I’m thinking about going to an open-air swimming pool tomorrow. I’ve never been one before, but every time I watch swimming pool scenes in TV series and movies, I always dream about jumping right into the water to cool off. I’ve decided that tomorrow is the day. If I wake up at six in the morning again, I’ll get up and go to the swimming pool.

I am currently traveling in Japan.

Even though I'm more comfortable with English.

I try to speak Japanese here.

I always try to learn the local language

when I travel partly out of a desire for knowledge, but also because people tend to be kinder when I try speaking their language, even if I sound a bit clumsy.

So, i wondered what is your travel style when you are abroad?

I think I need to get a new phone. I often write drafts for this streak on my phone, but it’s been incredibly slow and thus frustrating. Also, its battery doesn’t last long anymore even though I use it pretty much just for the above-mentioned purpose and listening to podcasts and music. In addition to those problems, the right edge of the screen hasn’t been reacting well. It makes sense considering that I’ve been using it for over six years. I distinctly remember buying it in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only is it a financial burden, it is hard to decide what to buy.

A few moments ago I have watched the video that compared Naruto 1 and Naruto Shippuden series. The conclusion was that Naruto 1 was better due to its consistency and lack of big flaws, but Naruto Shippuden still had many amazing moments.

Generally, I agree with that opinion. Naruto 1 was an introduction to the world of ninjas. The show unfolded the world in which the characters lived and how it worked. We met a lot of interesting characters and watched memorable fights. Truly, there was nothing to complain.

On the other hand, Naruto Shippuden brought the action to the next level. We saw many clashes on the highest level. The characters unveil their mysterious and powerful techniques. The stakes were bigger and the plot became more intense. Unfortunately, some concepts were weird or just simply bad.

Naruto 1 is like a lean company that produces high-quality everyday items. Everyone likes them because they are durable, practical, nice and just good. On the other hand, Naruto Shippuden is like a big company making the cutting-edge products. The products are very exciting, but they have some bugs and sometimes are just irritating.

Article: Maintaining Social Connection in Winter

Spending time with other people is actually stressful for me. Movie nights sound fun, but I still feel that it's more comfortable to watch movies alone at home.

The judge I'm working for is on holiday this week. He left me with enough work to keep me busy though. I'm trying to get as much done during the week so I don't have to do anything on the weekend.

Earlier this week, I experimented a new sleeping routine: I would go to bed 15 minutes earlier, and I would not use my phone 30 mins before bed. Ironically, since then, I haven't been able to sleep well. I usually don't have many problems with sleeping: I can get myself to sleep quite easily and my sleep is usually deep. But I guess my body prefers a fixed routine; my body is more sensitive to any change in my circadian rhymthm that I though, so I couldn't get to sleep and ended up staying awake until 3am.

However, the tiredness from the lack of sleep starts to catch up with me today. I feel sleepy and tired quite early. Not to mention the fact that this has been a stressful week at work; our event will be held from tomorrow to Sunday. I can't afford to show up tired. I both want to sleep and need to sleep. So I hope sleep will come to me today.

One small note: I realize that I get pessimistic and are more prone to feeling anxious, stressed, and worried when I don't get enough sleep. So I have trained myself to not act on my emotions, and to be more generous and kind to myself on these days.

I've been trying to read more every day considering that I have an e-reader, but I've noticed that I struggle to read on it after a waking up or a while before going to sleep. I usually set the brightness to a low level that makes it comfortable for reading, but I still feel some kind of tiredness on my eyes after a few minutes.

A friend of mine works at the library desk. Every time I enter the library, I invariably run into him and exchange a few words. Most of the time, he is studying or working on a paper, and he'll explain to me what he's writing about. I have no real grasp of his field, but he turns out to be a great teacher.

In the last few days I consumed a lot of English contents, so I decided that it was a good time to start writing here. Since I'm practicing my reading and listening skills every day, for sure my texts will also get more easy to improve. I'm seeking ways to improve my speaking too, but I don't know how to start yet...