PINEWIND

weeknotes 17/26

General happenings

This week - especially the weekend - was one where I realised how rewarding getting up early can be. It felt like the days were so much longer! I went to an exhibition (about the Swiss painter Karl Walser, at Tokyo Station Gallery) and did another hike, with some work colleagues this time. I've done quite a bit of hiking recently, and I want to do some more before the dreadfully humid summer heat rolls in. It could already start in late May.

Also, Golden Week is coming up. I feel like I wasted it a bit last year, so this time, I've made a proper list for things to do. One of the things I'm looking forward to most is watching "A New Dawn" (花緑青が明ける日に) at the cinema. I found a trailer for it on Instagram, and the background artwork and animations look gorgeous.

The blog

Watched

Listened to (music)

Read (physical books)

Finally finished Strawberries. It was OK ... I was more intrigued by the author than what the essays were about. But there were some nice passages in there, I liked the descriptions of the English countryside. By the way, not a single strawberry is picked in the book.

The other two books are ones that I read halfway through and paused a long time ago. Mysterious Japan has some interesting bits here and there, but the constant self-mystification that Okamoto engages in is also somewhat annoying. Living a Calm and Simple Life is one of those books that's meant to be read one chapter per day. Each chapter is a zen saying or phrase coupled with a short explanatory text. The texts tend to be a bit schoolmastery; overall I like it though.

Read (digital / online)

#weeknotes