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Beautiful day out. Wish we had showers at work so I could run.
A view of the Tokyo skyline under a partially cloudy sky. -
Checkin to Starbucks
Starbucksβs bumpinβ this morning. -
The Week #204
by James- π« We had the opportunity to observe two of Leo's classes. Unfortunately it means all of the kids have to go to school on a Saturday. I have no idea the students could concentrate with all of the parents standing around / in the back of the class.
Leo did well, at first. He's participating, which is good. However as class went on, he motioned for us to come sit by him (we can't). After the first class there was a 20 minute break where Leo showed us around the school. However, with it being a Saturday, he was ready to go home and started complaining and getting upset he couldn't go home when we did. That in turn distracted him for a large portion of the second class as he tried to calm himself down and hid between his textbook to wipe away some tears.
It got us thinking a lot about education and the school Leo should go to. For now, a Japanese public school is fine. But long-term should we try to get him into an international school?Β They're stupid expensive, but I think they'd better prepare him for the future. I don't want him just to memorize things... - πΊπΈ/π¬π§ Speaking of international, without urging from us, Leo has been expressed desire to take Eiken (an English proficiencyΒ exam). He's been studying for it at home and he's crushing it. On one the listening tests he got 19 out of 20 questions right. Go boyo!
- γ The annual Totsuka festival was held at Meiji-gakuin in Totsuka and we attended it. When in uni, I went to this campus for a year on study abroad and it hit me right in the feels. Mostly a mix of nostalgia and thinking about that alternative timeline where I continued on and became a professor of geography (so so glad I didn't).
The campus is far enough away from the bustle of Totsuka and surrounded by green that can really think out there. That part I did miss. Sometimes I wish I could visit and just study in the library (granted, need the time to study first).Looking around campus. All the green.
We ran into one of Leo's pre-school friends at the festival, so Leo had a friend to hang out with. This festival itself is focused on the SDGs (sustainable developer goals), with booths related to NGOs that work with developing countries and displays to learn about electricity usage (and the importance of conserving electricity).The grounds keppers. No fossil fuel and noise required to keep the greenery in check.
- π« We had the opportunity to observe two of Leo's classes. Unfortunately it means all of the kids have to go to school on a Saturday. I have no idea the students could concentrate with all of the parents standing around / in the back of the class.
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by JamesMorning Run
Breaking in some New Balance 860βs. So comfy. Much support.4.3km
31.5min
42.4m climbed
151.9avg bpm
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Checkin to Canard (γ«γγΌγ«)
Cafe Vienna and a couple bites of cake. Really nice in here. -
by JamesMorning Run
Ziggy Stardust chill running.4.4km
30.6min
22.6m climbed
150.5avg bpm
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Checkin to Starbucks
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by JamesLunch Run
Tried to keep my heart rate in zone 2. I should do this more often.4.2km
30.7min
19.6m climbed
148.9avg bpm
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by JamesLunch Run
Extra 20 yen for double the Aquarius at Lawsonβs. My loyalty to bench 7-11 is being tested.4.5km
31.6min
47.8m climbed
157.8avg bpm
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The Week #203
by James- π² Leo and I have been riding bikes together more. He's getting stronger and rider further up the big hills. It's really good to see him rest midway up the hill and try again. This week we rode towards the big road to the station so he could get his hair cut. As a parent it's really scary having him ride there, even with me around, because there's so many things that could go wrong. But experience navigating is important and best learned at a young age.
- πΊ We've started watching The Simpsons together during the evenings. I love it because...it's the early Simpsons episodes, so classics, but it really really reminds me of growing up and watching the Simpsons with my dad.
- πΆ Car-dependent societies have one advantage over places with good public transport like Japan: you can ample opportunity to force your kids to listen to your music (as you're stuck in the car together). I've been on a Aquabats kick lately and put them on the home pod mini while playing with Leo. Good news: He really digs their song Magic Chicken and sings bits of it to himself. :success-kid:
- πββοΈ I ran 3 times this week again. That's 3 weeks in a row of 3x / week. Go me!. I've noticed that my shoes are worn out and ordered a new pair of shoes (New Balance 860). I'm really looking forward for running around in a new pair of shoes β I haven't bought any running gear since I was in London a couple years back. Getting new gear / things related to your "hobby" (is this a hobby or just trying to maintain my health? A bit of both maybe?) is a good way to keep motivation when internal motivation has a lull.Β
