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Checkin to GAIL's Bakery
Sultana scone with strawberry jam and clotted cream with a flat white. 😋 -
Checkin to ANA LOUNGE
Brief trip to London. brb. -
The Week #272
by James- ☀️ While the intensity of the heat has decreased this past week, it's still above 30 during the day and staying in the mid 20's. That seems like it will change next week but for now it's still "fierce heat".
- 👴 Respect for the Aged day was this week. I'm mixed on this day (despite enjoying the 3-day weekend and it applying to me more and more each year). Why am I mixed? Children have a day (makes sense), the olds have a day (🧐) –where's the "respect for the middle aged for simultaneously keeping society running and raising the next generation" day? Maybe respect for the aged day is about respecting them for surviving? If that's the case...perhaps I am less mixed. than I was initially.
👆 It occurs to me that I am closing in on the final weeks of my 3rd decade. I should set some time aside to reflect on the past 10 years. Appreciate the changes and make some plans for the next. - 🎶 I've been listening to No Question by M-Flo on not quite repeat, but close enough. Sooo good.
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The Week #271
by James- 🦷 Leo's front teeth have been loose for a while and this week they decided it was time. I need to get lots of photos of him while he's in this toothless state.
- 🏊♂️ We went swimming at the YMCA. It's been about a year or more since we went swimming together and I am impressed with his ability. He could do backstroke the crawl from the middle of the pool. I think he might be part fish.
- 🙇♂️ The prime minister of Japan has announced that he's resigning (🎁 nytimes). I feel like there's been about 4 pms in the last 5 years. I feel like the constant churn of leadership makes it difficult for a country to build rapport amongst the top, though perhaps that's what the bureaucracies are for.
- 🏡 I am continuing to look around and exploring different potential futures. Most of them excite me, except the potential of commuting across Yokohama everyday. Not even across Yokohama, but more of a V into the center and back out is the pain.
The thing is, as much as I moan about our location, our house is comfortable enough. Moving to a smaller place in an area we're not familiar with is a bit daunting. We'd probably have people on all sides of us again. Moving into a smaller place automatically means going through the things we have and deciding what to get rid of (which is a good thing, imo). But actually getting rid of stuff, arranging movers, selling the house. So much administrative work.
It's a bit like betting the farm on something you're not 100% sure is going to work out. However, when you consider the alternatives (no change, commuting both ways once or twice a day (depending on pattern)), it's the only thing that makes sense. I'm sure we'll know the right move when the time is right.
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The Week #270
by James- 🕹️ We beat Mario Odyssey – or at least Bowser. Next up is getting the rest of the moons and stars. Low-40's remaining.
- ☀️ The heat continues and is slated to continue through September. Tokyo broke it's record for number of "fierce heat" days this summer at 26 and it's not done yet. On the plus side it's become socially acceptable for men to carry sun umbrellas to protect them from the UV.
Watching the morning news while writing this and it's going to be 37. Those days in London are looking dreamy. - 💰 It took a couple of weeks for the NTA to approve all the things, but I finally got a NISA and bought my first stocks. I'm excited because rather than sending money back to the US each month to invest, I can keep it local. This saves me the Wise fees, removes a bunch of tracking that I probably should be doing more/better, and lets it grow tax-free (in Japan).
Next step is to setup automation so I'm automatically saving and investing each month. Automating saving is one of those things that is a game changer for personal finance. Let computers remember to do it for me. - 📺 I stumbled upon this video about the foreign community in Yokohama from 1982. Fascinating watch.
