Two Things I Started

　　I found a flyer in the newspaper, which advertised a seasonal discount of a health club near my house. It looked like a plan to get new customers. I have it in mind to enjoy skiing in Whistler next March after four years and my wife is gaining excessive weight. We decided to join the club instantly and applied last night. I'll do at least an every-other-day workout in the club. After my dog, Mocha, passed away, I felt somewhat depressed and apparently I am short of fundamental exercise, because I stopped walking. Every path around my house reminds me of Mocha and people along the walking circuit spoke to me about him. It bothered me and I stopped taking a walk. So, it might be a favor from Mocha to find this flyer in the paper, though I might read too much into it.
　　Another thing is the learning of Mandarin Chinese. Viewing the news on the internet, ordinary Chinese people are gaining more and more the right to speak out against the present brutal totalitarian regime, which should collapse in the not so distant future. I want to watch the historical turning point more directly. I missed visiting Hong Kong in 1997 and Berlin in 1989 and it's a bother to look up in the dictionary every time I come across Chinese names of people and places in documents written in English. I will dare to start learning Chinese in September.

(Vocabulary)
workout   トレーニング, 運動
have it in mind to  ～するつもりだ
somewhat  いくらか, 若干
somewhat of a sth  ちょっとした＜…＞
The news was somewhat of a surprise to me. そのニュースにはちょっと驚いた．
circuit  一周, 一回り, 巡回
read too much  考えすぎ
speak; to publicly speak in protest about sth, especially when protesting could be dangerous: [+about/against] Five students who had spoken out against the regime were arrested.
dare (to) do sth  ＜…＞する度胸がある, 思い切って＜…＞する

(Vocabulary from comments)
plasticity  (専門) 可塑性
drive  [U] 意欲, 気迫, やる気
do sth at the drop of a hat  すぐに＜…＞する
feat  偉業, 離れ業(わざ)

Comments

[toshimitsu watanabe]

Nihao, Chaoyun xiansheng. Ni kaishi xueshi zhongwen ma? Ni shenme shihou qu Janada huaxue?
Wo ye feichang xiang qu Janada huaxue.
Hi, Michito.
Whistler again?
I want to go to Whistler and enjoy skiing too.

[KUMO]

Oh, You flatter me, but thanks.

[Shiroi Tora]

I am thoroughly impressed. You have a highly adaptable mind...one that still has the plasticity of youth. Your drive to keep learning is simply amazing. You are willing, at the drop of a hat, to start learning another language. It is simply amazing to me. Your English is very impressive...that alone... is an extraordinary feat.

At our age...you are so full of life. That is good to see in my chronological peers.