Kari-gurashi no Arietti

I recently watched The Secret World of Arriety. The Japanese title is Kari-gurashi no Arietti. The screenplay is written by Hiyao Miyazaki. It is the film adaptation of the “Borrowers” series, written by Mary Norton, where tiny people live amongst humans and borrow necessities.

This movie was already released in Japan in 2010, where it proceeded to win every animated film award there is. The Clock family are four-inch-tall people who live anonymously beneath the floorboards of a suburban home, unbeknownst to the big people who also live there, borrowing simple items to make their home. Life changes for the Clocks when their daughter, Arrietty, is discovered. Although twelve-year-old Shawn is delighted to become a secret friend, his knowledge of her existence threatens the safety of all the little people.

Japanese animator Hiromasa Yonebayashi takes the directorial seat of The Secret World of Arrietty. Best known for his animation work in films such as Ponyo, Howl’s Moving Castle and Spirited Away, he stays fairly true to Mary Norton’s 1952 children’s novel The Borrowers upon which the movie is based. The director invites audiences under the floorboards and into the family’s miniature household equipped with items they’ve “borrowed” from the Big People.

Maintaining their secret world is imperative for their safety and survival. But despite severe warnings from her parents, Arrietty can’t help but reveal herself to Shawn, an ailing young boy who has come to live with his Aunt Jessica. While Shawn intends no harm to the little people, Hara the housemaid doesn’t share his benign fascination with them.

Most people don't know that I am a huge fan of Hiyao Miyazaki and Studio Ghilbi's work. I absolutely love watching anime. It is very different from American cartoons. The first anime I ever watched was when I was about four and it was Sailor Moon. Don't judge me. I use to read mangas too.

I am going to sound like a nerd when I say this, but I took an Anime class while I was at Berkeley. Nerd much? I learned so much from that class. I never knew there where so many genres of anime. Tezuka was referred to as the "God of Manga." The giant robot genre (known as "Mecha" outside Japan), took shape under Tezuka, developed into the Super Robot genre under Go Nagai and others, and was revolutionized at the end of the decade by Yoshiyuki Tomino who developed the Real Robot genre. Robot anime like the Gundam and The Super Dimension Fortress Macross series became instant classics in the 1980s, and the robot genre of anime is still one of the most common in Japan and worldwide today.

I also learned about the Japanese culture, history, Studio Ghilbi and how it affect the different artists' art style and forms. Many of these titles can be described by more than one genre or theme.
Some of the genres that I studied were:

Action (Cowboy Bebop, City Hunter, Lupin III)
Children’s shows (Pokemon, Doraemon)
Magical Girls (Sailor Moon, Card Captor Sakura, Minky Momo, Nurse Angel Lilika S.O.S., Pretear)
Savior from another Dimension (Vision of Escaflowne, Fushigi Yuugi, Magic Knight Rayearth, El-Hazard, Orguss, Heaven War Shurato, Record of 12 Countries [12 Kokuki])
Hero (Gatchaman, Hurricane Polymar, Casshan, Hakaima Sadamitsu)
Sci-Fi (Evangelion, Dirty Pair, Wings of Honneamise, Rah Xephon)
Space Opera (Gundam, Macross, Xabungle, The Ideon)
Fantasy (Record of Lodoss War, Slayers, Aura Battler Dunbine)
Military/ Police (Full Metal Panic! , You're Under Arrest [Taihou Shichauzo], Patlabor)
War (Grave of the Fireflies, Area 88)
Samurai/ Ninja (Rurouni Kenshin, Ninja Scroll [Juubei Nimpucho], The Samurai)
Martial Arts/ Fighting (Dragonball Z, Saiyuki, HunterXHunter)
Ghostbusting (Yu Yu Hakushou, Haunted Junction, Ghost Sweeper Mikami)
Comedy (Ranma ½, Urusei Yatsura, Dragon Half, Excel Saga)
Romantic Comedy/ Soap Opera (Kima)

I have watched most of these anime. I also watched Astro-boy, Totoro, Sazae-san, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Akira, etc. These anime are fun to watch. However they are also a learning tool. The Japanese made these anime to teach their young about their history, culture, and ramifications about what we are doing to the world (especially about war, our depletion of natural resources, etc). I love analyzing the messages and symbolism from these anime. All of these anime have powerful messages about society, humanity, nature, the future and our reprecussions with reliance on machinery. Some topics have been about co-existing with nature like in Princess Mononoke. It's amazing how some of these anime are from the 60's and 70's; however, the themes and topics are relevant today.

One of the reason why I wanted to watch The Secret World of Arriety is because I wanted to figure out the underlining themes and message behind the film. It's really touching in the film when Shawn told Arriety that he is dying and that he didn't care anymore. Arriety told him that he have to have hope. The Borrowers are the ultimate recyclers, surviving on what we throw aside, taking only what they need to survive. They walk lightly on the earth. By comparison, Shawn, despite being full of good intentions, partially destroys the Borrowers’ home when he tries to give them a gift and makes their home much easier for the housekeeper Hara to find.

Nothing in Arrietty is painted in absolutes. Hara may be the vilain of the piece, but she is definitely a vilain who views herself as the hero. She does not want to hurt the Borrowers, merely to capture them. She simply lacks the empathy and imagination to understand that being captured and caged is a fate worse than death to a natural creature like a Borrower. Shawn was suppose to die, but he didn't. He would come back the summer after, but he doesn't see Arriety ever again.

The ambiguity of the Borrowers’ place within nature is illustrated by the moment when the raccoon stares at them and then moves on by. The Borrowers live in a dangerous world where death could come from any direction at any time. The price of being part of nature is living with that danger all the time.

Of course, living in a world where the raw edges of nature have been smoothed and civilized away is no guarantee of safety. Arrietty’s life may be more dangerous than Shawn’s, but she knows how to live while the sickly Shawn is so obsessed by his own mortality that he is blind to everything else around him.

Embracing nature has its costs, but then so does trying to enslave it. Mastering nature brings protection and control at the cost of truly living. Becoming one with nature means surrendering safety and control, but brings with it the gift of truly being (like Arrietty) part of Gaia.

xoxo,
Kat

Wedding Fever

I am on a roll tonight. I just feel like de-stressing by writing. Besides I can't sleep, so why roll around in bed when I can write instead. I swear it's wedding fever around here. Many of the people that I went to junior high and high school are getting married this year. It's weird that some of them are popping out babies too. I can't believe that they are my age! Oh well, I'll just be an old maid. In ten years I'll be ready for marriage, just not now. I want to focus on my career and education. I rather have stability first. It looks like there will be another wedding in my family at the end of the year. My cousin Thao and her fiance Richard are planning on getting marry this upcoming December.

About five/six months ago my cousin Julie (Thao's sister) got married to Chris. After meeting Chris for the first time I asked Julie how they meet. There story is absolutely amazing! Julie went to a Rutgers football game in Canada with her friends. Chris, who is a Rutgers' football fanatic, sat in the row in front of Julie. Julie told me that she was pretty drunk, and she started to mess with Chris's hoodie. She kept pulling his hoodie over his head, tied the strings, and put on his sunglasses for him. She also told him that, " You are the unabomer." Chris's friends didn't know why he put up with her antics. At the end of the game Chris asked for Julie's number. She gave it to him, thinking that he probably won't call. She didn't think that she'll ever see him again. After two weeks, Chris finally called Julie. They were together since then. I find it amazing that they were both living in Hoboken at that time. However they met at a Rutgers game in Canada and not Hoboken. Their love story is amazing.

I find that being over 21 at weddings is so much more fun. Julie's wedding day was sunny in November. She was really lucky with the weather. Julie was such a beautiful bride. Her dress was to die for. Her ao dai for the tea ceremony was simply gorgeous. The speeches at her reception made all of us cry. The speeches were my favorite part of the day. You get to see all of the love, and happiness. The photobooth was pretty fun! You can see that Julie and Chris are so in love with each other. They are perfect for each other. I wish you guys luck on having six kids. Julie wants to have six kids. That's quite alot of kids.

Here are some of the pictures from the wedding:

I can't wait for Thao and Richard's wedding! Richard propose to my cousin before the lunar new year. I love how Thao took a photo of her ring and sent it to all of the girl cousins. We have been waiting for Richard to pop the question. We knew that they are going to marry each other. They make a cute couple. Richard did a really good job on the ring. It's very pretty. I am determined to get into shape for their upcoming wedding. I am happy that Chris and Richard treat Julie and Thao well and truly loves them.

xoxo,
Kat

Say "Cheese"

These are blueberry and pumpkin cheesecake. I've been making the blueberry cheesecake for the past three years. I usually make them for the holidays. These are cheesecake cupcakes (since it's bake in a cupcake tin). It's perfect for individual servings at parties. It's quick to make and it does not take long to bake. You can make these a day before the party too.

This was my first time making pumpkin cheesecake. I was afraid it was not going to taste good. My brother tried the cheesecake and he loved it. It was yummy. There was hints of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. I used the rest of my pumpkin batter for my double layer pumpkin cheesecake.

I always wanted to make a double layer pumpkin cheesecake, but I was not sure how it would turn out. This was my first time making it. It was a success! Who's your cheesecake queen? Moi. It's easy to make the pie crust. It's just graham crackers and melted butter. You want an even layer of graham crackers on the bottom of the pan or you can buy the 9'in pan at the market. It's less work. The bottom layer is the regular cheesecake layer. The top layer is the pumpkin cheesecake. When you pour the pumpkin layer on, be very careful and pour it from the center of the baking pan.

You want to let it cool down before you chill it in the fridge. You can even put it in the freezer if you like. The pumpkin and regular cheesecake is a good balance. It wasn't too sweet. It had the perfect balance between sweet and savory from the pumpkin spices.

Here's a picture of the pan. I'm happy that the layers are almost even. I have some other cheesecake recipes that I will eventually make. Happy Eating.

xoxo,
Kat

Cooking Lessons

My mom is a wonderful cook. She makes her own chicken stock, beef stock, and etc. She makes all of her broth from scratch. She doesn't cut any corners. It tastes better even if it requires more work. My fondest memories are of my mom cooking. I always wanted to be able to cook like her.

I have been spoiled by my mother's cooking. I learned to cook by watching her in the kitchen. She doesn't use any exact measuring when she cooks. She eyeballs her measurement, adding more or less of the ingredients depending on the taste. It has become my philosophy too. My mom only has written recipes for some of her food. Everything else is by memory.

I only have written recipes for dessert. The rest I just memorize by heart. I love cooking. Last time I tried to cook curry, but it did not turn out right. My mom is going to give me cooking lessons about curry. The curry that my mom cooks is similar to Thai curry, but different. My mom's curry is eaten with the french baguette, not rice. The curry is not thick like some other curries from around the world. I like to cook all types of food not just vietnamese. I often make up my own recipes, vinaigrette, and salads. It's fun and relaxing.

The picture below is of Mi Xao. Mi means noodles and xao means fried. Mi Xao is a stir fry noodle. You guessed it! I learned how to cook it from my mom. It is a popular street food, served on the crowded streets of Vietnam. Each street vendor has his or her own special recipe; sometimes the noodles are fried to a crisp or soft and slippery, some vendors use pork, beef or something else, whilst others are scorching spicy hot vs. mildly spicy. But you don’t have to go all the way to Vietname to get your fill of this addictive dish. Do it yourself. It is pretty simple. You just need to prep everything before hand.

This is Mi Xao done in two different noodles. The first is a clear noodle and the second picture is egg noodles. Mi Xao is almost like the Chinese's chao mian, expect it is less greasy and oily. I usually add a little soy sauce before I eat it.

xoxo,
Kat

Weighty Issue

Weight: n., a measurement of an object's heaviness

Never ask a women how much she weighs. Weight is a very sensitive issue for a lot of women. We are all programmed to be beautiful is to be "supermodel thin." What people don't realize is the concept of beauty has drastically change throughout history. Centuries ago, beauty was associated with having a voluptuous body. Beauty is the fragilely thin girl nowadays. They may snap and break at any moment. They don't realize that they are harming themselves by trying to achieve what society deems as "the perfect body." Everyone has a different body. Our bodies changes throughout our lives.

The media has influence many young girls and women to hate their bodies. It really is a shame. The media has shaped many of our ideals and insecurities. People don't realize that the images in magazines, commercials, etc. are computer generated. These women are not real. They are airbrushed, photoshopped, etc. Some of the women in the pictures do not exist. They are composite of many women's body parts. It's sad that children grow up having psychological and emotional issue since they are not thin or pretty enough. I remembered my niece was around three when she said, "I think I am fat." She ended up not eating and losing weight. This memory will always be ingrained into my head. I can't believe a child so young was influenced into starving herself because she thought she was fat at the age of three. This shows how powerful media messages can be transmitted.

These insecurities perpetuate many solutions (good and bad). The media makes people think that there is a solution for every problem. All you have to do is fix it. Anything can be fixed. You go on the south beach diet. It doesn't work, try weight watchers. People are foolishly wasting their money. You don't like your body, go have surgery. You still aren't satisfied, go have more surgery. You probably don't realize that sticking your fingers down your throat, the vomit acid decays and rots your teeth each time your purge. Really? We live in a mess up world. What kind of message are we sending to our kids?

Our bodies really do change many times throughout our lives. So what if you are not as thin as one of the Victoria Secret models. It doesn't make you any less beautiful than them. Having curves is more sexy than looking like a stick. These past three years my body has been through the ringer. I lost so much weight when I had a lupus flare and pneumonia. I was only 100 pounds. I hit rock bottom. I was very fragile (physically and emotionally). I felt like I was going to break at any moment. I looked like an anorexic and felt like one. Skin and bones is not a flattering look. It was very unsexy. I gained most of the weight back and more from the steroids to prevent the flares. My weight fluctuated.

I couldn't seem to lose the weight from the steroids this time. It's a lot harder trying to lose the weight this time around. I have always eat healthy. I mostly eat lean meats. I also started to exercise more at the gym too. I did not give up on foods like pizza, donuts, sweets, chocolates, etc. I just eat in moderation. Ever notice how French women stay skinny? They stop eating when they are full. It's about portion control. Most people continue to stuff their faces even when they are not hungry. I don't. What I have been doing has paid off. I went to my Rheumy three weeks ago and found out I lost another three pounds. I have lost a total of eight pounds so far. I am very ecstatic. I still have a long way to go before I reach my goal. I just don't want to be anorexic thin. Been there and it was not fun. I like having curves. I could lose some inches off my butt though. It's not about loosing weight for me. It's about having a healthier lifestyle. Loosing weight is the icing. I hope young girls realize that being thin is not as beautiful as being healthy.

xoxo,
Kat