For a few months now, my left knee has been a bit sore. I’m not sure when it started… maybe November I noticed it while playing touch football with Koa, Bay, Taylor, and Kevin in SoCal, but I think I injured it a little before then. However, I have been trying to run here and there, and while the knee is bothersome, the next day it feels pretty good. Today I went for a 2-mile run at lunch and it felt so good to be out in the sun! Exercise is really good mentally and physically, if you didn’t already know!
Category: Slice of Life
Peelander-Z!
What a fun band! We went to see them at the unofficial SXSW show for families. It was great! Lots of craziness!
Koa got his shirt signed by Peelander Yellow and we got to chat with him a bit. He’s a friend of a friend so it was pretty cool!
Want!
I was browsing Zappos on my tablet last night and came across this pair of Adidas shoes. I love them! I really want to order them, but I have too many pairs of shoes so I really should decide what pair I can throw away first… Anyways, they don’t have my size in stock right now but they are definitely on my short list of next shoes. Maybe for the summer!
The Wind Rises
Last night at the last minute I decided to go to the movie theater and watch Hayao Miyazaki’s farewell movie, “The Wind Rises” (風立ちぬ). I was totally blown away! It was beautiful and amazing and sad at the same time. All of the artwork was gorgeous, and much of it was stunning; I’d love to have some prints for my walls. Of course I had to watch the original Japanese version (with English subtitles) to get the full effect, but I can’t wait to watch the dubbed version as well when I get the blu-ray for home. I loved the music in the film, which of course was created by Joe Hisaishi, but the ending song by Arai Yumi (Matsutoya/Yuming) was perfect for it. (She also sang the songs in Kiki’s Delivery Service)
This movie is definitely a film for an adult audience, but it is kind of fitting for Miyazaki’s final movie to connect more with adults who have grown older along with him. At least that is how I feel. We’ll always have classics like Totoro and Castle in the Sky, and it was great to see a grown-up epic as his last movie. I was also happy to know that this film tugged at the heartstrings quite a bit too: *SPOILER ALERT* the scenes where Naoko returns to the sanatorium and Kayo reads the letter to her and at the airfield when Jiro realizes that Naoko had died… so sad! But when Jiro says “arigatou… arigatou” in his last dream… wow, have the tissues ready!
The Wind Rises is near the top of the list of my favorite Miyazaki films, probably only behind Spirited Away and Kiki’s Delivery Service. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, what are you waiting for?
ひこうき雲
I’ve been listening to the song ひこうき雲 by Yumi Arai (Matsutoya; Yuming) ever since I saw The Wind Rises. The original is from 1973. It’s such a good song, but so sad, especially if you have seen the movie. There are so many excellent versions of the song, including ones by My Little Lover, a duet with Yuming and Aiko, BEBE, Megumi Mori, and Aya Matsuura. Below is an acoustic versions by Megumi Mori, and the lyrics (romaji and translation) are below that if you want to follow along. I found the lyrics at this tumblr.
Hikoukigumo
shiroi sakamichi ga sora made tsuzuiteita
yurayura kagerou ga ano ko wo tsutsumu
daremo kizukazu tada hitori
ano ko wa nobotte iku
nanimo osorenai soshite maiagaru
sora ni akogarete sora wo kakete yuku
ano ko no inochi wa hikoukigumo
takai ano mado de ano ko wa shinu mae mo
sora wo mite ita no ima wa wakaranai
hoka no hito ni wa wakaranai
amari ni mo wakasugita to
tada omou dake keredo shiawase
sora ni akogarete sora wo kakete yuku
ano ko no inochi wa hikoukigumo
sora ni akogarete sora wo kakete yuku
ano ko no inochi wa hikoukigumo
Vapour Trails
The white slope continued on to the sky
Wavering, ephemerality envelops her
Unnoticed by anyone, all alone,
She is ascending
She fears nothing, and soars up high
She admires the sky, is dashing through the sky
Vapour trails are her life
At that high window, even before her death,
She looked to the sky, and now they don’t understand
Other people don’t understand
They only think that
She was too young, but she is happy
She admires the sky, is dashing through the sky
Vapour trails are her life
She admires the sky, is dashing through the sky
Vapour trails are her life
