Words to Aid in Seeking Peace of Mind

 

(image credit:  Moodywalk on Unsplash.com)

When I went for my walk yesterday...I did not have any peace of mind when I started.

 

During my walk, I remembered the writings of Marcus Aurelius, the stoic philosopher emperor of ancient Rome - in his book, "Meditations"

 

This morning, I remembered a passage in Herman Hesse's 1922 novel "Siddhartha": "I can think, I can wait, I can fast"

 

 

Poker Probability Problems as Meditation

(image credit: bicyclecards.com)

 

While at Walmart on Sunday, I picked-up a pack of Bicycle playing cards.

I don't usually like to play card games - but, because of the mathematical probability problems associated with estimating the odds of a winning hand in poker, I wanted to use that as an exercise for my mind - and to help take my mind off of "the unsolvable problem" I'm wrestling with currently...

 

It has been soothing. I've probably played somewhere between 35-50 two-person hands in just the last two days. Something I can do quickly and easily - and it is helping hone my instincts for the odds of which is the better winning hand. 

 

Eventually, I'll increase the problem space to five hand games.

 

This is also subject-matter expertise practice for a poker-playing AI system I've wanted to design for some time...to explore some aspects of AI system design in a small contained problem space.

 

Japanese Houses

Have you heard about the €1 homes that are available in some of the remote rural towns of Spain, Italy, and Portugal?

This is due to the migration of the younger generations moving away from those towns and settling in the larger cities - and as the aging population dies - their heirs are not interested in the properties - and often just quit paying taxes on them...then they are seized by the local municipalities - and a few years ago, these types of programs began...


Did you know that there is similar thing happening in Japan? Sometimes those homes are offered for free, or the equivalent of $1 USD.

Of course,  you can also find home in those rural areas for more...I have looked at listing for homes that are very appealing to me - and there has been quite a diversity of listings...and when  you raise your budget to say $500, $5000, $25,000, or even $50,000 (USD) - there are even greater inventories to be found.
 

 
This is the YouTube video that got me hooked on the idea of a Japanese farm house...

We Bought an Abandoned House in Japan, Exterior | Tractor, 2 Cars, Farm Tools Left Behind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNFD9fKOWic

 

We Bought an Abandoned House in Japan, Interior, Everything Left Inside
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgw_8fTkqNk

How We Bought Our Abandoned House in Japan | Process, Costs, Risks, Finance, How to Find One
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwRjO3kHxU4


Some  recent updates...on their progress...

Spring Garden Year 3 Update | Tokyo Llama
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZPv5UrvXko

35 Things We Still Need to Do on Our House | Abandoned House Renovation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHIR5xhe0So


Their channel is filled with wonderful stories of their journey...
https://www.youtube.com/c/TokyoLlama

Some other stories...

Aussie Turns 130 Year Old Japanese House into Cafe/Farm/School | Tokyo Llama
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oF-ljp7plLg

Incredible Tiny House Off-Grid Homestead in Japan | SELF-BUILT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgfrlRGxz5w

What A US$23,000 House Looks Like in Rural Wakayama, Japan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp0cXfA1-Q4

Before & After - 6 months in a 120-year-old Japanese Kominka
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s19vS3BzmMY


Jaw-Dropping Traditional Small Japanese Home Renovation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36_6AnhQDT0


Some property listings in Japan...

(some better sites for finding the real bargains...)
https://realestate.co.jp/en/forsale/listing?prefecture=&city=&district=&min_cap_rate=&min_price=&max_price=10000000&min_meter=&rooms=&distance_station=&agent_id=&building_type=house&building_age=&updated_within=&transaction_type=&occupancy=&order=&search=Search
example: 5M Yen ~ $41.6K USD
https://realestate.co.jp/en/forsale/view/874273



(more expensive listings, in English...)
https://www.japan-property.jp/en
https://www.century21global.com/for-sale-residential/Japan/Kanagawa



Some info on different style/type of houses...


https://www.toshihikoyamamoto.jp/kominka-renovation/
https://www.tsunagujapan.com/simple-yet-beautiful-japans-traditional-homes-kominka/
http://www.furusatokikaku.net/en/kominka/
https://www.toki.tokyo/blogt/17/10/4/kominka
https://blog.gaijinpot.com/buy-abandoned-house-in-japan/
https://www.rethinktokyo.com/free-houses-japan-countryside
https://www.rethinktokyo.com/2018/09/19/akiya-banks-abandoned-homes-japan
https://resources.realestate.co.jp/news/akiya-bank-japan-vacant-house-database-to-now-include-govt-public-assets-ministry-of-land/


https://www.koryoya.com/


Kominka Houses
Traditional Japanese Countryside Houses
https://www.koryoya.com/kominka/index.html


Machiya Houses
Traditional Japanese Townhouses
https://www.koryoya.com/machiya/index.html


Akiya Houses
Abandoned or Vacant Old Houses
https://www.koryoya.com/akiya/index.html



Example: 4.5M Yen ~ $37.5K USD
https://maizuru-iju.com/akiya/%e4%b9%85%e7%94%b0%e7%be%8e%e3%81%ae%e5%ae%b6%ef%bc%88%e7%89%a9%e4%bb%b6%e7%95%aa%e5%8f%b7%ef%bc%9a%e6%9d%91135%ef%bc%89/


(other listing sites...)
https://taka-t28365.akiya-athome.jp/
https://www.akiya-athome.jp/

Example: 2M Yen  ~ $16.6K USD
https://taka-t28365.akiya-athome.jp/bukken/detail/buy/%E5%A4%9A%E5%8F%AF%E9%83%A1%E5%A4%9A%E5%8F%AF%E7%94%BA%E5%A3%B2%E6%88%B8%E5%BB%BA%E4%BD%8F%E5%AE%85-21168


Example: 2.92M Yen ~ $24.3K USD

Example: 8.8M Yen - $73.3K USD
https://shiso-c28227.akiya-athome.jp/bukken/detail/buy/7872


https://www.homes.co.jp/akiyabank/


(using different search parameters...)
https://www.akiya-athome.jp/bukken/search/list/?freeword=%E5%8F%A4%E6%B0%91%E5%AE%B6&search_type=freeword&br_kbn=buy&sbt_kbn=house

https://www.akiya-athome.jp/
https://www.akiya-athome.jp/bukken/search/list/?freeword=%e5%ba%97%e8%88%97&search_type=freeword&br_kbn=buy&sbt_kbn=buy


https://inakanoseikatsu.com/

https://www.inboundambassador.com/new-life-for-abandoned-houses/

https://www.chiiori-stay.jp/
https://www.co-machi-no-ie.jp/en/

https://www.tougenkyo-iya.jp/

YouTube: Japan is giving out free homes in 2022! Will you get one?

 

 

2023-06-24 additions:  

• Find a free house in Japan in 5 steps! (HOW I got a free abandoned house in Japan)
• Everything you need to know about Traditional Japanese Houses  
• Facebook group: Kominka Japan - A Resource for Traditional Japanese Residences
•  

 2023-08-02 additions: 

• https://www.koryoya.com/

 

2023-09-09 additions:  

• https://www.s-inaka.co.jp/estate.html

John Vigor's Black Box Theory - The Fifth Essential

 

There is much good wisdom to be found - and applied - in the world of sailing, in technology, in business, and in everyday life - from reading John Vigor's "Black Box Theory" - aka "The Fifth Essential"

https://goodoldboat.com/vigors-black-box-theory/

https://kith.co/blog/black-box-theory/

TV Series or Movie Idea

 I have enough material to write a very funny Woody Allen-esque movie script.

The central characters would be the staff at a Memory Care facility, the patients, and their family members...and the incredibly vivid alternate reality in which the patients live...

Tentative working titles:

- "Bats in the bellfry"

- "What Fresh Hell is This?"

- "Gods Wild Half Acre"

- "Involuntary Hold"

- "Code Grey" <i.e., Psychiatric Emergency>

Casting:

Hospital Administrator: John Lithgow

Head of Nursing: Leslie Jones

Nurse #1: Wanda Sykes

Nurse #2: Melissa McCarthy

Social Worker: Anna Kendrick

Psychiatrist: Ali Wong

Janitorial Services: Bruce Campbell

Patient #1: Hugh Laurie

Patient #2: Bill Murrary

Patient #3: Chris Rock

Patient #4: Sam Rockwell

Patient #5: Samuel Jackson

Patient #6: Kenan Thompson

Patient: #7: Simon Pegg