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.