shall we "tango"!?

believe or not, i'm leaning "argentine tango" in shibuya since ...when? my first toe was the beginning of november, but somehow i needed to have interruption during dec & jan, then i started feb again.

reason why i tried to learn tango was ... musical RENT. in the musical (& the movie), there was a scene about two main characters danced tango, called "the tango maureen":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LcGnP3HY_A&feature=related


i though i could dance tango (, but later i would know that my though was soooo wrong...).

***
anyway, by yesterday i had four primary class (of argentine tango!), & i've leaned some tango steps, like grape vine, resolution, box step, salida...what do they mean anyway?

good thing is for one hour session, i have to concentrate to learn (argentine tango!). it make me keeping out other small things, like my jobs or private life(?).

oh another good thing is...i've realized that for me it's easy to twist left (right leg is front), but kind of hard to twist right (lest leg is front). i also have to keep in my mind is not to move my left arm up or down, keep it correct position.

my today's conclusion is to do stretch "articulatio coxae" (=股関節ネ), as know as 股割りネ.

***
the pic is a CD assistant instructor Namajima-san (she is very beautiful) recommended: "Tango With Me" by Ryota Komatsu.


***
another my favorite tango scene in "scent of a woman". i believe the title from this scene:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBHhSVJ_S6A&feature=related

see you around!

last friday was my last day @ the company i have been working for. then, i got this espresso maker for my leaving from the company. it's made in italy :)

i had a farewell party with my co-workers, but for me it seemed to be a normal friday night eating out with them. just i was more talkative than usual...

***
by the way, my first drips were kind of mild, but it was because i believe coffee beans i chose.

they were one (blue cup) for me & the other (red cup) for my new room mate, as know as the ao-mushi kun.

he is doing good, but became very shy. he is normally under lettuces...

look! he is alive!

after i got to home, i was planing to make coleslaw salad.

***
i finished cutting a celery, then when i picked up a lettuce, i found him "alive" ... in there.

a green caterpillar...he looked very health, thought :D

i thought i could release him to somewhere, like a park, but till then he is in a tapper in my home...by the way, it means the lettuce was no chemical, right?

***
photos are my caterpillar kun & coleslaw without lettuce.

cyo-mini: what people say to me.

what people say to me...

B-san (my boss's boss): "you can change your mind. he (my boss) is suffering! you should feel guilty (for leaving from the company)!!"

J-cyan: "you don't need to care about the company! you should take care of your self & it's your right!"

***
J-cyan, thank you! you are my eye opener! B-san, i'm very sorry, but i could help any more!

"Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium"

today, i saw the movie "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium":
http://www.magorium.com/

***
staring Dustin Hoffman & Natalie Portman with Zach Mills & Jason Bateman.

the story was about a magical toy store owned by mr. magorium (Hoffman), & its store mager was molly (Portman). mr. magorium had decided to leave (from the world?), & he wanted to give his "legacy", which was actually the magical toy sore itself...however, molly wasn't really sure she would be the owner of the store.

the director is Zach Helm, & he was the script writer of "stranger than fiction". then i found from both movies in common, which is.. a story is basically about an accountant helps a young woman.

in "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium", Jason Bateman played as henry, but in the movie he was called "mutant"! anyway, he (Jason Mateman) has become my favorite. he became popular form an american tv comedy "arrested development". & he was in an oscar nominee movie "Juno", too.

he's cute, huh? (i mean not about his clown hat, though.)

***
by the way, all three stars have "man" on their family names. was it a plan?

"annie leibovitz - life through a lens"

i saw the movie "ANNIE LEIBOVITZ: LIFE THROUGH A LENS" on last saturday.

i didn't know that she started her carrier with rolling stones magazine. when i saw her work as my first time, she was already the one celebrities would want to work with. i believe i went to her exhibition or something then knew about her.

anyway, the movie was a documentary, so it was very quiet touch. i expected we could see, like her shooting scenes. i saw, but i saw more than that. i mean behind of her shooting. i also didn't know that she had a life partner, & her partner had already passed away. then Annie took shorts of her partner's death(!).

she is a really photographer who is living for taking photograph.

***
for more information:
http://annie.gyao.jp/

"if you wouldn't wear your dog,

please don't wear any fur."

he is Goran Visnjic, aks ER's Dr. Luka Kovac, now I'm loving with croatia, & just knew he comes from croatia.

***
i wanted to show my coworker A-san how cool he is, & found this pic & article about animal rights act:
http://www.furisdead.com/feat-goran.asp

anyway, he is cute, right?

by the way, my next travel distention would be croatia. i didn't know that, but there are many things i love about croatia. for example...

someone says marco polo was from croatia. officially, he was from venetia, itally. however, because croatia was a part of venetia, nowadays many people start thinking marco was croatian...but no concrete evidence.

***
also, my Mario Ančić is a croatian tennis player :D he is cute, too... oh, i may find my mr. right in croatia if i go there!?

"lust, caution"

tuesday afternoon i saw the movie "lust caution":
http://www.wisepolicy.com/lust_caution/

staring Tony Leung & Tang Wei, & directed by Ann Lee.

talking of Tony, he looks like a soaking wet dog, doesn't he? i very much like his quiet acting in the movie. he played a leader of government agency in 1942, & he was a kind of parasite of the Manchurian government even he already knew that was wrong for chinese people.

the movie is X-rated or something... because Tony (& Tang Wei) had very sexual bed scenes. i don't say it was sexy in a good way. it was more likely "actual having sex". one of movie magazines describes their bed scenes as kamasutra.

***
by the way, "real oni-gocco" had very young audience, like teenagers. however, for lust caution , there were very elderly people audience...can you imagine i was with full of 60's or 70's....

both of them were actaully very good, but the same time I'm wondering which movie people around my age would see.

what happens to him!?

before watching 『リアル鬼ごっこ』, i bought some hocolate for valentine's day. i bought zotter's ones in takashimaya, shinjuku :)

***
i read a news article about "zotter", which is an australian chocolate company & their products are organic & fair trade:
http://www.zotter.at/
(choose italiano if you like.)

he must be Sepp Zotter, but what do you think what's going on him??

"real oni-gocco"

i saw the movie 『リアル鬼ごっこ』:
http://www.onigocco.net/

buta this blog is not about the movie, it's about 石田卓也くん. he is cute, is't he?

my first his movie was 『グミ・チョコレート・パイン』, & he was FAT at that time, but i really like that FAT him. he was very geek & so uncool, but i really like that uncool him...am i imo-sen or something?

anyway, this time he was cool, as he is in real, but one thing about he was not cool in the movie was when he was running.

actually, after the movie some audiences said, 「ウスイ走りだったよな〜。」mean uncool running,right?

***
oh, the movie was fine. i also like 松本莉緒ちゃん. she was in there as well. i think it was better than "L"...i haven't seen the other one, though :p

& mini: caffe verona vs. house blend

because of valentine's day, starbucks recently strongly recommends "caffe verona". however, i prefer to drink house blend :(

actually, i asked house blend at the starbuck close to my office, but unfortunately it was out of pod (? can is say that?). a girl at the starbucks suggested i should ask before 11:00 a.m. or something...i miss house blend!!

the photo is about i got chocolate in this morning from a starbucks. it says, "best match with caffe verona." ...muu.

very very mini: "take care!!"

this is, as you of-cource know, Christopher Daniel Peppler. he was saying, "take care!" it looks like, right?

this morning, i found his photo from a news pepar & put it on my co-worker A-san's desk since she was absent today. then many my co-workers pointed at this Chris & said, "for what?"

i smiled & said, "it's for A-san. he is hoping she should be OK :D"

very mini: renewal

my pinky is back now.

***
i have asked to cleaning up & re-polish my pinky ring, like at the time i bought it.

my pinky has a diamond (!) & two surfaces, full-polished & matt. a lady in the jewelry repair shop also liked finishing the ring.

ADCT omotesando:
http://www.adct.jp/index.html

***
i'm so impressed that i chose it, so is my mom :]
btw, left one is my thumb ring, too.

mini: "hug someone today"

i got small portions of chocolate from Emi-chan yesterday, then i brought them for sharing with my co-workers today.

each portion was wrapped, but it had a little secret

***
for afternoon snack, i gave one portion to M-san, who sat next to me, & she said...

M-san: "what yours says? mine is 'remember your first crush'."
me: "what's that?"
M-san: "wrapping has a message, like fortune cookies."

mine was "hug someone today".

***
i haven't hugged someone since this afternoon (or more?), but i thought simply that meant to show appreciation to someone who i like :)

***
by the way, i stopped by a market on my way home. a casher guy smiled & gave me a shining 10 yen coin for changes, like "oh, i'll give you a very shining one!"

very small, but little lucky :D

bar & restaurant AOI-KE

i visited my friend's (Emi-cyan & her sweat husband Aoi-san) place in this weekend with my other friend A-san (actually, she visited with me?), & we stayed their guest room overnight. (see? their apartment has guest rooms. that's great, isn't it?)

anyway, they gave me some tips for new york before visited there, & i also borrowed a magazine about NY, so i brought it back.

***
A-san & I arrived their place before 4:00, & Aoi-san had already prepared dinner (yes, i should say it was "dinner") for us. see? dinner with a glass of sparking wine, so sweat. Emi-cyan & Aoi-san were great hosts, & Aoki-san was a really good chef, too.

& we could drink various kinds of alcohol!! i got points that who should be my good friends. enjoying drinking is one of essential for being my friends ;D

i kept drinking starting with sparkling wine, then:
+ beer,
+ cassis (with orange juice, but Emi-cyan's favorite was with grapefruits, though),
+ awamori (with ice rocks),
+ shoucyo (with ice rocks), &
+ mango liqueur (with orange juice)
+ finally, baileys irish cream (with ice rocks).

it seemed they have more than 20 or 30? kinds of alcohol, & i couldn't try all of them!!

***
oh, by the way, i showed them my pictures in NY, then great chef Aoki-san said to me, like...

"oh, i'm so disappointed what you did with your denial camera! you should store your data in RAW format!"

...i'm still in study phase for using digital cameras...so don't get angry for that...it's kidding :P but anyway, Aoki-san's suggestion was great & helpful me to develop my photo skills! thanks, Aoki-san & keep telling me how to use / deal with those cameras!

***
the photos are:
1: mango cocktail. looks like bar or club, right?
2: sleeping bags & a sweat. look what it says! it's, "she lets me cook i let her clean up". sounds very even.
3: cheese & beacon hamburger for lunch. so good, but big branch for me!

mini: "i'm sorry, buta it's for ladies."

before today's blog, i should say sorry for that Heath Ledger past away. he was found dead at his home in Manhattan:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7203797.stm

we have lost a great talented actor.

***
the title was what a water said to me when i asked a "lady's" lunch @a korean restaurant.

this lady's lunch includes a half size jan-men, a half bowl of rice, a pice of tempura, small salad & sweet. i didn't mean i wanted to have something "lady", but that amount of food was very proper for me. it was not too much, & just good enough...

me: "oh, but i asked before, & you guys served it for me!!"
water: "it should be a mistake, sorry."

***
after i ordered a ishiyaki bibimbap, a lady next to me said, "i know what you mean. a half size is really enough."

yeah, right.

the weekend traveler goes to NY :( part. 5 - things i couldn't do

those are what i couldn't do (this time, & i should do next time).

***
to have saturday / sunday branch:
i researched some cafes from my friend, but i couldn't go there. for example,
- Mayrose -- 920 Broadway (@21st st.)
- Island Burgers and Shakes -- 760 9th av. (51st st. & 52nd st.)
- (unknown cafe) -- next to hotel New York Helmsely

to browse around Meatpacking District (& Chelsea):
MPD is a new must-go area in NY, & a could of guide books introduce jeans shop "An Earbest Cut & Sew". also, there should be many galleries in Chelsea. i wanted to see them.

to see matinees or off-broadway musicals:
i wish i could see...
- Spring Awake (BW)
- Wicked (BW)
- Young Frankenstein (BW)
- Naked Boy Singing! (OB) (ad of the musical said, "so naked!!")

***
photo: brooklyn bridge -- left - people & right - bicycle :D

the weekend traveler goes to NY :O part. 4 - small talk

"it's all about lymph, you know."

***
that was a conversation with a lady next to me on a plane to NY. she was a former nurse, & she was with her daughter.

she found me tired. actually, i finished watching two movies, so i was having stiff shoulders. she allowed me to use her "青竹踏み". that was soooooo goooood to use it.

according to her, if people sit down for long time, normally blood flow becomes slow. if people try to massage or to make muscles move in oder blood flow to work, stiffing shoulder gets better.

thank you for letting me to use the "青竹踏み"!!

***
surprisingly, they took the same retuning flight to TKO! when i had coffee before boarding, the mother talked to me. we chatted until our boarding time. they were from nagoya, & the daughter was fan of the musical RENT, so they tried to see the musical, as same as me.

nice coincidence makes me happy :)

***
by the way, i should have a "青竹踏み" for next travel.

the weekend traveler goes to NY :] part. 3 - pictures

"to have fun for taking photos" was a mission, also. i took tons of photos, & those are photos about "new york with people". (i sneaked to take those, though.)

photo TL: people on a staten island ferry. they didn't care about tourinsts.
photo TR: people in the careteria at Guggenheim. they were staffs?
photo BM: people in a subway. so jeans!

***
i'm going to set a web album on flickr later :]

the weekend traveler goes to NY :) part. 2 - museums

another mission for the weekend traveler was "to visit world famous museums in NY, as much as he can". then, i visited three of them:

the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET):
http://www.metmuseum.org/home.asp

the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA):
http://moma.org/

Guggenheim Museum (in New York):
http://www.guggenheim.org/new_york_index.shtml

***
Those three are really great museums in the world for sure, but at this time my best was MoMA. i guess because i hadn't been to MoMA before. i love its atmosphere in the museum, like very spacious & open entrance through the top-ceiling, modern but traditional interior sometimes, & quit unique or modern collections / selections. i should say it's not too modern, i think.

another thing was MoMA has my favorite art works, which are Henri Rousseau's "the Sleeping Gypsy" (photo TL) & "the Dream". i didn't know that MoMA has them, & i was really grad to find them in the museum.

***
photo TR: MET - 's Great Hall from the balcony.
photo BM: Guggenheim - it was also great, but only three floors opened at that day. the outside was under construction, but very arty.

the weekend traveler goes to NY :D part. 1 - musicals

during last weekend (from 1/11 to 1/16), i visited New York by myself. means alone.

***
the 2nd mission of the weekend traveler was "to see real musicals in NY, as much as he can".

i booked three musicals a month before, & i was thinking that i would try to get a discount ticket there. then i saw:
- Mamma Mia! (booked),
- The Phantom of the Opera (booked),
- RENT (discount) &
- Avenue Q (booked).
all four were so wonerful in different ways, but i should say my best one was "Avenue Q" actually.

***
Avenue Q is about losers who live on the avenue Q, NY.

main character is Princeton who just graduates from a university, but he is fired before he starts working. he is lost his "propose" of his life or something...by the way, Princeton this time was played by Jonathan Root. he seemed a understudy usually, but he was so cute! in the musical, i could watch his bed scene by the puppet (!?).

also, there is another character Kate Monster, who is a monster & works in a kindergarden. she has a dream to establish a monster only school or something. i liked her drunk scene. it was so real.

my favorite characters (besides Jonathan) were a pair of blue & yellow bears named "bad idea bears". they were whispering in people's ears & taking advantages on people's weaknesses. they were so bad, like they recommended "commit suicide".

***
my other favorite parts were songs in the musical. the best one for me was "everyone's a little bit racist".

Everyone's a little bit racist
It's true.
But everyone is just about
As racist as you!
If we all could just admit
That we are racist a little bit,
And everyone stopped being
So PC
Maybe we could live in -
Harmony!

(from "Everyone's A Little Bit Racist")

before i've been to canada, i though racism was what i shouldn't have, but i actually couldn't think about others without our races in there.

or because we have different races, we can try to understand others, something like that.

***
see more information:
http://www.avenueq.com/index.php
or
http://www.broadway.com/gen/general.aspx?ci=543629
or
http://allabout.co.jp/travel/travelusa/closeup/CU20041009A/index.htm

***
note: i will wrote about other musicals when i have time :D

my last pennies went to...

those things: "NEXT" by Michael Crichton & a travel nail care kit.

believe or not, i visited new york during last weekend, & i just got back to NRT this evening. at JFK airport, i decided to spend my last pennies (yes "pennies" exactly) on something, then i bought a prepare-back, aks a trash novel by aquiko-san, & this travel nail care kit (a nail clipper, glass file and tweezers) because my nails got grown, & i really wanted to cut them :D

***
actually, my really last pennies went to this:
http://www.unicef.or.jp/cooperate/coop_coin.html

unicef & ana (& jal) have a campaign called "change for good". it's to collect coins on planes to japan from people don't spend small money after their travels. those coins are going to be something for children needs, like vaccinations. one dollar could be vaccine shots for four children.

let's try to change for good :)

mini: they are alike

http://www.francoisbrunelle.com/

it's a canadian photographer Francois Brunelle's project, "I'M NOT A LOOK-ALIKE!". those models are not relatives, but they are so alike, like brothers & sisters.

this saturday nikkei introduced this photographer. i don't know why, but when i saw a picture of "Sarah & Alan", one of his models, i cried. the article in the nikkei said that most of those pairs can synchronize soon & easily.

***
by the way, today i went to get har cut. now i have short hair, but i didn't expect this short. when i saw my hair cut done, i said...

me: "it's short, isn't it?"
my hair stylist: "yep, it's short, & it fits you."

anyway, cold winter short hair :D

***
the photos are about cups of coffee i got these days, from blenz coffee (canada) & starbuck.

mini: movie review wrap up

i saw about 50 movies in 2007 (including on DVDs & on a plane). in last year, i saw only one movie i shouldn't see. that mean other 49 movies were basically good & interesting ones.

my 5 best movies in 2007 are:
- Little Miss Sunshine
- アヒルと鴨のコインロッカー
- A Good Year
- Volver
- Reign Over Me
(in order of i saw)

probably, i can see those 5 movies again & again. I hope to see good movies in 2008, too.

2008 - new year's resolutions

since 2008 has come, i has made new year's resolution for 2008.

it's "health"; keeping my good health is the only thing i should care about in 2008. & for that, i will try to:

- chew foods very very well
- eat fruits for breakfasts
- drink soy milk instead of milk
- drink water
- cook by myself as much as i can
- don't eat / drink too much

- sleep well
- laugh a lot

- keep doing regular sports, practically two or three times / a week
- keep life vs. work balance

le't try all of them if i can :D

***
by the way, i got started 2008 with my busy new year's day.

i got up around 7:00, then met my friend from ottawa, Mami-san. we went to 皇居 (!). we saw Masako-sama in a car unexpectedly (!!). after that we went to 明治神宮. i prayed for my family's health in this year. then we chatted @starbuck, then Mami-san visited my mom's place for having お雑煮. after she went back, i went to 新宿 for watching a movie since january 1st was a monthly movie day. i saw "グミ・チョコレート・パイン" (<- i will write about the movie later). then i got buck to my mom's place for having small supper with my mom & grand mom.

over our supper, my mom said like...
mom: "maybe you will be busy in this year, right?"
me: "oh, yeah. i had a busy day today, but listen, it was quiet around there & nothing disturbed me. that means i guess i will be busy, but i will be doing well / will survive."

oh! there is one more movie you should see.

it's "kinky boots":
http://www.movies.co.jp/kinkyboots/

kinky means "変態", & boots mean ,yes, "ブーツ". the story is about a grad queen helps a traditional but almost dead shoe factory in Northampton, UK. & surprisingly, it's based on a true story :O

what i like is ,i think, it's not just about gay / drag queen / transvestite things, it's about how people live, & how people survive or succeed their business, as professionals.

anyway, the movie gives me guts to fight :D

two year-end movies you should see

(you may know what happens in the ends of the movies.)
somehow, this december brought me crazy busy days.

i should wrap up my tasks for the year end, i had job interviews every week twice, i got a cold, i had a couple of year-end parties, etc... that was why i couldn't attend even one single boxing class.

however, somehow i saw a could of movies. yes, that's what a movie fan does :D

***
one was "reign over me" (japanese working title is "再会の街で")staring Adam Sandler & Don Cheadle:
http://www.sonypictures.jp/movies/reignoverme/

i'm totally not a big fan of Sandler. i've only seen: "50 First Dates", "Anger Management" & "Punch-Drunk Love", but in those movies he played a guy who was unusual or was in unusual situations. anyway, i've got very strange feelings (in a good way) from his movies.

in this movie, Sandler played a guy who lost his family (wife & three daughters) by 911, Charlie. it was totally non-fuction, but it might be there is someone like him in U.S.

Charlie was regretting last phone conversations with his family (before their plane was crushed into WTC), & the consequence made the guy difficult to communicate people around him. however, his college roommate (Cheadle as Alan) tried to help him.

japanese catch copy says, "there is a pain can be healed by talking with someone", something like that. that's very true, talking with someone can help people more than talking.

i like to see the movie again.

***
the other one was "my date with drew". in this case, drew was Drew Barrymor, & it was the funniest DOCUMENTARY i've ever seen!!

http://www.mydatewithdrew.com/index.html
(see the trailer, & see how the trailer was made in this documentary.)

it's basically a documentary, but what was doing is to meet Drew Barrymor within 30 days by only 1100 dollers!!

i can't explain more about the documentary, but the documentary tell us that whatever a dream is, the dream will come true if we don't give it up.

that's so true, again.

spaghetti all'arrabbiata christmas version

arrabbiata doesn't mean "arabian", it means "getting angry" in italian, i think, = spicy or hot :)

***
now, i'm having spaghetti all'arrabbiata christmas version, as my today's lunch.

why christmas version is is today i get leeks (green) & parmesan cheese (white). & originally, red chillies are in there, so the dish has three christmas colours: red, green & white.

it's quite spicy today, but spicy foods are good for winter, too :D &merry christmas!!

***
the photo isn't mine, unfortunately...

mini: my mom said, "japan should have a president!"

that was what my mom said to a TV (& me?).

***
last night, i visited my mom's place. i had supper & watched some TV programs, then suddenly my mom said,

"japan should have a president. don't you think so?"

the TV program was, i believe, 『世界ふしぎ発見！』, about Abraham Lincoln. lol. i was so impressed that i have a very political concerned mother!

actually she got a point. she explained a reason why she thought. that was... in the current japanese system, we can't choose the prime minister by ourselves, then even he (or she) is not doing well, we can't say anything for that.

also, the position of the prime minister could be resigned and be assumed someone else very very quickly. we have no idea how long he operates the government. she said that was why japan doesn't have a stable political situation...

muu, it's very true, & hope Mr. Fukuda won't be long in there.

***
anyway, have a merry christmas :) a little bit earlier though...

moo with me!

last night, i saw the musical "rent", live, with my co-worker aquiko-san, & i love that show. yes, it's musical, but show, live, whatever we call. it was so cool.

the musical is originally a play (i mean musical), then turned to the movie (i believe with original casts in ny), then came to japan for only 5 days or something, then it was great.

i tried to watch the movie on dvd, but at that time, i didn't recognized the movie, or i can sat the story of "rent", would be interesting for me. but now i know why; because the two main characters, roger & mark, were not my types, not at all. lol!

but, but the last "rent", both of them were pretty good; i mean "pretty good", especially mark to me. actually, our sheets were in the 3rd floor, means 6th floor of the building. so they were not seen very closely (of course!), buta i knew the guys were looking good, again especially mark. you know, he was waring classes with dark hair, something that kinds of guy.

anyway, live music is great, right? & if the singers can do well performance, or are very talented, the show would be more than great. last night was like that.

***
by the way, today's title is from one scene of the musical. one of main characters maureen is a performance artist. i'm not 100& sure that her performance is good if it's real, but her performance on the musical was something about productivities? nayway, let's check it out.

Over The Moon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML99I1c-iwA&feature=related

***
they are other songs i like, from the movie. i should try to see the movie, again :D

The Tango Maureen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LcGnP3HY_A&feature=related

La Vie Boheme:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SPxtv3KW9A&feature=related

Seasons of Love:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj7LRuusFqo

that was challenging

sometime, people can do whatever we want, even if we have difficulties or challenging. today, i realized that.

this evening, i went to my mother's place, & had supper. i was watching NHK TV news, then i was just surprised one of stories.

***
it was about "International Day of Disabled Persons 2007". December 3rd was the International Day of Disabled Persons. in NY, some of people with difficulties from the world played the piano in front of audience.

it was just amazing for me. they were really playing the piano beautifully even they have, like only one left hand or blind. it was just they are who they are.

i got impression that maybe they can have feeling that others don't or never feel. that's why they could play so beautifully. something like this.

my mom watched the news with me. then my mom said to me, like "Look! we should appreciate our health. we should do our bests & work more hard!! "

YES, i agree with my mom. we should.

***
by the way, one of my korean friends said before. she liked to call those disabled people "people with challenging." she explained to me that they were not "disabled" because they could do if they would want to do.

YES, i agree with her. they can.

***
to learn more:
http://www.un.org/disabilities/index.asp

new agenda; new me

since i have some schedules in the beginning of next year, i was looking for a agenda/schedule note.

for a good agenda for me, i have some points to want to have; such as:
- the size should be A5 (or B6?)
- should have two parts: monthly & weekly calendars
- monthly calendar should be "sunday - saturday" vs. "the 1st - 4th week" type, with memo space
- weekly parts should be one page one week, & each day has same space (some of schedules have small spaces for sat & sun. that's so sad!)
- weekly parts can be either vertical or horizontal
- days start from Nov or Dec/2007
- extra information could be very bonus

then, today i found one for next year (from today)

what i like about the agenda i found today is:
- basically, it has all of above points
- extra info includes mini-mini dictionary in 5 languages
- also, it has subway maps in major cities, like NY, Paris, etc.

and the most interesting point is actually what i need to know somehow @work, which is:
- there are the "day" for each day

... it's kind of hard to explain, but @work sometimes i need to know "the serial number of a day from January 1st". for example, December 2nd (today) is the 336th day. then the agenda has that numbers!!

anyway, my 2008 has started from today with the agenda :)

a scarecrow who doesn't have a brain

i went to the musical "WICKED - the untold story of the witches of OZ", with my friend Y-san, & i liked the musical.

***
the story is, as the subtitle says, a behind story of "the wonderful wizard of OZ": how a girl in green became to the Wicked Witch of the West, & a girl in blond became to the Good Witch of the North.

also, there are small hits what we don' t know "OZ". my favorite is how a guy became the scarecrow who doesn't have a brain.

according to a program & wiki, entire OZ stories referred to situations in the states, like early 1900's WEST farmers faces to brow money from EAST banks. then those banks just got gains without doing nothing.

also, Kansas city is located literally in the center of the united states, so girl Dorothy from there to find her own way to happiness, something like that.

***
from youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0m6sclZkH0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWhLLiwTnpg
& "for good":
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=IwpKB-sj7GI


also, a review of "Wicked" here:
http://www.broadway.com/gen/Show.aspx?si=30434

i'm so getting to go to the musical in NY!! (not sure to be able to see it, though...)

(to be continue to update?)