DVD a lifeline

Purchasing DVDs, as well as recording favorite TV shows, is like having insurance you barely claim for.

Here're some from my DVD collection I've bought in the past half year (and more TV programs on a hard disk) but not watched yet.

Perhaps I will turn to these when I:
feel alone (Dark Knight),
collide with somebody (Crash),
need a final answer (Slumdog Millionaire), or
wanna moonwalk (This Is It).

スタバカ日誌〜One More Chance〜

It's been more than a month since Starbucks Japan introduced its One More Coffee campaign.

One can get another cup of drip coffee for 100 yen at any Starbucks on the same day. Given a tall cup costs 340 yen in Japan, I feel worsed off if not taking this advantage. Is the marginal utility of second cup higher than first?

During final exam week I was totally caffeinated, and now need decaffeinated.

So, to drink or not to drink, that is the question.

My Neighbor

Let me introduce my neighbor Totoro.

As many of you know, he's famous for the movie "My Neighbor Totoro". But, seriously he is really my neighbor, and was an unexpected guest last weekend. The difference from the movie is that he's edible creme puff!!

Thanks to my brother for bringing him in.

Tokyo is not the best livable city, but this is a joy to live in this Metropolitan. Here is Shiro-hige's Creme Puff Factory where he is born.

Needless to say, it is very delicious with coffee of Starbucks or Dean & Deluca ;-)

"Lesson Learned" (by Alicia Keys)

There are many ways to realize you get old: wrinkles on your face, worsening eyesight, declining stamina and so on. But, if you're lucky (or unlucky?), you might not be able to find your wrinkles on your face thanks to your worsening eyesight. I'm still at early 30s, so it did not go that way so far (hopefully). Still, I felt aged lately in several ways.

Seeing a kid growing up is one. Last year I found an old friend, who used to be a little kid when I was a twinkle college student. OMG, she's now studying at the college where I graduated a decade ago!!

Also feel getting old physically, as my stamina does not last as long as it used to when I run or try to stay out. A couple of weeks ago, I stayed out late to cramstudy for my final exams, but it didn't work out like the way I used to do a decade ago. When I applied for this business school, I knew it was gonna be very tough two years. Well, it turned out harder than I expected. I'm afraid I am satisfied with the fact that I did come to class. Even attending class is something especially after hard full-time work at office, but that ain't good enough.

Also, I learned a lecture with PowerPoint presentation is bad for understanding. Such a presentation only makes me FEEL understood. But, to really understand, need not only review it but also think such an argument by reading books and discussing with friends. Business focuses more on HOW while academics WHY. PowerPoint presentations summarize issues and initiatives simply while omitting the backgrounds why it is so.

Now unlike a full-time college student, I have a full-time job, less time for study, and more responsibility. Yet, they should not be an excuse. Rather motivation and energy. When spring semester resumes in April, I've got to study harder. In the meantime, I'd better review what I learned last semester and what I'm planning to take next. Having spent one semester, I feel weekday nights and weekends are so long. Long enough for reading books and studying. Plus, some more time for workout as well.

スタバカ日誌～thank you for smoking～

Some business folks are so good at speech. Even though I cannot recall their names, their few words are so impressive, witty and hilarious. I still remember the speech of a manager from JT, a Japanese Tobacco maker:
"To those who smoke, thank you very much for smoking. (喫煙者の皆様、いつも大変お世話になっております。)
To those who do not smoke, I sincerely apologize for some smokers with bad manners . (タバコを吸われない皆様、一部のマナーの悪い喫煙者がご迷惑をおかけしております。) "

Several weeks ago at a Starbucks, I saw a male customer smoking inside (INSIDE!!) the store at Kichijoji. Starbucks' non-smoking policy is now a common sense. I've never imagined to see such a scene.
What is worse, he didn't have his own portable ashtray, dropping ashes on a dish. He kept smoking until a cashier told him this is a non-smoking area. This is not a bad manner but lack of common sense, I would say.

"the Coldest Winter" (by Kanye West)

Although having spent years in Seoul and America's Midwest where the weather goes as low as -20 degrees Celsius (or zero in Fahrenheit), I'm not a big fan of winter sports.

Still, as eating pancakes with a Canadian maple syrup and listening to the latest album of Manafest, a Canadian rapper, I feel ready to enjoy the Winter Olympics, which is starting tonight in Vancouver, No.1 livable city.