Ismael Chang Ghalimi

Posts from June 2007

Posted
30 June 2007 @ 7pm

iPhone

Returning home after a long trip abroad is always nice, but today was even better, for a brand spanking new iPhone was waiting for me. Our good friend Dave was kind enough to pick one up on his way back from work, so I would not have to wait in line at the store on my way back from Japan. I quickly activated it, and spent a fair amount of time marveling at the amazingly sleek form factor and snappy user interface. I already knew the device would be great, but what Apple just delivered certainly beats any expectations I could have had. Congratulations to Dave and his team — you’ve definitely set a new standard! And looking back at how fast the iPod evolved in just five years, I simply cannot wait to see what iPhone 2.0 will be like.

Posted
29 June 2007 @ 3pm

Tagged
Gastronomy, Technology

Zip Nuvo

Today was our last day in Tokyo, and we took advantage of some free time for a tour of Asakusa and a hunt for the newest gadgests in Akihabara. We spent a fair amount of time at Yodobashi Akiba, quite possibly the biggest eletronics store in Japan, then wandered in the busy streets of Electric City looking for robots. Our search remained largely unsuccessful, until my friend Reynald took us in a hidden store full of the latest humanoid robots produced by companies such as Hitec Robotics or Kondo. My favorite was the nuvo produced by Zip and designed by Ken Okuyama. Its design reminded me of the robots living on Laputa, the castle in the sky featured in Tenkuu no Shiro Rapyuta, my favorite movie from Hayao Myazaki. We ended the day with an all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu dinner. Many thanks to Reynald for his local guidance.

Posted
28 June 2007 @ 4pm

Tagged
Gastronomy

Tea Ceremony

Today, I attended my first traditional tea ceremony, organized by Nagura San and performed by her student Sawada San. The ceremony took place at Nagura San’s ocha seki, a room specially designed for the practice of this ancient ceremony brought by the Japanese priest Eisai (1141-1215) when he returned from Buddhist studies in China. The experience is a truly exceptional one, which perfectly demonstrates the exquisite sophistication of the Japanese culture. Following two cups served by our host, Jacques-Alexandre and I got to prepare our own cups, learning along the way that we will need quite a bit of practice before we could serve anything worthy of even the most humble guest. As a point of reference, Sawada San has been studying the art of the tea ceremony for over twenty years. Many thanks to Nagura San and Sawada San for this mazing experience.

Posted
27 June 2007 @ 10pm

Tagged
Road

Nicolas G. Hayek Center

Wrapping up a day full of conference calls and emails, I went out for dinner in Ginza, and stumbled upon the brand new Nicolas G. Hayek Center. This incredible building was commissioned by the Swatch Group, and is home for seven boutiques devoted to the Breguet, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Jaquet-Droz, Leon Hatot, Omega and Swatch brands. Each boutique gets its own glass elevator, turning the ground floor’s open space into a futuristic launchpad for watch aficionados. Following this serendipitous encounter, I had dinner with Masubuchi San, who is certainly one of Japan’s most passionate IT practitioners. Together with Sawada San and Jacques-Alexandre, we compared notes on the state of the IT industry in our respective countries, and enjoyed delicious Italian food. Many thanks to Masubuchi San for this exceptional dinner. I look forward to meeting you again in San Francisco for the upcoming Office 2.0 Conference.

Posted
26 June 2007 @ 10pm

Tagged
Gastronomy, Road

First Business Dinner in Japan

Tonight, I attended my first business dinner in Japan, with a group of executives working for a company that is part of a large keiretsu. Business practices in Japan are quite different than those I am accustomed to in the US, and such dinners are a necessary steps toward the establishment of any business relationship. They are also a lot of fun, for good food, beer, and sake usually contribute to bring a lot of barriers down. Tonight’s dinner was a great treat, and I would like to thank Iwasaki San for his hospitality.

Posted
25 June 2007 @ 10pm