1Q84 July 2, 2009
Posted by ash in about Movies, art & anime!.add a comment
When Murakami’s latest novel hit the book stores in June, I didn’t think much about buying it. In the first place, the first print was sold out immediately. Secondly, I doubt I would be able to read such a complex and intriguing story in Japanese. Thirdly, I don’t even know if the local Kinokuniya stores stock it.
Today, one of my least expected sources called and told me that he bought the 1st volume for me when he went to Japan recently. This person is someone from the advertising agency who serves my co. account. I don’t work much with him due to us being in charge of different territories, but the fact that we are both Murakami fans was known very early on during one of those contrived “welcome dinners” they held for me when I was a newcomer.
It was a huge surprise, for I thought he always favored my counterpart more. He said he bought 1 for himself and recalling that I am also a Murakami fan, decided to buy 1 more. Subsequently he apologized for only getting the 1st volume because it was too heavy to bring 2 full sets back. (How Japanese I thought, giving gifts and apologizing for them) I laughed and replied that I would get the 2nd volume myself, maybe I will do that end July when I go to Tokyo.
I haven’t got the book yet. Whether he bought it for me because he appreciated a fellow fan or because he wanted to establish better work relations I do not know, but at least I was remembered in that instance. And for that, I feel grateful and glad.
June 13, 2009
Posted by ash in Bimbotic biz, about expression.add a comment
It was a busy and strenous week in Thailand. The food poisoning took a few centimetres off my waist and coupled with the slave work schedule, it was really a tiring week. After being in Thailand for a week, I have caught on the “Wonder Girls” virus. At this age, I wouldn’t have imagined myself going gaga over a group of 19 yr olds doing well-choreographed sequences, but the fact is that the song “Nobody” kept on getting stuck in my head and after checking out their MTVs on youtube, I must say I have taken a liking to them. The rapper Yoo Bin sounds like AI from Japan.
This afternoon I spent my time watching the Van Gogh film at Omnimax. It was a really different experience, seeing the brush strokes up close like that. I would say the film was a most satisfying experience for me if not for the fact that there are idiots who bring their kids in to inconvenience others. Any pleasure derived was destroyed by the blasted kid’s “Daddy, what is this?” “This is where?” “Why like this?” 40 minutes. I had to sit on my hands to keep myself from going over to box the shit out of those people, parent and kid alike.
I also went to see the Da Vinci exhibition. Very interesting and yes they should ban kids too.
You know what? I hate kids.
