This was a pretty good week. I had a moment where I thought back to a question someone asked me, and I realised, that I couldn’t fault a single day this week. Considering the number of big changes that have happened in the past 12 weeks alone, that's pretty huge. This felt good in a calm way.

This week in data:

• 🚶 Distance walked: 115,895 steps
• 🧉 Jasmine tea drunk: 3 litres

To solve an incredibly annoying migration problem in a repeatable way, I wrote some code which parses the ES AST to extract its exports. And, it, worked? Normally I don’t do something so low-level and cursed until at least summer? So I’m pretty chuffed with that.

Had two stand-out work lunches, only one of which was probably unhealthy.

Got accepted for the apartment I applied for, which is wonderful news, but the move-in date is a little ways off. So during the week I signed another short-term lease, this one for a flat in Minami-Azabu. It’s not the most convenient for going to other parts of Tokyo, but it’s an extremely nice area I’ve always enjoyed passing through, and being just on the cusp of walkable to work, I’ll probably never again have the opportunity to stay there. I’m mega excited to explore a new neighbourhood. Move-in next weekend.

OK, so, I need to make a big retraction: Before I left London, I said that I was expecting the electronic music scene in Tokyo to be quiet. I could not have been more wrong, once you scratch past the surface, it is positively jumping.

This week I went to 4 different gigs in 4 different clubs — tying my historic average for short-stays in Berlin. What made this number possible was a bank holiday on Tuesday, an initial foray into the more underground scene, and the new personal milestone of going to them totally sober.

Now that retraction is out of the way, I must make also a big confession. I have become obsessed with Jasmine tea. It is relaxing when warm, refreshing when cold, and both of these are in ways entirely different to water. And you can drink it mega late because — caffeine-free.

After class on Monday, I had a pit-stop at home and ventured out to another “secret location”. This time it was actually a secret, and despite being guest-listed and being sent a pin I could not find it and documented exploring in a series of voice-notes to a few people (if you are one of said people: sorry!). This was my first experience of the more underground, more experimental music scene and I loved it. I followed a few DJs on social media platforms, and some followed me back, and I’ve since learned a little bit more about where to look.

On the bank holday, after a long lie-in, I ventured out to Odaiba to have a glimpse at what the future holds. The answer is lots of shops, a massive gundam statue and a few more shops. Also a replica State of Liberty. The future seems exciting!

Class on Thursday - I feel like I kept pace with the kana - they are starting to stick - followed by impromptu dinner with MA.

Marking valentines on Friday I had a surprise group call with MT and AK. Pacing the busy streets, wearing a bluetooth headset talking startups felt very “international businessman circa early 2000s”. Not sure that’s a good thing, but, here we are.

Not to talk too much about the gigs I went to (because this isn’t my festival review blog) - but I had a blast at omni-directional at WOMB - great sets and the venue is probably my favourite of all the ones I’ve been to in Tokyo so far.

I went to another strong contender later in the weekend though. I'm enjoying that UK Hardcore isn't dead here. Didn’t see Shimamura. Next time maybe.

Wrapping the week on Sunday I spent some time writing some code, trying to buy some clothes (I did not) and in a sauna.