📺 I’ve just finished watching the final episode of Shogun and, like every episode that went before, it was a masterpiece.

I hope the writers and cast win all the awards, especially Anna Sawai, whose portrayal of Mariko was stunning. She had me hanging on her every word each scene she appeared in.

Ugh. Knowing there’s no more Shogun to come is (pardon the pun) a double-edged sword. No more excellent storylines, but also no risk that it will end up like the final season of Game of Thrones.

I had great plans for a healthy and productive evening at home. I was going to head down to the gym, cook a healthy dinner and do some outstanding life admin.

Then, it came to my attention that the first two episodes of the new season of Star Trek: Discovery are now live on Paramount+ and so everything else has been binned. It’s all-Trek, all evening now.

I don’t make the rules…

Another summary of the week that was

Wellbeing

I’ve continued a real focus on my wellbeing, with several visits to the gym, my first 5km run of the year (and my second!), some long walks and - shocking to me - managing to stick to my healthier diet. Dry January continues to be a breeze, and the easiest way to decrease my weekly calories. So I’ve decided to continue it into February. How I’ll handle the free champagne on my flight to Tokyo is a problem for future me to deal with!

But in all seriousness, I’ve not slept this well or felt this positive for ages. So exercise and AF beers seem to be the combo that’s making all the difference.

I bought a new weighing scales, as my old one completely gave up the ghost. I got this one from Withings, to use up the last of my Christmas Amazon vouchers. So far I’m super impressed. It measures body composition as well as weight, to give you an idea of the fat to muscle ratio. The accompanying app is really excellent and syncs perfectly with Apple Health on my iPhone. A daily check-in on the scales keeps me honest! But also realistic.

The fact that a friend noticed I’ve lost weight in my face was the boost I needed to keep going.

Work

I had a stellar week at work, winning a new client and getting an approach from an old one to do some really interesting work. I also managed to record two episodes of the podcast, publish two YouTube videos (to be fair, one was just the recording of a webinar I did earlier in the week) and made a big decision about a self-directed business project I’m going to work on this quarter.

More to come on that front…

Travel

A friend in Tokyo has arranged an overnight trip to Hakone for when I’m in Japan. So I’ll spend my birthday soaking in a hot springs resort and eating delicious food! I’ve also been refining my list of places to visit, so that it’s more manageable and realistic. And yes, I’ve been organising it all in Noteplan which is all kinds of wonderful. I don’t have shares, I promise - but if you use iOS and want fast access to your notes on the go, this is an excellent option.

And yes, I know I’ve promised a blog post on Noteplan. I’ll get to it. Soon.

And even though it’s at the other end of the year, my partner and I are planing our November trip to Japan. In stark contrast with last year’s trip to sunny Okinawa, we’re planning to head to Hokkaido, to explore Sapporo. Lots of snow and ice, but my first visit that north in Japan, so lots of new experiences lie ahead. Exciting!

Geeking out

I finally finished Apple TV’s ‘Invasion’ this week, on my iPad, while exercising on the elliptical trainer in the gym. It was overall a B+ for me, as I think it could have all be done and dusted in six punchy episodes. I really can’t see it coming back for a second season, but of course, I’m always wrong with these things…

Now it’s finished, I’ve moved on to re-watching the re-make of Battlestar Galactica while exercising. I’d honestly forgotten how tense and well-scripted it is. I’m pretty sure the angst of the first episode translated into a higher heart rate on my part and quite a bit more exercise! And with seasons to go, it’ll keep me from getting bored as I pump away.

And that was the week that was!

Last night, I watched the final episode of Foundation’s second season on Apple TV+. It was a thrilling ride and the perfect close to an impressive season.

If you haven’t sampled the delights of Foundation yet, let me convince you. No, it doesn’t have space wizards or laser sword fights or cutesy little robots. It doesn’t have alien races with unpronounceable names.

But it does have the palace intrigue of Game of Thrones, combined with the galaxy-wide politics of Star Trek. It addresses fundamental themes of what it means to be a human and what freedom and power are. All while set in the most breath-taking sets you can imagine.

Yes, there are thrilling space battles (eventually), but there’s real character growth, plot developments that leave your mouth gaping, set design that will set your heart racing and an ongoing exploration of the messy grey zone between ‘good’ and ‘evil’.

The cast is wonderful.

Whether it’s the out and out menace and endless sexual charge coming from Lee Pace as Brother Day, or the cold and definitely unsettling presence of Laura Birn as Demerzel, virtually every character brings something to the screen. I found myself getting incredibly invested in their journeys - which is always a great sign when there are so many characters.

(By comparison, half-way through the final season of Game of Thrones, I wouldn’t have been moved if a dragon had eaten every single human pottering about King’s Landing.)

Foundation requires real attention. This isn’t something you can enjoy with one eye on your iPad or while preparing a meal. I found myself rewinding to catch crucial plot points (and not just the naked hand-to-hand fight scenes. Ahem.).

It’s not light, but it is up-lifting. It’s complex, but rewarding. There’s no magic. But there is a spiritual element. Any miracle you see is all technology plus the human spirit. And I enjoyed every minute.