Christopher Suh's Blog

So I finally managed to pick up a Windows 98 compliant keyboard.  My previous keyboard decided that it wanted to add funny characters to everything I typed, making it difficult to deal with.  This keyboard is much better, meaning that I can finally post to my blog from home.

I know it's been a while.  Susan's birthday (birthday month) as she called it went very well.  We took advantage of the state sales tax holiday to get her a very attractive gold bracelet.  The bracelet consists of a series of knotted loops.  When you look at it from the right angle, each knot looks like a little lobster, each clinging tenaciously to his neighbor. 

We also went to see a traditional Japanese tea ceremony in Back Bay.

http://www.kajiasostudio.com/tea.htm 

There is a gentleman named Kaji Aso, who was a professor at Tufts for 35 years.  He is accomplished in ceramics, painting, and even, believe it or not, opera singing.  He has in his possession a number of museum quality tea ceremony bowls, which have been in his family for centuries.  On Sundays, one can reserve an appointment with him, and he will perform a traditional tea ceremony in a tea house and garden that he has constructed in the back of his studio.  Certainly a unique experience.  Andrew and Matt were there as well, and they definitely enjoyed the experience.

We also went to Torch, a beautiful Italian restaurant on Charles Street in Beacon Hill.  The walls of the restaurant were all covered in copper sheets.  When the evening turned dark, the waiters broughts out candles, which reflected against the walls, and bathed everything in a beautiful amber glow.

So anyway, that was two weeks ago.  Time has gone by quickly.  People at the job seem pleasant, and the hours have certainly not been as strenuous, at least in the summer.  I picked up FIFA (a soccer game) for the PSP.  This kind of reminded me of how interesting soccer can be.  In particular, I like the worldly aspect of the sport, in which you can learn more about a culture by finding out about its teams.  For example, in Barcelona, the people were forbidden from displaying their traditional Catalan flag, for fear of rebellion.  Instead, they would waive the colors of their local team, the Barca, in its place.  Then one year corrupt people in the government apparently mandated that the team in Madrid would win an important game against Barca.  So as a result, to show their frustration, the Barca let Madrid rack up a really high score on purpose.  Every time someone from Madrid was about to score, the Barca goalee would toss a piece of cloth in the air, to let everyone know that he was letting them do it on purpose.

I've also been reading a book called Fever Pitch, which is by Nick Hornby, and talks about the life long love he has had for the London soccer team, Arsenal.  This book was made into a movie, in England, with Liam Neeson, and was further adapted (greatly) into the American movie with Jimmy Fallon about the Red Sox.  This has also coincided with me getting new cable channels, including the Fox Soccer Channel.  Anyway, the upshot of all this is that I've developed a mild interest in a team in London called Chelsea FC.  Since I'm not from England, I figure I can avoid all claims of bandwagoning.

Alot has been going on this weekend. On Friday, I officially rejoined Cambridge Racquet and Fitness.  I had only been working out for about 10 minutes, when my old friend, Yasuna walks in.  It was good to see him again.  Later that night, I went to dinner with Sheraz at the Ironside Grill, and then helped him move some of his stuff to his new apartment.  He has moved to Charlestown, only a minute or two away from where I am.  His apartment is not that large, but has a very nice living room.  Because it is on the top floor, the walls are all at interesting angles due to the roof. 

Saturday, I went out and bought this keyboard, got my car inspected, and picked up my contact lens prescription from Costco.  I also went to Bed, Bath (AND BEYOND!) and picked up a new comforter set and changed all my sheets.  Then I went to the Foodmaster in Charlestown and stocked up on provisions.

Susan is away in Long Island for the weekend, visiting her mother.  I miss her a great deal, and feel very sad. 

 

So, this week was my first week at Packenham.  I spent most of the week settling in.  In a lot of ways, it's a very different environment than my former firm.  The entire firm goes out for lunch together, and people leave work at a reasonable hour.  People rarely come in on weekends.  The majority of the partners are female, as are the majority of associates.  This is certainly somewhat unusual for the legal world, and I certainly welcome the change.

Still, because the templates are somewhat different than the ones I've worked with before, and because the practice does more guardianship and probate court work than my former firm, it might be a good idea to put in a fair amount of hours until I feel fully comfortable.

This week the boys were away at boy scout camp.  It's the same camp that I went to my first year as a boy scout, Camp Hinds in Maine.  The mascot of the camp is this weird green goblin with lobsters hanging from its ears, nose, and beard.  Sounds like the boys had a great time.  Andrew earned four merit badges and Matthew earned two.  Now that they are back we can get down to seriously celebrating for Susan's birthday on Monday. 

 

Friday was my last day at Tarlow.  I decided to take a week off, before starting at Packenham on Monday.  As one would expect, this week has gone by in a flash.  Most of my time has been taken up by doing stupid errands, such as getting suits tailored.  On Monday, I got a free three day pass to visit Sports Club LA, so I've been going regularly there to keep in shape.  I think my final conclusion is that I'll probably end up going back to my old gym at Cambridge Racquet and Fitness, and also work out at the YMCA in Andover with Susan and the boys. 

Last night, I went to see Hamlet in the Common.  Hamlet is probably one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, and I have probably seen at least ten different productions of it.  Hands down, this was my favorite version that I've seen yet.  The actor playing Hamlet was amazingly talented.  He delivered his lines as naturally as if he were speaking modern day english.  Even Matthew was enthralled throughout the play, which is saying alot because he has fallen asleep every other time that we have gone to see productions in the Common.  I think that this play may have had special significance to the boys, because it addresses the issue of dealing with the loss of a loved one.

Another reason that Matthew may have liked the play may have been the fencing scene at the end of the play.  He has been taking fencing lessons in Lawrence with Zoran Tulum, who coincidentally is a close associate of Katie's dad.  Matthew really likes the lessons, and seems to have a natural aptitude to the sport. 

He still has yet to pick the weapon that he prefers.  There are three swords to choose from: the foil (rapier), the epee, and the saber.  The foil is the lightest of the three.  The epee is the closest to the sword actually used in dueling.  The saber is the largest, and can be used for slashing as well as stabbing.  I think I would probably choose either the epee or saber if I had to pick one.  My dad used to fence when he was in college, and he used the epee.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/06/16/fencing_teacher_extends_his_reach?mode=PF

Tonight, I'm planning to cook dinner for Susan and the boys.  I'm thinking chicken Marsala, rice, and green beans. 

Sunday, I'm supposed to give an estate planning seminar for a handful of Chinese families in Waltham.  The seminar is supposed to be two to three hours, and I haven't started preparing yet.  Wish me luck.