Bonjour Niko !

Her

hellonico — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 18:32:44 +0000

Her by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, is a truly impressive achievement. It’s like rediscovering the beauty of the language, going through thousands of emotions in a few words, feeling your heart beating with each dot, being out of breath until the end of a sentence, hearing the music of a typewriter as you read every single letter. Some sentences, words repeat themselves, on purpose, to the point of pulling you inside the typhoon of “her” mysteries.

It’s like a story. It’s like a dream.

Wave

hellonico — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 06:31:22 +0000

A little girl came playing around today,
Playing with the Ocean, seagulls and rays,
Of sun, and the touch of sand,
like happiness touching the girl’s hand.

Thank you Suzy Lee for those nice waves.

Fooled by randomness

hellonico — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:42:27 +0000

I’ve just finished an awesome book this week, from that author Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Pretty hard to get his point through, but I think the most significant quote I have on it, is “The only thing Lady Fortuna doesn’t have a hand on, is your behavior” . I think that is pretty well explained. Basically we need to react to whatever is happening to us, and that’s the root of one’s strength, as opposed to any specific knowledge we may have aquired so far.

Nassim is a genius. Not only is the book proposing some very interesting theories (whether you agree or not, is another story) but it’s also a delight to read. The chapters are filled with funny to read quotes, easy to understand examples, and . have to say, I was really impressed by the references section at the end of the book.

The book is on amazon of course, and the funny point is that two versions of that book have very different comments.

Definitely my best book of the year so far.

On my way to read the “Black Swan”, which looks like is taking the whole idea one step higher. Keep posted.

Jehro

hellonico — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 00:42:03 +0000

I’m in love with a CD this week. The album is just what’s needed for the summer. You can find it on Amazon

The music is a lift to happiness, full of notes, quotes, nice tunes, lifting up, down, up making a good start for the day, and a good way to enjoy a conversation with friends or family, and even, makes you ready for sweet dreams after a tough day of relentless work.

Incredibly nice.

Vibrator by Mari Akasaka

hellonico — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 02:54:20 +0000

The book is about a lonely Japanese girl in her thirties, trying to hang on through life by means of alcool and sex. The book describes much about the Japanese working people of today, and its absence of limits, in good or bad.
Vibrator in-depth and highly skilled writing is richer in thoughts and in language than Snakes and earrings. All in all, those are two stories about lonely and (pretty) sick girls, the Japanese way. Paradoxally, the girl in Snakes and earrings sounded more mature than Rei from Vibrator, more into seeking ways of getting out, ways of being happy of what is there.

This is tending for me to say that Snakes and Earring was a better read, than Vibrator ; the emotion was better transcripted, the naturalness of the characters I could explain, understand grasp as well.
Even though I had a good time reading Mari Akasaka, a good third of the book (about 30 pages) lost my attention, focus and understanding of the two characters:

The sickness of the girl is explained, but it kept my attention on how she went through life with such handicaps and disorders.
The background of the guy is impressive, and scary (wonder where Mari got all the details from the Yakusa organizations she described so well). If such people can go freely in Japan, the country doesn’t sound so safe anymore …

I guess, as the Guardian described it, that I should read the Miso Soup, from Ryuu Murakami .. and that’s what I’m on to now.

Moment of peace

hellonico — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 08:29:49 +0000

Japan Atlas: Yaku Island has some of the oldest trees in the world, and provide a haver of peace for birds and other species…

hebi piasu

hellonico — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 05:28:01 +0000

I've just finished one of those novel that you should read while in Japan.

Hebi piasu from Kanehara Hitomi. Quick paced, really intimately impressive, and a way to describe feelings far outwriting other older writers.

She has won the Akutagawa Prize of 2003, and here's a nice link of all the authors that have ever won the prize so far.

Found a postcard …

hellonico — Sun, 25 Jun 2006 23:55:27 +0000

Chihiro Art Museum : is the place where to go to find art from this brilliant artist: Chihiro Iwasaki. The softness of her painting is driven my touches of little drop of paint, and thousands of drops of feelings.

Ashibi nu chura saa ninju nu sunawai

hellonico — Sat, 24 Jun 2006 04:08:31 +0000

"The more the merrier." the Okinawaian way. Went to a nice Okinawaian place in Shibuyas yesterdaty evening called アーリーズ. The place had a really small second floor, with bed sheets on top of the head, the place was around 40 degrees, but the sake was pouring nicely, and softly. All this to say that I would like to visit Okinawa someday.

Theme parks around the world

hellonico — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 04:42:22 +0000

Wow — how many roller coasters have you been on in your life ?

That irish guy has a really impressive photo collection.