South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami
Just a couple of weeks into the new year, and I have finished reading my first book! South of the Border, West of the Sun
by Haruki Murakami has been sitting on my shelf for a long time now (the receipt I found in the book showed that I bought it at Borders 14 years ago!). Actually I sort of forgot about it, but when I started reading it I couldn’t put it down! That happens often when I read a book by Murakami.
I won’t go into the plot of the story, but the one thing that I kept thinking as I was reading it is that I really miss Japan. This is normal a normal reaction with all his books. But I always can picture the scenes, especially the ones in the city and I can remember when I stood in the same locations as his characters. At least the same neighborhoods.
Like most of Murakami’s works, there are many details that get left unsaid and unexplained. It’s fascinating to read about everyone’s theories about these loose ends. There’s a nice thread on Reddit if you’d like to read them.
I recently bought a Patagonia MiniMass messenger bag. I have a couple of bags already, so why do I need a new one? I don’t need one, but it is nice to have a new one that fills a specific purpose.
Multiple Bags
The other day I listened to a relatively new photography podcast called “Your Itinerary” whose focus is travel photography. In that particular episode, the host interviews a VP of a camera bag manufacturer. During the conversation, the thought that no one camera bag is perfect for all situations kept coming up. I agree with this thought, and am happy that I can now feel less guilty about satisfying my love of messenger bags and backpacks.
The Current Lineup
Before I bought my new bag, I had two main bags. The first is my REI Messenger bag, with a padded insert for carrying camera gear. The second is a North Face Router backpack, also with a padded insert. Both are good for carrying my dSLR and lenses, the messenger bag being more nimble since I can get the camera out of the bag quickly. The Router holds a lot more and since it’s a backpack, the heavy load is distributed between both shoulders. If I get really tired, there is also a waist strap so I can use it as a pseudo backpacking pack.
The Missing Link
The problem with both of these is that thye are large. Lots of times I don’t want to carry them. I mistakenly thought that I could carry either of these wherever I went and have access to my beloved dSLR (actually SLT, for you purists). But now I realize that a smaller bag would be better for an “everyday carry” and since I have my Fujifilm XF1, I don’t need to carry the dSLR for general walkabout photos. The XF1 and RAW can produce some great photos.
The New Bag
I did some research online, watched video reviews, and then went to REI to check out the bags they had in person, specifically looking for a small messenger bag. The Patagonia MiniMass stood out as the best one, and REI had it on clearance! What great timing! Unfortunately, they didn’t have the color I wanted in stock, but I ordered it online and had it shipped to the store. After a week, I had the bag in my possession.
Patagonia MiniMass
So, how is the bag? In a word: Great! It’s small, but not too small, comfortable, the pockets and storage are for the most part well-thought out. I can fit everything I need into it, and in fact if I wanted to squeeze the dSLR and an extra lens in there, it could do it.
As you can see from the list, there’s a lot that I carry! But in reality, it does not weigh that much. It’s a nice little kit and I can even shoot RAW, edit on my Dell Venue 8 Pro tablet, and post to Instagram all while on the go. One useful feature of this bag is that the two cover-straps also double as compression straps, so you can expand or slim down the width of the bottom of the bag. I wish I had this on my larger messenger bag and backpack!
My Daily Carry
Of course with any bag, there are a couple of things that I’d change. Well, just one in fact! There is only a single outside pocket for a water bottle. This pocket is perfect for carrying the Fujifilm XF1 compact camera, but I wish there was another pocket on the other side so I could carry my 12oz. Liberty water bottle. Since that bottle has a handle, there may be some way to attach it.
All-in-all I love the Patagonia MiniMass messenger bag. It fits into my life perfectly!
Photo info: SONY SLT-A77V, 35mm, f/2.4, 1/350 sec, ISO100 My Bag Collection
Another tear-jerker of a movie crossed my path – and of course I enjoyed it immensely. Thanks to Hawaiian Airlines’ fantastic international service to KIX there were several movies to choose from, one of which was “I Just Wanna Hug You” (抱きしめたい ―真実の物語―) starring Kitagawa Keiko (北川 景子) as Tsukasa and Nishikido Ryo (錦戸亮) as Masami.
It’s based on the tragic true story about a young woman who is involved in a car accident which leaves her partially paralyzed and brain-damaged. At the beginning of the movie we learn that Tsukasa has already died (her son and husband are talking in front of her memorial altar), and with that eventuality revealed, the story immediately shifts to focus on her and Masami’s relationship that begins several years earlier before they are married. It’s kind of predictable, but charming and enjoyable nonetheless, with many funny scenes and of course some romantic ones as well.
Kitagawa Keiko’s acting really stands out in this difficult role, depicting someone recovering from brain damage in a realistic but not over-the-top way. I was really rooting for her because of her positive and energetic attitude even in the face of these challenges. But holy cow, there is one scene where Tsukasa’s mom shows Masami a video of when Tsukasa was going through rehab. That was really powerful and tough to watch and I am getting sad just thinking about it now! However, it really was superb acting on Kitagawa’s part. I’ve become a huge fan of hers!
Kitagawa Keiko in Dakishimetai: Shinjitsu no Monogatari
Nishikido Ryo also does a fine job as Masami, the man who falls in love with Tsukasa at first sight and pursues her 100%. His is a more straightforward role, but still something that many of us can relate to easily. In fact, I think I had the same head-over-heels kind of feeling towards Mariko as Masami had for Tsukasa! Maybe that is one reason I really liked “I Just Wanna Hug You”.
What made the movie even more moving to me was that I hadn’t seen my family in over a month and was getting closer to them every second (at Mach 8.1 according to the in-flight map!). As I alluded to in a previous blog post, I have become more emotional the more years I put on. Sometimes to the point where I read something vaguely sad in the news and then I feel a wave of emotion coming on. It’s really weird, for me at least. I’m a quiet person and was never really openly emotional or passionate growing up, so wow this is all kind of new, and not at all unpleasant, really. It’s like life is really happening and stories are being written, good and bad.
Just as in this movie, life is unpredictable but I think we make choices or shape our thoughts which can turn situations, even unpleasant ones, into those worth appreciating. Even though Tsukasa is dealt a pretty terrible hand in life, she works hard to better her situation and her life was dramatically improving. It was so sad that she passed away, especially due to the rare condition (which was totally unrelated to her disabilities).
I try to learn something from things I observe or in this case, a movie I watched, in order to better my life and those around me. From “I Just Wanna Hug You”, Tsukasa’s positive determination and Masami’s straighforward devotion show me truly admirable qualities and maybe something that all of us can strive for.
As I was looking through the list of recordings on the DVR, I came across “The Great Passage (舟を編む)” on TV Japan which Mariko must have recorded. I saw that it had subtitles so I decided to give it a go, and I am glad I did. It was a great movie, and I was captivated by the characters and story. It’s about a team of editors who are working on a new dictionary called The Great Passage. As you might expect of a story about a dictionary it’s not action-packed, however, the character development is interesting to watch and the acting was superb. The friendship between Majime (Ryuhei Matsuda) and Masashi (Joe Odagiri) is fun to watch (Odagiri is so funny) and the love story was charming, although it was only a sub-plot.
The story is set in Tokyo, starting in the year 1995. They did a good job recreating the style of the era, with accurate clothing and hairstyles. It was very natsukashii for me since I lived there from 1996. I guess that is another reason I really enjoyed the movie. It made me miss Japan and I can’t wait to live there again. But that actually happens so much when I watch Japanese movies or tv. I guess that is why I am addicted to shows that feature everyday life in Japan.
On this relaxing evening, I was in the mood for a movie just like The Great Passage. If you have the means, I highly recommend watching it. Oh, in other news, I just became Aoi Miyazaki‘s biggest fan!
I finished a book! I feel like I am on a roll! Haruki Murakami has been one of my favorite authors for a long time; I think I started reading his books in 1994, starting with Dance Dance Dance and Wild Sheep Chase. My latest Murakami read is Sputnik Sweetheart, which is typical Murakami (a good thing!). It’s got a flawed but likable main character, a mysterious friend, elusive romance, and a little mysticism thrown in. I don’t have too much to say about the actual details, but I will say that I loved the ending!
*SPOILER ALERT*
I thought for sure that Sumire would be lost forever and K would kind of just go on with his life, so when Sumire called K at the end of the story, I was really happy! How unexpected!
I also enjoyed the setting of Greece. I recently finished Murakami’s “What I Talk About when I Talk About Running” and in it he talks about running the original marathon route in Greece. I am guessing his time there is connected to writing of Sputnik Sweetheart. The hot, dry climate and intense sun painted an amazing picture that gave Sputnik Sweetheart a truly immersive experience. I loved it!
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My camera & photos
I use a Fujifilm X-series camera for most of the photos on this site and my Instagram. Why not pick one up for yourself?
