Life Digest. July 2024.

Two large islands - Japan and Australia - and how different …

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.

LIFE IN SYDNEY.

Half of July I spent in Sydney, the place where I lived the longest in my life. 20 years.

The trip sent me thinking if I am really in the right place having chosen Japan as my new home country 6 years ago. Well, not exactly chosen. The story goes that my Sydney office sent me here for 1-2 years to set up a JV, but I ended up working in this same JV for now 6 years. Basically, an expat able to stay indefinitely because of the permanent residency status.

Now to comparisons, can’t avoid. When I lived in Aus everything was taken for granted, now I am rantiously comparing things.

Food choices, especially for healthy options are greater in Sydney. Ethnic diversity caters for easily available variety of cuisines. Previously mostly prevalent in low income migrant suburbs, these days I can buy borek, gozleme, zaatar or falafel roll almost anywhere. And if I crave for something fancy I would go to Bronte’s Iggy’s Bread on the Eastern Beaches where I spent all my Sydney 20 years and buy feta croissant (Fridays only). Most cafes are open at 7 am, so money start to pour into the economy very early. Japan wakes up really late in that sense except for convenience stores with bad coffee and a predictable shelf line up. And don’t start me on kefir or ayran, my favorite milky drinks. Just none in Japan.

In Japan most packaged foods, even beer bites of dry fish or many ready-made veggie “salads” carry a hefty amount of sugar. The country is still very much backwards in terms of food variety and non-traditional bite options as seen in the supermarkets. Unless you are in a super posh area. To me “Japanese food healthy” is a myth. You will consume a lot less salt and sugar by buying raw ingredients and cooking yourself here. Of course, if you are comparing huge steak or a hamburger with fried potatoes in LA vs kaiseki food set menu in Japan, Japanese food is healthier. But supermarkets menu here reminds me Australia 20 years ago, of course, being Japan with more varieties of tofu, natto and pickles (most of them also high in sugar). I really think that similar to the Digital Agency created in 2021 to refurbish fax infested country communication channels, Japan needs a National Nutritional Agency.

Making fresh veggie juice in Aus. Of course, we don’t add ice unless you want it. You buy juice, not water and juice.

Cale, celery, beets, carrot and ginger juice made in front of you from raw vegetables. Sydney Bondi Junction.

Medical services in Aus are smarter. Your X-ray or other test will be sent to your doctor digitally and a link sent to your phone, so you can download it too. In Japan they use more “healthy” approach- you pick up your result at the lab and deliver yourself to the doctor - more calories burnt. Hope, the Digital Agency is working on this.

Daily life rituals in Australia are based on common sense which define the rules, rather than just on the rules set up ages ago. You can exit bus through any door, for example. No crowds on public transport as many people continue to choose working from home when they can. My son who lives in Sydney is considering switching his company to a similar trade entity, but which allows to work remotely for months, including 3 months’ option in Bali, so loved by young Aussies.

Take fitness. A lot of creative fitness programs and clubs. My favorite Symetrie to which I dutifully went every early morning during my two weeks stay in Sydney has now a waitlist for 6 am classes. They ARE good providing intense 45 min workouts shuffling between strength and cardio.

Training in Sydney Symetrie club

Demographics…Wherever you go you would mostly see young people. The median age in Sydney is 37 years, in Japan - 49.

Am I complaining? In a way, but I just want Japan to be better. And learn. We have clean and speedy trains here which Australia can dream only of. In further kudos to Japan, life is cheaperespecially for medical services. I don’t see much of shooting or gang fight news talking about or rather promoting some “identities” from a crime world. Public transport even at the most remote areas is clean and on time. Definitely less temptations for delicious healthy, but pricey food. So, today instead of feta croissant with long black decaf two extra shots I’m having my usual mid-day breakfast of tofu, natto, cold noodle, egg, rice porridge and pickles. Cheaper and healthier. Less choices, bigger the wallet. Something like this.

Back to basics, and I love it.

Main reason to stay in Japan for me is national mentality of not to inconvenience the other person, safety and good manners. Plus, a lot of unique places to explore. My plan? Sydney once a year for a few weeks as if I’m going out on a Saturday night. Then back to Japan to see more of it. Village boy sometimes going to town. You get it.

In a way I have chosen to live in a less developed but safe country with less vices, stable ethically, unstable geologically. We shall see.

JAPAN. LIFE.

Embarked on a cruise around Yokosuka naval port sharing house for US and Japanese Navies. Around 20,000 US personnel including families live around the base. The most serious combatant I saw during the cruise was guided missile destroyer Ralph Johnson. Equipped with Aegis, capable of engaging 24 targets simultaneously, it is a seriously strong fist.

Unfortunately, the USS R. Reagan, the aircraft carrier, is back home, pity, wanted to see it. But we are waiting for George Washington CVN-73 to resume the watch. Why do I know? All souvenir shops make it clear.

Mexican Navy sail training ship Cuauhtémoc is also visiting this month.

• Japan loves their summer fireworks. People gather on the beaches from 3 pm for 7 pm fireworks.

  

  Dogs will be scared for sure. Fireworks soon.

  Does anyone work here? I am not into the events with artificial firenoise and crowds. But walked through the beach on the way home and met some interesting crew of my old friend Luigi from France made of colorful band players from Kansas, US and Ireland residing in Japan for more than 15 years.

  

  Fireworks at Morito Beach, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

  GOOD READS

• We can gradually talk ourselves from being Good into Bad. Interesting angle. I think similar might happen with addiction: alcohol, etc. Plus, I want to watch this movie “Good”. How to be “Good”.

• I don’t want this post to be Japancritic. But. If you think Japan is one advanced high-tech country, you are wrong.

  Some reading on this. And more. To reiterate, living in the safe and developing country is not bad.

GOOD WATCH

• No movies this time. Full moon in Sydney.

  

  GOOD BITES

• Nice pub in Chigasaki, Japan outdoor seats, plenty of craft beers on tap and in bottles. I initiated informal “work conference” with close colleagues. They spat out a lot of creative ideas after a few pints. Of course, we were seating outside.

• Newtown Sydney Websters bar. Usual pub grub. But nice and quiet at 5 pm.

  

  

  Sydney winter sunset anyone?

  EXERCISE AND HEALTH

• Often Leo Babauta posts interesting thoughts. I liked the piece about meditating in the cemetery. What about?

  • What would you miss if you were gone?

  • What would you wish you had done?

  • What would you regret not letting go of?

  • Does life become more precious when you consider the end of it? The shortness of it?

  • How can you use these reflections to help you find purpose and focus in your daily work?

Would you do anything differently on a daily basis?

I liked this. For 20 years I used to live near Waverley Cemetery in Sydney. Mostly used its steep hills for cardio training and watching the ocean. But reflecting on life and death here made sense this month.

Waverly Cemetery near Clovelly Beach, Sydney.

• And outdoor gym adjacent to Clovelly Beach is still alive and kicking. Love it here.

  

  Exercise with an ocean view.

  P.S. Running late on final Taiwan post and May HK posts, but those were good places, will computer-voice them soon.