It just sets the stage for how I've been feeling since moving to Finland over 5 months ago. I'm here, but I'm not really here. The bonds I've made with people are good, but they are not strong. That and I would kill to experience in real life what the characters Bill and Charlotte had. You live in Japan which just blows my mind, I haven't been out to Asia yet, highly curious to experience it. I want a DoCoMo 905 series device sooo bad.
I'm curious to see how that transition into Japanese culture goes for my roommate. He just got a job teaching english at a private school in Tokyo. He's moving out there in April. He does have a decent grasp on the language which should help him out.
@Malaem, good luck to him. Unless he actually studied english in school and enjoys teaching english he might find the job a bit like working in a fast food restaurant. Sure he'll get to work in Tokyo and see the sights but job satisfaction, to put it mildly, might be lacking. Also depends on what school he got the job at, on one side there are chain english schools that are like the fast food industry then on the other side there are real english schools that actually have real english teachers. For more details of the english chain school lifestyle listen to the Of Rice and Zen Podcast http://burleydude.podomatic.com or Google Nova.
@constantine, While the hardware on these Japanese mobiles may look nice the software often is not so great. 1Seg TV you can watch crappy public Japanese TV, Installation of Java games only approved by Docomo, locked to Docomo, i-Mode Browser and i-Mode Mail client required, can not receive attachments from MMS sent from non-Docomo networks, can not receive SMS from other competing networks, etc. etc. If you ask me Japan has great cellular network coverage and fast 3G and HSDPA connections, but the actual mobiles come crippled by the operators strict requirements much like the US market. As for the hardware in the mobiles I don't see them as being much more advanced than European models, now Korea on the other hand seems to be ahead in mobile hardware with LG and Samsung making Korea only mobiles with high-end (often experimental) features, for example 10 Megapixel camera's.. http://www.letsgodigital.org/en/news/articles/story_6849.html
I just want 800x480 in a 3 inch clamshell. I've been doing some research just now, a nice studio is around 1000 dollars with utilities and internet included. That would be a sweet setup, right in the Akihabara district too!
I watched it when it was out in theatres, I like watching good movies over and over again. With the shit Hollywood throws out these days it seems like that 12th time I watch something like American Beauty isn't a bad thing.
@constantine, Hmm depends on your definition of "nice studio". Most living spaces in Japan especially in the city are small, and renting apartments isn't cheap unless you really shop around. Plus there is "key money" basically paying 1 month's rent in order to get your key from your landlord. As for food, depends what you eat, fruit is ridiculously expensive since most of it is imported from outside Japan, milk and juice also isn't cheap, but rice, fish, and various noodles are cheap. If you're desperate for food you could basically live on ramen, just ask any average Salaryman.
@constantine, don't get me wrong I'm not trying to discourage people from visiting Japan. Visiting Japan (or other foreign country) is one of the most fun and interesting things for a person to do I think. Plus since you already have moved to another country once and "survived" to tell the tale you should be able to move to other countries (assuming you have Visa permission to do so). But it's not cheap (Tokyo is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in). Technically I don't live in Tokyo, my apartment is in Saitama, that is just North of Tokyo. I lived in Tokyo with my wife for 1 year then we moved to Saitama for a bigger apartment and cheaper expenses.
yea i saw that recently, it made me want to watch the movie again. honestly i don't care what the real words out of her mouth were, when she turned around and "Bill" was still walking I just felt my heart sink. It's one of those movies where the acting is so good that the lines take a back seat in terms of art.
I never get tired of watching amelie.i must have watched it about 5 times now..but everytime i watch it..it still brings a smile on my face.its so beautifully made.i real masterpiece..
i've been wanting to see this movie too, heard a lot of good things about it. re: moving to a new country, settling and fitting in, creating bonds... they are really less about nationalities and languages, and more about mindsets and chemistry. i'd say i feel more connected to the finns (as a whole) than to americans or chinese. individual bonds, on the other hand, have no such generalization, it's really about the unique connection between two people.
i don't see it as a sad thing, but i don't feel completely at home in any country. then again there are times i feel completely comfortable and at peace somewhere, and it's not the location (i could be in a totally strange place that i'm visiting for the first time). sometimes it's the company i have, sometimes it's seeing something that strikes a chord in me, and sometimes just because.... idk... maybe not having a real sense of belonging at one particular location just makes me appreciate the random occurrences more?
@cybette: A friend of mine has been in Japan and he vouched that the locals acted in a similar fashion to how the producers in the film did -- with questionable propositions and all ;) I guess the culture is a little "insular" and like a real-life sitcom.
@jkniiv: oh i have no doubt about that. granted, taiwan and singapore are not exactly like japan but i see a lot of similarities and the movie has a very familiar vibe for me - maybe i need to feel a bit more "lost" in order to really appreciate the movie.
but yeah, great acting certainly makes up for the mediocre story. it's really about two lonely persons trying to find a connection. japan is just the backdrop to make them seem and feel even more alone in their quest, but too much emphasis was placed on that which made it almost laughable, imo. i like how @TheBlueNile puts it though - "a moment in time". reminds me of this poem i wrote... and guess what, it was inspired by a finn ;)
36 comments so far
Seen it. Agreed it's a great movie.
1 year, 11 months ago by LonelyBob
It just sets the stage for how I've been feeling since moving to Finland over 5 months ago. I'm here, but I'm not really here. The bonds I've made with people are good, but they are not strong. That and I would kill to experience in real life what the characters Bill and Charlotte had. You live in Japan which just blows my mind, I haven't been out to Asia yet, highly curious to experience it. I want a DoCoMo 905 series device sooo bad.
1 year, 11 months ago by constantine
I'm curious to see how that transition into Japanese culture goes for my roommate. He just got a job teaching english at a private school in Tokyo. He's moving out there in April. He does have a decent grasp on the language which should help him out.
1 year, 11 months ago by Malaeum
@Malaem, good luck to him. Unless he actually studied english in school and enjoys teaching english he might find the job a bit like working in a fast food restaurant. Sure he'll get to work in Tokyo and see the sights but job satisfaction, to put it mildly, might be lacking. Also depends on what school he got the job at, on one side there are chain english schools that are like the fast food industry then on the other side there are real english schools that actually have real english teachers. For more details of the english chain school lifestyle listen to the Of Rice and Zen Podcast http://burleydude.podomatic.com or Google Nova.
1 year, 11 months ago by LonelyBob
@constantine, While the hardware on these Japanese mobiles may look nice the software often is not so great. 1Seg TV you can watch crappy public Japanese TV, Installation of Java games only approved by Docomo, locked to Docomo, i-Mode Browser and i-Mode Mail client required, can not receive attachments from MMS sent from non-Docomo networks, can not receive SMS from other competing networks, etc. etc. If you ask me Japan has great cellular network coverage and fast 3G and HSDPA connections, but the actual mobiles come crippled by the operators strict requirements much like the US market. As for the hardware in the mobiles I don't see them as being much more advanced than European models, now Korea on the other hand seems to be ahead in mobile hardware with LG and Samsung making Korea only mobiles with high-end (often experimental) features, for example 10 Megapixel camera's.. http://www.letsgodigital.org/en/news/articles/story_6849.html
1 year, 11 months ago by LonelyBob
I just want 800x480 in a 3 inch clamshell. I've been doing some research just now, a nice studio is around 1000 dollars with utilities and internet included. That would be a sweet setup, right in the Akihabara district too!
1 year, 11 months ago by constantine
How much is food? I eat quite a lot. I spend roughly 800 dollars on food every month. Yes I know I'm a hungry bastard.
1 year, 11 months ago by constantine
its an awesome movie...watched it about a year back.The background scores are great.
1 year, 11 months ago by schmmuck
I watched it when it was out in theatres, I like watching good movies over and over again. With the shit Hollywood throws out these days it seems like that 12th time I watch something like American Beauty isn't a bad thing.
1 year, 11 months ago by constantine
@constantine, Hmm depends on your definition of "nice studio". Most living spaces in Japan especially in the city are small, and renting apartments isn't cheap unless you really shop around. Plus there is "key money" basically paying 1 month's rent in order to get your key from your landlord. As for food, depends what you eat, fruit is ridiculously expensive since most of it is imported from outside Japan, milk and juice also isn't cheap, but rice, fish, and various noodles are cheap. If you're desperate for food you could basically live on ramen, just ask any average Salaryman.
1 year, 11 months ago by LonelyBob
I'd rather eat healthy. A significant portion of my income spent on gourmet food isn't an accident, I don't eat shit.
1 year, 11 months ago by constantine
@constantine, don't get me wrong I'm not trying to discourage people from visiting Japan. Visiting Japan (or other foreign country) is one of the most fun and interesting things for a person to do I think. Plus since you already have moved to another country once and "survived" to tell the tale you should be able to move to other countries (assuming you have Visa permission to do so). But it's not cheap (Tokyo is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in). Technically I don't live in Tokyo, my apartment is in Saitama, that is just North of Tokyo. I lived in Tokyo with my wife for 1 year then we moved to Saitama for a bigger apartment and cheaper expenses.
1 year, 11 months ago by LonelyBob
Probably bullshit and SPOILER: Digital processing reveals the final whisper in lost in translation :)
1 year, 11 months ago by moimart
yea i saw that recently, it made me want to watch the movie again. honestly i don't care what the real words out of her mouth were, when she turned around and "Bill" was still walking I just felt my heart sink. It's one of those movies where the acting is so good that the lines take a back seat in terms of art.
1 year, 11 months ago by constantine
I watched pans labyrinth today. Another great movie.. Somehow i'm not a big fan of the fantasy genre ..but this movie was great.
1 year, 11 months ago by schmmuck
that's the french short i keep on hearing about no? i have to snag that too. i passed out after i came back from grocery shopping.
1 year, 11 months ago by constantine
its spanish/mexican actually...
1 year, 11 months ago by schmmuck
Pan's Labyrinth is great! Some quite violent shoots, but still.
1 year, 11 months ago by map
my mistake about country of origin.
1 year, 11 months ago by constantine
The best french movie i ever watched would have to be "Amelie" ..hands down !
1 year, 11 months ago by schmmuck
Pans labyrinth is an outstanding film, the fact that it isn't in english does not matter at all!
1 year, 11 months ago by carlplage
Amelie is a good flick, Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le for those interested in downloading it. mininova.org would be a good place to start.
1 year, 11 months ago by constantine
I never get tired of watching amelie.i must have watched it about 5 times now..but everytime i watch it..it still brings a smile on my face.its so beautifully made.i real masterpiece..
1 year, 11 months ago by schmmuck
@constantine: i agree with you. It's the magic of the movie. That's why i said it's bullshit :)
1 year, 11 months ago by moimart
i've been wanting to see this movie too, heard a lot of good things about it. re: moving to a new country, settling and fitting in, creating bonds... they are really less about nationalities and languages, and more about mindsets and chemistry. i'd say i feel more connected to the finns (as a whole) than to americans or chinese. individual bonds, on the other hand, have no such generalization, it's really about the unique connection between two people.
1 year, 11 months ago by cybette
i don't see it as a sad thing, but i don't feel completely at home in any country. then again there are times i feel completely comfortable and at peace somewhere, and it's not the location (i could be in a totally strange place that i'm visiting for the first time). sometimes it's the company i have, sometimes it's seeing something that strikes a chord in me, and sometimes just because.... idk... maybe not having a real sense of belonging at one particular location just makes me appreciate the random occurrences more?
1 year, 11 months ago by cybette
ok, 30 minutes into the movie LIT and i'm thinking: what was the hype about? is it supposed to be a comedy?
1 year, 11 months ago by cybette
@cybette: A friend of mine has been in Japan and he vouched that the locals acted in a similar fashion to how the producers in the film did -- with questionable propositions and all ;) I guess the culture is a little "insular" and like a real-life sitcom.
1 year, 11 months ago by jkniiv
@cybette I didn't get it either.
1 year, 11 months ago by rcadden
For me LIT was not about the story or characters. It was almost entirely about the feeling. A moment in time. Excellent!
1 year, 11 months ago by TheBlueNile
@jkniiv: oh i have no doubt about that. granted, taiwan and singapore are not exactly like japan but i see a lot of similarities and the movie has a very familiar vibe for me - maybe i need to feel a bit more "lost" in order to really appreciate the movie.
1 year, 11 months ago by cybette
but yeah, great acting certainly makes up for the mediocre story. it's really about two lonely persons trying to find a connection. japan is just the backdrop to make them seem and feel even more alone in their quest, but too much emphasis was placed on that which made it almost laughable, imo. i like how @TheBlueNile puts it though - "a moment in time". reminds me of this poem i wrote... and guess what, it was inspired by a finn ;)
1 year, 11 months ago by cybette
@cybette: was it already year 2004 you had contacts here?
1 year, 11 months ago by TheBlueNile
@cybette: yeah, I remember, you started at Nokia that year?
1 year, 11 months ago by TheBlueNile
well, i started in Nokia as an intern in 2002, and there are finns who work in Dallas or visit Dallas :)
1 year, 11 months ago by cybette
Yes, I understood..:). Nice poem btw.
1 year, 11 months ago by TheBlueNile