Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
-
Giving birth during the COVID-19 pandemic
Just as I was preparing to take my second stint of maternity leave, the COVID-19 situation was reaching crisis point. On March 11 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the virus a global pandemic, and deemed its risk ‘very high’ particularly in East Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America. The virus had…
-
Buying an apartment in Japan
As a long-term resident of a country where buying a new mobile phone or opening a bank account can take up to 3 hours, I’m surprised to be the bearer of good news about purchasing an apartment in Japan: it’s fairly easy! At the start of this year, we picked up the keys for a…
-
2019: A bumper year for holidays in Japan
While Japan is known for its intense working culture and long office hours, this year offers a break from the norm. With a new Imperial Era beginning on May 1, Golden Week 2019 is set to last for TEN WHOLE DAYS! In fact, there are around twelve long weekends to look forward to in the…
-
Baby turns two . . .
Little Miss Hope turned two last week. A couple of days before that, I was so grateful for an email from Chateau School saying they would host a little tea-time party to celebrate on Friday afternoon. All I had to do was bring the cake. Ta-da! As full-time working parents we are very grateful for…
-
2018 International Conference for Women in Business: Society 5.0.
After attending as a participant and panelist for some years, it is a great honour to be joining this year’s International Conference for Women in Business as a moderator. The ICWB was established in 1996 – long before Prime Minister Abe coined the phrase Womenomics – and now welcomes almost 1000 delegates for a 10-hour…
-
Pressing for Progress – International Women’s Day 2018 – women, step up!
In a win for good governance, in 2012 the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BCCJ) moved to a fully open and democratic system for electing our Executive Committee (Excom) members. The annual Excom election ultimately determines which members will shape and influence the overall strategic direction of the Chamber. That same year, we pledged…
-
The New Normal
My husband returned to work this month, after 5.5 months of paternity leave. Little Hope, aged 14 months, is now in full-time daycare at the wonderful Chateau School in Nishi Azabu. At the end of each day the school bus drops her off at my office, and we piggy back home. It’s our new normal…
-
Returning to work
After almost a year of maternity leave, I was really happy to return to work at the BCCJ. This happened to coincide with a farewell reception for British Prime Minister Theresa May, who was on a state visit to Japan. As many working mums have told me, it might take a little time before my…
-
To Bali with baby: part III (Lovina)
The third installment of our trip to Bali . . . LOVINA For a genuinely relaxed holiday in Bali with little to do other than bask in the sun and eat good food, Lovina in the north west is the place to go. To get there from Ubud we took a 3-hour taxi ride (IDR600,000)…
-
To Bali with baby: part I (Sanur)
For anyone considering an overseas trip with a little one, I can highly recommend Bali – the “Island of the Gods” – where we’ve just spent three weeks with our nine month old daughter. Throughout our travels we were blown away by mystical landscapes, rich cultural offerings, and mouthwatering food. More significantly, we were charmed…
Got any book recommendations?
2020 Mum in Tokyo 