Movies Tokyo Style & a Retired Sensei

I guess it's about time I give another update...
Most of my time lately has been filled with school, work, and school work. However as I felt my stress levels beginning to rise the other week, I took the liberty of skipping one of my classes to go and watch the new 'Sex and the City II' movie. This would be my first Japanese movie theatre experience, and my first time watching Sex and the City. I must admit I am not a fan of the series, or at least I've never watched two consecutive episodes, let alone gone out of my way to ever see the show. I may have seen an episode or two, but the fact that I don't recall speaks volumes. All that to say, I'm no fanatic but the movie turned out to be rather humorous. I think it was a good thing that I had never really watched the show or seen the first movie, since this meant I had no real expectations. I don't side with one character over another, I do not relate or compare myself to any of them, nor do I live vicariously through one of them. Parts of the movie were ridiculous, others politically incorrect; but overall it proved to be a corny chickflick - the content being everything girls like to gossip about and dream of (primarily fashion, money, and men). I had fun going in a group of girls, for the most part I found it entertaining and would even recommend it to people that enjoy cheesy, girly, feelgood flicks.

The theatre was an experience in and of itself. We went to a theatre in Shibuya, it was pretty big and the inside was modern looking and pristine. Definitely a better food selection (but I'm in Japan...what else is new?). For those low budget movie goers, sneaking in food and/or drinks is not an issue since the Japanese seem to favour respect of privacy, therefore wouldn't be comfortable peering into your purse/bag to check. I stocked up on 'crunky' (best chocolate snack ever), and some seaweed chips before the movie, but regret doing so soon after I noticed the caramel popcorn behind the counter. Perhaps it was for the best. The movie had sold out, so it was a good thing one of us had called to reserve tickets in advance. Apparently this movie is just as popular in Tokyo as it is in Canada (granted the population difference may be a factor). Seating is organized with numbers. While I wasn't a fan of the assigned seating initially, it does keep things organized, and if you were to leave and come back at any point during the movie, I suppose it would save you from wandering around like an idiot. I was impressed with the fact that there were fleece blankets available to prevent people from getting cold from the airconditioning; theaters in Canada are notorious for being chilly, but I guess nobody ever thought, or cared to provide blankets. When we were all settled for the previews we found it puzzling that the seats weren't all filled, considering the tickets were sold out - a little later we realized that they were actually filled, we just couldn't see the heads of the people in most chairs. Cute. haha.. As the movie started up a couple people were excited enough to applaud - I don't recall ever being that excited to watch a movie, but it made me laugh and spread the good vibes. One observation (though I am not 100% sure), I do not believe there are 'free refills' (of massive drinks/bags of popcorn) in Japanese theatres, the way there are in Canada/U.S.; to some this may be a deal breaker, but personally, I like the idea of leaving the theater without feeling like my stomach is bursting at the seams (that and free refills of caramel popcorn just sounds lethal). No 'free refills' is perfectly fine by me. In spite of the assigned seating, I would rate the overall Japanese movie theater experience as superior to the Canadian movie theater experience. More clean (i.e. my shoes weren't sticking to the floor, and there wasn't popcorn everywhere), and more comfortable (i.e. the fleece blanket).

In other news, I taught my last english lesson last Friday. That's right, I am retired - a retired Sensei (gosh, I'm going to miss that title). I definitely enjoyed teaching Michiko, she was a delightful student, not to mention a sweet person in general. It was obvious that she really wanted to learn the language and I couldn't have been happier to help. I think that to help someone learn a language is especially rewarding, knowing that she will be making good use of our lessons in her travels. She was excited to tell me of her plans to visit New York in the fall. In a sense, I don't expect the city life of 'The Big Apple' will be a huge stretch from the high-rise buildings and the hustle and bustle of Tokyo living. However, I was shocked to hear that Michiko's main concern was the food. While this is understandably a fear of some Westerners looking to travel in Japan (since raw fish doesn't seem to have the same appeal to everyone) - I never would have guessed that similar anxieties might be felt by a Japanese individual planning to travel in the Western world. She really isn't sure what she will eat - I told her that there will be some sushi around, but that she ought to lower her standards before trying it. After the lesson I was a bit sad to say goodbye, but I plan to visit her at work (at the shop in my neighborhood) before leaving - and maybe even quiz her on her english.

This week will be a busy one. With classes wrapping up soon I really need to buckle down and get some papers and presentations done. I would be lying if I said writing this blog hasn't been some means of procrastination. UP NEXT: Thursday night I will board an overnight train for another trip to Kyoto! ohhh beautiful Kyoto. This time I'm going with Sophie and Steph to stay and party with a couple of girls we met from Kyoto University (Alice from San Fran, and Hannah yet another Aussie), they're 'heaps' of fun. Can't wait. Should be a good time and a nice break after a long and stressful week. That's all for now, time to get back to work - but you can look forward to a 'post-Kyoto trip' blog ! Until then....miss everyone back at home.

love. xoxo