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Broadcasting to an audience of three (and a goldfish)...
Comment, ramblings and musings... life through the eyes of a Japanologist...
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Saturday, January 25, 2003 |
 What I did today
Today, I...
- Woke up feeling distinctly not well (the cold still?- or the whisky?);
- Went into Hiroshima;
- Bought two DVDs- 'The Englishman who went up a Hill but came down a Mountain' and 'Waterboys'- and two CDs by The Who;
- Came across two of the candidates for the Hiroshima Mayoral Election, out canvassing;
- Went to MacDonalds before heading back;
- Watched 'Waterboys' and 'The Englishman who went up a Hill but came down a Mountain'.
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 The canvassing for the Hiroshima City Mayoral Election (to be held on February 2nd) is in full swing.
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In the week that McDonalds reported its first ever quarterly loss, I called in to the branch on Hondori for a quick Big Mac before going to catch the ferry.
Well, in a way it's perhaps not that surprising that McDonalds is not as popular as before; the thing that struck me more than anything is that the restaurant is very dated, very late-1980s/early-1990s. There seems to be a growing backlash against fast food in the U.S., but certainly here, I wonder if it isn't the case that more than the food, the surroundings are the problem. It strikes me that the concept isn't the problem (even if burgers are regarded as not the healthiest of food), rather that aspects of the delivery of the concept (such as the ambience of the restaurants) could be improved.
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When I got home, I watched 'Waterboys', a Japanese film about five high school boys who form a synchronised swimming team. I'd heard good things about this film, which is why I'd been intending to buy it for quite a while, despite the rather hefty 6000-yen price tag. I'm really glad I finally did. There may be better films in terms of plot, acting, or effects, but in terms of sheer watchability and enjoyment, I haven't seen a better film in a long, long time. Really excellent!
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After 'Waterboys', I watched 'The Englishman who went up a Hill but came down a Mountain', a film I'd never even heard about before I came to Japan. The Japanese name is 'Wales no Yama' ('The Welsh Mountain'), and as the name suggests, it's about a group of villagers who, having been told that 'their' mountain- the first mountain in Wales- is in fact not a mountain at all, but a mere hill, decide to take matters into their own hands and add the requisite height to get the hill reclassified as a mountain. It's one of those films that leaves you with a pleasant feeling inside; it's a film in the typical British mould, along the lines of 'Purely Belter' or 'Billy Elliot'. I'm glad I searched it out on DVD.
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 Japan A-Z
Hakama
Hakama is a kind of pleated baggy trousers, worn with a kimono. It is worn only on ceremonial occasions or for martial arts like fencing or archery. On formal occasions- such as a wedding ceremony- men wear black haori and hakama.
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