300 Trouble With The Curve

2012年は大変忙しい年でしたが、「あっという間に」終わった年でもありませんでした。単に慌ただしさの中に過ぎ去る日々ではなく、為さねばならない事柄が多く、責任も大きく、深い判断力と意志の力が試されるような重みを持った日々の積み重ねでした。

しかしそんな忙しい中で、実は映画を沢山観に行った年でした。というより忙しいからこそ映画なのです。限られた暇の中で、1時間でも2時間でも終わる時間がきちんと決まっていて、さっと観に行って、少しの時間思う存分楽しんで、さっと帰れば良い、それが映画です。

昨年のオスカーを席巻した静かでパワフルな"The Artist"や"My Week with Marilyn" "We bought a Zoo"など印象的なドラマから、ウディ・アレンの傑作コメディ "Midnight in Paris"、笑いと静かなドラマがリズミカルに見事に調和した "Intouchables"、タイトなアクション展開が楽しい "Man on the Ledge"、アメコミのブロックバスター "Avengers" や "Amazing Spiderman"、文句なしの痛快アクション "Mission Impossible"から、賛否両論はあるようでしたがスクリーンで観る爽快感を味わえた "John Carter" "Battleship"まで、いささか偏りはあるものの多くの映画を見ることができました。

今年最後に観たのはクリント・イーストウッドが久し振りに主演を務めたドラマ "Trouble With The Curve"です。一言でいえばこれは非常に素晴らしい作品です。老齢で引退も迫られつつある野球の名スカウトの出張旅行に疎遠だった弁護士の娘が突然同行することになり、大きな事件も起きないながらなかなか一筋縄ではいかない親子の対話が始まります。主人公の最大の危機は犯罪との戦いでも西部の決闘でもなく、老齢と頑固さです。しかしそうかといって地味な話ではありません。ラストの展開こそ少々うまく行き過ぎの感もありますが、脚本は非常にリアルで、淡々とした中にも思いがけないシーンやセリフ、月並みでないキャラクターの描き方に目を見張ります。背景となるアメリカの郊外、野球場やホットドッグ、キャッチボールやモーテルの描写がノスタルジックに美しいのも見どころです。

老齢と頑固さという「敵」をいかに克服するかといっても、それは現実には無理な話であって、結局それらを「克服」するわけもなく、しかし絶妙で繊細な心の変化によって、お互いに悩んできた親子はそれぞれ新たな地平を見つけます。どこまでもストレートで、タフさと幸福感に溢れたいまどき珍しい映画です。その気概を老齢をものともせず、強靭な精神性で説得力を持って体現するイーストウッドも素晴らしく、考えてみればハリウッドもシンプルな「善き映画」を作っていた時代があったわけですが、その意気は映画のスタイルが悉く変化した現代でもやはり強烈に求められていると思います。

299 Reunion

"Reunion" Island

Now I nearly arrived at the year-end post of this blog. "100 posts in a year" is my own goal and has nothing to do with my work or my life, but to keep and complete something, anything trivial, cannot be meaningless.

Nevertheless these last 10 or more posts had to be rushing, as this month was unusually busy to meet my old friends and I had no time to sit in peace and quiet looking at the PC screen. 

Every reunion was different, as some of them had a child, others had new job,  and so on. But the point is that I could talk to them as easily as, as relaxed as it used to be and yet the conversation of the two made a striking progress, making the friendship into the next dimension, which delighted me the most. It may be a simple face that everyone including me keeps growing up. But when you found yourself talking to your friend on something that you'd never expect to talk before, on different aspect that you'd never obtain before, in the same friendly manner as before, it is nothing but wonderful. It is a proof that you had push your boundary and widen your capacity and diversity. 

I hope my good friends shared my view on these happy occasions as I'm sure reunion with old friends makes something new.

298 Real Life

Excuse me to tell the story back in Christmas. For these several years I've been away from the custom to ornament the Christmas tree. I wasn't so pious nor affluent and found little place to stand a decent tree. When I was a kid and living in northern area my family set a real tree every year and decorate it with light, stars, balls and icicle-shaped glass. I believed strongly that the tree was cut down by my father and brother one night in the near hill. Of course it wasn't and finally I knew the truth of Christmas market. 

This year I happened to find the branch of holy tree and decided to put it in my house. Since holy have been used as amulet against evil, the prickle of the leaves was indeed sharp and painful and did hurt some of my fingers. But it didn't matter. This was just the thing the real holy should be.

The other day I was dining at my favorite deli. They decorated the narrow wooden table with a bunch of real fir tree branches. The tree didn't hurt people but welcomed with its refreshing evergreen scent. It was so good that I almost asked the manager if he could spare me some of the trees. 

I don't try to deny artificial Christmas decoration at all, but I think you cannot resist these strong attractions that only the real plants could generate.

297 Clark Little

Recently I've got to know the surf photographer Clark Little. He was originally a surfer and became internationally known for his marvelous photo at north shore Hawaii. Just filled with wonder and admiration of the beauty and his great work, while I cannot help finding a mixed feeling of how disastrous the wave can be on the other pars on earth (maybe also in Hawaii). Nature is, by nature, magnificent and at the same time awful. But that awe-inspiration indicates his uncommon talent to image the both sides of nature in a picture, not just the pretty postcard shot.

296 Thanksgiving

「与えること」「分けること」「贈ること」はつねに「受け取ること」「もらうこと」よりも清々しく心地良いものです。尤も自分が与えること、贈ることで相手が喜んでくれるだろうという意識は、本質的には自己満足に過ぎないのかもしれません。それでも、価値観を同じくする相手にさらに良いものを探し、選ぶ過程はとても楽しくエキサイティングです。一方自分にとって本当に的を得た贈り物をもらえることは（敢えて言うなら）稀なのですが、そうした驚きと喜びが時々あるからこそ、貴重なのかもしれません。

295 Cyclist's view

以前、自転車で通勤していたことがあります。快適さや爽快感は言うまでもなく、その頃自分で最も驚いたことは徒歩の時との視点・視野の違いです。自転車とはいえ当然「車」の一種ですから、他の「車」と信号と人の動きはもちろん、道路の状態から風の具合にも気を配り、従って視野はかなり遠くからすぐ近くまで、上下左右に行き来しています。そうやってインプットした情報に従って、安全かつ最も速く進めるルートを選び、また常に偶発的な事故への備えを全身で取っているわけです。

ところが歩行者は（殊に寒い季節には）いきおい足元ばかり見て歩く人が少なくありません。とりわけスマートフォンに熱心な人は足元はおろか手元しか見ていないことになります。確かに徒歩なら下の方ばかり見ていても事故に逢うことはまあめったにないのですが、それでも本当にそれでいいのだろうかと思います。もし広い公園や湖の畔かどこか、考え事でもしながらゆっくり歩くのなら、視界に気を配る必要などないのですが、街中の人ごみを通り抜けようという時には自転車乗りと同じ目線を持っていても差し支えないどころか、多いに歩を助けるだろうと思います。実際試してみれば分かりますが、顔を上げて、道の遠くを見ながら歩いてみれば、人の流れや動線や、誰といつ交差していつぶつかりそうになるか、一目でとは言わないまでも、かなり明瞭に見えてくるのですから。

294 WW #17 Closing Journal

So my first visit and stay in Zurich was a wonderful journey. I feel grateful to the flight attendants, taxi driver, hot drinks in Starbucks and my film camera so strongly-built that could bear the freezing cold, and all the people and things I met. But I also think good memory in travel owes a lot to the place the traveler is staying. I chose a neat business hotel at central Zurich and one of the first guesthouses in the city (back in 14th century!) The comfortable modern taste in design, cleanliness, quietness, healthy breakfast, friendliness were part of the features the hotel offered. "Please come back someday in spring or summer, the city looks much better!" the staff said to me. I wish it'll come true in near future.  

293 WW #16 Chocolate

Frankly I don't like sweets. I don't have custom to have cakes and cookies, tarts and chocolates. If I don't travel for foods, it's as surely as I don't for sweets. But Zurich gave me another view on this. The famous "Swiss Chocolate" really deserved its reputation. I only tried some of them but it simply "the best" chocolate I've ever eaten. Of course Paris, Copenhagen or Helsinki offered great chocolate when I visited these cities and  I'd appreciate fine products from Belgium or Italy. However the Swiss Chocolate had outdone others in lightness, freshness, moderate sweetness and refinement. It can also be said that they suited best to my taste. 

Sprungli, one of the most renowned  confectionery brands (the fact unknown to me before the travel), is no doubt the best. Currently they're running the shops only in Switzerland and Dubai. Their fine chocolate even makes me think it not so bad to travel for sweets. The only reason I didn't dare to taste them so many times in Zurich was they were available anytime all over the city.

292 WW #15 Kunsthaus Zürich

Kunsthaus Zurich boasts its excellent collection in Western art history. I spent 3-4 hours watching the latest exhibition (the opening of newly designed hall as Kunsthaus extension project) and finest collection. The museum was just  great in its rich collection, architecture, interior, design, services and assistance to visitor. In addition the quietness and peacefulness is noteworthy. And yet it is friendly and cheerful. I have been as happy as could be, when facing Paul Cezanne's "The boy in the red vest", or looking at David Chipperfield's architectural model of the new hall, and gazing at Manet, Van Gogh, Piccaso, Rembrandt, Rodin, Lichtenstein, Giacometti, Dali, Lautrec, Miro, Braque, Cezanne and more. When I found Amedee Ozenfant's work I was overwhelmed by the delight, because that was the first time to see the paining with my own eyes, and the artist meant much to me as I had been respecting Le Corbusier since I was a teenager. Ozenfant and Corbusier together set up a Purism movement and published an art/design/style  magazine "L'esprit Nouveau". I studied all these things when I chose Corbusier as my topic of graduation thesis, but never had an opportunity to see the Purism paintings. For that reason the visit to the museum became especially memorable.

291 WW #14 Rain

It rained a lot during my stay in Zurich. Certainly sunshine could have been more welcomed, but rainy weather didn't matter to me much. The colder and groomier the sky was, I could all the more appreciate the warmth at cafes and brightness of street light. One more encouraging was the fact people didn't necessarily put their umbrellas even in considerable raindrops. Roughly estimated, half of the people were walking without umbrellas.    

290 WW #13 Smoking clean

One of the amazing things I found in Zurich is the cleanliness. Another is the city has lots of habitual smoker. It seems the indoor smoking is prohibited so people smoke while walking or waiting for the tram. But the most wonderful and amazing thing is the city keeps its neatness however many smokers are walking around. I hardly found shabby cigarette-ends or ashes in major streets and plazas(I'm not exaggerating!) 

289 WW #12 Vitra; VitraHaus

Lastly I would like to introduce this fantastic place; Vitrahaus. Designed by internationally famous firm from local Basel, Herzog & de Meuron. This is the latest architecture built in Vitra Camps, and the structure is quite unique as well as other former masterpieces. As you see in the first picture the Haus is composed by 12 identical houses stacked up in different angle. Each houses has beautiful showroom furnished with sophisticated Vitra products. 

The first impression of the building to me was unbelievable and enjoyable. It was as though a set of houses were fallen from the sky one day--- like "Oz" or SF comedy. It was the most playful architecture I've ever seen. But the unique shape had an important meaning. The guide explained to me the 12 houses faced each direction and overall they made a kind of "circle" so that people could see all around the area from inside through each windows. Thinking of the area which was along the borders of Germany, Switzerland and France, the concept is important because "Open to every direction" is a clear statement of cosmopolitanism in design. It brilliantly makes sense to an international company like Vitra, along with the idea of combining outstanding architects from all over the world.

288 WW #11 Vitra; Conference Pavilion

First I thought this building was a recent work by Tadao Ando simply because I was so ignorant that I didn't know the work. Wrong. This was built in 1993 and became the first architecture realized outside his home country Japan (though he had already gained international renown before that). 

The building was full of surprise. Seen from the assigned pathway (you had to set a certain course to enter the building, like a plane landing on runway) only the top of the concrete roof appeared on the green lawn. It looked small and discreet. Then I suddenly found myself in front of a wide square garden surrounded by concrete wall. That was the entrance. It seemed solemn with sharp straight line and stern concrete face. But once going into the building I was surprised to feel the warmth, familiarity and coziness, which (surprisingly again) didn't conflict with the dignified excellence.

It had several seminar rooms different in scale. The smallest of all which the guide showed me was a simple square room furnished with only stand light, sofas and table. According to the explanation the room have been used for business meetings/discussions and appreciated for its inspirational ambiance. To me it was difficult to get it (as I didn't visit there for business purpose), but I fully enjoyed the harmony of architectural beauty and Zen-like spirit.

287 WW #10 Vitra; Fire Station

Vitra offers architectural guided tour which takes you around the Vitra Campus and gives you quick but profound explanation on each buildings. On such a cold rainy day the guest was only me. So I happily monopolized the guide and enjoyed every single conversation and Q&A. 

The Fire Station by Zaha Hadid was one of the architectures I could go inside. Seen from outside, the building looked like a sharp-shaped concrete wall with nothing especially attractive (shame on me!) But the inside was quite strange and interesting. Every line of the wall, window, floor, corner, ceiling, lighting, doors and even stairs, was in some way oblique and rarely I found right-angled figure that should have seen. The architecture gives you unbalanced, unstable feeling, and sometimes floating sensation. What makes an architect to design such an unbalanced, unstable building, especially for a fire station which essentially require functionality? Neither the guide and I couldn't answer to the question, but my friend found it when I told the experience. He said "It's to train the sense of balance and athletic skills of firemen, who always fight in extreme circumstance." 
Well done!

286 WW #9 Vitra; introduction

I've been writing down my visit to Zurich, but actually I left for Basel on the next morning I arrived in Zurich. Knowing Basel is internationally renowned for its Watch Fair(BaselWorld) held in spring, November was surely out of season. Moreover, the rain had keep falling in the Basel region during my stay. So I didn't expect sunshine or fever, but I headed for Vitra Campus in high spirits, like a pilgrim, as this was the sacred ground for modern architecture. 

Vitra is a superior brand for interior design and furniture. Vitra Campus represents its brand philosophy with a great combination of museum,  architectures and showroom, all designed by the most prominent architects of our era, Buckminster Fuller, Tadao Ando, Zaha Hadid, Frank Gary, Herzog & de Meuron and more.

The experience was beyond my expectation though I had to bear the cold weather and rain. After all, the climate wasn't a flaw as it set off the warm welcome and my imagination of the brilliance of the place in other seasons.

285 WW #8 Happy Christmas

 So this is Christmas!  

284 WW #7 Lucy

"Lucy in the Sky" is the Christmas lighting covering all through the Bahnhofstrasse, Zurich's main street. It's made of thousands of LED light with crystals hanging from transparent wire. But I'm certain it doesn't need any explanation to appreciate the amazing beauty. I was almost shocked to see them for the first time. I was walking into the street without knowing what was waiting for me, and when I turned a corner suddenly this awesome lighting welcomed me. Stunned by its beauty I stood still for a while. It was just like stars, jewels or snowflakes in the night. It was really, really, really, really "Wow." I know I've seen one of the world's best Christmas illuminations many times, but this was exceptional. How could they make such a fantasy appear in the real street? 

If you are interested in the behind story of "Lucy" please check it;

"Lucy lights up Zurich sky with diamonds" from swissinfo.ch.

283 WW #6 Gastronomy

Some might think, "When you're going to talk about foods on your journey?" I seldom talk about foods in the first place. And I don't travel for foods. Most importantly I don't want to photograph foods which is served for me. A good blogger should refine that kind of skills but I feel somewhat guilty. So if I take photo of my plate, it's only when nobody watches me--- none of the chefs, waiters or other guests. This is one of them at beautiful "Restaurant Belcanto" next to the Zurich Opera house. Belcanto is a marvelous place in terms of atmosphere and quality of taste, located only a few steps from Opera house with spacious view of the lake Zurich.

Zurich I saw was a city of gastronomy, though I mostly enjoyed light meals at cafes and take-away sandwiches. The charm and advantage of the city as to cuisine, is internationality. It welcomes people with Italian, French, or German、Thai, Spanish, Chinese and Mediterranean dishes as well as its local Swiss. I found near my hotel a nice Italian Restorante "Molino" seemingly a successful Italian casual dining full of local families. Tasty and friendly enough.

"But have you ever really appreciated traditional Swiss foods anyway?", some might say. Yes. To me breakfast is simply the finest meal of a day and I was lucky to have savoury Emmenthal cheese (very famous and traditional Swiss cheese with large holes like you see in "Tom & Jerry") with fresh milk every morning.  

282 WW #5 Traffic

Punctuality always makes one of the virtues of Switzerland. Every travel guidebook I saw never failed to point that visitors could count on it. True. They have highly developed trams and well-ordered rails. I was personally impressed by the trams.

Zurich tram is worth seeing. 10-15 lines are seamlessly spreading all over the city. The cars are unexpectedly long, and ultra-clean as expected. Each lines seem to run at least every 10 minutes, so you always catch the next tram within 10 minutes. The sight of long and neat trams running frequently but also systematically in every major streets is marvelous. Comfortable to ride, very much convenient, they are excellent.

Among these many trams, buses and cars on the busy streets, pedestrians are well-organized. When you're crossing the streets, the crosswalk is divided into 2 or 3 according to the traffic and each is managed with the traffic light. Waiting time and walking time for pedestrians are both short. Everything looks quick and smooth, and organized efficiently even though the situation is complicated, like crossing trams are running in the middle of the junction of three streets.

281 WW #4 Elegance

Above is a tramstation at Bellevue-Platz, literally a beautiful location nearby the lake. Below is a cloakroom at Zurich Opera House. Neither of them might  be one of the popular photo-targets (especially to local residents.) But without knowing why I was enchanted by the scenes. It'd be a bit hard to tell from the photo, but the tramstation had futuristic shape and theatrical lighting. The cloakroom was situated in a place like "Under stairs storage" but it actually was very light and airy, with ivory-white wall and refined modernity (you see Ant Chairs by Arne Jacobsen, one of the masterpieces of Scandinavian design, in the middle of the room.) This modern room made a right angle with the solemn and gorgeous entrance of the Opera House so that they wouldn't interfere with each other.

Casually styled but well proportioned, simple but delicate, as well as effortlessly chic, I'd like to call it elegance.

280 WW #3 Lake

November is not a best season to enjoy the lake view. During my stay the weather around Zurich was cloudy, rainy, foggy, partly sunny and snowy at last. Streets and buildings looked all gray, while water and sky were mix of silver and sax-blue. But the Zurich lake never disappointed me. They said that the city banned draining waste water from any domestic and industrial site into the lake. So to say the lake is "almost drinkable." Tapwater tasted really nice as I've heard, and there were natural fountains that were actually drinkable all over Zurich. Whether it is real or not regarding the level of transparency, I think this moment in the dim light could tell how clear the water might be. This city is a genuine water-front.

279 WW #2 Starbucks

"Why did you go out of your way to drop in Starbucks, of all places?" my colleague asked me in amazement, when I talked about my frequent visits at Starbucks in Zurich. Yes, it seems odd to go to the global chain cafe while traveling. But I found perfect reasons for it. 

One, in Zurich you could see so many Starbucks so frequently that you'd guess that the city loves the cafe. 
Two, it gives you a relief to be able to count on something very familiar, like a habitual cup of coffee when you're a stranger in the town. 
Three, local differences in global chain are always interesting. 
Four, Starbucks succeeded to create an universal style that well work in every major cities on earth no matter how the locations and histories are. Would I go too far if I say that Starbucks is like an airport, in the sense of functionality and universality, because it welcomes people of all gender and all ages in the same style and design, regardless of the location? 

And lastly, it would be delightful to see your favorite place in an indeed beautiful Christmas ambience that is too good to be true.

278 Winter Wonderland #1 People

Multi-languages, cosmopolitans and immigrants are not unusual in Europe at all. But in Zurich I really met several different people and languages. On the flight to Zurich I had friendly conversation with an ex-trader working in USA, California, who moved to Zurich with his wife. He said he wished peace and quiet life in beautiful nature. Then I met a Japanese lady who was on way to home with her baby. I helped her carrying the baby and baggage at the airport. She kindly told me that she should have invited me to her home if only my stay in the city would be much longer. I thanked her and her husband and said goodbye. 

At Basel station I was looking for the way to a museum and went to the tourist information office. It was busy. A woman was handling 5-6 tourists and she switched the language respectively. German, French, Italian and English (Judging from the national-flag-badges she wore on her name plate, she could speak more than 5 languages). It seems nothing special, but impressive.

70% of Zurich people are working in service-sector. 10% of the citizens are somehow connected to the Zurich university. I'm not sure how these figures appeal to readers, but from my impression people in Zurich seldom shows plain friendliness or passionate expression, but they are friendly and talkative.  And they seemed to be professional citizen with highly developed quality-of-life and morals, living in highly-efficient and cultured city.

On my way back flight, I was sitting next to an old gentleman. For the first time I had difficulty in communicating with foreign people because he could only speak French, Italian and Spanish. My poor French and his limited English barely made sense. He was a Roman Catholic priest. As we were unable to talk a lot, I watched the latest Die Hard movie and wondered if it would be a disrespect to see Hollywood action film next to priest. But he didn't care at all and kept reading his Bible.

One of those who I met during my stay is unforgettable. In Basel a decent German taxi driver and I enjoyed talking for a while. He said he had retired and just got started his second job as a taxi driver on that day (not for money, but for enjoying driving and meeting people, he said.) I happened to be his first passenger!