My life for...

Reading the news in Asia is very entertaining. Today, the headline read: "Mr. Chu has direct clandestine connection to Obama." Mr. Chu is Taiwan's treasury secretary and the article mentioned Larry Summers, President Obama's top economic advisor. Then, the reporter built the story on how Mr. Summers once visited Taiwan, thirteen years ago, and played tennis with Mr. Chu.

And guess what the article said about Mr. Summer's impression of Taiwan? He thought that we're inconsistent at playing tennis. All because Mr. Chu had sent Taiwan's top tennis player to coddle him. Mr. Summers said, "He kept missing my easy serves and saving my impossible shots."

Yes, this is how the reporter in Taiwan thinks we have a direct connection to the Obama administration. Mr. Chu's ever so brilliant decision to manage Mr. Summer's love for tennis paved the path to a beautiful economic relationship with Taiwan and the US.

Mr. Maa, please start practice missing your jump shot. Or at least get someone in the NBA. China already has Yao and Yi...and I'm sure if they play Obama, they're ready to lose for the greater good.

Have I told you lately...

That the Japanese service industry deserves a gold medal?

After calling Hanover, Zaragoza, and Tokyo, guess which country provided the most helpful data to me?

This is a sample email:

"Dear James-san,

Please find attached hotel occupancy rates and total number of guests for hotels in Nagoya City before and after the 2005 Aichi Expo as requested over the phone. I hope this will be of help.

Emiko Iwasa
Japan Hotel Association"


She had me at James-san. I kinda feel bad that I'm helplessly stealing from their gaming industry (translation: Chinese pirates are absolutely without scruples.) BUT, I promise to own a house there one day.



Yes, that's the house I'm going to own. Also, are there any architecture firms out there that only focuses on modernizing ancient designs? So we can have eco friendly optic fiber shogun command centers? There is definitely a market for that.

Mascots are funny

Busy day today, working on our World Expo proposal. But while I was researching past expos, this is what Germany used to describe their mascot in 2000.

"The Expo 2008 mascot was Fluvi, a little male drop of water. With his best friend Ica, the smallest drop of water, and Nico and Laurita, he will fight against the pollution made by Sec and Raspa, the evil Negas."

Fluvi and Ica

I laughed so hard...

P.S This is not a mon calamari cruiser

...But we're getting there.

It's actually the expo performance center.

A matter of taste?

This is where I work. Located in Pudong, so the buildings have room to breathe. Not bad, imho. The courtyard looks especially impressive. But let's take a look at another Sheraton, a mere 40 mins away from me...

Do the managers there get eunuchs for butlers??

Concerning Dark Templars

"...who wield dual scythes and wear an ensemble of heavy armor and the bones of slain zerg."

I became a puddle at "bones of slain zerg."

city shots

Went to the Urban Planning Exhibition Hall today so I'll try to get those pictures posted too.  The models there?  Orgasmic.

My coworker's desk.  Really.  Not my desk.  

Well, at least this'll justify the Orc Shaman that I'm going to place on my desk.

And here, Dunkin' Donuts is a three star restaurant specializing in steak au poivre.  Mais non, I believe they serve the same glazed morsels of delayed death here.

I can't help but think that they only tattoo prison breaking maps here.  "What?  You're sentenced to the Bao Shan prison?  Don't worry, we've got the latest facility remodeling blueprints.  It takes a lot of surface area though, so don't be shy!"

CNY should be fun.