The Eve

The neighborhood around Columbia has turned silent in the last two days as almost everyone has gone home for Christmas.

But P and I are extremely excited for our trip to Italy. We will depart tomorrow!

We will traverse the land of fine wine, great food, and good living for thirteen days, starting with Venice and end with Naples.

53 Places To Go in 2008

From the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/ref/travel/20071209_WHERE_GRAPHIC.html#

いただきます

昨日、日本からのお菓子が届けました。本当に美味しい。ありがとうございました。

Thankful

I am thankful for P's love.

The joy of onsen in the deep north

Just read an article in the NY Times about hidden natural hot springs in Akita. It was almost four years ago that I went to Akita's Lake Tazawa and had my first wonderful onsen experience.

In addition to food, onsen is really one the things I like most about Japan. Few things are more relaxing than soaking butt-naked in a spring, even better when it's outdoor. My favorite is Sukawa onsen on one of the peaks of Mt. Kurikoma, with its milky spring water in an outdoor pool.

First Snow

Rain turned into snow briefly this morning. It is very possible we are going to have a white Xmas this year.

Today's class: Transitional Justice
Topic: Hybrid Tribunals
Speaker: Caitlin Reiger

Friday night at the Met

P and her classmates went on a field trip to the Metorpolitan Museum, so I went with her and looked at the other exhibition while she was with her class in an exclusive exhibition of Islamic arts. I walked through several new exhibitions before arrivng at the new "Excellence and Elegance: Decorative Arts of the Eighteenth-Century Qing Court" exhibition, with some exiquisite porcelain and jade artwork.

I then sat down on the balcony and had a beer while listening to live classical music.

We wanted to go to Yakitori Totto, but as always the wait was too long, so we went next door, which turned out to be quite nice and the food was decent.

A Tale of Two Girlfriends

Courtesy of our wonderful photographer and friend J.K. Xie:

Saturday Wedding

Congratulations to Jess and Eric!


(the bride and groom are not in this picture)

At the banquet at Times Square

Catsitting

So I am catsitting again for my co-worker and will be staying at his lovely place in Gramercy.

Cat in an empty apartment

Wisława Szymborska

Dying - you wouldn't do that to a cat.
For what is a cat to doin an empty apartment?
Climb up the walls?
Brush up against the furniture?
Nothing here seems changed,
and yet something has changed.
Nothing has been moved,
and yet there's more room.
And in the evenings the lamp is not on.

One hears footsteps on the stairs,
but they're not the same.
Neither is the hand
that puts a fish on the plate.

Something here isn't starting
at its usual time.
Something here isn't happening
as it should.
Somebody has been here and has been,
and then has suddenly disappeared
and now is stubbornly absent.

All the closets have been scanned
and all the shelves run through.
Slipping under the carpet and checking came to nothing.
The rule has even been broken and all the papers scattered.
What else is there to do?
Sleep and wait.

Just let him come back,
let him show up.
Then he'll find out
that you don't do that to a cat.
Going toward him
faking reluctance,slowly,
on very offended paws.
And no jumping, purring at first.

Translated byJoanna Trzeciak

27 + P

Birthday itinerary with P

• Light lunch at the cute and chic OMS/B Rice Ball Cafe
• Relaxed Study in the georgeous New York Public Library building at Bryant Park
• Delicious free ice cream from Cold Stone
• Happy stroll down to the Village
• Elegant dinner at Bellavitae, Italian restaurant in the Village
• Late night snack at 随园 in Chinatown, roast duck with wonton soup noodle

Retreat

The Human Rights Program had its retreat to Shelter Island this weekend. As I look around me, I am marvelled at the talent and the experience my schoolmates bring with them. Above all, it is the idealism that we all espouse that binds us together. We might not be able to change the world, but we will definitely give it a shot and even if we fail, we will try to make it a better place in the process.

Stormy Monday

So the Iranian President came to speak on campus. Some say we shouldn't have invited him but others say why not. In the end, I am sure we all still disagree on some aspects of this event, but I hope that at least we can all agree that Ahmadinejad is after all a rambling populist who is not irrational but a calculated politician who likes to manipulate the feelings of his own people and those of the world for his own good. I hope we have seen through his antics and all came out of Monday feeling a little better about the ability of Americans to think critically and to not fall prey to extreme rhetorics.

I also went to hear Alan Leong speak. Leong is a member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council and ran again Donald Tsang for chief executive. Why enter a race whose result was all but decided? He believes the inspirational role HK can play in encouraging political, economic, and social reforms in the mainland. He shows us that even if a process or government is flawed, by engaging it and showing how it should be done is in and of itself a worthwhile task.

In the library

Studying in the beautiful and ambient C.V. Starr East Asian Library on campus, at a balcony table.

Full swing

It has been quite a week. The school suddenly informed me I've been awarded a fellowship position with the international law class I tooked last year. So I was scrambling to readjust my class schedule to accomodate it.

And I got into Gerald Curtis's class on U.S. relations with East Asia, despite the large number of students who wanted to get in (many unsuccessfully). I am taking this class not because I needed it, but because I am genuinely interested in it.

P and I and a couple of school friends went to Wondee Siam II in Midtown Friday night. I found this restaurant randomly last year and had been there several times for lunch only, but their dinner menu proved to be fantastic. Dinner was followed by a night of karaoke singing.

In Memoriam

Understanding alone cannot solve conflicts. Empathy is more important. Evil is possible when one sees one's adversaries as less than human; it is also possible when one sees one's own cause as exclusively legitimate.

There too many to mourn for on this and many other days past and future, but I just thought of Edward Seidensticker, who just passed away last month in Japan.

The very first reason that got me interested in Japan was Yasunari Kawabata's Snow Country, one of Seidensticker's profoundly beautiful renditions.

Great literature articulates our humanity and great translations help to reveal its universality. A professor in Tokyo interviewed by the International Herald Tribune says: " He did more to make Japanese people appear human to foreigners than all of Japan's public diplomacy combined."

Last Day of Freedom

We had a big lunch at Kunjip Korean restaurant, but we did not succeed in finding any cute eligible Korean guys for our lonely and single friend Ms. S. Ended up with big tummies after the meal, and P said she's pregnant with 梁朝伟's baby because, according to Korean rumors, Mr. Leung could impregnant a woman with his looks, and we had just watched In the Mood for Love last night.

遠いからの涼風

Mr. Kato, the education superintendent of my town when I worked in Japan, sent me another set of his beautiful calligraphy. This time the character is 風, just what I need in this hot and sticky New York summer weather.

Last night, a bunch of us went for dinner at the superb Land Thai Kitchen, which, according to P, is the "best Thai food outside of Thailand and in New York." I wholeheartedly agree.

色戒

New York Times's article on Ang Lee's latest film Lust, Caution. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/26/movies/26lim.html?ref=movies

居酒屋

Met up with Kevin again for some izakaya food and fun. Went to an authentic Japanese pub that serves great small dishes. We had 焼き鳥、秋刀魚の塩焼き、焼きおにぎり、げそ唐揚げ、and, of course, 生ビール.

It's an encore of the good old days when we used to go bar/restaurant-hopping in Japan. It seems our memory of Japan is punctuated by food, both good and bad.

Late Summer

Yesterday was my last day in the office at my internship. Late summer seems to be a popular time to go on vacation, as most of my team colleagues are all taking days off.

Got in touch with Kevin (of Ishinomaki) and it turns out that he is actually in NYC, so I met up with him for lunch (Japanese food, of course) and will probably meet again to go hunt for Japanese restaurants in the city.

Return and Departure

Ecstatic to have P back. Had our first homecooked meal together last night:

She made the two Thai dishes and I the scrambled egg.

Also glad to see the other subtenant leave. I am sure he is a fine scholar of art history at Yale, but as a roommate, he had been a sour-faced guy who finds it difficult to take out his own garbage. Despite my attempt at reaching out to him, he was never too friendly, but I am glad my life doesn't revolve around ungrateful, snobberish people who somehow expects other to give them respect, when they don't deserve it.

But anyhow, life is good, as is this windchime P got me.

For P

望月怀远

张九龄

海上生明月, 天涯共此时。
情人怨遥夜, 竟夕起相思。
灭烛怜光满, 披衣觉露滋。
不堪盈手赠, 还寝梦佳期。

今夜誰も眠らぬ

Was watching YouTube and saw a clip of Luciano Pavrarotti's rendition of "Nessun Dorma" in Paris. Puccini, of course, did not write it for any particular singer, but Pavrarotti really owned it. Neither Domingo or Carreras, both great singers in their own rights, nor anyone else so far, could match Pavrarotti's searing and soaring take on this famous arias. Although frailed and well past his prime, he still gave a moving performance of the song to close the opening ceremony of the 2006 Torino Winter Games. It is a show-stopper in every sense of the word. Who will close the opening ceremony for the Beijing Games?

梦醒时分

Totally passed out at around 10pm last night and woke up at 2am from a dream and couldn't go back to sleep, but P was there to save me.

Finally gave in and bought HP7, but I am not the kind of person who stays up all night to finish a book. What is the hurry?! If you pay that much money for it, why not enjoy it?

P and I are mulling a trip to DC upon her return. Though I was in DC over spring break, it has been quite a while since I last really visited the capital.

In Memoriam

Michelangelo Antonioni (1912 - 2007)




Ingmar Bergman (1918 - 2007)


I remember picking up Bergman's The Seventh Seal from the public library, but couldn't make it past the first sequence. I also vaguely remember watching Autumn Sonata without finishing it. I made considerable progress two weeks ago when I borrowed his Saraband from the library, but only half-way through. The only Bergman film I watched in whole is Persona.

The only Antonioni film I saw was The Passenger, which was re-released last fall in New York.

These films are not conventional but not pretentious either. They lay bare the difficulties in being humans and being in relationships with each other.

The masters are leaving one after another. Who will take their place?

ショッピング

いつも友達から薦めてくれる品のよい、安いデパートに行った。今まで使っているブランケットはちょっと派手な色で、ちょっと厚すぎるので、薄いのほう、Pの好きの緑のを買った。アパートのトイレは病院のように白すぎるので、ブルーのシャワーカーテンにした。

老朋友

回程中Ipod里响起 “I drove all night, to get to you.” 今天坐了四小时的巴士去波士顿去见久违了的郭小姐。还是一向地口若悬河，风趣幽默。想起当年从牡鹿开车到她住的岩沼, 九曲十八弯，可谓是长途拨涉。不过荷兰谚语有云，the road to a friend’s house is never too long. (到底是不是荷兰人说的真不清楚，说得对就是了)

奇怪怎么波士顿感觉上不像美国，想了一想，这次是我和郭小姐第一次在美国本土见面，以前老在国外会面，所以这次见面有在外国旅游的错觉。

郭小姐是我旅游最佳拍档之一(其实没有多少人能称得上这个名号) 。我很高兴她找到了人生最佳拍档，明年五月拉埋天窗。

郭小姐有脑这个不用多说，不过我最欣赏的是她的潇洒，做人干净俐落，不拖泥带水。

***

「もし思い出の他に歌うものがないのなら、僕はトラックの運転手にでもなるさ」(If memories were all I sang, I’d rather drive a truck)
~~“Garden Party” by Rick Nelson (村上春樹の『辺境·近境』より)

本の水にあらず

Je rentre à la maison (I'm Going Home, in French, 2003)

An aging but well-regarded actor loses his close family members to a car accident and now lives with his orphaned grandson. He goes to the same cafe in Paris and sits at the same table everyday drinking the same kind of coffee. After he leaves, another man comes in and sits at the same table reading the same newspaper, everyday.

I was surfing on Amazon.com yesterday and came across a book with an interesting premise--what would the world be like when humans have gone extinct. Time marches on--it is only our egos that are too stubborn to keep apacewith it. We tend to hold on to things dearly without ever realizing it was never ours. There is a fine line that separates determination and persistence, on the one hand, and foolish stubbornness, on the other.

The actor accepts a new role, only to walk out of the set, frustrated by his own inability to recite the lines. He buys a new pair of shoes and feel good about it, only to lose them to a robber. We cannot have what does not belong to us, and if we are blind to that aspect of life, we would only be swimming in a tiny pool of our own illusion.

同僚は今週の週末に結婚するけれど、けっこう緊張になってしまった。結婚式の準備というのは、たいへんでしょう。Love is personal, marriage is institutional. Dakara, shinakute mo ii darou.

Stand In for Peace in Darfur

Please join others in an international effort to bring peace to Darfur: http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/international_justice/darfur/voices/index.aspx?source=hp

Very sunny today. Walked around Upper East Side and found nothing worth seeing (except a Cold Stone). Relaxed and read a bit at Bryant Park before having an early dinner at Chili Thai, a small and cozy eatery. The menu seems pretty good; I had a pork noodle soup and the spices are strong, a good sign of authenticity. Worth more visits.

Roamed around Murray Hill today and happened to come across the Morgan Library & Museum, founded by J.P. Morgan. It was his private study and library until his son turned it into a public institution and museum. Morgan's study room and library are ruptuous in color and exquisite in their decor.

Had lunch in a very inconspicuous place on 58th street called Bella Vista, a pizzeria with only 6-7 tables. I sat outside and had fettucine alfredo de pollo (with very good sauce).

Saw Milos Forman's Goya's Ghost, a period piece that is a disappointment when taken as a whole but still good here and there. The not-too-subtle political satire and inability to push its main characters beyond the sentimental bog the film down.

Post-film coffee at Doma and read a little bit. Ended the night with food from Whole Food, on a bench near Central Park, listening to a guy playing Spanish guitar.

Sunshine

My co-worker didn't come in today to the office, so I left early after finishing a couple of projects. Went to see the sci-fi film Sunshine, directed by Danny Boyle, who also made two films I like--28 Days Later and Million.

It could have been better, but it took the easy way out. Nevertheless, it was still stylish and effective, with an international cast including 真田広之 and 楊紫瓊.

One interesting thing is that the spaceship in the movie is named Icarus, after the tragic Greek mythological character who falls into the sun when he flew too close to it. My ex-roommate also was painting Icarus, which I thought was one of his best works.

After the movie, I covered a lot of ground on foot. Walking along 1st Avenue from 42nd street all the way to 59th street, from where I took the suspension tram to Roosevelt Island. The island was boring but the tram ride was fun. Had some creatively made onigiri near the UN in a tiny rice ball cafe.

Dropped by Borders to use the restroom and they are setting up for the "big night", namely the release of the final Harry Potter book. I am glad to say that the line for Shakespearean plays in Central Park was much much longer than the line for HP.

Meeting

A NGO meeting I attended today was moved to another location because the building in which it was supposed to be held was damaged by the pipe explosion yesterday.

Meeting was very informative and everybody has something to contribute.

Explosion

So I just found out there was an explosion on 41st Street and Lexington Ave here in the city around 6pm. I guess I was just getting on the subway at that point, and wasn't affected by it on my way home.

Old pipes and infrastructures need to be fixed ASAP. Look at the levies in New Orleans and the airport at Sao Paulo. Not having money is just a bad excuse. It is better to prevent than react.

Sonnet 30

William Shakespeare

When to the sessions of sweet silent thought
I summon up remembrance of things past,
I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,
And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste:
Then can I drown an eye, unused to flow,
For precious friends hid in death's dateless night,
And weep afresh love's long since cancell'd woe,
And moan the expense of many a vanish'd sight:
Then can I grieve at grievances foregone,
And heavily from woe to woe tell o'er
The sad account of fore-bemoanèd moan,
Which I new pay as if not paid before.
But if the while I think on thee, dear friend,
All losses are restored and sorrows end.

My colleague gave a moving presentation of the plight of the Muslims in Kashmir, his homeland. For people working in the human rights field, it is hard to wake up every morning and go to work and deal with grim news of bad people doing bad things (or stupid people doing stupid things). Yet it gives us hope to know that you are working with people whose passion for a better world is still burning.

***

Finished reading Tooi taiko. Murakami ends it with this:

"旅行这种事大多数是相当累人的。不过有些知识是唯有疲累之后才能亲身学到的。有些喜悦是唯有精疲力尽之后才能够获得的。这是我继续旅行所得到的真理."

Full Day

Quite a day today.

Woke up 5:30 to go to the restroom, but the other subtenant roommate was in there, so I went back to bed. I woke up an hour later to find him still in there, so I got worried and knocked--at first no one answered and I swear I heard him snoring in there. I knocked harder and he finally came out a few minutes later. Now I can understand why he can sleep through his thundering alarm clock for so long without waking up.

Many projects and meetings at work, and I am finally feeling comfortable working at the office. So much to learn!

Mid-Year Report Card

Great movies in the first half of the year (not that many, partly because I have less time to go to the theatre nowadays):

1. Once 曾经
2. The Lives of Others 窃听风暴
3. Children of Men 未代浩劫
4. Go Master 吳清源
5. The Wind That Shakes the Barley 风吹稻浪
6. Ratatouille 五星級大鼠


***

村上春樹の小説にはあまり気に入らないけれど、『遠い太鼓』を読んだら、彼の海外の生活についてのエッセイは面白いと思うので、『辺境·近境』と『雨天炎天』を買って来た。

Good company

Went to the Met this morning. I originally intended just to take pictures of the new Roman and Greek gallery (see my photo site), but the new Impressionist paintings collection turned out to be pretty good. The above painting, by American Edward Hopper, caught my attention, and in a funny way, later in the evening, a friend showed me a picture he took of me and P, and that somehow corresponds to the attraction latent in this painting.

Dropped by my classmate and co-worker RB's beautiful apartment building's rooftop for her potluck party. From the roof terrace, we had an unobstructed view of the Hudson and the sunset over New Jersey. Too bad I had to leave early for the movie.

The movie was a special premier of 父子 (After This Our Exile). Director Patrick Tam was in attendance. It was quite a heart-wrenching drama of a father and son who have to cope after the mother abandons them for a better life. It is a tragic tale of how irresponsible and selfish adults can be. The son, played by an adorable Malaysian boy, turns out to be the most responsible and caring character.

After the movie, ST and his friend Jamie came over for a drink in my apartment and had some great conversations.

Great night!

Discovery

It's always a pleasure to discover new places on your own. On my way to a ramen shop, I came across Sundaes and Cones, an excellent ice cream shop with Asian flavors. I had a scoop of honey dew in sugar cones and it was superb. I much prefer this to Stone Cold.

Dinner was at 来々軒, a ramen shop in the East Village recommended by the Japanese lady who cut my hair last time. While the miso ramen I had was just ok and a little overpriced for what it's worth, the narrow, L-shaped counter reminds me so much of authentic Japanese ramen joints that I would definitely drop by again the next time I am around the area.

Saw a charming French comedy My Best Friend. What is the definition of a "best friend"? There is no single definition. You'll know when you see one.

ほたるの光

残念ながら、今日の国連安保理の辯論会がキャンセルされてしまった。

午後、映画『ハリーポッター』を見た。今回のは本より楽しいと思う。

映画が終わった後、そんなに暑くないし、まだ暗くなってないから、散歩しようと思っていて、セントラルパークに行った。野球ゲームが行なわれていたフィールドのそばにあるベンチに坐り、野球に興味が持ってないけれど、球場の向うの夕焼けに染まられている建物を眺めたり、本を読んだりし、気持よかった。

実は、セントラルパークに行く目的は、蛍である。暗くなってから、草の中から、みどりっぽい光が浮かび上がって、すぐ消えちゃった。花火もきれいけれど、その美しさは、派手。蛍のほうが、優雅。

Murakami on gnocchi

"吃的东西非常美味。而且是没什么的普通菜就很美味了。波隆纳(Bologna) 有满多我爱去的餐厅。都是米其林(Michelin) 和其他旅游指南上没有的店。都是无意间进去偶然发现的。便宜又好吃，去几遍，味道还是没走样。跟一流餐厅不一样，因为不会因为厨师被挖角转到别家去，味道就在一夜之间变掉。而是爸爸跟妈妈，在后面夫妻一面拌嘴，一面东摸西摸地调理的那种小店。虽然不起眼，不过味道吃几次都不会腻。尤其我每次到这里吃扭奇(gnocchi) 。扭奇并不是波隆纳的名菜。但在寒冷季季节浓雾中的波隆纳街上，呼呼地吃着热腾腾的扭奇那种感觉，真是难以代替的东西。扭奇真是不可思议的食物，虽然觉得是再简单不过的东西了，但美味和不美味之间的差别却真是截然不同。正因为真的是平民食物，所以不可思议地显得出用心的程度。"

Hot and humid

The temperature started to rise over last weekend, and New York is now officially hell. Though last night there was a constant cool breeze and I benefited from having an extra set of windows.

Will be going to the United Nations tomorrow to cover (for my internship group) a Security Council debate on its mission to Africa.

Summer night movie

I dropped by Bryant Park for its Monday night summer film festival. Tonight's movie was Audrey Hepburn's Wait Until Dark. It is amazing to see that the lawn at Bryant Park, and the whole park in general, was packed with people, even at high temperature.

Food food food

Yesterday's lunch at Onigashima: grilled cod with miso sauce, tempura, CA roll, and tofu bento






Today's lunch at Veselka: cold borscht




Today's dinner: garlic & herb lamb streak, with pilaf, salmon cake, spinach dumplings, and a glass of Chianti

最爱是谁

P told me I was in her dream. She was in mine as well.

Saw two movies, both about love but with very different takes.

Amores Perros, which roughly translates into "love's a bitch," is a montage of human desires, loss, and redemption. A young guy lusts after his sister-in-law and tries to elope with her; she cheats with him, but eventually chooses not to go down that road. Even after a horrible car accident and his brother's death, he still insists and, in reaction to his insolence, she says: "you still don't get it, do you?"

A supermodel becomes crippled in a car accident and together with her husband has to deal with the aftermath. Their relationship is on the brink of collapse, but they try hard to cope and seem to have finally found the strength to carry on after the recover of their dog and the loss of her leg to amputation. Life is never easy, but people cope.

An ex-radical who had been shunned by his family, which he loves dearly, is now a hitman, but he also becomes attached to his many dogs. He takes away lives, but one day saves a wounded dog, who turns out to be a killer. In a moment of rage, he is about to but decides not to kill it. And in that choice of mercy, he finds relief.

The next film Joshua is a much darker and bleaker take on love, epitomized by the main character, a 9-year-old boy, who stuns his father by saying: "you don't have to love me. It's not like there is a rule." It challenges the viewer of taking things for granted and how human emotions can interact to produce disastrous consequences.

I would suggest viewers not to see Joshua unless you really want to be depressed. If you see it, make sure you have an anti-dote movie to reinvigorate your faith in the ability of humans to overcome inner demons and be better.

By chance

刚刚出去想买啤酒。到了超市后，经过卖茶的部分看见有看起来不错英国茶，就买了回家。泡了一杯浓茶再加牛奶，用手提电脑播着古典音乐，一边叹茶，一边继续看村上春树的<远处的鼓声>。他在希腊坐巴士，司机竟然半路停车，去农家里买了葡萄酒和乳酪上车，与乘客一起大吃大喝起来：

“不过这整趟旅行中，还是第一次喝到这么香醇的葡萄酒，也是第一次吃到这么美味的乳酪。这不是夸张。真是美味得难以相信。当然说起来葡萄酒并不高级。可能是那边农家的庭园前面种的葡萄，自家酿的。但总之美味得让人眼睛一亮的程度。那美味让我愕然惊觉，到目前为止我在这希腊到底都吃了什么，喝了什么呢？一种既简单，又新鲜，但拥有深度的温暖，好像直接生根到大地里的那种令人怀念的滋味。这种味道的葡萄酒很遗憾餐厅里并没有卖。”

旅途上常常有这种令人惊喜之遇。像在意大利的Cinque Terre最后一晚吃的gnocchi，波兰克拉科夫市内后巷的一间小书店里的热巧克力，泰国郊区路边买的春卷皮包龙须糖等等。我羡慕当地人天天都能吃到如此美味的东西，不过古人有云熟悉的地方没风景，每天吃就可能腻了。还是回味最好。

New Yorker

Got off work and shopped for grocery at the Whole Food Market nearby. Some sliced mixed peppers, tuna burger, and some crackers with guacamole dip.

烟花七月雨

July 4th, 2007

Woke up this morning. Called P and had a rather interesting and long conversation.

Went down to Columbus Circle and bought a Transformers Complete Guide. Oh my, brings back great childhood memory.

After having tsukemen at the ramen joint I frequent, I went into MOMA to kill some time before heading to N's apartment. The clerk pissed me off a bit, but I tried not to hold grudges for small things like this--New York is too good for me to get angry.

N's rented apartment in Chelsea was in a quiet and elegant street lined with trees. This sleek one-bedroom unit was spacious, bright, and has exposed brick walls.

The event of the night was fireworks over the East River. The rain stopped just in time for the fireworks, which was a fantastic show. What makes fireworks enjoyable is as much about its brilliance as is the joy you see on people's face. Even the cops were captivated.

We wind down the night with a dinner at Veselka, an Ukranian restaurant. Had some wonderful pierogi with seven different kinds of fillings.

It'll be another year probably before I see N. It is still amazing to think that we've known each other for ten years, ten years of wonderful discussion of politics, travel inspiration, movies, restaurant huntings and ideas.

十年光景

When I had dinner with N on Sunday, I asked her if she remembers what happened exactly ten years ago. It was July 1st, 1997, the day of the return of Hong Kong to Chinese rule.

And what a decade it has been.

Chris Patten, the last governor of Hong Kong, is now the chancellor of Oxford University.

I entered my last year of high school in 1997 and now I am again in my last year of graduate school.

I have since acquired another language and been to 11 more countries.

Aung San Suu Kyi is still under house arrest.

Numerous wars broke out but isn't that a rule than an exception....though I believe it is a rule we can change if we choose to.

China is under a new leadership but is it better?

There are still those who believe that history didn't happen, but there are many more who remember.

Many of my older relatives have passed on, and the flow of time manifests itself on the face of those still with us.

There have been new members, and I am always glad to see them.

Some have tied the knots, though I think marriage (but not familiy) is overrated.

One good memory replaces another, but they are always here to stay and each in its own way paves the path ahead.

And now I am in my apartment in this city I love, after my first day at my internship, finally feeling like a New Yorker.

And I am reading the few words on P's postcard in a language I can't read but a message I understand and feel.

These are the good times.

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place

It has been a sunny and breezy Sunday. It's great to be back in my own apartment in NYC. Everything is the way I left it, and the room was generously lit all afternoon.

Had lunch with my subtenant and ST, who dropped by the apartment afterwards, and it was, for some reason, enormously enjoyable chatting with them over a cup of tea.

Dinner was fantastic. N and I went to our favorite, Tartine in West Village. In addition to the satisfying grilled saucisson and grilled eggplant salad, we both ordered steamed mussels, hers in Indian curry and coconut milk and mine in white wine sauce. It was too much to handled, not to mention we downed a whole bottle of Chianti.

It is not only a place with great food but also a venue for people watching. The crowd tends to include professionals in their 20s and 30s, usually in pairs. And because it is such a tiny place and you sit so close to the other eaters, an interesting conversation is never too far away to catch. We got a window seat in the corner and saw this adorable couple on the other side of the glass, who seemed to be quite the social butterflies, as they seemed to know everyone who passes by--they spent as much time eating as talking to them. We waved them goodbye as they left hand in hand (with a half-empty bottle of white in the girl's other hand).

Sleek decor and candlelights make many of the shops and restaurants in this charming neighborhood irresistible. We ended our night at Doma, a simple but stylishly intellectual cafe.

So I am back in New York, my first summer in the Big Apple.

ただいま

I am glad that my subtenant has kept my room in perfect condition.

Now I need to unpack.

两生花

The Double Life of Veronique (France/Poland, 1991)

Two women, played by the same actress, are the mirror image of each other. They almost but never meet. It is endlessly intriguing to think that there might be another you living a parallel life somewhere else in the world.

Don't over-analyze this film. Just see it and be mesmerized by its poetic nuances and lyrical images.

An evening of fun

Went to have dinner with friends at Taishan Cafe and then saw Ratatouille, which deserves a 4-star grade from me!

And the moon was very round and bright tonight.

关山月

李白

明月出天山，苍茫云海间。
长风几万里，吹度玉门关。
汉下白登道，胡窥青海湾。
古来征战地，不见有人还。
戍客望边色，思归多苦颜。
高楼当此夜，叹息未应闲。

忘年之交

J, S, and I met last year at a World Affairs Council and became instant friends. Tonight, we we went to our first WAC event together since that fateful meeting, and again it will be another year before I could see them again as I will be leaving this Saturday back to New York.

****

Earlier in the afternoon, I went to off-the-beaten-path Cafe Prague near the Transamerica Bldg and had delicious goulash for lunch--my second visit in so many years since Nancy brought me there. Aftwards, I dropped by JC's new office to say hi since it has been a while.

I am glad I get to see three great friends before I go back to NY.

Europe-bound

I am very happy that P likes the idea of going to Europe over winter break. It's amazing how time flies when we're on the phone; we can talk for hours on end.

On Japan

Asia Times Online's book review of Japan Rising by Kenneth Pyle.

"Japan can never be a true hegemon that can spread its values and institutions to other states or multilateral organizations. It looks destined to remain a cautious adaptive power that receives more from the international system but gives less."

Arts, Politics, Friends

Went to the Asian Art Museum and saw exhibitions of works by two great Japanese artists--Taiso Yoshitoshi (大蘇芳年) and Tezuka Osamu (手塚治虫). Men from very different eras but whose works echo each other's.

Had lunch at the museum's Cafe Asia, which has a nice outdoor terrace that gives you a great view of City Hall. Food-wise, I was more impressed with the bowl than my Thai coconut milk chicken noodle soup.

Stopped by the Board of Supervisor meeting. It's "people-watching" taken to a whole new level. Definitely appreciate Alioto-Pier's balanced and civilized stance on the code of conduct for public officials.

J invited me and S over for dinner again. Good conversation and great ice cream she made from home-grown lemons. Both of them enjoyed my slideshow of photos from Thailand and HK.

联想

村上春树曾在罗马居住。某日与意大利友人开车到一个叫梅塔的地方观光。友人叙述了关于这条村落的一个真实故事。二战时友人的家人把被迫降的一个英国飞行员藏起，不给纳粹军抓去。打完仗后，英国飞行员回到英国去，但从此就再没有他的消息了。多年后，友人受村民所托到伦敦找到了那个飞行员，英国人说起往事，不禁泪流满面。但他始终没有再回到梅塔村。 村上写道：“人毕竟有各种不同的想法”。

我想起了早阵子看的意大利电影Il Postino. 一个小岛上，生活沉闷，为人木独的邮差，因认识了来到岛上暂住的流亡中的智利诗人聂鲁达，人生展开了多彩的一页。聂鲁达回国后，一直音讯渺然。终於来信了，却只字不提邮差。读信的那场戏，邮差演得淋漓尽致，失落的心酸令观众动容。看来邮差对诗人的感情跟诗人对他的感情是不对称的。不是说诗人轻视邮差，只不过每个人对人与人之间的关系有不同的对待，有时错，有时对，但很多时候是一言难尽的。

文人的孤高又令我联想到三岛由纪夫所说的sticky relationship. 这个字眼是日本文学研究家Donald Keene在其回想录里提到的。三岛向Keene说他不想和任何人有sticky的关系。意思应该就是不喜欢藕断丝连，拖泥带水的作风，所以Keene从来不过问三岛的私事。但潇洒的代价往往就是孤独。

I have met many friends over the years, in China, Japan, and the U.S. And my correspondence with them has been inconsistent in some cases, but I do not wish to give the impression that I value our friendship less. It is just that each of us has embarked on different paths and more often than not they diverge at some point. I still reminisce about my students in Japan once in a while; it's common for ALTs to say, in dejection, that their presence in greater scheme of things does not matter and that their students would forget them when they grow up. I'd like to think that the best time is that shared by us and is not what lies ahead, which is out of our control. So what if they forget us--isn't it a little vain to want to be remembered?

iFever

I have never considered myself an Apple fan. In fact, the only Apple product that I use is the iPod shuffle my friend gave me. I've always used PC, whether desktop or laptop.

The other day I saw an ad on TV for the upcoming iPhone and today I went on to iPhone's website and watched its guided tour and was thoroughly impressed by its features. Now I think I must have an iPhone, though the price and some technical concerns could stop me, for the moment.

It's $499 for 4GB and $599 for 8GB. That's almost round-trip airfare to Italy. If I have that much money, I'd opt for tickets to Italy 9 out of 10 times.

When I googled iPhone, lots of sites cite this analysis which says that iPhone prices will be cut by as many as half in the future. I think I can wait.

Once....again

The music of the movie Once is so good, but it is even better with the film. You can listen to the whole soundtrack on the movie's official site: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/once/

好天气

The beautiful weather continues today and it’s great news for the Gay Pride Parade. It’s funny to see politicians riding in open-hood cars as the crowd cheers them on. It’s probably the biggest ovation they had ever received, but I don’t intend to be sarcastic—it is a day to celebrate diversity and tolerance, and anyone who shows up, regardless of their orientation and persuasion, deserves a cheer.

I took the BART and got off at Glen Park, an often overlooked neighborhood of the city. I believe it is only my second time in this neighborhood. The first was when I volunteered for some charity organization (licking envelopes!). This charming area is filled with small shops and cafes, and I stopped by one of them, the Destination Baking Company. There are only two tables inside and I sat near the big windows, with sunlight generously streaming in. Oh, and great bread pudding they got here.