Korean BBQ House on my Running Route

On my normal running route around the neighborhood, there is a hill at about the 4 mile mark. At the top of this hill is a house. And the people who live in this house often barbeque. And the kind of meat they barbeque is Korean Kalbi. It smells sooooooo goooooood!!! By the time I run past, my stomach is growling like crazy! I need to befriend this family.

Trip to Stockholm

Last week I went on my first business trip ever, and it was a fantastic one! The trip was to Stockholm, Sweden. Not only was the work really productive, but exploring the city was really fun as well. One of the highlights was that my coworker and I went for an evening run along a popular route. That was super! We also ate a lot of traditional food and sampled many local beers. What a great trip! Below are some of the photos I took.

Sunset over Stockholm
Photo info: FUJIFILM XF1, 9.7mm, f/3.6, 1/20 sec, ISO400
We were walking to dinner and had to stop several times to take photos of this amazing sunset over Stockholm.
Arlanda Express
Photo info: SONY SLT-A77V, 10mm, f/6.7, 1/20 sec, ISO1000
This is the Arlanda Express, which is the best way to get to/from the airport and Central Station. We used the app to buy tickets while at dinner. So convenient!
Sakura
Photo info: SONY SLT-A77V, 50mm, f/2.8, 1/250 sec, ISO100
I was surprised to find sakura! I see so many Instagram photos from Japanese instagrammers, and I am happy that I could take some sakura photos too.
King Gustaf III
Photo info: SONY SLT-A77V, 50mm, f/8, 1/350 sec, ISO100
This statue of King Gustaf III is by the waterside… a favorite perch for the local seagulls.
Blå Dörren (Blue Door)
Photo info: FUJIFILM XF1, 6.4mm, f/4, 1/15 sec, ISO3200
Blå Dörren (Blue Door) is where we had Swedish meatballs and pickled herring, along with local beer. So yummy!
No 9
Photo info: FUJIFILM XF1, 6.4mm, f/3.6, 1/15 sec, ISO3200
No 9 on Stora Nygatan in the Old City
Plugged Records
Photo info: FUJIFILM XF1, 6.4mm, f/3.6, 1/15 sec, ISO2500
Plugged Records on Stora Nygatan. This street is in Gamla Stan Old Town. It’s such a cool section!
Stora Nygatan
Photo info: FUJIFILM XF1, 6.4mm, f/3.6, 1/15 sec, ISO2000
Stora Nygatan in the Old Town
Stora Nygatan
Photo info: FUJIFILM XF1, 6.4mm, f/3.2, 1/15 sec, ISO1600
Stora Nygatan in the Old Town
Window Shopping Åhléns
Photo info: FUJIFILM XF1, 6.4mm, f/3.2, 1/160 sec, ISO800
Window Shopping at Åhléns. This department store was right next to the office. I really liked the Honda CB, which had a weird disc brake fitted to the front wheel.
Nice Ad
Photo info: FUJIFILM XF1, 6.4mm, f/3.2, 1/60 sec, ISO400
Nice ad on the street. I like the cow.
Local Brew
Photo info: FUJIFILM XF1, 6.4mm, f/3.2, 1/15 sec, ISO1250
One of the many local beers we sampled. This photo was taken at Bakfickan.
Fuchiko, Röhrstrom, and Chiffon
Photo info: SONY SLT-A77V, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/250 sec, ISO1000
Fuchiko, Röhrstrom, and Chiffon. Mariko sent me a message with this dish design, and I found this cake dish at the Åhléns department store. I had to hand carry this back to Austin, but it was worth it!

New Phone – Moto G

Moto G and 木村 文乃
Photo info: SONY SLT-A77V, 50mm, f/2.8, 1/90 sec, ISO125
Moto G and 木村 文乃

This is my new phone: a Motorola Moto G (2nd generation). My two-and-a-half-year-old Galaxy S3 finally died after a few resets and so I decided that it was time. The Moto G is not the latest and greatest in terms of technology, but it is decent, comes with the latest version of Android, and is only $179 total, off-contract.

One thing I have learned is that I do not have to load every app under the sun to have a great experience. After resetting the S3, I had to reinstall apps and each time I reset it, I would install less and less, until I was down to the bare essentials. I realized which apps I actually used and now my phone is pretty uncluttered. Also contributing to the streamlined phone is that it runs stock Android, not some manufacturer skin. So it’s nice and fast. That speed is a great feeling! (and no monthly payments is also wonderful)

Thinking About Thinking

On a Run
On a Run

I’ve always tried to keep my work life and my personal life separate, and I’ve been fairly successful in this. Even in my blog, I rarely mention my work life. I can’t remember if I ever mentioned work in my blog, actually. This separation of work and personal life applied to even simply thinking about work when I was off-the-clock. But lately, work has been on my mind a lot, and my efforts to not think about it have been a little bit draining. Maybe draining is a little too severe a word for it, but it’s in the back of my mind… nagging me. “I should NOT be thinking about work!” It was irritating and didn’t seem right.

But I’ve come to realize that it’s okay for me to think about work on my off-hours, and what was making it irritating was not the fact that I was thinking about work, but that I had a rule that I was NOT supposed to be thinking about work. I was spending time thinking about how I should not be thinking!

So I decided to suspend the rule and see what happened. And the time I spend running is the perfect time to test how it works out. I am happy to say that it’s been going great! When I start thinking about work-related things, I just go with the flow and see where my thoughts go. By not worrying about it, there is no more stress! More often than not, I find myself thinking about other stuff after only a few minutes. This is kind of a relief to me. And surprisingly entertaining as well. Part of my mind sits above the rest, and observes where my thoughts lead. It’s very interesting! The mind is incredible and mysterious, づすね!