200 The Year of the Dragon

And I'd like to thank you for kindly supporting this little blog.

2011 was a "Lost and Found" year. The earthquake lost so many lives and we managed to find for what we are surviving. We lost electric power and we found we could stand together for one aim.

We lost Steve Jobs and I found my social network. I'm getting losing my time but I found more than ever chances to meet again my old friends. I said goodby to some co-workers and I found the human is what's all about in our job. I lost balance in my health and found people who cared about it. I lost confidence and found the importance of re-creating it.

I found Noel Gallagher as a new icon of Brit rock.
I found Pirates of the Carebbean was not just a blockbuster but a funky and glamorous fantasy.

When you lost something it's hard to change the situation but it's possible to find the alternatives.

I once lost belief in me and found that my passion was still strong in a trip to Helsinki.  I found Helsinki and shall be willing to support the fantastic city where the World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 will rise in a few hours. I wish I could be now at the Helsinki Cathedral in the Senate Square but I feel happy to have been there and hoping the next time.

199 Oscar

Faye Danaway at Beverly Hills Hotel in the morning after the Oscar night in 1977,

photo taken by Terry O’Neill, "the best Oscar picure ever taken"

It's not because this is the New Year's Eve, but I think I can tell a truth. I wanted to be an actor when I was a kid. I even admit that I once dreamed about getting an Oscar. I've been always looking forward to watching the Oscar awards show.

Though the dream era has gone I still think New Year's Eve is the best time to rebroadcast the Oscar. Why? because, the night is for praising the year's works and achievements, giving gratitude to fellow workers, friends, families and god, and of course celebrating. That's the attitude which should be shared at the end of the year, isn't it?

The show is truly interesting. Think of it, the most expressive and eloquent talented people in the world would gather to show their most natural feelings (I guess so, but sometimes it might be the most controlled peformance). This is interesting as a human watching in most luxurious way.

One of the most impressive and touching moments that I like is Michael Caine winning the best Supporting Actor in 2000. He said "I don't feel like being the winner, I represent you", and praised each of his fellow nominees with heart and full of humor.
http://youtu.be/CuhXv2wBeiQ

And one of the funniest and most brilliant jokes is definitely this, Jack Black and Will Ferrell's "Get Off the Stage" song.
http://youtu.be/NoXLu9Rz70g

Loveliest moment in these years should be Kate Winslet winning Best Actress, really beautiful stage by 5 presenters, and don't miss the charming "Dad, whistle or something!"
http://youtu.be/PxzQSWx9IGs

Great show always has great host. Needless to say the legendary Bob Hope and Billy Crystal, one of my favorites is cynical and intellectual, “A Wild and Crazy Guy” Steve Martin. 
in 2003,
http://youtu.be/N95KLHeJ_Yc
and in 2010, with Alec Baldwin
http://youtu.be/kBZj7qIOAE8

I'd like you all to have fun and nice evening of the New Year's Eve!

198 Delta

先日、地下鉄の構内でデルタ航空の広告にこんな言葉を見かけました。
「飛行機は前からの風によって上昇する」

翼とジェットエンジンと綿密な計算が生み出す揚力のことですが、このコピーを目にしたときには他のことがうかびました。ジェット機のように巨大で重たいものが向かい風を操って空を飛ぶこと。何とはなしに、逆境の中でむしろそれを足場に前に進むこと、という意味に見えました。

例によってちょっと拡大解釈するなら、
きちんとくまなく整備された機体があれば、雨でも風でも飛んでいける。それは人間でも同じことのように思えました。

197 Carré

Hermès is one of the unique brands that I trust and respect. It's not "like or not like", nor "buy or not buy". I always feel strong personality, attitude and style in their maison or their products. Thier maison is just like a "house", as if Monsieur et Madame Hermès live in there. The identity is thoroughly established.

To me Hermès scarf has been a symbol of prestige, like Bently's motorcar, which means they are far from me. But lately I found that Carré, the iconic scarf, was possibly a close friend. Every one of us might have experience of wrapping ourselves in a blanket and playing hide-and-seek, or peekaboo when we were babies. Child's imagination turns a piece of cloth into a king's gown or Halloween ghost. Carré urges us to ventre the imagination a bit more sophisticated than a kid with a blanket. A piece of cloth must be the first instinctive source of creation to a human.

196 Record matters

Souvenir from Helsinki to my little niece, actually a wine cover, not a stuffed toy.

The loveliest reindeer I've ever seen.

At this time of the last year I was enjoying island trip and planning to finish 100 posts by the end of the year. This was achieved with ease, since I was in a long and beautiful vacation then.

This year I shall again state that I will finish another 100 (means, 200th) posts by 31th December 2011. Now I will stay in office until 30th and is working overtime. Time is limited and I am tired, so isn't it nonsense just to try to keep the record of 100 posts annually?

I think not. Keeping a little thing is sometimes important. It has nothing special, but it's a feel-good thing. So there're 4 posts left to be written and I have 4 days. Writing post itself is not so hard. I could talk about so many different things that came up with. But the toughest thing is to always take, choose and find the good picture. 

Life is an irony.
While I am exhausted by overwork, it is what the people at a loss for job is longing for. However, the sun rises for everyone.

195 Classy, Classic, and Classroom Christmas

"It's a Wonderful Life", directed by Frank Capra, 1946

Briggsの"Father Christmas"が最初のクリスマス本だったなら、次に読んだのはディケンズの「クリスマス・キャロル」だったはずです。この不朽の名作は、歓喜に満ちた結末ゆえになんとなく楽しいお話だと思っていたのですが、大人になって読み返せば物語のほとんどは悲痛と後悔と贖罪が語られていることに驚きます。それを一気に、一点の曇りもない明るい希望に導く結末には、とてつもない力強さがあります。その次に出会ったのはケストナーの「飛ぶ教室」。これも第一級のクリスマス物語ですが、大人になって読み返す人が少ないのは残念なことです。倫理観の強いストーリーは確かに子供向きとはいえ、全編通してキルヒベルクという街のクリスマスの描写がじつに活き活きとして愉しい本なのです。

クリスマス物語なら迷わずこの3冊。クリスマスの定番は何が好みかというより、子供の時に何を与えられたか、で決まるようです。

194 Delight Christmas

    

So this is Christmas, I would just pop the brilliant one from my photostock. It's in my hometown. 

Merry Christmas to you all.

193 Father Christmas

My first Christmas book given by my parents was Raymond Briggs' "Father Christmas", from which you could guess how my parents have a sense of humor. This cynical old man created the first image of Santa Claus in me. What an imagination that Santa Claus is actually a grumpy man reluctantly working all night in heavy snow for delivering the presents!

But the man is really charming and hard working. He deals with everything from caring his reindeers, preparing for the long tough night journey (he made sandwitch and brought raincoats, radio and lantern), doing households and chores, and celebrating his own Christmas for himself (the funniest part of the story). 

One of my favorite scenes is the Father Christmas talking with a milkman in the morning haze. Here "the flying reindeer" and the real world meets. I always think people working in early morning is kind of in half-dream and half-real world because everyone else is still unconcsious in sleep (I knew it myself as I did temporary newspaper delivery when I was a kid). This is the time you might meet the Father Christmas as a decent worker.

At the same time Briggs' Father Christmas makes me wonder what his life is like. These are my childhood's questions and still left answered even if I'm grown up.
 -Except for Christmas day, what does he do for the rest of the year? Sleeping?
-Where did he get the many many presents? Did he pay for all of them?
-He gets several greeting cards and presents (though he doesn't like most of them), but from who? He has relatives?
-Is he married? Where is his wife and children?
-Giving presents on Christmas day, is that his lifetime work? Did he start the job when he was young? Or is it a part-time job after his retirement?
-Is he appointed by Santa Claus in Finland? (Because he never mention his name as Santa Claus)
-Would he and his reindeers come across the ocean to my home?

192 Winter Light

Even in the chilly wind you'll catch some winter's light. Free from summer's humid and heavy air, sunlight in winter is crystal clear and has unexpectedly strong brilliance.

191 The King's Speech

今年初めにアカデミー賞を受賞した「The King's Speech（英国王のスピーチ）」がとても面白かったので、ご紹介します。そういえば、昨年末はやはりその前のアカデミーで話題になった「Up in the Air」について書きました。近頃は映画を観るのも1年遅れですが、SNSや頻々としたメールのやりとりに時間を割いているためだとしたら、果たして世界は広がっているのかそうでないのかとふと思います。

史実に基づく英国王の話、内気な王が勇気を持って障害を克服する話といえばある種「型にはまった」映画を想像しそうですが、この作品は品良く軽妙にその型を破って楽しませてくれます。それも、王の苦痛と苦悩の深さを描くことに決して手を抜かずに。ほとんどの登場人物が王族と政府要人で占められているのに、大仰な雰囲気はいっさいなく、それでいて威厳を漂わせつつ、溜め息もつけば悪態もつく。なるほど王族の身分というのは気の休まる暇もなく困難な仕事に一生涯を打ち込むことのようです。

吃音を克服するジョージ6世を演じるコリン・ファースは、いかにも名優然としていないのに、息をするように自然に王の人物像を作り出しています。王妃エリザベスを演じるヘレナ・ボナム＝カーターは優雅で温かい王の妻を、他の誰にもできないのではと思わせる完璧さで体現しています。王を支え友人となる言語聴覚士のライオネルは王でさえプライドを解きたくなるような快活で風変わりな紳士で、ジェフリー・ラッシュが独特な持ち味を遺憾なく発揮しています。

エレガントな衣装や、背景となる英国王室の数々の描写のアート・ディレクションも秀逸で、同じ空間の中で繰り返されるシーンを飽きさせません。

緻密かつ上質に作られ、魅せる映画である一方で、舞台劇のように脚本と台詞の妙がシンプルに際立っています。ここには歴史ものの重厚さではなく、手近な小説を読むような親しみやすさがあります。

190 In the Mirror

from Australian Photography.com

A word of wisdom ; "A clouded mirror cannot reflect the true figure." "A clouded mind never reflect the other mind correcrtly. Only a clear mirror can tell the truth." "So try to be clear, and keep the dust away from your mind."

189 In the Cloud

Photograph by Rüdiger Nehmzow

How does it feel like to be in cloud? Airplane pilots may know that. I'm feeling like I'm stuck in thick cloud. The sight is obscure and sometimes very dark. I cannot know what is the course beyond here and where I am located now. I was told that "You should get your feet back on the ground." So at least I will get my feet on the floor of my airplane and steady on.

I hope the answer is not "blowin' in the wind", but it's in this cloud and the haze.

188 Birthday 2011

Whether you might spend it fantastically or not, birthday is the time to remember if you wish to remember. In 2011 my funny birthday started at office in midnight (I worked overtime). Later on the day I spent classtime with my dance fellows and at the end of the class the word slipped out of my mouth that it was my birthday because I thought it would be unfriendly to them not to tell. They were amazed and blamed me for not telling it earlier. At last we dropped in a bar and they toasted me.

On the day, the day before, and the day after, I am so thankful that I've got so many kindhearted messages and presents from nice musics to invitaion to coffee. This year as well these gifts made the day to be well rememberd, had it not been for birthday cakes and champagne (I was not in good health anyway).

Just one year doesn't make people smarter, richer nor improved, but I'm sure at least I am experienced one year. Every coming year is an unpredictable story of my life.

187 Breakfast at L

1日3度の食事全てに感謝しつつも、朝食はなぜかいつも特別な地位を占めているように思います。活動と活動の間にエネルギーをため込むような昼食、一日の疲れと渇きを潤すような夕食とは違い、朝食を食べるときというのは何も考えず何にも捉われずにまっさらな身体にその日最初の栄養を与えるわけで、その快適な空白の時間が、単調な日々をささやかに更新していくように思います。

わざわざ出かけて朝食を他所で取るのは、これをささやかならぬ、ぐっと常ならぬ新鮮な気分で味わえる機会なのです。