Lost In Translation

Murder In Amsterdam

Ian Buruma is one of my favorite public intellectuals. In his career he has written on a number of subjects from Japanese history/culture to the fundamental problems of contemporary society. Expert scholarship, an engaging literary style, and a density of ideas distinguish his books. Recently he has written about the growing strain between the East and the West, often identified as a clash of Enlightenment values and the severe dogma of Islam (see Occidentalism). In his latest book, Murder In Amsterdam: The Death of Theo van Gough and the Limits of Tolerance, he travels back to his native Netherlands to analyze the situation between the historically liberal and open Dutch and the Muslim population that has largely failed to integrate into Dutch society. Much like several other European countries the Netherlands invited guest workers to come there to perform the jobs no one wanted to do, thus the settlers were often uneducated and were expected to return to their native countries. But instead many of them brought their families over and settled in insular communities that were connected to other Middle East countries and their home countries via satellite TV-hence the term “dish cities”. They weren’t expected to assimilate, because they weren’t expected to stay. Thus these communities became insular openly practicing the customs of their respective countries. The children are in an in between nether world since they cannot commit to their traditional culture nor do they feel comfortable in Dutch society. Sometimes this results in schizophrenia. It is this pressure of these two worlds that led the misguided Mohammed Bouyeri to shoot and stab the outspoken contrarian, filmmaker, public intellectual, critic of Islam, and distant relative of Vincent van Gough. There are a lot of issues analyzed in this text, and it would seem as though there are a complex set of issues compounding this problem that has the usual tolerant Dutch citizens up in arms about he Muslim situation. One that is exacerbated by the culture of pride and respect that is often represented in the women of Islam, who must remain pure and modest and obey the will of the family, by staying inside, hidden by scarves, and often married to strange men in another country via forced marriages. Van Gough was targeted for a film called Submissions that he made with Somali Muslim critic and feminist Ali Hirst that was considered blasphemous. One of the more eye-opening suggestions is that the paternalistic welfare state policies of Europe and the Netherlands in particular allow Muslims to live in these insulated societies, whereas in America they are forced to integrate into society since they are given limited aid and most join the work forced and integrate through daily interaction. A perfect example can be found in What Is The What where the Lost Boys all work and go to school in America, which keeps them in apposition of having to negotiate with mainstream American society. It is a fascinating and thought provoking book that uncovers layer after layer of gray. It is a more complex situation than most commenters would have you believe, and there are no easy answers to the question of how society should deal with this growing polarization of Muslim communities from the European governments they live in.

Mardi Gras 2007

The annual Mardi Gras party was held SUnday Feburary 18 at Sweet Basil's in Roppongi A good time as usual with music and prizes (I ended up with a set of tabasco sauce). Tony, Ryan adn myself in the pciture above. (I forgot to bring my camera thsi year, but I got some photos from friends-perhaps more to come later). And below are some mor partygoers.

The Science of Sleep

One of my favorite films of the 00s so far is Michael Gondry’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, so I was curious to see what he would do in his next film The Science of Sleep. The result is quirky and interesting, but somewhat more uneven than his previous effort. Visually it is distinct, inventive, and utterly original. The dream sequences that define the main character Stephane (played by the charismatic Gael Garcia Bernal in his misfit mode) are surprising low tech as they incorporate everyday materials like cardboard (seen in the game show sequences and the construction of a cardboard city) and cellophane (which represents water). There are also some hilarious sequences like the one where Stephane dreams he has enormous hands and another that deals with an electric razor that has become a spider like insect. But I don’t think the visual effects obscure the sometimes sweet and charming story of the difficulty of establishing a relationship between Stepane and his artistic but coldhearted neighbor Stephanie (expertly played by Charlotte Gainsbourg). There is plenty of comic relief supplied by Stephane’s libido driven co-worker Guy, a hilarious turn by Alan Chabat. It is telling of the difficulty of connecting with people and the miscommunication and doubts that occur between people reluctant to take the risks that needs to be taken to love another person. The film ends somewhat ambiguously, but you couldn’t expect a Hollywood ending from such a whimsical director anyway.

Expat Interviews.com

I was recently asked to do an interview for a website called Expat Interviews.com, which has interviews with several different people living all over the world. Clck here to read my interview.

Fountain of Hair

In Bangkok.

In The iPod: The Shins / Jarvis Cocker / The Arcade Fire

The Shins have managed to record a decent follow up to their excellent Chutes Too Narrow in Wincing The Night Away. James Mercer continues to earn his reputation as one of the most gifted songwriters of his generation while keeping their signature guitar oriented indie music sound intact. It as if the folk rock tradition has collided with new wave sensibilities to create the sound of The Shins. My favorite tracks are “Turn on Me” (catchy guitar and rhythm), “Phantom Limb” (pretty strumming guitars), and “Girl Sailor.”

Jarvis Cocker was the lead signer of my one my favorite Britpop bands of the 90s, Pulp. So I was pretty sure that I’d like his solo album, Jarvis, and sure enough, it took only one listen for it to go into heavy rotation on the iPod. There are some great lyrics, which should come as no surprise form the man who penned the magnificent “Common People” among other classics. My favorite tracks are “Heavy Weather” and “From Auschwitz to Ipswich.”

I’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about the Canadian scene and The Arcade Fire from Montreal, in particular, so I got their latest album, Neon Bible (inspired by the novel of the late great John Kennedy O’Toole). I have to say it only took a couple of quick listens to ascertain that I had made another great discovery. It’s hard to describe their sound, because it seems like there is a lot of production going into the album to create a wall of sound underscoring the traditional guitars/bass/drum/vocals combo. The stand out for me is the anthem-like “No Cars Go”, but I am also quote fond of “My Body Is A Cage” and “Black Wave, Bad Vibrations.”

Jim Thompson: Lost In The City

Jim Thompson's story is an enigmatic, the former American spy and the man who re-introduced Thai silk to the world disappeared in a Malaysian jungle in March 1967. The Jim Thompson House is his legacy and one of my favorite places in Bangkok, becasue he painstakingly collected some traditional teak houses and had them reconstructed on his property in Bangkok. There are few structures as beautiful that remain in Thailand. There was an exhibt running while I was last in Bangkok called Lost In The City, which clebrates Thompson (born in 1906) and his adopted city Bangkok which has gone through a huge modernization transformation since then. The life-like statue of Thompson below was part of the exhibition as well as some impressive murals and interactive peices.

Two Documentaries: Murderball and Spellbound

I recently had the chance to view a couple of interesting and well-received documentaries from a few years back, Murderball (2005) and Spellbound (2003). I think both films excelled in the sociological scrutiny of their prospective worlds of competition, however Murderball, which looks at he world of competitive wheelchair rugby, was visually more compelling and showcased more colorful characters than Spellbound, which is not to detract from its achievements, it’s just to say that I found it more entertaining.

Essentially, Murderball focuses on the USA national team and its rivalry with the Canadian National team. This rivalry is exacerbated by the fact that a once prominent player, Joe Soares, has become the head coach of the Canadian team due to bad blood over being replaced by the American team, which he interpreted as a slight. Soars is your typical foul-mouthed competitive coach ala Bobby Knight. He is a monomaniacal bully and disciplinarian whose disdain for his bookish son only abates after the incredibly intense man suffers a heart attack and emerges a little bit mellower. His son, on the contrary, could have been one of the socially awkward contestants from Spellbound given his lack or age appropriate social skills and intellectual precociousness. There are some memorable characters on the American team as well, and none as colorful as Mark Zupan, a fierce competitor with tribal tattoos and goatee who strikes fear in to the other competitors. Andy Cohen with his shock of blonde hair and boyish good looks also stands out. Another player, Scott Hogsett, hails from my hometown of Spokane, Washington and graduated four years behind me. It is an entertaining film that also manages to bear witness to the triumph of the human spirit over ruthless setbacks caused by injury and disease. Humans do have a great capacity for adapting and learning to live in any situation.

Spellbound was most fascinating in the variety of socioeconomic and racial backgrounds of the eight contestants that they follow through The National Spelling Bee. Clearly these kids are precociously intelligent and unfortunately are doomed to ridicule and derision from their peers at least until they get to college and become adults where their intelligence will be appreciated and celebrated. I think it presents a diverse picture of America with east-India born immigrants, African Americans, wealthy au pair employing professionals, low income families, etc… My strongest impression to the film was that the Spelling Bee was probably the place where most of these kids felt most at home with their super intelligent socially awkward peers. I couldn’t help but noting that they still have to suffer through the turbulent junior high school and high school experiences. It would be fascinating if the documentaries filmmakers would catch up with these 8 children say 15-20 years after this Spelling Bee and see what has become of them, like the 49 Up series.

What Is The What

Dave Eggers has chronicled a remarkable story of suffering and survival in his latest novel, What Is The What, based on the life of a Sudanese Lost Boy named Valentiono Achak Deng. Eggers writes from the point of view of Deng humanizing his story in a way that makes it emotionally accessible to the reader in a straight forward narrative manner-unlike his postmodern tricks in his earlier works. But this book serves, as more than the story of one man it is a thorough examination of life, death, grief, the existence of god, good and evil, love and friendship. Furthermore, it provides illumination about the struggles of North Eastern Africa and its tribalism, politics. The narrative starts as Deng is robbed, beaten, and tied up by African Americans in Atlanta. His story is told in a series of flashbacks addressed to people he encounters in the robbery, at the hospital, and at work the next day. His story is a tragic story of suffering and heartbreak. His village is attacked by Arabic murahaleen (militia on horseback) and he flees and joins a band of boys who flee and encounter all sorts of dangerous obstacles on their journey by foot to Ethiopia and finally Kenya, where he will spend more than a total of 10 years living a subsistent existence in a refugee villages separated from his family. Along the way to these so-called safe zones he faces threats from enemy soldiers, liberation rebels whose rough treatment of the child soldiers often leads to death or injury, hyenas and lions who feast on some of the boys, as well as fighting off disease and starvation. He suffers through the death of many people close to him and faces many hardships and setbacks as he attempts to establish a steady, normal and struggle free life in a peaceful country. His hardships and troubles do not end when reach America a strange land for which he is ill prepared to navigate, all throughout his life he is dependent on the help of others as he struggles for autonomy. The amount of human suffering and death that he had witnessed would be challenging enough, by coupled with his own suffering and hardship, it is more than one human being should ever have to experience-not to be moved by such an extraordinary tale is to be not human. There were many instances where I was nearly moved to tears by the powerful losses and injustice that Deng had to endure. Buy the book, it is something everyone needs to read and your own problems will seem insignificant and petty, and the proceeds go to The Valentino Achak Deng Foundation, which distributes funds to Sudanese refugees in America; to rebuilding southern Sudan; to organizations working for peace and humanitarian relief in Dafur; and to the college education of Valentino Achak Deng. I am moved to make a separate contribution in addition to my purchase of the book. If you feel so inclined you can also do so here.

Phnom Penh

The NY Times has a feature article about the capital of Cambodia, a place I foundly remember. I particularly liked the Foreign Correspondant's Club, which is housed in a great French Colonial style building. But I also have strong emmeories of the Kiling Fields and Tuol Sleng Prison where a lot of Pol Pot's dirty work took place. It sounds like it has changed since I was last there about 6-7 years ago:

At this moment, Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital, seems frozen in time, as the scene in front of you plays out much the way it must have 70 or 80 years ago, when Cambodia was part of French-controlled Indochina and the city was known as the Pearl of Asia. But then you notice the bank of A.T.M.'s in the nearby storefronts, the Internet cafes crammed with fashionably dressed teenagers checking their e-mail, the sleek air-conditioned bars with names like Metro and Heart of Darkness. And all around you, you hear a polyglot of languages — English, French, Korean, Spanish, Chinese — that are a testament to this city's reappearance on the global tourism map.