Thursday, November 22, 2007

Small Realization about Globalization

Something I wrote, in a moment of realization:

Likewise, more awareness and laws are required... to curb environmental abuse. The problem here is that globalization has been more rapid than the legal system, meaning that laws are unable to keep up.

Hmm. Is this true? I wonder. Thought and research required.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Busy a little.

Work has been piling up, bah. That leaves me very little free time to pursue my own interests. And no, my "free time interests" (if I may call it that) are not merely entertainment, they are also primarily knowledge based (the collecting of information, my favourite hobby).

Three more weeks before holidays. I'm counting the days.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Gawrsh.

I don't know why, but I'm feeling horribly lethargic. I can't seem to do anything properly, with concentration. I can't even enjoy listening to music. And I have to finish up a darned assignment. Darn.

Tried writing something, and I only came up with this post, a complaint. No creative ideas coming, no stories recently. Probably due to my late sleep time (never slept before midnight this week, and my regular sleep time is 10 or 11). Ah, allow me to whine. Possible solutions:

I need to relax, seriously.

Lot's of reading. (But my eyes hurt.)

Prayer, meditation, fasting.

Gym, walk, jog, intensive physical exercise.

Write (Irony, I know).

Arggh! Gawrsh. Late already, must sleep (perfect).

Nite.

Monday, November 12, 2007

Two Ghibli Classics: Totoro & Laputa

My Neighbor Totoro is the most calm and less intense of all of Miyazaki's movies. No Princess Mononoke action here; instead we are faced with a simple, short story about life in the country: with a dose of fantasy that at the same time feels so real. No antagonists here, except maybe the simple facts of life: illness and misunderstanding.

The scene where Mei creeps into the underbrush certainly fill one with a magical thrill, and the depictions of the Japanese countryside are indeed beautiful. Likewise, their encounters with Totoro, the titular character, which are funny, enchanting and relaxing.

But reality is still depicted fully here, there is no "escape" to a wonderland, only brief moments of peace there. But then there are also moments of peace found in the real world too.

***

Laputa: Castle in the Sky is certainly one of my favorites, even though it hardly comes close to the depth of Miyazaki's later films. It is a fantasy, it is an adventure, it is a mystery.

The plot is certainly intriguing (read for yourself), and Laputa could be perhaps compared to Atlantis: a highly advanced technological civilization that had been long abandoned, perhaps destroyed. The movie does answer why Laputa is no more, but does so in a poignant manner, an answer that is more contemplative than is merely a factual explanation.

I noticed how the designs on some vehicles in the film are similar to that of Howl's Moving Castle. Perhaps Miyazaki thought it fit to reuse them in Howl, but either way, Laputa makes for a much more interesting movie anyway. Some would feel that this movie is a little slow at times, but those "slow" scenes function as interludes that do not really serve to advance the story, but certainly do help build the characters (which is important too, no?).

Saturday, November 10, 2007

There's A Party Going On...

It's not like I'm not invited, but my parents wouldn't let me go anyways. Sigh. It's always sad to watch rallies from the sidelines.

Friday, November 9, 2007

Up and About

Internet come to me...

Well, it has. My new home is now connected to the rest of the world, and I am satisfied. Ah yes. First thing I did was to browse Flickr. Wonderfully enlightening place, kind of like a shrine, a temple, if you will. A feast for the senses. Then again, it is very tempting to fall into visual gluttony there. Haha.

Time for rest, then college work. Bye.