"Survivor" (by Destiny's Child)

We still have two weeks left, but the past one year has been a full of surprises and changes. No one can blame on those - except economists and fortune-tellers - who predicted the would-be 2008 events (The 10 Worst Predictions in 2008, Foreign Policy). They ain't Nostradamus. But, it's even surprising we're now immune to such surprises as Lehman's bankruptcy, all the baliout packages to financial and possibly to auto industries, layoffs, volatile stock and oil prices, America's new president-elect, etc.

Personally, I had some changes and a surprise this year as well. I quit my job, and passed U.S. CPA exams at last. And surprisingly, I haven't found a job yet. Given today's economic conditions, it's not surprising, but I don't regret my decision. Rather, I feel lucky not to be working at a Titanic company, and even feel excting and fun to be exposed to the stormy ocean.

We shall overcome!!

Best Albums of the Year

According to Digital Music Report 2008 of IFPI, an international music industry association, digital music accounted for 15% of music sales in 2007. This new business has been growing rapidly, up by 40% from the previous year. Well, yes, downloading music is easy, instant and convenient. Upon watching MTV or listening to radio, one can buy a song at any time, even at midnight. No one will be lost in a huge HMV.

Yet, CDs (not credit-default swaps!) could be an insurance. With my computer frozen, I lost hundreds of music files several times, and had to upload them. While it's economical to buy a specific, favorite song at iTunes Store, some CDs like listed below are worth buying.

"The DEY Has Come" (the DEY)
A good news for those devastated with the Fugees' breakup and patiently waiting for a new album of Black Eyed Peas. !Muchas Gracious! Can't name favorite tracks 'cause almost all the songs are grrreat!! But, "I Need You" (M3) and "And I Miss You" (M4) make me cry.

"Seeing Sounds" (N.E.R.D.)
Speechless. This is the state-of-the-art music. Don't know which genre it belongs to. Rock? HipHop? Whatever. The best is the best. "You Know What" (M11) is my most favorite track.

"Hard Candy" (Madonna)
This is the first Madonna album I've ever purchased in my life. Well, she's a great performer, but it's Pharrell and Kanye who are doin' a fantastic job!!


If the credit crunch somehow had an impact on your budget this year, here are some songs you should check out at iTunes or any other online music stores.

"Live Your Life" (by T.I. feat. Rihanna): O-Zone's "Dragostea Din Tei" ("Words Of Love" or "恋のマイアヒ") was reborn.

"Change" (by T-Pain feat. Akon & Diddy): This year's keyword! Eric Clapton wrote "Change the World", the original song, in 1999, but did he expect somebody would "change" (i.e. arrange) his song?

"We Made It" (by Busta Rhymes feat. Linkin Park): My anthem of this year.

Bonus track:
You can check this "激ヤバ (Dangerous)" mashup at YouTube.
吉幾三×Capsule×DaftPunk×BeastieBoys　StarrySky - IKZOLOGIC Remix

"Change" (by T-Pain feat. Akon & Diddy)

I have "apple" allergies. My throat gets itchy when I eat an apple.

Can't scratch my throat

Also, I've barely used an Apple product like a Mac computer or an iPod. I've been a Catholic Sony user for long time. Having purchased an iPod Nano a couple of weeks ago, however, I decided to moonwalk away from Sony's "walkman" brand. I warned you, Sony.

Can't scratch. No turntable

Now, I am able to download a lot more choices of my favorite HipHop songs, music videos and enjoyable Podcasting stuff from iTunes Store. The software automatically download the album covers unlike I had to manually copy and paste all my collection while using Sony. Plus, many languages are diplayable on the screens. I really appreciate this because I don't have to translate and typewrite hundreds of Korean songs into Japanese or English titles.

Of course, I have to bear some costs. Given incompatible formats of Sony's and iPod's, I spent my weekends for uploading hundreds of CDs. Not surprisingly, iPod has a shorter life of the battery than that of Sony's. I have been struggling to appropriately tune the volume since it is a bit intuitive in turning up or down just by using the click wheel in a rotational manner. Last but not least, it looks so ordinary. It's a little sad to accept the fact that I ain't a "like.no.other" any longer.

But, as Obama says, it's time to "CHANGE", isn't it?

"We Made It" (by Linkin Park feat. Busta Rhymes)

It has always made me nervous when I checked this online exam score inquiry. But, no more nervous day. I got my score today. At last. The score of Auditing and Attestation, the last section of U.S. Certified Public Accountant exams.

Because I've already passed the Examination on Rules of Professional Conduct, now I just need wait for my certificate to come, and get a new job.

This isn't neither my plan A nor B. When I quit my job last March, the original plan was to take (and pass) two sections of the exams respectively in May and July. Given my exam results last August, however, I changed my focus on finding a new job rather than on studying Auditing and Attestation, the section I failed.

But, what can I say? That's life.

Since it took longer than I expected, I feel a sense of relief rather than that of achievement. But, thanks a lot to my friends who studied together, advised and supported me. Also to Starbucks. The specialty coffee chain is my study room where I sometimes stay as long as 5 hours per day, and a cup of drip coffee always jumpstart my brain. And last but not least, my special thanks to my wife. You're my cheerleader and lighthouse.

Now, is anyone interested in offering me a good job?

Welcome Back

Although "Akafuku (赤福)" is back on store shelves early this year, I finally got this box today.

sweet treat, no more trick

スタバカ日誌 - What the third places are for -

Howard Schultz, the founder of Starbucks, envisioned his specialty coffee store as a "third place" where people spend most of their time besides their home and office. So at Starbucks, customers not only sip coffee but also read a book, enjoy conversation or study. If lucky, a pretty barista passes you a sample of new coffee or food, and have a little chat.

But, not all are coming to the third place for such purposes. A young college student came in to a store the other day. He was talking on the phone (I don't know how he ordered his coffee). He kept talking for all his 1/2 hour at the store. Even when he left.

For an Asian couple, the coffee chain is merely a meeting place with a roof and aroma. A couple of days ago, an Asian girl was seated without a cup of coffee. Later, her boyfriend arrived. They didn't order anything, but talked for a while, and were gone.

Only God knows if Howie expected such visitors to his coffee stores. But, if the store doesn't welcome such people, I insist Starbucks stop playing all the Christmas songs right now but rather play some pop music like Madonna's "Hang Up" and will.i.am's "Spending Money".

Cheers

Having watched Barack Obama's victory speech on CNN, I walked down to a nearby Starbucks coffee shop. Unlike Starbucks in U.S.A., the Japanese arm serves no free drip coffee. But, it did offer an alternative: "Kenya Coffee" for today's coffee - I have no clue whether it did on purpose. Although I had to wait for several minutes to be brewed and prepared, I picked a cup of "Kenya Coffee" rather than that of "Christmas Blend". (We have a plenty of time for celebrating Christmas!!)

a new president, a new America,

a new paper cup, a new insulating sleeve

and

a new world?!

After the "bitter" 8 years, what will the new administration be like? I also wonder how long a Caramel-Macchiato-like honeymoon will last. For your information, Starbucks describes Kenyan Coffee such that "medium-bodied Kenya has layers of flavor, from black currant or blackberry to sweet, tropical fruit" and that "the coffee is prized for its bright and refreshing quality." It wasn't my favorite flavor, though. I rather prefer "Breakfast Blend", "Espresso Roast" and "Colombia".

"SouthSide" (by Common feat. Kanye West)

Back to Chicago again.

The sky's so high.

The weather is windy and chilly, so I headed south. A bit.

Double Chi (Chinatown in Chi-City)

To my surprise, Obama color is less dominant than I expected.

ODD...

Rather, more Michelle, Michelle and Michelle.

A new biography of Michelle Obama

The city is colored more by autumn than by the Obama campaign.

Perfect autumn color

Drinkability of this water fountain? I'm sure it's not BudLight, though.

I also stopped by the University of Chicago to congratulate Dr. Nambu, one of this year's Nobel prize winners, but couldn't find him.

"Rise & Fall" (Craig David feat. Sting)

Last Friday a piece of USA Today article provided me an eye-opening view for watching this year's World Series. Coincidentally, the rivalry of the World Series has some similarities with that of the U.S. presidential election next month (but in only a week now!).

Tampa Bay Rays's General Manager Andrew Friedman is 31 years old, and Manager Joe Maddon 54. Owner Stuart Sternberg, 48, and President Matt Silverman, 32, are both young and former investment bankers from Goldman Sachs, and Friedman, a former Bear Sterns analyst, it's no wonder this team is good at data analysis and scouting. Needless to say, they constantly use Blackberries.

On the other hand, the Philadelphia Phillies's management team is "old-school baseball guys" of General Manager Pat Gillick, 71, and Manager Charlie Manuel, 64. The Phillies was founded in 1883 while Rays in 1998.

All look familiar? Yes, the Phillies is just like John McCain, 72, and the Rays Barack Obama, 47. They even have a similar twist (read the article for the details) such that Obama appointed experienced, 65-year-old Joe Biden for his running mate while Sarah Palin, 44, for McCain's running mate.

Will the old-school guys survive as life expectancy gets higher? We will see those results as early as today or in a week, but this is a kind of dynamism America has, I believe. What about Japan? Well, its politics seems hopeless, but as appointing Tatsunori Hara, 50, for the manager, there is ray of light for the team Japan of the World Baseball Classic.

After all, as somebody said, baseball is national pastime. And hopefully international one.

Global Festa 2008

Hope you didn't miss this year's Global Festa Japan at Hibiya Park.

Embassies, NGOs, international organizations and some CSR-conscious corporations - over 200 in total - were present, introducing their countries and activities, selling foods, drinks and souvenirs, or recruiting volunteers and job applicants. It's always fun to sneak around at such an event, but this year I feel very lucky to be there when a panel discussion was held.

It was a discussion of four panelists. They were:
Misako Konno, an actress and a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador
Masato Kitera, Director-General, International Cooperation Bureau from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Yukie Osa, a representative of Association for Aid and Relief Japan, a NGO, and
Nobuhiko Hanasato, a professor of Nagoya University

Introducing how JICA volunteers were helping the people in Africa, what the Japanese government is doing by holding TICAD and what NGO frontline is like, they discussed what and how Japanese can contribute for global good. The discussion was resourceful and insightful, but Ms. Osa's story was especially inspiring. She quit her job at an foreign financial institution to join AAR. Her salary was down by two thirds!! I can't make such a move, but the stories and discussion of "Fantastic Four" gave me an opportunity to think about how I can take part in an NGO activity and how to build my career.

I would like to thank all the four panelists, but above all, my big applause to an NHK anchor, Aiko Doden. As a moderator, she tossed insightful questions and guided sometimes-Möbius-loop-like discussion. Her job was splendid!!

a US$10 T-shirt for feeding North Korean refugees in China

For more details, check Life Funds for North Korean Refugees.


By the way, it was too bad that I wasn't qualified for this year's ODA monitor to Africa, which Ms. Konno also joined.

"Eat to Live" 2 (by Talib Kweli)

Wow, so it turned out General Electric is a next dish for Warren Buffett.
$3billion.

But, it's not his "Last Supper", is it?
It seems too early to have a cup of coffee and dessert of the meal.

"How Bad Do U Want It" (by MC Sniper)

It's old but new. I love this joke.

When your neighbour loses his job, it is called an economic slowdown.
When you lose your job, it is a recession.
But when an economist loses his job, it becomes a depression.

So, where are you guys at?

I read this joke at Economics focus.

"Eat to Live" (by Talib Kweli)

According to my Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary,
"buffet" means:

a. a counter for refreshments
b. a restaurant operated as a public convenience
c. a meal set out on a buffet or table for ready access and informal service

Now it's Buffet time! (no "T" but maybe with some coffee?) Here comes a Takeru Kobayashi, the champion of Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest until he lost in 2007. Reportedly, Warren Buffett swallowed low-fat Goldman Sachs for $5 billion. So, what will be on his next dish?

"Eats, Shoots & Leaves"

A couple of years ago, a business professor told not me but American students to read "Eats, Shoots & Leaves". It's a book about punctuation. It's one of the most common grammatical mistakes Americans make. Although I have to admit my English is lousy, however, I don't make such a mistake.

So, I haven't read the book, have no plan to read it and am not gonna write about it. Sorry, but if you're interested in the book, just check Amazon.com. I just like the title because it symbolizes how one can enjoy at the Showa Kinen Park, a national park in western Tokyo.


Eats

waiting patiently for the market to float

This little turtle (pictured above) reminded me of old Korean literature. The poem, 거북가, goes like this:

거북아, 거북아 머리를 내놔라
(A little turtle, a little one, get your head out of the shell)
내놓지 않으면 구워서 먹으리
(If you don't, I grill and eat ya!)

I was 17 years old or so when I learned this poem. Ever since, I've been wondering if turtle is edible...

Need FRB chairman's due care

Of course, we didn't eat turtle but beef, pork and vegetables!!


Shoots

Is market a mirror of economy?

With gardens, forests, fields, playgrounds and swimming pools, the 163-hectare park has plenty of photo shooting spots. The Japanese Garden is my favorite place in the park. Ooops, the picture above is upside down!

No more trick (until Halloween maybe). By playing sumo wrestling with the earth, I fixed the problem. Here you go. It's always good to have a different ponit of view, though.

museum?!

You can view this painting-like landscape at the Japanese Garden as well. Give yourself a time for meditation.

& Leaves

Exhausted...

The park closes at 5pm. Plan early to exit 'cause it sometimes take half an hour to get out of the park.

And REMEMBER, LADIES. Don't go shopping at Takashimaya or Isetan department store after enjoying conversation with nature (and your significant other) at the park. Never ever. Instead, by stopping by Krispy Kreme or Starbucks at Tachikawa, give your partner sweet treat. It has to come back to "eats". Life is karma.

By the way, the park is located at just 30 minutes from Shinjuku by train, and only JPY400 admission fee.

PS. Tomi, thanks for joining us yesterday. Hope you guys enjoyed.

Tsunami Warning

Tsunami is coming. The tsunami of new album release by my favorite HipHop (or R&B) artists.

Be prepared.

Common's "Invincible Summer" in Sep 17
John Legend's "Evolver" in Oct 22
Beyonce's new album in Nov 12
Kanye West's "808’s & Heartbreak" in Dec 16
Reportedly Jay-Z has been recording for "Blueprint 3"

I'll be listening to the DEY for the time being.

But, what happened with Busta Rhymes's new album "Blessed"? I've been waiting for three months since the original release date!

スタバカ日誌 ～"豆"知識～

2～3年前から韓国で"된장녀 (テンジャンニョ)"という言葉が流行するようになったそうだ。直訳すると"味噌女"だけど、"みそっかす"にも通じるかも知れない。意味は変化しているようだが、スタバにハマる20～30代女性を指しているらしい。

ソイラテのように、エスプレッソと豆乳の相性は良い。コーヒーも元々豆だっただけに。そういえば八丁味噌を練り込んだパウンドケーキも一時期店頭で販売してたっけ。

東京でスタバに行くと外人が多いけど、大抵は欧米の人ばかりだった。でも、今年の夏ぐらいから韓国人をよく見かけるようになった。もちろん、以前からいたけど、急増した感じ。ちょっと前のウォン高から、円高ウォン安になったはずだけど、夏休みに遊びに来た人、或いは留学中の人たちだろうか。無防備に韓国語でおしゃべりしてるので、こっちもいつの間にか耳がダンボ。

조심하세요, 된장녀 여러분!! ㅋㅋ
気を付けてください、味噌女の皆さん!! (笑)

"Thank You" (by Boyz II Men)

Bose II Man

読むクスリ

近頃近所のカフェにハマっている。

7月に知人に教えてもらい、妻と一緒に行ってみたのだけど、ボサノバの流れる落ち着いた雰囲気の店で、ソファも多くゆったりできるので、夫婦揃って気に入ってしまった。日本（というか東京）にはこんなカフェあんまりないもんね。お客も地元の人ばかりだけど、オープンして間もないせいか、常連さんグループが幅を利かせていないところも良い。

ただ、2階と屋上のカフェ・スペースの内、屋上の方はまだ準備中らしく、未だ開放されていない。

私：　屋上用のテーブルとか椅子をまだ買ってないのかな。
妻：　それに照明とかカトリシンゴも必要なんじゃない。
私：　香取慎吾?!
妻：　うん、蚊に刺されるかも知れないし。

・・・蚊取り線香ね。確かに発音は似てるなあ。

「タモリのジャポニカロゴス」の「言いまつがい」やタモリ倶楽部の「空耳アワー」も笑えるけど、外国人の妻もなかなか面白い。しばらく腹を抱えて笑った。

座布団、一枚。

"One More Chance" (by will.i.am)

Here comes the moment of truth. At last.

I got my last mid-July CPA exam results; I passed two exams, BEC and FAR, but failed AUD. Shame on me.

So, with REG last May, I got three credits in total. Now all I need is to pass AUD. And Professional Ethics for getting a certificate. But, I will do them after starting my new job. This is the priority.



AUD: Auditing & Attestation
BEC: Business Environment & Concepts
FAR: Financial Accounting & Reporting
REG: Regulation

PS. btw, the pv of "One More Chance" is pretty cool.

"Umbrella" (Rihanna feat. Jay-Z)

Rain, a Korean singer, is not a rainman after all.
Although he was at the Closing Ceremony of Beijing Olympic Games last Sunday, thanks to those cloud-seeding missiles, it didn't rain. Rainman must have hided somewhere else for a while. Tokyo, for instance. We had a week long heavy rain, but thank God, finally had a little bit of sunshine today. Hallelujah!!

made in Tokyo

Now the two-week summer fest is over, but my wife and I must have been out of our mind to buy a JPY12,000 umbrella (picture above) last week. It must be the Olympic fever that drove us crazy!

"20th Century Boy" (by T-REX)

Have just watched "the Dark Knight" at a theater and added it to my favorite movie list. It's now also on my DVD shopping list. The story is as deep and twisted as "Crash", but also dynamic and powerful. This is the heaviest superhero movie I've ever watched.

Comic heroes turning into movies is not something new. "Superman", "Spiderman", "Fantastic Four" and "X-men" have been great box office hits. Another example is "미녀는 괴로워 (カンナさん、大成功です)". This Korean movie adopted a Japanese comic story. I haven't read this comic book, but the film was hilarious.

"20世紀少年 (20th Century Boys)" and "イキガミ (the Ultimate Limit)" are coming soon to the theaters this fall. Can these movies become as great as the original comic books?

Korean HipHop 101

Lawrence laughed at my question: "do you like HipHop?" He then replied, "your question is like, I am asking you if you like rice." He seemed to be proud that African Americans created HipHop music. He then gave me a lecture of HipHop 101 at Argo Tea cafe. It was last May. He would have been even more proud if he had known how such music styles spreaded to another culture.

In my opinion, Koreans have adopted and tranformed the styles very well. Korean HipHop started in the early 1990s when Seo Taiji's "난 알아요 (I know it)", the first rap song in Korea was released. The song was a huge smash hit. However, it was late 1990s, with many Korean Americans back to the country, when HipHop stepped into the Korean mainstream music. The number of Korean HipHop artists mushroomed.

Now I cannot follow who are the hottest, but my favorite Korean HipHop artists are Drunken Tiger, T (Yoon Mirae), Dynamic Duo (or previously CB Mass), Epik High and MC Sniper. For many Japanese, MC Sniper may be a good introductory K-HipHop because his songs cover some famous Japanese songs: Ryuichi Sakamoto's "the Shelering Sky" was arranged in "Baby Don't Cry", and "봄이여 오라 (Come unto Spring)" used Yumi Matsutoya's "春よ来い (Come unto Spring)". Also, a Rocky's soundtrack song is featured in "Better than Yesterday".

With combinations of 21 vowels and 19 consonants, Korean HipHop songs RHYME ALL THE TIME.

"Touch the Sky" (by Kanye West ft. Lupe Fiasco)

Have been to Mt. Fuji (3,776m) last week. It was my first (and may be the last?) climbing.

Lucky to see a sunrise at the top

skywalkers but no jedi

Clouds are covering land just like Caffè Latte's milk foam on an espresso shot.

Back to the Future

So, here comes a deja-vu.

South Korea's President says his country should pursue a future-oriented relationship with Japan. Then Japan unnerves its neighboring country by bringing up a controversial issue. This time, Dokdo (in Korean) or Takeshima (in Japanese), whichever you prefer to call them.

I'm not sure whether the islands belong to Korea or Japan. However, I believe it is not historians but politicians obligated to discuss and determine the sovereignty issue over the islands. It seems to me that this dispute has been unresolved over half a century because of the negligence of politicians and diplomats. Both Korean and Japanese.

share a slice peacefully

Politicians and media in both countries should stop using the islands as political tool. It has always helped boost Korean president's approval rate, though. Or is there any confidential agreement between the two administrations?: Keeping the islands for dispute so that Japanese government brings up the issue whenever the approval rate of Korean president gets closer to the bottom.

When the Korean president talks about its future-oriented relationship with Japan, he always add such that the past should never be forgotten. Indeed, future is merely an extention of present and, past. I wonder if this is what the "future-oriented relationship" really means.

Still, I'm getting sick of watching this political sitcom. As far as I remember, this "Back to the Future" dispute have arisen during the administrations of Lee MyungBak, Roh MooHyun and Kim Young Sam (not sure about Kim DaeJung). Given that the movie series "Back to the Future" ended with the three stories, isn't it time to end this political adventure comedy as well?

"Girls, Girls, Girls" (by Jay-Z)

Amerie
Crystal Kay
Yoon Mirae a.k.a. Tasha or T

They are common in that they:
have an African-American father,
have a Korean mother, and
are a great R&B/Rap singer.

But, their differences are such that Amerie performs in US, Crystal in Japan and T in Korea. Amerie is the oldest and Crystal the youngest, but T is my favorite. She has such a great voice and rapping skills!!

スタバカ日誌 - Gentleman Quality of Last Samurai -

It was a sunny, hot afternoon when a white gentleman dropped into a chair next to me at a Starbucks in Tokyo. With an English newspaper and a tumbler, he looked a frequently visiting customer.

For many Starbucks goers, it's not unusual to reserve a seat first and then to order drinks at a cashier. But, this man was different. He never went to a cashier to have his tumbler filled with coffee. He never sipped it, either. Of course not. Because his tumbler was EMPTY. I bet he had a wonderful reading time at the air-conditioned store with coffee aroma.

homework reading

According to a Japanese old saying, Samurai uses a toothpick, despite his poverty and hunger, to show as if he is rich enough to afford a sumptuous banquet. He didn't look like Tom Cruise, though. I wonder whether his wallet was as empty as the tumbler.

Are you bold enough to try this like him?

世界のスタバから (Starbucks Worldwide) - Seoul -

How come we don't have a large Starbucks store in Tokyo like one (picture below) in Seoul?

With its three-story floors, the Azabu Juban store (麻布十番店) is one of the largest in Tokyo. But, other than that, I always have a hard time to find a seat. And I'm getting tired of playin' "フルーツバスケット" (competition for winning a seat) all the time.

Thanks to Jiny for the picture.

世界のスタバから (Starbucks Worldwide) - San Francisco -

I arrived in San Francisco on July 15, the very debut day of Starbucks' new nourishing smoothie, Vivanno.

Ads were everywhere: at a metro station, a store and on a taxi.

There are two flavors: Banana Chocolate and Orange Mango Banana (picture above). I tried both, and they were good. I definitely prefer Vivanno to Frappuccino.

This is a kinda apartment I dream living at. Residents at upper level have a shortcut for getting a cup of morning coffee!

SF Adventure 3

Turn your iPod (or whatever digital music player you have) on.

Put Your Hands Up!

and Dance, Dance, Dance!!

Even a pegion moonwalks!! They don't even think about flying.

"Joyride" (by Mariah Carey) - SF Adventure 2 -

Joyride on cable car, muni bus, BART and more. It's fun.

$5 for one-way and $11 for one-day passport

The driver isn't Stevie Wonder, though

Segways only on safe ways

SF Adventure

"We Are the World" (by Michael Jackson)

Thinking globally in San Francisco, where the Charter of the United Nations was signed 63 years ago. If you walk around the city, you can notice it is indeed a miniature of the World.

"Survivor" (by Destiny's Child)

The Japantown celebrated its centennial two years ago. But, once Japantowns in the U.S. were present in more than 40 cities, now only three survive. By and large, Japan is also shrinking, if not retreating. The country has failed to join the UN Security Council as a permanent member so far. The perspective of its economy is not as bright as before. The population is gloomily graying.

On the other hand, Chinatown seems prospering. Swalloing all the people and money.

No Breaks for Brakes

The market swings. There are as many ups and downs as San Francisco hills. Since the credit crunch last year, the market hasn't hit the bottom yet. Just like drivers on Lombard St, leaders of the central banks and global companies need carefully handle their steering wheels to go through a crooked street.

"明日に架ける橋 (Bridge over Troubled Water)" (by Simon and Garfunkel)

However, advection fog will be cleared someday.

"坂の上の雲 (Clouds over the Hills)"

Sooner or later, the market will recover. The key words are Change and Hope. YES WE CAN!!

"In Between" (by Linkin Park)

"To live is to choose. But to choose, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go, and why you want to get there."
-- Kofi Annan, a former Secretary General of the United Nations --


In summer, do you order iced coffee at Starbucks (or any other coffee shops)? Or hot?

For me, no straight answer.

In the early summer (like June), I order a cup of iced coffee. No hesitation. But, now in July and on to August, I have to carefully analyze where I want to go (for here or to go), how long I stay here, whether air-conditioners' wind directly hits, etc. Because a Starbucks coffee shop is oftentimes as cold as iced coffee. Even though baristas are willing to customize your drink (like non-fat, venti, soy chai latte with a half shot of espresso, no foam and extreme hot), no personal customizing for room temperature. Be careful when you CHILL OUT.

"Spending Money" (by will.i.am)

How much can you pay for a cup of coffee?

I guess I can pay up to JPY400.




Starbucks Japan is once again increasing its coffee prices. A short cup of coffee will be up by JPY10 to JPY290, but not more details about other sizes and beverages. I should have wished upon a star yesterday, July 7.

"Impatient" (by will.i.am)

Got Candy?

Got Madonna's new album "Hard Candy" (and chupa chups!). She wasn't my favorite artist, but in the album more than half of the songs are made by Pharrell, and the song "Beat Goes On" featuring Kanye West, two of my favorite trackmakers. So, it meets my purchasing criteria for CD: min 3 likable songs per album. I also started to like her lifestyle as a professional entertainer.

By the way, I ain't patient enough to eat a candy without biting. I oftentimes unconsciously break it into pieces as soon as I put one in my mouth. Hopefully, however, I enjoy the Hard Candy for a long time. And perhaps so do you.

"Where Do You Go" (by No Mercy)

I'm taking the rest of CPA exams in mid-July. Now I have two weeks or so to cram study. Wish me luck!!

So, here is a quiz:
Where am I heading for taking the exams?

a) ILLINOIS: Chicago "Once Again"?! (John Legend)
b) NEW YORK: musicals, museums, shopping, restaurants, friends, etc. A lot of entertainment!! (only after the exams)
c) HAWAII: beach, beach, beach!!
d) CALIFORNIA: なんでもアリフォルニア
e) GUAM: fuel surcharge is skyrocketing. No jet lug from Tokyo is another benefit.

Fugees

It was three college courses (and HipHop music) that had drawn my attention to Africa and refugee.

One is an an introductory African literature!! Strangely enough, my college had various Africa-related classes. "Things Fall Apart" (by Chinua Achebe) was one of the required readings. Later, I bought the Roots' "Things Fall Apart". This HipHop group tend to name its album after inspiring books. But, I started to have my interest in refugee after having bought "the Score", the Fugees' (Refugee Camp) 1996 smash hit album.

classic

Another class is intermediate international relations class that focused on civil wars and genocides in 1990s. Tragedies happened mostly in Africa.

Lastly, during one-month United Nations summer seminar, I met and interviewed ambassadors/diplomats from all over the world, UN bureaucrats, and NGO representatives in New York. Partly inspired by Ms. Ogata, then High Commissioner of UNHCR, I picked refugee for the theme of my report.

However, it was several years later when refugee became from a mere academic theme to the reality to me. I met a number of refugees who setteled in Maine, USA, from Somalia, Rwanda, Congo and Iraq. Their families were torn apart, and some of family members were killed. Some were lucky to have had their first family reunion in 5 years or so.

not quite an asylum in Portland, Maine

Today, June 20, is the World Refugee Day. There are, according to the UN refugee agency, 67 million refugees and internally displaced persons in total.

Lost in Transit

Adding another color to Tokyo

Had my first ride on Fukutoshin line, a new Tokyo subway started last Saturday. The city's subway routes got ever more complicated as labyrinths.

Fukutoshin (副都心) means a sub-center of Tokyo. Ever since the city government moved its office to Shinjuku in 1991, I supposed Shinjuku was a Fukutoshin no longer. But, seems like it still is, along with Shibuya and Ikebukuro. These three major sub-centers of the city are now connected by the new subway.

Reportedly, the new line is having some troubles in keeping up with its schedules, but my first impression was not that bad. The line is neither scary nor tiny as Oedo line (Oedo line goes as deep as some 42 meters underground!!). Huge and colorful signs are noticeable. Everything is clean and blight (for now).

Goethe won't say, "Mehr Licht!"

Still, it's good to have sunlight and "fresh" air (with a spice of gas emission) after all.

CPA

one step forward

"(Go) go, go, go, go, go and on the count of three

(Go) go, go, go, go, go and on the count of three
(Go) go, go, go, go, go, go

Uh, on the count of three everybody run back to your fantasy, now"
(from Common's "Go")

No moonwalking!!

Staying tuned

Until having spent my college life in US, I hadn't been a movie buff. I used to think watching a movie is just a waste of my PRECIOUS 2 hours or so. I had rather preferred to study instead (Of course not. I'm just kidding!!). But, then I found a ticket in America as cheap as half the price in Japan, and many other films which were not released in Japan. Soon moive watching became my pastime.

Ever since back to Tokyo 8 years ago, however, American TV dramas have been my another favorites, but giving me a little headache. I was once totally devastated by watching some 6 or 8 stories of "24 - Twenty Four". That was the hardest movie (or TV drama) marathon I've ever had in my life. Movie series like Spiderman, Star Wars or Indiana Jones give some break of months or years before next story, but TV drama series seem endless.

Never lose control (and batteries)

There was another reason why I disliked films. My bad memory for remembering casts' names and faces. Unavoidably I had bad understanding about the stories. Sometimes did not really get it. I wanna blame that for my bad eyesight, though. Thanks to the 4 years' life in US, however, I somehow learned how to distinguish and remember casts.

Some classic dramas are decent in that they only have 4 main actors/actresses at max: "Friends" and "Sex and the City". "Desperate Housewives" are in the line. "24" is simple enough. Only Jack Bauer. He is as immortal as Steven Segal is in his movies. As the series are going on to Season 7 next year, I suppose nobody remember who Jack has dated, got married or divorced with in the previous seasons.

However, "Lost" and "Heroes" have given me a real trouble. I hope I'm not the only one who totally lost in the drama. It seemed to me the drama had dozens of main characters. A couple of years ago I gave up watching it, and am now working on "Heroes". Trying to figure out who's who. Wish me luck...

Oh, but wait. baseball has two 9 starting players each for a game of 2.5 - 3 hours. And 22 players plus for 90 minutes' soccer match. Seems like watching TV dramas are more resembling to watching sport games. And perhaps TV drama marathons are physically and mentally challenging "sports".

Peace for Beef

Tens of thousands of demonstrators in Seoul, rioting against US beef import, clearly show the different reactions and attitudes in Japan and Korea. To many Japanese, it must be mysterious why those folks are so mad about mad cow disease. On the other hand, many Korean must be, if ever, wondering why Japanese don't care about the issue.

Well, the government took a different policy. the Japanese government didn't lift the ban on US beef import while 2MB (which stands for president Lee Myong Bak) administration tried to lift the ban at first. After taking the office for months, his popularity dramatically dropped just like the stock market after the credit crunch.

However, even if Fukuda lifted the ban, many Japanese wouldn't really care. Simply, we, Japanese, show our protest against the government and US silently by boycotting 'em. Or maybe Korean people are real beefeaters while Japanese fish eaters. :p

16oz New York Strip at Harry Caray I miss
(Arguablly Chicago's #1 Steakhouse)

Still, both Korean and Japanese would better be careful with food import restrictions. We can say no for now, but the increasing demands for food (incl. beef) in emerging market soon substitute our import demands. It is not unrealistic that we won't get imported foods even if we beg for them some day. What is worse, food mileage will be a much more concerned issue sooner or later.