single malt

without going into detail, i've been described as being like single malt scotch. I don't know if I understand the full scope of what that could have meant, my appreciation for single malt whiskey was significantly increased today.

every year, I go on a bus trip with a bunch of old japanese artists, art dealers, and art collectors. They are a very odd bunch. one guy, apparently is building an art museum, right next to his bamboo forest... cuz well why not?... i've never seen him wear socks other than pairs of bright yellow... and i don't care who made it by hand, even if it was issey miyake, his coat was but fut ugly. (but then again, i never did like issey miyake) anyway.. otherwise, a group of very passionate art lovers, going to see art together. brilliant idea, says i!

today's tour was to a small museum in yamanashi containing a collection of mainly japanese female artists. there were some really great paintings, and I always do feel bad for the lack of understanding and interest in japanese painters. there are some great paintings out there, but i can never remember the painters. when i was little, i couldn't for the life of me remember western names. somewhere in the last 2 decades, that changed. now i can never remember japanese names.

regardless, seeing all these paintings made me yearn to paint!!! i havent painted in ages, or for that matter visited art museums in a while. but i do love art, and it fills me with a strong wanting to do what they do, achieve what they can, paint paint paint!

i do also appreciate the talks of current events in the art world by active members of the field. yes, sometimes it does get a bit pretentious and i wonder what world they live in, but most of the time, hearing this charming, heavy smoking art dealer in corduroy, speak passionately about art appreciation and protection rights of paintings... what can i say, it is pretty brilliant.

forwards and onwards. after the art museum, we had lunch at a cute little restaurant dealing with organic veggies and hand smoked ham and such. (ok truth be told, 8 points for effort, 3 on delivery) but the atmosphere and the people made up for it.

going back to my title, the best part of the tour was a visit to the suntory whiskey factory and museum in hakushu, right at the foot of the southern alps, which produces whiskey of the same name. hakushu, totally one rank up than yamazaki. the tour itself was great. first of all, the location is beautiful! they have the distillery right in a red pine forest, with tons of birds and excellent view of all the surrounding mountains, which of course are prob the prettiest in the nation.

the tour started with a charming intro from the factory chief. then to the mega barrels where the wheat is fermented. my god. did it smell good in there. fruity and heavenly. (of course the distillery was there too.
then to the demonstration of recharring of the barrels. fire! who doesn't like fire and fine craftsmanship! diligent japanese men doing their thing, rock on.
but the best part was the storage room. barrels and barrels of whiskey! and first the poof of the aroma and alcohol in the air is overpowering, but once you get used to it, my god, it's like being in a giant bottle of your favorite perfume. over the process of decades the whiskey contents are breathed out into the air(during the summers) and in return the whiskey soaks up the surrounding air during the winters. and the whiskey smells like the forest. apparently the whiskey in the air is called "angel's share." you know, you gotta give sum to get sum. right? right. and you wanna be on the good graces of the angels. brilliant. i also learned that a whiskey barrel loses about 3% of its contents each year. with 30 years of aging, the contents are less than half of its original mass. (that my friend, might be high taxation by the angels. i'm telling you, the angels are drunk!) i wanted to stay there for ages, it smelled so good, so clean, so fresh. i can totally understand the significance of the environment. i can totally imagine a whiskey affectionado seeing the hills of scotland right before his eyes with the opening of a glenfidditch or something. (glen i found out today means valley) how lovely.

this was followed by a tasting of their 12 year old. also served with the water that was used to make the whiskey. (the ultimate combo i am told) oh it was so fragrant. i wish they made a perfume out of it, and i would wear it all the time. (i might be arrested frequently but who cares when you can smell so good...) I still didn't enjoy drinking it as much. it has a punch. the alcohol punch. but i did enjoy all the stages it went through in your mouth. first its sweet, then smoky, and a bit cinnamony. but yeah. it still tasted like alcohol. damn you alcohol! you do it to me every time!

ps, why did we go to a whiskey factory? well well. the owner of suntory (the name is derived from san, the number 3, and tori aka birds, who came up with that name?), now that he's made mega bucks providing one of the ancient vices, has like the rest of money gobblers, an appreciation of the arts. suntory art museum? pretty damn impressive. so friend of a friend kinda deal, we were invited to their factory and got vip treatment. of course, the tour is open to the public, but you most likely wont meet the charming factory chief on a sunday.

pps mt fuji rocks. it's so pretty!

all in all, a brilliant day!

20 mofo 7

i'm turning 27 this sat. twenty motha fucking seven. it's not that i think i'm getting old. i would never think that, every age has its benefits, and truth be told, i'm pretty certain i'll be just as funky at age 80. my cane will be tie dye and i will be hiking up mt. fuji or exploring the north pole. no biggie.

but it does bother me. my brother died when he was 27. i'm just as responsible and irresponsible as he was. i have just as much fun. and i must say all in all life is pretty good. but he died. and i will be the same age as my brother. in 3 fucking days. i've been dreading this day for a long time. and 28 even more so.

it's been god damn 10 years. and no, my wound isn't gushing with blood. it's been taken care of. i'm not going to cry in pain, screaming for help. it won't be the worst day of my life, it won't be an HBO drama. But the scar is still there. And my god it aches like a fucking arthritis knee aches on a rainy day. it fucking grips my heart, and it's as if i never learned how to breathe.

every birthday is a reminder of the years that my brother missed in my life. everyday i keep going forward, and yet he is still just the same. fun, loving, and extremely talented. but i haven't seen a new work of his in ages. i haven't been to any of his parties. i haven't met any of his gf's. multiple gf's at the same time. i haven't seen him get angry at me. telling me how stupid my actions are and yet with a little amusement in his eyes, always forgiving me, always urging me to keep it up. never to let society bring me down. A true New Yorker. he hasn't beaten up a bf of mine, or glared at him simply for being my bf. i haven't sat next to him. my usual seat. knowing that it was there all the time, anytime i needed it to be there.

but the reality is that this day will pass. and i will remember it. because i love him. because i refuse to numb my feelings so that i don't have to feel the pain. let it hurt like a thousand daggers, and i will still take it. because he was here. he is my brother. and i still love him dearly. i miss you.

so it is quite appropriate that my birthday falls during the typhoon period.

let the rains pour, expressing my tears.
let the winds roar, so that i need not be the cause of destruction.

feel the wetness says the rain, so that you can start the day afresh.
hang on tight says the wind, or i will take you off your branches.

no matter how convenient life gets, it's never easy. i will take the life out of you, if you don't fucking wake up to grip the life that is. for that stem that connects you to your branch is mighty fragile.

dust to ashes, ashes to dust.
i hope one day you and i will be reunited. and it will be just as the old days.
we'll buzz through the town, smooth at times, and nothing but trouble in the right moments.
we'll play with the butterflies, and chase the girls. we'll create art like no body's business for we will be a part of nature.
you and i. together.

what a game!!

Team Japan is going to the olympics. Supposedly this was decided yesterday when they beat Argentina. Today's match was against Algeria. and Algeria is good! but they had no chance. Japan was on a roll. They were unbeatable! They are going to the olympics for the first time since forever! Rock on!

We are a mighty team this year. incredible. and you never want to fight agaisnt japan. cuz no matter how much beat us with spikes, there is no giving up. We're kinda stubborn and full of perserverance like that. And when people say that we can't do anything by ourselves, we are a collective culture, well.. it kinda works.. when you have team, you have a killer team. you could see the web of trust that the team members had for each other... it was almost visible!!! and every single member of that team, even the back up athletes are totally made up of pure talent and ganbari!!! yamamoto goes without saying, and he will be the next captain i think.. he's got that glow.. koshikawa's spikes are just too powerful.. and he's diligent... he's also got that glow... that i'm at my prime glow.. and the youngeons.. ha. ha. holy shit. they've got the left and right covered... so much power, and so much energy.. you could almost see a flame on thier back.. they are like rockets. they fly... and they stop mid air... looking down at every one else especially the opposing blockers.. ha. scary. adn the setter.. whereever do all these perfect sets come from.. brilliance.. and most of all.. the reciever. the liberos of the game. i'm speachless. there isn't a serve that they won't pick up. there isn't an attack that they aren't ready for. immpecable play team japan!!! you are amazing! thank you! so much for everything that you do.. you guys are shining brighter than any star in the sky! ganbare nippon! makeruna nippon!

shitty times eh?

bad times in america eh?
Current mood: nostalgic

i was listening to the commencement speech at vassar, and hearing what they had to say, wishing the graduates good luck in the "real world"... it seemed that the "real world" has changed from "a challenging place, a bigger pasture to find greener land", to "a vast desert void of all things good in this world" or "a sea of quicksand where most will most likely sink into who knows what, leaving the lucky and quicksand savvy few to succeed, who will also undoubtedly be pulled down by the sinkers trying desperately to grab whatever they can get a hold of. before thier decent... that is until the floaters kick them in the face."

so with this commencement, a time of joyous celebration of accomplishments, a big kick in the butt pushing them out of the "bubble", "the utopia or society most aspiring to utopia", i felt a sharper than a ceramic knife realization that life in the us must pretty much suck. hard core. that probably a tax cut of a few hundred bucks isn't going to do the trick. 4 years of gradual downfall.

how does america boast number one incarceration rate(1 out of 75)? but hey, i guess you get health care. at someone else's expense. what could be better? especially in america.

on the opposite spectrum, the japanese economy must be doing well. that is if we trusted our judgement in the hands of one economist, who i do not remember, cuz his theory(proven of course) is that the shorter the skirts on girls, more vividly the economy. come on, remember our golden age? of the 80~90's the height of the bubble, what were the chicks wearing but extremely short and revealing dresses also known as "body con" for starters. welcome back laffore! and the otachidai! you can almost hear the music.

viva freedom fighters!

my sincere high five to those who fight for thier/their people's freedom against all obstacles!

so hurrays to:
Mehboba Ahdyar, who continued to run against, laws against women running under Taliban rule, ongoing blackmails and pressures from her environment, and viva her parents who never cease to support her! i am totally and utterly against the olympics being held in china, even if my govt is happy to give support in exchange for two pandas. pandas are great for our zoos but it comes too high of a cost, if in exhange for freedom for thousands of people!

Tash Despa, who snuck in a video in to his homecountry tibet and brought it back against the danger of being discovered. if anyone's interested, his video was aired in the UK. apparently, TV in tibet is all chinese propaganda, where Japanese WWII soldiers still rape and pillage Chinese towns! and we're holding diplomatic relations with you why?? tell me that? you think two pandas are enough to earn our graces?? no, it is totally not cool to arrest and jail a monk for 3 years because he wrote "freedom for tibet" in his journal!

doh, don't you hate it when things like freedom of speech, is not a universal right?
we need to do something about that!

summer sonic or fuji rock?

Death Cab just announced that they will be playing at summer sonic, which means that i def want to go, and fuji rock hasn't announced anyone of interest as of yet. and fuji rock has a tendancy of going brit rock these days..... hmm. oh such difficult choices... i could pretend that i could go to both fes, but but but work is busy these days... and can i actually take the time off????
oh... (i sigh the pleasure pain sigh)

August 9th, 2008 - Tokyo, Japan
August 10th, 2008 - Osaka, Japan

Full details and line-up are available at:
www. summersonic. com

Ticketing information is available at:
http://www. summersonic. com/08/ticket/index. html

other topics:
-voice actor of goku from dragon balls
-anpanman creator and comic artist
-childline
-the ritz carlton
hermes bags(why can a single leather bag cost thousands to a couple deca-thousand dollars?? and how can people not have moral dilema's over this?? apparently, in order to buy a hermes bag, you need call the store, make an appointment, so that you can go in for consultation. and then you wait a few months, until they say "your bag is ready now, would you like to pick it up?" and no, they don't ship it to you. cuz which domestic package delivery service ships valuables of a 20 thousand dollars at one go? and why do i know more than one person who actually owns them??? and why haven't i robbed them, pawned it, and spent the money on wells in cambodia? it is absolutely quite sickening.. and they are not evil people... and not necessarily foolish people either... but still it is a very very foolish thing... but then again, would i think the same of a person who has a jaguar instead of a toyota??? it is a matter of personal choice if one could afford it.. but but but but but still... it boggles me. boggle boggle.

i mean, please someone tell me why these (in my opinion, quite boring looking bags, they aren't ugly, no, but certainly not the most beautiful. i still don't understand their value. what's the appeal? yes, grace kelly had them. but she was also married to a royal, and still didn't look all that happy. if i buy that bag, will it make me look like grace kelly? instantaneously? ok, this has been proven otherwise, because the people who i know to have at least one hermes, still looks rather plain, and are not the most classiest, most beautiful or the most impressive people i know. you know, rather than be so confused, i should ask them why they own them... but can i do that without being rude? why in the world would you pay that much money for a fucking bag??? and you are bitching about giving to charity??? tell me. why? why do even bother to pretend that you care about the rest of the world?) i mean, are they magical? do they contain 10 times as much and weigh 1/10 of the actual contents? (that would justify the price. in my values. maybe. it could be useful.) did they last the sinking of the titanic like LV? and is that worth 20 thou?? i mean you will be dead. so you won't have much use for your luggage? but yes, the history fanatics will love you, along with the treasure hunters. or you could be loved by many living people for providing them with clean water, for decades... people of the future... name engraved in rock... so tell me, how does a bag made by a company who used to make horsing goods and carriages cost that much money?? someone please enlighten me. i am so confused.

i don't think enjoying the finer things in life, is all that bad. in fact i think there are definite ++'s but there is a line is there not? or am i just fucking crazy?

-galle and japonism
-glass art
-baccarat (what do they mean by crystal? i mean glass is crystal, then why is baccarat and crystal glass special? what's the difference? tell me)
-dansk
-japonism
-art history
-all art museums in tokyo
-public administration
-corporate social responsibility
-goldman and sachs ?
-portland
-anime
-world fairs
-paris and chicago world fairs to be specific
-symbolism
-seasons in japan represented
-japanese drawings and design/patterns
-kami shibai and readings/voice acting/presentation through voice.

ok, i think that's all the topics of interest from today. and i'd like to ellaborate, but as usual, it is almost 2 am, and i do need to go take a bath, and be somewhat conscious and presentable tomorrow. plus, i need to hem a pair of pants.

commentary

after a long and grueling week, including a friend's hospitalization; fear and worry, how refreshing the weekend was.

the peace of sleep complimented by the productivity of the day, spiced with pleasant exchanges with dear friends, and who could argue depp singing a well composed musical.

Nothing can hurt me now, for the sun shines above, and I stand here energized and fulfilled.

I am protected by the invisible force of frienship and love, radiating and pulling those that can feel the warmth.

random note:

archeological find of Japanese village in cambodia in the 1600's. (how cool is that?) apparently, they were engaged in trade and religious activities. (what kind of religious activities?? i am curious, must look into this)

nationalism-i'm not one to scream nationalism at the top of my lungs, but i am intrigued by Tokyo gov Ishihara. His blatant and belligerent vigor for nationalism scares me at times, solidifying my view that his political reign should end with as governor, but he does truly want to better the situation of the people, a true visionary, off to lead the people. Practical in many ways, effective and productive, a dangerous nutter in others. hence why politics is so complicated. I would support with vigor his brilliant plan to cut down pine trees in the region that is causing allergies for 1 out of every 4 Tokyoite, and these trees shouldn't be there in the first place, his plan is so simple that you can't help but wonder what were his predesessors doing with their time? It would be even greater if he used these wood in good use. but his call for nationalism and pride still makes me feel uneasy. Under him, we will be at war in no time. and war, i am not ready to embrace as a japanese just yet. but it is true that we lack it.nationalism. now is it necessary? could we do without it? it could be our biggest strength at the same time our archilles heel.

death penalty- i haven't made up my mind about the death penalty. it really is difficult. who is to say who lives and who dies. and if our legal system, which should surpass an eye for an eye mentality, for they should stand on higher ground....

but what about asahara shoko? the nutter religious leader of the AUM religion who gassed the tokyo subways during morning rush hour, killing many, and permenantly handicapping even more. i can't bring myself to be even a little bit in favor for his life. He has caused pain and suffering for his own benefit. It wasn't from fear/anger/revenge/or for love that he attacked innocent hardworking tokyoites on their way to work, indiscriminative murder. how could anyone let the man go? insanity or not. was he a product of a sick society? was he abused as a child? and should society take blame? where do you draw the line?

an american problem to a universal problem

I feel very american when my first reaction to nausea is,

"i need sprite"

and my japanese response to that is,
"ha, you're in japan. you can't get no sprite, all you've got is gingerale!"

lack of doctors

so, with this aging population, we have another situation. we lack doctors.

call me a socialist, but i do believe in universal heathcare!! and japan, being the second largest economy, it is just wrong to have 2 doctors per 100 patients. cuba has a better ratio than that.

and i really think that the government needs to do something about it. increase scholorships, have immigrant doctors, better systems that fully utilize the scare resources that we have. without overworking these doctors.

a better society! not something to wish for, but something to work towards. not a matter of should but will do.

but other than that, i am impressed with the amount of interest in politics. it has to be like the highest since ww2. when i was growing up, political debates on tv was unheard of. but voices can be heard, but still, it is not enough. the average citizen rarely discuss politics, and we need to be more aware.

it's not that life has stopped

life on the whole is good. I like my co-workers, I get shit done, and i get paid. besides from work, i've got few friends to hang out with, who like, and i got other friends who i also love but don't get to spend nearly as much time as i want to.

i work hard. i try my best. sure i get stuck, but i trudge on through.
and that is that.

but in this moment of clarity, i know that i still think about you. And I still ask if we didn't have something special between us that can't be described by words. Something so special that regardless of the hateful banter, a feeling of compassion and passion that lets us forgive each other.

We all have our reasons for the actions we take, but my heart remains true and clear, and what can I do, but remain loyal to this heart of mine.

it's not that life has stopped or that i am not doing the best that i can do, but it's just that i still want you, and that I still crumble at your name.

strike that, CONRAD be my favorite in Tokyo

So, I've been to a few hotels in Tokyo( i know, i live 40 minutes away, don't ask), and i've liked a few, but strike all of them, because I have a new favorite. and it be CONRAD. awesome. Their pool is perfect. granted it's no resort, but it's in the center of Tokyo, it has a good excuse. Sitting on a pool chair(or pappazon, or whatever it was, a round flat pool chair for two people with tons and tons of pillows, looking out from the 29th floor... listening to the water glistening.. what a perfect place for a nap.

and the rooms are great too. it's alittle too modern for my tastes, but they have good taste. and even if it is owned by hilton, hilton is not nearly as evil as he used to be in my mind cuz he just recently signed off 2.3 billion to charity and not to his stupid heirs.. no few people should inherit such large sums of money. but what he should do, is give his employees a raise. they don't get paid that well. yeah. he really should give more money to his employees.

ramble ramble ramble. and i feel awfully shallow, but
i come to the point of the day, which is that i love what money can buy. money might not buy eternal happiness or love, or soul. (it might, I just don't have any proof)but it does buy a little peace of mind which ususally comes from being comfortable, and relaxed. and to my nutty self, the comforts of conrad is giving me a sane moment, if only for a night. so in the end, money buys great things.

Which is a shame because, i'm not so dedicated to making large sums of money. but maybe i will one day.

oh by the way, being the clutz and sleep deprived monkey that i am, i stupidly forgot a travel bag on the train. have no fear, i live japan, and they found it for me. even though it didn't have anything to identify it's owner. i went to the train master, and he called tokyo station to have them look for it, while it's stopped to get people off.. and they call me, and says, sorry we couldn't find it at tokyo, but we'll look for it again at narita (last stop) and they call...again. after the train arrives at narita, at 3PM, which is precisely when they said it would arrive... and oh we found it, so please stop by the office, and we'll have it arranged to be sent to your house.

how fucking awesome is that? i might not fit in to this place, but man, i definitely have a lot of respect. in which other society would you get back the things you lose? have hope people. there is kindness out there. or refined diligence. i'm more of a rough on the edges kind of heart, but i am not blind, and so thank you JR! and thank you JAPAN, for being what it is.

Kabuki

As per tradition, i went and watched the new years wakate kabuki in asakusa today, and usually, i would go on a long rant about how brilliant kabuki is, but tonight i absolutely can't because truth be told, i slept through most of it. don't remind me of the fact that my nap cost me over a 100 bucks.. i was just soo fucking tired. really, today was a fucking blur of a day.

power currupts and absolute power currupts absolutely

After seeing Last King of Scotland, i've come to the conclusion that what you need to know about the world, i've learned in high school, and I have Paul Alff to thank for that.

Absolute power currupts. Power currupts. but to leave on that note, would be too pessimistic, so what can we do to make this world a better place? rather what can I do to make this world a better place?

can one person be trusted to make the right choice? that would be highly democratic and optimistic. or are we simply doomed? is capitalism the answer? if not anarchy? anachy won't do, for the chaos it creates will lead to a absolute power. are they only stages? or can there be a balance? where is that balance? can we all find mental health and common sense to make the conglamorate of people work together, live together? without killing people or killing themselves?

what can i do? i sit here harmless, yet helpless at the same time.

cool beans

so out there, there are some really cool companies that do cool things.
so below is a copy and paste of some of them.. according to fastcompany

This year, Fast Company embarked on an experiment: to apply to the for-profit sector the rigorous methodology developed by our partner Monitor Group for the Social Capitalist Awards. With help from Sara Olsen at Social Venture Technology Group and R. Paul Herman of HIP Investor, we assessed 31 for-profit applicants, from big corporations that graft socially responsible practices onto a traditional investor framework to smaller for-benefit outfits that explicitly place social good ahead of shareholder return. Here are the 10 companies that passed our test.


Better World Books
Developing World Markets
Domini Social Investments
Equal Exchange
Herman Miller
New Leaf Paper
Organic Valley Family of Farms
Seventh Generation
ShoreBank
SustainAbility

Prince Tokyo Towers in Hamamatsucho

So, new years 2008 was encountered at Prince Tokyo Towers in Hamamatsucho, and it has been swell. It's a Japanese hotel chain, and thus I tend to hate it, but this perticular one excels in service, room, and food. and what more do you want from a hotel right? oh, and a killer location.

New Years eve countdown: we went to Zojo-ji, the temple the houses the graves of 4 Tokugawa family members I am told, which is also right next to Tokyo Tower. Countdown at Zojo-ji involved letting go of thousands of balloons, all biodegradable, for well wishing, and the beginning of the Joya-no-kane (ringing of the 15 ton bell) to release the regrets and sins of the previous year to welcome the new year afresh. 108 sins. it's supposedly 108 because shikuhakku. 4x9+8x9. yeah. you've got me there. I think one needs to be more familiar with buddhism to get that. oh, and since the tokyo tower does their own countdown, by turning off their lights, and lighting it up in a special color, with 2008 written on it... the new years count down is an exciting, if a little distracted affair. not to mention you have to get the life lessons from the buddhist head priest with thier funny hats. all in all it was a great time.

oh, so back to the hotel. good food. I just had a fillet mignion, and salad, and espresso and ice cream. all top quality. usually places in Japan do a whimpy salad, but they were gracious enough to endulge me with vinegrette (ok, granted I asked for oil and vinegar) and their fillet was brilliant. thank you for non-Japanese beef!!!! yes, I like my meat without my fat, and i've learned the art of steaks. I guess I have ari and his family for that, and NYC. where everything comes first rate.

Really, this has been a great start of the year. And I am feeling motivated. Oh, and buddha is on my side on this one. He's given me his blessing. so uh huh. this year's going to be the one. I'm not going to let my silly brain get in the way.

Opera: Gounad's Romeo et Juliette

New years eve was spent watching the Metropolitan production of Gounad's ROmeo et Juliette. Which might I add was a good production of a pretty decent opera. But i must say, I can never take opera too seriously. I mean, the singing is great and impressive and all, but the hole narsissistic "my voice and outdo your voice" attitude, and the clumsy acting... the waving of the hands, and the 10- hour long slow death of romeo... just... i mean he sipped a deadly poison, he's still singing about nightinggales and after 10 minutes, he's still not dead.. come on. and they are so very stuck up about it, aren't they. There are more superior forms of theater and opera just doesn't do it for me. Mozart and Puccini must have been on crack... or the audince was anyway.

so why is opera so great?