I sent out an entire batch of handwritten letters with some instant photos today. Writing letters, some of them to strangers, has become a fascination. I don’t know what to say so I write mostly about myself. If only it were so easy to open up with people you already know.
The photo above was taken at a stall in Shibuya. This stall will be here for the whole week.
I’ve come home early today. Ordered sushi to take away, studied Japanese in my desk, put my polaroids on the wall. I’m missing something but I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s a purpose.
I’m watching Mr. Robot.
I’m studying Swift, a new programming language by Apple. In about 30 minutes I will go to the gym. Do a 45 minutes workout of 15 minutes cardio, 3 leg exercises and 7 upper body exercises. My figure is quite slender. I will take a hot bath awkwardly amongst all the other Japanese men. Then I will take the train to Shibuya, the elevator to the 8th floor. I seat in the office quiet zone, work in my computer beyond dinner, and end the day with a Chai Latte and 2 hours studying Japanese. You could say I’m past the peak of my day.
This is a photo in Sangenjaya. Any sunny day might be the last now.
I light up my phone’s screen to wake my sleepy eyes in the morning. Everything normal so far. I check the news, 90 dead in Paris after a mass shooting last night. Facebook tells me my friends are safe with the security check feature. I check Twitter. Sacha Grief: “Fuck this. I can’t believe this is happening again”.
Today is my sister’s birthday. Right now, the person I miss the most. More than my parents, or my best friend. From the moment I moved to London we stopped speaking as much. But when 5 years later she also moved to London it was like I met a lost family member. All our differences were put away and it became clear how inspiring she has been throughout my life. It also became clear how nothing replaces a sibling whom you can trust all your problems with. And that is why I miss her so much today. Because we needed each other.
I wish you a happy birthday, with much love.
I had a phone interview with a hiring manager at Google for a role in the Tokyo office 30 minutes ago. Working at Google must be my dream. Working at Google in Tokyo was farfetched. The role they are hiring for is for an Interaction Designer. Kazuki told me my experience is suitable for the role, my only disadvantage is not having design experience targeted specifically for Asian users.
I met up with Paul Gates today, and we explored the area of Shinjuku. Paul is a former colleague at ustwo. After a few drinks he asked me if I would ever go back to ustwo. “Yes. Of course”. ustwo was probably the best place I ever worked at. During my time at ustwo I was very happy, hungry to grow, and also immature. I had to go. Maybe one day I’ll have a chance to go back.
Here’s a group photo at The Waterfall in Shinjuku. Thank you Shun for taking this photo. From left to right you can see Shohei, Kevin, me, Paul, Lucas and Ryleigh.
Another chapter in my series of exploring Tokyo at night. There must be something in this city for me to discover, but I seem unable to unlock that secret. There are no speaking cats or fish falling from the sky.
Nozomi met me after work today. Nozomi is a friend from London, a talented illustrator based in Tokyo. I know that Nozomi and I haven’t actually spent that much time together, we would just meet for coffee every now and then. But she’s smart, thoughtful, and the best person to talk to at any given time. She’s also full of silly stories.
We had okonomiyaki for dinner at Bow’s Door, this is now my second time here. Then went to the JBS bar for a quiet drink at the sound of soul. We had a second drink at the Bar Music, a lovely tiny bar full of discs and an incredibly cute dog by the entrance. We talked about work, freelance, fulfilling your passion carrier, dreams, Nozomi’s drunken adventures in Okinawa, and agreed to meet again another time.
Above is a photo of Nozomi acting silly in the street between JBS and Bar Music in Shibuya.