Say what?
She’s got a new album! And it was released not long ago, and a lot of famous people showed their support for the release!! Including Andy Lau, Eason Chan, Nic Tse and Stefanie Sun~~~
This is the video for the first single, Gui Lai (Return)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=045A6clHAF8
must get my hands on that album~
and I demand a collaboration with Celtic Woman, Meav or Sarah Brightman~~~ LOL
This is the Spanish edition of Haruki Murakami’s book also titled with the same name. It tells a bizarre real-time (think of Fox’s 24) story surrounding a 19-year-old named Mari who sits at a random Denny’s restaurant in the middle of the night, when a dude comes by telling her they’ve met once before, he’s a friend of Mari’s older sister, Eri. At the same time, Eri is seen in a neverending sleep, as if she never wanted to wake up again.
To be honest, I didn’t really get the chapters that described Eri’s bizarre sleeping sequences. At first, it was kind of scary, but it just didn’t do much for me in the end. I did really enjoy Mari, though. I wanted to know more about her… perhaps because I can relate effing around at a Denny’s in the middle of the night. Sometimes I would go there — maybe call a friend, or stop by a friend who lived around it — get something to eat or drink and waste time. I would also go on the longest walks around town with a friend at 2am, taking photographs or ending up at the local playground sitting on the swings. I still miss those.
Anyway, I digress. What I wanna say is that I could see a bit of me in Mari, so I wanted to read more about her. I thought all the stuff related (people, not incidents) to the Love Hotel was very interesting… Kaoru, Korogi and Komugi. And Takahashi made me laugh.
I gotta admit that this would play out nicely on a movie, though. While reading it, I was imagining Yu Aoi as Mari — I know she’s way too old for the role, but she can pull it off LOL — there was also Eita as Takahashi (tall, skinny and a feeling like you can tell him stuff), Shizuyo Yamasaki as Kaoru, Mikako Ichikawa as Korogi… and I had a dilemma whether to choose Asami Mizukawa or Kou Shibasaki as Eri. The good thing is that in the book everyone says Mari and Eri are very different. Mari is never considered gorgeous like her model sister Eri, so I could get away with any of the two. You could sense that Mari is pretty, but not in the “omg-she’s-so-hot” kind of way. I feel like Shibasaki would fit better as an older sister to Aoi’s Mari, however, Mizukawa is 2 years older than Aoi (same age difference with the characters) and I think fits better the whole “hot” factor. Plus, both Shibasaki and Mizukawa have shared the screen with Eita already. xD
As for the Chinese character, I dunno. Maybe Sandrine Pinna? I know it’s a pretty small role, but she’s sorta the same age as Aoi. I think it’s a tough role though, but it’d be interesting to see what the on-screen chemistry is on that particular scene at the Love Hotel. As for the other Chinese dude, I was thinking Chen Chang~~~ as for the office worker guy, I know he’s supposed to be in his 30s, but would I be pushing it if I’d say Abe Hiroshi feels like a good choice?
I want this movie made. Ha! With this cast! Make it happen Murakami-san!
I dunno why, but for about a month or so I’ve been wanting to make iced-shots and making drinks. Not drinking them (okay, maybe to taste), but making them.
I need to get myself shot-shaped-ice-makers =D I liked this one. Like them better than this version, I think. Plus, photographing those must be fun! And daring!
EEK!!!!
It was right after this week’s episode that I began feeling the need to watch a new episode of Glee, only to find out there won’t be a new episode until November 11!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
What to do in the meantime?
Fox Latinamerica is beginning Glee this November 5th,
but that still leaves me with one week of no Glee. *sighs*
Did I fuzzed about the Glee ads all over town? Yes, I did.
There are some issues with Glee with Spanish subtitles… and those problems will arise with translating the jokes, and people actually getting them. Just like “hairless pussy” [insert WB’s Popular plug] got translated literally, it lost all funny. Plus, it gets all passed the censors on ABC’s Family Channel — even funnier. xD but no such thing here.
I thought I would post both #1 spots on one day to not make them one more important than the other. So on the #1 position of the Actors list is none other than Paul Dano!
If we talk about astounding CVs, then we should note that Dano has a pretty impressive one. He did L.I.E in 2001, and has shared the screen with fellow The 20 to Watch Emile Hirsch on The Emperor’s Club (with Kevin Kline), and The Girl Next Door… but unlike his colleague, Dano hasn’t shown off the asshole inside — so he’s safe.
Dano also appeared on The Ballad of Jack and Rose with fellows who didn’t make it Jena Malone and Camilla Belle, as well as Daniel Day-Lewis who would later kick the crap out of Dano on There Will Be Blood. He’s shared the screen with William Hurt and Gael Garcia Bernal on The King, and also co-starred on the successful Little Miss Sunshine alongside Toni Collette, Alan Arkin, Steve Carrel and Greg Kinnear.
Add all of that to the fact that he’s also been part of films like Explicit Ills, Gigantic (with Zooey Deschanel), directed by Ang Lee (with Hirsch once again, and Imelda Staunton) with Taking Woodstock, and can be heard on the latest Spike Jonze film Where the Wild Things Are. For the coming years? He’s got The Good Heart with Brian Cox, The Extra Man with John C. Reilly, Katie Holmes and Kevin Klein directed by Shari Springer Berman of American Splendor fame~~~ Then there’s Meek’s Cutoff with Michelle Williams and directed by Kelly Reichardt of Wendy and Lucy fame, and finally Knight & Day with Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard, and Viola Davis directed by James Mangold (Girl Interrupted, Identity, Walk the Line and 3:10 to Yuma). So clearly, we’ve got exciting things to watch and keep watching~
Interesting projects, seems kind, not pompous, works hard~~~
he really deserves to be the number 1 actor, right?
This was kinda scary!! LOL
and the sound + animation is really good~~~
dude, done by students. And then people wonder why I bitch~ xD
So we freaking made it! #1 on the List of Actresses~~~
None other than Ellen Page!
Wait, I know. I’m very well aware that many people hate her. Whatever. You know why? Because I’m being quite objective here, and Page has made it to the top with merit. She was pretty freaking scary as Hayley on Hard Candy — my friend told me her now X was scared to his balls in fear. LOL — Anyway, she was also part of a franchise, though a very small role, she was Kitty Pryde on X3.
She later left me scared to death with American Crime, and Tracey Fragments proved to be a very interesting and bizarre film choice. She was later Juno with all her Junoness, won a bunch of awards and was nominated for an Oscar. Next up will be Peacock with Susan Sarandon and Cillian Murphy… and there’s freaking Inception with Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine, and again Cillian Murphy — directed by the one and only Christopher Nolan~~~
That’s a crew to die for!
Plus, if you ask my father, he’ll tell you she’s the one. LOL
If Inception proves to be successful, there will probably be more role choices… more interesting projects. Unless Page gets bored with acting, I don’t see her boring us with some crazy films…
Take that Revista Integracion *laughs*
Anyway, turns out the Swedes have been doing this thing called Project China for a few years now. This year they have made a 148-page-downloadable book called “31 days of Watching China Change,” which is a far better read than anything Revista Integracion can come up with.
They talk about Economics, and how the financial crisis has affected China and its people way of thinking. They also talk about the environmental impact of the crisis in the country and overall life.
You can download the PDF from the Project China website.
Design is a bit dull though…
At the moment I’m listening to a Rap/Hip-Hop Mixtape in Chinese [download link here], but here’s the thing about Rap. It does nothing for me if I can’t understand it. I don’t understand Chinese (Mandarin or Chinese or Hakka or Shanghainese or Taiwanese, etc), so while I’m listening to this mixtape, I can’t connect — this doesn’t happen in other genres. At least doesn’t happen to me. I can still find a way to connect to the music.
Then there’s the whole “I don’t like Rap or Hip-Hop,” it’s not like I hate the genre — I don’t — it’s just too much bitches and hoes for me to sit down and listen. If I go through the over 300 artists in my iPod (over 600 albums), I can only find Eminem, Lauryn Hill, Dr. Dre and Sal ‘N Pepa (though just one or two tracks by the last two). What does that say about me? I really like Lauryn Hill’s album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill… I also listen to Erykah Badu, The Fugees and I also own a Wyclef album xD I tried listening to Kanye and Lil Wayne, but couldn’t stand them…
Anyway, I ran into this blog (now, not active) that talks a little bit about Hip-Hop in China — DonTing08 — The blog contains some interesting posts on the music scene, the song of the week and Hip-Hop culture. In one of the posts, the author gives her thoughts on an article on the New York Times titled “Now Hip-Hop, Too, Is Made in China.” In a response, the author quotes;
Concerning the current state of Chinese hip hop in the mainstream I agree with Brendan. Jay Chou’s appearance on CCTV’s 新年晚会 sums it up quite nicely. It’s garbage and so is most of the underground hip hop. Why? Because most Chinese hip hop fans only listen to the music of a rap record but are oblivious to the lyrical content, which does not allow them to understand hip hop culture comprehensively. Naturally a Chinese kid, who does not speak English and tries to make a rap song that sounds just like the one he just heard at MIX (Beijing’s most popular hip hop club) will say “Make it rain” without knowing that the phrase entails poring dollar bills on a stripper.
and then writes;
The audience has no understanding of the development of Hip Hop and the music industry in general to appreciate the significance of pop-rap and Jay Chou as compared to In3. The paragraphs on In3 and Jay Chou are also too sparse. Also, unlike the article suggests, I’ve read nothing to suggest that Jay Chou considers himself to be a rapper now and I do not think Jay Chou and In3 fans are mutually exclusive.
I also hardly think that Jay Chou considers himself a rapper, and any of his fans that consider him a rapper should think about it a little more. I think Jay Chou’s strength lies in his Zhongguo Feng style songs, at least for me. I don’t really care about his more R&B tracks that are supposed to be danceable.
However, I do enjoy LeeHom’s music. I never would have imagined that Hip-Hop and Rap could combine with Beijing Opera. LOL I really dig the whole combination, and it’s the main reason I listen to him. I doubt I would if he were just doing straight Hip-Hop, or straight R&B.
On an unrelated topic, but similar nonetheless~ AfterEllen.com wonders about female rappers on the post titled Women rappers stay under the radar. And yeah, you hardly see any female rappers out there… at least on the radio or MTV. You only need to see what’s the target market for Hip-Hop (or any genre) music nowadays — young people. Rappers sing about bitches, hoes and bling because rappers are the new rock stars. Teenage boys grow up wanting to get their own entourage and have their own bitches and hoes. Everything in the music industry has become banal… Rock, Rap, Pop and Punk~~~ no one is safe. LOL
Anyway, you can’t have a female rapper singing about bitches and hoes, so the industry just doesn’t bother with it. Rap music is overly macho, while the Pop music scene suffers from the gayness of it all. You get dozens of females solo pop stars, over-sexualized lolitas in skimpy innocent outfits, while the guys are just as easily labeled with the “GAY” tag.
Music is an effed up business.
