Well, this will be my last post from the UK. My bags are packed, and I'm ready to go. These past few weeks have been really great fun, hanging out with the boys again, spending some family time together; but its time for me to bugger off yet again for some more adventures!
Ill be posting as soon as I can when i get to Japan with some photos and what not hopefully, and some updates. Probably sometime Thursday evening or Friday.
All that's left to say is さらば、仲間たちよ！ Catch you on the flip side.
I'll miss you all! including my 4 guitars...
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
Wednesday, 15 September 2010
どうしようかな。。。
*SIGH*
In exactly 1 weeks time, I'll be in an airplane, somewhere over France on my way to Hong Kong (providing the flight isnt delayed...). So, the question is, what to do to fill the time between now and then?
I could just continue my run of playing old Playstation 2 games, watching terrible movies (the worst of which was probably The Human Centipede by the way, it's just wrong.) and listening to music all day.
What should I do to fill the time?
Answers on a postcard please.
In exactly 1 weeks time, I'll be in an airplane, somewhere over France on my way to Hong Kong (providing the flight isnt delayed...). So, the question is, what to do to fill the time between now and then?
I could just continue my run of playing old Playstation 2 games, watching terrible movies (the worst of which was probably The Human Centipede by the way, it's just wrong.) and listening to music all day.
What should I do to fill the time?
Answers on a postcard please.
Saturday, 11 September 2010
AntiChrist
For some unknown reason I stumbled upon the 2009 Von trier film "AntiChrist" on the internet the other day, and I finally got around to watching it last night.
It isn't as straight forward a film as the title suggests, you may have thought of something not dissimilar to the Omen for example. Instead, it is a much more subtle commentary on the more sinister side of the human psyche and religion as well as having rather misogynistic undertones.
It stars Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg as a nameless couple who lose their child. This has deep psychological effects on Charlotte's character who becomes increasingly manic and sinister as her Psychologist husband tries to treat her through psychotherapy.
I'm no film critic did I really enjoy its sinister and somewhat controversial atmosphere, though I felt some of the more gory scenes were a little unnecessary.
If you are interested and would like a, frankly more educated opinion I recommend this review:
http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/antichrist-the-visual-theology-of-lars-von-trier
I think I enjoyed reading this almost as much as watching the film itself. Even if you don't particularly fancy watching the film I do recommend you take the time to read this.
Ill leave you today with one part of that review that really made me think:
"At one point, she tells him that nature is "Satan's Church', and he puts Satan in the top position. Then, as he discovers the depths of her sense of personal evil and blame, he puts the word "me" - her ultimate fear is herself - only to cross it out again. I was reminded of Paul Ricoeur's study of Genesis, in which he ponders on the pre-existence of evil in the Garden of Eden, suggesting that we find ourselves in a world in which evil precedes us as an unnameable mystery. The symbols of the fall pervade this film, but the serpent never appears. Whatever the source of evil, it has already done its work before we enter this poisoned Eden. "
Thought provoking!
Heres some stills from the film, I do hope that i've interested some of you enough to give the film a try.
When the three beggars arrive someone must die.
It isn't as straight forward a film as the title suggests, you may have thought of something not dissimilar to the Omen for example. Instead, it is a much more subtle commentary on the more sinister side of the human psyche and religion as well as having rather misogynistic undertones.
It stars Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg as a nameless couple who lose their child. This has deep psychological effects on Charlotte's character who becomes increasingly manic and sinister as her Psychologist husband tries to treat her through psychotherapy.
I'm no film critic did I really enjoy its sinister and somewhat controversial atmosphere, though I felt some of the more gory scenes were a little unnecessary.
If you are interested and would like a, frankly more educated opinion I recommend this review:
http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/antichrist-the-visual-theology-of-lars-von-trier
I think I enjoyed reading this almost as much as watching the film itself. Even if you don't particularly fancy watching the film I do recommend you take the time to read this.
Ill leave you today with one part of that review that really made me think:
"At one point, she tells him that nature is "Satan's Church', and he puts Satan in the top position. Then, as he discovers the depths of her sense of personal evil and blame, he puts the word "me" - her ultimate fear is herself - only to cross it out again. I was reminded of Paul Ricoeur's study of Genesis, in which he ponders on the pre-existence of evil in the Garden of Eden, suggesting that we find ourselves in a world in which evil precedes us as an unnameable mystery. The symbols of the fall pervade this film, but the serpent never appears. Whatever the source of evil, it has already done its work before we enter this poisoned Eden. "
Thought provoking!
Heres some stills from the film, I do hope that i've interested some of you enough to give the film a try.
When the three beggars arrive someone must die.
Thursday, 9 September 2010
Money, it's a gas.
I had to start thinking about getting some Yen today to last me in Japan until I get my Japanese bank account up and running. The first thing I thought was WHY IS THE RATE SO BAD? It's absolutely shocking.
Just look at this, these are figures for how many Yen you could get for £1 in the recent past, leading up to now. (From http://www.x-rates.com/d/JPY/GBP/hist2010.html)
September 2007 (average): 232.2
September 2008 (average): 191.8
September 2009 (average): 149.4
September 2010 (average so far): 129.3
That's almost HALF! What a rip off.
And it's going even further down as you read this. *SIGH*
Lousy recession...
I think David Gilmour of Pink Floyd put it best:
Money, it's a crime
Share it fairly
But don't take a slice of my pie
Money, so they say
Is the root of all evil
Today
Just look at this, these are figures for how many Yen you could get for £1 in the recent past, leading up to now. (From http://www.x-rates.com/d/JPY/GBP/hist2010.html)
September 2007 (average): 232.2
September 2008 (average): 191.8
September 2009 (average): 149.4
September 2010 (average so far): 129.3
That's almost HALF! What a rip off.
And it's going even further down as you read this. *SIGH*
Lousy recession...
I think David Gilmour of Pink Floyd put it best:
Money, it's a crime
Share it fairly
But don't take a slice of my pie
Money, so they say
Is the root of all evil
Today
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
嵐の前の静けさ
I'm aware that these past few posts have been rather... lacklustre, but lets face it, I don't have an awful lot to write about these days, as i'm caught in limbo between adventures. The eye of the storm as it were.
But FEAR NOT! It will get better soon.
In other news, my accommodation for next year has finally all been sorted yay!
(In Takamine-cho, Nagoya; near the university if anyone's interested)
To pass the time, here's a dog in a lobster costume.
But FEAR NOT! It will get better soon.
In other news, my accommodation for next year has finally all been sorted yay!
(In Takamine-cho, Nagoya; near the university if anyone's interested)
To pass the time, here's a dog in a lobster costume.
Tuesday, 7 September 2010
Distractions
Only 2 weeks left! (Yes I am being very pedantic and counting down.)
The only preparation i've made so far is a list of things I should probably take with me, no physical work of course, that involves effort. I'll start some Japanese revision tomorrow I swear, i'm just too easily distracted.
Oh, on that note how 'bout that new Google logo? it's great isn't it? I was messing with it and forgot what I was going to search for, not quite as good as the time they had Pacman there though.
The only preparation i've made so far is a list of things I should probably take with me, no physical work of course, that involves effort. I'll start some Japanese revision tomorrow I swear, i'm just too easily distracted.
Oh, on that note how 'bout that new Google logo? it's great isn't it? I was messing with it and forgot what I was going to search for, not quite as good as the time they had Pacman there though.
Saturday, 4 September 2010
The Waiting Game
Well, i've got 18 days left before I leave for Japan, I really do hate waiting.
I keep thinking that I should do some preparation work or something, like read through my Japanese textbooks or at least the Biology stuff in Japanese we did... I just can't be bothered haha.
Oh well, it'll come around soon enough.
I look forward to being able to buy Muscat water from Lawson again, DAYUM thats a good drank. And those sausage pizza bread things too.
mmm, now i'm hungry...
On an unrelated, yet interesting note, if you have windows try this:
C:/Windows/Media/onestop.midi
I wonder why it's in there amongst all the system noises... hmm, either way its pretty funky!
Edit: In case anyone was wondering, I haven't gone mad, 'The Nunc Stans' means 'the Everlasting Now', I just thought it sounded cool. Those in the know will also recognise the nod to a song by Cynic.
I keep thinking that I should do some preparation work or something, like read through my Japanese textbooks or at least the Biology stuff in Japanese we did... I just can't be bothered haha.
Oh well, it'll come around soon enough.
I look forward to being able to buy Muscat water from Lawson again, DAYUM thats a good drank. And those sausage pizza bread things too.
mmm, now i'm hungry...
On an unrelated, yet interesting note, if you have windows try this:
C:/Windows/Media/onestop.midi
I wonder why it's in there amongst all the system noises... hmm, either way its pretty funky!
Edit: In case anyone was wondering, I haven't gone mad, 'The Nunc Stans' means 'the Everlasting Now', I just thought it sounded cool. Those in the know will also recognise the nod to a song by Cynic.
Friday, 3 September 2010
Back for the Nth time.
Well i'm back, yet again, I don't even want to know how many times i've put that.
Anyway, Rhodes was a very nice place to have a holiday, the weather was great, barely ever a cloud in the sky and the temperature was around 30oC every day. We stayed in a small family run hotel called the "Garden Hotel" in a town called Pastida. The food was great, the rooms were fine, and the swimming pool was great, what else do you need?
We did our fair share of exploring various places on the island, like Faliraki; Lindos; Rhodes for example. It was more of a lazy, takin' it easy holiday than anything else, so theres not much more I can say about it, i'll edit this post with pictures later on.What I will say is that coming home, the journey was horrible, we had a 3.50am flight so had to wait in the hotel not doing anything until the coach took us to the airport at 1am, only to find out our flight had been delayed for 2 HOURS, and departed at 5.45am instead. Those 4 hours in the airport were horribly uncomfortable. However, we got loads of legroom on the plane as we had the seats just behind the door, with no seats directly in front of us.
Now i've got just under three weeks back here in the UK before i'm off on my biggest adventure yet!
Watch this space people.
Edit: Heres some photos as promised.
The Hotel (Pastida) and its surroundings:
Lindos and its Acropolis:
The Old Quarter in Rhodes.
Anyway, Rhodes was a very nice place to have a holiday, the weather was great, barely ever a cloud in the sky and the temperature was around 30oC every day. We stayed in a small family run hotel called the "Garden Hotel" in a town called Pastida. The food was great, the rooms were fine, and the swimming pool was great, what else do you need?
We did our fair share of exploring various places on the island, like Faliraki; Lindos; Rhodes for example. It was more of a lazy, takin' it easy holiday than anything else, so theres not much more I can say about it, i'll edit this post with pictures later on.What I will say is that coming home, the journey was horrible, we had a 3.50am flight so had to wait in the hotel not doing anything until the coach took us to the airport at 1am, only to find out our flight had been delayed for 2 HOURS, and departed at 5.45am instead. Those 4 hours in the airport were horribly uncomfortable. However, we got loads of legroom on the plane as we had the seats just behind the door, with no seats directly in front of us.
Now i've got just under three weeks back here in the UK before i'm off on my biggest adventure yet!
Watch this space people.
Edit: Heres some photos as promised.
The Hotel (Pastida) and its surroundings:
Lindos and its Acropolis:
The Old Quarter in Rhodes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)