I don’t recall how I heard about The Twilight Samurai (Tasogare Seibei, たそがれ清兵衛). I suppose I was just browsing around on Netflix or IMDB and it showed up as a highly rated Japanese film. In any event, I recently watched it and loved it. If you are watching it to practice your Japanese you may be a bit disappointed in that regard as the language is rather difficult and dated since the setting is that of about 150 years ago.

The story is wonderful, however, as is the acting. Perhaps the best thing is the scenery. The viewer is taken back to the day and made to feel as if they are really there in the late Edo period. The sets are well done as are the nature and landscape scenes.

I don’t want to go into the story or plot line as that will ruin it for those who like to be surprised by a movie (like I do). The DVD version that I watched included an interview (in Japanese with English audio translation) with the director, Yoji Yamada. It also included an interview, completely in English, with the main actor, Hiroyuki Sanada.

Go out and get this. You won’t be disappointed. My 13-year old even enjoyed it.

Posted on March 31st, 2009 under Japan. Tags: reviews. Comments: None

Let’s wrap up our mini, Portland, Oregon week with a view of part of the interior of Voodoo Doughnut, made famous on The Amazing Race. If you want to see more of Portland, check out my other blog.

Voodoo Doughnut was quite an experience. I don’t know if it was just because it was Spring Break or not, but the place was crazy packed. There was a line going out the door of 20+ people. The people lined up outside were getting soaked too as it started to pour rain just after we got inside.

Today’s view of Voodoo Doughnut includes the wacky chandelier and part of the motto, which was the clue on The Amazing Race, “The Magic is in the Hole”. If you look closely you can also see a donut holding a piece of bacon. They actually make and sell donuts with bacon (and many other strange things). You can see a picture here.

Posted on March 30th, 2009 under Oregon. Tags: food, portland. Comments: None

OMSI is currently featuring a Leonardo da Vinci special exhibit. Although everything in the exhibit is a replica we still found it to be very interesting. Many of the items we have seen the originals for on prior visits to France and Italy. The exhibit includes some very well done videos as well as a very cool rendition of what the Mona Lisa would have looked like when da Vinci painted it (not pictured above). The original is far brighter and colorful (without all of the cracking and yellowing of course) than its current state in the Louvre.

Posted on March 29th, 2009 under Oregon. Tags: museums, portland. Comments: None

For lunch on our second day in Portland we ate at Mother’s Bistro & Bar. The food was fantastic and reasonably priced.

I had the “Carlton Farms Pulled Pork Sandwich” which featured slow-cooked natural pork on a french roll with caramelized onions, swiss cheese, and honey-mustard barbeque sauce. It was one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had. In the upper-right portion of this photograph you can see my son’s Belgian waffle and to the left is my wife’s chicken sandwich. No one was disappointed with their meal.

One funny story about this place… As we walked in there was a picture of Bill Clinton with the employees. My 10-year old daughter, who heard Bill campaign for Hillary last year, pointed to the picture and said, “Look, there’s Hillary’s husband.”

Posted on March 28th, 2009 under Oregon. Tags: food, portland, reviews. Comments: None