I injured my big toe and second toe while kickboxing and have been avoiding putting weight on them. They’re now wrapped in a bandage and taped up.

Every time I change socks, the first aid kit peeks out, and the sight makes me feel both feeble and strong. Feeble, because I’m nearly limping. Strong, because I’m proud of being able to deliver such a powerful kick.

Here’s how my week 1,524 unfolded.

1. What I read.

Hirohiko Araki’s Art of Manga（荒木飛呂彦の漫画術）by Hirohiko Araki

The quote that stuck with me:

“However, in manga, there are times when everything just clicks. It may be a rare occurrence, but when you’re drawing or reading, there’s a sense of harmony, a ‘smoothness’ like that of a well-aged Scotch whisky. [excerpt] It’s a truly perfect and smooth state, where each element connects so well that there’s not a single line or panel that could be removed.”（しかしながら漫画には、時々『すべての物事がしっくりいく」ということが起こります。 めったに起こらないことかもしれませんが、描いたり読んだりしているときにすべてが調和した、熟成されたスコッチウィスキーのような「まろやかさ」を感じるのです。…それぞれの相性が本当によくつながり合って、これ以上削れるセリフやコマがまったくない、という、実に完璧でまろやかな状態。）

2. Who I saw.

A visitor from Sydney

The little details I observed:

I made it a goal to schedule chats with visitors to the office, regardless of whether their team’s work connects with mine. This week, a group of people from Sydney came for an offsite.

It’s not often that I deal with Australian payment methods, but there have been times when I’ve helped troubleshoot merchants in Australia. During the chat, I learned about the local nuances involved in merchant onboarding in Japan.

One of the valuable takeaways from these chats is always the outside perspective on Japan, something I don’t naturally have being a local.

3. What I created.

This month’s social events. I organized three social events this month:

1. Hanami with a group of friends I used to live with in Tokyo.
2. A visit to my grandma’s with my younger sister and cousin.
3. A yakiniku home party with my family.

The story behind it:

This year, I’m aiming to find a balance between social energy and personal energy. My goal with organizing weekly events is to nurture my social energy, especially since the past couple of weeks have been mostly about going back and forth between home and work.

Next Week’s Peek — What I’m looking forward to and why

• The family yakiniku party — It’s been a while since we all got together, so I’m looking forward to it.
• Making clear action items for my quarterly goals — The second quarter has started. After evaluating my goals for the past quarter, I have a new set of goals for this one.

Hope you had a great week.

Catch you next week!