Movie reviews

Here are some movies I've watched lately...


After exhausting ourselves on all things Back to the Future at USJ we had to watch this movie again. I haven't seen it since I was a kid and I LOVED it. It was funny, witty and dealt with real social issues (how to stop your teenage mum from loving future you, how to make a skateboard, how to wear a red puffy vest).

Another old one... but it was different watching it this time- it felt so familiar and relate-able (karaoke! weird old men staring! sheer panties!)


This is probably one of the best movies I've seen all year... it has the artistic, 80s feel and soundtrack of a Bret Easton Ellis novel and it has the gorgeous Ryan Gosling. Sigh. He doesn't speak much and barely does anything else beyond steering and lurking in doorways looking sad, but it's such a good film. I urge you to see this if you like moody, emotionally draining dramas. I do!


Speaking of moody emotionally draining dramas, here's another one! And it has RyGos in it too. Blue Valentine is sad, powerful and beautifully edited. It definitely fits the old cliche of 'watching a car crash but being unable to turn away'. I cried so hard that we had to stop the film 3/4s of the way through and have an icecream break.

Disappointment

Welll I didn't do it... I wish I had. I was so disappointed in myself. But seriously I can't help it. My legs froze, I started shaking and even though I told myself a million things (it can't break you wont fall etc) it doesn't make any difference, because when I look at a ferris wheel I don't see myself falling... I see myself in that little box, terrified and having a panic attack. I know that when I've forced myself to do these things in the past I don't 'enjoy it once I'm up there' I HATE IT.

I want to be able to do these things... I really want to conquer this fear. what should I do? Hypnosis? Meditation? Force myself?

Fears

Your know how some people freeze when they see a spider? Or how some people can't swim way out far in the deep ocean? Or how people are afraid of dark alleys or enclosed spaces or dogs? I'm terrified of heights. Like seriously terrified. Like can't go in a glass elevator terrified. And tonight I'm going on this:

It's an attempt to conquer my fears... I think I have to be a bit drunk to do it though.

WISH ME LUCK.

Hello Ida!

This is a new blog post because I was just talking to my lovely friend Ida in Sweden and she told me to write more! (HELLO IDA!!!!). I didn't even think anyone read my blog anymore so now I know she's reading it I WILL update more often and just pretend I'm talking to her.

Today is Sunday, my day off... last night we did nothing more exciting then get takeaway chinese (including massive pork buns like the one above) and watched The Social Network again. We've both had nasty colds this week and I've nearly lost my voice a million times this week from talking nonsense to Salarymen and trying to control nasty little children.

Today I woke up late and then decided to get some Christmas shopping done. I don't have many people to buy for this year, but I still got excited about doing ANY kind of shopping, since it's been so long since I've bought anything remotely interesting (do thermal tights count?). I went to the hellhole that is Shinsaibashi on a Sunday and visited Zara, H and M and some random little accessory shops and got some stuff for Glen, mum, my sister-in-law and myself :) There were SO many people in H &M it was impossible to even get up and down the stairs without contemplating murder. I need to remember to not going ANYWHERE on Sundays in Japan. There are too many slooooow walking people, strollers, idiots who just stop in the middle of the road to check their phone...

Things I Miss

I'm sitting on the couch at 11am after about 2 hours sleep thanks to a typically awful cold- sinus infection, sore throat etc and I'm thinking about some of the things I miss about Australia- it's been about 7 months since we left Melbourne and 3 months since we left Bali... I think I miss Bali more than Melbourne and can't wait to be back there in 3 short weeks.

1. Strong over the counter cold and flu medicine- this Japanese crap I stole from the medicine cabinet at work sucks. I think it's just paracetamol.

2. Ovens. Our kitchen is awful, more like a camping stove, no bench space, no drawers, no cupboards... but the worst thing is no oven! I haven't had an oven since May. I miss baking and roasting.

3. Not being stared at constantly. By adults, kids, old people- I am stared at on the subway, in the street- everywhere.

4. Thai food. I miss cheap Thai lunches and takeaway. Actually I miss a lot of food- spicy, almost overpowering, smelly Indonesian food, rich Vietnamese soups.... I try and make a lot of this stuff myself because Japanese food, while beautiful is sometimes so bland and flavourless. I miss being able to buy any kind of food or ingredient I want easily and without extensive googling and wandering.

5. Friends. Of course.