My Golden Week, I must say, was no holidays at all, packed with meetings with people even on Sunday, the 8th.
Next morning on Monday, the 9th, I left home early in the morning to take a flight from Narita to Washington DC, had meetings with various people in the afternoon right after the arrival, and then went on to the reception in the evening. Quite busy, at least I wish I had a bit more of free time. What keeps me going on is the notion that it is important to do such activities for Japan, especially in this circumstance. I am, in a way, working as a sort of ‘Permanent Global Part Timer (permanent part timer’ (‘freeter’ in Japanese) is a popular word in Japan which refers to a person who takes a succession of casual jobs in preference to steady full).
On 10th, the 2nd day at Washington DC, I was at the Brain-storming of a think tank on Ageing and Health, where I also gave a presentation of 30 minutes or so. Right after the meeting, I rushed to the airport to fly to Zurich via London. My visit to Zurich is for the St Gallen Symposium (in Japanese) (Ref 1).
To see the forecast of good weather seems to be the only pleasure I have at hand. My trip this time is so packed with schedule.