I took a one-hour train ride to meet up with a teammate from my junior high/high school swim team. We spent the afternoon in Yokohama’s Motomachi Chinatown, and before I knew it, we had been talking for over four hours, from lunch until evening.
And so, my Week 1,513 unfolded with moments like these.
1. What I read.
I often listen to articles from The Economist while commuting to work or shopping for dinner in the evening. This week, one particular article caught my attention. It resonated deeply with me as it described events and experiences that reflect the reality of many people in my generation.
The quote that stuck with me:
For those unfamiliar with the article, I will quote a paragraph to provide context and highlight my favorite part in bold.
The craze began during the pandemic, as teenagers and young adults, stuck at home amid a global upheaval, sought succour in cute playthings. Lucy Dray, the owner of an online soft-toy shop called Baby Beans, says that plushies “bring people happiness and comfort” – two states that “can be quite hard to find in the world we live in”. Pop psychologists on social media have also preached the benefits of reconnecting with your younger self. One influencer suggested that collecting luxury teddy bears was “healing [her] inner child”.
2. Who I saw.
It’s more accurate to say that I “ran into” him. I happened to see Takashi Sorimachi, one of the well-known actors from Heisei-era dramas. Even someone like me, who struggles to remember names, instantly recognized him.
His role in Beach Boys was so famous that even I, too young to win control of the home TV during the drama’s original airing, watched the reruns. He was at the gym I go to, running on the treadmill next to me. We made brief eye contact, followed by an awkward moment where we both tried to navigate the space between the machines.
The little details I observed:
Maybe I’d over-idealized him. It was a reminder that sometimes it’s better to let the illusion stay intact rather than face the reality that might not live up to expectations.
3. What I created.
My manager offered me the opportunity to attend offline training in Singapore for a week next month. I worked on the proposal over the weekend and will have a follow-up discussion with her tomorrow to go over the trip details.
The story behind it:
A teammate I’ve been working with in Singapore is leaving the company at the end of February. He currently manages a team responsible for monitoring platform-wide performance and handling incidents.
I’ve expressed interest in taking on monitoring tasks for nearly a year, and he has now agreed that I’m ready for the role. Before his departure, this trip provides an opportunity for him to review my performance. This will offer context for when his position is backfilled, helping me communicate better with the new person.
Next Week’s Peek — What I’m looking forward to and why
On Tuesday, I’m taking a day off. I haven’t had the chance to dedicate a solid block of time to plan my upcoming writing projects, so I’m looking forward to spending the entire day diving deep into it.
Hope you had a great week.
Catch you next week!