September 27, 2004
Inspiring Quote from The Shakester
"Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie."--Helena, All's Well That Ends Well, Act I; printed on CalShakes flyer at the play
September 26, 2004
Incoherent Ridiculous Essay: めくら
This is my pathetic attempt at an analysis in Japanese on one of Natsume Soseki's short stories in Yume Juu Ya for my Modern Japanese Literature course. Really, I can write much better than this. Really. Yes, really. :(----
めくら
第三夜の主人公は色々な事見えなかったけど、だんだん見えて、やっと最後で分かった。これは仏教の様な変化であった。仏教には世界の中の事が分かるのが大切である。その自覚の事は自分の事に変わるのとして行く。この人は何が自覚したか？最後くらい、彼は人を殺す話が出てきた。その殺す事が自覚して、その罪悪感がやっと感じたから、背中の子の重さも気が付けた。こんな自覚があったから、『石地蔵の様に重くなった』と書いた。その前に、背中の子は『小僧』という事と書いたけどその言葉は二つの意味がある。一つは子供という意味である。けど他の意味は若い仏教のプリーストである。そして、『小僧』と書いたら、この仏教のテーマが守る。しかも、最初で、『青坊主』と書いたけどこれはまた二つの意味の言葉である。一つははげ頭という意味である。けど二つはお坊さんの事である。こんなに書くと、礎石ははっきりに仏教的な事を書いていた。
さらに、色々なビジュアルなイメージもある。『眼が潰れて』ほか『闇』『盲目』『 路はだんだん暗くなる』と書いた。これは仏教の様な話である。というのは、仏教には世界の分かる事である。それは現実を見る事である。この物語の中に、主人公は歩きながら、現実まだ見えなくて、まだアクセプト出来なかった。自分の眼が潰れる事と青坊主になる事も前に見えなかった。雨は降る事もいつ始まったか分からなかった。彼は本当に仏教の眼で世界の気付きが持ってなかった。盲の様に現実を見えなかった。また、『鏡の様に光っている』と書いた事も仏教的なビジュアルなイメージである。鏡で見る事の様に自分の事を見たら、自分の事が変えて、本当の世界が見える。けど、その鏡の中で見る事は簡単ではない。皆は自分の事によくはずかしいから。主人公もはずかしかった。『自分は堪らなくなった』と思った。彼は自分の事を他の人に見せられたからはずかしくなった。それは自分の事がまだアクセプト出来なかったから。
What Did You Call Me?
Went down to San Jose to meet Jenn, followed by Andy. Had dinner at a fanasmorifficly spicy place named Tofu House (prices have gone a tart up from those in the site). Kimchi, more kimchi, veggie veggie salad, lava-boiling spicy tofu super bowl supreme, and transformer rice-to-soup amazoriffic wowness: let's give these guys a hand for being so cool and awesome. *applause*While there, Jenn and I were having a quaint and intellectual conversation when all of a sudden she starts calling me names like "autodidact." Wholly offended by this sudden outburst of verbal attack, I proceeded to counter with the throwing of kimchi and hot tofu. Ha! That'll teach her to call me names!
More (Hot) Air in America?
As usual, King Big Rick's got the heads up and shot word out of Air America finally making its way into the Bay Area. SFGate also has more. It's coming in the area this coming Tuesday on 960AM.Big Rick put it similarly to how I noted in my earlier post: incessant Republican bashing with no productive dialogue. It's great to have different opinions, and yet it's bowel-boiling to have them shoved down the throat!
It's like listening to someone talk about how she hates broccoli day in and day out. She don't like it raw, she don't like it boiled, and she ain't likin' it with cheese nor peanut butter, and no matter how you slice or dice it she don't like that bush (hawhaw!). Gee golly, we already heard it the first google times she said all of that, now go on to talk about the carrots and apples (mm, and mangoes).
No matter, I'll tune in to it this coming week.
September 24, 2004
Alls Well That Ends Well
Originally, with plans to go indulge in CalShake's production of Shakespeare's Alls Well That Ends Well--I eventually ended up chatting with Chinatsu from my Astronomy class and had her coming with me.
Well, I thought, this would give her some idea of wine-drinking, smug, intellectual (or wannabe intellectual!) Americans. =)
As for the production itself: absolutely incredible! My English comprehension has withered like sweet raisins, but despite which I fantastically enjoyed myself. James Carpenter played the King, and the scene where he is forcing Bertram to marry Helena had the whole audience at the tip of their seats. His energy and fury could be felt rumbling throughout the evening walls of the theater.
L. Peter Callender was Lafew, in a part that was made for a humorous version of James Earle Jones. I couldn't help but to laugh at every word and giggle that came out of the man's mouth. (He also played in Dr. Doolittle, hehe!) As was the same for Colman Domingo, who played Lavache. Haha, too funny!
Big big thanks to Carol, for the ticket hookups!
September 21, 2004
Happiness States
From best to worst:- Happy with Self; Happy with Others
- Happy with Self; Un-happy with Others
- Un-happy with Self; Happy with Others
- Un-happy with Self; Un-happy with Others
When in state 2, I read books. Why? Because people in books are interesting; there are characters that can be related to, and it's as if their minds can be doven into. Also, reading helps me gain knowledge, which helps with state 3. =)
When in state 3, I exercise. Why? Gets blood moving, makes the body feel good, which in turns shifts mental/emotional states. Also, just smile; bio-feedback!
When in state 4, well, there's some serious mental state shifting that needs to be done there!
Do you think I left out another state? Let's say we've got state X:
X. Others Happy with your Self
Irrelevant!
September 20, 2004
My Missing CD!
I can't find my Apollo 440 - Electro Glide in Blue CD. Did I forget that I lent it out to somebody? Anybody have it? I love this CD!September 19, 2004
Woo hoo, woo-hoo-hoo
Like Carol said, it rained in a wild fury this morning, and then the sun came up to make a beautiful day. I woke up at Jon and Krystal's place after AC/DShe, and it was gorgeous in the Richmond.Earlier tonight, the 5.6.7.8's were playing in a warehouse in Oakland, and I was there being crushed by silly high-schoolers pushing in a half-mosh. The band is better known for their music in Kill Bill.
Thanks for the hook-ups from Hiroshi.
AC/DShe at Slim's
Yesterday, I went to see AC/DShe, an AC/DC tribute band. And they're all girls!Great energy on stage.
September 18, 2004
Second Life
Yesterday, I met a guy in carpool who works for a company called Linden Research that has a game called Second Life. Kind of like EverQuest but without the game aspect; think virtual social world.An interesting thing I learned was that they've got a rudimentary CAD system so you can build your own objects, and also that as the world expands virtually, it also expands physically, ala servers. So, there's a direct correlation between the size of the world in the game and the number of servers. I think he was telling me that they're going from 200 to 300 servers now.
September 16, 2004
Louisiana Don't Want Me!
This one courtesy of Jon Day:
Aww! I haven't even been to Lousiana yet, and they've already banished me!
Bubblegum shop
Today, in the carpool, on the way to school, I met one of the co-owners of that little tobacco shop right next to the Grand Lake Theater. Nicholas has owned the little shop with another guy named Peter since Charlie passed away in 89.Ah, old memories of the bubblegum shop across the corner from my alma mater: Lakeview Elementary.
September 12, 2004
Hisashiburi Party Pictures
A link to my Hisashiburi Party's pictures.If anyone else has any to share, then feel free to comment below.
September 07, 2004
Two Days at the Park
Went to A's games on Labor Day and today against Boston. Here're my observations:- Redman can't pitch.
- Boston's outfielding is really damned good (unfortunately).
- There were sure a whole freakin' lot of Red Rox fans at these games; I'd hear cheering going "Let's go ???" and I wouldn't be sure if people were cheering for Boston or the A's.
- Bastard ump's can't see! =)