ariodante28

Greetings :la: Last year was insane on many levels. I will remember 2013 as "the year of the whiplash". This year has been shaping up to be so much better. The world is crazy as usual, but life goes on. I'm doing things I'd only daydreamed about doing before---I've learned a lot about how far I still need to go, and while that can be frustrating, it's also very satisfying to realize that I've made more progress than I thought. There is a kind of peace in the last few months of my life I have not known before.  Life goes one day at a time; when I don't do something right one day, I remind myself to do better next time and go on without se

Last July, Hayao Miyazaki's Kaze Tachinu (The Wind Rises) debuted in Japan, and not without media attention. After all, he hadn't put out a feature film in five years. I was not following Studio Ghibli at the time Ponyo was released, but it seems that this title's been making some unexpected waves: :bulletblue: Rumor has it the movie is Miyazaki's final full-length work. :bulletgreen: The story is set in Japan between WWI and WWII, which presents a contrast to the director's more common fantastical settings. The Wind Rises is meant for adults. :bulletpink: Controversially, the plot stars the designer of the Mitsubishi Zero fighter plane,

It was my first time in Asia, and I will remember the experience fondly. I am blessed to have gone, and I hope to return if I can. Huge thanks to a certain family member who took me! One of the main things that struck me about Japan is the blinding contrast between tradition and innovation. It's a common observation, but I suppose I didn't expect to see sights like expanses of rice paddies and lush copses close to densely populated areas. The express train from Narita to Tokyo takes you through territory that looks like it belongs in My Neighbor Totoro. Quite a revelation! Lodged between forty-story buildings in the heart of Tokyo, you can