Monday, May 11, 2009

Changes after the event

The air here is getting oppressive.

Domineering is the only smell you get.

The sense of warmth and humanity is nowhere to be found.

You can no longer hear the laugh that is full of freedom and innocence but only the silence that kills.

Escapee is what one needs to be.

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Ramen Girl


A young American woman; Abby was unexpectedly abandoned by her boyfriend and finds herself suddenly alone and aimlessly working in Tokyo. Feeling lost in the foreign culture, Abby end up hanging out in a ramen shop opposite her apartment. After seeing the delightful effects of the shop's ramen on the customers, Abby convinces herself that her true path in life is to become a ramen chef. She wanted to let those people whom are depressed gets happy after they eat the ramen she cooks, just like what the ramen chef had done.

Abby persuades the shop's tyrannical, temperamental Japanese master chef to teach her the skills. Although their relationship is constantly filled with shouting and yelling, they both discover the most important ingredient of all; each ramen bowl must be cook with passion, feelings and spirit.

It is not just a movie about cooking ramen. It consists even more. It shows that everyone of us should be what we really want to be and not to be what our parents want us to be. It also tells a story of if you are persistent enough you can succeed in anything just like Abby surpassing the barriers of culture and the out of the ordinary occupation for her (she study law, and doing legal work!).

I always wanted to go to Tokyo, to just randomly settle myself into any of this ramen shop on the street. After watching Ramen Girl, the interest to visit the International Ramen Museum in Japan is growing as well.

I like to eat ramen, likes to go Ken Noodles House to curb my urge if I can :)

And indeed, after watching this movie, I overheard couples of parents bringing their children to eat ramen!