshopped to death. Just people doing their thing and letting others follow along.
The original travelogue is a fun read.Β -
Checkin to εε½η»γε£ι§
Todayβs Fuji.Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park Juukoku Pass -
Checkin to εε½η»γε£ι§
Riding a cable car. Itβs soo steep! Almost like youβre going up a mountainβ¦ -
Checkin to Oratche (ι ͺθΎ²ηε½γͺγ©γγγ§)
Feeding the cowsRice Paddies Next to the Cows -
by JamesAs a Mac user since 10.1/10.2 the new MacbookPro look fantastic, exactly what I wanted from a new Mac. A return to utility. Similar my 2014 MBP. As someone who wants a repairable computer, however...it's mostly what I expected...not. Their chips are so much better than the competition. Slower/louder/hotter and a disrupted workflow is a hard sell.
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The Week #67
by James- Technically from last week, Jacob linked me to this short video about Dutch continuous sidewalks. I never thought I'd become excited about sidewalks (other than them existing) until I saw this video. And it makes so much more sense: bring cars up to people level, not people down to car level and make cars a guest in human environment.
- I went to the office to work for the first time (at Octopus) and the first time since early February 2020. I rode the train around 6:30 and arrived at the station around 7:30. The trains weren't super crowded either where I rode (in the very front).
There's also a Tully's nearby in the IBM headquarters where I could decompress with a coffee and work for a bit before going in. I used to do this when I was going in to the BeProud office.
It was great to meet part of the team in person. Going out to lunch in a social setting was a lot of fun too. I can't remember the last time I did that. Each Friday's is "family dinner", where there's a small presentation followed by beers at the office, which was also a lot of fun. - We got a second quote for solar panels on our home. 2 down, 2 to go. This time the talk was much better. Not just the price (about 10k less), but it felt like he was communicating when we asked questions, not just giving us canned sales responses.
He recommended QCells panels and a Japanese battery. Overall kilowattage from his quote was a bit smaller as QCells (like most foreign solar panels) tend to be larger square (like foreign roofs) so they tend to leave gaps along the edges. Domestic manufacturers tend to make smaller / non-square panels, so you can get the most of your small roof. This company is also going to produce a quote for us with domestic panels as well. Will be interesting to see how they come out. - After last weeks' unseasonably warm weather (and two trips to the beach!), the temperate finally decided to drop. These times when the weather suddenly changes are the easiest to get sick, so I've got to take extra precaution to keep healthy this week.
- Covid cases were down to 23 in Kanagawa and 29 in Tokyo Monday. Monday is usually a low count day, but it's the lowest they've been in over a year. At this rate I think we'll be down to single digits again soon...maybe next week? Let's hope it stays this way.
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Checkin to ζ³εΊε½Ήζ
Waiting to get my MyNumber card. Applied using my phone a few weeks ago, super smooth. -
Keeping Hydrated π§
by JamesI mostly drink two things: black coffee and water. Unless I actively think about it, I usually don't drink enough water in a given day. While I enjoy the taste of water, I have a habit of just sipping my coffee and getting a refill from the maker when it runs out.
This isn't a good habit. Sometimes when I go to sleep at night, about an hour after I fall asleep, I'll wake up with my feet feeling sore. Problems if your feet at night cause me alarm. Usually as feet problems can be signs of diabetes.But it can also be cause by having tired feet because you were on them all day and they're tired. Or, as I discovered, dehydration.
Drinking nothing but black coffee, which dehydrates despite being a liquid, is a good way to end up really dehydrated. In an effort to drink more water I've been taking my old Laken water bottle with my coffee upstairs with me when I start work. Doing so has kept me drinking more water and I can't remember the last time I my feet were sore at night.
I love my little Laken. It's forest green. I've had it for probably a decade at this point. It has a dent at the top that gives it some character. The cap has a great clip that I can use to attach it to my bag so it doesn't fall out.
But it's a bit small, only about 500ml. I often find myself needing to buy a bottle of water to refill it, which defeats the purpose. And that clip I love? It's kind of a pain to unhook when I'm walking around town and want a quick drink. The mouth is also a bit small, about the size of a regular plastic bottle, so I always spill a bit when filling it up. And it's not insulated, so it sweats as much as I do during summer.
So I upgraded today to a 946ml (32oz) Hydro Flask. It's the opposite of my first bottle. It's big. It's got double-wall insulation, so it won't sweat and drinks keep cold/hot. I can put hot liquids in it. The mouth is huge. The lid doesn't have a hook, but it does have a loop that I can use to strap it to my bag. It'sΒ freakin' purple (technically "eggplant").Β It's a tank.Β
My old water bottle lasted me a decade still has plenty of life left in it. I hope this one keeps me hydrated for many years to come. -
Checkin to Tully's Coffee
Another day. Another Tullyβs. w. Taco Rice.Taco Rice -
by JamesYes! Checkins now display inline on micro.blog. The secret was physically removing the title tag, not just setting it empty (which was a slight pain with Django).
