Bamboo

Bamboos are here.

In the night, they are lighten up in front of this restaurant.

I like the silent scene in winter like this.

Compensation

I heard a quote, the compensation for work is more work.

One who told this phrase intended that more work is the best compensation, and it aims you higher position, with higher payment, higher position, and more difficult work, it makes you superior person.

Today I was given so many tasks. In one word, you can say that I've got great compensation, but I feel that a little less amount of task is better for me...

Warm breeze

These two or three days, it is so warm that I don't have to wear a coat for winter.

But I heard that it must be cold days again in this weekend.

These kind of weather change effects to our health and sometimes weaken it.

Also, warm days, the pollum of ceders starts to fly, typically it starts to fly in march, but the high temperature makes the timing earlier.

So warm days in winter makes me nervous...

Baum

Taday, I had a Baum bought at a shop named "Hollandische Kakaostube",
a shop established in Germany.

I didn't realize before I ate it that this is a traditional one
authorized at German associate of patisserie.

The difference is the ingredients, I heard that this Baum include the
sugar, egg and flour for fixed ratio defined at the association.

Actually, the one which I ate was the Baum covered with chocolate, so
I can't feel the difference from usual one directly, therefore I want
to eat one which is the most simple one in near future.

Translator

Today I made many materials for presentations.

Actually, most of the materials were already finished, and I translated them one to next.

I'm not good at English, also I don't have enough vocabulary for insurance, so I looked up on the dictionary, then write down, it continued.

It was hard task for me, but very good for learning, studying insurance.

Orchestra

Today, I had a concert that started to join since this December.

Actually, the program were so heavy for me myself, bacause I haven't had a classical concert for about nine years, also the program was difficult.

Since I joined this orchestra, and finished the exam on Christmas, I have practiced so hard, therefore I could do my best play at this concert, of course there are some parts that I can't play even now.

Now, I have another stage on March, fortunatelly, I'm used to play at a glance, so I'm looking forward to the next one!

Additionally saying, there we are going to play many popular songs used for animation. The only thing I afraid is that I don't know all the tunes...

Pasta

Pasta bianco.

With pumpkin, broccoli and carrot, that ones of my favorite.

Sunrise

Dawn of today.

Start of the new day.

Peaceful day is comming.

On the other hand,

There are many people struggling in Haichi.

I appreciate that there is nothing around me,

And searching what can I do for the people.

Minus ion

Today I was talking with my coleague about some electrics. Some years ago, there are many electrics with mechnism to make "minus ion". But I suggest that there cannot appear minus ion in the air of usual condition, 20 degree, 1 atm.

Then I realized that I can't explain the reason for why there cannot exist the minus ion enoughly. I know the reason ambiguously, but I don't know the basic knowledge.

Actually, chemistry was one of the subjects that I dislike. Even that, there are some information in my memory about that.

This time, I was stimulated and want to know more about the mechanism of ion. This night I'd like to look up about that.

What is "ion"?

Logical

These days, I don't think logically so often. It may makes my brain lazy.

I should stimulate myself appropriately. That is the key of living interesting life.

Okinawan restaurant noodle

I like the noodle in Okinawa called "soki soba".

Okinawan restaurant lunch

Gaya

Today I went to a restaurant where you can enjoy macrobiotic menu.

The taste was so nice, and all the dishes, you can realize the taste
of each ingredient.

I'd like to come again.

Orchestra

Today, I went to a rehearsal of the Mitaka city Orchestra that I belongs since last December.

Although I have practiced hard during the new year holiday, I couldn't play good, actually better than last time.

Obviously, I haven't practiced enough. The concert is held on this weekend, so I'm going to do my best to enjoy the concert.

Jam

Today I went to a gig that some of my friends are playing.

Colored Jam

The sound was nice, originally the band was trio, vocal, piano and drums, but this time, there are some guests there, so I could enjoy their colorful sounds.

Hinabe

One of my favorite restaurant in Akasaka;

薬膳火鍋専門店 天香回味

The soup of the Nabe is so delicious,

also the ingredients of the Nabe is almost vegitables

especially mushrooms, so this is very good for your health too.

Burj Dubai

There structured a tallest building in the world, named "Burj Dubai".

This building is as tall as about 820 meter.

Also, there is a hotel designed by Giorgio Armani.

On the other hand, Dubai is facing to the financial crisis.

It is so interesting how this building works to the economy in Dubai.

First day at office

Today is the first day for this year to go to the office.

There were so many things to do today, because I remained many tasks on the last day of last year.

Even there are many tasks, about half the members in our team was absent because they took private holiday. So I had to finish most of them by myself.

Tomorrow, I have an appointment with one of my friends who is now studying at abroad, so I wish I could finish my tasks in time tomorrow.

Traditional style lunch

Today I ate a rice bowl with "yuba", the sheet made with soy milk, and
half boiled egg.

Once I have eaten one at Kyoto, famous for traditional Japanese foods.

Today it was not so delicious as the one at Kyoto, but it reminded me
the memory, and it made me thinking of going to Kyoto again. This
season, Kyoto is very cold, but the scenaries are so beautiful with
snows.

Sleeping cat

On new year, there are plenty of time but usually I don't have so many
things to do.

There a cat is sleeping. I'd like to sleep like a cat with no nervous
things.

New year

New year, rays between clouds, shining sky.

Air with hope, new air, views of future.

There should be something big.

Night flight

Cat on the bed

Today I'm comming back to my hometown. And there a cat was on my bed,
maybe the bed is not mime but his now.

Rainbow colored sky

I don't know why but the sky seems rainbow in this morning, so amazing.

New year

Christmas was over, and there you can see many decoration for new year.

This is the bamboo decoration in front of my office.

Echire butter

Today I had the Echire butter for my dinner. With the butter, I had
some bread bought at the Maison Keiser.
Of course the taste of the bread was nice, but the taste of the echire
butter was extremely delicious.

I had never thought like that I'd like to continue eating butter.

Echire butter is special one, and I'd like to have opportunities to eat it when I have some
special events.

Farewell party

Today I had a farewell party for whom I have played together in my
band for 3 years.

As he have many friends, some of my friends and I planned a farewell
party for him.

In the party, we gave him a cake a portrait of him is drawn imtje top
of the cake.

As fad as you can imagine, he was so pleased with the party,
especially the cake.

Lounge

The title doesn't mean the genre of the music, but the experience of
mine today. Today I'm staying at hotel new otani in Tokyo.

There's some services such as serving extra things with no charge.

How do you evaluate this service?

Sky

Sky, getting brighter.

Sunshine appeared behind the cloud.

It remindse something to be happen imtje future.

This could be the start of something.

One plate lunch

Today I made a luch on one plate.

You can see fried roots the above side of dish, it is the main dish of
today's lunch.

Actually I like to eat meat or something seems not good for my health,
but today I cooked a dish only with vegitables. Of course I'm not
vegan, but I like this kind of foods, someone said to me that it is
because I got used to that. How do you think?

Pressure

The end of this week, I'm going to have an exam of actuary.

I have studied for this almost whole year, but actually it is just some months ago since I could concentrated to one subject.

Some of my coleague encouraged me when they go home today, but it made me more and more nervous.

Ah, I wish I can pass one subject this time.

Evelest

Today I came to an Indian restaurant named Kumari, which is neighbor
to my house.

There I usually eat curry and nann, but today I ordered new apertif,
named "the evelest set". I don't know why it is called like that,
anyway it tasted nice!

Sunset

On sunset, it is faster to be dark than morning.

I like this time. The color changes time to time, and it is so
beautiful that things get red, then turn to blue, the opposite color.

At first, I feel a little melancholic feeling, but it turn to be cool
feeling.

Morning

I like morning.

In the morning, the air is clear and it makes me fine feeling from
inside.

I like to get up early.

Also, I like the morning sky. It is full of hope and endeavor.

I like morning.

Udon

Today's menu.

Bagle

Macrobiotic menu.

Party

Today, I played the bass with Big Wing Jazz Orchestra which is very famouse and has longer history than my life, and we played at a party.

It is so called business gig, like a BGM. We selected some tunes suit for this season, and the atmosphere of the party, acutually there are many elder people, also children, so we selected some tunes both which audience can dance and everyoneknows, such as christmas songs.

During the party, I was so surprised that so many people can dance, actually there are so many "hi society" people, so they are taught about that kind of things.

Anyway, almost all the audience seemed to be pleased with our play.

This is the first time for me to do this kind of play with big band at a party, so I'd like to do more and more times.

24 hours

There are 24 hours in a day. About quarter of the day, we are
sleeping. And the remain, we work, eat, chat, and many activities.

These days, I'm studying after working and also before working. But I
fond feel it is enough. And I'd like to do more and more things.

So first, I'm trying to get up early and do what I want to do in the
morning.

These days, the sunrise is not so early, about half past 6. So I can
see many faces of the sky, and changing the colors. Today I took the
darker one.

Skyscraper

I went to the office earlier than usual today.

Then, I look up the building that I work at. It reflects the sunshine
and looks so quiet.

It reminds me a start of something, something special, something
brilliant, and something hopeful.

Just ond thought of a morning.

Vegan pizza

Today I went to a restaurant where you can eat various dishes made
with vegitables.

I ate a pizza, which include just vegitables, instead of milk or meat.

The cheese like taste thing is made from tofu and vinegar, and many
other ingredients are from vegitables.

But the taste almost like cheese or meat, so interesting!

Dawn

Today, it was not fine in the morning, but the horizon seems to be
becoming brighter. And I feel something is getting bigger and bigger
in my mind.

Yes this sky makes me feel like that. Not special, common thing, but
curtainly makes me happy is there. The dawn in my mind.

data

Today, I did some task for a project to quantify operational risks.

Actually, operational risk quantification is in developement, and many financial companies are trying to make their original method for that.

As you can imagine, the quantification is not popular in Japan, and it is in progress in many Japanese companies.

There are many barrier for that, but most typical one is that there are no standard, and the distribution of the operational risk's loss depends on each company's character.

I tried to evaluate some losses in our company which we already gathered, and made a distribution, but it was quite difficult to find a distribution which exactly fit our distribution.

I have to spend more and more time to make up it, but it seems to be so difficult, of course, this is because I'm trying to do this.

Golden bar

One of my coleagues gave me a chocolate bar looks like gold.

The manufacturer of this is Godiva, one of the most famous chocolate
producer in the world.

Not only the looks of this but As far as the name, this is a "golden"
bar.

Sandwich

Onion bagle with avocado, celery, and cream cheese.

Pickles home made.

So happy dinner.

Today's dinner

Avocado, tofu, and chicken bowl, with balsamic sauce.

So delicious!

Winter

Today is so cold that I wanted to stay in the bed when I got up in the morning.

Actually, now it is beginning of December, so it is obvious that it is so cold, but I think it is toooooooooo cold today, especially the wind.

Instead of being cold, I can enjoywinter sports like snow boarding. I look forward to that and stand for these cold winds.

Vanguard

Today I went to a concert performed by the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.

Their sound was absolutely fantastic and I really enjoyed the 2 stages.

As I wrote yesterday, the VJO is one of the most adimerable band in the world I think.

Not only their sound, but also the charts written by Thad Jones, Bob Brookmeyer, Jim McNeely and many other musicians are wonderful. I suppose they are the Art.

Unfortunately, I can see them just one day, but I wish they will come to Japan every year since this time, and I'd like to see them again and again.

Honesty is the key

Today I went to a talk show by the members of the Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, John Mosca and Douglous Purviance.

There they talked about some episodes about the band, and there were some impressive phrases.

One is "keep growing" and the other is "honesty is the key". The first one is about looking for new members or substitutes for the members who can't participate some gigs. They are looking at not how good he plays but weather he is trying to grow.

The second one is about the stance to the band, how they keep motivation to the managing big band which is quite difficult to make it.

I was touched with these words, and decided to do like these words.

Orchestra

Today, I went to a rehearsal of a orchestra.

I have been thinking of joining to a orchestra. But I have never played in a orchestra, so I have been hesitated to join.
But today, I posted a mail to one orchestra having performances around my home, and went to join see the rehearsal.
Then I have told to play the tunes that they are going to play at the recital on January.
Fortunatelly, I'm good at playing at a glance, so I could play almost all the tunes.

And finally I was told to join the orchestra. I had no bad omage to the orchestra, so I told yes.

I don't know what happens next, but I think there should be some troubles toake me interesting with the orchestra. Ansolutely interesting!

New face

Today, I joined a rehearsal of a band, which one of my friends belong
to. The history of the band is so long, about 35 years, longer than
my life. So the repartries of this band is more than 200! I have two
chances to join the rehearsal, and today was one of them.

Almost all the members already know the tunes to play but I had to
play at a glance.

Actually, there were a little chance to play like this these days, so
I was very nervous to play. Finally I could finish all the tunes of
today's menu, but it was about a half of the tunes which we are going
to play at the stage.

I have to practice the tunes hard!

By the way the pocture is a dinner for today, glatin with bread. The
bread is a bagle which includes onion in the dough. So delicous one.

Banana

I like banana, also one of my favorite brand is named "banana republic"

Today, I ate a piece of banana. Actully there are many minerals, and
good for our health.

I like some snacks made with bananas, especially cakes.

Anyway it is the best way to eat banana to eat it in raw.

Early bird

Today I had something to do in the morning, so I got up an hour
earlier than usual.

When I got up, I realized that it was still dark, and the sunis
justrizing from horizon.

It is really amazing to see the color of the sky gradually changing
from dark color to light color, black to orange, and finally blue.

From the window in my house, I can see Shinjuku through it.

Today it was so beautiful that the color of the city is changing time
after time.

Christmas tree

This is an illuminated Christmas tree in front of my office.

So beautiful!

Cram

Yesterday, I had a party at my home.

As I wrote yesterday, I prepared just some dishes.

And there my friends have ordered sea foods from Hokkaido! It is
absolutely obvious that the sea foods in Hokkaido are quite delicious.

There are two big crabs, ten crams, and big salmon for raw eating!

They were so delicious and the portion was also extra much that I
didn't want to eat more when we almost finished eating even there were
many legs of crab remain.

Finally, the remain came to my refrigerator and now I can eat it
whenever I want.

Now I'm imaging how to cook it, Italian, Spanish or Japanese taste
cooking, I cannot decide.

Vegan?

Today, I had a party at my home. Usually, I cook some dishes, such as
salad, apertizer, soup, and something made with meat or fish. But
today I was told not to prepare anything in advance because the
participants of the party is going to prepare something.

So today I cooked a salad with boiled vegetables, and some dip and
cracker.

These days I often cook the boiled vegetable salad, but today's one is
the most delicious one, not only the taste, but also the colors.

And the main dishes are... This is quite interesting story, so I'm
going to write about it tomorrow.

One plate dinner

There is a standard jazz number named "one note samba". It is named
after the melody of the tune.

Today's dinner was a bagle, curry flavor potatoes, avocado glatin, and
salad.

They are placed on one plate, so I call this menu "one plate dinner"
after the tune.

Financiere

This is a financiere made with Echire butter.

Echire butter is absolutely delicious one that I have ever tasted.

Not only the texture, but the taste is perfect. It melts in my mouse,
and the sweet taste spreads. Absolutely happy time.

Gnocchi

Today, I cooked gnocchi. This is the first time for me to cook it, but
the taste was quite good!

The recipe is absolutely simple. Boil potatoes, mush them, then mix
with flour. And boil it again until it bubbles up in the pan.

With the gnocchi, I cooked it with tomato source. Actually, it looks
like some rice ball, but it tastes potato, and a little sticky.
Interesting!

Cappadocia

Yesterday, I had a party at my home.

There one of my friends brought me a bottle of wine. He bought that
when he went to Turky, and outside of the box, there are a characters
printed. It was "Cappadocian Gift" in fluent letters.

And the bottle is the picture attached.

It looks so terrible! Weird bottle!

Anyway, the taste was not bad, but it wasn't so unique as the bottle
looks.

Ciao!

Sometimes, I eat a cup of ice cream after dinner.

Usually, I select the Haagen Datz, but today I tried new one, procuced
by Ciao Bella, the company at NJ.

It tasted very good, actually the price was as expensive as the one of
Haagen Datz.

I'd like to try more ones.

Hot sandwich baker

I bought a hot sandwich baker produced by Vitantonio yesterday. Since
today, I thought no needs for this kind of things, but when I bake a
mochi waffle, sometimes called "moffle", it tasted quite delicious and
thought it is very useful tool for cooking.

For the future, I'd like to make many recipes with this tool.

Oil heater

I bought an oil heater produced by Delonghi.

These days, it was quite cold like December, so it is very helpful for
me now.

Diving

The begining of this month, I went to Okinawa island to take the
scuber diving license.

And today, I received the cards. Actually, I took two liceses, open
water diver and advanced open water diver. So I received two cards
today.

One is golden card, and the other is a card printed with shark. It
looks so cool!

I'm looking forward to try diving more and more with these cards.

Priority

These days, I'm studying for an exam in december. It is too cinical and weird that this exam are placed on Christmas eve and Christmas.

Now, I'm studying for that every night, and everything in my life are now going with the exam centric.

Today, I was told that one party is going to be held today, because my boss has got a post. But I thought about the priority and decided not to participate that.

Of course I'd like to join that, but it is more and more important to study more minutes, even seconds.

It is quite hard to take this decision, but I wish to pass the exam, and try to do my best for that, I decided.

Accident

Today, in the afternoon, I had an accident at the restaurant.

That was a misorder of the waiter of the restaurant. And fortunately, I could eat the nisordered menu with no charge. Although the menu was not the one which I've ordered, it was quite delicious!

Sometimes accident makes you to go better direction, I thought.

Alcohol

These days, I don't have so many opportunity to have alcohol, like beer. Actually, I like having beer and talking with friends.

But today, I realized that I can't have alcohol so much. I don't know why and not sure that it is certain, but I found that I don't need so much in one time these days.

Of course it is really good not to have alcohol not only for my health but also my account.

The only thing what makes me nervous is that the occation to talk with friends should be decreased if I don't have alcohol.

Anyway there are so many opportunity to have alcohol in the end and the start of a year. I'm afraid if I can pass all of them.

Time flies like an arrow

I realized that I passed the time in POJ for about 11 monthes, almost one year. This year, I have been related to many kinds of tasks, investment, personal information, accounting, outsourcing vendor, and BCP.

They are all different, actually there are some common points of view, but they are different in the basement. It makes management of them more difficult than I had expected.

I don't think that I have learnt all of the management of them, instead I haven't learnt enough at all.

So I continue studying more and more.

One of my boss said that if you want to master one of them, it takes about five or more time.

Time flies like an arrow, but I have to spend the time with studying anytime.

Carrot cake

I had a piece of carrot cake today.

This is made of carrot juice, applicot, and nuts. I heard that the
recipe is very simple and easy to make.

Also the ingredient not include artificial things like sugar, actually
you use carrot juice, but it is carrot 100 percent, so this cake is
also good to your health.

These day, I sometimes eat macrobiotic menu or organic items. I
believe that the dishes made from good items makes your health better
in future.

Anyway, I try to make this cake someday.

Sky

Today, the weather was strange. In the morning, it rained and seems to
be last rainih, but in the afternoon, the blue sky appeared, then It
turned to be brighter.

Actually, the sky seems to be still strange like the photo above.

Finally, it comes to be dark again. I couldn't forcast how the weather
becomes next during today.

Winter

These days, maybe because of the weather not good and raining, quite cold days are continuing.

Actually, I like the atmosphere, in one word "air" of this season. It is cold but clear, the air comes into myself sharply, and sometimes wind goes through. Even the wind is cold, sunbeam is warm enough, and I feel happy with this kind of gaps.

I also feel happy when I see outside through the window, having a cup of tea without sugar.

Winter has come.

Hermite

Today I have reaserched about a method to calculate market risks. It is called the distribution measuring method, actually I don't know what this is called in English.

This method uses some difficult formulae to calculate the value of risks, and one of them is the Hermite function. This function is really interesting because even the formula includes a multiple difference of exponential function, once you decide one parameter which is the time for differencing, the function becomes quite simple one consists of multiple times x, the principle parameter of this function, and constant. If you define the times for differencing as zero, this function becomes 1, a constant.

There are many interesting formulae, someone say it as "beautiful". They seems to be very complexed, actually the idea or what the formula expresses is absolutely difficult, but once you put particular parameter to the function, it becomes quite simple answer. The most beautiful one is exponential function, I think. If you put pi times i, which is the unit for complex number, to the parameter of exponential function, the answer becomes -1. It is really interesting. I think it is one of the reason why many people are absorbed to mathmatics, the real mathmatics.

Excel

Today, I had a task with to utilize excel. There I had to compare two lists, which contains same names, but the way of writing is not perfectly the same. And my task is distinct it and choose the different between them.

It seems easy, but it wasn't, because the way of writing was more different than I had imagined. Also I'm now using excel 2000, there are no help to input functions when you input the function name.

When using the excel 2003 or later version, the software helps you to input the function with displaying the sample of parameters.

Finally I could finish my task, but I must make it easy because I'm going to pass this task to other team in the future. So I will try to make the process which I did today to a macro of the excel. It seems more and more difficult.... Sigh...

Rain

Today, it started to rain in the night.

I like rain, because the sound of rain makes me very calm feeling.

But in the night, if there is raining, it makes me some kind of
nervous feeling. I don't know why, but I am.

Meeting

Today, I had a meeting with a manager of one vender. Needless to say, the conversation was in English, and fortunately there was a translation.

Actually, I can catch what he was talking, but it is difficult for me to express my opinion. Even there the contents of the conversation was about operational risks, that I'm now used to, sometimes I couldn't catch some words which is important in the phrases.

I thought that I must ultimately study and become to speak English fruently.

This is it

Today, I went to the theater to watch the movie of Michael Jackson
named "This is it". It was absolutely fantastic, and reminds me about
him.

His music is marvelous, and he is like a king, or god, of pops, I
think. His music is not old fashoned even it is composed about twenty
years or more ago.

Now I think of him and listening to his tunes.

Wedding party

Today, I had a wedding party of one of my friends in university. We
belonged to the same jazz circle there, so there played a big band and
played some tunes which we played before.
It reminds me about our time of university.

Autumn

Yesterday, I came back from Okinawa to Tokyo. Then I realized that Tokyo came to be like autumn, sometimes winter.

Some people are wearing a coat, and others are wareing a muffler.

The wind go through my jackets, and it reminds me that it is November now.

I like winter, but the season between autumn and winter makes me like melancholic feelings.

Anyway I like the high, blue sky after summer.

Okinawa 5th day

Today is the last day in Okinawa.

It is defined in the text book of diving that you must take a rest for about half a day before getting on to the airplain when you dive pultiple times.

So I can't dive today, and I went to sight seeing around the island.

I went to some places where you can enjoy the traditional sights, and where the salt, one of the most famous suvenir in Okinawa, and where you can enjoy American tastes, Actually there are US navy base there in Okinawa, so there are many American people, and restaurant influenced with American culture.

Finally, I went back to the airport. It was 5 days trip, the longest trip in Japan for me, so I wanted to stay more and more days there. But there are many things to do at my office in Tokyo.

I'd like to come to Okinawa again and again. And I hope that it should be warmer, especially the water temperature, in the next time.

Okinawa 4th day

Today was quote good day, but just the wind was so strong that I
couldn't take a ship to go to dive in Kerama island.

So we went to some shore to dive. There were a little bit waves, but
the condition was quite better than yesterday.

I experienced deeper water diving. It is so silent and different from
usual diving.

Also I experienced taking photos in the sea. It is more difficult than
that in the land, but also interesting. I'd like to try more and more
times.

Okinawa 3rd day

Today was also windy, so we went to the same place as yesterday to dive.

Not only the wind, but also the temperature was low today, so that of
water was also low, unlike usual Okinawa.

But I tried to be used to dive in the cold water, and finally I could
take the PADI lisence called OWD.

In the night, I took a dinner at a restaurant famous for the
vegetables in Okinawa. It was so delicious!

Okinawa 2nd day

Today is the 2nd day for me to do scuber diving, also the first day
for me to do it in the sea.

Unfortunately, it was so windy that it is dangerous to go usual place
to dive. So we went to Ohjima island, where the place is not
influenced with wind, even there are tyhoon.

It is quite good to dive in the sea, because there are various kinds
of fishes there.

After the dive, I went to eat one of the most favorite food in Okinawa
called Okinawa-soba, Okinawa style noodle. The picture below is the
restaurant.