This That and Whatever Comes to Mind

Time to get serious

The latest buzzword in Japan is 断捨離 (dan sha ri)

断= refuse, decline 捨= throw away 離= separate

Together it symbolizes cleaning up and out and simplifying your life.

One of my students is an editor for a small publishing company, and he sent me a copy of a book titiled DanShaRiAn...the An meaning person...that went on the market last month. Part manga, part text...an easy read with lots of advice and tips. Just what I needed as recently I've felt a bit overwhelmed...not only with physical things, but with happenings in my life...nothing major, but lots of minor happenings.

One thing that's been on my mind is my blogs...what to do with them. Today I decided to clean out my Typepad account...downgrade! Backed up 4 (couldn't quite bring myself to deleting them completely..hey, I put a lot of work into each and every post!) and kept 3...this one, my Japanese social issue portal and my ESL business site. Rereading a lot of what I've written in the past, I admit to being quite impressed with my writing...^-^

As a result, I figure it's time to get serious...posting on a relatively regular basis (no promises...I don't do well under pressure), getting back to what I originally planned for each blog. So here I am...outputting.

Next is my ESL blog...one of my students is a marketing coach, and we are working together during our lessons...I help her give me advice in English, and so far it's very effective for both of us. I'm having new name cards made (VistaPrint) and debating whether to move my site so I can use the same template...will wait and get some feedback on the name card template first. Before I do that, though, I need to rewrite a lot of the content...add keywords...rethink the benefits for my students...should keep me busy for awhile.

Then to my portal site...as I can publish my posts on both Facebook and Twitter, I can kill 3 birds with 1 stone (gads, that's such a brutal metaphor...the only one I can think of at the moment...any suggestions for future reference appreciated...^-^)

OK! Enough for one post...still have a lot to get out of my system and am feeling excited, but the sun has set (right in front of my living room this time of year), I lit some of the candles my sisters sent me for Christmas, I just let out a big sigh...time to go!

Monday morning

Most people dread Monday mornings....time to go back to work after an all too short weekend. For me, though, Monday is very relaxing...it's my day off! Since I work on Saturdays, my weekends are Sundays and Mondays....^-^ And I find it's more convenient that way as the banks are open, the stores aren't crowded and neither are the roads. Trust me, there are many weekends when you do not want to be on the beach road that runs by my home...the traffic can be horrendous at times!

Got up this morning to clouds and wind...oh, and don't forget the moisture and salt the wind carries along. You should see the windows on the beach side of my apartment...almost opaque from the salt and practically dripping from the moisture. A good day to go out for breakfast..right?

Recently I've become a regular customer at the Starbucks in Hayama (葉山 = leafy hill), the town next to Akiya (秋谷 = autumn valley) where I live. I needed to get to the supermarket nearby today, so off I went for a lavender tea latte and a cinnamon roll...took my book and a scarf (can't stand A/C) and was happy to find my favorite corner table open...perfect!

I'm always surprised by the number of elderly customers...something I've never really seen much of in Starbucks in the States..or at least the ones I've been to. However, there aren't any other coffee shops in that neighborhood, so maybe that's why.

This morning, a couple of elderly ladies came in together...they spent a good 5 minutes asking the barista questions about the best drink, then the best size for them. Once they sat down and got comfortable, the conversation turned to none other than cell phones! I looked over to see both phones on the table as they spent some time showing each other all the things they've learned...I had to chuckle when one of them piped up with 'I finally learned how to find my own phone number!' Both had lots of gray hair, and one was wearing hearing aids...it was really quite cute!

On the way home, it was a battle with the wind...in my little car, you need to have both hands firmly on the steering wheel, especially when you hit the area with open ocean on one side of the road. There's this long curve where the winds from Hayama hit the winds from Akiya, and it's almost like being in a whirlwind...you definitely have to pay attention or you'll wind up loosing control. I don't recommend trying it on a motorcycle or bicycle!

And now I have the rest of the day (it's only 11am) to read, play on the internet and, later on, watch some TV...may even take a nap after lunch...^-^

A quiet Friday afternoon

A gray day...quite warm with high humidity...a preview to the monsoon season which is forecast to start next week in the Kanto area where I live. Unfortunately the rains are very necessary to help the rice grow...at least, it's a warm rain, although some days can be a little chilly....will keep a fleece pullover out just in case.

Went to Zushi this afternoon...had to go to the banks, and I was surprised at how quiet it was around the station and the local shopping area. I mean, it's Friday which is usually not a good time to go to any bank, especially in the afternoon....long lines are a given. But today, I didn't have to wait at either of the banks I visited! Proof, perhaps, that the economy has not recovered as much as the government wants us to think....

Had lunch at Lapereau for the first time in 3 weeks...cabbage and potato pasta with anchovy sauce...trust me, it tastes oh so much better than it sounds with super crunchy garlic scattered throughout. A couple of older ladies were at the other end of the counter, and they talked and talked and talked the entire time I was there...I had to laugh as they bowed to me on my way out...their way of apologizing?

And of course, the big news today is the start of the 2010 World Cup...football to most of the world and soccer to those of us from the US. Not a fan, but still excited that it's all happening in Africa! Go, South Africa...you've done a great job so far, and I will be watching with the hopes that all goes well throughout the month. And may you go all the way to the top!!! Wouldn't that just be so wonderful?

Running out of new material to read...picked up Stranger In A Strange Land for the umpteenth time, but debating whether I really want to read it again. It's the only Heinlein I kept when I cleaned out my shelves some years back...I guess because it's the first of his works I read...back in 1967...when I lived in LA that year I took off from college. I can still remember how shocking it was to my 18 year old psyche and how it pales compared to the DH series of today, for example. Still a good read, though...yes, I think I will continue with it.

Ah, the sound of the ocean...one of the best things about this time of year is being able to sit with the window open on the beach side of my apartment. It's only a little after 9, but sitting here listening to the waves washing up on the shore is making me very sleepy. Guess I will take Zip home early tonight and go to bed myself....my next door neighbor's fox terrier comes over a few nights a week to sleep on my sheepskin for as long as I let him....more on him another time.

Come to think of it, my first lesson tomorrow is at 6:30...gads, what a way to start off my Saturdays! G'nite, world!!

A new year

Here in Japan, the fiscal year ends on March 31st, so this is a busy time for many people... graduation ceremonies, college freshmen moving into new living quarters, employees being transferred to different departments and branches...moving vans are a common sight these days. Many of my students sound exhausted...even if they are staying in their present position, they will be saying goodbye to some team members and welcoming new members...the pressure of change can be serious.

On a lighter note, it's also the time for the television season to end, creating new programs  and the change of personalities, especially news anchors....my favorite evening anchor is moving to a morning program...I have no idea who her replacement is and can't make a judgment, but she will be missed. I guess I could watch her new spot, but unfortunately I'll be teaching at that time.

Even the weather is following the flow...it's supposed to stay cold until March 31st!

(I am very proud of myself...this week, I've posted twice here, once so far on my Japanese blog, tweeted a little and sent out a newsletter to my Abundance Sharing mailing list...and all the while, I've spent time reading...both social issue related and fun books...watched all my favorite TV programs and even played with family and friends on Facebook! Oh, and I almost forgot..I posted daily on my Kiva team page...^-^)

A lazy day

Sundays and Mondays are my days off...yesterday my landlady invited me to a Hot Cake lunch with our mutual neighbors, MI Ha and Mo...Ha is 4 and Mo will be 2 soon. Mi is their mom...we had a great couple of hours gabbing and eating and chasing around...little kids have such an amazing amount of energy and an equally amazing talent for using that energy to come up with ways to get into trouble. The food was good, the conversation was enjoyable and I had a great time playing...no need to worry about what kids think of you cuz they come right out and tell you on the spot which is very refreshing! Laid down for a nap after I got home...slept for almost 2 hours!!

This morning turned out sunny...not exactly warm as there's a cold wind blowing...time to get the laundry done as the nice weather isn't supposed to last. Of course, about the time I got the last load out on the line to dry, the clouds starting rolling in...just my luck. Have been blogging and tweeting and facebooking...plus reading a little bit more of the DH Companion. I love how I can blog on Typepad and with just a couple of clicks, have the same post show up on Twitter and Facebook... the internet is truly awesome!

Debating whether to take a nap or make a cup of coffee...I think I will do the latter and get back to work on catching up with my Kiva loans. I have a world map up with pictures of my borrowers who are working hard to repay their loans. When they complete their payments, I move them out to the wall in the hallway...however, I've been slacking off since November...most of the people on the map are long done with their loans. 

So up and away to the kitchen!

Choosing the right design

When I chose this template last night, I wasn't too sure about it.

The more I think about it, the more it seems appropriate....the stars represent the thoughts floating around in my head and the line is my mind trying to make sense of it all as it meanders around. Blue is of course my all time favorite color....the striped frame along the sides seems to give the page structure.

Today I finished updating a list and finally got the layout right...there are a few widgets I want to add, but I have to find them first...^-^

One step at a time....a different approach from my usual 'do it all at once or not at all'....!

A new endeavor

Ever find the need to just output what is in your head to clarify it all? That's been happening a lot to me lately....I'm so sleepy I can hardly get through my bedtime routine, yet when I crash, my brain goes into overdrive and I simply cannot get to sleep. Rethinking today, prethinking tomorrow, composing emails and newsletters and so on and so on and on and on...you get the picture.

So I decided to start a blog full of some of my random thoughts as well as more substantial content such as books I'm reading, websites I've discovered, interesting tweets, pictures from my terrace...this that and whatever comes to mind.

I hope you will find something to enjoy....^-^