In Memoriam

Michelangelo Antonioni (1912 - 2007)




Ingmar Bergman (1918 - 2007)


I remember picking up Bergman's The Seventh Seal from the public library, but couldn't make it past the first sequence. I also vaguely remember watching Autumn Sonata without finishing it. I made considerable progress two weeks ago when I borrowed his Saraband from the library, but only half-way through. The only Bergman film I watched in whole is Persona.

The only Antonioni film I saw was The Passenger, which was re-released last fall in New York.

These films are not conventional but not pretentious either. They lay bare the difficulties in being humans and being in relationships with each other.

The masters are leaving one after another. Who will take their place?

ショッピング

いつも友達から薦めてくれる品のよい、安いデパートに行った。今まで使っているブランケットはちょっと派手な色で、ちょっと厚すぎるので、薄いのほう、Pの好きの緑のを買った。アパートのトイレは病院のように白すぎるので、ブルーのシャワーカーテンにした。

老朋友

回程中Ipod里响起 “I drove all night, to get to you.” 今天坐了四小时的巴士去波士顿去见久违了的郭小姐。还是一向地口若悬河，风趣幽默。想起当年从牡鹿开车到她住的岩沼, 九曲十八弯，可谓是长途拨涉。不过荷兰谚语有云，the road to a friend’s house is never too long. (到底是不是荷兰人说的真不清楚，说得对就是了)

奇怪怎么波士顿感觉上不像美国，想了一想，这次是我和郭小姐第一次在美国本土见面，以前老在国外会面，所以这次见面有在外国旅游的错觉。

郭小姐是我旅游最佳拍档之一(其实没有多少人能称得上这个名号) 。我很高兴她找到了人生最佳拍档，明年五月拉埋天窗。

郭小姐有脑这个不用多说，不过我最欣赏的是她的潇洒，做人干净俐落，不拖泥带水。

***

「もし思い出の他に歌うものがないのなら、僕はトラックの運転手にでもなるさ」(If memories were all I sang, I’d rather drive a truck)
~~“Garden Party” by Rick Nelson (村上春樹の『辺境·近境』より)

本の水にあらず

Je rentre à la maison (I'm Going Home, in French, 2003)

An aging but well-regarded actor loses his close family members to a car accident and now lives with his orphaned grandson. He goes to the same cafe in Paris and sits at the same table everyday drinking the same kind of coffee. After he leaves, another man comes in and sits at the same table reading the same newspaper, everyday.

I was surfing on Amazon.com yesterday and came across a book with an interesting premise--what would the world be like when humans have gone extinct. Time marches on--it is only our egos that are too stubborn to keep apacewith it. We tend to hold on to things dearly without ever realizing it was never ours. There is a fine line that separates determination and persistence, on the one hand, and foolish stubbornness, on the other.

The actor accepts a new role, only to walk out of the set, frustrated by his own inability to recite the lines. He buys a new pair of shoes and feel good about it, only to lose them to a robber. We cannot have what does not belong to us, and if we are blind to that aspect of life, we would only be swimming in a tiny pool of our own illusion.

同僚は今週の週末に結婚するけれど、けっこう緊張になってしまった。結婚式の準備というのは、たいへんでしょう。Love is personal, marriage is institutional. Dakara, shinakute mo ii darou.

Stand In for Peace in Darfur

Please join others in an international effort to bring peace to Darfur: http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/international_justice/darfur/voices/index.aspx?source=hp

Very sunny today. Walked around Upper East Side and found nothing worth seeing (except a Cold Stone). Relaxed and read a bit at Bryant Park before having an early dinner at Chili Thai, a small and cozy eatery. The menu seems pretty good; I had a pork noodle soup and the spices are strong, a good sign of authenticity. Worth more visits.

Roamed around Murray Hill today and happened to come across the Morgan Library & Museum, founded by J.P. Morgan. It was his private study and library until his son turned it into a public institution and museum. Morgan's study room and library are ruptuous in color and exquisite in their decor.

Had lunch in a very inconspicuous place on 58th street called Bella Vista, a pizzeria with only 6-7 tables. I sat outside and had fettucine alfredo de pollo (with very good sauce).

Saw Milos Forman's Goya's Ghost, a period piece that is a disappointment when taken as a whole but still good here and there. The not-too-subtle political satire and inability to push its main characters beyond the sentimental bog the film down.

Post-film coffee at Doma and read a little bit. Ended the night with food from Whole Food, on a bench near Central Park, listening to a guy playing Spanish guitar.

Sunshine

My co-worker didn't come in today to the office, so I left early after finishing a couple of projects. Went to see the sci-fi film Sunshine, directed by Danny Boyle, who also made two films I like--28 Days Later and Million.

It could have been better, but it took the easy way out. Nevertheless, it was still stylish and effective, with an international cast including 真田広之 and 楊紫瓊.

One interesting thing is that the spaceship in the movie is named Icarus, after the tragic Greek mythological character who falls into the sun when he flew too close to it. My ex-roommate also was painting Icarus, which I thought was one of his best works.

After the movie, I covered a lot of ground on foot. Walking along 1st Avenue from 42nd street all the way to 59th street, from where I took the suspension tram to Roosevelt Island. The island was boring but the tram ride was fun. Had some creatively made onigiri near the UN in a tiny rice ball cafe.

Dropped by Borders to use the restroom and they are setting up for the "big night", namely the release of the final Harry Potter book. I am glad to say that the line for Shakespearean plays in Central Park was much much longer than the line for HP.

Meeting

A NGO meeting I attended today was moved to another location because the building in which it was supposed to be held was damaged by the pipe explosion yesterday.

Meeting was very informative and everybody has something to contribute.

Explosion

So I just found out there was an explosion on 41st Street and Lexington Ave here in the city around 6pm. I guess I was just getting on the subway at that point, and wasn't affected by it on my way home.

Old pipes and infrastructures need to be fixed ASAP. Look at the levies in New Orleans and the airport at Sao Paulo. Not having money is just a bad excuse. It is better to prevent than react.

Sonnet 30

William Shakespeare

When to the sessions of sweet silent thought
I summon up remembrance of things past,
I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,
And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste:
Then can I drown an eye, unused to flow,
For precious friends hid in death's dateless night,
And weep afresh love's long since cancell'd woe,
And moan the expense of many a vanish'd sight:
Then can I grieve at grievances foregone,
And heavily from woe to woe tell o'er
The sad account of fore-bemoanèd moan,
Which I new pay as if not paid before.
But if the while I think on thee, dear friend,
All losses are restored and sorrows end.

My colleague gave a moving presentation of the plight of the Muslims in Kashmir, his homeland. For people working in the human rights field, it is hard to wake up every morning and go to work and deal with grim news of bad people doing bad things (or stupid people doing stupid things). Yet it gives us hope to know that you are working with people whose passion for a better world is still burning.

***

Finished reading Tooi taiko. Murakami ends it with this:

"旅行这种事大多数是相当累人的。不过有些知识是唯有疲累之后才能亲身学到的。有些喜悦是唯有精疲力尽之后才能够获得的。这是我继续旅行所得到的真理."

Full Day

Quite a day today.

Woke up 5:30 to go to the restroom, but the other subtenant roommate was in there, so I went back to bed. I woke up an hour later to find him still in there, so I got worried and knocked--at first no one answered and I swear I heard him snoring in there. I knocked harder and he finally came out a few minutes later. Now I can understand why he can sleep through his thundering alarm clock for so long without waking up.

Many projects and meetings at work, and I am finally feeling comfortable working at the office. So much to learn!

Mid-Year Report Card

Great movies in the first half of the year (not that many, partly because I have less time to go to the theatre nowadays):

1. Once 曾经
2. The Lives of Others 窃听风暴
3. Children of Men 未代浩劫
4. Go Master 吳清源
5. The Wind That Shakes the Barley 风吹稻浪
6. Ratatouille 五星級大鼠


***

村上春樹の小説にはあまり気に入らないけれど、『遠い太鼓』を読んだら、彼の海外の生活についてのエッセイは面白いと思うので、『辺境·近境』と『雨天炎天』を買って来た。

Good company

Went to the Met this morning. I originally intended just to take pictures of the new Roman and Greek gallery (see my photo site), but the new Impressionist paintings collection turned out to be pretty good. The above painting, by American Edward Hopper, caught my attention, and in a funny way, later in the evening, a friend showed me a picture he took of me and P, and that somehow corresponds to the attraction latent in this painting.

Dropped by my classmate and co-worker RB's beautiful apartment building's rooftop for her potluck party. From the roof terrace, we had an unobstructed view of the Hudson and the sunset over New Jersey. Too bad I had to leave early for the movie.

The movie was a special premier of 父子 (After This Our Exile). Director Patrick Tam was in attendance. It was quite a heart-wrenching drama of a father and son who have to cope after the mother abandons them for a better life. It is a tragic tale of how irresponsible and selfish adults can be. The son, played by an adorable Malaysian boy, turns out to be the most responsible and caring character.

After the movie, ST and his friend Jamie came over for a drink in my apartment and had some great conversations.

Great night!

Discovery

It's always a pleasure to discover new places on your own. On my way to a ramen shop, I came across Sundaes and Cones, an excellent ice cream shop with Asian flavors. I had a scoop of honey dew in sugar cones and it was superb. I much prefer this to Stone Cold.

Dinner was at 来々軒, a ramen shop in the East Village recommended by the Japanese lady who cut my hair last time. While the miso ramen I had was just ok and a little overpriced for what it's worth, the narrow, L-shaped counter reminds me so much of authentic Japanese ramen joints that I would definitely drop by again the next time I am around the area.

Saw a charming French comedy My Best Friend. What is the definition of a "best friend"? There is no single definition. You'll know when you see one.

ほたるの光

残念ながら、今日の国連安保理の辯論会がキャンセルされてしまった。

午後、映画『ハリーポッター』を見た。今回のは本より楽しいと思う。

映画が終わった後、そんなに暑くないし、まだ暗くなってないから、散歩しようと思っていて、セントラルパークに行った。野球ゲームが行なわれていたフィールドのそばにあるベンチに坐り、野球に興味が持ってないけれど、球場の向うの夕焼けに染まられている建物を眺めたり、本を読んだりし、気持よかった。

実は、セントラルパークに行く目的は、蛍である。暗くなってから、草の中から、みどりっぽい光が浮かび上がって、すぐ消えちゃった。花火もきれいけれど、その美しさは、派手。蛍のほうが、優雅。

Murakami on gnocchi

"吃的东西非常美味。而且是没什么的普通菜就很美味了。波隆纳(Bologna) 有满多我爱去的餐厅。都是米其林(Michelin) 和其他旅游指南上没有的店。都是无意间进去偶然发现的。便宜又好吃，去几遍，味道还是没走样。跟一流餐厅不一样，因为不会因为厨师被挖角转到别家去，味道就在一夜之间变掉。而是爸爸跟妈妈，在后面夫妻一面拌嘴，一面东摸西摸地调理的那种小店。虽然不起眼，不过味道吃几次都不会腻。尤其我每次到这里吃扭奇(gnocchi) 。扭奇并不是波隆纳的名菜。但在寒冷季季节浓雾中的波隆纳街上，呼呼地吃着热腾腾的扭奇那种感觉，真是难以代替的东西。扭奇真是不可思议的食物，虽然觉得是再简单不过的东西了，但美味和不美味之间的差别却真是截然不同。正因为真的是平民食物，所以不可思议地显得出用心的程度。"

Hot and humid

The temperature started to rise over last weekend, and New York is now officially hell. Though last night there was a constant cool breeze and I benefited from having an extra set of windows.

Will be going to the United Nations tomorrow to cover (for my internship group) a Security Council debate on its mission to Africa.

Summer night movie

I dropped by Bryant Park for its Monday night summer film festival. Tonight's movie was Audrey Hepburn's Wait Until Dark. It is amazing to see that the lawn at Bryant Park, and the whole park in general, was packed with people, even at high temperature.

Food food food

Yesterday's lunch at Onigashima: grilled cod with miso sauce, tempura, CA roll, and tofu bento






Today's lunch at Veselka: cold borscht




Today's dinner: garlic & herb lamb streak, with pilaf, salmon cake, spinach dumplings, and a glass of Chianti

最爱是谁

P told me I was in her dream. She was in mine as well.

Saw two movies, both about love but with very different takes.

Amores Perros, which roughly translates into "love's a bitch," is a montage of human desires, loss, and redemption. A young guy lusts after his sister-in-law and tries to elope with her; she cheats with him, but eventually chooses not to go down that road. Even after a horrible car accident and his brother's death, he still insists and, in reaction to his insolence, she says: "you still don't get it, do you?"

A supermodel becomes crippled in a car accident and together with her husband has to deal with the aftermath. Their relationship is on the brink of collapse, but they try hard to cope and seem to have finally found the strength to carry on after the recover of their dog and the loss of her leg to amputation. Life is never easy, but people cope.

An ex-radical who had been shunned by his family, which he loves dearly, is now a hitman, but he also becomes attached to his many dogs. He takes away lives, but one day saves a wounded dog, who turns out to be a killer. In a moment of rage, he is about to but decides not to kill it. And in that choice of mercy, he finds relief.

The next film Joshua is a much darker and bleaker take on love, epitomized by the main character, a 9-year-old boy, who stuns his father by saying: "you don't have to love me. It's not like there is a rule." It challenges the viewer of taking things for granted and how human emotions can interact to produce disastrous consequences.

I would suggest viewers not to see Joshua unless you really want to be depressed. If you see it, make sure you have an anti-dote movie to reinvigorate your faith in the ability of humans to overcome inner demons and be better.

By chance

刚刚出去想买啤酒。到了超市后，经过卖茶的部分看见有看起来不错英国茶，就买了回家。泡了一杯浓茶再加牛奶，用手提电脑播着古典音乐，一边叹茶，一边继续看村上春树的<远处的鼓声>。他在希腊坐巴士，司机竟然半路停车，去农家里买了葡萄酒和乳酪上车，与乘客一起大吃大喝起来：

“不过这整趟旅行中，还是第一次喝到这么香醇的葡萄酒，也是第一次吃到这么美味的乳酪。这不是夸张。真是美味得难以相信。当然说起来葡萄酒并不高级。可能是那边农家的庭园前面种的葡萄，自家酿的。但总之美味得让人眼睛一亮的程度。那美味让我愕然惊觉，到目前为止我在这希腊到底都吃了什么，喝了什么呢？一种既简单，又新鲜，但拥有深度的温暖，好像直接生根到大地里的那种令人怀念的滋味。这种味道的葡萄酒很遗憾餐厅里并没有卖。”

旅途上常常有这种令人惊喜之遇。像在意大利的Cinque Terre最后一晚吃的gnocchi，波兰克拉科夫市内后巷的一间小书店里的热巧克力，泰国郊区路边买的春卷皮包龙须糖等等。我羡慕当地人天天都能吃到如此美味的东西，不过古人有云熟悉的地方没风景，每天吃就可能腻了。还是回味最好。

New Yorker

Got off work and shopped for grocery at the Whole Food Market nearby. Some sliced mixed peppers, tuna burger, and some crackers with guacamole dip.

烟花七月雨

July 4th, 2007

Woke up this morning. Called P and had a rather interesting and long conversation.

Went down to Columbus Circle and bought a Transformers Complete Guide. Oh my, brings back great childhood memory.

After having tsukemen at the ramen joint I frequent, I went into MOMA to kill some time before heading to N's apartment. The clerk pissed me off a bit, but I tried not to hold grudges for small things like this--New York is too good for me to get angry.

N's rented apartment in Chelsea was in a quiet and elegant street lined with trees. This sleek one-bedroom unit was spacious, bright, and has exposed brick walls.

The event of the night was fireworks over the East River. The rain stopped just in time for the fireworks, which was a fantastic show. What makes fireworks enjoyable is as much about its brilliance as is the joy you see on people's face. Even the cops were captivated.

We wind down the night with a dinner at Veselka, an Ukranian restaurant. Had some wonderful pierogi with seven different kinds of fillings.

It'll be another year probably before I see N. It is still amazing to think that we've known each other for ten years, ten years of wonderful discussion of politics, travel inspiration, movies, restaurant huntings and ideas.

十年光景

When I had dinner with N on Sunday, I asked her if she remembers what happened exactly ten years ago. It was July 1st, 1997, the day of the return of Hong Kong to Chinese rule.

And what a decade it has been.

Chris Patten, the last governor of Hong Kong, is now the chancellor of Oxford University.

I entered my last year of high school in 1997 and now I am again in my last year of graduate school.

I have since acquired another language and been to 11 more countries.

Aung San Suu Kyi is still under house arrest.

Numerous wars broke out but isn't that a rule than an exception....though I believe it is a rule we can change if we choose to.

China is under a new leadership but is it better?

There are still those who believe that history didn't happen, but there are many more who remember.

Many of my older relatives have passed on, and the flow of time manifests itself on the face of those still with us.

There have been new members, and I am always glad to see them.

Some have tied the knots, though I think marriage (but not familiy) is overrated.

One good memory replaces another, but they are always here to stay and each in its own way paves the path ahead.

And now I am in my apartment in this city I love, after my first day at my internship, finally feeling like a New Yorker.

And I am reading the few words on P's postcard in a language I can't read but a message I understand and feel.

These are the good times.

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place

It has been a sunny and breezy Sunday. It's great to be back in my own apartment in NYC. Everything is the way I left it, and the room was generously lit all afternoon.

Had lunch with my subtenant and ST, who dropped by the apartment afterwards, and it was, for some reason, enormously enjoyable chatting with them over a cup of tea.

Dinner was fantastic. N and I went to our favorite, Tartine in West Village. In addition to the satisfying grilled saucisson and grilled eggplant salad, we both ordered steamed mussels, hers in Indian curry and coconut milk and mine in white wine sauce. It was too much to handled, not to mention we downed a whole bottle of Chianti.

It is not only a place with great food but also a venue for people watching. The crowd tends to include professionals in their 20s and 30s, usually in pairs. And because it is such a tiny place and you sit so close to the other eaters, an interesting conversation is never too far away to catch. We got a window seat in the corner and saw this adorable couple on the other side of the glass, who seemed to be quite the social butterflies, as they seemed to know everyone who passes by--they spent as much time eating as talking to them. We waved them goodbye as they left hand in hand (with a half-empty bottle of white in the girl's other hand).

Sleek decor and candlelights make many of the shops and restaurants in this charming neighborhood irresistible. We ended our night at Doma, a simple but stylishly intellectual cafe.

So I am back in New York, my first summer in the Big Apple.

ただいま

I am glad that my subtenant has kept my room in perfect condition.

Now I need to unpack.