Tampopo : Life Lesson From A Bowl of Ramen

Watch.

Student: Sensei, soup first or noodle first?
Master: First, observe the whole bowl. 
Student: Yes, sir.
Master: Appreciate its gestalt. Savor the aromas. Jewels of fat glittering on the surface. Shinachiku roots shining. Seaweed slowly sinking. Spring onions floating. Concentrate on the three pork slices. They play the key role, but stay modestly hidden. First caress the surface with the chopstick tips.
Student: What for? 
Master: To express affection.
Student: I see.
Master: Then poke the pork.
Student: Eat the pork first? 
Master: No. Just touch it. Caress it with the chopstick tips. Gently pick it up and dip it into the soup on the right of the bowl. What's important here is to apologize to the pork by saying "See you soon.". Finally start eating, the noodle first. Oh, at this time, while slurping the noodles, look at the pork. Eye it affectionately.


(Tampopo, 1985, Juzo Itami)

--- 

A short, but probably one of the most memorable scene from my favorite food movie.

It tells something more essential than simply how to savor a bowl of ramen. On one watch, the ramen sensei might appears as a drama king with each step exaggerated into perfection. But I suppose, that's what it takes to remind us that every little thing is beautiful. We just easily overlook it.

I mean, aren't every one of us has a love for food? Or have we forgotten? That is the case when we have a lot of something, we tend to take it for granted.

It happened to me.
As I look at the same view everyday when I was in Sydney, I forgot that it is the same postcard-view that I dreamed of for years before finally arriving there. As we go and hang out with the same people again and again, as we eat everyday, we tend to lose the passion and the love that the ramen master has for ramen even though he has eaten hundreds or probably thousands of ramen bowl before.

It is a call for us to start looking around. Things & people that are close to us. What have we taken for granted? What have we forgotten?

Then, we should start seeing as they are supposed to be seen. Little things that are simply ... beautiful.

---

Fellexandro Ruby
Food Photographer & Conversationalist

[Trailist] Movies To Look For in August

Still Wondering About Wonderland?

I would submit Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland as one of those movies that you either get it or you don't. Either you like it or you don't. There's no right or wrong here, like food, one might find Durian tasty, while others might look at it as gross-sleamy-sticky distasteful fruit (for example: me!). However, despite of whatever your take on the movie, there are questions I found wandering around and I like to uncover them bit by bit.

Partly, because I'd like share that enjoying a movie doesn't necessarily begin the second the movie start and doesn't end the second the movie roll up its credit. A movie is an experience beyond that. You could still be discussing it days after you watched it. The quotes might rings to you months after. I guess you get what I meant. Now, the other part is because I'm a fan of Burton's work and when his work is on question, I'd like people to understand his beautiful mind that come up with the imagination that is so beyond our expectation that make you question in the first place. Confuse? Good. Cause I need you to be asking questions. Questions such as:

Q: Why does the story differ from the original one / different from the book?
A: It is intended to be different! Burton's is so creative and imaginative that he don't want to simply re-create a worldly popular story. Don't you notice that Alice is now 19 year-old? Don't you notice that she's about to be proposed? The Alice in the book was about 9 or 10 years old. This also answers your question on why does the Alice in Burton's version look so effin' old. In other word, Burton and the scriptwriter Linda Woolverton created sort of an extension of the story, or you can also put it as Chapter 13 of the original book by Lewis Carroll.

Q: So what is the plot in the Burton's Alice?
A: Notice this synopsis from imdb.com : 19-year-old Alice returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends. Get it? Good. Burton intention was to elaborate the original story to make it somewhat 'grow' in a sense, Alice now, as a young adult has forgotten her past adventures and is now facing modern struggles about love, unwanted wedding proposals, and discovering her place in world. In her confusion, she follows a white rabbit and falls into Wonderland, or as it is now called 'Underland'' and met the many fantasy characters she met on her first visit during her childhood. But the memories were stranded far from her, thus, everyone is questioning is she the 'real' Alice. But the answer can only be found within her, and only when she realize her true-self as THE Alice that she begin to realize her true destiny : to end Red Queen's reign of terror.

Q: What are the good stuffs in Burton's Alice?
A: First and foremost the AMAZING visual that is so Burton and I believe only Burton can do that. Also there are lessons we can get. Well, everyone might interpret different things and construct different thoughts but here's what I get:

• Remember Mad Hatter was saying about Alice losing her 'Muchness' ? That's what I meant above about finding her sense-of-self, which applies to most of us. Only when we realize our 'muchness' or in worldly translation 'passion' or 'purpose' that you might find your identity in the world.


• Red Queen and White Queen are very natural representation of selfish and big-headed person being dethrone by someone with sincere heart and selfless attitude.


• Think about six impossible things before breakfast. Which means: impossible is nothing. The things that once impossible have proven to be possible. It used to take days or month to interact with family overseas, and that is through words only (letters). But imagination and creativity has made it hallmark. Now people can see each other even when they are separated by miles of distance, thanks to founder of webcam and internet and Skype who dare to think about the 'impossible'.

Seems like a lot to crunch. It might just me who spend to much time pondering about movies. But I must say I like movies that squeeze out my imagination. In Alice's case I have to dig even before I watched it to learn that it actually not a re-make. And four days after watching here I am still very much influenced by the movie that I'm sharing the hints to ease you in understanding the movie and in a way understanding Burton.

If you like this. And think that you want to venture other Burton's work and let your imagination ignites, you gotta watch Big Fish (2003).

Curiouser, Curioser
Rubs

My Take On (500) Days of Summer

 

Emotionally, the movie surpassed my expectation in the way it brings out laughter and tears simultaneously in a course of a one-and-half-an-hour rollercoaster ride, literally. If you think about it, Tom started his early ride with Summer cheerfully expectant. Those romantic flowery days is like going up up and up in a rollercoaster, you believe everything is gonna be a fun ride since you’re with the person you love the most, not knowing that halfway through the ride, she start screaming her way out of the relationship, and before you know it, it already crushes you so much that it faints you and wobble your days, only to find at the end of the ride, you are back at square one. Zip. None. Nothing. No love. No us.

I remember I tweet this right after watching the movie: “reality has never been so real and honestly presented in a movie”. So real, that there’s a point in the movie where I believe I am Tom Hansen. No kidding, I can relate in so many ways with the character. The out-of-the-universe (stratosphere level of out-of-the-blue) breakup. The fact that Summer has made Tom’s days amazingly beautiful while at the same time managed to keep it ‘casual’. This is the agony. Tom is merely an option for Summer, while Summer is simply everything to him. I guess we’ve all done our share of ‘dumped’. Also, I guess part of the reason why it feels real to me is the anonymity of the cast. Both, Joseph Gordon Levitt and Zooey Deschanel are perfect for the part. I don’t know them before this movie. That allows me to see this is as everyday ordinary guy meets everyday extraordinary girl.

And this just came to me, the whole movie is presented from Tom’s angle of the story. I would really really like to see sort-of the counterpart of the movie, where the story unfolds from Summer’s point of view. That would be interesting. I’d like to know what’s in her head, what rushes through her heart while they were spending those delightful times together, the happy times you know, and what made her so easy to bring it to an end with the vaguest reason. I guess that would be appropriately titled (500) Days of Fling. I sound very subjective, aren’t I? No offense. Haha. And this what I meant vague.

All in all, this is an awesomely written movie. The way it rolled out, jumping from one days to another, the honesty, and of course the message it brings. Tom learned the hard way about relationship, breakup, and eventually moving forward. I vote this to be one of the top movie in 2009. And personally, I put this numero uno in top movies about breakup, preceding John Cusack’s High Fidelity and Jim Carrey's Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind.

To close, here’s one of my favorite quote from the movie:

“I guess you’re only looking at the good stuff, make you sure you don’t miss the bad ones next time you look back”.

From that point forward, a new Tom find his revelation, learned to let go, and finally open up for brand new love. IMDB gave it 8.1. Rottentomato gave it 86%. I gave it FOUR AWESOME THUMBS. Very recommended.

Smile on, Shine on!

I'D LIKE THAT! (a lesson from uncle john mayer)

These are the words of John Mayer from the live performance DVD - Any Given Thursday, enjoy and tell me what you think. I think it’s got some reality in it. As for the message, I rely it on you to entertain yourself. =)

----
I was thinking about relationship as it pertains to songs about relationship. It occurred to me. I figured out a key to a relationship and how to make it work.

See, when you first meet somebody you find out they like you first of all. A friend of a friend of theirs tells you he or she really likes you. And it kills u, force you and sends you on the grounds. Then somehow you got her phone number. You call her up and start talking and at the end you say "well, thats a great phone conversation, can i see ya sometime?" and then they say this, they say "i’d like that.."

"i’d like that" makes u fall on the floor again, your heart about to stop. Nothing feels better than "i’d like that". So now, you blood presssure going, you are six feet off the ground, you can’t sleep because of "i’d like that".

So you’ve been hanging out for a while and you’ve been calling and talking on the phone all the time and then you drop the bomb or what feels like the bomb. You say, u know what … "i’ve been thinking about you a while". And she just went speechless and then you say "what?"… and she said "i’m sorry i’ve just… i’ve.. just.. i’ve been thinking about you too." BAM! higher than the sky. But now, "i’d like that"..DONE! Now you are up to "i’ve been thinking about you.. "

"I’d like that" doesn’t work anymore.

And then a few months past , whatever weeks, whatever makes you feel comfortable you say "I gotta tell you something.." you say this…. " i’m in love with you…" and nothing in the world sounds better than i’m in love with you and maybe she starts crying.

Now what doesn’t work? "i’d like that" and "i’ve been thinking about you"

Now fast forward you start saying "i love you a lot", six weeks, six months, now you are like… "i wanna marry u, i wanna impregnant u with my love, damn! words just doesn’t work anymore..". and then you say this line, you know you’ve used this line before "i just wish they put a new word in the dictionary bigger than love because love just doesn’t describe what i fee!."

And so then now he/she start asking "do you love me?" and you start going "of course i love you, i’ll say it twice, i’ll say it three times", and then you cross a really interesting point where all of the sudden comes "i hate you, i hate you". And they are saying "i hate you a lot" and she’s goin "we’re over!!" u say "no we’re not!"

Now the words do not work at all, completely meaningless, it doesn’t work anymore, you are throwing punches under water and you know you are done.

You know what the moral of the story is? If there’s any… Never ever underestimate the power of "i’d like that"!
---

[Movie] The Science of Sleep

Tutup mata anda untuk sesaat. Eits, sabar... sebentar, jangan terburu-buru agar tidak termakan buah simalakama. Maksud saya baca instruksi berikut terlebih dahulu. This is what I want you to do while you close your eyes, bayangkan mimpi-mimpi yang pernah datang dan pergi dalam tidur-tidur panjang anda. Mimpi indah, mimpi makan, mimpi-n upacara, mimpiin pacar tetangga, dst dst dst. Siap? Laksanakan!

Cukup.

Nah, sekarang terlepas dari apa mimpi anda. Terserah. Tapi saya memastikan kita berada dalam lembar yang sama. Jarang sekali (bahkan bisa dibilang tidak ada) bagian dari mimpi yang berada dalam kendali kita, bahkan cenderung berjalan absurd, tidak terstruktur dan bebas (yeas, thats the word). Demikian pula yang akan anda alami dalam film ini. Bebaskan pikiran anda dan cukup biarkan setiap detiknya memanjakan anda secara visual dan verbal. Ya, verbal, dalam film ini French, Spanish, dan English digunakan berganti-gantian sampai pada suatu titik saya tidak terganggu lagi dengan pergantian bahasa ini, bahkan menikmatinya. Bebas.

Disutradari oleh Michel Gondry, film ini memenuhi ekspektasi saya. Personally, saya menikmati film Gondry yang satu ini begitu juga dengan film dia sebelumnya The Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind. Tampilan-tampilan animatic art'nya (cardboards and cellophane) sepanjang film ruar biasa.

Sedikit sinopsis. Film ini menceritakan Stephan yang secara berulang masuk dan kembali dari dunia realita dan dunia mimpinya tanpa dia sadari. Imajinasinya berjalan seperti realita, dan realita tampak seperti mimpi-mimpinya. Di dalam kontradiksinya, dia bertemu dengan Stephanie, yang tidak kalah kreatif namun berada dalam posisi yang lebih realistis. The next thing is left for you to enjoy. One thing for sure, when a man meets a woman, love is there. Tapi dari sisi ini, menurut saya film ini hanya cukup saja memenuhi kadar romantisme.

Dan jangan saksikan bersama pasangan anda yang left-brained controlled, karena ada dua kemungkinan:
1. Dia tertidur dalam pelukan anda.
2. Dia pulang dan anda tidak mendapat pelukan.

Ya sudah. Sanah, nonton.

[Movie] Angel-A

I was a bit skeptical about the movie. Well, I think I always started out a bit skeptical for everything in black and white. If its not the artistic portrayal of Paris and the name Luc Besson on the DVD cover, I probably would have skipped this over any other movie.

But I was right, there's something about this movie. Luc Besson, well, let's go back a little bit before going to far. He's basically the man behind many great movies, you've probably watched the TAXI sequels, La Femme Nikita, Transporter, the most recent Taken, or my old favorite Leon (now that I've mentioned it, I'll do a review on this one too). However, in Angela, he seems to be directing toward something new. Exploring a new ground. Unlike previous movies, you won't find gunfights, bombs, fast-racing-car, etc. Instead, you'll get two person (I'll refer as The Man and The Girl) pretty much conversing for the whole movie.

Now, the kicks of the movie is the moment the two of them meet. The Man, having chased by all the debts and the problems he's made, decided to end his life by jumping off the bridge. So there he is standing on the edge only to find The Girl is a couple step away from him, about to do the same thing. When The Girl jumps off, The Man responded automatically, jumped off the bridge and helped The Girl. From that point forward, it starts to get pretty interesting. The Girl, wanted to repay the deed, pretty much helped and solved The Man's problem in an oh-so-many-unthinkable ways. And the best thing is that it doesn't stop there. The Girl goes as far as leading the crooked-piece-of-bum a.k.a The Man to finding value in himself, discovering the love that he never know he's been longing for, and finally, being able to love others in return.

IMDB might score this one 6.9, but I'll say it's a 8.1. Why? Because I can relate with the characters very well. Isn't The Guy pretty much the reflection of every-one of us? Humans and not just humans, broken-humans. Humans who through life and its ups and downs will eventually discover his true being, his purpose, finds love and then living life like never before. It is only when we acknowledge how fragile we are, only when we let The Almighty to take control of our life, reset us, that we discover beautiful things, and find more control of our future. Splendid.

Also, I really enjoy the movie now that many of the scenes are still familiar from my last trip to Paris couple months ago. I see Notre Dame, I see the bridges (in real life they are much dirtier though), the river walkway just across Eiffel, the Concorde area, and many more. Its even more beautiful in black and white. =)

I'm happi I'm back writing again. Please feel free to comment, click the like, or if you ever want the DVD, don't hesitate.

 

the conversation

i just felt like elaborating my previous note, especially on the whole conversation thingy. to give you a slight picture of the chemistry between Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy), here's some of the memorable quotes:

---------------------------------------------------------

Celine: I believe if there's any kind of God it wouldn't be in any of us, not you or me but just this little space in between. If there's any kind of magic in this world it must be in the attempt of understanding someone sharing something. I know, it's almost impossible to succeed but who cares really? The answer must be in the attempt.

--------------------------------------------------------
Jesse: You know what's the worst thing about somebody breaking up with you? Is when you remember how little you thought about the people you broke up with and you realize that is how little they're thinking of you. You know, you'd like to think you're both in all this pain but they're just like 'Hey, I'm glad you're gone'.

--------------------------------------------------------
Celine: You know what I want?
Jesse: What?
Celine: To be kissed.
Jesse: Well I can do that.

--------------------------------------------------------
Celine: Isn't everything we do in life a way to be loved a little more?

--------------------------------------------------------
it goes from the questions of our existence, to God, to breaking up, to life purpose, to that lil' flirtatious conversation, and whole lot more. there's so much i can see and extract out of every minute of this movie.

and i had them great conv w/ someone. sadly i passed on that.
come again life. and i'll make it right this time. =]