Sakura sights

Spring in Tokyo seems to have brought, once again, a fantastic display of sakura (cherry blossoms) and everyone is hurrying about to go check 'em out during their brief appearance. This two-week period is ripe for ohanami, or going to enjoy the sakura with family, friends or coworkers and enjoying some food or sake while sitting beneath the pink tapestry. It's really crowded (more than normal) in places where there are nice displays. This year I went to the Koukyo (imperial palace) where i go jogging often. Everyone is a photographer, from the pros with multiples lenses and tripods, to young and old snapping off shots with cellphones. Along with pleasure, there is always a bit of pain it seems, and in this case that would be the notorious kafunshou (hayfever). I'd say like 1 out every 5 people walking around are donning a mask, so thats a lot of watery-eyed, coughing people! Shouganai, as they say (nothing you can do). The beautiful flowers perhaps ease the pain a bit ; )

Meet Ashizawa-san

I'd like to introduce Ashizawa-san, the sushi chef (and a real gentleman) at my new favorite sushi spot. My friend Kayo brought me to his restaurant in Shinjuku (Thank you Kayo!!)

There are a few reasons why this is my favorite place to go for some oishii o-sushi. For one, Ashizawa-san has such a great rapport with customers, or should i say clients since he has developed quite a loyal following. That in fact has caused some troubles for him since standing out/being a star sushi chef can invite some jealousy and acrimony from other chefs, but he seems to stay above it all. Ashizawa-san has a humorous and very friendly style that keeps everyone at his bar laughing and feeling good. Just being funny, a star-chef-will-not-make, which leads me to the second reason - his artful creations. Usually I would go to a sushi restaurant and order my favorites and feel satisfied, but when enjoying Ashizawa-san's, I do omakase style, which means let the chef decide. I have to say it's always an adventure and never disappointing! In this way, I am lucky to try to fish that I would never order or didn't even know existed. To me, now it's much more fun to not know what is coming next, which is kind of a stretch for me and my rigid nature, as those of you that know me may know : ) ha.

The informal, fun atmosphere and the beautifully made, unique style of his sushi make it itsumo atari (always a hit). I would tell you exactly where it is, but I am afraid of being unable to get a seat right away, so ... ^_^/

Image of the day

For those that just couldn't get enough the first time?

(sign for hair salon in Shinjuku)

Visit to Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Art

Had a nice visit to Ueno Park the other day with my friend, Chie. Ueno Park is famous for housing most of the big museums in the city, such as National Museum, Modern Art Museum, and many others. My friend's friend had some pieces on display so we went to take a look. I sometimes forget how relaxing it is to just walk around a gallery and look at art and I'm glad to do it more these days (also went to see a Toulouse-Lautrec exhibit recently). I thought it was a nice show and also important to support fellow artists, I think. On the way out, we noticed there was also a shodou (japanese calligraphy) exhibit on the lower level so we went to check that out as well. So cool! It's amazing to me this combination of writing and art, where the two become blended and the way the character is written actually expresses the feeling of its meaning. It takes many years of training and its very difficult I am told. It would be great to have a lesson sometime. Hopefully I can try it...

Hong Kong Highlights

As some of you may know, I just returned from a short trip to Hong Kong. I've been wanting to visit my friend Natsuko there and meet her husband, Roy, while experiencing my first trip within Asia outside Japan. For those that aren't familiar with Hong Kong, its a small group of islands off the coast of China, once belonged to England and recently returned to China. Having been an English colony, English is more commonly spoken there than in Japan. It was a neat time to visit since the Chinese New Year was approaching. Also my friend Kayo got me great deal on the plane ticket (thanks Kayo!) so that helped a lot. I had only 2 full days for sightseeing so with Natsuko's help and planning, we managed to do and see a whole lot in just a few days!


One thing that is a must-do when visiting Hong Kong is going for Dim Sum. , which I was fortunate enough to do both mornings of my trip. Basically, its like a big brunch where you just sit for a few hours, reading the paper or talking, while picking off tasty bits from the many food carts that are revolving around the restaurant. Dim sum is not unique to Hong Kong, of course, and you can find Dim Sum in most Chinatowns around the world, but the closer you are to China, the more authentic it becomes, perhaps. Probably the most popular selection (and delicious for me) are the varieties of shumai (steamed dumplings), but there are so many other things to try such as congee (rice porridge), steamed buns with beef-filling, and for the more adventurous - chicken feet and the like. Not so brave here. My 'favorite of favorites' is third from the left above, the heavenly shrimp and fish egg dumplings. I could eat those all day I think...


After Dim Sum, we visited was Wong Tai Sin Temple which is a very popular buddhist temple. It was very lively since the Chinese New Year was fast approaching (beginning of February) and so lots and lots of people were there lighting incense, making food offerings, and wishing for good fortune for the new year. It reminded me of how Japanese visit shrines in masses for good luck in the New Year, but this had a more devotional, religious feel to it. The amount of incense that was burning sure did bring a tear to the eye and some people were wearing masks to deal with the amount of smoke! It was a very unique experience, indeed.


Although still full from Dim Sum but determined to try as many unique foods as possible, we went to Mong Kok on little tabearuki as they say in Japan, which is just walking and sampling food from place to place. Roy, being a Hong Kong native, knew just where to go to get the good stuff and so I followed his lead and advice as best I could. We enjoyed some grilled squid, a Chinese medicine health drink, some sweet buns, and ended with some saute greens and noodle soup with fishcake at nearby restaurant. A word about restaurants - although the cleanliness is much better than what I have heard it is in China, you still have to be careful if going to a local/casual place and washing utensils is common practice. As far as eating, I think by this point even if you had put another shrimp shumai in front of me, I would have had to pass. Yep, I was THAT full! hah...


Another stop on our list was Stanley Market. This place had a real beach-y, seashore feel to it and must be really nice in the warmer weather months. There are lots of shops and outdoor bars and restaurants to enjoy and interesting little shops for souvenirs. Fun to come back when its sunny and warm and enjoy a cold beer outside!


We also visited the Ten-Thousand Buddhas Monastery, or Sha Tin Temple. It was in a very wooded and hilly spot and i have to say, although I didn't count, it sure seemed there were like at least 10,000 buddhas there. Each face and pose was unique (see 2 pics on left) and some of them were actually pretty amusing! At the top was the main hall with very large and colorful statues. As you can see, in contrast to Japanese temples which are more subdued in color, Chinese temples are quite colorful. Very interesting things to be seen there...


Lastly, Natsuko took me to probably my favorite spot of the trip, the Nan Lian Garden. I know its very recently built and there is a story behind that I am forgetting, but none the less. Very, very nicely detailed and well-laid out garden. In many ways it reminded me of the many Japanese gardens I have seen, so perhaps that's why its my favorite? I am sure a lot of the garden design themes in Japan originated in China, so that stands to reason. I was really impressed with the cleanliness and spot-on maintence of the plants and premises in general.

One of the cooler attractions here is a vegetarian restaurant where even the monks/nuns that live in the monastery eat. As you can see in the center photo, its kind of hidden under a waterfall and there is a great view of it from the inside (far right). I had a really nice 4-course vegetarian platter that was really delicious. Nice to relax after all the walking and the sounds and sights of the waterfall really added to that. Later that day, we checked out the Peak and then the light show in Victoria Harbor (picture at top of this post) and that was really fun too.

I'd really like to thank Roy and Natsuko for taking time from their busy schedules to show me their city and share some great food and talks with me. You guys were great hosts and Natsuko, you should start a tour business or something! Thanks again!!!

Oshougatsu in Tsuchiura

A bit late in posting this but, I want to share my wonderful experience at one of my good friends' Kayo's family home in Tsuchiura where I was graciously welcomed to participate in their annual New Year's celebration. I was especially fortunate since I am currently reading "Memories of Silk and Straw: A Self Portrait of Small Town Japan" which was a generous souvenir given to me by Mr. Kimura on a previous visit. It's a colorful collection of stories written about Japan in the early 1900s about this very same town! I could sense some of the "Old Japan" described in the book during various experiences I had while staying there. Tsuchiura is northeast of Tokyo, a little over an hour by train, in the Ibaraki prefecture and is much more a countryside/small town feeling. It's nice to get away from busy, crowded Tokyo sometimes!


Speaking of colorful, lets get right down to the good stuff: food! As most of you can tell by now, I am hamatteru (crazy for) Japanese food, so how lucky was I? Well, since the Kimura family's business is a local shop selling unagi (broiled glazed eel) and tsukudani (various soy-glaze broiled small fish/seafood), needless to say that high-quality food is VERY important to the them! I knew that the meal would be great, but I had no idea how much so!!! In the picture above (from left to right) I was treated to hotate (scallop), shimp and vegetable tempura soba, kaki (fresh oysters), and kani (crab). And this was just for first meal! wa~oishii!


Next comes the osechiryouri (traditional New Year's foods). Every region, and probably every family, does this meal somewhat differently I have been told. The Kimuras did so much work to prepare such an incredible and sumptuous feast, I felt so grateful to be able to share in enjoying it. First (from left to right) is an overview of all the dishes, second is the "crown dish" osechi (with its assortment of raw and smoked fishes, vegetables, nuts, cheeses), third is a nimono (soysauce-based stew with mushrooms, snow peas, carrots, lotus root and konnyaku) and far right is a seafood salad with octopus, shrimp, fish eggs, and greens. Gochisousama deshita! (it was a great feast)!


These are some shots I took while there and was kind of having fun with lighting and focus. The first one is of kiyomeru (place at shrines where wash hands to purify), the next 2 showing some nice patterns on drinkware, and last one is 'yours truly' painting one eye on the daruma (good luck figure seen around new year's that will grant your wish).


Before leaving for Tokyo, Kayo gave me a tour of the family store that i mentioned earlier. Komatsuya is a very charming shop and was festively decorated for the holiday. Since Kayo is wonderful at Japanese calligraphy and art/design in general, most of the signs and advertisements for the store were created by her. In the 2 pics on the right, you can see the unagi chef preparing the eel for our delicious unajuu (broiled eel served over rice in a laquer obento box). Its very hard to do this since the eel is so soft and broiling it in this way is not at all easy. The eel is dipped 3 times in the glaze while cooking and end up as you can see on the far right. wa~ oishisouna! By far, this was the best eel I have ever eaten and I can't imagine it gets any better ^_^


Additionally, I just want to say that amidst all the INCREDIBLE food, the most enjoyable part was being fortunate enough to spend time talking with Kimura family members, including Grandpa (who is over 90 and challenged me to o-sake drinking! He won, by the way...), Mr. and Mrs. Kimura who were such great hosts and with whom I had many interesting talks, sisters Mimi and Yukiko who were so nice and made feel so welcomed, as well as cousins, uncles and aunts with whom I had so much fun talking and drinking! Kayo's Grandma, sadly, had passed a few years ago so I didn't have the chance to meet her. However, through photos and fond stories, I could tell from everyone that she was there celebrating as well : )


So, if you ever find yourself in a small town with lots of history called Tsuchiura, please drop by the Kimuara's store Komatsuya for the best unagi you will ever have! Many, many thanks to everyone again for an unforgettable traditional Oshougatsu! ^_^

Tobu World Square: Gozilla for a day...

While chatting with someone during my office xmas party, I heard about an interesting tourist attraction near Nikko called 'Tobu World Square' that features 100 of the world's most famous buildings in miniature scale, complete with little cars and teeny-tiny people. She said it is really amazing, so I went to check it out. Despite being a rather frigid day, it was worth the trip and the cold. Very cool place! I was really impressed with the amount of detail of the exhibits. I had trouble spotting copies of people and cars...every one seemed unique! What is funny about these exhibits is that without a real-size person in the photo, you almost cant tell its miniature scale (1:25). Above you can see China's great city, and to the right of that is Tokyo Station. The furthest right is a close up on a NYC steet scene, with an accident none the less!


Here is a shot showing various buildings all together. i guess it IS a small world after all (cymbal crash)! K, sorry about that. The middle shot is of St. Peter's in Rome. Look at all those tiny people! The far right is of course Egypt's Sphinx and Great Pyramid. eehhh....that one was just OK..


This one on the left might look familar, since its a spot I visited in real life in an earlier post, namely Miyajima's Itsukushima Torii. The center is a close up of a bonodori (traditional dance done in summer at matsuri during obon). In the rightmost shot, you can see the kind of small detail thes figures have..down to the obi sash on the kimono! Anyone who likes models, architecture and feeling like Gozilla for a day should check this place out if you are anywhere near Nikko.

'Tis the season to forget

Hey everybody..how is everyone's post-thanksgiving-pre christmas time going? I remember it was a very hectic time in the US with shopping and holiday to-do lists,etc. Here in Japan it is equally as busy but slightly different. Now is the season for "bounenkai" which literally means 'forget the year' and that's basically what everyone does (due to the abundance of sake at those events). Many people have more than one bounenkai to attend so it can become a somewhat wearisome event. Also there preparations for Christmas, although not with gift buying so much, but more a romantic dinner/evening planned (or least reservations at KFC! I posted about Christmas in Japan here.)

Also the fall color is at its peak this week and next week in the Tokyo area - its really nice. Since i didn't get a chance to take any pics this year, you can see some nice ones from this post.

Sorry about the 'recycling' some old posts, but I will have some new pics and stuff up before the new year and besides, recycling is a good thing! Until then, genki de ne! (be well!)

New company

Well, i bit the bullet and made a move to a new company as a contract worker, and I must say so far its been great. The new company is in Azabu Juuban which is a really nice/trendy area, although i have to ride morning packed trains now (gack!). The artists there are really skilled character animators (think Pixar-ish) and that's not so much my thing, however the environment is great since a few of the people worked on some big Hollywood movies doing CG effects and so I am gaining some great skills. It's definitely more relaxed then my previous place with a more western-style environment - kind of working and joking around too, like a lot of studios in the States. That makes the long hours much more bearable. The one owner is a great cook and she even cooks some awesome lunches/dinners for us often right there in the office!

I am having to learn Maya/Mental Ray (3dsmax/V-ray you are still my number 1 and 2!) for doing 3d lighting/rendering for these character animations, so i guess I am working as a Maya lighting artist, for now. It's really cool to work in a high-level CG environment again, especially learning the production pipeline in the same flavor as movie-style CG. What is also nice is its a very international atmosphere with a mix of Japanese, French and Americans (me) working there. Many languages are flying around over the course of a day. I am also doing some freelance work over the internet with my former company in the Philly which is really great. Overall, I think it was a really good move and so far so good. Keep ya posed : )

Hiroshima & Miyajima: Part 2 - Miyajima

Continuing from the last post, I left Hiroshima after just 2 days there and made my way to Miyajima. Miyajima (also know as Itsukushima) is about 30 minutes down the inland coast from Hiroshima. Being an island (the name literally means something like 'God Island') you need to take a ferry for the last 10 minutes of the trip. Miyajima is a world heritage site which means it deemed very important to world culture and is recogized as such (certain protections and funding I think too). Anyway, its a damn pretty place which i hope to illustrate with some photos : )


The first thing you see upon arriving is the famous torii (or gate) that is a signature of the island. When the tide is low you can walk out to it. At night when the tide comes back in, both the toori and the shrine seem to float on the water. It's really very scenic.


The other thing that is quite noticeable when arriving is that there are wild deer everywhere! Trust me, these are not your shy bambi deer either. These guys walk right up and start nibbling at you (at least they did me and even started eating my souvenirs!) It's believed that the deer are sacred and are kind of inert gods of the island. It definitely adds to the feeling of being in a not-so common place.


The Gojunoto (5 story pagoda) is another landmark and has some really cool architectural details. Something about that bright orange against all the green and blue of the island just seems appropriate for some reason...works for me. I had a pretty nice view of all this from my hotel which was a bit higher up on the mountain. I stayed at small ryokan which has tatami rooms, but this one didn't have in-room dining so i had to eat in the common eating area (geessh, terrible isnt it?!) lol. Nice place and pretty reasonable for a ryokan. Some of the food specialites of the area are momiji manjuu (sweet bean cakes in the shape of maple leaf) and fresh oysters. There is a big shopping street where all this and other souvenirs can be found. Pretty fun.

The following day I decided to do some hiking and see the other notable attraction of the island, namely Mt. Misen. There are some famous historic shrines and temples that date back to 800 A.D. that are spread out along the accent to the top of the mountain which weighs in at about 1,600 ft. /535 m. above sea level. The top can be reached by ropeway/cable car. Even with taking the cable car, getting to the top is a decent amount of hiking (at least a couple hours).


On the accent, I stopped by to see an amazing temple called Daisho-in. Daishō-in was founded by a monk named Kukai in the year 806. Kūkai was the one of the most famous monks in Japan and the founder of Shingon Buddhism. I think this might be one of the most beautiful, interesting and scenic temples i have ever visited. The steep stairway has sutras (or prayers) inscribed on cylinders embedded in the handrail that, it is said, is you touch and spin each one as you ascend, you will have very good luck.




The temple has many different styles of statues of which all blend naturally in the wooded surroundings, as well as incredibly intricate wood carvings. There was one part with miniature statues of 500 different monks, all with different facial expressions and gestures!


Very close to the summit is the Reika-do Fire Hall. This is where the monk Kukai spent 100 days in meditation and the fire he lit has been burning (no joke) for 1200 years! it was used to pilot the flame at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial that I mentioned in the last post. It was really kinda smokey in there so I just took a quick look. That's a pretty long fire, eh?


The last bit of business was to go the the very top and take a look around (anyone remember that scene in National Lampoon Vacation where Chevy Chase is looking at the Grand Canyon). Was kind of like that. Nice view, beautiful in fact, but in the end, the island is so full of beautiful views so not so earth shattering. There were lots of really cool and weird rock formations at the top. Even a small restaurant up there to chill out and have a cool drink before the long sweaty descent.

Overall it was a perfect 3 day trip for me - lots of nature, culture, things to eat and do (I'm not much of a beach lounger :P). But really, this is THE most beautiful scenic natural area I have ever seen, so its up there on my recommend list if you ever visit Japan : )

Well, back to reality : /

Hiroshima & Miyajima: Part 1 - Hiroshima

Just recently went on a trip to a part of Japan that is referred to as 'the inland sea'. This is the Chugoku region where Hiroshima and also Miyajima are located. It was a great trip and so much to tell and so many photos i decided to split up into 2 parts. This post is about Hiroshima.

Hiroshima is bustling modern city of over 1,100,000 people. Its located towards the western/central part of the main island of Honshu and is perhaps a bit more temperate than Tokyo. Hiroshima's main character consists of its waterways, shopping districts, specialty foods, old-fashioned trolleys, and of course the legacy of the atomic bomb.

The main shopping area (and has been since long ago) is called Hondori Street. Cafes, restaurants, clothing, electronics, and just about anything can be found there. Trolleys are an inexpensive and convenient way to get around (can go anywhere in the city for about 150yen) but I pretty much walked most of the time. Near Hondori is a special section called Okonomiya Village and has many different varieties of the local speciality known as Okonomiyaki. It's sometimes referred to Japanese pizza (its not at all like pizza, but the variety and creativity is similar). It's essentially a type of pancake made with egg, cabbage, soba noodles and meat (or fish). It is grilled in layers on a hot plate in front of you with okonomiyaki sauce and options that can include mayonnaise, pickled ginger and seaweed. I had mine with soba, raw scallops and octopus (yum!). Hiroshima is also famous for fresh 'kaki' (oysters).




My first stop right from the station was a famous park called 'Shukkei-en". For its rather small size, the variety of of sub-gardens make it seem much larger. Its packed with narrow winding walkways and tiny bridges, scenic views plus lots of wildlife. Its very well maintained and nice spot to just chill out and relax while seeing some great garden design.


Near the garden is Hiroshima castle. It was really interesting to see how castles are designed and the museum inside is full of info on just this. There are many swords and armor on display and a great view from the top. You get the sense how this was really a feudal town long ago.


Of course what draws the most visitors and most attention from the world is Hiroshima's legacy as the first city destroyed by an atomic bomb. I wanted to see the history for myself and learn about what happened exactly. I must say it was quite intense and very, very moving. Through audio visual materials, photos, movies, and actual relics from the time of the bomb, its almost as if you are transported back in time to the day of Aug 6th, 1945. I wont go into detail about what is on display at the museum because I feel words fail to convey the impact, so I encourage anyone who comes to Japan to visit and see for themselves the destruction that an atomic bomb can do. Reading the stories from survivors of their first hand accounts of what they saw and losing family members right before their eyes was really heartwrenching.

Brief factual history on the event: At 8:15 am, the US detonated the bomb about 500 meters above the city. It is estimated that 140,000 people were killed in the explosion and its aftermath. The entire city was destroyed. Uncontrollable and wide-spread fires, people trapped under fallen buildings, and inadequate medical attention account for most of the deaths. The survivors, known as hibakusha, were subjected not only to radiation-related diseases but severe discrimination from other Japanese. Many of them died many years later due to complications from radiation.


One of the most famous buildings of course the 'genbaku domu' (atomic dome). This building was at the epicenter of the blast, directly below in fact, and since the blast at that point was mainly downward (as opposed to lateral which is what destroyed most of the city) the walls were spared and the building left standing. Its truly an eerie reminder of history and an important one. The memorial on the right side of the above photo is the Cenotaph for A-bomb Victims and contains the names of all 140,000 victims. Under the arch is a flame which, it is said, will not be extinguished until the last nuclear weapons are gone from the earth.


Featured above are the Peace Bell and also the Children's Memorial to the bomb. The glass boxes contain thousands of origami paper cranes, folded by schoolchildren across Japan in memory of bomb victim Sadako Sasaki. Dying of leukemia in 1954, she was told an old folk tale by her mom that anybody who folds over 1000 cranes will have her wish come true; she had folded a total of 1,300 cranes before her death in 1955 at the age of twelve.

Obviously it was a pretty grim day visiting and seeing all these things. But as I sat in the park after the museum, watching the children playing and running around, seeing a thriving city full of life and activity, I felt a sense of inspiration and marvel. From nothing, literally nothing, this city was completely rebuilt by the incalculable effort and spirit of the people is just a miracle, I think. I will never forget that trip.

Up next: Miyajima: island of the Gods

Koedo Kawagoe Day Trip

There is a cool little town about an hour train ride from Tokyo in the style of 'edo' period Japan and they have lots of traditonal things there. The main specialty of the area is "satsumaimo" or sweet potatoes. They have sweet potato noodles, sweet potato soft ice cream, sweet potato cakes, you name it. I liked just the baked slices of sweet potato (kind of like huge french fries). Also eel is a specialty as well as many dagashi stores. A dagashiya is like our nickel candy store that some older folks might remember. Most adults here remember them and go there to eat their favorite childhood candy or introduce their kids to them. There are not many of these stores left so its kind of an attraction.

The town is very pedestrian friendly and is nice for just strolling around and eating while sightseeing. Since there are a lot of traditonal buildings, i took a peek inside an edo-style home of a samurai of that time. Nice garden and also even had some figures showing how they must have sat around and planned attacks and stuff. Pretty cool. With the one hour and back train ride, you can do the check out the whole place in the better part of a day. I think kids really like it there. It's really a food-centered spot, so i liked it too, of course.

Picture of the day

who knew fashion could smell so good?
(i think the store was making a play on the phrase "sweet smell of success" perhaps)

Softbank update

I know, that's quite a color for a phone (vivid pink) but hey, I just make 'em! That subtle color is just one of 12 and over 300 variety of custom faceplate and inserts that you can pop in an out, depending on your mood. The 3d I am doing will be for a live event, coordinated with a fashion show. The girls will walk out with the phones, probably wearing a similarly-coordinated dress, and the video will play on the big screen behind them. The deadline is tight (as always) so I hope we can deliver a nice product. Cell phones in Japan are pretty amazing, if I haven't said that before. Here are some more custom styles below. Let you know how it all went down. Later!

Hot Hot Hot!

Man, it's hot here in summer...not so much the degrees, but the humidity is just oppressive. Well, shouganai as they say (can't do anything about it so...). That kind of summer heat that makes you tired they call natusbate. Eel is good for stamina in summer. Eel, yum!!

Tonight I went to see some Hanabi (fireworks). In Japan, they show them many times during the summer, not just once during July 4th like in the US. I must say, just like last time, fireworks here are truly spectacular. The only less than spectacular thing was there was like a billion people there, no where to stand, and the police with their megaphones the whole time, "keep moving, etc.." That was really annoying, but if I had to control a billion people, i don't know if I would be so lenient either. It was cool though.

This morning was an earthquake in Chiba prefecture, about a 5 or so on the scale. Enough to wake me out of a sound sleep at 4am. I cant seem to get used to them, even the small ones. its such a weird feeling..like, "is this the big one?" hah. Most people don't even notice them they are so common. Not for me!

Work is picking up. I am like a 3d model factory these days. I had to make like 20 or so models of various things for a music video in like 3 days. it was really tight. I posted some pics below. Next job I am working on now is for Softbank (a big cell phone carrier here). i had to make the model so that it is easily switchable to show 12 colors with 300 patterns! bit of challenge. Again just 3 days. Deadlines are much shorter than i am used to but its good practice I guess and I like modeling, so... Post some pics later...See ya!