"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.

"Knocking on the Heaven's Door" (by Wyclef Jean)

Last month in Chicago a cashier girl at Banana Republic told me she has been to Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe and Hiroshima. Sounded like she'd travelled around Japan more than I had. On my way back home, I met an Americna lady visiting Iwakuni where I've never visited.

Looks like Heaven?

According to the World Economic Forum, Japan is their 23rd favorite travel destination. Some 8 million international visitors came to Japan last year. With its campaign effort since 2003, the number seems to increase more. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is launching a new tourism agency this October and targeting 20 million visitors in 2020 (a nice and easy figure to remember). The government wants to accept more international students for universities in Japan as well.

Yeah, all the policies are great. I cannot agree with 'em more. So, now just open the skygates!! Increase Narita's runway and expand Haneda's facility as soon as possible. Because strait is the gate. No doubt. Otherwise, we will only have visitors like "zen" buddhists and "otaku" (animation and manga geek) worshippers.

Strait is the Gate. And a long, long way to go

As long as international airport is concerned, it is not true that "for wide is the gate that leadeth unto destruction, and many there be that go in thereat: But strait is the gate that leadeth unto life". Yet, it is correct that "few there be that find" such airports unless the doors are half-closed. Must be hard to notice.