Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Summer

So this last 3 or so weeks of summer went by in a flash. My days mostly consisted of extremely unproductive activities. These included playing games, watching movies, reading mangas, travel books, novels, and of course dealing with visas and housing. Yes, I should probably be ashamed of wasting my time, but it's really nice to loose myself in these wonderful imaginary worlds after a harsh semester of studio. I really didn't think I was able to survive with the stress from studio last semester. Simply put, I have never experienced such anxiety which made something I used to love some thing I dread with all my heart. With that said, I did learn to manage my time better, though even so, hard work doesn't mean much to a certain extent in architecture. I think I need to go back to enjoying it more, give it more love. :)


Anyhow~ let's see, well, here's the list of things I have been occupying / wasting my time with...
Games:
-Zelda Spirit Tracks: At the boss level, but decided to finish side quest and catching all the stupid bunnies. This is a good game following the Phantom Hourglass, with more challenges and puzzles though the main theme is similar and you can control phantoms. If you are looking for something different than PH, then this is not the one.
- Zelda Twilight Princess: Searching for Poe Souls...Still have to fight Zant and Ganondorf. Haven't played this game in ages, forgot the wonderfulness of L-target. Though since I already beat the cave of ordeals, I must have been pretty decent...

Movies:
-Departure (おくりびと Okuribito): Great movie where a recent out of work cellist decided (or forced) into a new job as a Japanese undertaker. In Japan, the undertaker's job is to carry out the ceremony to wash, clean the deceased and dress him or her up for to put into the coffin. The ceremony has series of steps that both signifies a respect for the deceased and also refresh the memories of the deceased in the living. It was a very touching and meaningful, yet hilarious film. :}

-Tokyo Sonata (トウキョウソナタ Tōkyō sonata): Another great Japanese movie that reflects its culture, however this time taking place in a typical Tokyo family during the recent economic crisis. The movie starts off with the husband loosing his job and due to fear of shocking his wife, decides to pretend he is still employed while spending his day sitting in the park or looking for low paying jobs. The wife, the two sons later also faces their own crisis as the family begins to fall apart due to financial reasons. The movie examines how a regular family falls apart as each member tries to escape from the invisible roles of each family member as tension between each other and the society arises. Yet, ultimately each return to their home in the end after many turn moils as their efforts renders useless, and perhaps called to home by their basic instincts. This film magnified the tensions within a family and questioned what it means to be a family with hilarious and somewhat outrages turn of events. Great to watch with your family!