Flavor of Life » japanese

Japanese Films: Okuribito

MK — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 00:13:03 +0000

I went through my hardrive again and rewatch a lot of the Japanese films I had (well I don’t have that many just yet) but I decided to write about one of the top films I’ve watched this past week.

Okuribito おくりびと Departures

Okuribito tells the story of a relatively young cello player who’s orchestra runs into financial problems and decides to sell his cello to move to the countryside to find work. He ends up becoming an encoffiner (sort of a buddhist mortician, but not just for buddhist, he prepares the make up and dresses the dead for the afterlife).

Its an interesting film which won the Academy Awards for best foreign film last year. I really suggest this film to anyone taking up any basic japanese culture course as it gives you some insight into the japanese culture and death rituals as well as the stigma between the workers in (is this the right term) death industry. The movie also has a fantastic musical score which I can probably compare to any Final Fantasy video game.

I was actually assigned to watch this film for my Theology 131 class though I think missed the day they had a discussion on this. I may not exactly understand the theological connection to Theology: Love Sex and marriage but it is a great film which makes you see the different situations of those left behind by the dead. I really liked certain scenes such as the opening scene with the dead transexual and the dead grandmother who’s grand daughter wanted her to be buried in the socks she loved so much.

If you have time to look for this film I highly suggest it.

After Three days of Summer School

MK — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 04:35:30 +0000

The first half week of summer classes has just ended and Im about to start another week of hot summer education and I mean that literally. As much as I like having an allowance and having an excuse to go out, the heat of classroom with a darkened glass wall magnifying the heat and making you look like a roast chicken inside an oven. I have to say I do like the classes I’m taking.

Histo 165 is interesting, not just because I like history but my teacher makes it really interesting. QMT 12 is a little boring because its during a dead hour (1:30-3pm) but my teacher there is way too talkative you won’t be able to sleep. JSP 103 is a little bit challenging right now because I’m a little rusty with my hiragana and I never got to perfect my katakana but it is still fun none-the-less.

I’m currently searching itunes U for more learning resources since I really wanna get high grades during my summer term so I can raise my QPI (what we call our GPA or GWA) before the school year starts. I really hope it will rain soon I can’t take this heat any longer

My Summer 08 playlist

MK — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:49:51 +0000

This summer playlist consists of 22 songs.
1. The Fray – How To Save A Life (4:23)
2. Vanessa Carlton – Hands On Me (3:00)
3. Blake Lewis – You Give Love A Bad Name (3:12)
4. Leona Lewis – Keep Bleeding Love (4:00)
5. Natalie Imbruglia – Torn (4:07)
6. One Republic – Apologize (Timberland remix) (3:04)
7. Vanessa Carlton – Nolita Fairytale (3:15)
8. Yellowcard – Light Up The Sky (3:36)
9. Yellowcard – Only One (4:16)
10. Angela Aki – Tashika ni (4:59)
11. Angela Aki – On & On (4:53)
12. Angela Aki – Sakurairo (5:20)
13. Angela Aki – Power of MUSIC (4:27)
14. ZONE – Taiyou no Kiss (3:36)
15. ZONE – H�A�N�A�B�I (4:22)
16. YUKI – JOY (4:21)
17. Dido – Here With Me (4:14)
18. Ben Jelen – Come On (3:48)
19. Natasha Thomas – Let Me Show You (3:27)
20. My Chemical Romance – Teenagers (2:41)
21. Utada Hikaru – Flavor Of Life (4:49)
22. Utada Hikaru – time will tell -DUB MIX- (5:36)