Genkina hito Says Goodbye to 2017 and Hello to 2018 – New Year’s Resolutions – Follow Your Dreams Remix

Welcome to my last post of 2017.

I hope everyone is well and has had a good year.

Around this time last year, I was at the first of many shrines I would travel to in Taito-ku welcoming in 2017. It was an amazing experience made possible by a good friend and the start of a pretty good year for me. I was able to continue travelling across Japan and enjoyed doing unique things due to the kindness of others.

I had a blast at the Osaka Asian Film Festival where I got to watch lots of films and I really enjoyed meeting the team and working with them. I continued working on a film by helping out with sound-recording and photography on a couple of shoots, something which is set to continue into the new year in a more behind-the-scenes role. I took part in a major festival in Tokyo thanks to a friend (a seriously sophisticated and beautiful JoJo’s fan) and found that carrying a shrine is as hard as it looks. Also, visiting Kyoto was pure magic and it was made better since it was spent in great company.

Upon my return to the UK, I worked for my friend’s anime festival as a writer/press guy and we got a fantastic response from the audience – being among fellow anime fans is massively gratifying even if I’m no longer a super-otaku.

I have increased my skill in Japanese (being in the country helped immensely) and I took on a lot of work and managed to get most things done to a decent degree and increased my capacity for work and improved my writing style.

Overall, those yearly resolutions I have been carrying with me since the creation of this blog have been met.

Do I feel fulfilled? No. I know I can do better.

I have taken up regular exercise and study and made it my goal to put people at the centre of my world and help others out as much as possible as well as improving myself. My experiences in Japan were very special and I made some lasting friendships, some connections, and happy memories. Being in another culture and starting almost from scratch taught me the value of human connections. Films as well. Always films. Films are life. But people most of all.

So what were…

My resolutions for 2017

• I will travel across more of Japan,

• I will learn to speak, read, write and listen to Japanese to a much higher level than I currently do,

• I will write down more of my adventures,

• I will improve my writing style,

• I will continue to review films.

I could cross off most of those resolutions but I won’t because they are lifelong things (which explains the word “remix” in the title because I will constantly work on it but approach it differently). I want to continue doing all of these things which is why I have been working a lot in my day-job and also on other projects. I hope to improve myself in every area and become a better person. So…

My resolutions for 2018

• I will travel across more of Japan,

• I will learn to speak, read, write and listen to Japanese to a much higher level than I currently do,

• I will write down more of my adventures,

• I will improve my writing style,

• I will find a super-positive direction in my life,

• I will continue to review films.

I want to give shout-outs to some of my fellow bloggers and Twitter-users who have been with me:

Windows on Worlds, mibih, Usagi to Neko, Denny Sinnoh, FJMag1979, JaeSwoon, the Kotatsu team, Third Window Films, Japan Cuts/Japan Society in New York,  Japan Foundation in London and the guys and gals over at VCinema

There are many more and a thank you goes out to them.

Major shout-outs to friends and family across the world. You guys are in my heart. Thanks for sticking with me.

Resolutions are cool but 2018 is the year of dreams! Let’s make them happen! Positive energy! Let’s go!

Happy New Year! Stay dandy, everyone!

あけましておめでとうございます

行きましょう！