The plan to do weekly blog posts lasted nearly 3 months, so it was a start. Let’s see if I can finish off the end of the year with weekly posts.
Reading
On holiday, I read a lot of books about Japan or by Japanese authors. When looking up what would be good to read, a lot of the recommended books were not available on a Kindle, so did not make it with me, but I plan to find them and buy. So reading there included:
- The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles by Haruki Murakami By a Japanese author and set in Japan, but not really about Japan. it’s a bit fantasy, a bit ‘novel’ and not really the type of book i would normally read. But strangely satisfying in its weirdness.
- Lost Japan by Alex Kerr (Lonely Planet). A collection of essays about Japanese life and culture over the last 30 years from the perspective of an American. it’s more a yearning for what has been lost rather than what is there now
- Shogun, James Clavell. I’ve never read this, but have a vague recollection of watching it on TV. Really food story telling about early 17th century Japan.
Moving away from books, articles I have been catching up on include:
- It’s a Woman’s Social Media World. Data about how men are quickly catchignup on social media usage over the last year.
- Your casual acquaintances on Twitter are better than your close friends on Facebook All about why weak ties add value.
- Manic Pixel Dream Girl by Elizabeth Simmins A comic strip about growing up as a geek girl
- Coursera – a whole list of online courses! Part of the increasing trend to make knowledge free. As a great quote I saw the other day stated – knowledge is free, it’s the delivery system you have to pay for!
Doing
- Attended Playful 2013. After last years blogposts, I got asked back to do some liveblogging again for this conference. Post of the posts are already live – there’s a couple more to add though.
- Saw Much Ado About Nothing at the Old Vic. With James Earl Jones and Vanessa Redgrave. I’ve never seen (or read) this play before so, with nothing to compare against, the casting of an older Benedict and Beatrice was fine with me. Having seen Othello earlier in the year though, it did bring home that women seem to be untrusted when it comes to love and fidelity in these Shakespeare plays.
- Had a visit from the parents. They brought along some GORGEOUS planting pots to keep my growbag garden out of growbags and a lot more tidy!
- Saw part of Rhizome’s Seven on Seven London event, after seeing that Naveen, someone I knew from New York would be talking
- Caught up with Robert Scoble, an old friend from the US, who was over here publicizing his new book, the Age of Context.
Training
I’m adding another category – as I’ve managed to get into the London Marathon, then it think it would be useful to keep track of my activities! This was the first week of my marathon training plan!
- 3.68miles (10:36min/m)lunchtime jog. First real outing since the half marathon, also first one at lunchtime. Think I’m going to be doing more of these in the winter!
- 5.17m (11:40min/m) Run into work
- 3.02m (11:32mim/m) Evening jog, nice and steady
- 6.58m (10:39min/m) Weekend long run
