Lost in Translation

Posted on April 12, 2008 by Cinka

When I told people I was coming to Tokyo while my boyfriend was here working, everyone brought up the Lost in Translation reference. If I run into Bill Murray, I’ll keep you posted.

We arrived last night around 6pm Tokyo time. I managed to upgrade my coach seat to Economy Plus – which offers more leg room, but it was still a long flight. When we got into Narita airport, we discovered that our luggage didn’t come with us. The good news is, United gave us $300 US in reimbursable funds to buy replacement clothes. I was beyond exhausted and could hardly make my way around. I was actually falling asleep wherever I stood. We finally got to the hotel – which resides within Tokyo Disney Sea and overlooks the Venetian section of the park. I collapsed on the bed only to be revived so that we could buy some clothes for the next day. Dead tired, we walked down to an outdoor shopping mall called Ikspiari, had some udon, and got some clothes. When they say Tokyo is expensive, here’s a prime example. A regular old screen print tee costs about $24 in the States. Here it costs about $50 bucks. $300 in reimbursable funds went fast. After much complaining on my part (which I feel really bad for), we finished up and got back to our room. I collapsed dead on the double bed.

As I said, our hotel overlooks the Venetian section of Tokyo Disney Sea, so when I look out my window, I view canals, gondolas, and authentic looking Italian architecture. I can hear accordion music piped through the land while Japanese familes ride in gondolas and grab a small taste of what Venice might actually be like. It is, indeed, very strange to be in Japan, look out your window and see Italy. I’m a little confused.

I figure, I’ll wash up, put on my expensive new clothes and head out to Tokyo Disney Sea for the Day. I have a four day pass which allows me to see TDS today and Tokyo Disneyland tomorrow and then either one the next two days. Things are a little confusing over here and not everything makes sense immediately. There is most certainly a language barrier, but luckily most people seem to speak at least a little Engrish. If I was smart, I would have boned up on my language before I got here, but like most trips, I’m winging it. I’ll make it into Tokyo proper over the next few days. My camera is loaded and ready to roll. My boyfriend is off working and I’m on my own. Here I go.

My in-room coffee cup reads “Espresso & Milk Froth – A Cup Cappuccino Make Smile”

The view from our room.

Make a note: When buying undergarments in Japan, if you’re a Medium back home, buy Large.

0 I Like This

Here’s One Reason To Have Kids…

Posted on April 8, 2008 by Cinka

…because they’re just so darned cute at times. They also poop a lot, but when they bust out mad jams like this, how can you not love them?

One reason to HAVE kids and an even better reason to ADOPT Japanese toddlers.

0 I Like This

I Love/Hate My Yard

Posted on April 7, 2008 by Cinka

I’m stupid. I’m really stupid and I make bad decisions. In an effort to save money, my boyfriend and I decided to cancel our subscription to our gardener. Convinced I could do it on my own, we purchased a great deal of equipment and tools. I’ve done a little here and there and it’s been fine. However, now that Spring is here and every fucking thing is in goddamn bloom, I’m suffering. Today I took out the leaf blower and cleared the driveway, the back patio and lower patio. I now want to die. My arms hurt, my back aches, and I’ve got a thick layer of yard-dust covering my skin. OK, so now what? I fought to DIY the yard and I argued about buying a leaf blower and other miscellaneous tools. I figured it would be hard, but this is ridiculous. I guess there’s a reason my Grandpa lived into his early 90′s. He did his own yard work for (probably) 70+ years. This shit is hard, back-breaking work. This is why people HIRE people to do the yard. Get someone else to do it and enjoy the fruits of someone else’s labor. Perhaps what I have is Mexican guilt. I do, to some extent, feel bad for hiring non-English speaking Americans to rake my leaves and pull my weeds. In, perhaps a small way, I feel like a lazy son-of-a-bitch that can’t do her own yard work and with great fattness has to hire Mexicans to do it for her. I’m not lazy and I wasn’t raised that way. I’m Mexican, so you’d think hiring my own people would be alright…still…I don’t look Mexican and I don’t actually speak Spanish. I don’t know, I feel guilty anyway.

So here I am, stuck doing the yard and even though my boyfriend and his kids have offered to help, it’s far too little and way too in-between. After a week, the yard needs upkeep again. As you know, I live in a highly dense rural area of Pasadena and we’ve got about 50 billion trees in the yard. Each of those 50 billions trees sheds about a gazillion leaves – many of those leaves are actually pods that contain baby trees that have begun sprouting in my garden. Today I spent two hours blowing leaves and I didn’t even finish. Alright, so it was my first time and perhaps I’ll get stronger and better with time. Right now I feel like a wet noodle covered in dust and I’m hating my yard.

I leave for Tokyo in several days. Yay.

0 I Like This

Music Mixx

Posted on April 6, 2008 by Cinka

One of my great joys in life has been the creation of (what we used to call) mix tapes. Today, I guess they’re just called “mixes” or “mix CD’s” – either way, you get my drift. Then again, with the advent of the iPod and iMixes, I’m not so sure mix CD’s are cool anymore. Either way, it’s a collection of songs, put together with loving detail, each song delicately chosen for either it’s lyrical content, song title, emotional connection…or maybe just because it’s a kick ass jam. The first mix tape I ever received was a copy of a mix tape someone made for my sister. Or perhaps, this girl made it for me and asked my sister to give it to me. I don’t quite recall. What I do recall is that this particular set of songs changed my life. Literally. It was this tape that contained the music that would shape my dark clad life. The Sisters of Mercy, The Cure, Christian Death, Death in June, Current 93, Erasure, This Mortal Coil. Each song a winner, each song I would continue to love to this very day. It was because of this collection that I chose the Gothic lifestyle…even though at the time, I was already predisposed to black clothes, darkness, funerary things, punk, and new wave bands. At a young age, I realized the power of music and how a collection of songs could define an era.

I used to spend hours upon hours compiling mix tapes for myself and my friends. I would sit in front of my parent’s sound system and record LP’s onto tape, transfer one tape to another, fret over getting the space between songs just right, making sure the beats matched, and finally artistically designing the cover. I’d draw or paste images, sometimes I’d photocopy magazine pictures and make collages. It was so fun and I really felt like I was doing something important. I think I really was. I sometimes think about the hypothetical question: If you had to choose being blind or deaf, which would you choose? I always answer “blind”. If I had to choose, like if someone was holding a gun to my head. Blind, because I’d rather lose my sight than my ability to hear music. Being blind would suck, but can you imagine living in a world of absolute silence? A world without The Cure’s “Disintegration”? A world without pianos and guitars and bass? Can you imagine not hearing the sounds of the world? The Grand Canyon is gorgeous, but I would happily trade it…that is, if I absolutely had to. I am, however, glad I don’t have to make that choice.

I continue to make mix CD’s for my friends and family any chance I get. I wonder if they know how I labor over them. How I choose the songs and why. Probably not, but I still continue to think that it’s important. Each song means something and each song, if done correctly, should seamlessly meld into the next. It should start with a kicker, flow and aim mellow, then crescendo into the upbeat set, and end on a poignant and memorable note. The film “High Fidelity” with John Cusack delves into the subject (among other things) of mix tape creation and there is a scene where Cusack’s character discusses the importance of building a really great mix. He says, “To me, making a tape is like writing a letter. There’s a lot of erasing and rethinking and starting again. A good compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do.” I believe this is absolutely true. Mix tapes are a project, but most importantly, they are a labor of love.

My most recent collection was for my boyfriend’s son’s 16th birthday.

La valse d’Amélie – Yann Tiersen
Intervention – The Arcade Fire
New Slang – The Shins
I Might Be Wrong – Radiohead
Satellite (Album Version) – Guster
Needle in the Hay – Elliot Smith
Lazy Eye – Silversun Pickups
Lake Michigan – Rogue Wave
If You Want To Sing Out – Cat Stevens
Oh! You Pretty Things – David Bowie
Everybody Knows – Leonard Cohen
Like A Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan
Billy Liar – The Decemberists
Common People – Pulp
Another Sunny Day – Belle & Sebastian
Kodachrome – Paul Simon
House Of Fun – Madness
Story Of My Life – Social Distortion
Buddy Holly – Weezer
La valse d’Amélie (version orchestre) – Yann Tiersen

Because sharing is caring, I’ve zipped and uploaded the mix along with the artwork for your enjoyment. It is, by no means, Gothic, but then again, neither is my boyfriend’s 16 year old son. Enjoy!

>> DOWNLOAD JB MIX 2008 (.zip)

0 I Like This

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

There’s a snake in my boot!

Monthly Archives: April 2008

Lost in Translation

Here’s One Reason To Have Kids…

I Love/Hate My Yard