michael lambe

Sherlock Holmes

admin — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:45:09 +0000

Having seen the trailer I wasn’t expecting much of this movie. I was expecting it to be a rather empty-headed action-comedy-caper with quirky old Robert Downey Jr. playing the legendary Baker Street sleuth as pretty much quirky old Robert Downey Jr. But on Saturday Mewby and I went to see it. And do you know, the trailer doesn’t do it justice at all. We really enjoyed Sherlock Holmes. It’s a rollicking adventure, a first-rate piece of entertainment and a very nice retake on the Sherlock Holmes legend! You can still recognize the great detective in Robert Downey Jr.’s performance though his eccentricities are now more obvious and his great genius, so useful for deduction and forensic analysis, proves a source of pain both in his personal relationships and in his encounters with bland society. Given this take on Holme’s nature I think maybe Mr. Downey was the best man for the job. Jude Law’s performance also as the sturdy, loyal, yet irritated companion is a nice foil to Holmes and his invaluable aid and friendship is something Holmes is terrified of losing. And though many have complained about this adaptation – a lot of the details in this movie come direct from the source material you know. There are those who will say “Downey’s not a patch on Jeremy Brett!” but you know back in the 80’s when Brett was on the box my Dad always said he wasn’t a patch on Basil Rathbone! Perhaps because I grew up watching Doctor Who (an obvious Holmes descendant) and have remained a loyal fan through the Timelord’s latest incarnations I don’t mind so much when a new actor explores a much beloved character – in fact I find it refreshing. And let’s not be too precious about the subject matter. Conan Doyle’s original stories are not high literature to be revered and handled like fine china. They are very fine pieces of entertainment at the heart of which lies a legendary friendship. This movie entertains. It’s fun. And in this movie that legendary friendship is given fine expression. I’ve included the trailer here, but you’d be better off just going to see the movie really (some clips in this trailer never actually made it to the finished movie anyway). Mewby and I are both looking forward to the sequel so clearly set up at the end of the film. Who will play Holme’s arch-nemesis I wonder?

Sherlock Holmes books and movies are also available at amazon.co.jp.
Sherlock Holmes books and movies are also available at amazon.co.uk.

Friday night in Joao

admin — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 11:01:23 +0000

Drunk girls love Koji’s pasta!

How Did I Spend St. Patrick’s Night?

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 07:08:31 +0000

By not going to any Irish pubs. On St. Paddy’s night Irish pubs in Kyoto are generally full of very loud and drunk young American men – and frankly that doesn’t appeal (no offense intended to all you quiet, mature American types). So I went to Joao instead to try out some of Koji’s famous pasta and of course once the place had filled up a bit the usual hi-jinks ensued.

Family Photos

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:47:31 +0000

Some family photos from Britain and Ireland… My dad had two funerals, one in the church he attended for 43 years in Middlesbrough and one back in his home parish of Skerries before being buried in the family grave at Lusk. As you can see from the photos from the reception – I have a lot of cousins (and that’s only half of them!).

Here are some pictures from Skerries, Ireland:

After we got back to the UK, I stuck around for a bit to keep my mother company. We were due to go to Whitby for a day out one day, but the bus that goes there continues on to Scarborough. “Shall we go to Scarborough?” says my mom with a little twinkle in her eye. So we did. My mom loves Scarborough.

On Friday the 5th of March we finally did go to Whitby. “Not as good as Scarborough,” says my mom.

Daddy

admin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:34:07 +0000

My father, Richard Joseph Lambe, passed away peacefully on Tuesday February 16th. He was a quiet, hard-working man, a keen gardener and his greatest achievement remains his family; five children and three grandchildren. All of his children were able to say goodbye to him before he went and at 92 years old he had a good long life – but as my mother says “It’s never long enough”.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon…

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 10:19:19 +0000

Just a few snapshots from last Sunday. We were too late for the antiques market but we had a bit of a stroll around Toji’s temple grounds anyway.

Then on into town for a light meal at Vanilla (which you can read more about here).

We stayed there for a while and had a bit of a read – I was reading my book about machiya. It was making me a bit sad though reading about how many old machiya have been lost and looking at photos of the destruction unfolding… So we went for a stroll towards Teramachi and on a whim had a go at one of those “UFO catcher” machines. Oddly enough we won!

Only problem with that though was that Mewby had to carry a giant pink Stitch around with her for the rest of the evening – looking a looney. Stitch in toe – we did some purikura. This particular purikura machine puts too much contrast into the eyes so Mewby comes out looking like some kind of strange anime character:

And then on for a nice dinner at Apollo (which you can read about here). Nice place Apollo. We like it a lot.

The Company You Keep…

admin — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:18:38 +0000

Here’s “this month’s word” as posted in all the classrooms around my school:

善き友があり善き仲間と
ともにあることはこの聖なる
道のすべてある

yoki tomo ga ari yoki nakama to
tomoni aru koto ha kono seinaru
michi no subete aru

My co-teacher mumbled something about it probably being from some sutra or other, but he basically had no idea. It is obviously old though. Notice the old fashioned よき instead of the current よい for “good”. Also notice the use of the kanji 善 for “good” instead of the alternatives 良い or 好い. To me this suggests a more moral sense of “good”; good as in “right” and “proper”. 聖なる道 literally means “sacred path” but in this case it probably means simply a good way to live – way meaning the Buddhist way of course.
Here’s my translation with vocabulary notes below:

to live the good way
being together
with good friends and good companions
is everything

善き – よき = good
友 – とも = friend
仲間 – なかま = companion
ともに – together, in company with
聖なる – せいなる – sacred, holy
道 – みち- path, way
すべて – everything, all

Where the Wild Things Are

admin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 04:09:28 +0000

Where the Wild Things Are is quite a good movie to watch right after you’ve had a row with someone. Makes you feel very very silly indeed. Quite unlike Maurice Sendak’s original picture book in tone, the movie explores the mood-swings of childhood; the high points of excitement (snowball fights) , the slumps into depression (some big boy smashes your igloo) and then the tears and the rage (tearing up your sister’s bedroom). It’s a familiar pattern and one we all recognize. Becoming an adult is in part learning how to control those moodswings, and learning how to compromise with people when you can’t quite seem to get along. The boy Max becomes leader of the “wild things” and especially friendly with Carol among them. But as children (and monsters) do, soon they are squabbling over petty slights and misunderstandings. Because they are so close – they feel all the more hurt and let down when they argue and the sense of betrayal seems unforgivable. And yet, a simple gesture can suddenly make them forget their argument and remember how important they are to each other again. When the movie was over I asked Mewby what she thought about it. “I’m not a child…” she said smiling, as if to say the movie was too childish for her. But I noticed that there were no children in the audience when we went to see it. And I don’t think this movie is for children really. It’s not particularly “fun”. It is a far more realistic and sombre depiction of childhood experience than one would expect from a popular movie. But it is also a study of those feelings, those moodswings; the hurt, the loneliness, the joy and the rage that we all still have inside us even as adults – whether we choose to express them or acknowledge them or not. Spike Jonze and David Eggers wrote the screenplay for this movie together. It’s interesting what they are trying to do here. I’m not sure it works – but it is interesting.

Just a couple of snapshots…

admin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:04:29 +0000

…from Joao last Saturday evening. Yutaka (right) and his cousin Manabu (left):

Mewby and Me:

Get MILK

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:59:15 +0000

I rented this one at the weekend. I figured the subject matter and inevitably sad ending would make this movie heavy and depressing but ultimately the story of Harvey Milk is a positive and inspiring story of a life full of meaning and purpose. On his birthday in 1970 Harvey Milk says to his new lover, Scott Smith, “I’m 40 and I’ve done nothing in my life that I’m proud of.” Scott encourages him to come out of the closet, make new friends and find a new scene in California. There Harvey Milk becomes passionately involved in the world of politics, fighting for gay rights, and ultimately becomes the first openly gay man elected to public office in the USA. I knew nothing about this man before watching this movie. I’m really glad I know now. And Sean Penn’s performance – fantastic. Watch this movie first chance you get!

Get “Milk” on DVD from amazon.com, amazon.co.jp, and amazon.co.uk.