"Partytime" (by Missy Elliott)

We moved into this new apartment last March, but are now finally ready to welcome our friends. It's a beautiful, fine, perfect day for a party.


My wife cooks. I help. Uh, you know, not much. Stuff like peeling potatoes and dish-washing. Also, entertaining (or bothering?) her while cooking.

We primarily serve genuine Korean dishes. This is today's main menu: 버섯전골 (Mushroom Hot Pot).

A table for 5 and us.

Sofa So good

And a comfortable couch. Sometimes you can see some Sleeping Beauties or Sleeping Buddha on it. Today we're very lucky to find a Mermaid.

Dear friends, thanks for coming today. And we're await for more to come. You are welcome. Make a reservation!

Best Songs of the Year

2009 will be remembered as the year of the change. And of a new start.

The Obama administration took office in January as well as the Hatoyama in September. Personally, started a new job in January and to go to business school in September.

Also, the past year was very fruitful for me to meet great, favorite, new songs. Not quite sure whether it is because the releases of many great songs just happened this year or because I tried to find ones harder with some reasons. To my long list of favorite songs short, however, here is the one of the top ten.

1. Life Is Good (by DJ Deckstream feat. Mos Def): Make me very positive.
2. Empire State of Mind (by Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys): Make me miss NYC!
3. Special (by Snoop Dogg feat. Brandy and Pharell): Although Snoopy isn't my favorite artist and his latest album has just released this month, this song is SPECIAL.
4. Make Her Say (by Kid Cudi feat. Kanye West and Common): Lady Gaga isn't my favorite either, but her catchy, pop song can be a great HipHop.
5. Energy (by Keri Hilson): Charge me.
6. If Tonight Is My Last (by Laura Izibor): a live is greater.
7. Alive (by Black Eyed Peas): BEP is still alive.
8. Decision (by Busta Rhymes feat. Jamie Foxx, Mary J. Blige, John Legend & Common): With all the musicians listed, a great song guaranteed.
9. Wavin' Flag (by K'naan): As once a political science major, and a friend of Somalis, wish the peace come to the Horn of Africa. I might take part in it. Who knows?
10. Keep Pushin' (by Kero One): Nice one.

Best Wishes for the New EAR to y'all!!

Merry X'mas

Today isn't a holiday in Japan. So, I got a day-off not to celebrate Christmas but to get my season's greeting cards flying: designing a card (by my wife), printing and handwriting a message. Season's greeting in Japan is supposed to arrive on New Year's Day (not on or before Christmas). Seems like I worked harder than I do at my office :)

Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for the New Year to all!!

MetLife

Billboard Live Tokyo is one of the greatest places to enjoy a METropolitan Life in Tokyo. My favorite musicians come here more than Blue Note Tokyo: Laura Izibor last August and Chrisette Michele last week.

Live performance also brings rediscovery of a new aspect of a musician (or a song). At Laura's live, I reconfirmed "Shine", "Don't Stay", "From My Heart to Yours" and "If Tonight is My Last" are best songs while learning "the Worst is Over" and "Perfect World" are good too. She was putting her heart into every single song, making her soulful songs even more heartful.

Chrisette Michele was a very skillful entertainer. She was good at making her audience enjoy her live by shaking hands and even giving a hug (!! I wanted to be the one!!). She also added a spice of jazz to some of her songs.

My wife and I spent a wonderful time.

良い胎教にもなったし!!(笑)

Ultimate Goal?!

Having been going to grad school for one month, one of concerns I share with many friends is family relationship.

Weekday's classes are from 6:30pm through 10pm, and 9am through 6pm on Saturday. As working on homework more and more now, we're getting less time to spend with our family.

Knowledge is power, and to make it sustainable we got to study. But, is family time (and relationship) an opportunity cost we have to give up? Of course not!!

Still, during a 15-min break or before a class begins, my friends say, "my wife complains we don't go out lately", "my wife's getting mad!!", "I don't talk much with my wife these days" and the like. Then, we wonder how those who graduated have managed the relationship.

But, seemingly our school provides a solution by offering a course like "Strategic Thinking and Communication". I'm not taking it, but the school recommends to take in the first semester.

Or Finance itself might provide an answer because Finance is defined as:
the study to search for how to allocate limited resources on a time horizon.

Studying "the Introduction to Finance" and "Corporate Finance", I will find an answer hopefully.How to effectively and efficiently allocate my limited time.

Tackling Tax

"Nothing in this life is certain but death and taxes," Mark Twain said.

This is not the reason, but somehow it turned out I'm taking two tax courses this first semester: "Tax Law" and "International Tax Accounting". Both classes are quite interesting in many ways, but especially in that the professor/lecturer have backgrounds from the opposite ends.

The Law is taught by a former top of National Tax Agency while the latter by a tax consultant from a Big 4 accounting firm. Given the decline of tax revenues, the Agency surely want to tax more. On the other hand, a tax consultant advises "tax management".

tax burdens

Living in Japan, it's hard to see one's tax burden. Many of us need not file tax return individually. Our employers do it instead. 5% of sales tax is not as high as that of Europe or America. While unemployed last year, though, I felt the burden as painfully as much. Perhaps, such trauma unconsciously led me to take the two classes.

Nothing is certain with which grade I pass the courses. But, as Tokyo's autumn is getting deeper and night longer, I have more time for study. "Autumn for Study" (勉強の秋) has come.

Korea Sparkling 3

昔住んでいたこともあって、韓国には観光というよりも知り合いに会う為に行くことが多いのですが、今年の夏はベタな日本人観光客を気取り、久しぶりのソウルを満喫してきました。

選んだベースはショッピング街・明洞（ミョンドン）。しかし、そこは今や日本人だけでなく中国人にも席巻され、中国語の看板、中華料理店、中国語の客引きも少なくありません。それでも、円高バブルに沸く日本人観光客強し。食事を取ろうとレストランに入って、気が付くと周りは日本人ばかり。オシャレなカフェやブティックのある三清洞（サムチョンドン）でも、交通アクセスの悪い、ソウルの外れにある韓国宮廷料理の店でも、どこにでも日本人がいました。新大久保と大して変わらないですよね。日本では目を皿にしてスーパーのチラシの大特価セールをチェックしている（であろう）おばさんたちが、隣の国の経済を刺激している様子を見ると、ちょっぴりおかしくもありました。


そして、明洞のすぐ近くにある韓国のランドマーク、Nソウルタワーにも行きました。昔は、東京タワーより「高い」を目標に、韓国人の気合だけで建てたような寂しいところでしたが、今では立派に改装され、LEDのライトアップも施されて、モダンな観光スポットに変身。因みに333mの東京タワーより高いと言っても、Nソウルタワーの479.7mはあくまで海抜の高さ。山の上に建てたのでタワーそのものは東京タワーより低いのですが。こんなところにも見栄っ張りだけど、憎めない韓国人の気質が見えます。

今回新たなお気に入りスポットになったのが清渓川（チョンゲチョン）。以前は高速道路とその高架に商店街が立ち並んでいるイメージしかありませんでしたが、当時ソウル市長だった李明博現韓国大統領が2年がかりで2005年に完成させ、今や都心のオアシス。足を川に入れて暑気払いをしているソウル市民が羨ましくもありました。東京にもこんなところがあれば良いのにな～。

帰りに金浦空港内にある映画館を覗いてみると、日本の劇場アニメSummer Warsが上映中でした。その時はこの映画は面白いのかなとしか考えませんでしたが、帰国直後に金大中前大統領の訃報に触れ、彼の日本文化開放政策のお陰で上映されているのだなと思うと感慨深いものがありました。開放政策が議論されていた頃、日本のサブカルチャーに食われてしまうのではないかと心配されていましたが、Summer Warsにしても、今やその映画製作におけるCG等は韓国のサポートなくしてはあり得ません。そして、韓国の映画、ドラマ、音楽が日本でも多くの支持を得ているのは誰もが知るところです。

これまで1～2年に一回訪れる度に韓国の変化は感じ取っていたつもりでしたが、昔馴染みの場所を再度訪ねてみて、その変化を改めて強く感じました。昔ソウルに住んでいた頃は、韓国製品は粗悪で、SONYやPanasonic等はみんなの憧れでしたが、今やSamsungやLGの商標は米国だけでなく、中国、インド等の新興国でも多く見られる一方で、日本の商標は残念ながらあまり見かけません。日本に追い付け、追い越せと言っていた当時とは隔世の感があります。韓国という国は物凄いスピードで変化し続けるとつくづく感じます。一方で、実際に住んでいるせいもあるとは思いますが、日本はどうも遅々としている気がしてなりません。今回の旅で韓国の変化を感じつつ、（日本だけでなく）自分も果たして変わり続けているのか、成長し続けているのかと考えてみたのでした。