Sunday, October 26, 2008

Ponyo!*

Ooh, I've got a power headache. I'm going to take a shower after this, and it's going to go away though. No worries!

In case you didn't see it earlier the * denotes the entry being a "diary entry" or account of my day. So, here goes!

I talked to mom on the computer for over an hour O.O (hoorah for base rates vs. minute rates). I joined some online social groups (reading group, movie watching group) in Tokyo that meet up once a month in very public places so that I might meet more people. It's been a little bit lonely lately (littlebit= code for alottabit). Also, I found this club for Americans in Tokyo that do all sorts of things, so I think I might try to join that too ($40 a month). We'll see how these go.

I saw Ponyo today. It was seriously cute, though I didn't understand everything. I got the basic gist of it- pretty much followed the plot of Disney-version Little Mermaid, except without anyone evil. Like the "baddy" was her daddy (ha) who just wanted what was best for her, which she didn't think was best for her. It's really a beautiful movie- every scene obviously created with a great deal of care. So, when I get back and it comes out in theatres in the U.S., we shall go. Okay? (This is where you pounce on it and say- "HELL'S YEAH"! or something less vulgar, perhaps...).

I went to Kawaguchi to see the film, which is one stop away on the train line. I'm pretty happy that I didn't get lost, since I was going off of a hand drawn map I made from an image on the internet. But, it was pretty easy to get too, and Starbucks in Kawaguchi as well. So, okay:

Movie theatres in Japan are AMAZING. Like, it was $15 for the movie ticket, but it was crazy worth it. For one, you actually have an assigned seat, like at a play. I was H10. Oh, and the $15 was a discounted rate for students O.O BTW. Anyway, they have the trailers for all the movies playing at the theater on this big screen in the middle of the lobby, so you can figure out which movie you want to see (brilliant), and a store that sells programs for each movie playing (I bought a Ponyo program). Also, before the movie started, an employee came to the front of the theatre and asked us to please be quiet throughout the show and to enjoy it. ALSO, there were these crazy trays if you got food/drink that link into the drink holder so it's attached. Whoa.

The theatre was in this humongous shopping mall. Like, giguntic. It felt like Bellevue Square. There was a clown performing on the ground floor, so I took a picture from afar:



And zooooomed:



I actually had to move to the side because I asked a security gentleman if it was okay to take a picture, and he explained that if I took it from the front and it flashed, it could mess up the performer. So, that's why the pictures are from the side. And there you have it.

Planning on going to a play with Mary and her husband on Friday (really excited). I guess it's a play based on Helen Keller's life called "The Miracle Worker". I've read her autobiography, so this should be very fun. And next weekend's the Sophia festival, so I should be going to some events with friends (I hope O.O). This week is really busy because of that, with big tests and a midterm (mid-term? The semester's over in FEBRUARY, what the hey-ho?!), then a presentation just after I get back (on The Goat, by Albee, which seems pretty hilarious).

Wish me luck! And thanks for the mini-list of books... Chriselle solely.... what the heck, ya'll? I'm beginning to think you don't love me half so much as you think you do.

Loves!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

That movie theatre experience sounds more like a live theatre performance! Playing trailers for the movies playing in the theatre at the moment is GENIUS.

At Pacific Place in August, a few clowns from Teatro Zinzanni performed live and for free. It was the same schtick as the picture--the rope with two handles, and the weird yoyo looking thing.

Amanda Martin Sandino said...

I went in August and saw a guy hanging from one of those gigantic ribbon thingys that come down from the ceiling. It was pretty amazing, though him casually talking up some guy kinda made it less elegant. He got a date though- well who WOULDN'T go with Mr. Abs, pectorals, etc. of steel CLEARLY on display as well as "is that a cup or...?".