Hiroshima Day

I have only ever read one book about that day, and watched one film.  The book was a really old one, published not too long after the bombing.  It was written, if I remember correctly, by a Look Magazine writer, and contained several articles that had appeared there.  The articles were all based on eye witness accounts from survivors, and read like the most unbelievable horror story ever written.  I read the book several times, and also lent it out often.  It is missing from my shelf, so it is likely gone for good.  But not the memories of it.  The movie I saw was Japanese, called Black Rain, and it dealt with survivors from the outskirts, and how they all died prematurely from radiation posioning.

It's sad to think that most people know little to nothing about Hiroshima, at least on an up close and personal basis.  Deb and I met Taeko, a Japanese student at the time, on our U. of Windsor summer trip to Madrid.  She was living in Windsor back then, going to school.  We hung out together a lot and became good friends.  She was from Hiroshima, and her dad had gone to ground zero the day after the blast.  She didn't have much to say about the bombing, except how sad it made her to think of it, but she said that the peace monument in Hiroshima is certainly worth a visit.  Perhaps I'll get there someday.

This might be a good time to post another recent painting of Dino's....  As far as I know it is untitled.

A recent painting by Dino, which he calls The Migrants.  It's a very tranquil piece, and the colours are very soothing.

In movie news, we have watched two films recently.  Deb's weekend pick last time is called When Pigs Fly, from 1993.  It's a strange little ghost story about a single man and his dog who receive a chair as a gift.  Along with the chair comes two ghosts, a murdered woman (played by Marianne Faithful) and a little girl who died of fever in the chair, rocked by her mother.  It's a sweet film, though of course the climax had to include a hand gun and some shooting.  Aside from this, it's a good watch.  It is not a horror movie, but sort of a sly comedy, with drama.

Now showing on Criterion.

My choice was a documentary by Wim Wenders, from 1985.  Called Tokyo-Ga, it seeks to find glimpses of Japanese life that might still survive, based on the films of Yasujiro Ozu.  We recently saw that director's film Good Morning, but still have several of his major films to view.  Wenders was making Paris, Texas at the time.  During a break in shooting he went to Tokyo and shot his footage, but it was not edited for two years afterwards.  It's a fascinating, albeit narrow, look at the great city, and also includes an interview with Ozu's favourite actor, and his camera man.  Not a great film, but there is lovely photography, a guest appearance by Werner Herzog, atop the Tokyo Tower, and a nice tie in with Jim Jarmusch's Mystery Train.

Now showing on Criterion Channel.

Mapman Mike

A Day In The County

Specifically, we went to Kingsville, billed as Canada's most southerly town.  Tuesday and Wednesday were both sunny days (but cloudy nights), but the wind was too strong to lure me outside much.  Some yard clean up continues, though nothing too strenuous.  Thursday was a lovely day, so we finally had an outing in Essex County.  It has been postponed since early September.  I have a beer passport (purchased for $25) that gets me a flight of samples from many breweries in the city and county.  Three of them are in Kingsville, so I managed to get one new stamp.

We ate lunch downtown there at a cafe with several vegan options.  We had soup, and split an order of gnocchi.  We had enough gnocchi to bring home for dinner.  Next we went down to the lake, where the town has a large, beautiful park right on the lake (Erie).  We walked around a bit, took some photos, enjoyed the beautiful weather and hazy sunshine, then headed back downtown for coffee (and beer).  The Banded Goose Brewery is also home to a coffee lounge, so we hit two geese with one stop.  Kingsville is the home to Jack Miner, which is now a bird sanctuary, so there is a lot of goose related stuff in town.

I had a four serving sampler.  It would normally have cost around $12, nearly half of my passport price.  But the flight was complimentary.  Their samples are 7 oz imperial, so there was a lot of ale to drink.  It took me awhile, but I managed.  I also left the premises with a very large can of one of their offerings I hadn't yet tried.  I'm saving it for Samhain.

 Two shots of Lake Erie, into the Sun, from Kingsville.

Different location.  Same lake, same Sun.

One of three craft taprooms in downtown Kingsville.  The Banded Goose is also a cafe, serving Chance coffee.

Looking out.  Another brewery taproom sits right across the street.  A new one is opening soon nearby.

Our table overlooks the brewing tanks.  French press coffee has arrived; the beer is on its way.

Two of my four samples:  the ginger beer, and the coffee one.

Tap list.  I had Kicka Ginger, Purple Haze, Brain Damage, and Cool Beanz.  I took home an enormous can of The Quaker Oatmeal Stout.  

We have a trip to Detroit planned next week, to visit a brand new brewery, as well as a viewing of the Day of the Dead exhibit at the DIA.  The excitement never stops around here.

Deb's movie pic this week was a 1968 cult movie called Girl On A Motorcycle.  Marianne Faithful isn't hard to look at when she was 22 years old.  Neither is Alain Delon at 33 years.  But there isn't much more to do than that when watching this film.  Marianne rides her motorcycle a lot, and we see her get up early, sneak off from her teacher/husband, and go to Heidelberg to meet her lover.  Since she has flashbacks on her journey from France to Germany, we often see her travelling there, over and over.  Some of the photography is quite lovely.  But then comes the inevitable psychedelic patterns over scenes of her riding, making love, and even skiing.  Though it is a drug-free movie (except for alcohol and tobacco), I'm guessing that the director expected lots of high audience members, so he tried to accommodate them.  Or something.  Well, anyway, Marianne sure is pretty, and Alain is really handsome.

One of many posters for the film.  Now showing on Criterion.  

And speaking of Criterion, this is film festival weekend!  My choice this time, and I have picked three Val Lewton b & w classics.  More later.

Mapman Mike