Movie Review: Babylon A.D.

BABYLON A.D.
Main Players: Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh, Mélanie Thierry, et al.
Calling the shots: Mathieu Kassovitz
What's it about? In the not too distant future, Toorop (Diesel) a Mercenary is hired to transport a "package" to New York. This "package" turns out to be a girl (Thierry), who is completely shurrounded in mystery and seems definite that is more than she seems. But what is her secret and what is in New York?

What do I think? I suppose a big "welcome back" is in order for the once all macho Vin Diesel. The last movie I can recall he was in is 'The Pacifier' and we all know how THAT turned out. lol.

Having said that though, this isn't exactly a triumph. Yes it's an action and yes it's Diesel at his best, but the movie is a little shoddy. The action set pieces are pretty good, but some of the camera work is so bad that it'll make you more dizzy than excited. It's not all together original either. The not-too-distant future here is a place you've seen before. Not all that different, a lot rundown, with some technological advances.

The storyline is pretty shocking as well. There doesn't seem to be much character development at all, leaving the the three leads fending for themselves and it ends as if they'd just gotten tired of making this film. I mean what the hell happened to the organisation that was led by Charlotte Rampling. Did they just give up?

Vin Diesel is in his element here. And he does just what he needs too. Michelle Yeoh though seemed like an odd choice and doesn't really bring anything of significance to the table. It stars some veterans of the screen. Charlotte Ramploing I mentioned before but also Gérard Depardieu. They must be wondering why the hell they got involved in this in the first place.

It's a stock standard sci-fi action that'll probably bore you, more than excite you. See it, if you must.

2 out of 5.

Movie Review: WALL-E

WALL-E
Main players: WALL-E, E.V.E, M.O.P, et al (lol. :P)
Calling the shots: Andrew Stanton
What's it about? It's the very distant future and Earth has become inhabitable. Left with heaps and heaps of trash, the WALL-E robot is designed to clean Earth up. Along comes E.V.E. a robot sent by human's to see if Earth is at all habitable again. Sparks literally fly when these two drones meet and it might just be up to these two to save the day.

What do I think? I love Wall-E! And so should all of you! It's another Pixar masterpiece, and it might just be the best one yet. It definitely replaces Monsters Inc. as my favourite pixar.

The animation is just stunning. From it's early days in Toy Story, it has always been the benchmark in CGI and animation technology but it's almost as though they've found another level here. Sure the human's look a little unrealistic here but it's no different then The Incredibles and it's also probably the point. How much we've evolved (devolved) in this future. It's also amazing how much emotion they can show on a robot. They never say more than one word at a time, yet we know how each is feeling.

The story is also simple yet somewhat relevant and relatable. The love between Wall-E and EVE, is well drawn and just like any other romance on screen. The fight to save Earth and humanity is relevant as ever. It does scream "Go Green!" and "Comsumerism" a little bit, but not enough, as other have suggested, to call it preachy.

If that isn't enough to entice you to see it, WALL-E is just so gosh darn cute. lol. :P Also the animation short that accompanies this is funny and highly enjoyable. All in all, you'll just have a blast watching it! So do it!

5 out of 5!

Movie Review: The Bank Job

The Bank Job

Main players: Jason Statham, Saffron Burrows, et al

Calling the shots: Roger Donaldson

What's it about? A gang of local "villains" are recruited to pull off a bank heist by an old friend. It seemed simple enough, get in, take what you can, get out. But in this based on a true story tale, nothing goes smoothly and anything and everything that can go wrong does...

What do I think? Can I just say, I love the "old school" feel of the poster I found for this (see right). It's great. ANYway...

There are so many of these British crime-capers and they all seem to star Jason Statham. :P That's not a bad thing though mind you, they are always loads of fun and this one is no different.

Humourous at times and necessarily violent and harsh when it needs to be, it has a great balance and is blessed with good direction and an enjoyable script. The cast is also believable and they have the right chemistry to make it work. The fact that this film is based on a true story makes this film all the more intriguing, just because of the "strange-but-true" circumstances that befall our protagonists.

Jason Statham (in need of a shave here) plays his usual charming lead man well and Saffron Burrows brings a femme fatalé-mysterious character to life. The supporting cast is typically British and they are wonderful.

If you've seen the likes of "Snatch" and "Lock Stock..." and similar British capers, you know what you're in for and as always, it's an enjoyable ride.

4 out of 5.

Greatest movie character of all time...

In the November issue of EMPIRE magazine, a list of the 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time (as voted by the readers) were revealed. You really couldn't argue with the top 10:

1. 1. Indiana Jones (pictured, left) - Indiana Jones series, played by Harrison Ford
2. 2. The Joker - Batman (Jack Nicholson), The Dark Knight (Heath Ledger)
3. 3. Darth Vader - Star Wars eps 3-6 (David Prowse, voiced by James Earl Jones)
4. 4. Jack Sparrow - Pirates 1-3 (Johnny Depp)
5. Hannibal Lector - Lector trilogy (Anthony Hopkins)
6. James Bond - 007 series (Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig)
7. Tyler Durden - Fight Club (Brad Pitt)
8. Han Solo - Star Wars eps 4-6 (Harrison Ford)
9. Forrest Gump - Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks)
10. The Terminator - Terminator series (Arnold Schwarzenegger)

Only one that raised my eyebrow in the top 10 was Tyler Durden. But there's no doubt he is a truly memorable character. Agree, disagree with the list?

Interesting to note was of the 100 characters only 12 were female. And the first female character does not appear until no.18 with Dorothy Gale from The Wizard of Oz. Proving that there are no real "strong" female roles in Hollywood or else where these days. It's a shame because there are so many talented actresses.

cíao,

Ippei

Movie Review: Eagle Eye

EAGLE EYE
Main players: Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Billy Bob Thornton, et al.
Calling the shots: D.J. Caruso
What’s it about? Two everyday people; slacker Jerry (LaBeouf) and single mum Rachel (Monaghan), are seemingly selected at random to complete dangerous tasks by a mysterious female voice over the phone. Why were they chosen and why are they made to do these things? And with several government officials chasing them, can they survive and clear their name at the same time?

What do I think? Without giving away too much of the plot, it’s probably easiest to describe it as “I, Robot” minus the robots…if that makes any sense to you. Lol.

The first half hour or so is surprisingly slow and boring. It feels like a lot of random things happen without explanation.

The action literally picks up as soon as the phone calls start and at its best, it’s an exciting action-thriller. The car chase involving the wrecking yard is particularly memorable; as is the chase in the baggage claim at the airport. But its intrigue quickly wears off and becomes a mish-mash of several other movies.

It is also let down by a poor and clichéd ending which feels VERY Hollywood.

The movie plays on our reliance on technology and our fear that we might always be under surveillance. I mean think about it, this shit could really happen to you! :P

Hollywood’s current “it” boy, LaBeouf, continues his good work from his previous films (though they all seem very similar) playing the lead as a relatable everyday Joe. Monaghan is also good as the single mum who’d do anything for her son. Thornton plays his agent role by the numbers and Rosario Dawson brings a touch of ‘sexy’ to the cast. Fans of TV’s “The Shield” will be happy to see Michael Chiklis on screen, though he is completely underutilized.

“Eagle Eye” has its flaws but if you like your action and the whole cyber-warfare trend, it’s definitely worth a look. Just don’t expect to be “wow”-ed, like the trailers might have.

3 out of 5

South American dreaming...

Coming off of a lengthy lay off, I need a holiday. Not the stay at home, do nothing kind. But a real getaway kind. Go somewhere I've never been (or at least haven't been for a while), experience a different culture even if for a little while.

It was all planned out mind you. I was to take a trip to Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taipei with Toby, Yi, Emma, Makka and Oendrila early next year. But because of my time away from work, I'll need to build back up my leave again. Bummer.

So, this supposed "getaway" won't happen in the near future but when it does, I know where I wanna go. I don't even know where the inspiration (or rather the fascination) came from. I guess thinking about all the places i hadn't and wanted to go, it just stood out.

I even went as far as to buy a Lonely Planet's Guide on the continent. "South America on a shoe string". ha! Impulse buy? Maybe (it had a little to do with Borders having a sale and Bri's suggesting). But the motivation to one day head there is real.

The Amazon. Easter Island. Machu Picchu. The Galápagos. Carnivalé. It is such a interesting place with vast cultures, yet similar in someways.

Now I'm a terrible reader, so I'm only up to Argentina in the book (the countries are listed alphabetically. :P ) but it already sounds amazing. Perhaps to follow the road the Ché travelled or to visit where Evita left her mark. The options are limitless.

Talking to Heidi about her trip to Brazil recently has also been good, though I'll need to talk more in depth with her about it.

Spanish is something I need to learn, I figure. Maria has offered to teach me some, but perhaps proper classes are in order as well (last check $250 for a 10-week course) but not so cheap. It's okay though; i have time. And now that I'm working, I'll HAVE money. Not now but eventually. :P

cíao (if only I had learned Spanish in school and not Italian...not that i had a choice or cared back then),
Ippei K.

So, that's what it means...

Ever had a day when you woke up and something wasn't quite right?

And not because you have the serious case of the hangovers or jet lag, but just feel...different?

I apologise for the cryptic-ness, but I recently found out what it is like to "get up on the wrong side of the bed". And it isn't exactly pleasant to say the least.

You wake up and the first thing you realise is you don't feel like yourself. Nothing looks different, but something's definitely a skew. You try to get on with the day just like any other; Have a shower. Change into your clothes for the day. Pack a bag for the gym. Go downstairs to get something to eat. Yet you find yourself not moving at all. You realise you're still in your pajama pants and with the remains of your hair product still there.

And then as the time ticks over you feel less and less like doing anything you had planned for the day. Maybe it's too early. You try to sleep it off, forgoing your morning, only to wake up with day half over and still feeling no better.

It was a weird feeling. Not least of all because I'd never felt like that before but actually quite scary because you can't figure out why you were feeling that way. And i still don't know. All I can say is I rolled off the wrong side of my bed and into bizzaro-world. Funny, because there is only one way to roll off my bed. lol.

Never the less, that was a one day thing and I've been fine since. Here's to hoping it doesn't happen again anytime soon, or at least when it does I can figure it out.

cíao,
Ippei K.

On rehab...(no, no, no)

Didn't realise it'd been this long since the last post.

I've moved right along with my knee. Now walking limp-free...kinda. But the discomfort in the knee still remains. The flexibility isn't quite there yet and can't bend as deep as my left.

The picture to the left (or above, if you're reading this in Facebook) is the scars left from my surgery. It's not as bad as I initially thought it'd look. It's almost like someone was trying to play naughts and crosses on my knee but just couldn't figure out how.

If you feel where the long scar is, you can definitely feel some metal under there. Which, of course, is supposed to be the case as I have two screws in my knee now (awesome!). I can feel it moving around sometimes when I bend, which I'm actually not sure if that's a good thing or not. I wonder if I'll beep at the airport. hmm...

As you can also see, they shaved my knee for the surgery so it looked quite hideous for a while. Think Steve Carrell's chest in "The 40 Year Old Virgin" and you'll get the picture. It's almost back to normal now so it's all good.

They've told me that the knee is actually doing well, and look strong. The physio exercises (as boring as they are) seem to be working. I've started going back to the gym and started swimming lately to help the healing. I got myself a Wii as well, which has kept me entertained the past week (Mario Kart Wii is awesome!).

I've also been out and about, watching as many movies as possible and hanging out with friends which is nice.

I have been given a return date to playing basketball again. April 2009. Damn. It's so close yet so very very far. I intend to be in the best shape of my life by that time so here's to hoping. lol. I'm also headed back to work soon. Which is great, because I'll actually have something to do. Plus I miss everyone at work. The week of the 18th people. soon. soon.

In the meantime, it's a great feeling to finally have my life returning to normal (or at least what feels like).

Peace,

Ippei K.

On recovery...

God I hate stairs. I never had an issue with them before but then you introduce a crippling situation into the relationship and man, can they be a bitch. As friends who have visited me can attest too, I take forever to get up and down the stairs and it frustrates me to no end. And this is after over two weeks of recovery time...

Two weeks ago, as I was leaving the hospital the physiotherapist came in to "teach" me how to use the crutches. I remember getting out of bed for the first time after surgery because it hurt like hell. I had the splint on (pictured) and my leg felt heavy. Then as you stand and rest it down, because you can't put any weight on it, the blood just rushes straight down and cause a throbbing sensation. It does pass, but initially, you don't even want to move.

Getting back home and straight up the stairs i went. 1 step at a time, literally. Hardly moved since.

I was prescribed four types of painkillers so i had dad go out and get them as soon as possible. Panadol and Nurofen, boring but effective. Zydol and Endone. The latter I've not tried...scratch that, needed.

Zydol is awesome. IF you take it properly. You take it, it completely gets rid of the pain. Wonderful stuff. One morning though, I woke up to intense pain. The worst I'd had, almost to the point of unbearable. Now to this point I'd had dad bring me food, so I had nothing to eat around me. I knew it probably wasn't the best thing to do but I just needed the fix. lol.

Bad move.

The whole day I felt like shit. It's one those nauseating feelings. You just sit up and you feel like throwing up. I stayed lying down the whole day unable to even lift my head without feeling dizzy. Listening to the footy on the radio didn't help either because Carlton lost to Sydney.

I learnt my lesson though. I've stopped taking them. Instead I've shifted my focus to my liquor wall. I've been taking "shots" of whisky for the pain. First Glenny, now Johnnie Black. I don't know why I didn't do that from the beginning. Not only does it make the pain go away (admittedly not completely), it also makes me happy and it tastes good. And NO. I'm not becoming an alcoholic. lol.

The splint is also off now. It got so itchy I couldn't wear it anymore. I do put it back on before going to sleep, just in case I have one of my many dreams about becoming a kung-fu master. :P (well, not really but y'know.)

So what have I been doing? Mostly on my arse, watching TV, DVD or playing PS2. I'm not much of a reader so no books.

I've been letting my beard grow and after two weeks I can safely say I've never looked dirtier. Add to the fact I've hardly showered, making the grouse-ness factor ten fold. I have washed my hair a few times now, and it took all the creativity I had in me.

Towel around my waist so the bandages don't get wet. Leaning into the shower just to wash my hair. I tell you, after the first time (which was incidentally after over a WEEK of not washing) it felt so good, it was almost orgasmic. :P

Now tomorrow, I go back into the hospital to get my wound checked out. See how it's healing and all. And to also start on my physio. I'll be walking in there like 'House'. Just needing a cane and avoiding all the stairs. ha.

Peace,

Ippei K.

On surgery...

9 days...

That's how long it's been since the surgery. And as much as I've complained, bitched and moaned it's gone by fairly quickly. But Fuck I'm bored.

I hoped that at least I'd come out of it with an impressive story to tell. Not the case unfortunately. I didn't even get to do the whole "count backwards from ten" thing as they put me under the anaesthesia. It was more like, 'fade to black aaaaaand we're back'.

I did wake up with an oxygen mask, an blood pressure belt, finger pulse-thingy AND most importantly the morphine button. Although they called it something else...hmmm...

Anyway, the button. As soon as they handed me the button, I kept pressing it like crazy. Mind you, I was "in pain" but probably not enough to warrant the amount of times I pressed it. But unbeknownst to me (at the time and found out later), the button had a light. And unless it was lit up, it didn't allow any "morphine" into my system. I have no idea how long it took to re-light so I probably had enough for the night because I didn't need to use the button the rest of my stay.

The rest of the stay was rather uneventful. But you people have no idea how hard it is to pee in a bottle. Let me explain. Every time I needed to pee (and ironically it happened a lot), I had to ask for a "bottle". I offered to go to the toilet but nurses weren't comfortable about getting out of bed. So they got me the said bottle. Now I was curtained off from everyone (thank god), but it is still incredible difficult to go. And who knows how loud the, lets just say, "discharge" sounded.

Other than that, the food was bad but that was to be expected and they kicked me out of the hospital after a night's stay. Now I've been home on my arse, presumably getting fat from the lack of exercise. I still haven't showered since which I HATE. And I've also let my beard grow out.

Today, I decided to throw on a hat because the hair was so itchy now I look like someone trying to be incognito. If only I was going somewhere...

Peace,
Ippei K.

Not long now...

For those uninitiated, I have a torn ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament). *psst! That's in the knee!* It happened over a year ago. Only now am I scheduled in for surgery. It's kinda frustrating but it's exciting at the same time.

14th of July is the date. So if you're planning to have any events from that date and onwards for about a month, don't expect me to attend (not that you'd want me there anyway. :P) Unless that is, of course, you would like a one legged man getting drunk and doing a one-legged jig (assuming it IS that type of event). Actually, that sounds hilarious. I'm in. Just don't YouTube me. :P

About a month ago, I went into the Royal Melbourne for a "check up", I guess you'd call it. It was nothing more than 3 meetings (one with the anesthesia doc, the nurse and the surgeon) that lasted a total of about 30minutes. It doesn't sound too bad, had I not been at the hospital for 5-freakin'-HOURS!

Anyway, they explained to me that I'll only be in the hospital for two days. Woot. I hoped it'd be longer, as my house is not exactly suited for recovering from leg injuries. Anyone who's been here before will know what I'm talking about. The stairs alone will be a bitch.

They are going to give me both general and local anesthesia. Which means I'll off in la-la land while they fix my knee and when I wake up, i won't be able to feel my leg. Once the pain does kick in, they'll have a morphine drip ready for me to go. Can't wait for that part. I think it'll be amusing to visit me in hospital when I'm goofed up on morphine. hahaha. The random spaced out looks, speech slurs and uncontrollable laughter. "I loooooooooooooooove youuuuuuuuu!"

Recovery time is going to be long and slow. But with any hope, I'll be able to at least "limp-walk" after a month. It'll be a while still before I'll be able to play basketball again, but I can taste it already. Anticipation is killing me actually. I really can't wait. Some friends and I have talking about starting a team, so it's exciting times a head.

With any hope though, I'll be recovered enough by my birthday to "do" something this year. But knowing me, I probably won't. I'm turning double-dozen and I'll have nothing to show for it but a scar on my knee.

Ippei.

"S" for...

Superman!

...nah, I only wish that...though the Kryptonite thing is a bitch...

Anyway, what the "S" really is for is my new clothes size. Yes, I know. WHAT?! I hear you. I never thought I'd see the day either. Not that I feel any smaller, or look it...probably.

A few people recently have been telling me that I've lost weight. I'm always like "pfft, whatever." But when your dad, someone that sees you all the time, says it. It must be true, right?

My clothes have seemed a lot looser on me lately. But then again, I always where baggy clothes. Having to wear my suit to work, it's become blatantly obvious that my suit is waaay to big for me. It has been three years since i bought it, so that shows how much i've changed. I guess. Let's see how long I can keep this up. I reckon the winter days might do more harm to me though. hahaha. We'll see.

For now, I'll be calling on my fashion consultants (ie. Sabrina and Heidi) for further clothing advice when I feel like another retail therapy session. The most recent last Friday. Due to a combination of a shitty day at work and sales going on in a lot of stores. I came out the other end (ooo, that doesn't sound right) with three spiffy business shirts, a military-inspired wash shirt, a cardigan and a new suit...which I still need to pick up. mmmm...I should probably get on to that...

Now...to hit the gym more often so I can "look" more like Superman...hahahaha, and I almost said that with a straight face. hahahahaha.

peace,

Ippei.

Spending Spree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Money. I never really had any in the past to use. That never stop me from use it though. Credit cards, what a thing of beauty they are. When I first got them, I always paid the balance on time. Sound impressive? Not really. Because it was petty amounts anyway. But I haven't seen a zero balance in a looooooong while. That's not about to change.

In the span of a week, I've spent close to 2 grand. 2 GRAND! In years gone by, that amount of spend would have been unheard of for me. Right now, it seems reasonable. Gosh, I sound obnoxious. hahaha.

On Sunday, as the Country Road voucher was expiring, I went to by some clothing items. New shirt, new top and new t-shirt. Then I figured, since I was out, I might as well get shoes. Aquila outlet, two pairs, second pair half price. Boxset of DVDs. A wireless router. Cough Syrup. Value, 700-ish.

I'm loving the shoes, except one of 'em is giving me blisters. I leave the house in pain but I get used to it during the day, then come home and take them of it's like a release.

The following Saturday, I decided to go and get myself a TV and DVD player. Panasonic Viera 26-inch, wide screen LCD. The DVD player is awesome too. I've been watching DVDs on my laptop, so now it's a joy just watching TV. I leave it on for the hell of it when I'm in the room because it's so clear! Value, 1.2K-ish.

So there you have it my little splurge session. I hadn't had one in a while, so it was great. You think I'm spending too much? Probably, but meh. What's money for if you don't spend it?

Relax and treat yourself...

One more thing I want to mention about Japan before I forget are the Onsen.

Onsen are the bath houses in Japan. Think "Spirited Away" but not as grand, depending on which one you go to. But they all have their charm and the basics remain the same.

Now, for you westerners it maybe a shock to the system but you must enter them starkers. You get to carry in a hand towel, but that's about it. Out of respect for the other you cover yourself as you walk around...or not, if you are so inclined.

The great thing about the Onsen is the variety. They is the aroma bath. Each time you go in it's a different scented bath ranging from Peppermint to Lemon. There are your jet-powered Jaccuzi style bath. And also outdoor bath, which is great in Winter. And what surprised me was the electro-bath. They are little currents running in the bath. It's not dangerous mind, if you sit between the sides, it just feels like you're having never-ending pins and needles. lol. There is also the pure cold water bath, if you feel a little too over cooked or brave enough to jump straight in.

Asides from the bath themselves, they also have Saunas. They are awesome. If you can stay in there longer then about 15 minutes, big ups to you.

After taking a dip, the saunas and anything else you decide to get (messages, Korean-style rub downs, etc.) what awaits you is after bath beer and food!

It might not sound all that interesting, but it's a big part of Japanese culture and history, if you ask me. So if you do ever go to Japan, do not miss out on the Onsen experience. You'll never be more satisfied to see so many of the same sex naked. :P

Ippei.

The food, the food. All the glorious food!

If there ever was a reason to go back to Japan for me (y'know, besides seeing family and visiting "home" and what not), is all the food. I cannot tell you in my limited vocabulary how GOOD the food is back there. And cheap too! ...if you know where to look.

Being back there for only a week this time 'round, I didn't get the chance to have "everything" I wanted. But I made damn sure I had what I really wanted.

Ramen - You cannot go to Japan without having some ramen noodles. Depending on which area of Japan you go to, you'll get different flavours of it. But being a Kyushu-boy, the Kyushu-style pork-stock flavoured "Tonkotsu" ramen is the best there is.

Now this one place that my uncle to me to, they had the tasty ramen EVER! When it was served it wasn't steaming at all. I'm like what the hell? But the bowl was certainly hot. I soon discovered that there was a layer of oil on top of the soup, which kept the temperature entrapped. So no matter how long it took you to touch the damn thing (but why delay), it was as hot as it could ever be. It was damn large bowl too. All for just 500yen ($5AUD more or less).

Yakitori - It translate literally to grilled chicken. But it's so much more. Everything will come on skewers and cooked right in front of you. Every part of the chicken is available, the skin, liver, wings, breast, you name it. And all grilled to perfection. But you can also have your choice of other meets including but not limited to pork shank and pork ribs, etc. They are sooooo good and go for about 70-100yen per skewer (70cents - $1AUD).

Okonomiyaki and yakisoba - Now the best of these can be found it's origin of the Kansai area. But where ever you get it in Japan (mostly) it's sure as hell beats anything you get in Australia. Again cooked right in front of you with your choice of toppings, usually a selection or all of pork, squid, lettuce, egg, etc. The Okonomiyaki is a glorified pancake. Topped with some mayo, sauce, green seaweed and fish shavings. Eat it while it's hot! Yakisoba is fried noodles, essentially cooked on the same pan as the Okonomiyaki, adding that extra flavour to it. It comes wrapped in an omelet. Depending on what you have 500-900yen ($5 -$9AUD)

Ah, crap I'm getting hungry typing this. I'll finish with one more...

Sushi - Now, this is the only thing that wasn't "cheap". It goes for a decent price, BUT it's worth every penny/cent/yen/dollar/all the currency in the world! Now you would expect raw fish to taste all that different right? WRONG! OMG how wrong we can be. The Toro (the fattiest part of the tuna, almost light pink-ish in colour), is THE BEST sushi/sashimi you can have. It quite simply melts in your mouth! And it's so full of flavour, every time I ate it, it made me smile (but I'm weird like that). 5,000yen - 10,000yen ($50 - $100AUD) for a platter depending on what you order.

And there you have it. It's quite a misconception that Japan is expensive. With the dollar as strong as it is now, Japan is relatively cheaper...well, at least in terms of food and groceries. You could live of about $15 dollars a day on food I reckon, if you don't need to eat large. You can get really good lunch boxes at 7-Eleven or similar convenience stores (of all places) for about $5. And trust me when I say, they are REALLY good.

Anyway, I reckon I gained about 10kgs whilst on my trip. A kilo a day, that's not bad, eh?

Anyone wanna come with me on my next trip back? ...when ever that'll be... :P

Peace,
Ippei.

It's all in the family!

Argh, my lazy bones have attacked me again...

Before I post any more about my latest Japan-trip, (already over two week ago!) I thought I might post the photo above.

It's of the Kadota and Nakamura cousins (only missing the Fukushima cousins, from mum's side of the family). It's quite possibly my favourite photo of the moment. :)

It's especially great because I don't know when the next time I'll get to see them will be (hopefully sooner rather than later). But also the joy of seeing them everytime is encaptured in this photo. It was so touching that when I mentioned I was only there for a week, there's response was "Why?!" lol. All of them also, either saw me off, early on a Sunday morning, at the house or the airport. It's a great feeling. I definitely felt the love. Thanks guys! (Not that you'll ever read this. :P)

Peace,
Ippei.

27...30...3...?

I'm back! ...not that I was gone for all that long, but still!

I was going to blog during my trip, but the combination of eating, meeting up with people, and cold-ness...well, you know the same old story. A week was hardly enough, so I really had no time blogging whilst I was there!

Anyways, the first thing that hit was the change in temperature. It was expected but, it was much more drastic than I had imagined. As the title suggests:

27 degrees. The temperature in Melbourne when I left. It had been rather cold-ish (at least for Melbourne at this time of year) the past few days, so mother nature of Melbourne was giving me a nice warm send off, with the return of the uncompromising sun glare.

30 degrees. It was slightly hotter when I landed in Singapore. The bad thing is that it stayed that temperature (or there abouts) for most of the night and following day. It was that kind of mucky, humid weather. You just start sweating, standing there.

3 degrees?! Bloody hell! As soon as I landed, on went a sweater, a big wintry jacket, beanie and scarf. It was literally like that scene from "Cool Runnings". It was just cold, the wind chill was nasty! It cut through your clothes and to your bones!

So there I was traveling from a place where:
if you wore thongs, you'd get sunburned (and I have my foot to prove that!) to a place where,
if you wore thongs, you'd sweat like you've been working out to a place where,
if you wore thongs, you'd get frostbite and your toes would fall off!

Really made me appreciate how BIG, our small world really is...

peace,
Ippei.

Tattoo me up!

ah, the consequences of sleeping all day...now it's almost 3am and you're in your PJs and still wide awake, blogging away...


Tattoos.


They have always been something I was interested in, but for whatever reason (be it time, guts or money) I never got around to getting one. Well, I guess it's time to change that now. After all, it is the year of the rat! (I know that has nothing to do with anything, but give me a break. lol)


Now, I've gotten the okay from pops. Ma, I'm sure wouldn't mind but her being in Japan probably helps things. Other than that, it's just me I have to get okay from and hell, I think I've waited long enough.


Grandparents are another story though. I think they would absolutely freak! (I've probably mentioned this before somewhere, but they are traditionalist Japanese.) So my plan now is to get it after I return from my short trip to Japan in a week's time. Then at least they won't know about it for another while. :P


Another problem is that they may not let me into the hot springs (known as the Onsen) in Japan. They tend to ban people with tattoos. But I've been told that that is because in Japan, people with tattoos are a part of the Yakuza (Japanese mafia). Apparently no body gets them as a fashion statement. So it'll be interesting to see how they treat me after I return with one. And NO, I don't look like a Yakuza! lol. :P


As for where on my body, I've narrowed that down too. I'm thinking two at the moment. Well, I'll start with one and see how I feel/how much it costs/how much it hurts, before getting another.


One on my right shoulder/back. Essentially on my shoulder blade. The second just on my left upper arm. The traditional place.


As for the design...well, that's where I'm stuck at the moment.


My dad, the joker that he is, suggested that for my shoulder, I get his label (if you've ever been to dad's restaurant, you'll know what I'm talking about. If not, it's essentially a caraicture of him with the words "dontac" under it) done.


I asked him, "Why?"


And he replies, "Well, I'll always be watching over you..."

Which I thought was kinda sweet. Then he says, "...and eventually I'll become a burden and be a load on your shoulders!"


Funny man, my pops. LOL.


I was thinking about getting a guardian angel/dragon/phoenix type design there anyway. I came across this, which I thought didn't look too bad...

But as for the second on my left upper arm...I've got no idea at the moment. I'll keep searching I suppose. I'm open to any suggestions too. lol. (But please, no Chinese/Japanese charaters.) Something small and meaningful...well, it doesn't have to be tiny but definitely meaningful!

I've already acquired a location to have the tattoos done (friends and facebook are extremely useful in these situations). And as I mentioned, as soon as I return from my trip, I'll go about getting it done.

I'll post up pictures when I do.

Peace,

Ippei.

A year on...

hmmm, a some what familiar title...but oh well. :P The swinging pendulum that is my mind, I'm sure I've repeated myself countless times without even knowing. Glancing through my old posts, it's interesting to realise how much your mindset changes depending on certain situations. It's incredible. But that's how it should be.


Right now I'm in a good place. At least I think so. From the outside perspective it might not look it, but I'm enjoying life. Working hard, sleeping lots, seeing friends, watching movies, eating (very) well. Not much to complain about.


Looking back on some photos I have, it's strange. Not one to carry around a camera myself, though i have a very good one, I can't be picky about the collection. I do have many great photos. What's strange is that I don't have many with the people I'm closest with or care about the most. That not to say i don't care about people who I've photos with (I love you all, you know that. :P).


Me thinks this needs to change. Pity then that, they are also the people I don't get to see that often, for a number of reasons. Some I might not be able to see for a long time.


I digress...


This post was meant to be about my (now annual, for now. :P) trip back to Japan.

As was the case last year, I'll be stopping over in Singapore for a few days (hopefully). Then it's back to good ol'Fukuoka for a week. No frills this time. It's only going to be a ten day trip. Mostly to visit people, so it's not too long or too short. It's weird to call it "going home" but that's what it is. Technically. :P


It'll almost be to the day a year ago that I got back from the trip, when I leave. I'm fairly excited about it. But the excitment purely comes from seeing the people again; Aaron (and maybe Shez) in Singapore, relatives in Japan, friends of family, etc. etc. Not to mention my sister who I haven't seeing since I was last there. That might not sound like anything, but that's the longest period I haven't seen her, since she was born! lol.


I finish this post with a photo...

...only two weeks-ish to go...(would have also been a photo with Aaron and with Shez, except I don't have one! :S)

peace,

Ippei.

Welcome to Post #1

Well, actually, it should have been Post #29 a LONG time ago, but shit happens and you get lazy. :P

For those that I haven't seen or talked in a while, Happy New year! A big hug and a kiss for 2008. (C'mon, you know you love it.)

I probably had better things to blog about in this, the first post of 08, but I thought I'd do a random update of my blog and figured I might as well do a post.

I figured the picture to be appropriate as we look forward to a new year. It's open see and vast horizons ahead as we wait and see what this year will bring. 2007 seemed like a year wasted to me. Didn't get a whole lot done (except the whole graduating thing, but that's overrated. :P) 2008 already feels good. This is continuing on from the great finalé I had towards the end of 07.

Plus it's our year fellow Rats (people born in 96, 84, 72, etc.)! Let's make something happen. lol.

Peace out for now and not forever...hopefully,

Ippei.