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April 06, 2005
A scene from a movie
(Day 48) I didn't bother setting my alarm, as I figured the girls would wake me when they were ready. Being the slob that I am, I'm used to rolling out of bed and being ready to go in 15 minutes or less. The girls needed more time freshening up in the morning. There was no point in me waking up the same time as them and then waiting around.
Around 9:00am, Yuki came and announced breakfast was ready.
"Breakfast in bed?" ribbed the guy next to me as I threw my belongings in my bag.
Breakfast was pretty fancy too. Vegetable soup with the ingredients left over from last night's dinner. I felt spoiled. At least I helped out in doing the dishes.
We went back to Cataract Gorge to experience the spectacle in broad daylight. On a bridge that shook and swayed with every step, we took some pictures. It was nice and all, but I still preferred my night time shots.
Launceston is a decent sized town, and I held out hope for finding a fully equipped internet cafe. While Yuki and Chieko explored city center, I went off in search of a place to get my cyber fix. I found one on the outskirts of town. At $8 AUS an hour ($1 AUS = $.80 US), it was by far the most I've paid for internet. Can't want til I return to Melbourne, where it's only $2.50 AUS an hour.
There wasn't much else to see, so we piled back into the car and moved on. Yuki and Chieko wanted to go to a small town called Ross to see a bakery.
"A bakery?"
"It's from a very famous movie in Japan," explained Chieko.
A specific bakery in Tasmania featured in a movie in Japan. That intrigued me enough to go check it out.
Ross was about an hour south of Launceston. On the way, I tried to learn more about this bakery.
"So what is this movie?"
Chieko had a bit of trouble describing it to me.
"It's a cartoon..." she started.
A cartoon?! So they based a cartoon off of a bakery in Tasmania that actually exists?!
Ross turned out to be a picturesque town, something you might expect to find in a movie. Oh wait, it is in a movie. The bakery wasn't hard to locate.
"Does it look like the movie?"
"A little..."
We went inside and had some baked goods for lunch. Chieko gave me some more details about the movie. It was about a young witch who had left home and arrived in this specific town to begin a delivery service. While we were eating, several other Japanese tourists came in. I guess the place really did have some sort of significance.
The girls asked the woman working there for a tour of the rest of the facilities. She told us to go out back, and someone would show us around. A young man led us to some stairs to the attic.
"Do you know why this place is so famous?" I asked him.
"Sure. Kiki."
Hmm, ok. I went up to the attic and found a fully furnished room, where "Kiki" supposedly lived. A movie poster hung on one of the walls. So this is the famous movie...
I made a mental note. Next time I get on the internet, I'm going to have to look up this movie, and compare the film with the pictures I took.
(Note: So the movie is called Kiki's Delivery Service. Has anyone seen it?)
Thanks to everyone for their support and comments! Knowing people are reading keeps me motivated to continue the updates!
Posted by markyiin at April 6, 2005 07:02 AM
Comments
almost caught up.... more to come soon!
yitao: i'm leaving melbourne sunday night.. i already have stuff planned for friday, but if your friend can meet up on short notice for saturday or sunday, that'd be cool.. you have my email and stuff right?
Robert: hmm, everything i have on bbzzdd i have here.. all my pics are pretty much scattered in my entries. most of the good ones i find a way to post. keep an eye on the photos link at the top, i try to update that once a month with my best pics
simon: yeah, i'm going to HK i think. i'll try to find sing there. and you probably wont miss me at the tourney. i havent touched a basketball in two months
tree: i hope you're right, i think i need a couple days of doing nothing and i'll feel better. but i hate just sitting around doing nothing!
justin: like i said.. i hate just sitting around doing nothing! i dread the day i get sick and my post for the day will be "I spent the day in bed trying to get better."
compunetix guys: hahaha, did you ever doubt me?
that scrub over there, jack: i have some videos that i took, with sound. the only problem is uploading them.. i dont have video editing software on my laptop, and the file sizes are pretty big, a few megs each. if i ever find a way to get the up, i'll try
Posted by: markyiin at April 6, 2005 07:12 AM
Mark it seems like the arrangement you have going is definitely a plus. Having real cooked meals has to beat ramen any day of the week. :)
Also, I sent you an email at your "alumni dot cmu dot edu" address.
Posted by: Aves at April 6, 2005 09:09 AM
I don't see too many disadvantages to your current situation. Traveling with two pretty girls who are willing to cook for you? I'd say enjoy it while it lasts.
I have not seen Kiki's Delivery Service either, but I can't believe that you've never heard of it.
Posted by: JeffW at April 6, 2005 05:48 PM
Kiki's delivery service. I haven't seen it, but know someone who has it. :) Does that count? I guess it's like Anne of Green Gables. Have you ever heard of that? It's a Canadian story based in Prince Edward's Island, and there's a house where they giver tours for that they say is where the character Anne grew up. Whatever. Anything to make some money, eh? :-P
Anyway, it looks as though Cataract Gorge looks better at night with the lights on it. Suspension bridges - those are scary!!!
Posted by: tree at April 6, 2005 06:11 PM
that's so cool! i can't believe that's where kiki's delivery service is based. i've watched most of studio ghibli's film. kiki's delivery service is by the same ppl that made Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Totoro.
Posted by: Anna at April 6, 2005 06:53 PM
man... that's one of the more famous animes too... Mark, you're slacking!
Posted by: alex at April 6, 2005 07:03 PM
I love Kiki's Delivery Service! Ooooh I have to go visit that bakery now. The towns that you're visiting look so cute.
Posted by: Ditch at April 8, 2005 03:32 PM
I'm ashamed.. you never heard of Kiki's delivery service?
Posted by: David at April 8, 2005 10:39 PM
I'm ashamed.. you never heard of Kiki's delivery service?
Posted by: David at April 8, 2005 10:39 PM
OH MY GOD!!! I've seen that!!! I think I rented that on Netflix sometime last year too. lol That is too funny. I can't believe you guys actually trekked out to that bakery all for anime! -GEM
Posted by: GEM at April 12, 2005 03:38 AM