Hello there! 👋
Oh I really needed this winter break. In October we moved to Osaka, in November I went to Turkey, and in December I hit a large milestone that I can’t talk about right now so just wait until the next newsletter. 😉
My last day of work was the 22nd. Since then I have been trying to focus on wrapping up personal projects. I haven’t completed everything I set out to, but that’s okay — I also set the goal of being kind to myself. I had a couple of very low days where my body just decided that it was time to shut down. That’s okay. I should probably make more room for those kinda days in 2024.
We have done a couple of day trips, but most of the time has been spent around home. Last year we were in Malaysia (see my posts Truly Asia part 1 and part 2) which was a fun adventure, but this year we just needed to take it slow. I am glad we did. I am back to the office the day after tomorrow.
Tonight we will just watch Kohaku and ゆく年くる年 (The leaving year, the coming year) which is probably my favourite Japanese tv series ever. Tomorrow is the annual family gathering in Kyoto with my wife’s uncle who was decorated with the Order of the Rising Sun this year for his contributions to basketball in Japan. (I got to hold the medal and took a video here so you can see it shine! ✨) It will be the last time we get together with that side of the family until who knows when. Leavings… that will be the theme for 2024.
Anywho, take care and I wish you happiness and health in 2024! 🎊
Chad
🖋 From the Blog
Hagia Sophia
A trip report from Istanbul.
Perspective on Palestine — Review of The Hundred Years' War on Palestine
Negligent empires, failed colonialism, oppression… it must stop.
Best of 2023
My annual media roundup, but with some more personal details like my 40 Questions.
🧭 Elsewhere
"Technology isn't just code and engineering, it's the complex interplay of engineered systems, people, and institutional arrangements." Link →
Osaka Tenmangu Photos →
Taking a paddleboat on the Biwako Photos →
Xmas day from seaside to mountaintop Photos →
Why North America Can't Build Nice Apartments (because of one rule) Video →
Someone introduced me to a podcast I have been devouring: Everyday Anarchist Link →
📖 What I’m Reading
Okinawa by Susumu Higa
(14% Complete)
Okinawa has had a raw deal for a long time. This award-winning graphic novel captures the experience of islanders leading up to the end of World War 2. It’s simple line drawings and symmetrical frames have the whimsy of a Wes Anderson film. But the content… heart-breaking. So far both of the main stories have been how the Japanese were really terrible to the Okinawans. We haven’t even gotten to the Battle of Okinawa, the bloodiest battle of the Pacific War, which killed something like a third of all islanders!
Connect with me on GoodReads → or on Bookwyrm →