A resoution wrecking-ball of a day...

I really struggled with my resolutions today. All these small but annoying issues at work that I thought had been put to bed came back to pester me. Luckily the nightmare words 'stock' and 'option' did not rear their ugly heads or I would have gone postal. Nonetheless, I managed to be a moaning bundle of negativity all day.

Then, because I had to deal with all these boomerang problems, I was forced to work late and miss out on this event that I had been planning to go. So that put socializing well and truly by the wayside.

I was so fed up by the time I got home. But strangely that made made me all the more determined to keep at least one of my new year's promises and do something to stay healthy. Even though it was kinda late, I forced myself out in the cold (it's been down to minus four some nights recently) and headed down to the river to jog off some of the stresses of the day.

And do you know what, it actually worked. The air was so crisp and clear and the skyscrapers just kind of popped out against the moonlit sky. It was really nice. I wish I'd had my camera - unfortunately the crap-o-cam on my phone just showed some dark blur. Point is, I came back home feeling like a new person and I'm ready for whatever tomorrow throws at me.

I thought I might have an old photo that would show you much the same view, but I don't. However, looking through the memory card reminded me of a couple of pics I've been wanting to show you.

What do you think of this installation outside a very prestigious central office building that is home to some pretty big and powerful corporations?




I hate it with a passion and can't help but feel the artist is laughing all the way to the bank, disbelieving of the fact that they got away with it. I guess I grudgingly have to say it's good art, though, because it sure provokes a reaction in me. Is the artist trying to say that no matter how evolved and civilized workers like myself think we are, we are still just animals sniffing each others' pheromones slash butts? I dunno.

Anyway,there is a tenuous link between these photos and the other ones I wanted to show you. To get to the office building above, you pass the 'Nakagin' building below.






This is an iconic building by Kurokawa Kisho from the 70s and was designed as 'capsule' living for the modern young salary man about town. I heard a rumour the other day that they're going to tear it down. I'll admit it's looking a bit rough around the edges, but I think demolishing it would be a shame. Useless fact about the building I saw on a TV show ages ago: it's actually the cheapest residential accommodation in the very pricey Ginza district. It'd be a good place to live if you're not that worried about asbestos or getting squished in the next big shaker. Anyway - I love the design and I hope any new tower that comes in its place tries to emulate its spirit.

Alright, I'm just waffling now. It's probably all the pheromones I sniffed today. Time for bed.

A little gif to make my folks laugh.

I cannot watch this penguin running off without cracking up.


see more Gifs

Vaguely resolving

I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about (and sometimes writing about) how my life is so terrible and such a disappointment.

But today, running down by the river, I was struck by how lucky I was to be alive and how much good stuff there was around me: the sky was clear and blue; the sun was shining on the fluttering susuki; old folks were fishing; people were out on the shimmering water in their speed boats and kayaks; children were literally skipping; there were even some pre-teens knocking tennis balls against a wall (which was probably one of my own happiest pastimes a kid - I was unabomber-level loner even back then).

And I just thought, well here I am getting a bit of fresh air, enjoying some exercise and having a chance to soak in all these happy vibes around me. Life's not that bad when you look at it. Maybe it is down to having had a bit of time off. No doubt it's a lot to do with another relative passing. But I really just want to be positive about 2011 and 'live' rather than just 'exist', as I feel I have been doing for the last few years.

Last year I made the mistake of writing down my new year's resolutions. I looked back at them the other day and realized that I didn't bring a single one to completion. I made a few inroads but clearly set the bar way too high and paved the way to failure and feeling down about myself. So this year I'm keeping it simple.

1. Be positive more often than negative. I think it's important to allow yourself to experience every emotion occasionally - even the bad ones - but I tend to let the scales tip too far over to the dark side.

2. Be healthier. I generally lead a pretty healthy lifestyle, but prioritizing work over health is an error from 2010 that I do not want to repeat in 2011.

3. Be less of a loner. I really enjoy my own company - I always have (see loner tennis games above). I live a lot in my head and feel very comfortable there. However, I fear I'm slipping from 'introvert' to 'asocial'. I don't want to see my relations with people as a burden or to be incapable of putting other people's needs before my own. Like in the two resolutions above, I just want to redraw the balance before it's too late.

Finally, I want to have some fun. 2010 was a dull year for me. I didn't laugh enough. So I'm going to try and join this little ninja in a project where you do one new fun or beneficial activity every month. The reason her plan really spoke to me is that she said the each month should involve "nothing insane, nothing dramatic, just activities that will make 2011 pass in less of a haze than 2010". Hallelujah! I haven't planned January's one yet, but I'm open to suggestions.