It's been a while since I've blogged. It's been miles and miles and a life away.
Provo's been threatening to skip fall altogether as we dip into wintery days, but as I shake hands with November I hold its eyes with mine to tell it, I'm moving through you and I'm not looking back.
Then I flash it a smile intentionally ambiguous--was that genuinely benign or was there a hint of mischief?--while I secretly think that I'm happy these days and I'm grateful I got there so fast.
*
“I am looking for friends. What does that mean -- tame?"
"It is an act too often neglected," said the fox. "It means to establish ties."
"To establish ties?"
"Just that," said the fox. "To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world....”
I'm quietly sitting through a minor earthquake to blog, and it feels apropos.
My summer in Japan has been surreal. I don't know what I was expecting, but I didn't expect it to go this fast, or so far from what I started with.
What my present life consists of: My baby chicks who I teach English to. Being one of the guys, again. Not cooking EVER, and eating delicious food. Procrastination. Procrastination. Procrastination. Repressed panic.
And.
What is no longer in my imminent future: Grad school. Married life. Life in the United States.
I think I'm still too numb to process all of this completely, but I'm pretty sure I'm feeling okay about all of this.
But my new Japan BFFs are great. I love institute. I love my family ward. I love the Japanese language and Japanese people and city life.
But lately I find myself just sitting and staring off into space for a while. Not sure what I'm waiting for.
As usual, I will crawl into movies to hide and/or to find.
It looks like a baby alien hand grasping your finger. Where's the baby alien's body, you ask? It's in yours. The only cool thing that redeems this bizarro creation is that it's meta-jewelry. [found at Weston Jewelry.]
Fortunately, this estate/antique jewelry store has other rings that are hands-down (and sans hands) gorgeous.
sapphire, diamond, and platinum Seriously?? So so so so sooo beautiful. It's also $8000 and already sold.pink sapphire, white gold How pretty! I like the proportions between the width of the band and the circle. This one's only $650. "Only."
Now, I'm really not a diamond kind of girl, but I can definitely this ring on my finger--
diamond and white gold WOW. My face in emoticon-ese: :-O! Seriously seriously seriously WOW. See more shots of this piece of beauty here. And this one's still available! [Hint hint to a certain someone! Quick!] And it's only $1900! :)
And this one's adorable.
diamond and white gold (But I'd prefer the other diamond ring. In case you're wondering.)
But if you're in the Salt Lake area and interested in vintage jewelry, I would highly recommend Antoinette's. The man there is so sweet and really knows his stuff. And you have to actually go to the store because I promise you these pictures don't do the pieces justice. I promise. Here are some that were particularly stunning in person.
aquamarine, pearls, yellow gold, c. 1890s. Plus, Antoinette's has reasonable prices. This one was $350. (It's already sold.)
amethyst and white gold, c. 1920 I absolutely love the filigree on this. $450.
There was also a gorgeous necklace there of a coral cameo on a diamond-shaped gold place with three tiny pearls dangling from the side and bottom corners, but apparently they don't update their website very often. My ring is even still up there...
PS I'm in Japan, in case you didn't know, for an English-teaching internship. I suppose I'll have to blog about that at some point. I'll be here until the end of August.
PPS I have a pinterest now, so if you're interested, follow me! I haven't done anything with it yet, though, so don't get too excited.
I've been super super busy lately, so I'm going to let my friend Hillary share one thing that I've been up to. And it involves deebs. That's right, douchebags. I mean, douches, in the most academically, historically appropriate sense.
My friends and Brian know that one of my favorite things about going to the movies is the trailers. I am a firm believer in the movie trailer as a distinct, beautiful artform, independent of the movie itself.
Some of the best movies have awful to mediocre trailers, while some amazing trailers are WAY better than the movies they represent. Now, the movie trailer industry comes riddled with some weighty controversies that you're probably familiar with. A few:
(1) All the funny parts of the movie are in the trailer so the movie itself is bo-ring by comparison. See the trailer for Gentlemen Broncos, for example. That movie had so much potential, just from the trailer. Then it stank it up like cheesy bloaty gas.
(2) The trailer isn't like the movie at all.
False advertising, misleading, audience manipulation--call it what you will, most of the time (not all the time), it's plain disappointing.
But isn't it the worst when
(3) the trailer gives away EVERYTHING about the movie, and I mean every single stupid plot development.
Point (3) is what made the trailer for Inception SO phenomenal.
(Now remember, I'm talking about the trailer independent of the entire movie, so please do not roll your eyes and mutter "overrated" under your breath. You know who you are.)
The ability of this trailer to create such ambiguity while still holding your interest is maddeningly brilliant. And with the Inception trailer I'm going to launch into my Top Six Movie Trailers List.
6. Inception
I remember after I first saw this trailer, I was on the edge of my seat, going WHAT THE HECK IS IT ABOUT?!?! TELL ME LEEOOO. (Man oh man, has that boy grown up since the Growing Pains days.) I mean, rewatching it now, it makes a lot more sense. But back then I did not understand the concept of inception at all. And I'm no idiot.
I'm not saying there aren't weaknesses with this trailer (just like there are a lot of gaping wholes in the movie) and actually, overall, the trailer kinda feels like a clustercuss (thank you, Fantastic Mr. Fox) of grandiose, beautiful images. But I'm ranking it at #6 for its initial impact, the first impression I still remember from a year or so ago.
And for the record, the trailer set up some high expectations for the movie--and it delivered. And I don't care if you think the film's "overrated" or not--if you go back in your memory to the first time you saw this in theaters, were you not blown away by the vastness of it all?
Back to trailers.
5. Dear Frankie
Disclaimer: This is not a heavy, "quality film" (in a raised pinky, high-brow sort of way) movie. I realize this. This might even be thrown under the chick-flick category. HOWEVER. This, in my opinion, is trailer success.
I'm not sure I know exactly how to explain what makes for a successful trailer. It's the editing--including the music selection, the selection of scenes, the order of those cuts, etc-- as well as the acting performances. If I were a film major or just properly equipped with technical knowledge of film, I could give you legitimate reasons. But for now, you'll just have to trust me. Or judge for yourself.
PS. This is Gerard Butler pre-300, pre-P.S. I Love You, before ridiculous fame. Isn't he adorable.
4. Miss Representation
Okay, confession: I haven't actually seen this movie. Yet. It was at Sundance this year, but we couldn't get tickets. But I will tell you that every single time I've watched this trailer (4 or 5 times now) it's made me tear up. And I consider my tear duct response a legitimate measuring tool. I especially love the point in the trailer when it asks, "How do you change it?" and the song that accompanies the shift. It gives me chills every time.
3. Slumdog Millionaire
Danny Boyle is the man. Is all I have to say about this one.
2. Sunshine Cleaning
Now, this is a case in which the trailer was significantly better than and different from the movie. The Decemberists really make this trailer, I think. I wouldn't have consistently cried upon repeatedly watching this trailer if it weren't for their song.
1. Where the Wild Things Are
I watched this trailer twice a day, cried both times, for probably a year before the actual movie came out. The indie music, again, just really does it for me.
And that's my list. One last thing: I recently discovered that there's a documentary about movie trailers! However, I can't find this movie ANYWHERE. Even Netflix has let me down. I can't even find the trailer on youtube--I can only find it already embedded in someone else's blog. So here's the trailer for the movie about trailers there. I think this documentary, for copyright reasons, can only be used for educational purposes... but I still can't find it for that purpose either. I supposed there must not be enough people who share my passion for trailers in the world, otherwise this would be more widespread. If you have any idea where I could get it, let me know!
I blink and the clock is different: different shape, shorter hands, changed time. I turn around and catch the past running away swiftly like a thief. I stop. I gather what I haven't lost yet. I decoupage glimpses and considerations and events and people and thoughts and inspiration. I redeem lost moments. I am the collector, arranger, and finalizer of this montage, museum, scrapbook. I am in the paste that holds them all together. I will permanent the sense that has yet to be made.
