Aki, the Minimalist

Recently, I've been trying to avoid reading and watching US political news and commentary (not always successfully). Instead of watching political news/commentary, I found a YouTube Channel that is very interesting, called "Samurai Macha".

The content creator is a Japanese man named Aki, mid-thirties, who has traveled the world on his bamboo bicycle, was a school teacher in a country side town, and loves to make and drink macha. He has posted about his travels and the Japanese way of life, but a big part of his content is about becoming a minimalist and living with minimal possessions. He sometimes talks about the Konmari method (Mari Kondo), and if something doesn't spark joy, get rid of it.

I'm not a minimalist and don't aspire to be so extreme, but I do live more simply in Japan than I did in the US. I don't have a car, or a phone, or a television, or a hair dryer, or an umbrella, or many things that I thought were necessities when I lived in the US and I'm fine without them. I live in a small apartment, not a big house.

Watching Samurai Macha videos has me thinking about what I have and why I keep it. Of course, I have quite a bit of stitching stuff. This is my hobby and I need these things. I just don't need so many of these things.  I don't want to buy any more stitching things unless it is needed for a current project.  I will not be buying anything else just because it is pretty and I might want it for something in the future.

I realize I have some things "just in case" I might need them, but most of the time I don't. I save bags and wrapping paper and ribbons in case I want to reuse them.  I have some small boxes in case I want to send something by mail, or organize things into small boxes. I've decided to keep two little boxes and the others will go to the cardboard recycle. I was saving some glass jars that instant coffee came in, in case I wanted to put buttons or other small things in them. My current storage system is okay, so the glass jars are going to the recycle. Maybe I have too many buttons also, but I'm not there yet. 

I don't have a lot of clothes, but I tend to just wear the same ones, so I need to try on the ones I don't wear and if they don't spark joy, they need to go. 

I'm consolidating things and putting like things together. I will use up cleaning supplies and check expiration dates on things. Less is better, I think. 

Aki, the minimalist has inspired me.

My New Favorite YouTube Channel

I don't have a television but I watch YouTube on my computer.  I watch mystery and crime shows, the news, old TV shows, animal channels, all kinds of things. I recently discovered a new (to me) channel called the Museum Guide. https://www.youtube.com/c/TheMuseumGuide/playlists

The first one I watched was "The Strangest Objects in the Victoria and Albert Museum". There are also videos about the British Museum and others. So far, it looks like the videos are London and Paris museums, but the channel looks pretty new, so there may be other cities in the future.  If you like museums, check it out.

Here is the description from the channel itself:

DescriptionJoin me, Jessica the Museum Guide, and explore the most famous museums and galleries in the UK and beyond. Tour iconic objects and hidden gems as you dive into history and culture with a critical lens. Whether you're planning your own trip to these museums or you just want to relax and learn from your own home, I make you feel like you're there in person! Like and subscribe, and make sure you click the notification bell so you never miss a museum tour. I'm always happy to answer questions, so pop them in the comments section. Interested in booking a private museum tour in London? Email me at jessica@themuseumguide.com Want to ask questions and join a community of museum lovers? Join the Museum Tips Facebook Group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/762985481524581

My New Favorite YouTube Channel

I don't have a television, but I do watch YouTube on my computer. Sometimes I watch too much "news" and current events and need to escape to something lighter.

I have recently discovered Griffin Frenchie - https://www.youtube.com/c/GriffinFrenchie/videos

The stars of the shows are two French bulldogs (real dogs) named Griffin and Haru, who live with their people in South Korea.  A baby joined the family a few months ago and these dogs are so good with the new baby. You can see the dogs, (that/who seem like little people) eating, playing, sleeping, going to the park or the vet or the shopping mall.

The language is English, but the pronunciation and grammar attributed to the dogs might not be easy to understand if English is not your first language. An example is - Heben hulp me (heaven help me).  For this reason, I haven't recommended this channel to my students, even though I have really enjoyed watching it. The videos are short and funny and just what we need these days.  Check it out!