Welcome back to my weekly link roundup email. This week felt long to me, and I hope yours was breezy and light. I accidentally ended-up seeing Hobbs and Shaw this week (spoiler: it’s so-so), and had a delicious meal at Soba Ichi with some friends. I also spent time reading things on the internet, and without further ado, here’re the links:
Walking, the original free, chill exercise. Almost every day at work, I intentionally leave my desk to go on a walk around the office, or outside. It keeps my mind moving, and helps me solve tricky issues. If you’re able, give it a go.
If you need more reasons to walk, it turns out those scooters aren’t so great. What a bummer. I’ve been afraid of them since they began to grow like weeds on the sidewalks after a few friends got hurt riding them, so I’ve never ridden one.
Do you have some things, but not many things to carry to work or to play? Maybe this Bellroy bag will suit you. I’ve got another “waist pack” from DSPTCH that I generally enjoy, but I’d heard good things from about Bellroy’s packs, so I’ve decided to give one a shot. I’ll report back.
This week, as I studied Japanese, I wondered, “how many Japanese words are from Dutch?” It turns out that most words I thought were from English, like コーヒー(coffee), or ガラス(glass), instead came from the Dutch traders who hung out in Hirado and Dojima in the 1600s. Japan has a lot of Gairaigo, or loan words from various languages, which can make it a challenge to learn because katakana doesn’t always mean English, and I’ve often found myself puzzling over a term, only to realize it was of German or Portuguese origin. Wild.
That’s if for this week. As usual, I’m @brookshelley on twitter. I’m off to listen to Robin Sloan read Denis Johnson. If you’re reading this after Sunday, I don’t know if that link will do much, but if you can catch one of his readings, they’re fun and intimate. I’ll see y’all next week!