I’ve been cooking a lot lately. Learning recipes from my friend in Seattle and sharing photos of my homemade meals with her has been a great way to keep my momentum going.
But a small challenge has arisen: my appetite hasn’t been very big these days. As much as I want to cook, it takes time to finish what I make, and my apartment fridge isn’t large enough to store all the leftovers. I suspect the intense summer heat in Japan is playing a role in this.
Here’s how my week 1,538 unfolded.
🎥 What I Created
Projects:
This week, I created a personal growth plan to guide my 1–1 with my manager. My goal is to use it as a working draft and refine it together, so that we can align on key focus areas for the second half of the year and into next year.
Story behind it:
In addition to insights from a book I read, I also took advice from a colleague on how to approach the conversation in a more constructive way.
🏃 How Much I Ran
Distance / Time:
28.80 km / 3h 36m 51s
Body & mind notes:
I’m enjoying Strava so far. Almost all the people I follow on Strava are pretty athletic and in time zones outside Asia, so when I open my feed, I always see them having done some rigorous exercise. This has been encouraging me to enjoy my own routine here in Japan, which is to run every day and kickbox weekly. The time difference is serving me well this way. Kudos to my Strava community.
📚 What I Read
Book / Article / Podcast:
Started わたしたちが光の速さで進めないなら (If We Cannot Move at the Speed of Light) by Kim Cho-Yup
Quote that stuck:
地球が本当にそこまで息苦しい場所だとしたら、わたしたちがそこで学ぶのが人生の不幸な裏面にすぎないとしたら、旅立っていった巡礼者たちはなぜ帰らないのか？ 彼らはなぜ地球に残ったのか？ この美しい村を離れ、保護と平和を顧みず、あんなに残酷で孤独でわびしいばかりの光景を見ても、なぜここではなくあちらの世界を選ぶのか？(If Earth is truly such a stifling place — if all we learn there is merely the sorrowful underside of life — then why don’t the pilgrims who set off ever return? Why did they remain on Earth?Even after leaving this beautiful village, turning their backs on protection and peace, even after witnessing such cruel, lonely, and desolate sights — why do they choose that world, and not this one?)
🤝 Who I Met or Spoke To
Who:
A colleague was visiting from Amsterdam. Even though we had just seen each other two weeks ago in Amsterdam, we were reunited again — this time in my hometown, Tokyo, along with his girlfriend.
Memorable moments:
It was fascinating to hear about their lives in the Netherlands and how they compared it to life in Tokyo. They mentioned how having shops and stores open until late within walking distance is one of the best parts of living in a big city like Tokyo. While I agree how convenient this is, as someone local, I also feel it’s important to self-regulate what you allow and don’t allow yourself to do. In my neighborhood, the system is set up to offer whatever you want, almost whenever you want it. That flexibility is great — but it also means it’s up to you to make mindful choices about how you use it.
🔭 Next Week’s Peek
Looking forward to:
I’m looking forward to sitting by a big, wide window in a café — with the AC just right: not too strong, and not blowing directly on my head or body. I’ll be writing on my laptop as sunlight streams in gently, thanks to the perfect distance between the window and where I’m seated. I already have a couple of favorite spots in mind around my neighborhood.
Why it matters:
After an intense month or two of socializing, my soul is craving time in that kind of space. These quiet café moments give me the mental room to reconnect with myself and ease back into a slower, more intentional rhythm.
Hope you had a nice week.
Catch you next Sunday!