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What may be the center of the world
Tokyo is a wondrous city. The lights in Roppongi are brighter at 4am than Times Square is at peak hour. The subways and streets are clean, and the people are kind, quiet and generous. It's virtually impossible not to feel safe, while adventures lurk at every street corner. It's everything you could have ever imagined, but considerably more human. I miss Tokyo. I am in severe withdrawal. Formosa is not just a plastics company
The view of Taipei from my hotel room fascinates. The mountainous backdrop is muddied by an abundance of smog. The juxtaposition of the shantytowns that proliferate the city with the existence of Taipei 101, the world's tallest building, boggles the mind. The city is spread out but low, the buildings are aging and this tall, nubian structure is built in an earthquake zone. (Apparently there was 5.9 magnitude quake I missed this weekend.) The airport here gives you the sense you are truly in a second-tier country. But of course, did you forget that the average income in Taiwan is $22,000 USD? Some things to ponder in addition to the ridiculousless that is this. Morning from the seat of the red empire
The view from my hotel room on the 59th floor of the Jin Mao building says it all about Shanghai: A vast land mass filled with promise, much of it already met, but quite a lot of it still being built on faith. On the way from the airport, one has to wonder about the necessities of such luxuries as miles and miles of ostentatiously lit expressways, an impressive, world-beating mag-lev train and copious amounts of pseudo-modern, industrial-feel structures. But having spent a day here, I've begun to answer some of the questions on my own. For one: Yes, they are necessary. Shanghai is the centerpiece of the "new" China, and for that it has to be ahead of everyone else, not just constantly catching up. Across the river, in Puxi, I'm seeing the voracity of the consumer here: Middle-class targeted stores are abundant, but in some corners you'll find nothing but Hermes, Louis Vuitton and their brethren. It's all co-existing: the elite, the incidently upper class, the commoner and the lower class. It feels to me that the true Chinese boom has not yet occurred. It's waiting in the corner, smiling gleefully in hopes that the world underestimates its prowess. I came into China thinking that it was all hype, but now I'm wondering if it truly is. I don't feel as comfortable as when in Hong Kong, where the Brits have made sure that ex-pats don't miss home too much. But that being said, the city is set up and ready for mass emigration from the Western world. Looking onto Pudong from across the river, one can easily notice the mock-up of the next Hong Kong in one direction, while resembling the City of Lights in another. I have to admit that things feel exciting here. I would hate to think that this feeling exists only in Shanghai, that the gap between the decaying socialism and the developing capitalism is leaving many in a bend. But that's something one can't calculate; it's pointless, and people should stop thinking growth rates are the end all. Happiness matters, and the smiles on the faces of most of the people here are a welcome gift. Off to the land of tomorrow Flying away in the morning on a 10-day business/leisure trip. Unlike last time, I hope I get to take a few more pictures and actually post them. Itinerary as follows: March 5 - 8: Shanghai, China Should be educational, you know? It's almost like taking a trip down modernization road. Shanghai is where it's all supposed to happen in the next 25 years. Boom center, capital of the Chinese economics explosion. Taipei's more or less been there, and is seemingly turning a corner into developed modernity. And finally, you got Tokyo, the reigining king of everything futuristic. I guess my personal goal is to feel it out and see if it can fend off the crown from Taiwan and Korea. I still have some open spots in my schedule, so it'd be interesting to meet some people. Give me a shout if you got a tip or two. Sometimes it's better to let yourself go Never have I known a director who is as good at making a forced tear-jerker so bearable as Kwak Jae-Joung. I imagine most people are not familiar with him, but those who have kept an eye on the Korean film industry have no doubt seen or heard tons about My Sassy Girl. His two subsequent films (The Classic and Windstruck), albeit subpar to the original, are still fairly well crafted and undoubtedly perfect for a) those lonely nights, and b) a nice evening with a significant other. But that's the general schpiel. The deal with his direction is one that bugs me to some degree: No matter how much I see through the fluff in his films, in the end, he always gets me when it matters. The very last impression is one where you find yourself smiling, gleefully so, and you don't think twice about the ridiculousness of what just happened moments before. It's not so much playing with the emotions (a la Million Dollar Baby) as it is a skill. And honestly, it's not a skill that I disapprove of. The most wonderful stories are the ones where the author or director's imagination trumps your belief in practicality. Kwak is good at this, even great. Formulaic or not, I can't wait for his next film. A few things that crossed my mind 1 / I probably have seen more films than most people my age, especially when you consider the different varieties of film I seek out. But lately I've gotten numb on films that many call "the best ever." I think my threshold for artsy filcks has decreased because after a while, you can differentiate "interesting and cool" artsy with "pretentious and obtuse" artsy. That being said, I'm always open to argument on a film's worthiness. 2 / The NHL hockey season being cancelled doesn't really affect me. I never really paid much attention and never really had any attachment to any of the teams. Nonetheless, it's sad and almost pathetic in some degrees to see the NHL compare itself with the NBA or NFL. The truth is, in the end, that the money pool for hockey-goers is considerably small, and the global appeal undoubtedly less. Hockey's playing field (the ice) is limited by geography; I mean, when's the last time you saw a Nigerian play ice hockey? Both the owners and the players are greedy, and it's just sad that two groups of adults cannot come to a conslusion for a thing like this. I, for one, would love to see the NHL blow up. 3 / As harsh as the aforementioned may sound, I would actually prefer if Major League Baseball blows up beforehand. What a bloated, inconsiderate league. It's only a matter of time it caves into its glutinous hands. 4 / It's always wonderful when the delivery guys smile when you open the door. I mean, it's good practise since it guilts you into giving a 40% tip, but most importantly, it lets me know that he's happy with his job. Isn't that wonderful? Edit no. 1 It should not be shocking that a list is not timeless. Since having published my Top 10 list, I have realized I left one wonderful piece of filmwork out of what I believe it to be its proper position: The addition is of the film One Night in Mongkok to the Number Four slot, thereby pushing Maria Full of Grace off the list. It's been good, but Cecilia tops Catalina here. These are my ten favorite films of 2004 A short, concise look at what I've found to be my favorite films of 2004. This list may evolve further if, after viewing some of the remaining 2004 candidates, we have one that may usurp one of the positions. I'd also like some feedback and possible recommendations as well. 10. Samaria > Whether French-taught, Korean-born director Kim Ki-Duk is a master of film should not be decided by the rather medioce, overrated The Isle, but rather by his look at a strange tale of revenge and seduction from the viewpoint of a trouble young girl. However unnerving, the Samaritan Girl is as beautiful as it is sad, shocking as it is believable. 09. The Incredibles > Absolutely magical, beyond anything I could have expected from Pixar. While other films in the genre have lacked necessary depth to be a whole-hearted film-going experience, The Incredibles delivers with emotions that soar through the spectrum. 08. Spider-Man 2 > A blockbuster with heart. Sam Raimi must have read his journals from when he was a child, because he undoubtedly padded up every insecurity and granted every wish children have that make them yearn for the comic book hero. The commonality with you and me is what makes this so great. 07. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou > While far inferior to Wes Anderson's masterpiece The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic soars on points irrelevant to most film reviews. This is truly a labor of love by the director that encompasses midnight to midnight of a story most of us only take on the surface. Beautifully filmed with a superb soundtrack. 06. Last Life in the Universe > New York-bred Thai director Pen-Ek Ratanaruang brings forward an off-the-wall gangster drama that doubles as a character study of a suicidal Japanese man in Thailand. Ichi the Killer's Tadanobu Asano's portrayal of the Japanese man is sublime and addictive, and cinematographer Christopher Doyle's visuals melt your eyes at every sequence. 05. 2046 > In the loose sequel to my favorite film of all-time, In the Mood for Love, Wong Kar-Wai advances his story into the 1970s with a bouncier Latin feel that helps Zhang Ziyi give what may be her finest performance to date. Again, cinematographer Christopher Doyle shines with daunting visuals to match the moody atmosphere of lost love and heartbreaks. 04. One Night in Mongkok > An endless, nightmarish crime/drama set in the most populated area of the world. Cecilia Cheung, who has historically been a lump of coal in films, provides a stunning performance to show that Failan was not a fluke. In addition, Daniel Wu's protrayal as a rural, honest-but-unlucky assassin is phenomenal. The film keeps its composure throughout, rarely letting the viewer breathe without hesitation. 03. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind > Combining Charlie Kaufman's twisted mind with Michel Gondry's knack for visual flair was only the first step—the addition of Jim Carrey in a neurotic-foil role, unusual for him, and the neurotic Kate Winslet led to unexpected chemistry that turned what could have been a mediocre exercise in mindfucking into one of the finest films in recent years. 02. Closer > Pulling strings to make you feel like a puppet: Nichols did it with us in The Graduate, and now he's doing it with us again in Closer. How fucked up are people? One has to wonder, but one also has to believe that intentions are never as bad as they may seem. Closer evokes emotions hidden within many of us, of betrayal and desperation which we show to no one, not even ourselves. Damn fine film with superb performance from Owen and Portman in particular. 01. Oldboy > Quite honestly, the only film in this year's list that may rank in my top 20 of all-time. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance director Chan-Wook Park's adaptation of the Japanese manga is surreal, cerebral and infinitely tragic. Min-Sik Choi's Oh Daesu is one of the most memorable characters of the modern film era, a man drugged and imprisoned without being given a reason, and then released without an exaplanation. His quest and rediscovery of life (including the incredibly perfect corridor action sequence) is a tale that requires multiple viewings to be fully digested. I urge everyone to view this, especially before the knock-off American version comes out in 2006. The globally misunderstood history of us On my 40th birthday, my wife gave me a one-way ticket to the Bahamas. Just one, one-way, meaning that she wanted some distance between us. What an odd time to tell me that. I've always been faithful, and I imagine she has too. But she works, and I work. We see each other barely six hours a week, not counting the time spent snoring away in bed and time spent trying to conceive our first child. I love her and always have. So, it is of no surprise that this hurt me so. I didn't know how to react, so I reluctantly accepted, thinking that the time would help us think our own thoughts and help us improve things. When I arrived at my hotel, I began to unpack. I'd always been independent and packed my own bags, but my wife insisted that this time, I needed to relax and that she would do it for me. Fair enough, I thought, only to be surprised in the end by the existence of several condoms neatly stashed away underneath a pair of boxers. I'm not sure if I felt any sense of horror or disgust; just a bit speechless and inevitably bewildered. It's been four years since, and I'm flying back tomorrow in order to attend her funeral. My wife passed away about three weeks ago due to to a rare blood disease. The doctors said that she didn't suffer. It's always been mankind's glaring weakness to judge people impulsively, on the spot, without thinking of the infinite possibilities behind a decision. I was wrong, and my anger got the best of me. But she expected me to do that, to react violently and leave my world behind. People have good intentions, sometimes so good that they're unbelievable. And sometimes the cruelest of our decisions end up being the kindest. Having open ears and a transparent heart One of the interesting aspects of a drama such as ABC's Lost is the way it shows how everyone, including you and everyone around you, has their own life story. The whole idea of your own tragedies being the cream of the crop is something one should learn to avoid. Everyone has to understand to never underestimate the history of another person, no matter how simple or wonderful they seem. The key is to listen and identify with others, but to never shove your own lump of bad coal onto them. Works well in both theory and practice. Paperbacks are all the craze I have this problem with buying hardcover books. Some people say they like the feel of the hardcover, but I say otherwise. Unfortunately, this stubbornness on my end has led me to wait six to twelve months before being able to read certain books I've had my eye on. And now, with Murakami's new book out in stores today only in hardback, I'll be salivating for another six months to get a hold of my favorite author. Tough. A novel in two short sentences I keep thinking that one day I will sit down and write the great anti-anti-contemporary novel. You know, kind of like what Salinger did with Catcher and Murakami did with everything under the sun. But then I suddenly can't. Thereafter I imagine transcribing a journey through a series of short stories, but even that thought slowly fades into nothingness as I sit in front of the computer, chilled to the bone by my neverending ADD and need for liquids. The second time I fell in love was with a character in a book. Her sadness drove me nuts, and I fell deep into her literary bosoms. That a boy, Tommy. Nothing is as strong as possibility I've been waking up every morning and turning on CNN International's coverage of the relief effort in Asia. There's something about it that has got me glued. Unlike post-9/11, this time the media is my friend. I'm embracing it because these images of sadness and desperation are something that the common person needs to witness, to feel and to sympathize with. Three years ago, the media was a frenzy of forced paranoia, of unnecessary warnings and one-sided storytelling. This time around, there's nothing to place the blame on except the innocence and unintentional naivety of the residents of the Indian Ocean. And that's stretching it. The truth is, we always look to blame everything on someone, but this time that option is absent. Because of this factor, people have sit up and started to pay attention: I mean, really bad shit happened, and the only thing we can do is help each other. For example, I'm not an Apple fan. To date, I have yet to give Steve Jobs a penny. But to see their homepage putting the goodness of the victims ahead of their products is incredible. [Edit: Since this writing, they've made it a smaller part of their overall homepage, but at one time the relief effort engulfed the entryway.] Would have, could have and should have—the greatest tragedy in this world remains regret. What has happened has happened, one must move on. Evolution has made us too smart to keep things simple, and in doing so has failed us. Hope, faith, love, hate. The unexpected has the ability to break all these bonds that we cherish and deem to be so impenetrable. At the end of the day, only one truth remains: Nothing is as strong as possibility. And for that, we continue to hold our hearts tight and prepare for the impossible. |
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