"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.