It’s the year of the dragon (my year) and while I’m not going to go out and forecast any inordinately good fortune, I’m not one to expect anything all that unpleasant to happen either – things usually balance out nicely. The brief but pleasant end of year break allowed for some reading, lots of walking and talking, not to mention the seasonal pastime of knocking back a lot of food and drink.
We spent a few days out in Nara, which as always is relaxing. There’s something about Nara that I just love, though I have a difficult time placing it. I love the contrast (in really any region) between the good-looking areas, the trendy and wild and crowded areas, and the run-down and shabby areas, something visible in really any major town here, but something I always have enjoyed about both Nara and Kyoto(1). In some respects, it has many similarities to Kyoto, but after so long going to school in Kyoto, as well a year living in a Siberian bunker-like apartment in a dangerous but fun neighbourhood in south Fushimi-ku, I find it now lacks the unfamiliarity that Nara (as well as Kobe) has.
Our annual shrine visit went smoothly as well since we visited a small spot known for its great amazake and then didn’t bother with the crowds at Kasuga taisha, simply cruising through on our hiking trail towards Takabatake. I have continued my tradition of resisting the desire to pulling a fortune-advising omikuji (and I quote, “a safe year for a move”) once again. The reason for this is that after pulling dai-kichi four times in a row a couple of years ago, I figured my luck was up on that game and I had best call it there – thus retaining my perfect record(2).
In the weeks since then, I’ve been busy writing my thesis, with a number of interesting social events around Kyoto, and working my way through some decent micro/macro textbooks from Nishimura Kazuo and Futagami Koichi. Having finished up the CFA exam, I feel less busy though actually have far more tasks on my hands than before. I’ve been writing a lot in Japanese recently but I’m far more critical of my Japanese writing than my English so I never tend to put it online. In any case, it’s been stimulating doing some writing again, though I can never be certain if any of it will ever leave the depths of my hard drive.
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1. 大阪の方がそのギャップが激しいという人もいるだろうが、ぼくは社長の友人に会員制ラウンジに連れていかれたりヤクザが隣の街角で真っ白のパーカを裸の上半身に羽織ったままうるさく電話でしゃべっているような下町に住んだりしてきたから大阪と比べて京都での「世渡り」の経験が豊富。
2. 最初は買うか買わないか毎年、どうするか必ず迷い、長いこと砂利の上の同じ10メートル区間をなんども前後に行き来した末、やっぱりいらないという流れだったが、今年は歳のせいか、おみくじは引かないという深い信念を貫き通して躊躇なく賽銭を投じてぎこちない合掌とお辞儀をして気持ちよく立ち去った。