15 minutes blog of the end of 2007

This week I got some time to watch several Japanese movies:

• Shindo - (8/10) A story about a school girl name Uta Naruse, a piano prodigy child, who gives up playing piano, and always speak her mind. Thus, she is bullied by other kids for being straightforward. Oto Kikuna is a son of a small market, who practices playing piano to get into the music college. By a coincidence, they on couple occasions, and get to know each others. Each helping the others, the movie reveal the past about Uta's past about her father and piano.
  
• Kimi ni Shika Kikoenai - (6/10) Shinya Nozaki is a deaf-mute guy, who worked at a repair center. Ryo Aihara is a teenage girl without a cellphone, because no one ever call her. By some phenomenon, Ryo begins hearing a ring tone in her head, and she is able to communicate with Shinya by thought. The story progress into Shinya's effort to help Ryo overcoming her social obstacles without telling her that he is deaf. However, what should he do when she wants to meet him in person?
• Tennen Kokkekko (A Gentle Breeze in the Village) - (10/10) How do you keep the people awake, if you have to make a movie without any excitement or action? Based on Furusako Kuramochi's shoujo manga with the same name, director Nobuhiro Yamashita is able make me loves this movie. Tennen Kokkekko is story about Soyo Migita, an eight grader in a small town, where there are only six kids including herself. Being the oldest and the source of direction, she take care of the younger kids. When a Tokyo boy of the same age moves in, she finds herself attracted to him. The movie digs into her daily life experience on friendship, and love. Note worthy mentions: Kaho's performance, and the cutey Shoko Fujimura with little screen time.
  

So, this post is a lot longer than 15 minutes. Actually, there are more movies I have watched, but I'll save those for later. You know what? It looks like all these movies are teen movies... hmmmm.

15 minutes blog of a gift card

On Thursday, I just got a $50 gift card, which is usable at any Westfield mall. As I walked through the mall today, there came a significant realization of something important about myself. I do not know what to get for myself. It might seems like a stupid thing to say, but there is really nothing in the mall that I REALLY want. As I traversed through isles of stores and shops, I didn't find the clothes attractive, nor the electronic gadgets any worthwhile. One store that really caught my attention is a Hello-Kitty store, which is totally pink and full of people. It shocking to see such a store could exist and still make money. Anyway, in the end, I ended up buying a battery-less flashlight, which only costs $10. I could have bought manga, or anime. However, most of them are not very up to date. Disappointing. Maybe I'll just buy a Naruto poster, which looks pretty nice, although I don't really have anywhere to put them.

Beside that point, there is something else. I never really buy anything for anyone else before, so this buy-for-myself experience is something less than successful.

15 minutes blog of a sad December

Is it only me that never understand why there are so many bad things happening during December? While so many people tried to be cheerful and festive in December, I believed many more people are feeling down. Money problems. Family problems. Relationship problems. December is a hard time to those who are feeling down. I think there are two reasons for this heighten depression. First, December is the time when people evaluate what they had done during the year. It will go like something like this...

Another year just went by. I am one year older, and yet I am still nowhere.
Still in debt. Still did not find right person. Still have no bright future.

Then, just to top it off, people around them are in a festive mood. They are partying, shopping, and getting ready for Christmas and New Year.

To me, this year is not that much different from last year. Still single. Still trying to find the right person. Ha ha ha...

15 minutes blog of a final good bye

I never imagine that today I would say farewell to two friends. One is a co-worker, and one is a long lost friend. With my co-workers, we had a getaway celebration. Fifteen people were eating sushi until we could not eat anymore. It was the last I will ever see him again, which was sad on many levels. He moved on to a new job and a new place, and I am here. I can live with that, it is perfectly fine.

Then there was this old friend from college. I found his email address in an email that was buried in pile of emails. I send him an instant message saying hello. At least, I thought he would greet me back. Rather he turned blind eyes, switched mode, and pretended that I didn't even exist. How sad was that? What more could I have done, if he chose to walk away? I deleted his contact off the instant messenger. After so many years of finding old friends that I used to talk to, I realized that so many people do not care for friends.

Maybe I am just old fashion.
Maybe I am just too naive.
Maybe I am just insane.
Maybe I am just lonely.
But I have no explanation to why people don't treasure friends, family, and life. You don't need many friends to make you happy, but why turn away from any opportunity?

15 minutes blog of "once again..."

Once again... the guilt is on me.
Once again... my feeling is not considered.
Once again... I am mad.
Once again... my memory recalls the bad pasts.
Once again... I am going crazy.

15 minutes blog of an anime season

So, I haven't been here for a long time. Life has taken its course, and it is call love. No, it is not the love that involves a social bonding between two opposite sexes. Instead, this one is much more simple and passive. It's called anime. This one displays the human-social characteristics, which some individuals deemed as childish and simplistic. Anyway, not that I really give a damn about the close-minded individuals' shallow opinion. The real reason why I haven't blog here lately. The Fall of 2007 anime season:

1. Dennou Coil - A sci-fi series that started in summer. This series set in the year 202x, where there exists a virtual world imprint on top of the real world. Anyone who wear a special glasses, mainly children, can see and interact with this virtual world that is on top of the real world. This is all fine and harmless... until some kids discover the hidden truth behind the "Illegal". Watch the first episode, and you'll be addicted.
   
2. Clannad - A highly anticipated series with high quality animation. However, the story is look to be like Kanon and AIR TV.
   
3. Mokke - Can you say "Mok-ke"? A children series with each episode revolving around two sisters, their grandparents, exorcism, and traditional Japanese ghost or spirit. Not the most flashy graphic or dramatic story, but each episode gives you a good feeling, while subtly showing a lesson in life.
   
4. Minami-ke - Umm... a comedy of three sisters. A bit random in term of story, but each character has very unique personality that makes an interesting show to watch.
   
5. Bamboo Blade - A bunch of high school kid in kendo team. I love the first 10 seconds of this series' OP. Many great characters. Yeah, it made my to watch list.
   

Is there more to write? Go to AnimeSuki to download and see it for yourself.

15 minutes blog of a cursed glasses

I don't normally believed in this type of thing. But it seems like too much of a coincidence to not make me think. So few weeks back, I went to make a glasses. The good news was my eyes have not changed much after 10 years. The bad news was the $230 price tag AFTER discount. However, my old glasses has a permanent scratch after 10 years of service, so there is not much to complain about.

Then last weekend, I went to get my new glasses. Stylish, and slicker than my old pair, which look like something out of Detective Conan. I left my glasses in the car. Monday morning rolled around, and I tried to put my stereo face plate. *Clack* The face plate did not stick to the dashboard. That night, I opened up the face plate, and saw the broken plastic piece. It was midnight, and I didn't do anything more. On Tuesday night, I reopened it again. It seems I can't open the cover of the face plate completely. So, with little room, I managed to glue the plastic pieces back together with Epoxy glue by midnight again. On Wednesday morning, the face plate slipped into the dashboard without a problem. It felt good, until I had to take it out again. *Clack* I sighed, and gave up. The face plate won't come out now... I will probably have to break it open this weekend.

Then this morning, the MIL(Malfunction Indicator Lamp) light in my car went on. Uh oh... My mind went back to the strange sound that started few weeks back. Could it be because I ignored the strange noise from my car? I sure hope not. Now, I have to get it check and burn up my paycheck. Yea!!!

This afternoon roll around, and what do you know? I lost my "reminder paper". Not that important, but to lose this paper is something of a miracle in itself. It seems my life has not been so well after getting a new glasses. I declared it a curse...for the time being.

This is not to mention that I emailed to three of my friends, and got reply so far. It's already been a week. God damn it, how long does it take to reply?

15 minutes blog of an un-answered email

I'm listening to Otsuka Ai right now feeling a bit angry. There is this girl that I met a week ago, and currently working as a financial agent. I am a bit interested in her, which led me to pretend to be interested in one of her financial service. So, two days ago, I sent an email to her asking a simple financial question, hoping to get a quick response. If you are wondering, the answer is basic enough that I found in on Google it less than 3 minutes. Right now, 48 hours later, and there is still no reply.

La la la. No reply...

What is this girl hoping to sell with this kind of attitude? No answer. No attempt. No selling skill. *sigh*

15 minutes blog of a pointless invite

Every once in a while I will get an email to join a network site. To get it straight, I don't usually bother with a spam or an email from a some random person. Of course, if it is from a friend, I will probably join the network site. But in this case, it is not a from a total stranger, but someone in my contact that I once know or talk to. So, in my good honest faith, I decided to join Hi5. To show my sincerity, I added some content and left a message to the inviter.

But like a random call, the person that invite me never left any message on my site. No "hello", nor any acknowledge of my account that I set up. In the end, my account was left to die in the cyberspace without any attention from others. Pointless beyond need. Worthless than a penny. This is my 15 grunt of a pointless invite.

15 minutes blog of a classic time travel movie

No, I'm not here to talk about "Back To The Future". But this 1983 Japanese movie, called Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo, is an innovative movie of its time that was based on a novel. Over the weekend, I managed to squeeze some time and watched it with an English subtitle.

Sypnosis: A high school girl accidentally discovered that she has an ability to time travel. With her power, she was able to change history, including discovering the boy she has feeling for.

Many would think that an old movie about time-traveling like this is either too boring or too predictable, but that is not the case here. I was a little uneasy about watching a black and white film. However, it turned out to be special effects, which is pretty amazing back in 1983.

Yet, it's the plot that set this movie apart from other B-rated sci-fi flick. It started out a bit confusing, but the ending made it all worth while. There are few questions that were not properly explained, but most will be answered if put some thought into it. Like many good modern day films, it gives the viewers some time to analyze and hypothesize, instead of blinding call things out like Bubble Fiction.

The main heroine, Tomoyo Harada, is quite cute...despite it was back in 1983. Although, I can't say the same with acting skill.

Link:
- imdb
- Kevin's Review on this movie

15 minutes blog of pointless dreams

There are time I wonder what I really want out of life. There are things that I could never get, and there are dreams that would never be realized. If you know ahead that your goals and dreams are unachievable, would you still continue to pursue it, or would you pursue realistic ones instead?

I am so sick and tire of my depressing self sometimes. I becomes wiser just to realized my own faults, and my own errors. There are days that I really just want to give up, and do nothing. The only thing that keep me going is not fame, greed, nor self-preservation, but merely the existence for others.

15 minutes is up... and for once, it takes 15 minutes to blog.

15 minutes blog of a better movie

If you have read my previous post, then you know I didn't think so kindly of the Bubble Fiction movie. Here is another blog that concur with my feeling. By the way, ever notice how I never wrote about the movie's plot, but just my opinion?

On with the post. I was watching a Thai movie called The Possible (เก๋า...เก๋า -- old...old). As I saw Focus Jeerakul (right picture, with her hand in the snack bag), her face reminds me of a young Japanese celebrity, Kusumi Koharu (left picture).













Anyway, that thought aside, I want to talk about some differences between Bubble Fiction and The Possible. First, the copied summary:

Bubble Fiction:
When a brilliant female researcher accidentally turns an ordinary washing machine into a time machine, the Japanese government convinces her to travel back to 1990 and prevent the announcement of landmark fiscal policy that triggered the nation's economic demise. But the mission hits a snag when the researcher disappears, forcing the government to send her estranged daughter, Mayumi - a debt-ridden bar hostess and the only other person the time machine will accept - back in time to find out what happened. Mayumi arrives at the peak of Japan's "bubble" economy and finds a society obsessed with material wealth and profligate spending. With her warnings of impending doom falling on deaf ears, Mayumi's frustrated efforts to find her mother suggest some kind of conspiracy at work at the highest levels of government. Her own future and that of Japan itself begins to hinge on her ability to recruit the help of one man: the same finance bureaucrat who sent her through time. The problem is, he's 17 years younger and completely unreliable. From Pony Canyon.

The Possible:
In 1970, a rock band called "The Possible" has reached the top of the Thai music charts, and has created a sensation among the younger generation. One day, the band receives a microphone as the present from a mysterious fan. Miraculously, the microphone is a time-machine that accidentally transports them to the year 2006, where modern music rules and they're just an out-of-date item. The only way to bring them back to their glorious time is performing a concert that will fix the broken time-machine/microphone. But, before the concert could be set, there're still some problems in the new world that they have to deal with. From imdb.

Two time-traveling movies in one weekend is a pretty strange, but I somehow done it. While watching The Possible, I came to realized that the movie flows a whole lot better. The characters are more dramatic and realistic. There is no breakdown of nonsensical low-IQ teen or tween gone wild like Bubble Fiction. You see characters with deeper conflict and emotion, and that just made it all worth while. But at last, few people will ever get a chance to watch The Possible, since there is no English subtitle for it, or the fact that it is in PAL DVD-9 region.

DVD: ethaicd

15 minutes blog of Ryoko Hirosue's travel

So, this weekend I got a chance to catch a Japanese movie called "Bubble Fiction: Boom or Bust" starring Ryoko Hirosue and Abe Hiroshi. I have been a fan of Hirosue for a long time, and the good reviews on imdb.com elevated my confidence on this film. I have watched Hirosue and fell in love with her"Railroad Man", and her other films("Himitsu", "Wasabi", and "Collage of Our Lives") always keep my interest.

Sadly, unlike her previous movies, "Bubble Fiction" fell short of my expectation. Decent, but not a good film. Maybe it is the lacking humor. Maybe it is the predictable plot. Maybe it is because I did not live in Japan in 1990. Maybe it is how unrealistically things turned out throughout the movie. Maybe it is how childish and ignorant Ryoko acts. Overall, this movie confirms that I dislike of Japanese humor and comedy. The only exception is the Trick series.

15 minutes blog of a squeegee search

Squeegee. A simple tool. A rare find.

Over the weekend, I decided go few places to buy a squeegee. A man on a mission. My goal, a simple squeegee to rip away any thin layer of frosted ice on the front and the back windows of my car.

Destination #1: Dollar Tree Store
Result: Negative. Nothing beyond small household items.

Destination #2: Big Lots!
Result: The store had remodel the interior, but still no squeegee.

Destination #3: AutoZone
Result: The store looked promising, although not a single squeegee was found.

Destination #4: Thrifty
Result: Side track. I merely went there to look at the ice-cream.

Destination #5: Lucky
Result: A female employee was laying down on the ground. One co-worker was calling an ambulance, while two more were next to her. The victim did not make any sound, so it did not seems like a case of physical injury. Possibly a medical complication or a sudden trauma. The medical team in firetruck arrived as I left the store. No squeegee. No motivation to look further.

That conclude my strange weekend. One emergency and no squeegee.

15 minutes blog of a working weekend

It's never good to work on weekend.
It's a bad idea to be working six days a week.
It's worse when you have to go back on Monday feeling tire.
It's ending my patiences for the annoying managers.
It's for the team that I worked this weekend.
It's me who seems to go insane over this.
It's ...

15 minutes blog of a boring time

It had been a rough day of debugging and fixing the problem. At 8:15PM, I am still sitting in front of the same computer since 8:00AM, waiting for the compiler to finish the building and linking. My mind deviated from the problem and entered the state of calmness.

I am getting paid for eight hours, not twelve.
I might have to come on the weekend to finish this up.
This is so fucking messed up.
Right now, there is nobody here in this giant laboratory.

I sang out loud for about a minute before I stopped. I opened Firefox, and entered magnatunes website, which is the only music site that the IT failed to blocked properly. Thank god for secure connection and flash. Thank Macromedia!! I turned the knob on the small speakers, and blast away the music. The vibration on the water bottle in my right hand hinted me that it was loud enough for anyone in the lab to hear, but the lack of reaction told me there is no one else in the lab.

8:20PM. The compiler is done building. I ran. I tested. Empty. No answer comes to me.
Nothing gained. I cleaned up and walked out.

There is tomorrow.
What a fuck up day this is.

15 minutes blog of a boring kid part3

My bad, it was when I was in 7th grade, not 8th.

15 minutes blog of a boring kid part2

Thinking back to the time when the eight year old girl told my English teacher how bored she was with me, I begin to realize how much I do not understand about something so simple as chit-chat. Afterward I was paired up with another 3rd grade girl. Like many East-Asian people, this girl is quiet; however, unlike most East-Asian people, she is neither shy or timid. Her firm look and calm attitude made her almost adult-like.

To my understanding, the point of this 8th grader and 3rd grader pairing program was to encourage the children to read more. It was supposed to make reading a fun activity. However, the young Vietnamese girl I was paired up with was a no-nonsense kid. The objective was to read a book, and that we sure did. We left no word unread. We did it perfectly, and that was its own flaw. Beside the objective, there were very few little words between us.

I am still uncertain whether if she did not want to talk to me, or that was how she is. There are two things that I recall from the whole experience. First is how she told me about older brother, who always play around all the time. Second is how she can read the books without any help from me. As I speed reading through those third grade books, I can recall her correcting my pronunciation on few occasions. The more amazing thing was how she did it. Short, clear, and concise. All of it without without a glance away from the words in the book. Unlike other typical kids, she said it without another word on the mistake.

Needless to say, the story end uneventfully. She never say goodbye or smile even once during the whole pairing program. It was a year later when I saw her again near the elementary school. She was feeding the birds in her front yards. She saw me, and I lifted my arm up half way as a gesture of saying hello. She did the same for a moment, then went back to throwing the seeds to the obese inner-city pigeons. All of this without even a smile, and this is how the true story of a boring kid end.

15 minutes blog of a boring kid part1

Back when I was in my 8th grade English class, each student was paired up with a 3rd grader to do a reading session. Back then I never imagine myself as being a boring person. Not until I met the eight year old girl. My first assignment is to do questions and answers session with this young Caucasian girl who could hardly sit still. Five minutes into this Q-and-A session, my English teacher came by, and casually ask this young girl about her thought on this.

"He is boring," the young girl replied.

I stared at the girl for a moment before taking a look at my English teacher. At the moment, I was not mad. Just didn't like how the situation is turning. I thought to myself if my grade would be affected by this brat's honest comment. The thought of it led me to take a deep breath and let down a long sigh. Although it was unintentionally, my English teacher saw it clearly, understood the meaning, and decided to switch partner.

I was paired up with another 3rd grade girl. A girl is not a good idea, I thought to myself. By then I realized that being an interesting person is not so easy, especially to little kids. However, unlike the previous girl, this Asian 3rd grader is a lot quieter. Not shy nor timid, but quiet.

more to come...

15 minutes blog of a boring programmer

Being a programmer is a hard job. We work hard everyday, but nobody really appreciates it. Outsiders believing that changing behaviors and aspects of the program is easy, so they often skip analysis, design, and review. Then at the end of the day, they just blame programmers for "not doing their jobs" according to the poorly written specifications and vague documents.

That's what being a programmer is often about. We have to follow what everyone wants. We work with few idiots who can't write proper codes or documents. We have to put up with managers and marketing people who failed to ever schedule work time properly. We have to put up with customers who want to change the behaviors or designs every other weeks. And if we failed, then we get blamed for not making a miracle happened.

That's what a programmer is often about folks!

Another day...

And here I am again. Moving from geocities to MySpace, and now to here.

This is another new beginning. A start of another story. This time, I'll do more with this page.