The Week #225

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  • 🗳️ I voted by mail. To date, since living in Japan, I've always gotten my ballot delivered by email. This way there's no chance of it getting lost in the mail (especially a worry during covid). But getting my actual ballot printed and ready mailed is always such a faff. Post office isn't open on the weekends etc... Next time I think I will ask for them to send me the paper ballot as I've learned I can drop them off without postage at the embassy and they'll mail it for me. As my office is right next to the embassy it seems like far much less hassle. I hope the candidates I vote for win. I imagine the rest of the world (minus a few bad dudes) are also hoping the same.
  • 🏃‍♂️ Leo had his first Sports Day at primary school. In the days of old it used to be an entire day event. You'd have to stake out a spot, bring some bento. These days they gotten with the times and it was over by 11:30am. Parents came and went depending on when their kid was doing activities. I stayed for everything except the closing ceremony.

    The first years had a dance and a 50m dash. The dance was partially to Creepy Nuts Bling-Bang-Bang-Born. At the end Leo and a few other kids got to do a special part where they did the main dance move in the video. He nailed it.

    Leo was in the second group of runners for the 50m dash. He got 3rd. The first time he had to run a race like this in pre-school he was well in last and as soon as the first person crossed he started walking. Each year since then he tries a bit harder and, most importantly, he doesn't let the results get him down. Kids growing up...
  • 🚲 Because sports day was on a Saturday, Monday is a day off for school. I took the day off so I could watch Leo, but on Sunday he decided he wanted to go the grandparents house, so I had Monday morning to do whatever I wanted.

    The weather has cooled off (for good this year? 🙏🏻), and I took the Brompton out on a long ride to Enoshima. When I arrived, rather than turning right like I usually do, I turned left towards Kamakura for a bit of an explore. This was 100% enabled by Brompton and that I can get it ready for the train in 2 minutes, so I don't need to worry at all about riding out and back.
    Brompton at the beach

    While in Kamakura an old man came up to me and started speaking to me in English. He has been living in Kamakura for 82 years and worked in America when he still did that (seems like he oversaw operations of things?). He has 7 grand-children and the oldest is studying near Chicago now.

    When I got back to my station, I popped into the konbini and got some lunch. I didn't notice a different old man watching me unfold my bike. He tried to guess at the price (off by an order of magnitude). In the end he told me it was really great (I agree!). I've heard that people talk to you when you have a Brompton, and that seems to be the case, even in Japan!
  • 📺 Shrinking Season 2 started and it's so good.  I watched the first 2 episodes and am looking forward to the remainder of the season. The fact that the first episode is called "Jimmying" makes it all the better.