Hiromi Usagi!

ahhh…it has been a while since I updated my last entry. I have been busy and tried to catch up my last month’s off, and I got cold. It totally sucked. I didn’t have fever, but oh my sinus was crying.

I watched two good movies last week. “The Corporation” and “Where the Truth lies” The corporation was very good and it was nice to include both sides. It critisizes the system pf corporataions: how they made profits from the poor, but they also interviewed several CEOs from big corporations. As an individual, they are not evil and concerned the environment and the victims of capitalism. umm…a lot of things to think about. Aftrer the movie, my friend and I walked out from the theater, we went to a nice bar on the top of this pretty high building in Shibuya. I had a mixed feeling while watching this nice view. It looked so artificial, and yes it is artificial. I couldn’t enjoy this artificiality after the movie. Anyhow, it was great.

“Where the truth lies” is done by Atom Egoyan. His movies are very confusing and mysterious, and sometimes even frustrate me, but I like his movies. This one is a little bit different from the other works of his. It reminds me of Twin Peaks. I enjoyed it and want to watch it again. In a magazine review, he was compared with David Lynch. Yeah..sure..but his has a political twist, I think. Anyhow, I liked it.

So my vacation, I just talked about the first few days. I had facial at Aveda (my secret..but not really) went to Sultan’s market. Umm, I love their lentil rice and salad bar. They have unique stuff at the salad bar: kimchee..Brussel sprouts…anchovy and more. I hang out with Glenn at Gold Star for a little bit after dinner at Reza’s with Harper and his rockstar friends. It was fun, but I was so sleepy because of jet lag. Plus it was freezing cold…-12 degree celsius… I felt like I just came back from my long vacation in Japan. weird..I couldn’t tell which one is vacation or not..

I met up with Nana and Sayaka. We don’t know any Japanese people but us in Chicago (j/k, but kind of true)  I suggested having brunch at Blind Faith Cafe.  They hadn’t been there yet, and Sayaka lives in Anderson ville and Nana lives in suburb, I thought it was convenient for them.  Of course, I really wanted to go there.  I love their breakfast menu and bakery stuff.  many vegan goodies…  I guess they didn’t hang out for a while too, so it was nice for all of us to get together and caught up what we had done and so on.  They were doing well and working hard.  All of us enjoyed our brunch and I took them to Harper’s work because I was meeting him there anyway.  His work was so much fun!!  People were nice too.  I had a good time there.  Mark and Lenora came too.  We all went to Taste of Lebanon.  I was so full already, but how could I not have their lentil soup???  so I did…and I felt too full..my fault.  I did quick Christmas shopping after that and went home, I mean, Harper’s apartment.  I took a short nap and Harper and I went to Metro for Kill Hannah  and Tommie Sunshine’s show.
I’ve got a backstage pass, so I could go everywhere.  It was cool (thank you, Harper!).  I ran into a few people I knew before, so it was nice!  Cool things about them or people around me in the states, they don’t ask me too many questions.  Here in Japan, people I just met ask me very detailed questions, like what exacty I am doing or was doing, about my family: what they do, about my education and the reason I studied art history.  very intense.  In my head, “I am not at an interview…stop asking me about things like that”  Of course, my close friends in Japan are not like that.  ok..that is enough…

After the metro event, Harper and I flew to Colorado for Christmas.  Our flight was on the 24th..

ok..i will write part 3 soon.