Crying Out Love in the Center of the World / 世界の中心で、愛をさけぶ (2004) – Movie Mini Review

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO2000
“Aki” Cedar Park, 2021

******** SPOILER ALERT *********

Tonight I watched the 2004 Japanese movie Crying Out Love in the Center of the World / 世界の中心で、愛をさけぶ, which was the breakout movie for my current actress crush Masami Nagasawa. I love melodramatic tear-jerkers these days and I knew going in that this was a sad story (you find out early on that Aki passes away), but I didn’t know that the story’s time period would also include a lot of nostalgic interest for me.

The story switches between 2004 (present day) and 1986, when the characters were in high school, which means the characters are the same age as me and Mariko. Adding to the nostalgia, Aki (Masami Nagasawa) and Saku (Mirai Moriyama) exchange messages to each other via cassette tape and it’s fun to see the old Walkman models and compact boom-boxes in action – it almost makes me want to find an old cassette player. 😁

The plot is more interesting and complex than you might expect, and there’s a bit of mystery as to who the character Ritsuko (Kou Shibasaki) really is, and how the cassette tapes connect the past to the present. But it’s the acting that really impressed me. Most of the scenes are quiet are drawn-out, so all attention is on the acting and I am happy to say that it does not disappoint. A+ from the entire cast.

I really liked that the story Crying Out Love in the Center of the World is so pure and innocent, yet can still be so moving. There’s no controversial, disturbing, or uncomfortable scenes – it’s just a story about love, loss, and trying to move on.

I rate it 9 out of 10 on the enjoyment meter!

Sri Lankan Chicken Curry

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO640
“Curry Dinner” Cedar Park, 2021

We made one of our favorite curries tonight to share with some dinner guests. It’s so nice to have (fully vaccinated) friends at our house again! The Sri Lankan Chicken Curry recipe is from The Flavor Blender, and tastes great, but what is really remarkable is that the aroma after you add the curry powder and curry leaves is incredible! If you weren’t hungry before, you are guaranteed to start craving dinner once the fragrant smells start to fill the kitchen. ☺

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO1250
“Making Curry” Cedar Park, 2021

Our guests brought over a salad, samosas, and pani puri to round out the meal. It was awesome and of course yours truly ate way too much! It was just too good.

Lunch Ride

One of the nice things about working from home is that I can go exercise on my lunch break. Today the weather was nice and cool so I decided to take Mango to the Brushy Creek Lake. It was really fun and I had so much energy!

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/6.4, 1/1250 sec, ISO320
“Mango at the Lake” Cedar Park, 2021

Now that I have two bicycles, I have a decision to make each time I go for a ride. Do I take Mango or Sophie? Both are fun (their bicycles after all) but Mango (21 years old) is more comfortable, more reliable, and more practical because of the bags. Sophie (~49 years old) is faster and more exciting, but it’ll take a few more miles of riding with Sophie for me to feel more comfortable with her reliability. I love both of my bicycles!

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec, ISO160
“Mango at the Lake” Cedar Park, 2021

Tea Time

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO1000
“Tea Time” Cedar Park, 2021

Today I took a break from my normal afternoon coffee and had some tea. It was delicious! This tea is from Taiwan and I enjoyed three cups of it. I think I might make this a habit as it seems like a more natural way to transition to the later part of the day. 🍵

First Batch of Peppers

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO1600
“Serrano Peppers” Cedar Park, 2021

This year, we have several different plants growing in our garden and on the deck. My favorites are the peppers, and the first plant to bear fruit is our Serrano plant.

Our pepper plants don’t usually survive the winter and we end up planting a whole new bunch each spring but this year, we have a lot of returning plants: two Scotch Bonnets, Jalapeño, Habañero, mint, basil, Italian parsley, and the pictured Serrano. New this year are eggplant, another Jalapeño, cilantro, green onion, and Pequin peppers.

I’m hoping we have a good and continuous harvest throughout the summer! At least enough to provide some fire to our cooking. 😁