japan hates the yankees too.

we didn't see a lot of real dogs in japan (pictures of dogs, yes). however, when we did find dogs, it was the motherload.


Note: NOT yankees fans, go METS (next year, that is).

the red panda attack.

to some, this will be old news as i have been obsessed with this youtube find for years. for others, this post may change the way you view the ENTIRE WORLD and its contents.


over these illustrious years i have also found this same lucky girl living with baby hogs, koalas, puppies, baby pandas, and my favorite- the red pandas below.

short version:




to try and figure what is actually happening here, is worth learning japanese alone.


someone, someday will tell me who this girl is and what IS actually happening here, but in the meantime, like me, you can pretend you understand.


if you need more (and surely, you do) go here for what could be the full version. the jerks won't let me steal it and post it, however (despite its obvious importance):


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAbuKblNHoE

opportunities abroad.

shoes: a short revisit

i finished "who's camus anyway?" last night, and while i don't intend to give anything away, the end of the movie is the "murder scene," and was worth the wait.


the boy/actor enters the house to commit the "ultimate crime."


the old woman is cooking.... he sneaks in the door..... grabs a hammer... closes the door quietly.... then... he.....





TAKES OFF HIS SHOES!!! he actually stops to take the time to TAKE them off and put them (with great care, mind you) on the ground, carefully placing them side by side to face in the 'correct' direction (facing the door).


my question is : at this time, why are you still bothering with this crazy!? (see previous post, 8-1-09) if it is a cleanliness issue, i'm sure the blood from the murder is a MUCH bigger concern, no? or if it is some kind of respect issue, i think you've blown that one too.

my body is in ny, but my head, never returned.

no, i am not in japan. i'm still here. but for the past 6 months, i've been studying japanese, and since returning from japan, i've been obsessed with noodles, japanese music, and finding good octopus balls in nyc. so, as the obsession continues, so do the questions, and so does the blog. i may be in nyc, but the questions, interest, and "studies" continue. these are my notes.


accepting ALL suggestions for food, culture, and games.

the death of japanese film.

Today's feature: Kamyu nante shiranai (Whos camus anyway?) 2005 directed by Mitsuo Yanagimachi.



i admit, i know nothing about japanese movies, and am starting from scratch, but it serves as my only remote window into japan from nyc - a companion piece to learning any language, i think.

so, to answer the burning question that naturally follows.... no, i don't count "Fast and the Furious 2: Tokyo Drift" as a Japanese film.

To answer the OTHER question, no, I can't understand a word. (occasionally catching a "konnichiwa," is nothing to brag about, i'm sure).




so far my film fest has included the story of a cursed and evil newspaper (Yogen (Premonition), 2004, above), and a sad family with a dead son (Aruitemo Aruitemo (Still Walking), 2008, below).






currently the thematic breakdown of the available japanese-cable-on demand-movies:


monsters 2

assasins/revenge 3

war/ninjas 2

murder/killers 2

family drama 1

student drama 1

(please note: the family drama? -- about death. the student drama? about making a movie about, you guessed it, death.)


what's with all the death? what is time warner trying to tell me? can this really be an accurate representation of japanese cinematic themes? who's running the cultural show over there: Bauhaus? Marilyn Manson? i understand that at this particular moment, my choices for this 'fest' are dictated by the choices offered by Time Warner Cable, because i am just too lazy, at the moment, to leave my house. but either Cable has an incredibly sick sense of humor, or the japanese film audience is incredibly morbid. who's to blame?

any suggestions are welcome.


(side note: i loved "Still Walking" 2008)