Life Digest. August 2024. The topic is a Leisure. And a bit of heat.

Leisure is “an attitude of the mind and a condition of the soul that fosters a capacity to perceive the reality of the world". - Josef Pieper

A belated self-guilty attempt to start journalling of my life whilst trying to avoid genre specific egotism and making it a practical guide for the readers.

JAPAN. LIFE.

Normal hot August here, summer, the worst season to be in Tokyo or nearby. Face masks coming to “fashion” again. Politicians scream from TV. Megaquake alert was serious enough to send me thinking of going back to Sydney. And wholesalers of rice and other daily necessities rubbing their hands.

• Hokkaido. I spent 10 days in Hokkaido trying to practice leisure. Wakkanai city and Rebun island. Rebun impressed me a lot. I will come again. And again. Posts to follow. Some done.

  

• Akabane. I lived in this northern suburb of Tokyo nearly two years before moving to seaside prefecture of Kanagawa. Every time I visit Akabane feeling a bit nostalgic. Some places to visit.

  Stroll Arakawa River.

  

  My former “office” near Arakawa River. Akabane. Tokyo. Leisure.

  Enjoy home like atmosphere at Midori-no Yu sento.

  

  

  My favorite sento, Inside.

  Visit some izakayas. Akabane never sleeps! Definitely a form of leisure!

  

  One of Akabane sub-shotengai Myotengai.

• I did a 22 km something walk from Mito beach to Misaki Port all around Miura Peninsula so familiar to my feet. Probably third time, but always discovering something new. Whereas Aburatsubo Bay is definitely a great place, amongst the all beaches in Miura I prefer a quiet Mito Beach. I will post about this walk, as it is a nice beach-town-agriculture wander.

  

  Aburatsubo Bay.

  

  Mitohama - Mito Beach

GOOD READS

• Chris is a mega walker. And not always through the picturesque sites. Walking Nairobi.

• Goes well with my earlier observations that strolling without thoughts equals peace of mind or walking meditation if you want. Walking as inactivity.

• Very much agree. We are wasting our lifetime in comfortable routines a lot. A cost of Apathy.

• More on Japan from Japanese. Love or hate. Video is also there.

• Still reading this book about the Lawrence of Arabia. Language a bit difficult, too many names to remember, but now I understand why there are 89 books related to this Man. I will move to some books or movies later. May be this very book has influenced my long walk in the heat (see below).

GOOD WATCH

• Same happening in a few places now. Hitler and the Nazis.

• These days as I ranted earlier, it is hard to find a good movie. Seems Hollywood is still on strike. So, if I watch something now that will be documentaries or news. But occasionally I check via a “favorite actor”. Ben Affleck is one of them. I got a hit. Man on a holiday movie. Some nobleness in characters is … noble. Triple Frontier. This is a 200% leisure.

GOOD BITES

I was in Otemachi area in Tokyo for a special occasion dinner with a view. Not much here - offices, Imperial Palace nearby, dead on weekend. But if you happen to be in Otemachi, Crazy Craft Beers is a good place with multiple choices. Before a dinner with a view.

EXERCISE AND HEALTH

• If you are like me, having minor knee issues, this in-home cardio strength workout is very good. You need a couple of weights and a small space only.

• Heat walking. I used to hike a lot even during hot summer days in Japan, Thailand or Taiwan. Ethiopia in my 20s. Last year a dermatologist advised that I should spend less time on the sun, as after 20 years living under a merciless Australian sun my skin had some serious damage. So, I developed a new routine now in Japan: beach swim and cardio at 6-7 am, read in a shade and at home by 9 starting to work. That means I did not walk much this summer, except for a cool Hokkaido. But last week of August I revolted. When in Sydney in July I bought there a Bedouin style sun hat and a sun protective rash guard. And on the last Sunday of August I walked over 20 km, slightly dizzy in the beginning (it was 30 degrees), but later the body remembered and pushed me forward. So, I learnt a lesson that walking in a hot weather properly hydrated (I mix Pokari Sweat with a sparkling water) and covered can also be a training. And it needs to be done occasionally, so that your body is not surprised should emergency situation comes up. In fact, I find it less challenging to walk on a hot day, compared to just sitting on the beach, even near the water. I will resume my summer hikes. Properly covered. And yes, I could qualify it as a leisure. I could walk longer…

• Yoga. If you do/consume something nice regularly you will stop appreciating the “nicety” of it. Whether it is a French champagne or driving a nice car or being stable on your skis in the mountains. I stopped doing yoga for a couple of months due to different reasons. I was back this week. After 90 minutes hot class (my mat was opposite a switchboard showing a temperature inside, 37 degrees Celsius, supposedly it should be human body temp or so) I was exhausted. Hardly a leisure. I went home, and slept dead, short, but deep. I will force myself to go regularly, but if you know any nice online yoga, please recommend. It is 1 hour for me to go to a proper yoga class.

  Yours in a heat. And a leisure. And it is Friday. Leisure time. I did perceive the reality of the world well this month. While being mostly relaxed.