Wednesday, February 4, 2004
From The Heights (www.bcheights.com), a student Weekly of Boston College, Kathleen Conn has an article titled "Hours Author Praises Hollywood Adaptation" (need registration). Quote the second paragrapgh.
The Hours is the story of three women from three different time periods whose lives are all influenced by a great novel (namely Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway). In The Hours we see the stories of three unique individuals, Woolf herself in 1923 suburban London, Eisenhower-era housewife Laura Brown, and modern day Manhattenite Clarissa Vaughn, who share the feeling that they have lived their lives for other people. Though they outwardly appear quite different, their tales parallel one another in extraordinary and deeply moving ways.
It just tells the whole story in perfect less than 100 words.
Well, I watched the dvd at home. I didn't know neither Virginia Woolf nor Mrs. Dalloway. I have a different review about that movie before I read the above. And I thought if without the complex make-up, would we not enjoy more about Nicole Kidman's acting? I think it would be more fair for her, and more challenging for the audience. Because most of the time, my attention was paid towards her unbreathing nose. That's distracting.
The reason I watched the movie not due to the above copies, anyway. Rather, it was because the translation of the Japanese title was fabulous. It's called Meguri-au jikan tachi. It in fact carries more dramatic image and tones in Japanese than the original English, The Hours. Meguri-au is a verb, which means encounter. Jikan means time or hour(s). Tachi which is used to decribe plural, like children of child (kodomo-dachi), we (watashi-tachi), simply means and others. Tachi normally isn't used for something like time, but here as it is quite romantic and preferable. I think it helps bringing more audience to the theater or rental shop.
From the above, I sense that English title cannot be describtive at such occation. Like the Germany bestseller, The Reader by Bernhard Schlink. It was The Man Who Recites in original Germany apparently. From the Japanese translator's note, she mentioned because of the English version came out as The Reader, so the publisher suggested Roudokusya to her in Japanese. I don't really know Germany, but it seems Germany is quite particular with distinction of sex even for nonliving thing.
Perhaps some would say, such title like The Hours or The Readers covers the content of its story, so that it encourages people to read the novel, besides the title makes it mysterious. Hmmn. I doubt it. Who would think so? Me? May be.
You see, 100% direct translation is rather impossible. May be each language has its own preference that different from mine.
By the way, I just came across Murakami Haruki's After the Quake. Well, you might think that I don't like him, yes, I don't like him personally. But, it doesn't mean I don't read his book and not conscious of his publications. I do. I really do. More than you know. Anyway, this book is a collection of short stories, and the original title for the book was one of the titles from them (All God's Children Can Dance), but not After the Quake. And I just don't understand his intention in trying to control the English readers' understanding of his Japan. Quoted the note from complete-review.com,
In Haruki Murakami and the Music of Words Jay Rubin writes -- without further explanation, and in a parenthetical aside -- that Murakami insisted that in the English version the title "should be all lower-case" (i.e. after the quake). As the book itself is inconsistent in this regard (the copyright page gives the title -- of the book and the stories -- properly capitalised) we have opted not to follow suit. But it's apparently what he wanted. (Note, however, that Japanese does not have separate upper and lower cases.)
If you care to know what a Japanese, someone from Kobe who experienced the earthquake, think about the book then try to check out his review at amazon.com. He doesn't recommend the book, though. Well, it's one of the thousands voice. But, I personally will like to read the Japanese one, especially All God's Children Can Dance. Why God? Why Children? And why dance? That message is what really can tell you more about Japan than the quake.
I am looking forward to reading The Hours when I get one as well.
The Majestic Station Hotel, Ipoh
Wednesday, February 4, 2004
My, Agnes, what a nice post you've put up, and that handwritten one, too. For personal record, yes, I will go to the hotel once when I am back home.
Recent Changes
Friday, February 6, 2004
I'm kind of lost. At last, I am trying to upgrade my ibook to OS X to give it a try. I know the day will come, though I have not been very aggresived about it.
The main reason I want to upgrade to OS X is I found that Tinderbox will be able to write in Japanese, and export to html without fail, means no corrupted characters. Nathan Duckworth has a story to tell. But, I am sure it is not on OS 9, most probably OS X, that's why I decided to make a move.
Some Problem with My Tinderbox
Friday, February 6, 2004
I'm having some problem with my Tinderbox, content management software. It's fine when I just want to take note, and do all the typing. It's only when I want to export to html, Tinderbox will crash. Though I still get the html to upload to my site. Some how, I don't seem to be able to get anything html even though it crashes as well on OS X. Got to contact Tinderbox.
Besides, for the time stamps, if I set to the original, getting the time from my computer, it will appear as "mojibake," corrupted character. Fixed it with the setting, changing from "L" to "W, MM d, y" and it gives me the same result as usual.
Being a Sino-Japanese
Friday, February 6, 2004
Though I have met quite a few Sino-Japanese—whether mother/father is a Chinese by race— I have never really thought about how they grew up in Japanese society.
Just yesterday, I found out that one Japanese who I have been working with, her father actually was a Chinese. All of a sudden, the dislike of mine about how her working attitude—so unJapanese—explained why she has the kind of persistance, which could be interpreted as arrogant, made sense. No wonder she was so unJapanese to me all the while. And I started to forgive her, or forgive myself for being such an asshole to her all the while.
I, too, have experienced the same, about how Japanese treated me like an alien in all sort of ways. The more I felt about that, the more I purposedly showed my ignorance to them.
Never have thought about it, but all of a sudden, I start to wonder how my girls are going to deal with it, if they will have to grow up in this society. I begin to realise the seriousness, which is not something I can just ignore.
The Big Turnip
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
The Big Turnip is a Russian folk tale. I just bought the Japanese translation picture book for Erin a couple weeks ago. At here, you can have a look the Japanese version of the picture book. It's nice and gentle. It seems quite a popular picture book in Japan, someone who came to our house gazed fondly when Erin took out the piccute book. It's a classic.
From the English website, it goes like this.
A farmer once planted a turnip seed. And it grew, and it grew, and it grew. The farmer said it was time to pull the turnip out of the ground. So he took hold of it and began to pull.He pulled and he pulled and he pulled
But the turnip wouldn't come up.
So the farmer called to his wife who was getting dinner.
Fe, fi, fo, fum
I pulled the turnip
But it wouldn't come up.
And the wife came running, and she took hold of the farmer, and they pulled and they pulled and they pulled. But the turnip wouldn't come up.
So the wife called to the daughter who was feeding the chickens nearby.
It goes on and one with calling others like dog, mouse, etc. Anyway.
As I was not brought up listening to English, I am not sure how much effect it has towards the English (speaking) kids, but when I read the Japanese, the rhythmical repetition in Japanese language is rather fun.
In Japanese, the farmer is translated as ojii-san, yes, an old man. For the "fe, fi, fo, fum" part, it is "Un doko sho, Dokkoi sho." an onomatopoeic (do I really understand the meaning????) word. Sometimes when you see people carry something heavy, they would also say, un doko sho, or, yoisho, and then carry it.
Well, my story is not about all these.
Erin went to the park with my wife the other day. And there was this one elderly who was feeding pigeon. Then Erin pointed and said, "Ojiisan!" Then my wife just entertain her, yeah yeah. When she confirmed that, she started to pull the air turnip and said,
"Un doko sho, Dokkoi sho!"
Everyday, we learn new things.
The Dark but Real Side of the World
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
Have I told you about this story? I think I did.
Between Crime and FriendshipDecember 23, 2002
E works for a private loan company. Those who have been blacklisted by legal financial companies and have no where to go for loans, E's company is one of those being the Robinhood.
I learned also from him that the rates can be ridiculous; from 30% to 40% or even higher, all depends on the clients. He said like long term customers, it could come down to 10%. Has anyone who feel the milk of human kindness here? I've found something congenial in him.
I do learn that nowadays gangsters are more entrepreneur-like compared to what has been told as "friends of violence," they talk real business now. Somehow the image of gangsters and entrepreneurs doesn't fall into the same category in me; the former base their business more on human relations whereas the latter base everything in the name of capitalism.
E talked about some "technical issue" in excel. It's not written in manual, and those who around E cannot figure out what to do with it. It's a small company. I figured it out with some solutions with function that my wife (an expert in Excel) taught me before, and E was happy with it. Then E asked me about network. His questions can be helped by going through any network related reference books.
For a second, I think of the relationships between E and me, and the constitution of Japan and me. I think I know what's right and wrong, and at the same time was surprised my decision would have had been different if it was made 10 years ago, while still studying at university.
And you know what, there is an occupation called yonige-ya, do you call it a moonlight flit? What this profession does is, try to help those who are heavily in debt, and they cannot afford to go to court, so by paying less in total, Yonige-ya not only helps the family to settle at a new place, they help them to get jobs too! These are called yonige-ya. They are professional.
What is interesting is that, they got to work and pay back the loan to yonige-ya. As these fugitives were blacklisted, after all the help with the yonige-ya, they actually can go and walk under the sun again. Aren't they god? Hmmn. Wait till you listen to this part.
In fact, the back-list has been passing around among the underground loan trade. Yes, it's been traded. Once the loan comes to the end, just before that one month or so, the present loan company keeps pushing them to pay back, drive them almost crazy. When the fugitives get fed up, naturally there is this new yonige-ya appears in front of them. So, their lives as a fugitive will go one, endlessly, like Harison Ford.
Am I telling you a joke? You decide. I got the source, solid one. No sympathy, no justice, and no god, I remind you. That's how the real world goes around out there, and comes around.
Welcome Back
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
Welcome back Dave! I am reading. Groundhog Day.
The Problem Was the Template
Wednesday, February 11, 2004
The problem was the template. Wrote to Mark and he asked me to check the template. Gave it a look again, and now testing it on OS X. Looks like it is working fine.
For the protonote's export html template, it's supposed to be TrainItem.html, somehow it went wrong somewhere and became TrainTemplate.html. Fixed.
When Harry Met Sally
Friday, February 13, 2004
6 years ago, I was in Malaysia. Can't really figure out the reason, I spent my bonus on returning to Japan on Chinese New Year's holiday. Ticket airfare to and flo Japan was about a month salary of a fresh graduate.
I wanted to confirm something, something which I wasn't sure of. Too much things that I wasn't sure of at that time, whether my choice of returning to Malaysia was a right choice, whether was it worthwhile that I gave up to live in Japan and went back to Malaysia directly, etc. It doesn't mean that at this moment I am in Japan all the thoughts made at that time was wrong. Without the past, I won't be here at all.
There was a gathering at a ski resort. I went, and met my wife. 6 years ago. How time flies. This weekend, we are going for the annual gathering with kids, and it's my second visit. There were about 4 couples got married after each of them met their partners at the gathering on the same year. It's exciting to see each couple take their kids to meet again.
And of course, I will tell the kids, even though they might not understand, your mum and I met here the first time. But we never fell in love at first sight. No sparkle, no fireworks. We exchanged name card, only.
Life is an unknown quatity. You won't know what x and y will happen, just like When Harry met Sally.
Being Honest
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
And what will one get, I wonder.
When I read people's writing, sometimes I can get very worked up with the sentences. Not that the person who writes has anything wrong, but so much of the routine, plain, and boring repetition that makes one feel, bah! Writing "raw" feeling is so honest, but really meanlingless sometimes, I think. Writing is an art, you got to craft your sentences.
And it's such a hard work to do, damn it.
Soon Spring Will be Here
Wednesday, February 18, 2004
It's still cold here in Japan, yet I feel that spring will be here soon, and winter is going to end, very soon.
When April comes, everything will be in a rush as usual, and things move faster, as it means the beginning of a fiscal year, school starts, season starts, everything starts in April. So as life in a year.
Yet, it is still so cold out side, especially at night. What the hell.
Reportage Literature and the Truth
Wednesday, February 18, 2004
Just read an article by Ikezawa Natsuki about his report on his invitation as a committee member to recommend publication for Reportage literature award. I need to find the article again for more details to explain in English. While searching for it, I found this site, Reportage.org, the online magazine of photojournalism. Looks interesting.
Before I go deep into it, what Ikezawa mentions in his report, something stroke me. He said the tendency for American to allow fiction in nonfiction is very commonly seen. That's why there doesn't seem many so-called solid reportage published by American. Isn't that is what I have been wondering? American way of "to tell the truth?" And why is that so, of course he doesn't mention.
The grade/level or standard thinking about truth by the American and by the others—in this case, myself—most probably exists a big gap in between. So, how to communicate with American, or how to read American society from outside, is an interesting topic.
And the attitude about this truth, the Southern Chinese—where my ancestor came from—is rather similiar to American. Do I see something familiar here? And I wonder why. Hmmn.
postscript
What I said about allowing fiction in nonfiction, for instance in Hollywood movies, when it says based on a true story, in fact the demand of truth might not be so important in American culture, that's what I mean. I think not that the truth doesn't mean anything to American (society), but the way they look into so-called truth, is something which I would like to figure it out.
Note on Writing
Friday, February 20, 2004
I got lots of things to write about "writing," paper, paper making, book making, desktop publishing, etc. Somehow, I don't know where to start and how should I begin. It's only when I read, then it recalls my oblivion. Oblivion! Do you remember????
Do you think I am mad? I think I am. Quite badly. Bad about? I don't know, that's really bad.
Where does Malaysian Live on? (Part I)
Sunday, February 22, 2004
When I was in Malaysia, literature was something rather complicated. Well, literature itself is complicated even for any other countries though. At that time, things that were written in Chinese and Tamil (Indian) language wasn't considered as Malaysia literature, even things written in English wasn't part of Malaysian literature at that time. I write it with past tense because I am not sure of the current situation.
Malay language was the only mean to express literature, in a way. But, Malay language didn't represent Malaysia literature as it only represented part of the nation's voice even the majority covered more than 60% of the population. It's even higher now, 70%? Anyway. Those who were born in Malaysia, educated in Malaysia, and why the things written by them were not be accepted by its country where they were born? Lots of effort been done and contributed by each parties as well as discussion, about what is so-called Malaysia literature. There was effort too trying to translate novels in other language into Malay for more exposure. Somehow, the quality wasn't good enough.
One conclusion in me was, Malaysia was too young to talk about literature. There was no mass communication, there was no central thinking, no main stream, it was merely a bunch of ethnic groups overall. Everyone could express on their own, but it's rather hard to collect the whole thing and called it Malaysia literature yet. Malaysia still need more time to be able to talk about literature. Language is a big issue, either you kill the minority, concentrate to have a language like America, or else you have some bodies to take part in translating all the novels or literary work into other languages like Europe. European style is rather complicated but that's how the model it would be for a multirace country.
For someone who can read Chinese, English, and Malay like me, other than those main news on the front page, the inside coverage of each language's daily paper gave me an impression about Malaysia like this: There wasn't any real harmony or understanding in between races.
The Chinese paper transfered news and article from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese, they talk about what happen when China took over Taiwan, about drama on history of (Chinese) Dynasty, about the beauty of palm tree and snow, which I had never touch before, and it never touched me.
The English paper was something far away from the people who live in the country, rather international but not "interrace" when each race didn't quite sure of what other races', like the common people, were thinking. English was the common language, but it didn't carry the information about the common people, it told me about high circles of society, but it never told me what the lower class people's thinking. There was no voice of that class in English (language), only the sympathy from top to bottom if there were any.
Where was the real Malay? Most of the time the topic in the Malay paper that I read was discussing about issue that its method of solution was basically with Islam, a religion that came from so far away. The belief didn't come from Malaysia's soil and earth. The word tanah air, literally means soil and water, means ones home or country in Malay language, had been used for lots of purposes but it wasn't convincing, as it wasn't originally from the soil and water where the people live on. Islam came from a land where it was full of sand, wind and sun with no greenery and water most of the time, and the human being created by the climate there must have had been tougher than the human being who was born in Southern Asia, a place where you don't really need to work hard like a dog. Threw some seed in the field, you would get almost any food soon without doing any solid cultivation.
Tamil paper perhaps would talk about the inner South India, about Pakistani, or something that I didn't know basically.
Lettre Ulysses Award for the Art of Reportage
Monday, February 23, 2004
The website is here.
Something About Japanese Literature Award
Tuesday, February 24, 2004
Not sure if the outside world knows about it, it was rather a news here. Recently there were two young girls (19 and 20) who together won a high prestigous literature award called Akutagawa Award (Akutagawa-sho). Due to the downturn in book sales, and with the trend where younger generation turn to music, games, and anime for entertainment rather than reading, it's rather an exciting news especially for those who work in publishing line.
Award thing is rather subjective. And it depends on the jury as well. In the case of Japan, the prize for the entertainment awards is rather cheap. The average good amount I ever know now is 5 million yen. Is it a lot? If you do the arithmetic, roughly you will know, writing is not a profession worth doing in Japan, AT ALL. You need more spiritual support basically, but in order to get people to write hardboiled, solid, and good entertaining literature, you got to really pay them to write. America's money game does encourage people to write I think. But Japan, it still depends on its Samurai spirit, work hard and wait for the good to come onlu in someday which is an infinity.
Here the term I used for entertainment and literature is, the former means like misterious novels that sells well. Literature can mean like reportage, fiction and nonfiction novels. It doesn't make money, somehow like reportage, someone got to record any incident happen at a time even that isn't much commercially rewarding. So, having an award does encourage people to record it. Well, in a way, all depends on the initiative.
Literature is what we human being want to know more, about us, about ourselves. And being alive is not profitable, somehow we still got to keep it up. That's why we want to know the reason, and we have been trying to figure out.
As for the literature award—the most prestigous one, Akutagawa Award—the best winner will get, uh, a watch. Second winner will get 1 million yen. It is rather obvious why there hasn't been any good writers appear from younger generation for this sort of so-called literature award, huh? The most prestigous award and a watch? What the hell is that? Whatever the reason is, it's too ridiculous. What does the winner get from there? Status? Nonpromised future? Or he/she got offers from publishers to give speech, to be interviewed like a celebrity for a while? Do they really expect people to write more with such reward? Write with what? With ones own dream and soul? My goodness, you need rice, you need dictionary, you need to travel and to buy more books.
Well, perhaps Akutagawa Award is a second award. It's not an open award, it selects publications that already published in recent magazines. Every year it runs twice for selection. But still. Overall, Japan has this attitude, literature should not be rewarded with money. It is like it should be treated with more spiritual thing. But, downturn in sales is about money, I think.
Anyway, that's one story.
Another one is, well, something I don't understand. As I am very interested in writing, so I do try to read those publication. Not always the award receiver can really convinced me that they are potential. And always the case, the worst part about this literature award is, the winners' novels are not entertaining. I think that's why people don't spend money to buy them, and that's why the sales figure is bad. Not about the past issue, but the recent two, in fact I finished the 19 year-old's Wataya Risa, (Keritai senaka, The Back I Want to Kick), and read more than half of the kanehara Hitomi (Hebi ni piasu, Snake with Pierced Tongue), but the latter is so old fashion, I don't think she qualifies for an award. Let's take it if I were the jury. I already can tell where she is going to bring me before the end of the story. About pure love. My goodness. At what century she is living in. (The pure love here doesn't mean the young generation's pure sexless love, if my sentence isn't clear.)
For The Back I Want to Kick, it's rather a small world, but that's exactly a 19 year-old girls capability, but she presents it with a solid contents, a readable drama, and describe well about her younger generation's way of handling relationship, which I see it as really new.
Whereas for the Snake, Kanehara wants the adult society to accord her, which I don't really understand if that's what a new writer's stance should be. It's like a punk kid wants to be treated as an adult by behaving like an adult when he/she is still a kid. She is not to herself. The stance is rather weak.
This is my presumption. Because of their age, two were pushed up together for the sake of publicity. That makes sense.
I personally think that Wataya Risa has rather high potential to be a real writer. And it was funny, that Kanehara's father, who is a professor at a university, has been mentioned here and there, and that makes me wonder why. To prove that she is not so capable that she needs her father for backup? And my friend told me that the radio channels keep promoting split tongue (pierced tongue), which might mean the sales for the book isn't that good, that's why the commercial. Could be something else, I don't know.
Another reason is, she is a Korean, Japan-born Korean (it's not written anywhere, rumour says). There is this mood in Japan. let's say someone is fired at work due to incapabality. But, if the person is considered as buraku (outcast people?) or any minority (by race), that the reason being fired can bring the whole thing to "discrimination," and that will become a serious social problem. So, I am just meditating, if the body knows that she is a Korean, and if she has being rejected, it might caused some "discrimination" problem. Eventually, nobody can reject. Isn't that odd? But that's how it is, the world is like that.
I have doubt before about another different writer who also has the same background, when the novel didn't convince me it's worth for an award, somehow the fact that the novel itself actually is about a young Korean (how he met a Japanese girl and fell in love story), so as the writer. That makes me wonder about another part of Japanese society that I am not sure of. Well, it is unfair for the writer, but there are people at the back who is doing all the political dynamic.
The world is not that simple. You think only Malaysian like me being treated differently? Wait till you know the world. There is discrimination anywhere in the world. Japan just has a different version.
Is this about Japanese literature? No, may be not. Perhaps it is about human being after all.
Get a New Job, Baby
Monday, March 1, 2004
The other day, I was chatting with my nephew who is in KL now. He then mentioned he was looking for a job. So, I asked why. What are you unhappy about the present job. I don't think he has been working long. The "get some experience then get another better offer" thinking is not my philosophy. I personally think that one doesn't learn anything by keep changing a job. But I guess there is a theory and its logic there, and apparently that is the trend even in Tokyo. Everything is in yourself. Not the company or the job one is doing.
Speaking from experience, people who change job are always the same persons. Which means, those who don't change, most probably will not change just for the sake of changing. Once you change, and still you think you need to change again, most probably it will go round and round, like a merry-go-round. Nothing wrong with that. If you think you want to work, then do something that suits you best, but when you find that you are still looking for a job, then don't get a job, create one, be your own boss.
But what surprised me was, in fact he said his parents—my brother and sister-in-law—has been encouraging him to change job. What a world. Why? Why you guys want your son to change a new job? Why, why why? Hello, anybody home?