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Golden "Week" Start
May. 2nd, 2026 01:25 amIt's Saturday here in Japan. Last Wednesday was a holiday, then I worked Thursday and Friday. Thursday was a blur of trying desperately to get a "syllabus" that is basically a course outline for the entire year for a course that didn't exist until this year finished. Friday was pretty chill, and now I am off until this coming Thursday.
I thought about trying to get out of town for a day or two but everything I looked at it seemed like money I would rather spend on seeing best friend or my dad later in the year. If I can think of a day trip that wouldn't just make me mad I might go? Like, I think it would be fun to just go somewhere on the Shinkansen, but I have no idea where to go, and I often find trying to "get out and do things" more exhausting than just trying to make my little nest a happier place to be...
But I do need trees/grass/mountains occasionally.
I might just go to a local park at an off hour and finally just sit on a swing when no kids need it?
Ideas welcome.
I have talked about this before, but I keep thinking about how even though I enjoy listening to content that's just... talking... like Reddit-reading videos, true crime documentaries, user-submitted story reading accounts, analytical videos... and so on. I always enjoyed watching documentary stuff with my family, since it was one of the things we could all agree on liking when I lived at home. However, I started doing it a lot on my own the first time I was in Japan in 2019. I think it was a way to keep myself company with the language fatigue and the time zone adjustment the first time. Back then, I was less willing to do the things I needed to do to keep in touch with my loved ones on the other side of the world. Especially back then, I did not understand hardly any of what I heard around me. Now, it's still mostly inscrutable, but I recognize phrases and explanations of things I hear often, at least in terms of the gist.
Recently, I lamented that I spend about 11 hours a day away from my house most days in order to facilitate working 8 hours and basic errands like feeding myself or buying groceries to feed myself at home. I had not really done the math before, but in my efforts to avoid being late, that's how it works out. Then, it occurred to me that I typically listen to non-narrative entertainment when I am able to consume any kind of media in public while eating or on transit. I think this makes it really hard for me to write, be creative, and watch the things I would like to watch.
To the end of trying to reteach myself, I started passively rewatching Skins, the UK tv show from my early college years, as I knew I could find it on YouTube.
Strange feeling, but I think I'm onto something.
We'll see if it ever actually sticks.
I know it's Saturday, but I figured I would try doing this. Again, just in the interest of not filing myself down with infinite scrolling:
1. Do you like to spend time outdoors?
2. What is your favorite flower?
3. Any favorite warm weather activities?
4. Have you ever kept a garden? If so, what did you grow?
5. Do you know how to swim?
I thought about trying to get out of town for a day or two but everything I looked at it seemed like money I would rather spend on seeing best friend or my dad later in the year. If I can think of a day trip that wouldn't just make me mad I might go? Like, I think it would be fun to just go somewhere on the Shinkansen, but I have no idea where to go, and I often find trying to "get out and do things" more exhausting than just trying to make my little nest a happier place to be...
But I do need trees/grass/mountains occasionally.
I might just go to a local park at an off hour and finally just sit on a swing when no kids need it?
Ideas welcome.
I have talked about this before, but I keep thinking about how even though I enjoy listening to content that's just... talking... like Reddit-reading videos, true crime documentaries, user-submitted story reading accounts, analytical videos... and so on. I always enjoyed watching documentary stuff with my family, since it was one of the things we could all agree on liking when I lived at home. However, I started doing it a lot on my own the first time I was in Japan in 2019. I think it was a way to keep myself company with the language fatigue and the time zone adjustment the first time. Back then, I was less willing to do the things I needed to do to keep in touch with my loved ones on the other side of the world. Especially back then, I did not understand hardly any of what I heard around me. Now, it's still mostly inscrutable, but I recognize phrases and explanations of things I hear often, at least in terms of the gist.
Recently, I lamented that I spend about 11 hours a day away from my house most days in order to facilitate working 8 hours and basic errands like feeding myself or buying groceries to feed myself at home. I had not really done the math before, but in my efforts to avoid being late, that's how it works out. Then, it occurred to me that I typically listen to non-narrative entertainment when I am able to consume any kind of media in public while eating or on transit. I think this makes it really hard for me to write, be creative, and watch the things I would like to watch.
To the end of trying to reteach myself, I started passively rewatching Skins, the UK tv show from my early college years, as I knew I could find it on YouTube.
Strange feeling, but I think I'm onto something.
We'll see if it ever actually sticks.
I know it's Saturday, but I figured I would try doing this. Again, just in the interest of not filing myself down with infinite scrolling:
The Friday Five for 1 May 2026
1. Do you like to spend time outdoors?
When the weather is right (not too hot, not too cold, not to wet), I do enjoy it sometimes. I'm pretty picky about it. I seem to enjoy it the most mid-morning or late in he evening due to the relative gentleness of the elements in those times. I really wish I spent more time in parks and stuff, but every time I think of it, I am either too busy, it's raining, or it's some extreme temperature.
2. What is your favorite flower?
I know embarrassingly few flowers by name. I like the ones that have a clustery form like lilacs and hydrangeas that have a nice scent but which doesn't give me a headache.
3. Any favorite warm weather activities?
I'm pretty overly sensitive to heat. If it's just warm and not hot, I like getting a little sun just by sitting or walking outside. Otherwise, I like... indoor activities in the summertime.
4. Have you ever kept a garden? If so, what did you grow?
I did not personally do so, but I used to help in my parents' garden (sometimes under duress...) when I was a kid. I once grew a couple of tiny watermelons. I remember harvesting lettuce from planter boxes as a child and picking tomatoes. I planted some dill that spread everywhere also. I would love to grow heirloom tomatoes or herbs, but I just dunno where I am ever going to have permanency and space.
5. Do you know how to swim?
No. I know this freaks people out, but I grew up next to a kinda dirty river with a mom who couldn't come after me if I fell in, so it was not a high priority, and my dad was not a good teacher about it. He didn't wanna force me when it terrified me.
