Easter Weekend

On Good Friday, my family didn't have anything to prepare for so I went hiking with my dad and sis to reach the Treetop Walk at Macritchie Reservoir. It's a long, narrow bridge (first picture) offering a view of the forest canopy. It took us two-and-a-half hours to complete the entire trail, and boy was I hot and exhausted after that. I haven't been exercising which explains my decreased stamina. It was fun, though, mostly because I'm not an outdoors kind of person so this was definitely something out of the usual.

On Easter Sunday I watched the 2006 Japanese animated film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (second picture), which I'd been looking forward to since Kim recommended. It didn't disappoint and I enjoyed it greatly, partly because it's different in mood and theme from the Hayao Miyazaki animated films that I'm accustomed to. It made me think about many things, such as the fact that sometimes we want to take the easy way out by skipping the sad or difficult times in our life. We don't realize that going through such events actually gives us more satisfaction and fulfillment, makes our happy periods that much sweeter, and most importantly, shapes who we are. If one were to go back in time and change or erase them, who knows whether one will still be the same person? Watching this film made me understand that 'time waits for no one'; that, really, we have only one chance at life and can't afford to do things that we'll regret.

SPOILER: There are some intriguing points about this film too, such as the future that a certain time-traveller came from (I must say, I didn't expect this twist at all). It sounds almost... apocalyptic? I mean, a future where baseball has been eradicated and an important painting has been destroyed? And the character Chiaki fascinates me. I wonder why his desire to see that painting is so strong that he'll go through the risk and trouble to time-leap. I wonder what the significance of that painting is. Finally, I wonder how Chiaki and Makoto can meet in the future. Very interesting things to consider. Now I'm kind of curious about the original novel by Yasutaka Tsutsui. The film's plot is not directly related to the novel, however, but is set some twenty years later. It's hinted that Makoto's aunt is the original protagonist, which accounts for why she seems slightly mysterious in the film.

I also liked the clean, literal style of the drawings so you might see more pictures on this blog if I can find them. I think the scene where time is stopped showcases the artwork most wonderfully. When things are in motion they're regarded as ordinary and banal, but when they're stopped and isolated one begins to truly appreciate their beauty.