My Movie Friend, Kurosawa and Star Wars

Posted on January 12, 2010 by randomyriad
Japanese movie poster for 1958 Japanese film T...

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Watching Movies with a Friend

As I was watching Kurosawa’s “The Hidden Fortress” a few days ago, I was thinking how much my friend Pat would have enjoyed the two greedy, disloyal, and weak peasants that are the central characters. I vaguely remember seeing this film in a small art theater in Sacramento with him in the late 70’s. Later I heard that George Lucas changed some of his approaches to the original Star Wars script after watching “The Hidden Fortress”. He decided to tell the story more from the perspective of two of the side characters, R2D2 and C3PO. They like Kurosawa’s characters provide comic relief, plot complications, and some assistance. But the main point I was wanting to make was that having someone to watch movies with who really gets what you get from them is something special. I don’t care what movies they are. They don’t have to be great movies. What matters is that when the movies over there is someone who understands what you liked about it and why, or that during the movie will lean over and whisper something only you  would understand, something that happened when you where young and stupid. I miss that. My friend Pat and I were young and stupid together and watched many great and not so great films. I hope that  we will do this again soon.

Posted in California, developing relationships, scenes on screens, thinking in words, time travel | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

January Bus Diary Part I

Posted on January 11, 2010 by randomyriad

1/5

As I put my quarters in the slot, the bits of hard boiled egg still floating around in my mouth taste like blood, and remind me of the broken tooth of a few weeks ago.  I walk past a middle aged white man. I sit down and stare out the window. The man is sitting on the sideways seats at the front of the bus  facing me. He begins talking, enunciating each word and using exaggerated facial expressions. I turn toward him, ready for some crazy behavior, when I realize he is talking to a baby hidden in the carrier next to him on the seat.

“There comes the grand canyon,” he croons, “Oh yes, there it is!”

A tiny black woman with a black knit cap on her head and giant ski gloves gets  on the bus. She sits hunched and shivering in her seat. The  man with the baby begins  to talk with her.

“I am not used to this cold wedder,” She says.

“You’re not from around here then,” He says.

“No, I am from Zambia, in the south of Africa.”

“And it is warm there now?”

“Yes, it is probably quite hot.”

You just never know who you will be sharing a bus ride with.


1/6

I locked up the classroom and walked hard for the 1  1/2 miles to the bus stop, making just a minute before my bus pulled up.

1/7

A conversation that drifted  from behind me on the bus:

“I will see you later, after I stop by the “get out” center.”

“I never heard of the “get out” center.”

“It’s really the drop in center, but I call it the get out center because one time I was eating there, it was 5:01, and the guy comes up and says, “What are you still doing here!” I say, “I’m eating!” And he says, “You gotta get out. We gotta clean up.” So I hadda take my food and get out. Whoever heard of finishing dinner at 5:00. But whatya gonna do? It’s a free meal or snack, more like, since you have ta eat so fast.”

“Wo, That sucks man. So are ya gonna make it later?”

“Yeah, I gotta a few things to do after I eat, but I’ll be there around six.”

“Alright, check ya later then.”

On a different bus later that day:

The woman from Zambia sits in front of me trying to keep warm, but she is small and from a country that is never cold, so it is an up hill battle for her.

I am trying not to be old. Most of the time it works, but every now and then old things just happen to me.

Posted in Bus Writing, conversations, Other peoples words, paying attention, thinking in words, whereever you go there you are, winter | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Walking in the Sideways Rain

Posted on January 3, 2010 by randomyriad

Yesterday I walked down the hill to the lake. Rain like frozen sand pelted my face at times driven by the fierce wind. But, I noticed that after a while the noise, cold and wet ceased to be negative just different. I was not too cold or wet or endangered by the weather, though at times I heard trees just off the trail groan as they swayed in gusts. That made me a little nervous as I climbed over fallen trees that lay over the trail. There was one point when I had not seen a person for about 30 minutes that I felt as if I had wandered into a new world. I was at the top of a ridge and the trees seemed fantastic waving in the storm, the old fallen branches  lying in piles in the swamping areas just off of the trail, and roots like miniature castles lifted at the ends of tilted trees. I could hear birds calling when the wind paused. This place could easily be the magical wood of the winter unicorn. As I came down the hill back to the main trail, I saw two horses, accompanied by riders of course. Horses are so solid and muscular. Walking next to one the horses, I thought this animal could crush me so easily. It was at this point that I realized the wind had picked up and was shooting the rain sideways into my eyes and stinging my cheek, but I also became aware that I was not uncomfortable with this. I just walked on. My legs got tired. I noticed that I was getting hungry, but I was not feeling in a hurry. I could have called my wife and asked her to pick me up, but I had no desire to get home quicker. I knew that when I got home I could eat and get warm, and that was good, but walking was good too. So I walked through the wind, back up the hill, and made it home just as it was getting dark.

 

 

Here are some other photos I took on my journey. I played with some of them.

 

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is image-7.png

 

 

The Andrew Wyeth Effect

Raindrop Serendipity

Posted in Art in Nature, capturing light, paying attention, thinking in words, whereever you go there you are, Wild Life, winter, wonder world | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

A New Year, A New Way of Approaching Ideas

Posted on January 1, 2010 by randomyriad

when you offer an idea, pretend you have taken it out of your head and put it on the table in front of the group.   Whatever their reactions are, remember that they are not reacting to YOU, but to the idea..   You yourself may find that you no longer agree with the idea you first presented, but that’s OK, because it is something separate from you personally, out there on the table and no longer inside your head.

From Karen on the Reggio Emilia list 2008

Karen wrote this about how the Italian teachers discussed Ideas. Americans tend to either battle for their ideas or agree to disagree. There are other approaches. I intend to put this idea into practice. It seems like you would feel more comfortable putting out of box thinking out there if you don’t have to defend it. You can just pluck ideas from the universal pool and place them in the arena for observation, evaluation, and dissection if applicable. I hope to make many more little adjustments like this in the coming year in order to make my life make more sense. I feel I am always battling my moods and coming out worse for wear, and much of it has to do with not allowing myself enough distance from my thoughts and feelings. I need to observe myself more and actually get out there and take risks. Risks are a lot easier to manage if you are not throwing your whole sense of well being into the mix when you take them. I don’t know if any of this makes sense. Maybe tomorrow I will read this and say, “Huh? What the hell was I thinking.” But, right now this feels important to put down in writing so I can come back to it later to get a little deeper into it. I feel like I have just dented the surface of this thought. More denting and scratching will be needed to get to the bottom of this, and I have my blunt and gnarly tools ready for excavation.

Posted in All part of the process, make your own world, Other peoples words, paying attention, philosophy, Self-Experiments, Teaching and Learning, the end is the beginning, thinking in words | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

101 in 1001 Progress Report

Posted on January 1, 2010 by randomyriad

Cover of "Essential Art House: Throne Of ...

Cover of Essential Art House: Throne Of Blood

This is my 6 month check in with my 101 in 1001 list. My progress is generally spotty. There are a items finished, and a few well on their way to done. But there are also those that are barely begun, and a few that I haven’t even started on. I did change one or two to make them more realistic, but for the most part is the same list I started in June. So far the list has been a good thing to keep me motivated and paying attention to important things. It also makes me look ahead and makes some plans. So much more helpful than New Years resolutions. The only resolution I will make is to keep working on my list.

  1. Fix up my bicycle: I adjusted the brakes and greased the chain, but I haven’t really worked on it much at all.
  2. Bicycle 1001 miles. (18.5): This is one that is hampered by my location and weather. I live on a very steep hill and am not in good shape and it is always raining and windy. Maybe I will get in better shape and be less of a wimp and fix my bike up so it functions better.
  3. get to work without using my car 10 times(5):This is one I changed to being generally alternative instead of specifically about the bicycle. I walk and take the bus too.
  4. Walk 1001 miles besides what I do normally(160): I just recently started to walk to work more and have upped my pace so that I can catch up a little. I should be at about 250 miles, but I am not worried about this one.
  5. Lose 20 lbs and keep it that way. (start 202)(201)(198)(197): I am doing way better on this one than I expected. I have been at 197 for a while which is right on target for where I am headed.
  6. Learn a new sport or play one I haven’t played in a while.: I have been looking at cricket, but I can’t seem to find anyone who plays it. I might have to settle for lawn bowling or horseshoes.
  7. Play a 3 set match in tennis.: My wife and I played a lot of tennis in the summer, but like I said about the weather. I am sure to get around to playing a 3 set match with someone.
  8. Dance 1001 dances. (30): I definitely need more dancing in my life.
  9. Get a physical exam: I will be due for this next summer.
  10. Go to the dentist 3 times.: I will need more money for this. Maybe after my wife finishes nursing school.
  11. Finish my novel.: I messed around with it a little, but it still needs a lot of work.
  12. Finish the first draft of another(12,000 words): I was off to a good start in November, but got bogged down with other projects. I hope to get back to it in January.
  13. Write 5 short stories.: Not even a word on this one.
  14. Write 101 poems.(9): I feel pretty good about this one as I go through phases of inspiration where I will put out 10 or 15 poems in a month. It is a slow time right now.
  15. Write 500 journal entries. (130): I have been pretty consistent  about journaling. If I don’t feel like writing I draw.
  16. Find a writing group.: Haven’t even looked.
  17. Send 5 items to publishers.: Haven’t really looked at this either.
  18. (X)Enter a writing contest.(Writers Digest Short Story Contest): I sent in a story I wrote a while ago at the end of November. I still haven’t heard anything.
  19. Publish 400 blog posts. (36): I definitely need to pick up the pace here.
  20. Comment on 101 blogs or email discussion lists (10): and here!
  21. Finish 50 pieces of 2 dimensional art.(7): I am going to try to do two finished pieces a month, which should get me there.
  22. Finish 5 pieces of 3 dimensional art.(2) This one is more complicated, but I feel good about my progress.
  23. Take a 1001 photographs.(898): I figure by next month I will have finished this one.
  24. Become fluent in Spanish enough to complete a conference with a parent who doesn’t speak English.: I have made a few abortive stabs at studying consistently, but I failed. I need to find more hours in my day.
  25. Translate a Spanish Poem.: see #24
  26. Read a book in Spanish.: see #24
  27. Write 5 blog entries in Spanish.: see #24
  28. Watch 10 Spanish movies without subtitles: see #24
  29. Read or listen to 101 books of all sorts.(28): I will have no trouble with this one. I love to read and listen to books.
  30. Watch 20 of Akira Kurosawa’s movies with subtitles.(5) I found that our library has many of his older movies as well as the more well known ones. I have been going chronologically. I just finished watching Throne of Blood his adaptation of McBeth. I am learning so much about the strange relationship the Japanese have with materialism. It is a completely different way of looking at the world.
  31. Learn to play 5 songs well on the piano.: I still need to get a plug for my keyboard.
  32. (X) Play guitar and sing for an audience.(Many times now at BCS): I play and sing for people at my school all the time now.
  33. Write a song.: I am working a couple, but they just don’t seem to want to finish.
  34. Speak about or give a demonstration about teaching in a professional setting.: I have a class planned, but no students yet.
  35. Go to the ocean (the Sound doesn’t count, there must be waves not just wake): Maybe this summer.
  36. Go camping.: See #35
  37. Go out in a boat (sailing or paddling): See #35
  38. Listen to 50 bands or musicians I have not heard before.(15): I have been enjoying this. My library is very helpful here as I do not need to buy CD’s to listen to a good selection of music by a band.
  39. Attend 5 live music events.: I haven’t really been up for this yet.
  40. Hang out in a bar with a friend.: Or this.
  41. Have a conversation 10 people I don’t know and have no reason to talk to.: Or this.
  42. Be in 101 places I haven’t been. It doesn’t have to be far. I just have to pay attention to the fact that it is new to me even if it is right by my house. (14) I have been exploring my neighborhood and town. I did more this summer, but I am going to try to do at least one of these a week this next year.
  43. Visit my sister in Oregon: I haven’t had 2 days to rub together for a while, but again this summer might work.
  44. Visit my brother and sister and friends in California.: See #43
  45. Go to Mom and Dad’s 3 times.(1): I finally got over to see them this week which puts me on target with this one.
  46. Visit my island friend 5 times.(2): I love that island and visiting and it doesn’t take more than a day. so I will have no problem completing this one.
  47. Leave the country once.: I am working on getting my passport.
  48. Get my birth certificate or if necessary a passport. (sent for  BC): See #47
  49. Drive a motorcycle or scooter.: I was looking at scooters this summer, but never got on one.
  50. Visit a state I have never been too.: I was thinking of New Mexico maybe next year.
  51. Visit a city I have never been too.: Maybe a city in New Mexico.
  52. Read a poem I wrote out loud for an audience.: I am going to open mic poetry night next Monday and every Monday after that until I do this.
  53. Help 5 people that I don’t know (in person not a charity or candlelight vigil). Basically good Samaritan stuff.: Nothing has come up yet.
  54. Help somebody move.: No one I know wants to move.
  55. Attend 5 parties or picnics or fun gatherings and have fun. (Really not the easiest thing for me)(1): Did I tell you I am not good at parties?
  56. Kiss my wife 10,010 times (the easiest thing for me). (1875): My wife is in nursing school so I am a little behind on this one. I am sure I will catch up. I really like to kiss my wife.
  57. Have 10 days (not necessarily consecutive) without screens (computer, tv, etc)(1): The whole blogging thing makes this one a hard one.
  58. Fly somewhere, most likely in some kind of airplane.: This will probably be a next year thing.
  59. Take a train somewhere.: This too
  60. Learn 101 words in languages other than English or Spanish and use them with someone who speaks that language.: I haven’t even learned many more in Spanish.
  61. Try 5 foods I have never tried. (2): I don’t get out much these days.
  62. Try 5 foods I don’t like but haven’t tried in a while.: See #62
  63. Make a group of more than 10 people laugh on purpose. (no accidental slapstick): I am thinking maybe I will read a funny poem about killing two birds.
  64. Admit a mistake and correct it.: I am sure I have done this, but I have not noted the specific instance. So part of the challenge in this one will be to pay attention to achieving it.
  65. Buy or make 5 special gifts for no special occasion.(1): This is harder for me than I thought it would be.
  66. (X) Find a job I love.(BCS): I love my job. Unfortunately the pay sucks. So maybe I need to find a way to make a living that doesn’t involve working for other people. Most people assume if you love what you are doing you don’t need to make a living.
  67. (80%) Go through all of my stuff and get rid of things I do not use.: I am really proud of the progress I have made on this one. Of course I am highly motivated by the looming specter of moving this summer.
  68. Attend 5 church services or spiritual or religious gatherings of some kind.: I will get to this one of these days.
  69. Make 5 new friends who I keep track of on at least a monthly basis.: I am meeting new people at my work, but I haven’t made it to the friends stage yet.
  70. Take a friend out to lunch.: Everyone is so busy!
  71. (X) Get rid of the old car.(7/20/09): Yeah! With my wifes assistance.
  72. write 50o,500 words(30,420). Replaced post-graduate program goal due to lack of interest on my part.: I am writing more now. I am trying to do 1000 words a day. So though I am behind I will catch up soon.
  73. Plant and grow some flowers.: I am going to do a garden with my preschoolers this spring.
  74. Make a sound sculpture.: This is going to be another preschool project.
  75. Inspire 1001 works of children’s art by providing space, materials and encouragement.(426): I hope to finish this by this June.
  76. Make 20 good pieces of documentation about projects (books, posters, mobiles, etc.) with student help.(4): I don’t have the time I thought I would have at my new job, but I am still on target here.
  77. Record and transcribe 20 interactions in the classroom.: I have the nifty little recorder and a classroom full of very talkitive little learners. So all I have to do is turn on the silly thing.
  78. Write 20 detailed observations of deep learning.: I will get to this one starting this next month.
  79. (80%)Organize my files so that I can use them.: Again idea moving and changing jobs have helped motivate me with this one.
  80. Read 10 books I own and haven’t read. : I keep checking out books from the library.
  81. Give away something I love.: I need to find the things I love first I guess.
  82. Get a laptop.: No money/ no laptop. Maybe next year.
  83. Write in 50 different places.(1) I go to interesting new places I just forget to write there.
  84. Learn to fix something I don’t know how to fix.: Luckily nothing is breaking right now. But, I am sure I will get the opportunity.
  85. Learn to make something I don’t know how to make.
  86. Sing very loudly in a moment no one is expecting it.: I have to find the right moment.
  87. Make  a piece of art that moves. : This is another preschool project.
  88. Take a writing class or attend a writing seminar or workshop.: This is a time and money thing.
  89. Plan and complete 150 activities that inspire my creativity.(5) I have several things planned that I will get to this next year.
  90. Take some harsh but constructive criticism without being defensive.: I have not had to do this at my new job. At my old job the criticism was not so constructive.
  91. Use a critique to improve something I’m working on.: I am thinking about writing and a group. see #16. But, I am also going to teach a class for older children and will ask of a critique from my students.
  92. Find someone I disagree with on a subject that is important to me and listen to them for as long as they want to talk, only speaking to ask clarifying questions.: This one seems almost too hard.
  93. Spend a whole day purposefully listening, speaking only to let people know I am present and paying attention.: see #92
  94. Drive fast on a windy road 5 miles or more.: I love to do this. I am sure this will happen soon.
  95. Do some trail riding.: see #94
  96. Climb a tree.: I haven’t found the right tree yet.
  97. Howl at the moon. : It is just a matter of timing.
  98. Learn 3 new stories to tell out loud.: I am working on one story right now.
  99. Write a story to tell.:#98 is not my story, but I will come up with one soon.
  100. Tell a story to 5 different audiences.: See #98
  101. Commit 101 random acts of art as I am out in the world.(5): I have definitely been slacking in this department.
Posted in All part of the process, paying attention, Self-Experiments, the end is the beginning, thinking in words | Tagged , , | Leave a comment