Places 4

On the train from Osaka airport to Kyoto, you can still see

many damaged homes en route.  

I didn't connect with Osaka like I thought I would.  

It felt like a Japanese Disneyland and after a night out for many

particularly along Dotonbori, streets were quite littered, rare for Japan.

I had read that Osaka is like a mini Tokyo, all the good stuff

but with more spirit and less cost.  

But for me, Tokyo still wins.

Kyoto, on the other hand, wasn't as quaint as I had imagined.

It was far more touristy then expected.

However, if you go to the temples early in the morning,

like many well visited places in the world,

you can still find a far more peaceful experience.

Places 3

Super fun time in Maboneng, Johannesburg.

Voted one of the hippest neighbourhoods in the world.

Can understand why and would wholeheartedly agree!

Trendy, artsy places, international influences.

Would fly here for a long weekend dose of fun, no hesitation.

There is a caveat.
This artsy community is a manufactured bubble,
with obvious poverty around its 24 hr secured streets.
And warnings not to go beyond.

I did anyways, to the surprise of people sitting outside
and working inside of the variety store,  pharmacy and supermarket.

I happily supported their businesses and calmly walked back
over to "the other side" with their small opaque
black plastic shopping bags, presumably to hide its contents.

Noticed people would look at the bag and then look at me
knowing where I must have been to have one of those.

I got tired of just looking at the real local life scene outside my studio loft window.

As well as standing at a street corner looking at the next block,
wondering what the difference was in that 50 meters, that made it so "unsafe". 

Places 2

Jakarta was an eye opener.  Some parts were glossy and shiny

while a couple of streets in, you'd think you were in Yangon.

I was a bit grossed out by the lower levels of hygiene
but still ate local, just watched myself more than usual.

I wanted to explore the capital, whereas it is mostly
treated as a the gateway to the beaches.

Glad I did as I got to interact with many kind people.

And surprisingly had some of the best peach ice tea ever,

as I had to duck into a cafe for some reprieve from the heat.

(fyi, another place with unexpected great peach ice tea was in Manila)

Places 1

Shanghai wasn't the most friendly place I've been to but the architecture, 

especially along the Bund was gorgeous and so well preserved.  

You'd think you were in Europe.  

Vast waterfront with many places to sit.  

Perfect scale.

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Continued onto Ho Chi Minh after and the contrast was striking.
Found it to be really dirty.  Didn't want to wear sandals even.
The area I was in probably wasn't the best choice
but was convenient for the airport bus.
The modern part of the city would be my pick
should there be a next time.

Results

I did inherit a non functioning gene from one parent that hinders my body's ability to rid itself of excess cholesterol in the bloodstream.  Results in approximately double the length of time the excess gets to hang out in my system, resulting in a chronic inflammatory reaction.

Add to it a bunch of inherited polygenes from both parents, places the calculation of my risk of a sudden vascular emergency at the 75th percentile by age 60, regardless of how healthy my habits may currently be.

As a consequence of those findings, was strongly recommended to be on a "low" dose statin.  Have been taking it for over 3 months now.  Hate being on a prescription drug.  Hate it.  But understand why he would be insistent on it, despite having great results on a myriad of other tests.

Was expecting to start seeing changes at 3 months.  Recent blood test results were surprisingly excellent. Already bettered the target 6 month goal.

So I suggested a lowered dose experiment for the next 3 months and my specialist agreed.  If successful, I'm sure he knows what will come out of my mouth -- A trial on the lowest dose possible.

Am also tracking an inflammatory protein change as well.  And that number dropping has resulted in a noticeable decrease and elimination of the "stressy buzzy" baseline feeling I had been experiencing for many years actually.  Something I had blamed on a number of other factors.  Super happy about this aspect.

Time

This year has been flying and despite having taken quite a bit of time off, the sky hasn't fallen like I had feared for so many years.  The old "why did I wait so long" thing.

Although I would by lying if I didn't admit to the thought that I am slowly committing career suicide.  But the worry of that isn't strong enough to make me change my current ways.

Basically, this is all I have left to contribute right now if I wish to really take care of things inside.

D is doing so well at his no longer new-to-him position, he accepted the offer to go full time again.  Can you believe it?! 

He loves it and it has proven to him that that mythical 37 hrs a week position where people aren't trying to kill each other all the time, does truly exist.  It is quite the comfy bubble his company exists in. 

It is providing both of us the needed time and space to recover from all the years of stress that had built up from this aspect of his life.  We're not quite there yet, but it is evolving.