The summer break has ended here in Kyoto. Taisho (大暑) the “Greater Heat” season of the old 24 term Chinese solar calender ends at the beginning of August. At the end of the month is one of Japan’s 72 micro seasons Tenchi hajimete samushi (天地始粛), when the heat starts to die down. I have been feeling this in the past few days as the humidity has dropped, and I can turn off the aircon and let the cool breeze blow through the new condo.
Yes, we have fully moved into the condo my wife inherited from her father. After much cleaning and removing of old junk, the kids now each have their own rooms to decorate. Depending on how you count, this was the tenth move in two-and-a-half years. Considering our transiency for the last few years, where every place has been temporary, this place gives off a strange vibe. A few months ago I ruminated on the idea of when you can call a city “yours”. It goes without saying that your home should be in your city. This “new” apartment is one that I have been frequenting for 18 years. We had our second daughter here. Both of my kids have known this place all their lives. Thus, this place feels more like “home” than many of the places we have stayed over the past three years.
And now there is school! After a four month hiatus filled with emergencies, a funeral, and far too many hours of YouTube, the kids are off each morning on the train to attend to classes. After seeing them off I walk down the block, cutting through the old temple grounds while the bell tolls, to my coworking space which I share with a startup, a couple of freelance software devs, a musician, a magazine editor, a voice actor, and a monk. It is a wonderfully eclectic place that fits me well.
A home, a school, a workplace… a routine.
After moving into the condo, securing a new coworking space, cleaning up the rental house, finishing the mourning period for my father-in-law, hosting visitors from Hokkaido, and starting the kids at a new school, a very busy August comes to a close. But it finally feels like we can settle a bit, and maybe begin to think of things other than the emergencies in front of us. That prospect, and the hint of cool weather, have me excited for what’s to come.
My best as always,
Chad
🖋 From the Blog
No writing this month! I suppose it was my summer break. Lots of photos though!
🧭 Elsewhere
We visited the cemetery during the Night of 10,000 Lanterns Photos →
Walkthrough of the machiya we rented for our Kyoto staycation with friends visiting from Hokkaido Video →
📖 What I’m Reading
I have been lax on keeping my #NowReading2022 list on Twitter up to date for the past few months. So posted a thread-within-the-thread of what I have been reading and what I have started recently: Link →
As always, connect with me on GoodReads →