Stunning photos by Barcelona-based photographer Ibai Acevedo.
Archives For Spanish
Since I’ve been jealous that my friends Turtle and JK are taking some really good typography classes, I have told them they can review their classes and assignments with me… that way they learn, and I also get to learn. xD
Anyway, JK referred me to FontStruct, which I had visited once after they showed up on a Communication Arts issue. However, I was to shy to try it out — I mean, that introductory quick animation seems a bit pro. But in the end, JK told me I should check it out because it was interesting, and his teacher like it quite a bit.
So I ended up playing with it to create a pixel-based font. I started out with my KATAKANA alphabet, which has some very nice forms and some very hard to do~~~ This pixel font also works for typing in Spanish, French and Swedish =D
Sorry, no Hiragana at the moment.
Plus, Photoshop doesn’t seem to recognize the Japanese input, and just uses the default font for Japanese characters. What’s up with that? Does anyone know?
I haven’t used a cellphone since someone stole mine nearly 3 years ago, but I’ve seen it moving towards it. I mean, I still think it’s gonna be tricky watching the show on my phone while making sure no one is following me to mug me.
Stories on forums that became premises for films, blogs that became books, etc. After all, everyone’s got something to say. Then came the days when Marketing caught up with technology, and we began with viral videos. We love viral videos, you’ve probably received thousands of emails from different people all sending you the same goddamn video.
Then there’s Mobile Phone Dramas. Sort of a hybrid between a series and commercials.. or other PR material, maybe a mix between short films and commercials that end up becoming a movie… like the Kit Kat short films by Shunji Iwai starring Yu Aoi and Anne Suzuki that became the film Hana & Alice. And so came Shunji Iwai again, this time with LISMO Channel and their nine 5-minute episodes titled Koibana ~ SUIKA to Bansoukou ~ (恋ばな ～スイカと絆創膏～) directed by Kodomo no Kodomo director Koji Hagiuda.
Iwai, who is producing, has mentioned the high quality of this drama, and seems to be interested in turning this idea into a feature film. In reality, anyone can say whatever they want to say, but if anyone can make a Phone Drama and turn it into a film is Iwai. I mean, after turning Kit Kat into Hana & Alice, I believe anything can be possible.
But how far have we gone… 45 minutes of Koibana may turn into a feature film, short stories become nearly-three-hour films… Facebook becomes a movie, episode recaps as if they were on Facebook. What’s next? Twitter movies? After all, there are Twitter accounts for television characters already. Yes, definitely… a Twitter movie in the future. Anyone wants to discuss a story idea?
There’s already people on LiveJournal doing roleplay (though with real people), we can make one work, right? Anyone want to pitch in? It’s casting time! LOL Just gathering people who have the time to pretend they’re a character, and see where we go. xD
While Asia is taking product placement and marketing to a whole new level, here… they try to shove ads and other silly commercials on printed media. And more commercial time. And more clicking banners.
Also, I might need to add a new category besides Television. xD
NOTCOT got a sneak peek at the Absolut Icebar re-design. I was talking about it with my dad this passed weekend — talking about the iced-shots and how they would melt in this weather, so I ended up mentioning the icebars, and then he said how the people would complain is cold. I told him there are coats, and then he said that those must be stinky. HAHAHA.
Titled in English as Saving Fish from Drowning (not the literal translation), Amy Tan tells the story of a group of American tourists traveling to Myanmar that are reported to have disappeared. Telling the story is Bibi Chen, the leader of the touring group who mysteriously died before the trip. Of course, Bibi is traveling with them and knows stuff before it happens because she’s a spirit.
I haven’t read such a bad book since I graduated high school. You know, when the school reading guides point what you should be reading, so you feel like you HAVE to read it. It’s a horrible way to read, and this book reminded me of that feeling. And it’s not like I hate the book because it’s over 600 pages — because kamisama knows I’ve read Order of the Phoenix 3 times when I was a Harry Potter fan, but the book combines a few elements that I hate…
1. your typical mindless tourist (especially the American ones) who think they know better than anyone. Case and point, Wendy who pretends to visit Myanmar “touring” while also talking to students and finding more against the Myanmar government. Not only is she endangering herself, but the people traveling with her and who have no idea she’s one of those self-righteous Human Rights defenders. If you don’t like the way the country handles itself, just don’t visit the country and don’t waste your money.
2. Irresponsible journalists who only care about selling the story, because that was Belinda’s intentions… to sell the story, win a Peabody and Emmys. Screw the lost tourist, the Myanmar Army can shoot them if they want, right? Even if they’re not with the rebels? I hate those self-righteous defenders of the truth, when all they can do is report the events subjectively.
3. I know people are stupid, but couldn’t the characters be more easy to relate to? By the time I wanted to care about people like Heidi, I just didn’t care. Harry was an idiot. From the moment they decided to ditch the official itinerary, I decided to ditch them. I said it out-loud, I hoped all of them died.
4. OBHWF effect. The ending was bad, like conveniently bad.
I mean I can’t remember (since finishing high school) reading a book that made me lose interesting so fast. I hated all the characters, they were pathetic, and whoever described this as a “comedy of errors” is certainly crazy. I would detest having to travel with this bunch of people. I mean, really? Peeing on the ruins? It’s stupid decision after stupid decision, and that’s the worse characters you could possibly have, unless you plan to kill them.
The book is over! But I still think you should have killed 85% of your characters.
By the by, that North American in Peru? She killed people, she should be sentenced to it as well… just so whichever of the characters who mentioned it knows.
2/5
I’m an MJ fan, I really am. I bought my copy of HIStory when I was around 10 — the first ever album I received as a birthday gift from my parents — and I’ve been fascinated as a kid since I saw him vanished as golden sand on the Remember the Time music video.
I was a bit hesitant to watch this because I knew tickets had been on pre-sale for a month, and I’m not the type to compete for tickets. After all, they did advertise “for two weeks only.” I checked schedule online only to find the 11pm shows listed ONLY, so I was pissed. I thought that they were not showing this for two weeks only, but also showing it on midnight shows ONLY, so I went to the theater to watch District 9 instead… to find out there were other times for This Is It — so I watched both.
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!
Otherwise known in English as “South of the Border, West of the Sun,” it tells the story of Hajime who meets with a childhood friend he hasn’t met in the last 25 years. Her name is Shimamoto, and Hajime is contemplating leaving his wife and daughters to be with her.
To be really honest, when I was reading 20-year-old-Hajime, I felt I was reading myself. Except I’m not a dude. But I did feel that way. Actually, I could also relate with the fact that he was an only child. The way his head worked, his personality… it reminded me of me.
However, unlike Hajime… I think ahead. LOL — I really didn’t know whether to shout at him, or roll my eyes when he began cheating on Izumi. But I’m also forced to admit that I was actually hoping he would get together with Shimamoto, and I actually had to stop reading the two last chapters because I was feeling his desperation. She is never coming back, and she’s trying to erase everything that will remind you of her.
I wanted to know what was up with Shimamoto, I was expecting a big revelation, instead I got a bucket of cold water.
Other than that reading experience? My moral compass (do I really have one? After all, people have already called me a Fascist) tells me that Shimamoto was wrong, but as she explains… she couldn’t help herself. She had to see him, and she had to talk to him. I wonder if the book would be as “popular” if it were written in the perspective of a woman going about her teens cheating on her boyfriend with his cousin, and then cheating on her husband with her childhood crush.
I love to hate or hate to love that last chapter on the emptiness. 4/5
And we continue to go through the years and film~
Some interesting observations on this one? There were a lot of GOOD male performances. I guess it’s by years, but I thought it was so tough to choose my Best Actors this time.
As always, I think I’m a little off with the guys. O.o
I feel the list is a bit uninspiring, LOL
check it out yourself~~~
