The Four Samurai

The Four Samurai: Teru Teru Bouzu's Adventure is the English title for 四人の侍：照る照る坊主の旅 (Yonnin no samurai: Teru teru bouzu no tabi). Released on 11 October 1576, what is left today is just a short trailer of the so-called "earliest film in the world". This claim, however is greatly disputed because according to historical records, the earliest motion picture ever produced is not until 300 years later, around the 1860s.

The film is set in the Warring States period of Japan (戦国時代, sengoku jidai, 1493-1573), which is roughly during the period when the film was produced. There are certain parts in the trailer that generated controversial issues and has a great impact on the Japanese history.

In the early part of the trailer, a photo of a Japanese castle is shown. Sceptical experts claim that it is no other than the Matsumoto Castle itself. If the hypothesis is proven to be true, then, the castle must have been completed before 1576, as opposed to the common belief that it wasn't completed until 1953.

Upon closer scrutiny, one may find that the design of the kimono worn by the samurai's in the trailer aren't exactly like those that we see nowadays - the actors draped the kimono over their shoulder like a cape instead of wearing them and fastening it on the waist with an obi. And it seems that long pants (most probably jeans) were common long before the Meiji Era.

Another most mind-boggling characteristic about the trailer is the English subtitle. As we know, English, though hailed as an international language, is not even common in modern Japan. How, then, could the English subtitle appear in a trailer made 430 years ago?

The debate still goes on between sceptics and believers. If the claims about this trailer can be proven, many things we thought we know about ancient Japan has to be reinvestigated:

• The technology for producing motion pictures was invented by the Japanese in the 16th century
• Matsumoto Castle was built before 1576, the year the film was produced
• Japanese samurai's in the 16th century used to wear jeans probably because of its greater mobility compared to traditional kimono
• English was probably spoken as a second language during the Warring Sates period

Of course, it is easier to believe that the masterpiece is a clever imitation done by some genius out there who has nothing better to do than to fool gullible folks. But whether it is true or not, watch and decide for yourself.

This trailer is uploaded to You Tube recently by a user who goes by the nickname "Kryptos". Some claim that it is but something even a primary school kid can make using simple programmes such as Windows Movie Maker, and therefore is most probably a fake. The debate rages on.

You "Toot" Me Off

I woke up this morning and decided that he toot-ed me off. That's normal, actually. People toot me off every now and then. But, thanks to my bad memory, it's no big deal at all - usually.

However, I can tolerate weirdos and psychos more than toot-ful people like him. I don't know how a horny ape can pick up the hormonal scent of a potential mate from a mile away but he's that kind of person that radiates an aura of toot-fulness so strong that I can feel the vibrations from the otherside of Mount Fuji. Unfortunately, for us, like our constellations, our vibrations just don't match.

That brat - even when we cross each other's paths, he never seem to care enough to even say "hi". To him, I'm perhaps just another stone by the pavement - you just don't stop to greet every stone when you're taking a stroll in the park, do you? Not that I don't want to take the effort to initiate a conversation with him but more often than not, it will elicit no response - which makes me wonder if he's either mute or deaf. Nah, forget about it. I'd rather go talk to the tulips. Besides, it's better this way because when he decides to reply, it's often a oh-he's-so-clever quip that toots you off and makes you regret talking to him.

That manipulative brat! How I still remember that when he needed help, he could be oh-so friendly. But after that, he'll just relegate you to the dusty "people-I-used-to-know corner" in his memory.

Calvin complains, "Life's disappointments are harder to take when you don't know any swear words." Yeah. But you also get toot-ed off more often when you don't know any swear words.

Toot! Toot! Toot! Toot! Toot!

Jeez. Being toot-ed off like this makes me a toot-ful brat like him too. Who knows how many of you out there are stabbing at my voodoo doll!

What Defines Your Life

Life is without a meaning until someone comes along to lend it meaning.

I've found her. Last week, we celebrated our one-month-old relationship. I know this sounds lame but she means everything to me. I just can't imagine how I managed to spend my first four months here without her!

But, every relationship has its ups and downs - you just don't know how long it will go on. Finding a balance that will maintain the relationship is more delicate a business than flying a kite - hold her too loose and she'll slip away; hold her too tight and she'll, well, still somehow slip away. That, frankly, is what I fear the most.

A few days back, she suddenly became cranky - whenever I typed the letter "b", it refused to appear.

Fearing the worse, I thought the keyoard(sic) was going gaga due to the fact that the laptop - often eing(sic) left switched on overnight for illegal downloading - has decided to reel(sic).

Holy Christ! How can she just do this to me! Not longer than a month and our relationship is starting to fall apart! No! That's too cruel!

But, just like every couple, we made up sooner than you can say "forget-about-her-and-go-find-another-girl". Hah! That afternoon, everything became alright again! That's when I realised how important my Toshiba Dynabook CX/875LS is to me. She defines my life - I can't live without her.

Come to think of it, life in this 3m x 4m room is no better than being confined in a sealed-off chamber; or having a crappy commercial jingle playing indefinitely in your head. In either case, you just feel like cracking your head open.

Now I know why the study table (together with the book shelf) is bigger than the bed. That's how the evil people who designed this room want us to define our lives: spend more time on the study table than in the bed, you lazy bum!

Geez, you @#$?! You're going to hell!

Uh, sorry. I got off from the wrong side of the bed this morning.

Anyway, I was trying to say that most people here in the dorm define their lives by studying, especially the V-mese (not mentioning the nationality lest I get charged for discrimination). Heck, those book-muching zombies... They study more than they sleep!

Me: I notice that you prefer to buy bento's nowadays. Not cooking anymore?
V-mese: No time. Have to study.

Me: Didn't you go anywhere during the holidays?
V-mese: No. Was studying.

Me: Huh? You just woke up?
V-mese: 'Cos I studied till very late last night.

Study. Study. Study. Crikey!

And there's one V-mese who lifts off his mattress and sleeps by covering the wooden planks beneath with the futon. "It's too hot," he explained. But, here's what I heard from a sempai from Osaka.

Curiously, it seems that the V-mese in Osaka do that too - so that they don't fall asleep in the middle of their studies!

Phew!

What defines your life? Studies?

Heck, get away from me, you zombie!

Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous 89%

Heck, I got distracted by the moon again. No, no. Save your silver bullet for another day. It's not a full moon. You get that only once in every 28 days, dude! This is just a waning gibbous. Interestingly, the craters can be seen clearer than when it's a full moon.

Subject: Waning Gibbous (89% of full)
Date: 10 September 2006
Time: 2005, GMT+9
Location: Fuchu-shi, Tokyo (34.34N, 133.14E)
Optical Zoom: x12
Digital Zoom: x4

Wonderful Experience in Hokkaido IV

Day #10: 27th August 2006

Paragliding パラグライヂング
Have been asking Mr Nakamura about paragliding. He tried it last year for more than 8000 yen.

"全然怖くなかった。すばらしかったよ！空を飛ぶのは人間の夢だ！" he said. (It wasn't scary at all; it was cool! Flying in the sky is every man's dream!"

Well, 8000 yen is definitely too expensive. But, not wanting to let us down, Mr Nakamura called up a friend of his to ask if it's possible to offer us a special price. I don't know how he did it but somehow, his friend promised to let each one of us try it for free! Of course we jumped at the opportunity. Who wouldn't?

We're "flying" with the instructor. So, basically, we just had to sit back and enjoy. The lift off, steering, landing, everything was taken care of. All we had to do is to be careful during the touch down. Or else, we'd probably break our legs.

I was the first one to go, so that if something bad happened, I'd have been the first one to die. The trip to the hilltop was a long, bumpy ride. But when we got there at last, I couldn't believe that I was about to fly. With a bulky bag filled with sponge for a smooth touch down secured by a five point safety belt, walking around surely felt like Big Momma with "her" big butt. But, no complaints. Because the only thing which could save my butt was that thing.

I didn't quite felt the lift off; one moment, the instructor was giving the cords a slight tug and the other moment, we were up in the sky. You can bet that it was the coolest thing in the world - to be flying in the sky!

I believe I can fly

I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away

Everything down there could be seen so clearly: the ski resort, the amusement park, Mr Nakamura's pension, the farms... The sun was shining bright but the wind was even stronger.

I would have liked to stay up there longer. But it seemed to take more time to get up there than to get down. Geez. I'd like to do that again - by myself!

Posing for the camera with Mr Nobu, who has been a paragliding instructor for 20 years. He "flies" up to six times a day.

Cora was the next one to "fly". And of course, she had a good time too. Unfortunately, when it came to Laura's turn, the wind's condition turned bad and she didn't get to fly. So was Deki. We came back the next morning, hoping that it would be good enough for paragliding, but that just didn't seem to be the case. In the end, Laura and Deki couldn't try it... Sigh, I hope everyone could have tried it...

(Fun-o-meter: )

Day #11: 28th August 2006
Niseko ニセコ
Our last day in Rusutsu-mura. Though we've only been there for ten days, it felt kind of nostalgic.

Mr Nakamura brought us to Niseko in the afternoon. We're kind of late for the sunflowers - they're drooping.

I was hoping that we could see something like this:

(Sunflowers growing near Fargo, North Dakota; Source: Wikipedia)

But, too bad...

Oh, we had ice-cream (again!) and cream puff. They're cheap and yummy!

That's Mt Yotei in the background.

Flying back at night. Back to Tokyo - the crowded, suffocating metropolitan city. Heck, I didn't feel like leaving the place...

(Fun-o-meter: )

Wonderful Experience in Hokkaido III

Day #8: 25th August 2006
Homestay with Mr Sakaniwa's Family 坂庭さんの家族とのホームステイ
Spent the previous night with Mr Sakaniwa's family after the soba-making. Mr Sakaniwa's family own a farm and a cattle ranch. They plant carrots (人参), sugar beet, potatoes (じゃがいも) and raddish (大根). Mr Sakaniwa's mother live together with them.

Everyone in the family went to bed after dinner, which was before nine because they have to wake up at as early as four in the morning, working till sunset at around seven!

They are pleasant people leading a simple village life. They don't know much about other countries outside Japan and was asking me curious questions like: Where's Malaysia? Is Malaysia a safe country to live in? Do you have snow in Malaysia? Is Singapore Malaysia's capital? After a brief explanation, Mrs Sakaniwa exclaimed, "わっ、なかなか不思議な国" - Wow! It's really an unbelievable country! By the way, she seemed to like English as she was always saying simple English in a funny accent like, "puh-rease, puh-rease" and "werl-come, werl-come".

They were kind enough to let me "help" around harvesting raddish in the morning; though I know that I wasn't of much help.

Dressed up and set off to the farm at, uh, 5.30 instead of 4.00. Well... Mrs Sakaniwa told me not to wake up so early!

The machine for harvesting raddish.

Different harvesters are used for different plants.

The weather was fine, unlike the previous days.

So, I took a few snaps at Mt Yotei (羊蹄山).

The locals call it Rusutsu's Fuji because of perfect cone shape akin to the familiar Fujisan that Japanese worship like god.

The cattle ranch. The cows were reared for meat, not for milk.

(Fun-o-meter: )

Last Day in Rusutsu Primary School
It was our last day in the school and there was a simple farewell ceremony. Kind of sad to leave because we had a great time there. (No kidding! We enjoyed the school life there!) The kids were running here and there, collecting our signatures. (Whoa! Mr Nakamura was asked to sign too!) And Saito-kun gave me an origami crane.

Oh yeah. So, what did we observe during the three days in the primary school? Well, the kids learned addition with abacus; cook tempura during living skills lesson; made recycled paper from milk packs; and played soccer in the field during recess. The teachers were so friendly and the kids obviously enjoyed the lessons. (In fact, in Japan, teachers are not allowed to cane students. Some teachers get so stressed that they take medicines to calm down their nerves and swallow sleeping pills before going to bed.)

And the kids' drawings were fantastic!

They can draw like Picasso!

(Fun-o-meter: )

Camping at Toya lake 洞爺湖のキャンプ
Reached the campsite at Toya lake slightly after sunset. This was all I managed to take.

It got dark before we started erecting the tent. So it was kind of taihen (大変).

(Fun-o-meter: Unrated)

Day #9: 26th August 2006
Canoeing at Toya lake 洞爺湖のカヌー

This, is Toya lake. A serene, beautiful place; no Loch Ness monster, no godzilla dwelling in the waters.

We brought along a canoe. The problem was: how do we assemble it? There wasn't any instructions and Mr Nakamura was only sitting back and relax, while we crack our head trying to figure out how to assemble the skeleton, and fit it into the body, or whichever comes first. Anyway, it took us one and a half hour before it was done, breaking two parts in the canoe's skeleton in the process. But we decided that the canoe wouldn't kill us, and went for it anyway.

That was my first time canoeing and it was fun. Would have paddled all the way to the other side if only Mr Nakamura weren't that worried. It was too sunny anyway and I got sun-burned.

(Fun-o-meter: )

Shit Stirrer

Imagine a cauldron full of shit. Left as it is, the smell will eventually wear off. Unless if a busybody comes along and having nothing better to do, starts to stir it. The smell wafts through the air, and once again, people are reminded of the cauldron's shitty content.

Shit stirrer. What a crude euphemism.

Moon Phase: Full Moon

Subject: Full moon
Date: 07 September 2006
Time: 1903, GMT+9
Location: Fuchu-shi, Tokyo (34.34N, 133.14E)
Optical Zoom: x12
Digital Zoom: x4