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"no facebook"

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

Tokyo, 2010.05.17

We went to a barbeque at the home of Romi and Brian, friends who live in the neighbourhood.

They've got a place that looks out across the dense urban scape of the slope rising from Shinagawa station to Takanawa, and has a (by Tokyo standards) very large roof-top patio. It was on this patio that Brian and I set up the barbeque (badly, as it turns out).

The crowd was bilingual and an interesting mix of people from different walks of life. From one fellow who worked in the movie industry, I learned of a "secret" underground fashion boutique below Omotesando Hills that I intend to check out. Apparently you have to pass through a fruit juice stand to find the place?

As the sun went down we packed up our filthy son, who'd been crawling around on the patio with other children. When I mentioned that I'd get my film developed and would have the first pics back in a week's time, the hostess made a point of telling everyone, "No photos on Facebook." It's interesting to see how the tide of public opinion can turn.

All in all, this was a famn good weekend. Mine certainly went better than this dude's:

Three good things that happened today:

1. great weather

2. great food

3. interesting new friends

rand()m quote

One day you will take a fork in the road, and you're going to have to make a decision about which direction you want to go. If you go one way, you can be somebody. You will have to make compromises and you will have to turn your back on your friends. But you will be a member of the club and you will get promoted and get good assignments. Or you can go the other way and you can do something [...] for yourself. If you decide to do something, you may not get promoted and get good assignments and you certainly will not be a favorite of your superiors. But you won't have to compromise yourself. To be somebody or to do something. In life there is often a roll call. That's when you have to make a decision. To be or to do.

—John Boyd, US Air Force