Life digest. October 2023

Do what you want to do now. Life is short…

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.

1. I did a hike in Kanagawa prefecture from Hayakawa to Nebukawa station. The walk passes through a few historical sites, if you walk through the hills there are more of them, but I was walking the path between Tokaido Line and National Route 135. It was good, but probably too close to the traffic.

   Below is a good map of the hike. Mostly Japanese.

   

   HAYAKAWA TO NEBUKAWA TRAIL MAP

   Infrequent signs help to get the bearings.

   

   Highlights include fish market near Hayakawa station.

   

   SEAFOOD ALLEYS NEAR HAYAKAWA STATION

   It is more a cluster of small fresh seafood eateries than one large wholesale center.

   

   A PIECE OF KABUTONI - SIMMERED TUNA HEAD

   Actually, my target was to walk towards Cape Manazuru, but as I could not find the track along the water, I have decided to abort and just finish at Nebukawa station.

   Cape Manazuru ahead.

   

   HIGHWAY BELOW, CAPE MANAZURU AHEAD

   A small village near Komekami beach.

   

   SETTLEMENT NEAR KOMEKAMI BEACH

   Shiraito River bridge (built 1934) was another highlight. Popular with locals for picnics and train watching. Nearby there are small ponds where you can fish and then cook the catch at a nearby restaurant for a small fee. You also need to pay for fishing.

   

   SHIRAITOGAWA BRIDGE

   

   FISHING POND NEAR SHIRAITO RIVER BRIDGE

   I finished walk by taking a train from Nebukawa station to Odawara. Walked around Odawara Castle and town. A convenient and lively place without a feeling of being overcrowded.

   

2. Yuko and I visited Kiyosumi-Shirakawa, a cozy suburb in central Tokyo. It is a good place to stroll the streets and sample good coffees influenced by US and NZ roasters.

   

   FUKAGAWA SHIRYOKAN STREET IN KIYOSUMI-SHIRAKAWA

   Don’t miss Kiyosumi Gardens.

   

   KIYOSUMI GARDENS

   Nearby Kiba Park is a home to the Museum of the Contemporary Art, if you are into this. And not far from the park is one of the best coffees I ever had in Japan. The place is called Allpress.

   

   I even asked them to grind some for me and took home.

   And for finale I suggest to visit Clann by the River.

   This is one of the few “beer with the best view" places in Tokyo. You can enjoy your expensive IPA whilst soaking the views of Sumida river and Tokyo Skytree.

   
   LIFE OVERSEAS

   Korea is one of my favorite countries in Asia. I think it is one of the most developed if not the top in the region. Seoul is maintained like a 5-star hotel: clean, convenient transport, healthy and affordable food, digitalization (in many places you only order through some digital mini - tower at the entrance, I avoid those shops though), stylish shops, abundance of green parks. In October I spent nine days here, post to follow.

   

   SEOUL FROM MOUNT ACHA

GOOD LISTENS

Love this song. Ain't no sunshine.

GOOD READS

1. I read this bit in the latest James Clear blog. By the instinct I am already following the professor’s advice (see below) but definitely need to do more. I often surrender to “I have to do this, hence I cannot do that”. But “that” is what makes me happy, and “this” is something I think I owe to the people around me. Need to find the balance leaning more towards the THAT.

• Computer science professor Randy Pausch—who had recently received a terminal pancreatic cancer diagnosis—shares some advice two months before his death:

"It is not the things we do in life that we regret on our death bed. It is the things we do not. I assure you I've done a lot of really stupid things, and none of them bother me. All the mistakes, and all the dopey things, and all the times I was embarrassed — they don't matter. What matters is that I can kind of look back and say: Pretty much any time I got the chance to do something cool I tried to grab for it — and that's where my solace comes from."

Source: Carnegie Mellon University commencement speech (2008)

2. After an exciting narrative about CIA operations in Syria via Damaskus Station by David McCloskey, I have decided to read a sequel produced by the same author quite recently. Moscow X. As it often happens with the sequels, this was not as good.

3. It is appealing. Wordless walking. I have sent my comments to David that I am actually unconsciously following this. But walk without thoughts come to me after 2 hours or so strolling through the nature. And depends on the environment. The extension to this practice is gazing at the ocean. No need exclamations. Shut the brain down. Watch and listen. As David points out, the world is trying to “say something to us”.

   Key take aways: 1/ Try it 2/ Our own thoughts are repetitive; but nature is different, there is always a new sound or a view. Have you tried?

GOOD BITES

1. There is a modest Chinese eat place near Zushi Hayama station. I sometimes come here for chuka cold ramen with sesame sauce or just for a cold and inexpensive Asahi. One day I met here a group of elderly which rolled

   in for a drink after karaoke session. We had a small chat ending at

   “ How old are you ?” - “92, young man, kampai!”

   

   AGING GRACEFULLY WITH ASAHI BEER

2. Until recently kale has been a rarity in the supermarkets in my area. No longer. Those low carb veggies make a perfect salad ingredient. I made one.

   

   MY SALAD WITH 11 INGREDIENTS

   GOOD MOVIES

   1. I really don’t mind the Inhuman Resources. Despite many logical setbacks, it is entertaining. What do you think?

   2. I have seen those “Lupin” ads and finally watching the movie. Good, albeit often on the edge of impossible.