Movie Saturday

, Reviews, Slice of LifeLeave a Comment on Movie Saturday
"Sunset" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: SONY NEX-6, 16mm, f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO400
 “Sunset” Cedar Park, 2018

こんばんは。How’s it going?

This morning Bay and I went to the movies to see Pixar’s Coco. It was excellent! I loved the story and the animation… and Dante the dog was so funny. However, I was really expecting to be teary-eyed at the end since I’ve heard from multiple people that they cried, but although it did tug on my heartstrings my eyes didn’t get watery. Not even close to Your Name (君の名は) for me. But it was still fun and I enjoyed it a lot more than Inside Out, which I thought was over-rated.

Later in the afternoon, I watched 5 Centimeters Per Second by Makoto Shinkai (Your Name) and enjoyed it a lot. There’s a lot of things left unsaid in the three short vignettes, and I liked that. The animation was of course beautiful like all his movies, and I think I enjoyed the second vignette, Cosmonaut, the best. I guess because it has surfing, supercubs, and rockets. 😀

Speaking of movies, I’ve added my 2018 Movies & Books page, in which I list out what I’ve watched and read for the year. So far, just these two movies.

Today’s photo is of the sunset we enjoyed. The sky had a cool, wintry color.

I hope you had a nice Saturday！

おやすみ

Lives On the Road

, , , TravelingLeave a Comment on Lives On the Road

Lately, I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube videos of people who have been traveling in their cars and vans all around the world, and actually living out of them full-time. It’s an interesting concept and something I’ve actually been interested in for a long time. Maybe it started because growing up, one of my best friend’s family owned a VW van which had comfy bench seating, a sink and cabinets, and curtains. It was really cool!

Here are a few of the channels I follow:

  • Live, Work, Wander – These two are a lot of fun to watch. They travel around the US in their VW 4WD “Ripley”, camping, wheeling, and just having a good time. A bit over-the-top with the bathroom humor at times, and their van seems to spend a lot of time in mechanics’ garages, but the production value of their videos is excellent and it’s a neat perspective of an alternative lifestyle. Fun!
  • The Galavan – If you want a real feel-good and relaxing channel to watch, this one fits the bill. She is traveling mostly in the Western US in a large van (or is it a small RV?) and enjoying life. Her gentle way of speaking is refreshing.
  • Hobo Ahle – She’s been living out of her car and now van for a while now, and seems more like a newbie to the nomad life, but it’s nice to see how she lives and has fun on a seemingly limited budget. Her vehicle isn’t yet as built-out as others on this list so the evolution is interesting. And she has a great positive attitude!
  • CamperVanCulture.com – This family from the UK has some amazing overland travel videos in Europe and Northern Africa. The drone footage is excellent in their Arctic series too! I really enjoy their camping adventures, especially because they have a lot of footage of the scenery and no over-the-top dialog. Very laid back and enjoyable.
  • Phil and Vanessa Chan – This couple has been living out of their Honda Element in California for over a year, but just recently sold it so they could begin their European adventures in a van. Lots of great tips about daily life in an extremely small space. I can’t wait to see their next chapter in Europe!

There are many good YouTube channels like these to find and watch and it’s cool and inspiring to see people living lives outside of the “normal” rat-race. The life of a modern-day nomad is pretty intriguing, isn’t it?

On a side note, there’s been a lot of criticism lately about YouTubers and YouTube itself, but there’s a lot of great, original, independent content of all kinds to be watched. I think it’s so much better than watching corporate network television.

またね～

Spinning Tunes

, , , La Musica, Slice of Life2 Comments on Spinning Tunes
"Turntable" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.5, 1/9 sec, ISO3200
 “Turntable” Cedar Park, 2018

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Yesterday I set up my new turntable: an Audio Technica AT-LP60 unit. It’s a simple turntable, but works well, plays both 33 and 45 RPM, has fully automatic operation, and was priced right, at $89 on sale. I had to take the cover off because it sits on a middle shelf in our media center and there’s not enough room to open it. That means putting a record on is a little tight, but not difficult. And since the control buttons are on the front of the unit, it’s super easy to operate once the record is on the platter.

Over vacation, Bay and I visited Record Recycler in Torrance and I found a couple classics from The English Beat: Special Beat Service, and I Just Can’t Stop It. And they were only $14 for both!

It is so great to crank up the stereo and listen to some vinyl once again. The sound is so warm and inviting. Plus the liner notes on the sleeve… I love it!

"English Beat" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/90 sec, ISO3200
 “English Beat” Cedar Park, 2017

I have a crate of old records back at my parents’ house and I am contemplating a road trip to go pick them up. It would be worth it for sure.

I hope you had a great Friday!

またね～

Saké and Karaage

, , Food, Slice of LifeLeave a Comment on Saké and Karaage
"New Saké" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO1250
 “New Saké” Cedar Park, 2018

こんばんは。げんき？

からあげをたべました！すごいおいしかった。Tonight we had karaage for dinner. It was so good! And also, as you can see in the first photo, we enjoyed a bit of saké. 🍶 It’s a bottle that we picked out at the market in California while we were on vacation. Just a small taste before we ate. It’s a school night after all. 😆

"Karaage Plate" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/50 sec, ISO3200
 “Karaage Plate” Cedar Park, 2017

It seems like we had karaage not too long ago, but it’s always a welcome dinner. When Mariko told me we were having it, I said, “Yay!” When I told Bay, he said, “Yay!” When I told Koa, he said, “Really? Yay!” So we all enjoyed it. Koa like to have his with plenty of freshly squeezed lemon, Bay prefers his with a bit of Kewpie mayo, and I like it both ways, and also with a bit of salt to dip in. So yummy!

I hope you had a nice Thursday.

またね～