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Don't Bring the Laptop

One of Kenzo's favorite TV shows is GeGeGe no Kitaro, an animated Japanese program about magical creatures that I can't explain. I doubt anyone can. Suffice it to say, it's very Japanese. I think the original comic debuted in the 60's. It's got a nostalgic Japanese feeling to it, which is weird for me to say since I'm not Japanese. You can just kind of feel it though.

Kenzo has moments of artistic motivation. Sometimes he just wants to sit and dismantle a toy and stare out the window, other times he decides he wants to draw something very specific. Today he drew Kitaro...


And here's what he looks like on TV...


I discovered Kenzo's artwork when I arrived home from a very long day, departing at 9 a.m. and returning around 10 p.m. All on foot, with two quick subway rides.

My yearly health check was in the morning. The nurse who measured my height and weight (and waistline) asked me if I was aware of the change in my BMI. I said I had a feeling. She asked me if anything was wrong, like am I sick? I told her that last year I started walking and being more sensible with food and that I really don't know if I can maintain this. It felt nice to have my commitment to being healthier measured and recognized, but now I feel anxious because this time next year I might have long since given up.

One day at a time, though. That's what got me this far.

First stop, yangnyeom chicken at Izumi Chuo. Al fresco. 


Also Burger King. You can't eat before a health check and by the time I got done at 11:20 I was ready to eat the shrubs outside. I often unintentionally do intermittent fasting, but all I had since yesterday evening at dinner was a small cup of water and I could feel it undermining my sanity.

After that I took the rest of the day off, hopped on the subway, and walked around downtown Sendai.


The vending machine era is still going strong. I came across this one selling jars of chili oil and pickled things.


I passed 20,000 steps for the first time. Fourteen and a half kilometers. I had intended on hanging out in a cafe for a while reading but ended up at Tully's Coffee catching up on work. I brought my book and my laptop, and my laptop won. Next time don't bring the laptop.

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