A night in London.... playing with my shadow

On the way to Nottinghill Gate tube station there are lots of opportunities to use the street lights to shoot your shadow.

The blossoms of an Izuvian cherry tree

Alas, they are falling already. This shot from Saturday was taken to show the bark of the cherry tree. Too much attention is given to the blossoms. Cherry trees' bark is also very interesting and available for viewing 365/24/7.

Getting ready to die with the Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama has some things to say about preparing for death. These are good to contemplate.

Tibet’s Buddhism has a lot of emphasis placed on the process of death, so that the individual at the time of death not only retains his or her presence of mind, but also is in a position to utilize that subtle state of consciousness effectively towards the realization of the path.

One of the reasons why the awareness of death and impermanence is so crucial in the Buddhist religious practice is that it is considered that your state of mind at the time of death has a very great effect on determining what form of rebirth you might take. Whether it is a positive state of mind or a negative state of mind will have a great effect.

As death become familiar to you, as you have some knowledge of its processes and can recognize its internal and external indications, you are prepared for it.

Didn't see Koizumi at Yasukuni this week

Naomi, the boys and I went to

Yasukuni on Wednesday night to see the cherry blossoms and eat at the best yatai hanami has ever known. We had oden, yakitori, ninniku, hotate, urume iwashi, sora mame, asparagas and a little takenoko bbqd over Japanese charcoal. After the obligitory beer we had a couple glasses of Sugitama, a dry sake. Very nice!

My old friend Dick showed up with his new bride Shizuko. And Nakagawa from HSBC Research came running up with a cup of sake in his hand proud to tell me he had been drinking with Bill Achilles at lunch. Whew! A real Hanami Day.

Yankees in Norway - Summer 1948

My father spent the summer of 1948 in Norway on a study program for Americans. He traveled throughout Norway and visited relatives and relatives of Minnesota friends. He had pneumonia and was hospitalized for a while, and traveled back through New York City. This is a shot of the men in his group on one of their excursions. And one with his nurses.

RR Color Descriptions

Royal Robbins Color Descriptions

All computers are notcreated equal, and they don't all show colors the same. Differences in video cards, software, monitor types and monitor settings can all affect the way that your computer displays colors, so please use the following descriptions to help you determine the true appearance of a color.

A note on Heathered Colors: Heathered colors have white threads mixed into the fabric and are lighter than the base colors shown below the product image.

Aluminum A pale off-white with mist-like gray hues. Similar to Eggshell, but cooler. Lighter than Sand, and with none of the beige overtones.
Apple Green Like a candied Granny Smith apple, a medium green with a warming yellow influence. Similar to Olive, but brighter.
Aquifer A light sea-green, faintly muted with gray. A lighter version of Lake; similar to Riviera, but paler and more subdued.
Arctic Blue A pale blue with warm hints of green and gray. In the Highland Chenille, this color becomes more luminous, like a sky blue.
Atlantic A moderately dark blue-green the color of ocean swells off the Florida Keyes. Less green than Loden, more green than Lagoon, but similar to both.
Aubergine A subdued purple with red overtones, so dark as to appear almost black.
Azure A lighter shade of medium blue with a slightly frosty brightness, like the sky behind high, wispy cirrus clouds.
Bark A dark, neutral blend of gray and brown, like a lighter Tundra. Less green than Olive, but more than Dark Khaki.
Basil The brown of dried kitchen herbs, with a dash of gray and the faintest traces of dusty green. Similar to Bison, but more silvery. Slightly lighter than Tundra..
Bison A warm golden brown the color of milk chocolate or sunlit buffalo hide. Several shades darker than Brown Sugar, richer and with more yellow than Bark.
Black A neutral jet black.
Bluegrass A dark teal, more blue than Olive and more green than Bluesteel.
Bluejay The vivid hue of jay feathers, slightly darker than Azure.
Blueprint The dark blue of a moonlit night sky, reminiscent of the architectural drawing material of the same name. Slightly lighter than Ink, and with the barest mention of purple in comparison to Navy.
Bluesteel A slate-like blend of blue and gray, lighter than Navy and darker than Winter Sky.
Boysenberry The rich color of crushed berries, a bold purple with suggestions of magenta.
Brick A sun warmed and weathered color, more brown than red and mellowed with golden tones.
Brown Sugar A warm brown with shades of gold. Contains more bronze than Chamois and less orange than Nutmeg.
Butter The bright, creamy pale yellow of freshly churned butter.
Butterscotch A caramel color with the yellow muted into the golden browns of baked goods and confections. Similar to Sesame, but more golden.
Cactus A medium green tempered with yellow and gray. Similar to a muted Apple Green.
Caper Green A muted, silvery green that resembles the color of uncooked capers. Lighter and slightly more yellow than Olive.
Carbon A very dark gray with a wash of teal. More blue than Evergreen. Very similar to, but more green than Navy.
Carrot The light, bright color of young carrots pulled fresh from moist earth and scrubbed til they gleam. Brighter (but not much lighter) than Pumpkin.
Cedar A vibrant reddish brown, like sunlight on richly burnished wood. Similar to Red Rock, but lighter and with more orange.
Chamois A mix of yellow and beige, like Khaki in a sunbeam. Similar to a pale Brown Sugar.
Charcoal A very dark gray, several shades lighter than Black.
Chicory The cool, dark brown of a chicory nut hull. Similar in depth to a Navy or Evergreen, but in the brown spectrum.
Citron A light, spring-like green, paler than Lime and resembling a blend of Leaf and Pale Yellow.
Claret A deep mix of red and violet that is darker than Pomegranate and similar to Port, containing more purple than either.
Coral The pale orangey-pink of lighter sections of the reef, illuminated by filtered sunbeams. More faded, lighter and moderately more pink than Carrot. Between Rosy Cheeks and Sweet Pea in terms of lightness, and containing more orange than either.
Cornflower A medium blue with a faintly luminous lavender quality.
Daiquiri The bright pink of crushed strawberries and ice, lighter than Garnet but several shades deeper than Petal.
Dark cloud A medium color of predominantly grey, with blue and purple shades, like an angry thunderhead approaching on a summer day. Very similar to Periwinkle, but slightly warmer and more grey.
Dark Coral A dark rose with overtones of orange and brown. Slightly darker than Rhubarb.
Dark Khaki A dark yellowish brown with tones of green. Darker and more green than Khaki, lighter and more yellow than Tundra.
Dusty purple The warm, silvery finish of a late-summer grape, sun-faded and still hanging on the vine. A fairly dark purple, but muted down to just before the point the color becomes a warm, silvery gray. Similar to Rosy Cheeks but darker.
Dutch Blue A medium blue with overtones of gray and purple, like the deep blue of the sky reflected in lake water.
Eggshell An off-white with subtle yellow overtones, like the shell of a freshly laid egg.
Elderberry A very dark purple, with warm, reddish tones that verge on a rich brown.
Espresso A dark, seal brown, like the dry grounds of a full-bodied coffee.
Evergreen The dark green of shadows in a pine forest. An almost black color, very similar to Navy but in the green spectrum.
Faded Blue A luminous medium blue with a purple cast. Lighter than Dutch Blue.
Flamingo The cheerful signature hue of the flamingo's brightest plumage, now attainable without a steady diet of shrimp.
Foliage An earthy green with strong brown and gray qualities, like fallen leaves or dusty undergrowth. Similar to Olive but with more yellow.
Garnet A darker, more jewel-like crimson than Daiquiri. A hint of purple brings out a rich color and is slightly more noticeable in the sweater yarns like Pampero.
Glacier Blue A pale blue with faint overtones of purple and gray. Darker than Mist.
Gold Nugget A fiery yellow with red and bronze tints, like fall foliage in Vermont.
Gray A medium gray, reminscent of camp fire ashes. Substantially darker than Sand and much lighter than Charcoal. Similar to Khaki without the yellow tones.
Green Tea A pale, warm green with a strong component of yellow.
Guacamole The warm green of well-ripened avocado mixed with plenty of sour cream and salsa. Similar to Olive but with livelier golden tones, remarkably similar to a green version of Brown Sugar.
445 Habanero A changeable color, depending on the fabric and colors surrounding it. Next to browns or cool colors, Habanero looks like a dark, earthy orange; against yellows and reds it seems to be a light brown with major red and yellow components. Darker and more reddish than Persimmon, it runs slightly more to brown in the cottons and more to melon in nylon.
273 Honeydew The creamy, green off-white of chilled honeydew rind. Similar to Butter, but in the green spectrum.
605 Huckleberry A silvery, jam-like purple. Similar to Iced Lilac but much darker.
712 Hydro Blue The straight, cool blue of Lake Tahoe or deep sky. Several shades lighter than Dutch Blue, very similar to Cornflower, but without the purple.
651 Iced Lilac The pale lavender of thistles, brightened with a frosty hint of pink.
069 Iguana A warm, medium gray like the hide of an iguana basking on a seacliff rock. A faint hint of green makes it warmer than Pewter, but Iguana is decidedly more solid gray than either Khaki or Light Olive. Similar to Shitake, but cooler.
689 Ink A very dark blue, like the night sky in the east when the last hint of daylight still plays along the horizon to the west. Similar to Navy but with a brighter, more clearly blue quality.
037 Jet Black A vibrantly dark black with a trace of cool, blue tones. Not as neutral as Black.
259 Julep Like mint leaves blended in crushed ice. A sedate green toned down with plenty of grey, but more lively than Light Olive.
250 Key Lime A muted green with yellow tones. Darker than Stem, and with more yellow than Light Olive.
059 Khaki The yellowish brown of classic chinos - a medium shade similar to Sand with olive and gray overtones.
734 Lagoon A pale blue similar to Glacier Blue, but with a slightly grayer cast.
797 Lagoon The deep blue-green of sparklingly clear ocean water in shadow. A darker version of Surf, similar to Atlantic but richer and not as green.
867 Lake A medium blue-green, with a sobering dose of gray. A darker version of Aquifer; similar to Riviera but with more blue-gray.
180 Leaf An earthy, medium green with elements of gray, silver and brown. Similar to Light Olive, but warmed with yellow and possessing less gray. Considerably lighter than Loden, but in the same spectrum.
199 Light Olive A mix of green and gray, several shades lighter than Olive.
186 Loden A rich, foresty green, the color of pine needles. Loden is to green what Navy is to blue. Less brown than Tundra.
394 Mango A vibrant light orange with a predominantly yellow base and rosy glow. Somewhat muted in the Huntington Beach Peached Poly.
194 Marsh Green A very dark green, approaching dark gray and lacking brown overtones.
492 Mars Red The bright, vivid and unadulterated red of candy apples, lipstick, and fast cars.
470 Melon A medium, flesh toned pink with faint tones of orange. Similar to Dark Coral but lighter.
738 Midnight The fathomless blue of deepest night. Or is it a cool, powerful Black? You'll need great lighting and specific colors to contrast against to tell the difference. A dark navy next to lighter blues, virtually black next to yellows.
766 Mineral Blue A dark blue similar to Navy, but with more green. In the Weathered Twill, the fabric is faded slightly, resulting in a grayer color.
931 Mist A pale, icy blue. In the Comfort Stretch Jersey, the effect is an icy blue off-white. The color is a pale but distinct powder blue in Aspen Fleece and slightly more vivid in Cotton.
020 Natural A subdued, unbleached white, like the color of muslin.
728 Navy A very dark, cool blue that almost appears black.
740 Niagara A medium blue like shadows on ice, similar to Bluesteel but richer and with less gray. More blue than Winter Sky.
695 Nile Blue A cool, medium blue with subdued tones that run almost to gray, like slow moving waters reflecting a slate sky. Similar to Sky Blue, but slightly darker and more silvery.
357 Nutmeg A rich, medium brown, with orange and bronze overtones.
183 Olive A muted mix of green and gray, like the color of a Greek olive.
700 Pale Blue A soft periwinkle blue with gray and lavender tones. A paler version of Faded Blue.
800 Pale Yellow A light buttery color, so bright as to be distinctly yellow rather than an off-white, but paler and less golden than Yellow.
611 Pansy A sweet, luminous purple with cool blue hues, like the colorful, distinctive faces of the flower for which it's named. Like Periwinkle with more punch or Boysenberry without the scarlet.
656 Periwinkle A soft blue with a wistful purple touch; brighter than Dark Cloud, warmer than Azure.
460 Persimmon A medium orange containing more red and brown tones than the orange fruit, for a slightly more subdued color. Like a bright Rhubarb, but with more yellow.
503 Petal The classic, delicate pink of rosebuds, pale but not washed out.
732 Pewter A medium gray given a neutral boost of vigor with a hint of blue-green. Pewter's grey looks slightly bluer next to Iguana, slightly greener next to Periwinkle, and distinctly teal next to the strict gray of Shark.
329 Pineapple A brilliantly warm yellow that will remind you of the taste of hand picked, sun-ripened pineapples under a tropical sun, but that is more vivid than the color of the real fruit. Warm, but not orangey.
598 Plum A very dark purple. Similar to Elderberry but with slightly more blue and magenta.
520 Pomegranate A rich, medium red like the inside of the fruit with the same name. Lighter than Crimson, less pink than Coral. The Highland Chenille Pomegranate is notably brighter, becoming almost a dark pink.
448 Port A warm, chocolatey burgundy, similar to very dark red wines.
654 Purple Sage A silvery purple so muted as to almost appear to be a warm gray. Darker and less blue than Lavender.
462 Pumpkin A warm, muted orange the color of pumpkin spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. Darker than either Carrot or Coral, with more brown to it than either.
491 Radish A blazingly rich scarlet, similar to Red but with magenta facets, like crushed strawberries.
052 Raw White A creamy white with yellow tones. Brighter than Sand.
496 Red A rich, blood red.
468 Red Rock A very dark, sanguine red with chocolate tones.
499 Redwood A rich, brick red with brown tones. Similar to Pomegranate but with less scarlet.
506 Rhubarb An orangey, muted melon, slightly darker and more red than Persimmon. In Vintage Corduroy, the color is paler with a more flesh-toned result.
800 Riviera A medium blue-green teal, darker than Aquifer. Similar to Lake, but richer and livelier.
504 Rosy Cheeks The slightly gray, subtle rose of shadows on a woman's face. Similar to a medium shade of Sweet Pea. Lighter and less grey than Dusty Purple.
575 Russet A deep, persimmon-like red with earthy browns mixed in. Slightly more orange than Red Rock.
038 Sand A pale, neutral beige with more gray than Raw White.
590 Sangria A fuschia-like purple. Similar to Elderberry, but with more magenta and brightness.
043 Sesame The nutty, glowing brown of whole grains and seeds, carrying a breath of green. More golden than Sand, similar to Brown Sugar but lighter.
029 Shark The slightly warm but mostly neutral medium gray of shark skin.
065 Shitake The subtle brownish-gray of shitake mushroom caps. A fairly neutral gray, warmer and faintly more brown than Shark, slightly darker than Sand, lighter and more gray than Bark.
704 Slate A medium gray with subtle blue and green overtones.
230 Stem A bright green with predominantly yellow tones, like new spring growth.
474 Sunset A vivid orange with a reddish cast, like a ripening nectarine.
328 Sunshine A bright, medium yellow with orange tones, like a freshly squeezed glass of orange juice.
753 Surf A luminous, medium-light aquamarine like the startlingly clear waters of the Caribbean. Substantially more green than Nile Blue. Related to Atlantic but considerably warmer and brighter.
501 Sweet Pea The delicate, pale pink of sweet pea petals. Much lighter than Rosy Cheeks, similar to Coral but a much cooler hue of pink.
522 Thistle A soft, pale purple like a lavender with a slightly rosier hue.
489 Tomato The vivid crimson of a well-ripened Beefsteak tomato, with hints of orange and scarlet. Similar to Garnet but more intense. Also similar to Red but with a suggestion of purple undertones
192 Tundra A warm, earthy mix of green and brown with green prevailing. Contains more brown than Olive and more green than Marsh Green.
610 Violet A warm mix of purple and rose.
010 White A crisp, snowy white.
901 Willow A spring-like mix of yellow and green. Similar to Caper Green with slightly more yellow for a brighter color.
691 Winter Sky A cold, pale blue, similar to a sky blue but with a suggestion of gray.
302 Yellow A bold, sunny yellow enriched but not made orangey with a touch of red.
516 Zinfandel A deep, warm purple with ruddy tones similar to a red wine.

Surprise! It's Olivier and Mark.....

Guess who Mark and I met wandering around Clark Quay in Singapore? Olivier d'Assier who has just moved back from Tokyo after quitting MSCI Barra! What a coincidence!

Olivier joined us for a seafood dinner on the quay and a scintillating conversation about all sorts of financial things.

Good luck, Olivier! And see you again in Singapore.

The Four PCV Amigos in Baja

Well, we did it! Bob, Tom, Paul and Eldon met up after many years to have a reunion of our time together in the Peace Corps in Korea. We were two K-27 and two K-30 vols. The K-30s brought their wives, Jungoak and Marcie.

The weather wasn't too hot, but a little windy.

We learned a new way to make a tequila cocktail -- add some Damiana!

And I found out everyone else is retiring! I guess because they don't have kids heading for college. But hell, I wouldn't retire anyway. What would I do?

Eldon has suggested we meet up less than 25 years from now. Tom says Hawaii might be a good venue. Hey, guys! What about Korea?

It's only been 28 years since this shot was taken

I scanned a few shots over the weekend. Here's one of Tom, Eldon and I back in the late 1970's on a visit to Mexico. This coming weekend I will meet these guys, along with Bob Haddock, in a different spot in Mexico, this time the southern tip of the Baja penisula. We'll fish, play tennis, drink and get lots of sun. I have no idea what we'll talk about. I see Tom frequently, but Eldon only a few times and Bob probably just once when he passed through Japan leaving Korea.

Gronk

From time to time Gronk communicates via post card. Sorry to hear about Jeb!

Norman J. Quinn, Correspondent

Norman has been sending me letters, cards, tapes, bottles of Scotch, and now emails since 1972 when he went off to Saipan in the Peace Corps. Here is an early card from 1973. I think he took the picture on a remote Micronesian island. This is not the woman he married.

Back to Bombay

Well, things are heating up in Bombay. Markets are up, the legacy issues at BSE are being dealt with and they are ready to talk. FTSE may be "late" but we have the brand and reputation to draw in the BSE and put out some decent indices for the Indian market. Our key aide in doing so will be Ganesh!

Donald clearly has some issues with his Blackberry. It kept him occupied trying to get GPRS to connect during our visit.

Ha! Now he can suffer the inequities of FTSE IT!

It was nice, however, having Valentine's Day mocktails and dinner with him at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel next to the Gate of India.......

Donald in fine form

Donald didn't get his picture taken with the girls in Hong Kong in January, so he needed to ham it up at his local restaurant on Saturday night. The Brazilian lady is the wife of the English bloke who turned a "local" pub into a "restaurant"! It shook up the local pub goers, but the place is doing well off the back of commuters who want to have a nice place to dine on the weekend. Food was good. But I was feeling the effects of lunch and knowing I had to be in a taxi at 7 am. Besides, it was the countryside..... Still, we had a full moon.

Must go back again in more temperate weather and show Donald how to use his BBQ.

London Lunch with the Hopes

After a week in Canary Wharf it was good to get back into the West End and see some friends. As is my custom on Saturday mornings in London, I walked around Piccadilly buying socks, tea, books, CDs and other mind fodder. I ran into Martin Taylor who was on the Gilt desk at Grieveson, Grant and Company when I joined in 1982. He is now marketing futures trading with HSBC and wanted to know if FTSE would be able to work with him on developing his business. No problem!

When we finished our coffee at Starbucks I ran through the rest of my route, getting tea at Whittards, a Derek and Clive CD at Tower Records, some T shirts for Anton and Thor across the street from Eros and a book on the Raj at Hatchards. Then into a taxi and off to the Hope's for lunch. We had a bottle of champagne while we caught up on business, then we marched off to Kensington Place for a lunch of some lovely scallops, sausages and a red from the local wine shop. A thoroughly enjoyable London Saturday sequence followed by a mad dash out to Cambridge to have dinner with my boss and meet his wife.

Sunday had me in a car at 7 am on my way to Heathrow, to catch the BA flight to Bombay.

The Red Hat Thingee

My mother got involved with the Red Hatters a few years ago. She ran her own chapter for awhile, but got tired of being the leader as she started to wind down her commitments. Still, she loves dressing up in the purple dress and putting on the red had that is the signature of this group of mothers, grandmothers, great grandmothers and any other woman over 50 who needs the gaggle once a month.

A week in Canary Wharf

I visit the FTSE head office in Canary Wharf in February for the first time. The executive p.a. put me in the worst hotel I have stayed in in a long time. The pool was the size of a Jacuzzi and there was no Internet access in the rooms. I called it the Best of Britian for its chintz and sleaze. The hotel art was even rude and low grade.

This shot is of a neo classic statue in front of our office building. The statues around Canary Wharf look like Etruscan mummies, with body parts strewn in front of building entrances.

It's eerie around there at night. All the financial professionals have left and it is quiet and void of much other intercourse other than the Thames.

Tokyo Museum of Modern Art

We took a short excursion before lunch to look at the permanent exhibition and a special on Riki Watanabe's designs.

Anton and Thor threw snow balls at each other along the way. We walked over to Ohtemachi to catch the Hanzomon line straight home. Naomi made ramen for lunch and then headed off to watch tennis.

Yesterday's snow storm had coated Tokyo in a think blanket of white, but most is gone today. I had fun using the bbq with the snow still falling. It took plenty of extra starter to get the fire going. Then we had a great feast of crab, giant shrimps and lamb chops. The oysters were eaten off the shell raw of course.

I have a couple more weeks in Tokyo before hitting the road again. It'll be off to London and Bombay, then back to Tokyo before going to Singapore for the launch of our Islamic index covering Japan and the Four Tigers.

Lunch with Jason James, PhD Candidate

Lunch with Jason James at Buono Buono in Ginza with various HSBC alumni. A host of subjects were discussed, from Dirty Dick's red neck ways to HSBC's investment banking strategy, and then on to more salubrious topics, including wine.

Next venue to be determined by the Group Secretary, Miki Izumida.

Photo Lesson

Dean showed me how to do this shot in Boca in HK. You take your digital camera in hand and hold a white cocktail napkin in front of the automatic flash to soften the flash and reflect light back onto the subjects. Works great if you unfold the napkin, otherwise it blocks too much light.

Saturnalia in Bali

The Hoffsters spent a week in Bali returning to Japan on Christmas Day. We always seem to be moving or traveling on Christmas Day!

Due to the terrorist fears the island was free of too many tourists. Lodging was cheap, transportation plentiful and a real feeling of quiet and solitude.

We had some nice experiences: rafting a river, snorkling at Menjangan and tasty seafood at the Sheraton.

Thanksgiving with my brother

Peter and I cooked Thanksgiving dinner for his family and his wife's relatives in the So Cal area. There were more than 35 people there and we enjoyed the bottle of Cazadores that Norris provided.

How to count

One hen.
Two ducks.
Three squawking geese.
Four limerick oysters.
Five corpulent porpoises.
Six pairs of Don Alverso's tweezers.
Seven thousand Macedonians in full battle array.
Eight brass monkeys from the ancient, sacred crypts of Egypt.
Nine apathetic, sympathetic, diabetic old men with a marked propensity for procrastination and sloth.
Ten lyrical, spherical, diabolical denizens of the deep who hall, stall around the corner of the quay of the quivy of the quaff all at the same time.

Carrie Visits

Carrie was working on an environmental impact study on Guam and decided to stop in Tokyo on her way back to Hawaii. She went to Kamakura for a day, climbed a bit of the way up Mt Fuji from Kawaguchi Lake and bought a new digital camera while she was here. Now she's on her way back to Honolulu. Maybe Naomi and the boys will see her in Oahu next summer.....

Offspring

Anton got moving this week when he realised that he might not seen the Offspring concert afterall The tickets had sold out immediataly and things looked pretty bleak. So he sent an email to someone at Offspring begging for some tickets. Surprise, the guy decided Anton's plea was legitimate and sent back an email saying that there would be five guest tickets for Anton and his friends that evening. So Anton, David, Sam C, Patrick and Raphael went out to Odaiba and picked up their tickets. The photo to be attached soon tells the rest of the story.

Anton got home late because he had to go back to school to pick up his backpack (and Naomi had to drive over to pick him up.)

Here's the email he sent:

Anton runs his last NIS CC meet

It was the last CC meet at Tama. Anton and Thor have both been running this year and Naomi and I decided to go see the boys run. It was overcast and raining occasionally. Thor ran first, then Anton ran with the other NIS 9th Grade boys. After the races we went to the Tama Lodge to buy American junk food and have lunch in the US Military restaurant. The line was really long with all the kids buying candy, potato chips, Gatorade and popcorn. But the price was right and the restaurant served a good Philly steak sandwich.

NIS Food Fair & Anton's "15 on the 15th"

Saturday the 15th was the annual Nishimachi International School Food Fair. All in all a great success again. Naomi sold her goods in the gym, Anton and Thor hung out with their friends, and Paul helped empty the booths of food and drink.

It was also Anton's 15th birthday, so we went to dinner with the Jones at La Jolla in Hiroo for a Mexican Feast.

Toko Shinoda Show or Norman Gets His Jollies

Norman Tolman was up to his usual tricks at the Tolman Gallery produced exhibition of Toko Shinoda's works at Shinsei Bank's head office. Mayumi Jones joined Naomi and I for the opening party and dinner later. At the exhibition we had fun talking with Pam Mori and her son. In the end we got a shot with Shinoda herself.

I counted our Shinoda prints: one quite old one call Magnetize, two large ones from the mid 1980s - Illusion and Rhapsody - and one in the guest toilet gallery in our house in Izu with a nice green brush stroke.

Beijing in 2005

I headed off to Beijing last week to attend a FTSE Xinhua day away - a time to review business and plan for the future.

I stayed at the New Otani, aka Chung Fu Kung, rather than the St. Regis. Mark and Donald were in the St. Regis and the meetings with Xinhua Finance people was there. As the international business recurring income is now over US$1mn p.a., the contrast with domestic is pretty good.

After company visits and launching the China Life benchmark index, I had a day to sightsee. I visited the ancient Beijing observatory to take some photos. I had tried to go there in 1985 or so when I visited Beijing with my mother and Naomi. Then I headed off to the Dashanji area to see the art galleries and event spaces around the Factory 798 area. My friend Anne Py joined me for the day's journey and we saw some interesting art. We had a little Italian lunch in the midst of the galleries and then headed back into town.

From Beijing I headed down to Hong Kong and had a couple of very busy days there before coming back to Tokyo to attend Anton's high school application information meeting at NIS.

Izuvian Golf

Roger Marshall and I decided that the best way to handle the three day weekend was to go golfing. We packed up Friday night, had a meal that Naomi prepared for us, and drove to Akazawa. The harvest moon was coming up and it was an easy drive on a Friday night. Once we got in the house we set up the new deck chairs and tried them out.

Saturday we had some breakfast and drove down to Roger's place on Iritahama. The sky was clear and the water was so inviting that we went for a swim before lunch. Then headed over to Shimoda Country Club for nine holes. Back at Roger's that evening we bbq'd a rack of lamb and share our dinner with Roger's tenant, a college professor who lives on the beach and commutes to his tenured teaching position in Kanagawa. An ex-SEAL, he filled the evening with stories of his past.

Sunday, after another swim, was 18 holes at Inatori Country Club . We played the Mori and Yama courses. It was a long day, with many missed shots, lost balls and practice, practice, practice. Roger was trying out his new Lynx clubs and getting into the mood of playing golf. I made him practice a shot for getting out of the rough and on to the green. Later we took a few minutes to check out the three wind power generators on a ridge above the golf course. It was a great spot with views south to Shimoda, north to Akazawa and Futo, the ocean and Oshima.

For dinner we bbq'd some shrimps and scallops for an appetizer, and mained it with steaks. John Owens and Right Wing Inoue came by later to share some cigars and nashi on the deck.

Roger has headed back early, and I'm just enjoying the sunny day. Late afternoon I'll pack up and head off to Tokyo.

Thirtieth Anniversary

Today was my thirtieth anniversary of living in Japan. On 9 September 1975 I was in Busan with Ham Young Wu who I spent a year with in the Ham residence in Yongdu-dong, Seoul. He came along to send me off after my Peace Corps tour.

After a dinner of fugu cooked in a hot pot, I boarded the Kampu Ferry and traveled overnight to Shimonoseki. From there I took a train to Kyoto and checked into a guest house for travelers in the north of Kyoto. From there I moved to Kansai Gaidai and stayed with Harriet and Charles Mason while I looked for work in Osaka. I got the Time Life job and was on my way back to Seoul on 6 October to apply for my work visa. I had also already found my apartment in Hirakata, not far from Naomi's home.

To celebrate we had dinner at Le Piatta near the Shim Uma house. Thor got to make his own pasta, I had a big antipasto misto, Anton had lasagna and Naomi ordered a special dessert for me. It was a very good meal and lots of fun with the boys. (I got to critisize Anton for sitting with his chin on the table all evening!)

I made a point of telling Anton and Thor the story of my coming to Japan. They were asking lots of questions about the places we have lived in Tokyo since they were born.

On the way home we stopped in the local coffee shop/wine bar and chatted with the guy running it. Lacking a stool, I went home and brought in the stool I had broght back earlier in the year from Minnesota, originally from the science labs at Johnson High School in St. Paul. I'm going to collect it this week to take to Izu.