move review: lost in translation

it's interesting that i have yet to read a favorable review of this movie, but almost all my friends who have seen it, really like it. I certainly liked it, partially because of my own experience having been lost in a culture I can't quite comprehend. I think it captured the feeling rather well, and I did not mind its lack of plot, and slowness. I found it quite refreshing in fact.

book review: the girl with the pearl earring

a beautifully rendered coming of age story. a smart and sassy young girl forced by poverty into the service of a wealthier family -- the family of one of the dutch masters. her intelligence and beauty lead her into great things, but also a great deal of trouble trying to weather the turmoils of the household, never able to get on the good side of everyone. She does get to witness and participate and help the great painter, Veermeer, do his work. We get a glimpse of this process and can imagine why it and the man captivate her. And vice versa. It will be interesting to see how the movie comes out.

lovely fall

The weather is gray gray gray, and on the cool side. which most people hate, but i find quite nice -- makes me nostalgic for Michigan falls. It was even more like fall up in Seattle where Liz and I went for a wedding a few weekends back. Steel gray clouds, a chill wind, and falling leaves. It made me think of being a kid and out with the family on a Sunday afternoon, trodding through the leaves in Maybury State Park or someother such location. Still I hope our summer is quite over yet. Even though we had some really warm days it did not seem like we had enough over all. But maybe I'm being greedy.

I do have a hard time remembering patterns in the weather. When does it usually get cold, when are the warmest days, when does it begin to rain. Maybe its because in all reality SF weather does not really vary that much. There's a rain season and a non rain season, and there is more fog and more heat in the non-rain season. That would about do it.