With a twist
There have been a few comments over the last few days that I want to respond to, but life is interfering. I just got into New York for my friend’s wedding and am refreshing myself with a Bloody Mary in the hotel lobby while I wait to check in. It would be a perfect opportunity to snatch some time to post, but I’m feeling, you know, just a bit out of it. (I’m also mildly worried that I forgot to pack all components of my dinner jacket. I’m good at that kind of screw-up. I also once left my bag of souvenir green tea–about two dozen sachets for the various homefolks–sitting in the middle of my tatami room when I left for Narita Airport.) I’m kind of hoping not to get over my jet lag, since I have to fly back on Monday; the problem, of course, is that the danger hours for sleepiness when you go Tokyo > NY are around 7:00 or 8:00 p.m.–exactly when I want to be alert so I can enjoy quality time with my friends who are gathering. I see a series of desperate naps in my near future.
Brokeback Mountain was the in-flight movie, BTW. While I’d kind of resisted seeing it (though a friend had basically convinced me to go this coming week when I get back to Tokyo), I figured, hey, I can spare two of my twelve hours in this fuselage. I liked it much more than I’d expected. I never thought I’d live to see the day when I said this, but I thought Jake Gyllenhaal was just as convincing as Heath Ledger. I didn’t think the movie revealed many fresh angles on the short story, but the one moment that did move me in a big, bad way was at the end when Ennis fastens the button on the shirt. There are few things more tender, sexy, and intimate than buttoning your man into his shirt. It’s like you’re putting on his armature before you send him out into the great, wide world. (For straight women, too, I’d assume?) I thought the moment was beautifully handled.
Okay, before I start getting truly incoherent, I’m going to sign off for a while. Post-shower and nap, I may be in better condition to make a point about something or other.
re: Brokeback. Yes, but did you also notice the, at least 5, could’ve-been endings? I almost walked out at one, not because I was sick of the movie or anything, but because I seriously thought it was over.
Oh and I hear you about scattermindedness. I am constantly running errands, paying bills, etc, and constantly having to rerun those errands and pay those bills because I forgot them.
It was so faithful to the story that I was kind of on autopilot when it came to waiting for the ending. It delivered, though.
Luckily, Japan has direct withdrawal for bills. My vice when it comes to errands is writing letters and then not taking them to the mailbox for months. I also managed to forget to let our Nikkei office know that I didn’t want the paper delivered over the weekend. Atsushi, as usual, bailed me out and called for me.
Damn, damn and DAMN! I was in the area on Friday. I would have stayed over had I known.
We need to communicate more frequently!!!!!!
Damn! Well, next time we’ll be more organized. Hope you had a good trip, Connie.