I know you’re all waiting on tenterhooks with bait…
I know you’re all waiting on tenterhooks with baited breath for my opinion of Episode II. Well, you can get out the Scope and Ibuprofin now, because I really enjoyed it. I feel a bit like I’m the only one who did, though, especially after reading all of the horrible reviews. But you know what? Episode II was just Star Wars, pure and simple. It had all of the wooden acting, inane dialogue, groan-inducing bad jokes, and questionable plot progression of the original trilogy. It also had all of the excitement, jaw-dropping action sequences, and atmosphere of its forebears. The fact that the critics panned Anakin’s hairstyle and Padme’s wardrode in such a desperate tone indicates to me that they were dead set against this film before they even entered the theater. Relax! It’s Star Wars, for cryin’ out tears! It ain’t Citizen Kane we’re talking about here. And thank god for that.
I saw the movie with Dean, Kay, Eoghain and Dave, all former denizens of the 70’s Airport Love Palace. After wandering around in the afterglow of the movie for a bit, we went our seperate ways. I realized that I had forgotten my sword and had to go back home and get it before going all the way across town for sword practice last night, where I successfully resisted the temptation to make lightsabre noises as I went through the forms.
I really need to start learning more new stuff, I think. I might look into another class. Tui-shou class is on Thursday, which, unfortunately, is also when the Taiwanese class is. I can learn Taiwanese on my own, though, perhaps. I’m just too damn lazy. For sword and martial arts in general, I need actual instruction. I also need a new sword for contact practice. I would like a nice sword but 1) I haven’t found one that’s really my style, 2) I couldn’t afford one anyway, and 3) it would just get banged up, bent, and eventually broken just like the last one.
After sword practice I decided to walk over to the Droid Control Ship, aka the Core Pacific Center on Civic Blvd., but as I was walking down Sanmin Road a brand-new silver BMW 540i suddenly pulled over and stopped right next to me. I am usually suspicious of particularly nice cars here, since they tend to be driven by shady characters. For a moment I went through a mental list of Known Gangsters I May Have Offended Recently while wondering how quickly I could get a weapon out of my bag, but it turned out to be a couple of my fellow sword students, offering me a ride. I took them up on their offer and chatted with them as we glided through the sea of scooters to the nearest MRT station. It was an oddly detached experience. I’m not used to riding in cars in this city, much less really nice ones. On the MRT I took some pictures out the window, capturing my reflection along with the urban nightscape in photos that not unsuitable for the Mirror Project, actually.
So here I am back at the office after an interesting weekend. It’s a bit anticlimactic, I must say. A large group of gawking visitors, mostly student types who most likely hold romantic notions about the advertising industry, just crowded by, making me feel very much like I was part of a zoo exhibit. Earlier a representative from Coca Cola was trying to get the woman who runs our company store to stock Coke in the fridge along with Pepsi. I took the opportunity to tell him that I thought that Qoo juice tastes bottled bat urine. He seemed to take it well. “It’s for kids,” he replied.
“Bat urine for kids, then,” I said.
“Well, some Taiwanese women like it too.”
“Which ones?”
“The ones that like to think that they’re still kids,” he said, and I nodded, thinking of Whiny Woman. She’d love Qoo Bat Urine (one of the ingredients is supposedly “Optimism”. I am not making this up).
On the “Poagao’s Really Slow Quest for a New Lair” front, at the party Saturday Sandman, also of Oriented fame, informed me that he might know of a not-too-expensive room overlooking the Xindian River and within walking distance of the MRT. Actually, due to alcohol consumption, I’m not sure whether he said “overlooking” or just “in” the river, since I know several houses have actually fallen off the cliff into the river in that area. I hear the rent’s cheaper that way, but TV reception sucks. I’d like to see it in any case, as well as the area around Maoman’s abode, where, he claims, one can enjoy nature, i.e. all kinds of disgusting insects accompanying and even perhaps a part of one’s breakfast every morning, only a short walk from the subway line.