FUNNYACCENT

What Can We Do?

In Economic Distribution class last night we watched this movie, The Devil's Miner. It was filmed in 1995 in mountainside  Cerro Rico Bolivia deep underground in silver mine about 14 year old Basilio and his brother Benardino.

Basilio was 10 years old when he started to work in a silvermine . He livedwith mother, brother and youngest sister on a slope of the mountain where the mine located. What impressed me most about Basillio was he was hungry for education. He went to school which a few miles below the mountain. Throughout the movie, Basillio's mother expressed her desire to see her children to get an education.

Get a copy and watch this movie. It will stir your heart. It did mine. So what can do about it? Well, it is up to an individual. Perhaps you say, we have enough issues in our own yard, why should we care what happen in Bolivia? Whatever it is, you know what to do.

Saturday at The Movies

My friend, Barrman and I have been discussing about Daniel Day Lewis way before There Will Be Blood came out. We are both DDL's fan. Barrman likes DDL because he is DDL and I like DDL because he is DDL, and I told Barrman DDL is sexy.

"Well, I'm not saying anything to that," rolling his eyes like a pair of marbles.

"He was hot in The Last of Mohicans."

"Do I have to listen to this?"

"You might as well."

We sipped and dunk cranberry scones into our hot drinks and compared notes of all DDL's movies. We even wondered about his affairs with Juliet Binoche, Isabella Adjanni, Julia Roberts and his current wife Rebbecca Miller.

I dunk the last piece of my scone and started to laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"Why are we discussing Daniel Day Lewis's love affairs?"

"I don't know." He threw back his head and laughed.

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We went to 1:25 pm slot. Barrman got into a line for tickets ,and I went to CVS on Washington Street to get some snacks and a bottle water for me and pomegrante juice for Barrman. When I return to the theatre he was already at the front. I wasn't surprised that it was a full house. DDL's fans have been waiting for his new movie.

It was 2.6 hours long and when we came out, we were both dazzled, amazed, a little confused and we both agreed the ending was not something we expected at all.  I found the background music was distracted at some scenes. But as for me, only Daniel Day Lewis could came out so solid, so strong as Daniel Plainview. I couldn't put my finger on Daniel Plainview character.

My Kind of Movie

Crash  deserves to be crowned as The Best Film.

Flashback: Back to the Back

Back in 1985, one of my favorite TV series was Spenser for Hire. Spenser was a PI lived and solved murder mysteries in Boston. Spenser's side kick was Hawk (Avery Brooks  aka as Captain Benjamin Sisko in Deep Space Nine). Spenser  and Hawk were always at odd but they watched each others back and loyal.

Every week , 11:30 pm I sat in front of TV  watching Spenser and Hawk chasing the bad guys around Boston, little that I knew 20 years later I would be living in the same city. Even though I knew Spenser for Hire was adapted from Robert B. Parker books, but I never read any of his books.

After the workshop on Thursday morning, I went to Border Books Cafe' to meet a friend. If it was not meeting a friend, I would have stayed outside. The sun was out in the clear sky. The temp was high 50's. Another gorgeous winter afternoon. My friend was at the cafe' getting us some hot chais.

"Let's go and check out Robert B. Parker." She handed my chai.

"Robert B. Parker? Who is he?"

My friend drew a sharp breath. "You said you were crazy about Hawk, and you have no idea who Robert B. Parker is?"

"Hawk, which Hawk? You meant Hawk in Spencer for Hire?" It was my turn to be surprised.

We zigzagged past the afternoon crowd browsing the latest books displayed in front lobby. We climbed two flight of stairs and headed all the way to the back of the store, the section where the book signing sessions usually took place.

All the seats were taken except one on the second row. Mr. Parker talked about his writing process which he didn't rewrite any of his writings.  We stood about ten feet from the author. When the audience formed the line to get their book signed, I took the opportunity to find a good spot to take a few pictures.

Where Are the Children?

A couple of nights ago I watched a Japanese movie on DVD, a Suicide Club (Jisatsu Club), written and directed by Sion Sono. It was one of disturbing, gruesome and gory movies I'd ever watched. The opening showed 54 high school girls in their short skirts school uniforms and high white socks stood on Tokyo bound train at Shijunku Station. As the train approached the platform, these young girls chatted and laughed as they were ready to get on a roller coaster, stood side by side, held their hands formed a long chain, crossed  the yellow line and threw themselves on the track.

The next few minutes,  I sat on the edge of the couch, watching the blood splashed and soaked the horrified commuters on the platform, not to mention the sound of the human bodies being ran over by a bullet train. The blood flew on the track like a river. I shook my head a few times as I watched the movie rolled hoping I could shake off the gruesome scene from my mind.

On the same day, another bizarre but similar incident from a different part of the city reported to a team of detectives  who are working on this case.  I do not want to reveal more about this disturbing but interesting movie because I've talked to five people who watched it, and all of us have different theories.

The movie wasn't about adults committed suicide because of health reasons, depression or losing billion of yens or an embarrassing affairs. It was about adolescents who seemed to have a normal life, but somehow there was a link missing between them and grown ups. It was about us the grown ups have detached ourselves from the children. I watched this movie for a second time trying to figure it out why and who behind all these suicides, but I think the director simply left an open-ended ending. Either he wanted us to find ways to rebuild grown-ups/children relationship or he has a sequel coming.

All Under Heaven

After I watched Hero for a second time, I can make a conclusion, sometimes it takes a life time for us to learn and appreciate of what we have and to live together in peaceful "All Under Heaven".
Broken Sword (Tony Leung) wrote a message in calligraphy. The word he wrote was Sword. But the curves and the strokes of the ink on the paper brought a totally different meaning. When the king finally able to interpret the meaning of the word Sword he understoodd why Broken Sword, an assasin who for ten years has been trying to kill him (the King) changes his mind.

Hero is not only about the fighting and killing, but it goes deeper than that. It's about sacrifice, lcourage,living peaceful and an unfulfilled love. The story goes between present and the past. Two characters, Jet Li (Nameless) and Chen Dao Min (the King) have their versions. They spread their versions through different colors - red, green, blue and yellow. Every move, every step, even a blink of an eye sends a different message to each other. Only a true warriors could understand.

Four skillful warriors (Sky, Nameless, Falling Snow and Broken Sword) joint together in an unspoken language, through their understanding of the warrior codes to kill a king. Nobody understands the king motive, a reason that has driven him for years to unify and rules the world.

One of my favorite scene was when Namelss (Jet Li) and Sky ( Danny Yen) engages in their mind fight. They stood about 30 feet facing each other, eyes closed, but their minds were in a deadly fight. When they opened their eyes, Sky and Nameless moved gracefully toward each other, the tips of their swords cut through the rain drop( I replayed this scene over and over). It was beautiful shot.

LORTism

Am I the only blogger who hasn't watched LOTR trilogy? It seems that almost every weblog I've been reading for the past few weeks is writing, praising, commenting and promoting this movie.

Am I Being or Am I Becoming?

The interview went well. It's been a long time since I had formal interview like this afternoon. They asked me why do I want to switch from working with women and children from domestic violent background to substance abuse field.

I told them sometimes the population from domestic violent come from substance abuse background either by their spouses or themselves. It's connected at certain level. And it's good if I'd be able to work with women and children from different environment.
As a waitress, I've learned a lot of people's behavior and attitude while serving them. This is the experience I wouldn't trade with anything.

The interview took one hour. I got off at Prudential stop and took an elevator to Barnes & Nobles. I'm doing pretty good with my promise. The urge was still there, but wasn't as strong as a month ago.

While browsing at Native American section, I noticed the familiar face on the book cover. I took the book from the shelf. Its two inches paperback. I looked at the man on the cover again. Yes, I saw him before. As a matter of fact I see him more than a dozen times in action.
His black eyes, strong cheekbones and proud expression. I saw him in my mind swinging his long gun with agility only a Native Warrior could possess it. The handle of the gun went high in the air and hit Magua's body. Magua looked at Chingachgook's face in surprise. I oculd hear the flesh smashed and bones cracked by the metal.

He didn't expect Chingachgook would be that fast. Magua looked at the gore on his body and with a swift motion Chingachgook kicked Magua down the rocky mountain as Magua did to his son.
Later he stood at the edge of mountain facing the sun, his adopted son Hawkeye and Cora on both of his side. He prayed for his dead son. The last phrase I've always remember he said, "................I am the last of Mohican."

This is the last scene from The Last of Mohican , my all time favorite movie. I watched it over and over again and I never get tired of it.
The man on the book cover is Russel Means.
I flipped through the book and I came to this page that I found it enlightening.
Russel Means wrote. "Perhaps it's because being an Indian means not thinking about doing, but simply being."

I'll definitely get this books when my curfew is over.