August 1999

  • 1999 Victoria Fringe Festival
    I am back in Victoria BC for another stint as a locum tenens pathologist with the Capital Health Region. My evenings are free, so I have been able to see a few of the theatrical offerings at this year's iteration (the 13th) of Victoria's annual festival of alternative theatre. Some of these shows may also be presented at Vancouver's Fringe Festival in September:

    • Goddess (Sensible Footwear, Toronto ON) ****
      A woman raised as a Briton recounts her search for her Mediterranean roots and the Greek father she never knew. For those who somehow always knew they did not fit in, the value of finding out why. (Later in the week, writer/actor Alex Dallas came to eat at the same Greek restaurant as me!)

    • Stop the Relationship! I Want to Get Off! (No Junkmale Productions, Victoria BC) ***
      Originally titled Men are from Mars and I don't want to commute. An attractive young cast of four (two women and two men) perform funny song and dance numbers about dating and relating (actually reworked well-known Broadway showstoppers by the likes of Cole Porter and Stephen Sondheim), including: Why? Cause I'm a Guy - an inventory of bad male behaviour, The Tennis Song - a rally of double entendres, Tearjerk - macho guy breaks down at a "chick flick", You Can Have the TV - a breakup song and one of the few serious moments, Always a Bridesmaid - a woman reflects on how she has better taste in men and dresses than her married friends. The energy level wavered a bit on occasion, as did some of the vocals, but overall it was an enjoyable time.
    (30-31 August 99)

  • R&R with R&R
    On my way to Victoria, I stopped by to visit with my friends and fellow Toronto escapees R&R in Vancouver BC. They left The Big Smoke a year and a half ago, about the time I did.

    • Tapastree
      Small tapas portions allow one to sample from the moderately sized and priced menu. Better than most. Seared tuna was a bit overcooked. Best: Salmon. Quiet location on a West End side street. A patio and foldback windows make this a popular place on warm sunny evenings like this one.

    • C_________
      Dessert was at this newer addition to Vancouver's dining scene. The restaurant juts out onto the water of Coal Harbour, among expensive yachts and cruising boats. The decor is modern, open-concept, with lots of wood. When the place is full (as it usually is) a constant the buzz of a hundred conversations bounces around the high ceiling. It seems to be a favorite watering hole for NHL hockey teams passing through: on their visitor wall are autographs of the likes of Wayne Gretzky and Mike Keenan.

    • Stanley Park
      On a wet Sunday morning we walked around this great mass of greenery in the middle of downtown Vancouver and came across the Japanese Canadian Veterans Monument, a memorial to those who died serving in Canada's armed forces. Built in the early 1920s by the then-thriving local Nikkei community, most of the names on the monument are those of World War I soldiers, although small plaques honour a few from World War II (during which draft-eligible JCs had their rights as citizens taken away) and the Korean War. The base and column of the monument are European, and the names are all in Roman letters, in the Western style -- given name first and family name last. But at the top, almost out of sight when one looks up, is an Asian-looking building. (The National Japanese American Memorial Foundation is raising funds to build a monument in Washington DC honoring Japanese American veterans.)
      Elsewhere in the park, we could look from outside the Vancouver Aquarium into the seal and beluga whale tanks. The whales, looking like marshmallow men, were practicing their tricks. Amazingly agile creatures given their size.

    • Mickey Blue Eyes (USA 1999; Dir: Kelly Makin) ***
      British expat Michael (Hugh Grant) plans to marry into a New York mafia family. Not original, but good lighthearted fun. Hilarious scene of "Mickey" trying to speak like a gangster. "Shaddup. Figeddaboudit. Giddaddaheah."

      One of the trailers before the show was for the soon-to-be-released movie version of Snow Falling on Cedars. It was a bit muddled and hard to figure out what the story was about, even if you had read the book! (If you haven't, it is about the internment of Japanese Americans during World War Two.) Hopefully this just reflects bad editing of the trailer, rather than the quality of the film itself. The Hollywood marketers appear to have decided that a love story will sell better than a socially conscious historical drama.

    (28-29 August 99)

  • Another Truffaut Double Bill
    Casting a Human Spell: The Films of Francois Truffaut
    continues at the Northwest Film Center

    • 400 Coups (400 Blows) (France 1959; Dir: Francois Truffaut) **
      Truffaut's directorial debut and the first Antoine Doinel film shows the humble origin of the series' protagonist. Nice to see for the sake of completeness, but I fell asleep about halfway through (boredom or jet lag?). Some beautiful black-and-white shots of old Paris. ( Review by somebody who stayed awake through the whole film)

    • Tirez sur la pianiste (Shoot the Piano Player) (France 1960; Dir: Francois Truffaut) ***
      Charles Aznavour plays a shy barroom pianist whose past catches up with him. Hopes and fortunes rise and fall like a scale or arpeggio. His calm exterior belies his churning inner thoughts, of which we get glimpses through occasional voiceovers.
    (24 August 99)

  • I am just back from Japan and what I will call my Sea to Sky Tour (*** UNDER CONSTRUCTION ***). The in-flight movies I saw were:
    • Election (USA 1999; Dir:Alexander Payne) ***
      A Student Council election brings out the worst in everybody at an American high school. Hilarious -- and very realistic (believe me)! Makes one wonder what was going on in the after-school lives of one's teachers back then.

    • Go! (USA 1999; Dir: Doug Liman) ***
      Stay out of trouble -- be careful how you choose your friends. A well-crafted variation on the Pulp Fiction theme, with multiple interweaving storylines about less-than-legitimate pursuits. Great soundtrack.
    (11-24 August 99)

  • I am running out of server space on GeoCities, so I moved the Canadian Japanese Hockey League home page to a new address in cyberspace: http://pages.hotbot.com/sports/runker_room/cjhl.html. Yes, it is largely just an archive of a season long since past (1997-1998) and the photos are not current (my old team, Japan Camera, apparently switched to Colorado Avalanche colors last season), but I thought the league history and links page might still be of use to somebody out there.
    (10 August 99)

  • Domicile Conjugale (Bed and Board) (France/Italia 1970; Dir: Francois Truffaut) ***
    Another installment in Truffaut's Antoine Doinel series. Antoine ( Jean-Pierre Léaud), now with a beautiful wife, Christine (Claude Jade - as she is today) and new baby, feels compelled to have an affair with exotic Kyoko (Hiroko Berghauer), a Japanese woman living in Paris. Eventually he tires of sitting on the floor of her apartement, eating strange food, and having to do all the talking himself (Stereotype Warning!! Definitely NOT like some Japanese women I know). He tries to return to Christine, but will she have him back?
    (09 August 99)

  • Portland Saturday Sunday Market
    The sun reappeared today, making for a crowded time at the market down in Portland's Old Town. It is called the "Saturday Market", but it has operated on Sundays as well for some time now -- they should just call it the "Weekend Market". What was meant to be a swift surgical strike ended up being a protracted afternoon, once I started listening to the featured band, Portland's Kerosene Dream (Eagles + Nitty Gritty Dirt Band + Hootie and the Blowfish) and enjoying a Mexican lunch and handmade Oregon Marionberry ice cream from the food vendors.
    (08 August 99)

  • Portland Obon-fest '99
    I went to the Portland Buddhist Temple this evening to take in part of Obon-fest '99.
    (07 August 99)

  • Saké Run
    This afternoon I drove 30 minutes west of Portland to the Tasting Room and Outlet Store of Momokawa Premium Saké Brewery (now SakéOne), the only saké brewery in Oregon. I wanted to get some of their infused saké, a new product that is apparently not available in Japan. Flavoring saké is a bit like sacrilege in Japan, but we'll see what my relatives have to say about it. You get a 20% discount if you buy four bottles -- worth the trip!
    SakéOne Tasting Room and Outlet Store, 820 Elm Street, Forest Grove OR, 1-800-550-7273. Tastings 12 noon - 5:00 p.m. daily; Brewery tours on Saturdays 12:00-2:00 p.m.
    (06 August 99)

  • Casting a Human Spell: The Films of Francois Truffaut
    During the month of August, the Northwest Film Center is presenting newly restored prints of 16 films by the French master director Francois Truffaut. Tonight I saw a double bill:

    • Jules and Jim (Jules et Jim) (France 1961; Dir: Francois Truffaut) **
      The story of a menage a trois between two young men (Oskar Werner and Henri Serre) and the capricious woman they both love (Jeanne Moreau). The film covers a long period, from 1912 to the beginnings of fascist Germany, and just as much psychological territory. Based on a novel by Henri-Pierre Roche -- I think the book might go into more depth and be more satisfying.
      Signs of the time: steam locomotives, bathing costumes, neck ribbons for men
      Memorable quote: "The future belongs to the curious."

    • Stolen Kisses (Baisers Volés) (France 1969; Dir: Francois Truffaut) ***
      This light comedy follows Antoine Doinel (the boy in Truffaut's debut 400 Blows) into young adulthood as he bumbles through various jobs around Paris: soldier, hotel night watchman, private investigator, shoe store stockboy and television repairman. He isn't particularly good at anything, yet he has an apartment with a commanding view of Montmartre and beautiful women can't seem to stay away from him. (How realistic is this?) The detective agency is a rich source of quirky characters and strange goings-on. It helps to know French, as there often two or three simultaneous conversations and the subtitles can only translate one of them. At the end, a sweet marriage proposal scene sets Antoine up for his next stage in life (and next film, Bed and Board).
      Signs of the time: rotary telephones, typewriters, vacuum tube televisions and Paris' subterranean pneumatic mail delivery system.
      Memorable quote: "People are wonderful."
    (06 August 99)

  • Book Binge
    I was walking by Pioneer Square in downtown Portland today and happened upon a special book sale put on by the famous Powell's Bookstore. Apparently every year about this time, they gather all the books that have too many copies or have not been selling well and offer them up at clearance prices. The prices get lower as the multiple-day sale goes on. Today was the last day of this year's event, and hardcovers were only $1.50, paperbacks $0.25! It's a steal if you can find something you like. (The selection was still quite good.)
    (05 August 99)

  • The Blair Witch Project (USA 1998; Dir: Eduardo Sanchez & Daniel Myrick) ***
    A Real Life episode from Hell! Three filmmaking students go camping in the Maryland forest in search of a fabled witch and encounter more than they bargained for. The whole film is handheld video and 16 mm footage, shot by the actors themselves, creating a sense of reality. A suspenseful mood is maintained and crescendos to a chilling climax, all without high-priced special effects. Great low-tech storytelling, and a refreshing antidote to overblown Hollywood blockbusters!

    I saw this film at Cinema 21 with my OHSU Medical Informatics classmates Jim and Jason. Afterwards we went to the Blue Moon, the local McMenamin's Pub, to calm our nerves with some of their house brew and ponder questions the film raised, such as, "What was that stuff in the stick bundle?"
    (02 August 99)

  • Bubblers Capped
    Benson Bubbler
    Pre-capping
    Benson Bubbler
    One of the first things I noticed on my return to Portland today was a change to one of the city's distinctive features, the Benson Bubblers. Alarmed at the contribution of alcohol consumption to the absentee rate among his employees, lumber baron Simon Benson commissioned these distinctive brass water fountains in 1912 as a public, non-alcoholic way to wet one's whistle. They have been happily bubbling away on almost every downtown street corner -- until now. City Hall has seen fit to cap the bubblers, probably in the interests of water conservation (although one wonders why it should be a concern in a place that gets so much rain). Three of the heads are permanently shut off; the fourth has been retrofitted with a modern chrome push-button water fountain spout. The effect is less than aesthetically pleasing -- couldn't they have at least matched the colour?
    Winter 1999 Update - Now that it is raining almost every day, I see that the Bubblers are flowing freely again, so the capping must have been a summer water conservation measure. Capping detail must keep a few city employees busy in the public works department! (TH, 18 Dec 1999)

    You can see a Benson Bubbler water fountain in Japan, in Sapporo's Odori Park. Portland Garden, Portland Square and Portland Pavillion are other evidence that the Hokkaido capital is Portland's sister city.
    (01 August 99)

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