Around the world in 7 days: NY/Boston/LA/Seoul/Tokyo

Hello everyone, I'm so sorry for the sparsity of blog posts recently, I've had a lot going on with work & private life. But, I will share some images with you today, and I haven't forgotten any of you at all, dearest friends & family, I've just been juggling too many balls with too few hands for the last couple of months.

Before we get to the pictures, here are the Major Updates:

• My contract has been (informally) extended, so I will likely be here for another year.
• My self-study of the Japanese language has hit a wall recently, so I've started a language-exchange (we teach each other for free) with a woman who lives nearby
• I have a big deadline at work due the 18th of January, a paper to submit to SIGGRAPH 2011 (an annual computer graphics conference that is the target of my research); I will let you all know how it goes when I find out!
• Christmas is very funny in Japan! KFC is a must on New Years Eve, all the convenience store clerks dress up as Santas, and people wish each other a "Happy Merry Christmas!" Christmas is also a romantic holiday here, i.e. big date night, and New Years is when people spend time with family. Speaking of which, Happy New Year everyone!
• I went to (South) Korea for work, and it was cold! I mean really really cold. If you ever plan to go there this time of the year pack some gloves, and wear a warm jacket (being used to the relatively balmy weather in lower Japan, I did neither and suffered for it!)

I have a few new videos up on fb (just posted) if you want to see a scene from:

• Ueno park on a late summer morning
• The National Railway Museum in Saetama
• A scene from the end of Andrew Hires' wedding
• Near Ueno station on the first afternoon of 2011
• Clever ad for ramen next to the JR exit of Ueno station
• A live video game being played on the side of a building (Seoul, S. Korea)

Ok, now for some *long* overdue pictures and witty comments ;) ! This covers a fair stretch of time, so bear with the slow page-loading time! (darn, I really wanted to avoid using 'time' twice in that sentence but I couldn't find a good alternative -- could anyone post a suggestion?)

Before my trip to NY, Boston, LA and Korea, I had to eat some ramen so me and two friends, Ryan and Margaret, went to a local ramen-ya (ramen shop) -- which one would you choose?







Me, Caramel and Tengzing in Park Slope, Brooklyn near my Aunt Vera's home at the end of October









My mom under a pretty tree in Harvard Square in Boston










Sunset on the beach of Santa Monica boulevard








An amusement park at the end of Santa Monica pier








Me and Divakar ate Korean taco from this stall in Santa Monica, eta to my friend Andrew's wedding: 45min






Divakar & Wes in LA








Divakar, Jamie & Wes








...and... He's off and married! Congrats Andrew!







They look happy =)








One last photo of a misty afternoon in LA before I return to Tokyo...






...and I'm back! Did I mention I love the view from my apartment ;) ?






A close-up of the sun setting taken from my balcony








My co-workers Stefanos (left) and Seth eating breakfast with me before we visit the National Railway Museum in Saetama






A beautiful old train at the museum







And a shot from the 2nd floor of the museum with a whole bunch of trains. I really like trains!






Look at the size of this wheel! Apparently they still use diesel-powered trains around the mountainous regions of Japan






In case you didn't know, trains can be dangerous!







A little mini train they had at the Railway museum, they have one for each different line for all the trains in Japan (there is a video here on facebook)





This little guy is a mini version of the Narita Express (express train for getting to and from Tokyo's Narita Airport) -- you can ride in these mini trains too!





An interesting quote we saw on a wall walking back from the Railway museum -- I think it's an add for a beauty parlor..






Me, my former girlfriend Yuka, and my co-worker Araki-san went to Chiba for a day long trip to see the November foliage. It was really beautiful and relaxing.





The sashimi (sashimi is sushi without the rice, just the fish meat) in this picture was $7 for just the one piece! That's because it's the most tasty sushi in the world, super-fatty Tuna (or "oboru")



There are some giant insects in Japan! This spider was actually smaller then several others I later saw.... =o






I went to South Korea for a business trip the next week; this is a picture of Seoul from the airplane





Some temples in Seoul








And an elephant statue








Not sure what the meaning of this ad I saw in a subway station is... but it's striking!







There were big touch screens in the stations to guide locals and tourists alike










Did I mention it was cold in Korea? It was so cold there was snow on the ground! I think I've been away from New England too long, it doesn't snow in Tokyo..







The subway map in Seoul -- small compared to Tokyo, but big compared to Boston!






And an interactive map that you can use inside the subway







Me outside the convention hall where SIGGRAPH Asia 2010 was happening







These people are stepping on buttons to play a video game displayed on the side of a building in downtown Seoul (next to Seoul Station) -- see picture below








This is the game they were playing! See this link on facebook for a video







Me in front of same building (now it's showing a Christmas tree)








The lettuce is grown fresh in the grocery store!








Korean BBQ -- that silver thing in the middle sucks up all the smoke from the cooking meats






With friends from my company Square-Enix at dinner the 2nd night of the conference, from left to right: Ling, Stefanos, Suzuki-san, and Asakura-san




There was a super interesting keynote speech at the conference from the current Lead Designer of McLaren racing (and soon street) cars -- here are some prototype designs he made for Ferrari previously that were never turned into cars


This is the first McLaren street car, available in 2011 (and I think ~1MM dollars!)







Another car, maybe a Lamborghini? Anyone?








Prototype design of a super-future street car that one day we may see







My co-worker Suzuki-san standing next to one of the beautiful light displays that graced the city of Seoul






...and, the casino where Suzuki-san disappeared for over a day... he only said he won more than he lost, but how much... ???




Me next to one of those light displays sprinkled throughout the city for the holidays!






OK, back in Japan, MonsterHunter3: Portable was released by the time we returned and everyone is playing it on this bench! Everyone!






The Christmas tree in the lobby of our building at work










Christmas dinner at Ryan's house (we had a delicious chicken cooked by my friend Ai-san, bottom-left)









And, gratuitous motorcycle modified to look like Kaneda's in Akira! (note: I didn't see this in person)






OK, phew I'm tired, this was a long post! I'll make them shorter and more frequent going forward, promise ;) And to all of you whom I couldn't see or talk with in person these holidays, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

-Arun