Jimmy’s Blog

Although I rarely gamble or bet, I’ve been to Las Vegas many, many times — for work-related conventions, sports events, birthday celebrations, bachelor parties, etc.   Vegas is one of the great and most fascinating cities in the world — it’s “always on.”

So, I had to take the opportunity to check out the “Las Vegas of Asia,” which is Macau, located right outside of Hong Kong.   They have these high-speed turbo boats which make the 40-kilometer trek in about an hour.  It’s very convenient.

I’ve been reading that Macau has surpassed Vegas in regard to total gambling revenue but Vegas still has greater revenue from hotel stays.   But, many of Vegas’ top operators have or are building places in Macau.

I was expecting something similar to the Vegas strip, but that’s not the case (I think primarily due to the lack of land).   But, I did venture over to the Venetian, brand new Hard Rock Hotel / City of Dreams, Wynn, etc.

These hotels were pretty amazing — and very similarly to Vegas, they are ostentatious and over-the-top.   Just spectacularly built.

But, in addition to being built alongside each other like on the Vegas strip, the number of entertainment shows seems limited.  I’m sure it’ll increase as time goes on.  But, the main way they make the money is from people playing at the tables.  And, table after table was filled with players.

I only stayed for a few hours but now I have a better idea of Asia’s Vegas.  Oh, and since I don’t gamble much, I only spent $10 while in Macao – on a glass of wine at the Hard Rock.

The first couple of days in Hong Kong has gone well.  I love this city — it’s always electric and energized … similar to other great urban cities such as Tokyo, New York, Paris, etc.

The thing that catches your eye as you make your way from the airport to the hotel is the massive number of high-rises and sky-scrapers.   There is limited land available in HK, so they build up (and up and up).  It definitely reminds me of Tokyo and Shanghai in regard to the numerous tall buildings.

I’m staying at the brand new W Hotel on the Kowloon side.  What a stunning and great hotel.  I strongly recommend it to visitors traveling to HK.  In the past, I always stayed at the Ritz in Central, but they’ve torn it down.

I did venture to Lan Kwai Fong during my first night here … it’s like the Georgetown or Adams Morgan of Hong Kong — since there are many bars and restaurants.  Such a great selection of places!

My primary reason to come to Hong Kong was to meet with the partners of a law firm to see if we can structure a working partnership for my sports strategic advisory firm.   In that regard, the trip has been very successful since we were able to get a good framework in place.  But, it definitely won’t be easy since my comfort zone is doing business in the US, but now I need to learn about to do business in China and Japan.  I’m energized about the opportunity and will give it my best shot.

Time to get some authentic Chinese eats!  Ciao.

I just spent a terrific three days in Tokyo and I’m on the way to Hong Kong right now.   My mother is Japanese and I spent 13 of my first 16 years living in Japan, so it’s always good to come back and visit — especially my relatives.

My brother and I arrived on Wednesday evening.   We’re staying w/ my auntie and uncle in Setagaya in Tokyo.  I have fond memories of Setagaya because this is where my Grandmother and Great Aunt used to live — I used to stay there during the summers when I was a young lad.

On Thursday, my Aunt Yasuko, took us to Yoshikawa,  the location of our family cemetery — which is over 600 years old!  It’s located about 90 minutes outside of Tokyo — and it’s where the Japanese side of my family, the Tobari’s, held major plots of land for centuries.

Every time I visit Japan, I made the trek to Yoshikawa to pay respects to my deceased relatives.   I honestly gain so much strength and positive energy from these visits.   The thought of standing where 600 years of my family’s history has lived and died is an incredible feeling.

This year’s visit took on special meaning since it was the first visit since my father passed away in Feb 2008.  And, as I just wrote, one of my other heroes, General Guthrie passed away on Monday night.  So, I took the time to pay respects to two of my heroes.

On Friday, the focus was business.  I had a great lunch meeting with an attorney who does a wide range of business in Japan.  Then, that evening, I went to a philanthropy event for the Asian University of Women, hosted by a number of Tokyo’s top private equity leaders.   Similarly to how I’m constantly inspired by the youth in the DC area, we heard presentation from two remarkable young ladies who rose from tough backgrounds to achieve success (thanks in part to the philanthropic efforts of others).

So, I’m at Narita Airport now — getting ready for the 4-hour flight to Hong Kong.  I’ll check in from there.

Oh, yeah, I was able to eat many of my favorite Japanese foods — ramen, zaru-soba, yakitori, croquette, sushi, tonkatsu, etc.  It’s all good.  🙂

Today is the one-year anniversary of my Father’s memorial service and burial at Ft. Myer Chapel and the Arlington National Cemetery.   Yes, of course, my family and I miss my Father, but all in all, we’re doing okay.  We continue to be comforted with the thoughts that he lived a long, wonderful life; is reunited with his parents and brothers; and is no longer suffering from Alzheimer’s.

I also want to once again thank the many, many wonderful friends that played such an important role last year.  When my Father passed in late February last year, I / we received an outpouring of support from many people — via phone calls, emails, text messages, in-person visits, cards, etc.  Each and every “touch” was appreciated and so very helpful during the grieving process.

The weather yesterday and today is very similar to the weather we had during the ceremony and reception last year … sunny and in the mid 70’s.

This past year has indeed been a “Year of Change” in so many, different ways.   But, during the highs and lows, the one constant is the wonderful support from so many wonderful friends.   I was taught at a young age “to treat others well … and in return … you will be treated well. ”

I’m trying my best to help and mentor others … whether through mentorships, teaching, internships, co-workers, etc.  And, the other saying is true … “whatever you give, you will get back that much more in return.”

I can absolutely confirm that both of these adages are quite true.

I am going to Arlington National Cemetery this morning to pay respects to my Father.   But, before heading over to ANC, I wanted to once again thank the many wonderful family members and friends that played an important role in helping us so much last year.  We are eternally grateful.

Peace to all.

What a great afternoon in the Nation’s Capital!  I was fortunate to be invited to attend a ceremony at the White House honoring the Super Bowl champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

We had perfect spring weather today … sunny, in the mid 70’s with a nice, light breeze.

President Obama and his team did a remarkable job in hosting this ceremony.  This wasn’t just a “meet and greet” and congratulate a championship sports team type of event.  In addition, a number of military soldiers, including about 50 “Wounded Warriors” from the Walter Reed Hospital were invited to the ceremony.

After the President’s remarks, the entire Steelers team, including coaches, and military soldiers assembled a few thousand care packages, which will be delivered by the USO to soldiers overseas.

The players seemed to be enjoying themselves while the huge grins and smiles on the faces of the soldiers was priceless.   It was a beautiful sight to see the players and soldiers interacting so well.  It seemed like a mutual admiration society.

The Steelers esteemed owner, Mr. Dan Rooney, also walked around and talked to dozens and media members as well as guests and fans.  I’ve always read that Mr. Rooney is an outstanding and gracious person … that’s exactly what we witnessed today.

Kudos to the people that organized today’s event … it was a world-class event … and I’m sure a day that many of the attendees will cherish forever.

I just returned from a 6-day trip to Seattle and LA.   It was a good trip … a combination of a few excellent business meetings for my new firm while also visiting with a number of good friends.  I blogged briefly about Seattle (like that city).   Here’s some observations about LA:

– it’s wise to rent a hybrid.  Not only is it good for the air, but the hotel where I stayed (Miramar Fairmont in Santa Monica) didn’t charge a parking fee for hybrids (nice savings since it’s $30 per night to park there).

– the beaches in LA have to be among the widest and largest in the world.   And, the volleyball they play on the beach is world-class.

– apparently, it never rains in Southern CA, but I didn’t have one sunny day in four days in Santa Monica.  Normally, the sun burns off the clouds by early afternoon but it’s “June Gloom” season right now so it was overcast every day.  Of course, if you drive inland, it’s sunny.

– I sat through two earthquakes.  I definitely saw plenty of nervous faces when it was rattling, but I grew up in Tokyo, where earthqukes are pretty common.  The first one was a 4.7 so it was nice jolt.  I do not miss the earthquakes!  Fortunately, there are few quakes in DC.

– the “scene” is interesting but fairly ridiculous, especially the way people fawn all over the “celebrities.”  Heck, they’re people, after all.  I get more hyped for people that “give back” and “make a difference,” r.e. business leaders, philanthropists, people dedicated to community service.  And, the way the papparazi’s hang out in front of the clubs is comical.

– but, the club scene is pretty good.  We went to Hyde on Friday night and Falcon on Saturday night.  The NFL was holding their Rookie Symposium this past weekend so Sat’s party at Falcon was full of NFL fellas.

– it is cool to see how many people are working out regularly in LA.  Obviously, that’s part of the culture there, but it’s good to see.  And, it definitely motivates you to work out, which I did every day there.

– LA is really an amazing, sprawling city.  I normally prefer the big cities that are walkable and / or have great public transportation, like Tokyo, New York, Paris, etc.  And, you have to have a car in LA (and patience due to the congested traffic), but the city does have such a wide range of people and things to do.  It’s a unique place.

But, it’s good to be back in DC.  And, the weather forecast today is sunny and in the 70’s … sounds like LA weather!

I arrived in Seattle at 4:oo pm PST yesterday, just in time to watch Game 7 of the Caps – Penguins game.  When we  arrived at the Fox Sports Bar, it was a 0 – 0 game a few minutes into the 1st period.    Then, before you know it, the friggin’ Pens are up 2 – 0!  UGH!   But, I had confidence that the Caps could claw back.  Unfortunately, it was not their day.  A depressing 6 – 2 loss.  But, it was a remarkable season for the Caps.  They become DC’s hottest and favorite sports franchise.  And, they’ve increased their fan base (they’re sold out for next year)!

The main reason for my trip to Seattle is to meet with a couple of new potential clients / partners for my new JLynn Associates business.   I’m positioning my business as a Strategic Advisory firm, focusing on Sports, Sports Marketing and Sports Media.

I had two fantastic meetings — with Synapse and Pacific Market International.   There’s definitely ways that we can all work together, particularly in the burgeoning Asian marketplace.   I’m truly energized and focused to make this happen.

After working for large media companies for nearly 20 years, it’s quite a different feeling to be an entreprenuer, but I’m very much enjoying the experience.  It’s a good change-of-pace.

Before I sign off, I must throw props to Seattle.   What a cool city!   Yes, it’s been overcast or rainy since I’ve been here but the people are chill and friendly.  One of my hosts gave me a good tour — we drove through the hip parts of town, then out past Redmond and Bill Gates’ territory, to the gorgeous Snoqualmie Falls about 30 minutes outside of the city, through the Univ of Washington campus, through their China / Asia town, past the two stadiums, etc.   And, yes, I’ve sampled the terrific coffee and salmon (Seattle staples).

I’m off to LA tonight for more meetings for JLA!

Last night was my first Monday night since mid-January without class at Georgetown U since the semester is now over.  I’m going to miss this year’s students — we had a great group of excellent students.

So, instead of teaching, I watched Game 6 of the incredible play-off series between the Caps and Penguins.   If I’m not at the game to watch it live, I normally prefer to watch it at home but this time I went to my friends’ new hip sports bar / lounge in DC called Public.

They have a bunch of flat-screen, high-def TV’s scattered throughout the place.   Check out Public if you’d like to hit a good sports bar.

Anyway, what a game!  My goodness — it was nerve-wracking.  Back and forth … back and forth.  They kept exchanging leads.   Fortunately, the Caps prevailed in OT.   And, now it’s on to Game 7 at the Verizon Center.  Unfortunately, I’m headed to Seattle on Wed afternoon so I won’t be there live in person.  So bummed.  Go Caps!