Perfect Days
Oct 06, 2024
In the movie Perfect Days, the main character Hirayama is on a bridge with his niece Niko somewhere in Tokyo. Niko asks something to which Hirayama says "Next time". Niko asks "And when's that exactly?".
Hirayama replies: Next time is next time. Now is now.
My sister Michelle recommended this movie and as soon I watched this clip, that phrase stayed with me. This is a movie I will watch again (watched it twice). The second time I watched it, I picked up something new, something I didn't notice the first time. It's a simple movie. No drama, no beginning, no end. Just a bit of life.
We had many visitors this summer (my father, brother, brother-in-law, cousins). We visited my wife's cousins in Vancouver*. There were hellos, then good-byes. We talked about next time, but no one knows when that will be. What we know is we had a good time together. There was a lot of eating out, some first-time activities (golf, casino), and a lot of "adda".
As we head into the fall season, it's become quieter, the days are shorter. We are heading to what feels like a long winter.
The kids are in the final years of high school and elementary school. According to this article, "75% of the time we spend with our kids in our lifetime will be spent by age 12". That feels true with my son, only time will tell how it goes with my daughter who will become a teen next year. They have their agenda (and they should), so there is less need for the parents in their lives. It will be the wife and me, and our bucket lists from here on.
I have work, chores, errands, and some hobbies. One new thing that may turn into a long-term hobby is chess. It started with my brother Robert sharing a YouTube video about India's rising chess stars. One thing led to another, and now I am reading three chess books, and playing with others online at lichess.org (lost: 6, won: 5). Many elements of chess makes for a good long-term hobby (self-study, challenge of memorising, calculating positions, stress and competitive rush playing online games). I try not to play more than a few games weekly to avoid getting too intense.
Besides chess, I am also following and watching more sports (hockey, F1, tennis, a bit of baseball). I have significantly reduced my movie and TV series watching.
I hope to write more.
*First time in Vancouver. I couldn't stop looking at the mountains. If I could turn back time, I would land in Vancouver, not Toronto. But that story is for another day.