Just sent Martin his birthday gift to the Netherlands, for which we paid $85.20 on postage. Not too bad. The real surprise, though, came to be the extra fee he will need to pay upon delivery: $40. When I asked why, and if I could pay for it in advance here, I was told that it was Netherlands-specific charge, and that there was nothing I could do about it. Ugh, TIL.
friends martin rantsA very dear friend of mine is turning 70. I have known him for more than half of his life and, yet, I don’t know what to get him on his birthday. I am at a loss! See, he is one of those for whom shopping is very difficult. He is not that into technology. He doesn’t use Apple products. He doesn’t wear watches, nor any kind of jewelry. Ugh! So hard! I only have two months—barely!—to choose, shop, and ship.
birthdays martinAfter sharing with a friend my step count for the last two weeks, and telling him that “the heat here has been excruciatingly punishing”, and because of it my daily step count has decreased to a laughable number, and that I was trying to compensate by working standing up for hours to no end, but still felt guilty about it, he replied:
“It’s a bit slack but with the heat, what can you do!?”
😂 Isn’t he the best friend?
friends martin“IKIGAI - The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life”, reads the cover of this book. Can it be called a secret, when it’s written in a book? I figure it’s a secret, if you don’t buy the book. Lucky for me, Martin gifted me this one.
Here I go, to live a “long and happy life!” Well, at least to read about it. One must start somewhere, right?
japan martin philosophy