museums and classical concerts - becoming quite pretentious aren't I?
I am ridicuously proud of this photo. It was taken at the park/gym near my university. And I find it incredibly amusing that the wading pool is full of leaves as oppose to water.
2007/12/07: Ghibli Museum and Year-in-Japan meet-up Dinner
I've been in Japan for nine months [OMG!] and only just now have I managed to go to the Ghibli Museum. And it is only 15mins away from where I live! But I am really glad that I saw it in Autumn, since I got some really nice exterior shots. And I have no idea why I originally thought that the museum was mushroom-shaped.....
Technically we are not allowed to take photos of the interior, but I was sneaky and took photos of the staircase which was really fun to climb! Round and round just like in all those old-fashioned fairy tales!
I really wish they let us take photos of the interior though. They had some really interesting set pieces that I really wanted to take photos of. One in particular was of the Three Bears and Goldilocks. The table and chairs were massive [and really hard!], and all we had a good laugh pretending to be the Three Bears and the food bowls were HUGE with weird beans in it!
The kids inside-playground had the Cat-bus from My Neighbour Totoro, and it was basically a longish car-sized soft toy, and they could climb in and over it. We all wanted to go inside it, but weren't allowed because it is for small kods only ;_;
It was also really interesting to see the development of animation at Ghibli studio. We were given the chance to see how the art was transported onto film, and how the technology for background and foreground was quite diffferent, yet similar too. They also had a 3D representation of how 2D animation works. For example, they had a set of Totoro models which were all of various stages of Totoro jumping. So when they rotated the models very quickly and cast a flickering light on them, and it looked like there was just one Totoro jumping up and down.
However, my favourite has to be the replica of Miyazaki Hayao's art studio and they posted a lot of his planning and story boards all the wall. Man can he draw. While the character designs were incredible, what really blew me away was the attention to detail for the scenary. I keep on forgetting that Ghibli Studios is one of the few animation studios left where they draw the majority of the prints by hand. I don't think I have been this jealous of an artist for a long time. I like computer graphics, but there is something so awe-inspiring about hand-drawn/painted art.
At the museum, we were also given the chance to watch a short Ghibli film - hoshi o katta hi [The Day I Harvested a Star]. Heh, stole the summary from Wikipedia with some additions by me:
The film tells how a boy moves from the city to the country. He works on a farm for a lady and one day when going to sell vegetables on a market, his cart breaks down. Two odd animals [a frog annd a mole I think] offer him a strange seed in exchange for the vegetables. The boy accepts and finds that the seed grows in to a miniature planet. It continues growing as he tends to it, forming an atmosphere, weather systems and life. After moving back to the city again, he meets the animals who sold the seed to him, and when they release the planet into a galaxy of similar planets where it will grow for years until becoming a real planet, they meet the lady again who is now on her harvested planet.
It was kinda sad to watch, but hopeful at the same time. But I didn't really understand the ending, so I asked Minji whose Japanese is pretty much fluent. But I didn't really get anywhere by asking her.
Me: I didn't really understand the movie
Minjii: *surprised* Why? I thought it was a pretty simple movie.
Me: Well, why was the lady standing on this random tiny planet thing at the end? How she get there? What is her relationship with the boy? And why won't the boy be able to see her until 60years have passed?
Minji: ..... ...... ......I don't really know why. ...I didn't get that bit either.
Me: Ah-hah!
Minji: *mock pouts*
Minji&Me: *dissolves into giggles*
I think, after the sketches, the statue of the mechanical giants from Laputa: Castle in the Sky was something that really grabbed me. And he is massive, we came up under his waist!
Before I went to the Museum, there was one thing that I really wanted to see, and that was the giant Totoro in the window. However, due to my absolutely foul mood [turns out if you are tardy, don't use your brain effectively and self-absorbed, you will incur my silent fuming wrath] when we first arrived at the Museum, I clean forgot about him. So we all had to backtrack and look for him on the way out.
left to right - standing Bi-chan, Minji and Kiana; squatting: Emma, Helen, and Rachel
Afterwards, Emma and I had to go to Shinjuku for dinner with the other Tokyo-based Year-in-Japan students, the Intercoligiate Lay/Asian Studies debators, and Hayes, Hendricks and Kent [Asian Studies Department ppl]. Typically, the students were all on time while the teachers were late. They also made us walk around the block three times beofre they found the restaurant. But the food was pretty decent, if a bit pricey [blaming that on the beer though].
It was quite nostalgic to hear Australian accents again - some people had really strong accents that made me cringe, but at the same time, want to bottle up and keep for later listening because I actually do like the Australian accent in that sort love-hate way. Also caught up with a couple of people who I had 1st Year Japanese with and who I thought had long graduated years ago. Shows how well I keep in touch with my friends. And boy did those two look stylish [somewhat jealous]! And for the first time in my life, I had the brief urge to draw someone I knew. But it felt a bit pervy to ask them if I could take their picture and draw them later. Hence the complete lack of the photos from the party because I suck.
And somehow we managed to fulfill a foreigner stereotype - Japanese thinks foreigners are balmy. The light suddenly went off in the restaurant, so one of the Australians assumed it was one of the other patrons' birthday. Which resulted in about 15 of us singing, quite raucously, Happy Birthday, and doing the whole Hip Hip Hurrah thing. And the Japanese in the shop just stared at us if we were aliens. Of course, it was no-one's birthday, so it was pretty funny that we sang for no real reason!
One thing that was quite weird, was that since most of us didn't know each other, we had to introduce ourselves and the uni we go too. And EVERYBODY knew of Tsuda and kept on questioning me what it was like to go to an all-girls' university -_-'''.
2007/12/09: Hitotsubashi University Orchestra Concert [at Fuchou-Mori-Concert Hall I think]
Because Tsuda is so small [2000 students only], a lot of the clubs are jointly run by Hitotsubashi University which is just a train stop from us [or 15mins by bike]. And I really did not want to study on a really nice Sunday, I decided to accompany Minji, Bi-chan and a couple of Japanese students to see the Hitotsubashi [and Tsuda] Univeristy Orchestra Concert since a friend of theirs was performing in it. Plus, it was free! And look how pretty and stylishly modern the concert hall is!
I have to admit, I do like classical music, but only some. The grandioise sweeping epic ones or those with a fast tempo facinate me, and I can see why they are so popular in movies like Lord of the Rings. However, despite the fact I do like some classical music, I cannot listen to it for any longer than an hour, unless it has a lot of melody changes. This is probably due to my short sttention span and the fact I am a peasant when it comes to music since I have no understanding of the technical elements of it. And classical music is sometimes a bit too subtle for me. Hence, my classical foray tends to classical adaptations of rock songs, or stuff like The Hall of the Mountain King.
However, watching a live orchestra is considerablely different from listening to it on your stereo. Especially in a hall with good acoustics. It is a lot easier for me to pick out the sounds of the different intruments, and have a greater appreciation of the complexity of a orchestra. ...eventhough the conductor reminded me of those creepy string marionettes with al the jerking he did. All the soloists were incredible, especially the violinist. But I liked the faggotto the best. I probably have heard the faggotto before, but it is nice to put an intrument to a sound.
But me being me, I dozed off in some parts. The concert was about three hours with an intermission. And for both sets I managed to stay awake for the first hour, but afterwards my eyes kept closing, and they were kinda irritable, so I was like, I'm just gonna shut them, and of course dozed off. Minjii wasn't too impressed. oops.
Heh, and naughty me took a photo of the orchestra despite the fact no photos allowed ^__________^
2007/12/07: Ghibli Museum and Year-in-Japan meet-up Dinner
I've been in Japan for nine months [OMG!] and only just now have I managed to go to the Ghibli Museum. And it is only 15mins away from where I live! But I am really glad that I saw it in Autumn, since I got some really nice exterior shots. And I have no idea why I originally thought that the museum was mushroom-shaped.....
Technically we are not allowed to take photos of the interior, but I was sneaky and took photos of the staircase which was really fun to climb! Round and round just like in all those old-fashioned fairy tales!
I really wish they let us take photos of the interior though. They had some really interesting set pieces that I really wanted to take photos of. One in particular was of the Three Bears and Goldilocks. The table and chairs were massive [and really hard!], and all we had a good laugh pretending to be the Three Bears and the food bowls were HUGE with weird beans in it!
The kids inside-playground had the Cat-bus from My Neighbour Totoro, and it was basically a longish car-sized soft toy, and they could climb in and over it. We all wanted to go inside it, but weren't allowed because it is for small kods only ;_;
It was also really interesting to see the development of animation at Ghibli studio. We were given the chance to see how the art was transported onto film, and how the technology for background and foreground was quite diffferent, yet similar too. They also had a 3D representation of how 2D animation works. For example, they had a set of Totoro models which were all of various stages of Totoro jumping. So when they rotated the models very quickly and cast a flickering light on them, and it looked like there was just one Totoro jumping up and down.
However, my favourite has to be the replica of Miyazaki Hayao's art studio and they posted a lot of his planning and story boards all the wall. Man can he draw. While the character designs were incredible, what really blew me away was the attention to detail for the scenary. I keep on forgetting that Ghibli Studios is one of the few animation studios left where they draw the majority of the prints by hand. I don't think I have been this jealous of an artist for a long time. I like computer graphics, but there is something so awe-inspiring about hand-drawn/painted art.
At the museum, we were also given the chance to watch a short Ghibli film - hoshi o katta hi [The Day I Harvested a Star]. Heh, stole the summary from Wikipedia with some additions by me:
The film tells how a boy moves from the city to the country. He works on a farm for a lady and one day when going to sell vegetables on a market, his cart breaks down. Two odd animals [a frog annd a mole I think] offer him a strange seed in exchange for the vegetables. The boy accepts and finds that the seed grows in to a miniature planet. It continues growing as he tends to it, forming an atmosphere, weather systems and life. After moving back to the city again, he meets the animals who sold the seed to him, and when they release the planet into a galaxy of similar planets where it will grow for years until becoming a real planet, they meet the lady again who is now on her harvested planet.
It was kinda sad to watch, but hopeful at the same time. But I didn't really understand the ending, so I asked Minji whose Japanese is pretty much fluent. But I didn't really get anywhere by asking her.
Me: I didn't really understand the movie
Minjii: *surprised* Why? I thought it was a pretty simple movie.
Me: Well, why was the lady standing on this random tiny planet thing at the end? How she get there? What is her relationship with the boy? And why won't the boy be able to see her until 60years have passed?
Minji: ..... ...... ......I don't really know why. ...I didn't get that bit either.
Me: Ah-hah!
Minji: *mock pouts*
Minji&Me: *dissolves into giggles*
I think, after the sketches, the statue of the mechanical giants from Laputa: Castle in the Sky was something that really grabbed me. And he is massive, we came up under his waist!
Before I went to the Museum, there was one thing that I really wanted to see, and that was the giant Totoro in the window. However, due to my absolutely foul mood [turns out if you are tardy, don't use your brain effectively and self-absorbed, you will incur my silent fuming wrath] when we first arrived at the Museum, I clean forgot about him. So we all had to backtrack and look for him on the way out.
left to right - standing Bi-chan, Minji and Kiana; squatting: Emma, Helen, and Rachel
Afterwards, Emma and I had to go to Shinjuku for dinner with the other Tokyo-based Year-in-Japan students, the Intercoligiate Lay/Asian Studies debators, and Hayes, Hendricks and Kent [Asian Studies Department ppl]. Typically, the students were all on time while the teachers were late. They also made us walk around the block three times beofre they found the restaurant. But the food was pretty decent, if a bit pricey [blaming that on the beer though].
It was quite nostalgic to hear Australian accents again - some people had really strong accents that made me cringe, but at the same time, want to bottle up and keep for later listening because I actually do like the Australian accent in that sort love-hate way. Also caught up with a couple of people who I had 1st Year Japanese with and who I thought had long graduated years ago. Shows how well I keep in touch with my friends. And boy did those two look stylish [somewhat jealous]! And for the first time in my life, I had the brief urge to draw someone I knew. But it felt a bit pervy to ask them if I could take their picture and draw them later. Hence the complete lack of the photos from the party because I suck.
And somehow we managed to fulfill a foreigner stereotype - Japanese thinks foreigners are balmy. The light suddenly went off in the restaurant, so one of the Australians assumed it was one of the other patrons' birthday. Which resulted in about 15 of us singing, quite raucously, Happy Birthday, and doing the whole Hip Hip Hurrah thing. And the Japanese in the shop just stared at us if we were aliens. Of course, it was no-one's birthday, so it was pretty funny that we sang for no real reason!
One thing that was quite weird, was that since most of us didn't know each other, we had to introduce ourselves and the uni we go too. And EVERYBODY knew of Tsuda and kept on questioning me what it was like to go to an all-girls' university -_-'''.
2007/12/09: Hitotsubashi University Orchestra Concert [at Fuchou-Mori-Concert Hall I think]
Because Tsuda is so small [2000 students only], a lot of the clubs are jointly run by Hitotsubashi University which is just a train stop from us [or 15mins by bike]. And I really did not want to study on a really nice Sunday, I decided to accompany Minji, Bi-chan and a couple of Japanese students to see the Hitotsubashi [and Tsuda] Univeristy Orchestra Concert since a friend of theirs was performing in it. Plus, it was free! And look how pretty and stylishly modern the concert hall is!
I have to admit, I do like classical music, but only some. The grandioise sweeping epic ones or those with a fast tempo facinate me, and I can see why they are so popular in movies like Lord of the Rings. However, despite the fact I do like some classical music, I cannot listen to it for any longer than an hour, unless it has a lot of melody changes. This is probably due to my short sttention span and the fact I am a peasant when it comes to music since I have no understanding of the technical elements of it. And classical music is sometimes a bit too subtle for me. Hence, my classical foray tends to classical adaptations of rock songs, or stuff like The Hall of the Mountain King.
However, watching a live orchestra is considerablely different from listening to it on your stereo. Especially in a hall with good acoustics. It is a lot easier for me to pick out the sounds of the different intruments, and have a greater appreciation of the complexity of a orchestra. ...eventhough the conductor reminded me of those creepy string marionettes with al the jerking he did. All the soloists were incredible, especially the violinist. But I liked the faggotto the best. I probably have heard the faggotto before, but it is nice to put an intrument to a sound.
But me being me, I dozed off in some parts. The concert was about three hours with an intermission. And for both sets I managed to stay awake for the first hour, but afterwards my eyes kept closing, and they were kinda irritable, so I was like, I'm just gonna shut them, and of course dozed off. Minjii wasn't too impressed. oops.
Heh, and naughty me took a photo of the orchestra despite the fact no photos allowed ^__________^