(no subject)

I'm still on antibiotics and still feeling run down. This weekend has been all about catching up. I finished writing my article on Jeni Legon, and edited a piece for Ricepaper. I did my assignment for editing class, ran a bunch of errands, (and ran into [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com]'s auntie in the process) and read the many magazines that were sitting on my floor. Now I'm reading this month's "bitch" and the Saturday Globe and Mail.

It's a blessing to have power and a working computer, I tell you.

Yesterday I went to an ayurvedic workshop and learned about how to maintain the immune system during the winter months. I was not surprised to learn that I'm out of balance (duh, I'm on antibiotics) and have a strong air imbalance. We learned a bunch of postures to do, and herbs to take to help digestion. I'm not sure how much I'm going to follow the ayurvedic system, but learning about it was definitely interesting. I like how the ideas about how to treat health are based on a continuum and the idea is that you have a relationship with your own health. Health is seen as an experiential thing and you are supposed to learn from your own experiences. It's also about balance. Those of you who know me know that balance, or the attempt to achieve balance is a reoccurring theme in my life.

Unfortunately, the sore on my leg split open while I was standing on a yoga mat and I literally had a pool of blood at my feet. I had to run to the bathroom while the owner of the studio helped me. She was very professional and compassionate, and cleaned up my pool of blood while I attended to my wound. It was a bit embarrassing, but everyone in the studio was really kind and no one freaked out.

I also got this great cream called Gardener's Dream Cream to use on my eczema. I really like it so far and it seems to be working.

Movies watched

Sickness, for me, tends to result in periods of intense movie watching. This weekend was no exception as I watched two films-

The Happiness of the Katakuris , a Japanese film directed by Takashi Miike. This is literally one of the most fucked up movies that I've seen in a while. It's a movie about a Japanese family that decides to run a guest house. The problem is that everyone who stays in their guest house dies in a bizarre way. People sometimes turn into claymation characters and the characters break into energetic song and dance routines. My favourite dance routine involved zombies. Yes, it's that kind of movie. I did a little research about Takashi Miike as he's a famous Japanese director. Unfortunately, he creates a lot of horror and shock cinema, so I won't be watching many more of his films.

This film was recommended to me by my friend Mark, who is very knowledgeable about Asian Cinema. I decided a while ago that I wanted to learn more about Asian film, so if you have any recommendations, please leave them in the comments. ([Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com]), I'm looking at you in particular.

I also watched Brick , a 2005 movie which was heavily influenced by film noir. I quite liked the style of this film, even though I had to turn on the subtitles because the characters mumble and use a lot of slang. It's done using high school characters, which makes for an interesting juxtaposition. I thought it was quite creative and it made me want to learn more about noir. I also really enjoyed Joseph Gordon-Levitt's performance as the main character. Gordon-Levitt continues to pick good roles and is really blossoming as an actor.

(Can't you tell I'm trying to branch out from Oscar winners ;)?)

Oh, I should also add that I finished watching Season 2 of Veronica Mars. I thought it was pretty good, but I think I prefer Season 1. Although there was a lot more Logan in Season 2, and that boy, he makes my loins tingle.