Thursday, May 29, 2008


Yamada Denki. This is rural big electrical goods store in Japan. They have pretty much everything from chair massager to digital camera. They also have point system where one can accumulate point by buying something. For oversea people, it is kind a waste to get a point but if you tell them you do not need point but please discount, then they do that as well.

Shin-Marunouchi Building in Tokyo. Location is great. You can access from Tokyo station via subway. So if its raining outside... you be alright. Take NEX from Narita and you will be there in 70 minutes or so. BUT... I can not see the differenciation between its sibling Maru-Building. To me Maru has more store floor space per shop. More space does not mean better but Shin-Maru store selection was weak. If I go to TKO, and visit certain building then I want to feel a theme or scenario behind store selection for particular buiilding. Without it, I can be anywhere else. But going against my feeling, there were tons of people there though. Good luck Marus.

Monday, May 26, 2008


Maxim's Dim Sum restaurant in HKG Hong Kong Airport. Good to know that you can eat some quality food in airport. $20 for one with a beer.

Bucket List 2007. Morgan and Jack played nice role to each other. Amazing to see they hit Shelby 350. Wonder how many cars they needed to make the movie... Good story especially the ending gave me some goose bumps. $25.

Mad Money 2008. Keaton and Queen playing some fun role. Keaton is leaving funny lady role to more silly thin old lady role. Kind a funny but thin story. $9.

Transering Pig in China. Could be on its way to you know what. Some held standing pretty well although trafic was stop and go.

Sheraton Hong Kong. The bathroom had clear wall to bed room. Kinky and Bladerunner-ish. Bitch to clean for the maids. $180 per night. Small room but not as small as one in London.

Hong Kong View at night.

Hong Kong view from a hotel room.

Indian restaurant called Spice Circle in Shenzhen China. Good taste. I think it was cooked by Inidan and had real Tandoris. Nice fanky interior as well. Would go there again.

912... Lucky numbered track in China...

Foxconn, manufacturing giant in China. I did not know Foxconn write like this in Chinese character. It also can be read as Fuji-Kou in Japanese. Good name. Huge company. It was so huge that you neeed a car or golf cart to go between building. It has a few restaurant, shopping complex, bank and of course dormitory. They say its get pretty muggy in summer but when I was there, it was alright weather.

Outside view of the hotel below. It is in a huge complex. The middle hold the swimming pool.

Sheraton Shenzhen. What a change from 6 years ago when I was here. None of this was here... $170 per night with a huge swimming pool. Would stay here again.

27 dresses (2008) Mediocre story but the main lady played well. Saw her in somewhere else but can not remember. $9

Jumper 2008. So so story. Did not get why jumper existed nor Samuel has to kill them. $5

Sunday, May 18, 2008


The Golden Compass (2007) Nice retro future set up. Did not expect to show so much in term lead into version II but kind a liked it. Lyra played a good. The ice bear is mighty too. Love the little ride with magnito center engine. $13.

Last Friday we saw Michael Phelps doing 400 midoley at Santa Clara Swimming Pool. He won but not with as big margin as last year. There was a security dude following right behind him. It kind a explains it since he is a gold medal candidate for this year's Olympic. One nice thing was that when he was autographing to a little kid and forgot to give him back the pen cap, he came down stairs to give it to the kid. Nice for not being arrogant.

Henry Cowell Redwoods SP
We went there for camping this weekend with 5 families=11kids. Weather was just right and woods were amazing. Some train were running back and forth too. From the camp, we could hear the train whissle in distance as if Pat Metheny's Last Train Home. Nice!! Loved it. $33 per night.

Later, I realized I got poison oaked so much!! Be careful whoever going there camping. A week later still itches like X!@#$#.

Thursday, May 15, 2008


Charlie Wilson's War (2007) Based on true guy. Philip is playing good in it. Overall interesting story and OK as entertainment. Not much more to write about on this one. $7.

News reporter change from NHK. What happen to him especially in 2007. Stress? Stop dying his hair? But looks like he lost a lot of weight too.. Yikes.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008


Another Fixie I am starting to dig is Cannondale Capo. I just like Cannondale bike as a company and also the fat and smoothness of the frame. This one has too many logo and stickers on the frame but if prrice is right, I might just get one. I will swap to Bullhorn handle and lower the handle joint. Seat to be more thin, may be in blanc. Get 52cm and ride high.

Lexus GS and Jaguar XF comparisson. I will never buy Toyota for being pragmatic giant but I must admit Lexus GS is one of the best looking sedan out there. All the line on the body are meant to be there to create this massive tight shape and it is just pleasant to look at it. Oh heck I might even buy it (used) later. It looks just so beautiful. On the other hand when I saw Jag at Frankfurt, it looked cheap. As if some other Japanese design with thin sheet metal designess to it. But something reminded me of Lexus GS. Now french caught it too and here is the web site about it http://www.leblogauto.com/2007/11/design-jaguar-xf-vs-lexus-gs.html

Shame on Jag or may be opposite but anyway I think GS has the better design. Bye Cat.

Some of the house we saw this weekend were in lower 600K range and looked like shit. They were meant to be torn down an dbuild new one which brings the whole cost to over a mil. Shoot, I can not build a house I want with practical method and thinking here. I got to find a some kind of land which no one want and be creative here. I was flipping through DWELL June 2008 on p.86 there was a nice house in SF. May be I have to become independent to build something like that....

Got to think differntly.

http://www.craigsteely.com/projects/house_b.html

Tuesday, May 13, 2008


This weekend I went for house hunting for the 1st time with realtor. Made me really sad to see there nothing I can afford with my pay and budget. What kind of society where decent couple with kid can NOT but decent house. May be better move on to next country.

Friday, May 09, 2008


Ironman 2008. Beautiful. Loved it loved it loved it. Although it is not too thick in term of story but just pure designer's wet dream. I love the part when he order hot saki in his plane... Great choice to use Robert Jr. as Ironman. His wit and character is wonderful. But I never read original Ironman.... $35 worth!! I want to see it again right away and I never felt like this for while.

Steelhead wine Zinfandel 2006. It was thick and fruity. Kind a Zin I like. $13 at Safeway.

Thursday, May 08, 2008


Michael Clayton (2007) The review said suspenseful melodrama but it was too mellow for me. The lady played weird nice way and George was good in it but lawyer biz is boring. I like how it went back 4 days right after opening and ending where image stays and credit comes up as he ride cab for $50 worth... $9.

Monday, May 05, 2008


Egberto Gismonti [In Montreal] A friend told me about him and it is always nice to discover some nice tune which I can remember later the time and scene when I was playing it heavily. The tune called Palhaco in this album will be the one I hope. I have been playing so many times by now. This (I think) Brazilian is something like Jarett, Metheney and Glass but he has beautiful rythm in Piano like I've never heard. Just as if I heard Led Zeppelin's drum for the 1st time. That kind of goose bump funny tempo.... I hope to listen other album but for now I better let this album soak to my meat.

Maker Faire at San Mateo. Used to be $15, now $25 but we had a fun. Coke mentos shows, ball on sand, planes, and this liquid metal thing which was my favorite.

Me friend driving 67 jag. Nicely done. It has a long nose which realte to you know what. See my car reflecting on his nice paint?

Made in the USA. http://www.confederate.com/ The Bike. This one is called Hellcat I think and goes for some'n like $80K but it is beautifully done. LED front and back blinkers and rear arms as exhaust pipes. Not sure how it perform on street but looks good. Love the big fat tire.

Legend of Motorcycle show at Halfmoon bay Ritz Carlton. The Bike show. Many vintage and new crazy bike. The auction speaker people are loud and annoying. Some bikes were not sure why chosen to be winner but what do I know about vintage bikes. There was many bikes I liked but above is the my favorite.

Thursday, May 01, 2008


Three Kings (1999) Darn serious comedy. Kind a liked but somehow felt originality is not deep enough. Love that part when military says wife in the US has a good locaion on where about of her husband in Iraq. $8.