After the Voyage

Today's Haiku


on the twilight beach
a bony branch earns its rest
after the voyage


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The Face of Another

The other day when my partner and I were about to go out, he told me to hurry up. Then I shouted back to him, 'Wait, I have to finish my make-up!!!!'. I rarely go out without wearing make-up. I feel I definitely need to 'make my face' properly, otherwise I feel really bad and as if I was not myself. According to my partner it doesn't matter whether I wear make-up or not. But it DOES matter for me. Why? Don't know. I just do it. Do I change myself by make-up? No. Can anyone change his/her personality by make-up? Can anyone become another person? I don't think so. Fundamentally I am me, you are you. Make-up never changes the person.

DVD 'The Face of Another' (the British Film Institute)

I would like to introduce a book/film titled 'The face of Another' written by Kobo Abe, my favourite Japanese author. In this story, the main character loses his face because of an accident during a chemical experiment. His face gets lots of scars and keloids. After the accident, he loses his confidence, as his wife behaves coldly and refuses to make love with him. He drives himself and decides to create 'a fake face', a mask which is delicately made with artificial skin, looks like a real face when he wears it. His doctor creates this. With the new face, he looks very handsome young man, which satisfies him. Wearing it, he plans to pretend to be a stranger and seduce his wife to see if she is really loyal to her husband. And the result is....

I tell you again. A fake face naver changes the fundamentals of human. I would say, if my partner did the same thing as the guy of 'The Face of Another', I would spot him at once as my partner. The eyes would tell it's him, the small movements would tell it's him, and the aura would tell IT'S HIM, NO ONE ELSE!!!

This story asks 'What is being yourself?'. Quite philosophical, moralistic, sad and funny. You can read the book or watch the film (DVD). The book was written in 1964 and the film was made in 1966. I recommend both, but the film is especially beautiful and easier to understand.

So, what is your real face? Tell me....


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Angels and Demons

The film I am very very looking forward to watching now is 'Angels and Demons' which is the adaptation of the novel by Dan Brown, directed by Ron Howard, starring Tom Hanks. I quite liked the previous film of the series 'The Da Vinci Code', and am expecting to be given a big thrill by the new film. It will be out on May 14 in the UK...I have to go to cinema!!!

It was 2003 when I visited Rome and the State of the Vatican City, the place appears in the novel and the fim. I didn't know much about Christianity and this central authority of Roman Catholic. I just thought 'Wooow...this place looks magnificent...' And later when I read Dan Brown's book 'Angels and Demons' I remembered the churches, chapels and the square my partner and I visited, noticing the place was the real centre of holiness.

I still remember Swiss Guards standing still in front of the gate, sometimes moving by rule as if they were clockwork robots. They appear in the novel (and of course in the film) as well. When I smiled at one of the guards, he very very slightly smiled back to me, and I thought 'Oh, he is human! What a lovely smile!' I wanted to do something more to make them laugh, but I wasn't brave enough to be naughty...I am an angel...not a demon...no doubt about that...

Anyway, I am looking forward to seeing Vatican again in the new film, being on the edge of my seat, clinging onto my partner and scattering popcorn...ha ha.


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