Still a Fan of The Economist

This Friday evening, I am flying to Japan for a week-long vacation. I’ll spend the first five days in my hometown of Maebashi to keep company with my dad, and the remaining two days in Kyoto for sightseeing. In between, if the schedule allows, I might visit Tokyo for a short excursion as well, but that remains to be seen.

In the past, whenever I got back to Japan on vacation, I felt kind of obligated to stay with my family in my hometown. However, recently, I’ve changed my thinking, and have begun to travel elsewhere in Japan to make the most of my stay in the country.

I’m looking forward to my upcoming trip to Kyoto, which I haven’t visited for 30 years and only have a vague memory of. Aside from visiting its famous temples, I’m interested in exploring its numerous streets lined with old yet stylish architecture, while stopping by cafes and bookstores here and there.

Although yesterday was a Sunday, I didn’t do a lot of things and had a relaxing day. Like I customarily do on weekends, I studied English by writing a journal entry and having it proofread by ChatGPT. I managed to write a long entry, but I ended up spending too much time on it, and felt exhausted afterward.

By the way, yesterday I wrote my journal while listening to Bossa Nova on Spotify, thinking I could be more productive with light music in the background. However, maybe it was counterproductive after all. I’ve noticed that when I’m at home with no one around, I can write much faster without the music, like I’m doing today. Music can only come in handy when I need to shut out the ambient noise in places like cafes with other people around.

In the evening, I headed to the nearby gym for a workout on a treadmill and stopped by the Starbucks in the same shopping mall afterward, where I read a few articles in the latest issue of The Economist magazine.

As usual, the magazine was very insightful and interesting. In the past, I used to read it more regularly, mainly to study English, and even had a subscription. As I found it to be a bit pricey, I eventually canceled my subscription, but I still remain a fan and buy a copy every now and then.