Wednesday, June 1, 2005
I went to the Hibiya National Library, which is just opposite my office, and searched for some old books. And I got The Voyage Out by Virginia Woolf. Am reading the first chapter and I should say, I enjoy it.
The flowery expression of English, oh, it just kills me. When can I be able to use them in my sentences? And the conversation reminds me a lof of the Eurasian family that I lived with before. The way of asking and the way of answering, it's so typical, and yet thoughtful.
I think I will be on voyage for a while with Woolf.
Popeye the Sailor . . .
Wednesday, June 1, 2005
Girl!
It's getting hot. Other than the raining days when it can be chilly at night, summer won't be far.
Voyaging in the World of Woolf
Thursday, June 2, 2005
The Voyage Out.
This is the first time I read Virginia Woolf's book, honest speaking, I don't get it. Too flowery the language is, and half way through, I am lost. I feel the need to have a dictionary. Vocabulary is much difficult than I can understand. But rather, I am trying to understand the so-called of "stream of consciousness" if there is one. According to M (M Sinclair Stevens, that's the full name if you want to know) I should read A Mark on the Wall, her best short story. I didn't see it in the library.
I enjoy reading English, just like that, without knowing the meaning of each word, and yet the paragraphs can bring me to a world which makes me consider much about literature. Half way, in fact, I will continue my story, and the characters start to make conversation, on and on, I cannot stop them. I like that. I don't hear voices, but if there is one, English novel reading riches my imagination.
But, I see no guidance in the middle of an unknown sea now. I think I need to have a Japanese version of this book. I don't think Japanese (language) can cater this flowery expression in her capacity, but I want to know a rough idea what's going on in the middle of the voyage.
It's not a comparable thing, but all the while I am not fancy reading translated English novel—there are exceptions, as in any rules in the world of course, technical books—if I can read the original novel. Especially those that I would categorise them as literature, I feel a great loss if I were to read only in Japanese. Lots of expression—not words—disappear when it goes through the filter of translation. For English, how feeling or emotion is expressed is what I want the most. Words? Dictionary gives you plenty.
Hello Kitty, It's Thursday
Thursday, June 2, 2005
Wow! What about mine?
I found out the photo while I was typing this, that's why I am not sure what my bento is like yet. But it would be a bit too cute if I were to have the cat in my bento today.
Erin said, she was scolded by "sensei" the other day as she didn't finish her lunch at the kindergarden. Added, but that's not delicious. Japanese, as she is one, has this way of eating; they are not using only the tongue. That's for sure. One judges from different point of view.
Update: The previous photo has been deleted. Reuploaded a trimmed one. And my bento doesn't has a cat, thank goodness.
Going to Sea
Friday, June 3, 2005
Planned to go to sea on the weekend, so we decided to check out where can we go, somewhere close perhaps within 2 hours, and what we found that living around in Tokyo and to go to sea is rather troublesome. There is no sea nearby other than over the rainbow. We don't want the crowd. We want the sea.
Thinking of this and that, and at the end, we are thinking may be we should go visit our friends in Utsunomiya and stay overnight there. The next day we can go for onsen and come back. That's the least water we can compromise.
Well, soon or we already are having the rainy season with us. If it rains, what to do? Perhaps dig out my reading list on a raining day.
Vast Condom Horror in Pacific
Saturday, June 4, 2005
Vast Condom Horror in Pacific, via Nocategories.
Either it is true or believable is another question, but what it came to my mind was, where have all the disposed condoms, from the love hotels in Japan, go to eventually? Love hotel's a huge market here. I mean really huge. High school students is also their targets. Keep this note as a reminder. I have another story related to this to tell.
Breathlessness in English
Saturday, June 4, 2005
I was told, that Virginia Woolf was the icon of feminism, and naturalism (in writing). Not sure of what it really meant, I tried to read her book. From The Voyage Out, there are many conversation about issues of gender. "I can never understand man," or, "Why man always like to involve in politics," etc. Why understanding of things comes from the categorisation of man and woman in the first place, I wonder.
From the movie The Hours, there is this one scene at a station where Mrs Woolf tried to take the train to London, and the husband stopped him. That scene gives me lots of hint about Virginia Woolf's frustation, being a female, not given a chance to speak ones thought, etc.
Japan has its first novel (not an intended novel work so to speak though, but became a novel eventually, but that's not the point here) The Tale of Genji, written by a woman, Murasaki Shikibu. It's the world's first fiction, which already appeared in 11th century. So, feminism in Japan is a funny Western imported "good" here. It' something new, very new, from expression point of view.
I recalled the first time I realised about the existence of blogher was from Elin, a really hard working lady at Eastgate.
From her post, she mentioned that,
[. . .] I find it really difficult to allow myself to be "me" online sometimes. Do I sound silly? Is my argument weak? Can I say this at all? Did I miss something? are some of the thoughts I have when I want to offer my opinion on something. More often than not, I choose not to blog and stay silent instead. Many prominent male bloggers seem to have a fascination with what they term "intelligent" writing - and they don't understand how this might intimidate those who aren't into "purely" academic writing, who for some odd reason, often happen to be women.
I was wondering where such a strong breathlessness as a woman come from. Hasn't it anything to do with the language? How about the French women? Do they feel the same, I wonder?
The Sea is Watching
Sunday, June 5, 2005
Arrived at home on Friday night, a luggage was sitting excitedly on the floor waiting for the departure to sea the next day. Fully packed for a one-night two-day small trip.
"An invitation to you."
An email came to me at work from my wife. Clicked on the url, I found a hotel at Atami, a place near the sea, south-west to Tokyo, about one and a half hours train from Shinjuku. All was because of this post. My wife took the initiative, booked the hotel and reserved the train tickets, just because I said, "isn't it nice to be at the sea, may be this weekend?"
The plan was not trying to make ourselves busy, rather just to be at the beach, relax, and relax. It wasn't a hotel that keep you busy, rather like an apartment if you want to cook on your own you can. But, we didn't. We just walked around, strolled without destination. Walked into restaurants that looked nice, and enjoyed the meal. Spent most of the time at the beach. Far away, the sea was roaring.
It rained. We ran. It stopped, we walked. Cloudy Saturday, but it didn't stop us enjoy the slow pace of the hours. A small hotel, the onsen was on top of the building at the hillside. The entrance was on B3F, reception was at B1, our room at the 6F, the onsen was above 10F. The night view was fabulous. Went a couple of times to the onsen just to be a naked king. Alone in the bathtub, the hot water heated my soul, the night view worked off all the stress. The so-called Sun Beach was lightened up at night. What a view! The building next to us was a residential one. It reminded me of Hong Kong. Daily life seeped out into the futon, into the clothes at the veranda. It made feel like a fugitive one moment.
Far away, the sea seems rumbling.
A Clean and New Device
Monday, June 6, 2005
My wife washed her mobile till so clean that she needed a new one. She didn't backup her data, so she was like a dead person throwing herself into the couch the whole day. When Erin asked what happened to mummy, I told her she's dead, then Erin said we should call "piipuu piipuu."
I told my wife she can go get herself a new one. So she went and bought one. This toy is really fantastic. It has an FM antenna, take pictures as clear as crystal, it can even remotely control the TV and the DVD player! I am thinking of getting her a miniSD card so that she can play MP3 musics as well.
It's been implemented in any other mobile phones before, one of this uniquely Japanese features is that, the "Go Dutch" calculator. So high the demand that it can be taken in as one feature for marketing purpose. In Japan, eat out meal basically is equally split into the numbers who attend. So, for example, for a 10 thousand yen meal, split between 3 persons you will have to pay 3,333 yen, and you still lack of 1 yen (as shown). The orange highlighted part is where you key in the figures when you have coupons for discount. Below it is the rate of discount, if there is one.
Mobile phone in Japan is something not only go deep into ones life, it goes deep into ones skin, is a plugin cell device.
I am going to get mine soon as my battery is useless now, and it's time to catch up with the trend. May be get the one which I can watch TV. Wow, isn't that great? But I don't watch TV, that's the thing.
More on Small
Tuesday, June 7, 2005
This article is interesting. It talks the same theme as freelancing, but the reason to be a freelancer is convincing.
[ . . . ] Don't grow unless it gives you joy.
Dare your employees to become freelancers instead.
Do it on a weekend until it doesn't scare you quite so much.
It's no longer about access to cash. Now it's about choosing the right model and being remarkable.
In America (2002)
Thursday, June 9, 2005
It is a nice movie. Somehow, the fact that it is "based on a true story," that part rather kills me. A success story? Is there any failure story about American dream, I wonder. Well, I guess it would then be an untold story.
Nice as a story.
Runaway Jury
Friday, June 10, 2005
I always get confused with this two movies; Runaway Jury, and Confidence. Amazon Japan makes it clear for "customers who bought this (Runaway Jury) DVD also bought" the latter. But if you look at amazon dot com, the lists are Man on Fire, Mystic River, Collateral, The Rainmaker. I have no clue at all for all the connections.
Is there any similarity that you find from the lists? For the amazon Japan, yes, as I myself got confused with the two DVDs, so to see the DVD once more does seems a good way to clarify the bewilderment. But based on what does the customers at amazon dot com doing their purchase?
The Day After Tomorrow
Monday, June 13, 2005
I seem to only update my blog recently with the DVD I watched. As if I have done nothing but only sitting in front of the TV. I didn't. We went to the park, and we caught lots of beetles, and went to the pool. And I was too tired to even to think.
Anyway.
This movie made me think of a few things. I didn't imagine it was a movie about family love, nor did I thought how the story would end, so it was a good story, so to speak, that it gave a pleasure of entertainment. And how the way the story came about, I was rather curious. Must check if the anyone bought the DVD. Just want to know the making of it, and how the story came about.
Raise High the Roof-Beam, Carpenters
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
In fact I have stopped reading The Voyage Out. Instead, I am trying to write a short story with Virginia Woolf's style imitate from her other short stories. Creative writing, if you would like to call it.
At the mean time, also reading Raise High the Roof-Beam, Carpenters by J. D. Salinger. It's an old edition I borrowed from the public library. The smell of it, the stain between the valley of the book. The title is old, but the experience holding an English book somehow reminded me of my secondary school, the teen.
I enjoyed the book, and his style of writing. The irony of each sentence is really entertaining. You know what, the last time after I read his first book, The Catcher in the Rye, I started to write this post.
Good reading helps my writing. That's for sure.
It Was Ladybird, Not Beetle
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Erin was playing with a ladybird.
She wasn't afraid of it, instead she seemed enjoy having it on her hand.
In Japanese, it's called tentoumushi. Tentou, literally means the road in the sky, mushi is an insent. Ladybird is always heading to heaven, may be that's why.
Homemade Sushi
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Last Sunday, after spent about 2 hours at the park, we were on our way back home. And while thinking what to have for lunch, we decided to have sushi at home instead of going out to eat. So, I took the kids to the supermarket nearby and bought salmon, prawns, tuna, while my wife went home directly to cook the rice. Within an hour or so, lunch was served.
Till now, I still cannot understand why eating out in Japan is so costly. Compared to in Malaysia, the food outside was so cheap and we could afford to eat everyday luxuriously. Well, to one extend, I guess. Sometime I felt like didn't want to eat anything, and that could be due to the flavour enhancer.
Or, perhaps it has to do with age. You know, the more you eat outside, the more you want homemade cooking that sort of urge.
So, sushi has become another alternatives at home, which it hadn't been till the last Sunday.
The Moment of Kûhaku
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
The image is from Amazon Japan.
I have been subscribing the publisher (Chin Music Press)'s RSS feed. And recently it has a post regarding the online bookstore, Still Gonna Chase Those Chickens. This is about the book, Kûhaku: And Other Accounts From Japan, and there is a category which you can find it here. I want to have a look at the book.
Not related, but need to put this note down.
Recently, I have read something about MD player. Apparently, it doesn't last long. Not only the player, the media doesn't last too. Which means that all the music—especially those live concert that one attended—that one has tried to "backup" on mini disc, most probably won't come back after some time. Even though there are specialists who can try getting the files back, but there is no guarantee that it can be restore to its original. There doesn't seem any ways to restore MD media and the music after a while. The life of an MD player seems too short compared to other music player.
CD-ROM is another wonder. Don't run away from it whether the spotlight has shifted to DVD, the wonder about CD-ROM hasn't been solved yet. Let's-forget-it-and-move-on is not a way of solving the problem. You wonder if all those minicam that can record directly into CD-ROM or DVD-ROM, all the parents try to consume to take those moments the kids grow up, will they believe the catch copy of the commercial that, they can watch it, like a few 10 years later? But, has it been proved that it will last that long? All Marketers are Liar.
Eternity is what we've been looking for, but what we always forget is that, it has only to be a hope that should not be a reality. When we think that it has become part of our reality, we tend to forget something more important. Those moments of life.
By the way, kûhaku means a blank in Japanese.
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Just for the sake of record, I came across an article in regards to puntuation around this time last year. My goodness. It's been so long already? I forgot to blog it.
I am not a big fan of grammar though I like to know a little bit more about it. The title is about a book,—and I think—being funny about punctuation in English. But, an American doesn't seem to see that way. Hey relax!
Anyway, thinking loudly I think articles written for English magazines seem to have a very good way of presentation, technically, like Times, Newsweek, etc., well especially global magazines. Sometimes the contents are not so important, but arrangement of the paragraphs changes the impression of reader. I think that's a technic I should learn. Cut and paste is an art, huh?
It's Only an Introduction
Monday, June 20, 2005
I finished reading Raise High the Roof-Beam, Carpenters by J. D. Salinger. It was good. But, the second story, Saymour, an Introduction doesn't sound interesting, so I am holding it at the moment. Though I went to the library to extend for another 3 weeks today.
After a while of English, I thought of some refreshment, so I tried to borrow a Japanese book. I have tried to finish a few books on the shelf and yet I don't think I will be able to finish any of them soon.
Summery Day, Windy Night
Monday, June 20, 2005
Yesterday we were at the Daiba again for BBQ. This was a group where two of the members were my Cantonese students, long long time ago. We started the BBQ gathering 3 years ago. We've been trying to gather at least once a year for BBQ. Other activities like going for dimsum or dine out are done on a regular basis but not always the same people. One couple was born after last year's gathering. So, it's like "hey singles join us!" but the thing is, it's always lack of guys. Funny. And it is good for kids too not only they can make friends but also it's safe to just let them play around at the park.
Oh, Karin lost twice though. Apparently she went far away from the spot and then found herself somewhere she couldn't get back. The first time I found her. But the second time, an elderly lady took her to all the BBQ spots and asked around, "Whose girl is this?"
Kids were fully exhausted on the way home, as well as daddy. We drank lots of lots of beers and wines, and had a good time there. On the way home, it started to get chilly.
The Biggest Readers in the World
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Still lots of my Malaysian friends sometimes ask if it is true that Japanese read a lot in the train. Well, half true, and half not. But, I will have to tell them to revise their statistics. Apparently, Indians are the biggest bookworm, now.
On the other hand, here you can find another side's story about why Indians wear glasses.