The children who chase lost voices 追逐繁星的孩子

During the first Family Day long weekend, we watched The Children Who Chased Lost Voices from Deep Below or Journey to Agartha 追逐繁星的孩子. The kids started running away whenever Iroku revealed themselves. Iroku is the creature made of remains of passive thoughts from human who lived in the underworld of Agartha. To me it is so beautifully made -- the rich texture of the underworld city (inspired by the Tibetan and other cultures) and natural landscape and the stars.

The intensity of Asuna and Mr. Morisaki's desire to reunite with their lost loved ones is moving -- the never-ending question of the distance between human minds, the loss, and the gap of life and death that human beings have to face living in this world.

I also really like the mountain town in which Asuna lives -- makes me nostalgic for the days when factories and pollution didn't take over.

The kids are a bit perplexed. The younger one keeps wondering about what is what, esp. the loss Mr. Morisaki had to face. But it was to be expected that if you ask for something that is not supposed to be and doesn't belong to you, you pay a price. That's why Asuna, the best of all of us, had to learn to say goodbye, is it? Going on a journey to reconcile with the past and loss in this film is special for the world underneath us.

The 6-yr-old said he was scared when people died, like the first boy. The 8-yr-old doesn't like it because it's bloody with beautiful pictures, not her kind of movie. She likes peaceful movies.

Star Wars

Over the Christmas holidays we stayed up very late, watching Star Wars or playing Quirkle, 6-yr-old's Christmas gifts from us and from Chinese Classics teacher, together. We went to bed later and later at night, and got up close to noon during the second half of the winter break.

We saw the friends whose younger girl was the only one light enough for me to pick up among the kids' friends. I asked her if she would go home with me because she's so cute, and she said she will not go home with me :( I was so happy to pick her up again, but the 6-yr-old wasn't gonna have it. After I let her down, he came over to sit on my lap, not letting me get up or leaving space for anyone else. The kids act like this every now and then -- they suddenly get jealous about certain things, but generous with other things.

The 6-yr-old has looked for Star Wars books to read, and engaged us in conversation about Star Wars all the time since the winter break. Recently, when they complain or get jealous, I would start doing a Yoda and reminding them: "Jealousy leads to frustration, frustration leads to anger, anger leads to violence, which leads to the path down the dark side..." The kids would start acting up about this, sometimes smiling but always asking me to stop. I've also used the same formula on their homework. When they succeed in learning new things, I would remind them: "Practice leads to success, success leads to confidence, and confidence leads to more practice, more practice leads to more success, and more success leads to more confidence, and that's the path leading to the bright side." They are happier to hear about it though not very patient with the articulation.

Little people

Tonight the family watched the movie The Secret World of Arrietty, followed by a bedtime story of little people in a Chinese folktale. The possible co-existence of borrowers in Arrietty or Little hunting soldiers is just so amazingly beautiful. The little people in both stories are about the size within grasp of a teenager's palm. The Chinese legend took place in a rundown temple in the remote mountain, where a scholar-in-training was studying for the big exam. While he was attacked by bugs every day and night, one night a group of little hunters all ride little horses appeared one night. With the aid of little hawks and beagles they hunted and disappeared with most of the bugs in the place. One little beagle, black and shiny, was somehow left and from then on he never had to worry about bugs any more.

After I read the bedtime story to the kids in mandarin, the younger one told the story to his dad in English. They are so quick to translate, to retell.

It is a cross-cultural fascination with little people that is heartwarming. The never-ending battle between development and conservation makes the threatened existence of little people very real and precious.