Life of Pi explored

So a little while ago I read this book which I believe was quite popular even before the movie. Of course when the movie came out I went to watch it to compare the two and I must admit Ang Lee does it justice, even if he has to invent some parts of his own.

Though I enjoyed the story I found something wrong with it which I've decided to try and put into words here.

The story is about a young man (old boy) who finds himself on a lifeboat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean for about two-thirds of a year. The story is roughly split into three unequal parts. The first part is his life as a boy in India. The second is the largest part which covers his time lost at sea.The last part is very short and briefly covers his arrival back on land and his re-connection with humans.

This is where I am required to put up the mandatory SPOILER WARNING sign to anyone who has not read the book, but still wishes to. For those people - go away and read it first. Get your own opinions before considering other people's.

So Pi is our narrator and his family live in India where they are zookeepers. They decide to emigrate to Canada and so load up some of the animals onto a ship, the Tsimtsum, and sail east. On their way a massive storm sinks the ship and Pi is the only member of his family to escape onto a lifeboat. Here we meet our first peculiarity. Pi claims that the animals were free from their cages, running around the ship.

So Pi ends up on a boat with an injured zebra, an orangutan and a hyena. The hyena kills the zebra and orangutan, before being killed himself by a tiger who happened to be hiding under the tarpaulin in the bottom of the boat. Pi then has to find a way to live with this tiger for the greater part of a year, surviving on rainwater and fishing to supplement the small supply of emergency rations kept in the boat.

This sounds fantastical in and of itself, but it gets even weirder. He then tells us of his adventures at sea, including finding a floating algae island which supported trees and fish-eating meerkats. The also speaks of meeting another traveller, himself in a lifeboat from his own shipwreck floating around in the Pacific Ocean.

When he eventually reaches dry land, the tiger mysteriously disappears, leaving no proof of its existence. Some people find Pi and take him to a hospital where he is later interviewed by two Japanese men who are looking for information on what happened to the Tsimtsum and, learning that it sank, what the causes might have been. After refusing to believe the fantastical story which Pi tells them, he then succumbs to telling them another version of the story.

In this second story there were no animals loose on the ship. Instead the animals on the ship are replaced by people. The hyena is the ship's cook, the orangutan is his mother and the injured zebra is a sailor who broke his leg. The cook convinces the others they have to cut off the sailor's leg to stop gangrene, but then uses its meat to fish with. The sailor ends up dying and the cook keeps fishing with his body parts. He then gets into an argument with Pi's mother and kills her. Pi, unable to deal mentally with the situation flees to the raft (which they made to fish from) only to return later and take revenge. Pi is the tiger.

I would like to expand upon that idea. Pi is traumatised and in order to deal with the situation has to create a split personality, an alter-ego. This is the tiger and the lifeboat - the central site of his pain - becomes its domain, forcing him into exile to escape the horrific memories. 

It is only when he returns to dry land and is freed from the lifeboat that he can dismiss this alternate personality.

The introduction to the book gives us a promise to carry into the story. An old man in a bar (sounds like the opening to a myth) tells a writer that he knows a story that will make him believe in God. The writer then tracks down the narrator of the story in order to get the "firsthand account" of this story. What we find is something else. We do not find that we believe in God, but simply that we want to believe in God for fear of what the alternative means.

We find a lovely fantasy story designed in such a way as to supplant a true story and the true story is so horrible and tragic that we want the fantasy to be true. This, essentially, is the story of religion. Anyone who has spent enough of one's life following a religion will want desperately to hold their faith, even if their beliefs are proven to be illusions.

A Trip South

For the month of may I spent my time escaping the dreaded tropical heat of Taiwan and headed home to South Africa. There my girlfriend and I took a well deserved rest from working with midget drunks children. I would like to begin by saying a word about Cape Town, the capital city of the Western Province. It is an absolutely beautiful place and (provided you ignore the three blocks of flats commonly called the Toilet Rolls) one of the nicest I've been to. It's nothing when compared to Edinburgh, but was a delicate charm perched on the coastline and surrounded by mountains. It is also the only city I know of where the city planners are so useless as to put traffic lights on a roundabout.

The other lovely thing about Cape Town is how much greenery they keep in the city. There's a pathway one can walk down that goes right alongside the Houses of Parliament. On the other side stretches a long, but narrow, park called the Company Gardens. This allows for all sorts of oddities, like geese in front of parliament.

The park also hosts a number of pigeons and squirrels, including one evasive albino squirrel. Luckily I had my camera with me.

  

 

Almost looks like this squirrel is shaking his fists in anger, like a mid-fifties TV villain getting caught by the goodies.

We took one day and, with a couple of friends, decided to travel out of the city to a wine farm for lunch. The countryside surrounding Cape Town is rich with vineyards and many of the wine farms offer lunches, wine-tasting, sightseeing and stalls selling farm produce.

We went to a place called Babylonstoren: Link to their website.

It's a delightful place, nestled in a valley ringed by mountains, and everything served in their lunchroom comes from the farm itself. It's a great setup they have there and I was amused by their menu. They categorised their salads according to colour and were very broad on their interpretation of the word "salad".

The green salad was the closest to normal. It had a slice of melon with gratings of apple on it, and a savory pastry which contained spinach.

The yellow salad was more like a vegetable dish accompanying a main meal. It had bits of pumpkin and butternut, segments of tangerine and a smattering of gooseberries.

The third salad, the one I chose, was the red salad. It consisted of thin slices of beetroot and pink guava over which was scattered roasted nuts, granadilla seeds and a few edible flowers. There was also some salmon and plain yogurt.

My girlfriend and I at lunch. We were playing with the camera filters and ended up being caught in a halo of shimmering light.

After lunch we spent some time wandering about the farm in what turned out was their vegetable garden. We spotted virtually everything that went into our lunch (salads, main courses and desserts) including some very large, black, speckled chickens. The scenery was delightful and the sun high, though it was a tad on the chilly side with a wind blowing. I didn't care. Frankly, I was loving the cold weather.

Some of the outbuildings, including stables for donkeys, and a pigeon loft in the building on the right, in the foreground.

The edge of the garden section of the farm and the building in which we had lunch.

Nectarine Alpine blossoms.

Part of the garden with mountains in the distance.

Part of the garden where both vegetables and fruit are grown.

Me out in the garden.

My oldest friend.

Us being ourselves.

My girlfriend's oldest friend.

Looking For Group

For those of you who have no idea what I'm referring to, follow this link and prepare for a wonderful comic. The only thing I have against it is what I have against most of modern culture - the way women are dressed and represented. Other than that, it tells a wonderful tale full of quirky comments and both mimicry and mockery of the gaming culture in particular, and the general culture at large.

Looking For Group is a free online comic which is written by Ryan Sohmer and illustrated by Lar Desouea. It began back in 2006 and became so popular that they began planning for a movie. Keeping with its style, they wanted it to be comical, witty and to contain musical numbers, like a parody of traditional Disney-esque children's movies. One music video was released which can be found here on youtube.com.

They hoped to have a movie, at least in production by 2008. That didn't happen for various reasons, but they have since revised their plans and are working toward it again. No one appears to want to make their movie (at least not without taking control away from Ryan and Lar) so they've embarked upon producing the movie themselves.
They began a Kickstarter project to raise US$14,000 in order to complete their second musical number for the movie - the first step in getting the movie back on track. They called upon their fans and their fans replied with over US$130,000.
[Details: are here.]

The Kickstarter project has ended and my rewards for loyalty have arrived. I'd like to show them off.

First there's the thank you card for backing them:

 

Then there's a T-shirt that I couldn't say no to:

Then there's the reward I chose. The comic is not only free online, but it can also be purchased in beautifully coloured volumes. Every four or so volumes they also release as a hardback book. I have mine, and now await the releasing of the next four-volume hardback book:

  

Lastly, just to show off, I'd like to show the plushy that I had custom made for me by a company in South Africa.

[Detail: here or you can look up Plushie Heaven on Facebook]

GATSBY

It's time Baz Luhrmann retired.

For starters, 3D is a complete waste on a movie like this. Nothing about a period piece of this nature calls for 3D, but then 3D has always been a bad idea. It's a gimmick, like overly-applied makeup, and just as hideous to behold.

That aside, this movie completely fails to deliver. Its highlighting failures are the choices in music and the general feel of the movie. Nothing, really nothing, gives justification for modern hip-hop and rap (produced by Jay-Z and some people who can't spell bullets) to be used instead of jazz in a period piece set in the 1920s.

The party scenes in the movie are pretentious. Rather that showing a setting of elegant parties which - though a touch avant garde - still maintain a level of class and decency, Mr Luhrmann replaces them with a blend of ridiculous extravagance and crudity which is becoming typical of him. The same nonsense can be seen in his other movies, Romeo & Juliet and Moulin Rouge. In both of those he also used contemporary music and, though they were terrible, at least with Romeo & Juliet the modern music fit with the contemporary setting.

The set pieces of a Baz Luhrmann film are easily spotted: At least one completely over-the-top party in which lewdness is the order of the day, one unnecessary scene of lovemaking (which is completely unwarranted in a movie based in The Great Gatsby), shots which alternate between speeding up and slowing down, and a terrible dependency on C.G.I.

By contrast the acting of Leonardo DiCaprio was surprisingly good. He was the highlight of the show.
Tobey Maguire playing Nick Carraway was a mistake. He does not fit the role at all. What's more, Luhrmann's decision to replace his narrative with a discussion between him and a psychologist was painful to watch, and very odd as we see that he is actually living with his psychologist by the end of the movie.
Daisy was inaccurate as she appeared more contested and a stronger character. She defies her role (as in the book) of a frivolous and immoral character, which is the core tragedy of Gatsby's love for and faith in her.

Baz Luhrmann's name up in glittering diamante-esque lighting is all one needs to know about this movie. Luhrmann wants to make a name for himself as the man who does fabulous movies filled with cabarets, exorbitant party scenes, and a daring contemporary soundtrack. What he ends up with is a pile of rubbish that disrespects its source material. If Luhrmann really wants to direct something of this nature, then he can bloody well find a new story, rather than torture an existing one. Either of the older movies (1974 and 2000) would prove a much better watch.

Word Selection

After teaching a lesson to one of my classes, I returned to my homeroom to find this awaiting me. I have been informed that it's a type of sports/energy drink. I am sceptical.

In the spirit of this delightful little treat I'd like to share with you some of my favourite "Chinglish" moments. All of these pictures are ones I've seen and photographed personally in Taiwan.

 

The Foreign Exchange

Expats who have been in Taiwan for a long time tend to form a network, even if only by association. For those living in Taipei, getting out of the city for a while is always a good idea. The east coast is especially sought after as a weekend/holiday spot. On the east coast is a small place called Fulong, which I have visited on occasion. It's perfect for those who love the beach and swimming. Personally I go for the clean air, the peace and quiet, and the opportunity to lose myself in a book all day.
Fulong is famous for the sand-sculpture competition that is held there every year. The sculptures get judged and then are left for a few months during which anyone may come and view them.

Here are two examples of the kind of thing one can expect to see:

Enter The Fu Bar.

Situated just off the beach, The Fu Bar is a South African themed restaurant run by (you guessed it) expats from South Africa. They have run it for a number of years, though it seems them have grown tired of it and are wanting to relocate to the city, possibly to reconnect with people there.

Rather than relocate the restaurant, there are instead selling it and going into business with the Speakeasy Irish Bar. The bar was, until recently, situated very close to the Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT Station at the junction of the blue and brown lines. It has moved (due to noise pollution problems, or so I am told) closer to 101, to no.554 Guangfu South Road in the Da'an area. It's new location is disheartening to say the least, and a bloody pain to be honest. The bar is barely a metre wide. Essentially it's a long corridor, flanked on both sides by a long shelf to perch drinks upon. This means people sit on the sides of the corridor, reducing the already limited space which people have to navigate the bar. A single alcove at the back of the bar contains the only table the place offers.
I don't understand why the owners chose the new location. Perhaps there was an urgency to have the business operational, for that is the only reason I can see that they would have compromised so.

The owner of the Speakeasy, in turn, has also decided to move on as well. He will be tackling the dead horse that is Carnegie's. Despite a few biased reviews, Carnegie's is a washed out old place with terrible management, though they hit upon the idea of charging ridiculously high fees for their food long before it was popular. The managers are clueless and rather nonchalant in their duties. One can only hope that with a new owner comes new managers and a revitalisation for the company.

2 CELLOS

So I was recently treated to a concert at Legacy. The concert in question was by the acclaimed "youtube sensation" 2 Cellos, as in Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser, two young Croatian men.

You will have to forgive me for not providing my own photographs. Though I tried, Legacy has a no photograph policy. Of course that didn't stop a number of people from snapping away, but I was one of the ones pounced on by security and promptly told to put my camera away.

The concert was a single sitting, but I'm going to break it into two halves in this blog, simply due to the style and mood change that happens about half way through.

First half

This was phenomenal. They incorporated various different music styles, but most of their music was covers of classic songs and lesser known contemporary bands. Their cover of The Book of Love by Magnetic Fields was almost haunting.

This half ended with an amazing cover of Welcome to the Jungle. They truly did it justice in their interpretation.

Second half

In this half they were accompanied by a friend and became 2 Cellos and 1 drummer. I don't want to be mean, but the drummer looks like a monkey when he plays. It's as though engaging with the drums takes so much concentration that he is unable to maintain facial control.

The second half was basically a dedication to rock music. I separated the Guns N' Roses song because it was amazingly done and belongs with the A grade of the first half.

Whilst this half was still well done, their focus drifted from quality to crowd pleasing, and they became obsessed with the flourishes at the end of songs.

Overall I was entertained, and I believe that's the main idea. I played my own little game during the night of watching to see how frayed their bow strings would get by the end of the performance. Their style of play isn't very gentle on the bows or cellos. If they weren't using electric cellos I'd have called it sacrilege to treat a cello in that manner.

Mice & Mystics - The Characters

First up is Collin, the son of the king and the hero of the story. It is his duty to wrestle control of the kingdom away from the evil queen and restore his power.

Next up is Maginos, adviser to the king's family for three generations.

Following them comes Tilda, personal healer to the king and the denizens of the castle.

Accompanying them is Nez, the loyal blacksmith and tinkerer.

Tagging along is a scoundrel whom they met in the dungeons and who agreed to travel with them to better his fortune. It was actually his idea that they turn into mice.

Finally we have Lily, an archer and late arrival to the group.

Mice & Mystics

A new year (Chinese New Year is on Saturday, 9th February) heralds a new approach. I have ideas of things I wish to observe, record and share beginning with public works of art across Taipei (and possibly further afield, given some free time to travel) as well as graffiti. There are a few names/images I've seen in multiple locations and I wish to investigate them further.
Then, of course, there's always games. They've always been close to my heart, but I feel it's time I laid down my two cents worth, beginning today.

Mice & Mystics is the game I wish to discuss. It's brand new, having only been published last year (2012) and is a beautiful hybrid of board game and RPG.

As I'm no stranger to gaming (computer games, card games, board games, RPGs, dice games, etc) I hope I'll be able to give this a decent review.

 Traditionally board games are very clear cut with little to no immersion in the world in which you are playing. Thinking of games like Cluedo, Automobile and Monopoly, board games usually revolve around the idea of mathematical possibility and luck.  RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons, World of Darkness and Paranoia, on the other hand, are all focussed on the story and helping you imagine a different world.

Some board games go further than others in creating a world for you to experience. Games like Outrage! and Dune went a long way to connect you to the game.

Mice & Mystics goes one step beyond, whilst still offering very smooth game-play. Playing this game I felt like I was in my very own Redwall novel.

[It is at this point that I must point out that if you have never read a Redwall novel, then your childhood was sorely lacking. Read the first one, Redwall, and if you like it go on to these: Salamandastron, Outcast of Redwall and The Bellmaker.]

The Rulebook and Storybook

The reason why this game draws you in is because there's a story which is being followed. Along with the game there is a story book, literally telling you what happens. The prologue sets up the story:

King Andon's wife died many years ago, and he has raised his son Collin by himself (Collin's name is actually spelt wrong on the back of the box). Andon is a good man, but lonely. Then one day a queen from another land arrives to visit the king. Her name is Vanestra (not the most original, but hey). Yadda yadda yadda, the king falls in love with her, proclaims his love and then falls ill. In his weakened state he gives Vanestra authority to rule in his place. She replaces the guards with her own men and chases many people out of the castle.

Collin meets  select loyal people to plot removing the queen. They are subsequently caught and imprisoned. They use magic to turn themselves into animals to escape, but the spell is permanent. They turn into mice and slip their shackles.

From there onwards each chapter in the story is a different scenario which can be played out and playing them in order, over a series of days/weeks, can feel like playing in a campaign. These scenarios range from escaping the castle, finding allies, learning of Vanestra's secret weakness, getting back into the castle and battling everything from rats (Vanestra's minions transformed), cockroaches, spiders and the like. The game is played on double-sided tiles, each scenario using set tiles. Each scenario also has its own varying rules for different sides of various tiles, giving the game a sense of change.

The other thing I like about this game is that each level requires four characters to be played. This limits the game to a max of four players, but it also means that any number of players below that can play, with one or two people playing two characters. You can even have a one player game, with one person controlling all four mice. This means the game is flexible for the number of players, and the designers didn't have to try and create a balancing system of difficulty that changed with the number of players, as those are always difficult and tend to be imperfect.