Watched 2nd movie in 2020.
Selected "Kaiji Final Game."
That is based upon popular katoon or manga.

This is final and last movie after 2 movies. 2nd one was about 9 years ago.
It was about life-time gambling… "game."



Some tricks used were obvious and I even knew before they disclosed how to get it done.
Well, the movie was yet fun and pretty exciting.



Usually, movie ticket is 1900 yen.
Mine was 1400 because using movie voucher.
Actually, I would never go to any movie for full price.

500 yen less means that I can go to a movie for free after 3 movies.
So you see the impact… that is why.
Am sure that you would do the same… otherwise you would wait until becoming available online.

Very cold in Tokyo.
Actually, snowing… a little. Not accumulated, though.
Snow and rain got mixed and eventually rained only.

Pretty low temperature reminded us all that it was still WINTER.

Tonight, there was a party / gathering for this man.



Kanji finally got retired. It was party for celebrating him to finished the career!



Many people got together. I haven't see some of them almost for 10 years or even longer.
Festivity didn't conclude easily and we went through many rounds of drinks for sure.
Not even sure how many… oh boy.

I have to get up early tomorrow morning… I'd better hit the sack NOW. Hahaha.

Along with my boss, I was invited for a big lunch like:

(Menu quoted from the restaurant website)

Monthly Lunch Course

January 6th - 31st, 2020

4,000 yen per person

Specially-assorted Cold Appetizer (Served individually)
Shark Fin and Wonton Soup
Deep-Fried Pork with Chinese Pepper

Sautéed Squid with Rape Blossom
Braised Shrimp with Chili Sauce
Fried Rice with Wagyu and Red Ginger

Almond Jelly with Strawberry

Minimum Order - 2 persons.

This was a hotel restaurant located in the Hotel Okura - recently open from renovation & relocation.
Oh boy, it has become very modern but very profound hotel.
Chinese restaurant was reserved for lunch meeting with clients.

As you can see, it was such a big lunch.

I usually eat minimum for lunch like:



I ate entire lunch course and I surely became full. I lasted being full for whole afternoon.
Unusual.

Being full slow all businesses down for me. This is a lesson learned.
I should be careful for this from now on.

Well, Friday is over and just weekend begins.
Tokyo may experience snow tomorrow… will see how it would go.
If does, please be careful out there.

Came to Ekoda area…
Never ever come to this place for any business…
Just for private…



Came around 4pm… because the shop gets open then.
Place called "Bateau."
MoonFlower and I tried twice before but all sold out. Today, we rather came early.



Finally, successful visit to this place for the 1st time for 3 times. Finally, we get the luck.



This is what we were looking for… famous crape. 500 yen.
Shop recommend to eat them immediately because hot crape tastes better.
Yes, surely they were good. Loved them.

Worth to make a trip to this place for such sweets???



It was fun drive around, too. Driving for a while and driving for sweets… not that bad combination.
Well, long weekend is now over with this.

Still middle of the weekend!!! We do have one more day… before getting back to work.
Since having much drinks last night, we took things slow for today.
Nothing is really planned.

Walking as exercise is what we tried.
Walking up to Ginza since some shopping was needed to do.
I had to walk in to Uniqlo for shopping new PJs. My current PJs are quite worn out…



Tons of tourists in Ginza… particularly, Chinese.
More of them in Uniqlo… hard to shop around.
Maybe Japanese shoppers should stick to the online media…

Since we were in Ginza, decided to eat in for supper before getting back.
MoonFlower looked up and decided a place to go…
It was our "usual." We went in to the "Uhei" place.



Small gift was prepared and handed to me.
It is a part of new year celebration.
Usually, adults give children a small packet with small cash.

Today, I received such from the owner of restaurant. Not cash, though. Small fancy gift in it. Cool.









It was SAKE night with great Japanese cuisine.
Everything was great for foodies.

Initially, we planned to take light meal… resulted heavy food. Luxurious life indeed.

Long weekend started with a movie.
"Ford v Ferrari" opened this weekend in Japan.
Pretty cool movie, it was.



Am not much keen on the time when Ford was dominant in US back in 60's or 70's.
Lots of people knowing those periods obviously came to see this watch.
I guess, those times in the history had lots of movements and memories.

Great casting. Great fact and human drama development.
Christian Bale was should be given great thumb's up.
I wonder whether Henry Ford II was that much arrogant and snobby… just curious.

Rest of the day spent for drinks and foods.















Hopping in to French restaurant first and Italian bar afterward.
Too much drinks and ate too much.
What else should we do over weekend or free time? Tell me about it. Hahaha.

One project member found the fact that it was the birthday for one of the members yesterday.
Thus, we decided to go out to buy some cakes for her.
Brought in many cakes for small party taking place late afternoon.

That was the main event for the day!





They are from the Giza Wako cake shop.
Birthday person got good surprise and it was fun event.
8 of us got together… I wish that it brought ALL members to the place.

Worked late… left office around 8-ish.



Opened a bottle of sparkling wine tonight. Yeah, still Friday night which is rare.
Though, we should celebrate that we made 1st working week and extended weekend is ahead.
Monday is national holiday… for your note.



With bubbles, these cashew nuts were great!
Loved this pack. Sort expensive, though.

Part of my souvenirs from business trip back in October.
Man, this is awesome stuff… I should have bought more, then.

What shall I do over the weekend? Until Monday?
No particular plan as usual.
Will see.

After holidays, I definitely admit that I am still under rehab getting back to spend normal working days.
Are you the same?
Still 2nd working day in 2020, things are rather slow.

To be precise, I make it all slow… no rush whatsoever.
Still many clients are quite and calm… I have to push this "rehab" as much.
I am guessing that 2nd half of the month is going to be different ball game.

Somehow lots of things around me make sense for me to get busy… or busier. Will see.

Big event called CES 2020 began in Las Vagas…
Well, SONY's Porsche-like vehicle was no surprise.
Sony should be introducing a bit more aggressive Sony-like vehicle in my opinion.

Project team who designed AIBO or robot pet should have made the car a bit more unique!!!
Maybe, vehicle should have resemblance of VAIO PC design into the car…
Agree?

Vivid surprise to me was of this:



It was Toyota's presentation.
Surprise part is not of content of "Woven City" Toyota is going to build near Mt. Fuji.
Actual surprise was of Akio Toyota's English presentation.

Was he good at it that well?
I guess, over millions of occasions, he mastered such.
Body language / hand gesture does look more spontaneous than before.

Yet, he can make it much more smooth, though.
How would you perceive that?

Fun time is really over… we all are back to work.
I didn't go in to the office this morning.
Rather, I had 1st client meeting already in the morning.

Year 2020 is going to be fun or bitter for me? Will see.
As consulting career, thing gets changed easily and sometimes dramatically.
Will see how it goes for me and I should enjoy as much.

1st working day means new style with new stuff.



Apple Watch with brand new band looks as this.
How would you like it?
Good, isn't it? I love it.

Also, necktie… from yesterday shopping.



Like that… good coordination? Think so.
At least 1st impression should be good and positive.
I appear to be a professional.

In the afternoon, I was busy giving interviews to new grads.
They were not obviously ready for that yet… still part of holiday and didn't have time to prepare.
Though, such sessions were refreshing and fun for me.

A friend of mine informed that she got a new job after intense search.
That is a good news!
Sometimes it is hard to frankly ask what is up with job search. Maybe sensitive topic?

Anyhow, getting a new job and settling is certainly a piece of positive sign.
I still have some other friends doing the same for job hunt… hope they come to the place supposed to be.

Had a hard time to get out of bed at early time for work… hope that pain will be gone by tomorrow.
Getting back to normal is sometimes tougher than think.
Tomorrow, I have to go to different client from today's for meeting. Oh boy, somewhat busy… still.

Part of exercise, MoonFlower and I decided to talk around in Ginza area this afternoon.
Last day of holidays cannot be done without having some result.
That is the way we perceive.



Tons of people come to Ginza as usual.

Today, I come to a result with 2 things just shopped. NOT big shopping, though.
2020 starts with pretty practical and motivating stuff for our shopping history.



New tie picked up at Barneys New York.
MoonFlower instantly chose this one and I agreed to get it.
I may even wear this tie tomorrow as 1st working day in 2020.

Another stuff was the band / strap for Apple Watch.
Bought at Camille Fournet, Italian brand.



This band is limited edition and I love it. Cool.
The color is grey with navy. Pretty cool two-tone color band.
Unique, huh!

Finally(?), I'd better say that I am ready for 2020… new tie and new look of Apple Watch.
I must get busy from tomorrow on. Will see how the 2020 journey would go.

In fact, first working day tomorrow begins with client meeting.
Brand new project may even start within the month. Depends upon how it goes tomorrow. Will see.
Am sure that 2020 journey will be rally and I should enjoy myself as much out of any circumstance that I may face.

Wish me luck!

Since it was such a "slow" new year holidays for me… enjoyed myself being home.
Watched so many TV programs including movies broadcasted on TV.
3 movies watched while 1st three days of year…

"Shonen" or "Male Prostitute" by popular actor Tori Matsuzaka.



It was MoonFlower's recommendation.
She read some critique somewhere in magazine and insisted to watch.
Turned out… it was pretty much purely adult movie.

Cannot find anything else but making loves. Oh boy…
The theme of movie was female's sexism and sex appetite.
At least we watched the movie through to the end…

Very sensational one.

2nd one was "Just lost my smartphone."
It was like horror and suspense movie.
Losing smartphone means that someone does have access to your data and can even drive your life.



Casting was quite good including Kei Tanaka and Keiko Kitagawa.
Though, the story was rather cheap…
2nd movie of the series is due up in February… I definitely pass that movie.

Episode 8 was played on TV from my hard drive.



Episode 8 has been watched, already. However, am thinking about 2nd time.
Before doing so, just watched episode 7.
Yeah, watched that back in the end of last year as well.

Once is not enough… not even twice…
The story was rather long and deep. Never enough, I guess.

Watched about 20 movies last year…
30 three years ago.
Need to push it up toward 30 this year for no particular reason.

Sounds like it is not that difficult to accomplish this year because good movies are expected to release in 2020.
Like 007 James Bond, Black Panther, Ford vs. Ferrari, Top Gun… can name even more.

30 movies a year should be put in "3 movies every month" to surely accomplish.
Will try so.

Of course, watching Episode 9 - the Rise of Skywalker for 2nd time is not going to be counted. Hahaha.

Pretty much fee for all day long.
Slept in and everything was slow as supposed to.
Perfect New Year Holiday for me.

Watched recorded TV drama for hours.
Update the past blog and re-linked old data, etc. on MacBook Air.
Did it all as needed.

MoonFlower was out for gathering with friends (over drinks for sure).
Thus, no family dinner tonight.
Walked for a while up to Kanda Station to look for a place to eat.

Ended up in "Misen" Taiwanese restaurant.
Famous for hot spicy foods.



Very spicy noodles. Extremely hot.
Good and quick dinner… though, not as great as the first time I ate in this restaurant place.
Misen is famous in Nagoya and MoonFlower and I have been there…

1st time at this Kanda place…
Food should be the same; however, something different.
I still prefer different type of hot to this kind of stuff.

Hot making me numb is yet better for me…

Maybe I should give another chance to see if Misen's hot style yet fits to my preference.

Two more days to go for New Year holidays… what shall I do?

Eating and drinking… that was all for new year…
With some regrets, MoonFlower and I got out for 1st prayer in 2020.
Decided to go to Kanda Myojin, a famous shrine in Tokyo.



Tons of people lined up, including some Sumo wrestler shown within the photo.



Still long way to get "there."



Even longer than anticipated.
Took us a while to get the front line to pray. Oh boy.
Was some exercise since we walked all the way from home. Not bad, huh.

My diet should be important agenda for 2020, I guess.

A Happy New Year of 2020!!! Finally, it is here for all!!!



The design is of new year greeting cards for this year.





First meal of the year called OSECHI.
MoonFlower selected this special food from restaurant in Kyoto.
This is pretty damn good!



For supper, we even opened the Don Perignon. It is a vintage one. Also it is the PINK.
Not bad… that was great.

Great start of a new year for sure. No complaints. Just perfect.