Happy Friday!

It was a hot week.  It is as if the summer was delayed.  My hair and face got extra oily because of the heat. I felt fat, I felt hot, I felt ugly, and I was in a restless mood. Another reason I had been a bit more agitated than usual is because of this book I checked out from the library -  My Hollywood by Mona Simpson.

It is what they called a domestic novel, discussing the relationship between a working mother, Claire and a immigrant nanny Lola.  I thought it would be a good read since I can relate to it -- I am a working mother and an immigrant.  It turns out that I can related it, only a little too much.  The struggle of the characters stresses me out.  The working mother Clarie, the musician seems to suffer some kind of depression.  She was unhappy, and unproductive.  Despite of having a nanny, she still does not get much work done.   Her marriage is almost non-existent, with her husband busy working without ever making it to dinner table.  Being a clueless mother who rather starves her kid than feeding him formula, I was on the similar and road before.  Till this day I still blame myself not insist on breast feeding on my son after his nipple confusion, wondering if my son's apraxia has any part to do with drinking formula.  I felt I was reliving some of the painful moments and was sinking again with her unhappiness.

The book switches between Clarie and Lola's point of view.  To make it more realistic, Lola narrates with a broken English.  It is very tiring to read.  Although a capable and loving nanny to the child, Lola remains a stranger to Claire.  There is certain coldness to it.  It reminds me my painful relationship with my previous live-in nanny and how she took advantage of our desperation.  It further makes me sad because Lola is probably the best nanny you can find and yet she would never be part of the family.  The book tediously describes how Lola describe in first person point of view, kept her distance, claiming money to send home is all that drives her.  She declines Claire's invitation to eat dinner with the family.  Like what she saids, "the Americans don't know what they want".  Lola is very wise.  She knows even though Claire invite her with all the sincerity,  Claire will be bother by the lack of privacy down the road.  It is that kind of truth about this mother-nanny relationship agitates me.  Despite they live in such closeness,  they are on the opposite end of a river that is too deep to cross.  There is no warm and fuzzy feeling about human relationship and only be reminded that it is impossible for the two women to be real friends, despite both are in need for a bit more love and care,  because the underline connection between the two women are money.

So I am going to abandon the book before it further rotten my mood.  I want something that will lighten up the day!  Maybe it is time to read the Twilight Saga my friend had tried getting me to read.

Here is a dress of the day.  I was thinking about returning this camellia dress because I bought it on sale out of impulse after seeing how wonderful Cindi looks in it.  I end up wearing it to change me out of the rotten mood.

Howel's moving castle - random comment

First time I watched Howl's moving castle, it is in Japanese original voice with Chinese subtitle.   This time, with my daughter, we switch to English dub.  I generally dislike voice dub for Japanese Animes.  Japanese, as the language, sounds very cute, which match the big eye, perfect doll like characters very well.  The sound are often short and bursty and very "Kawaii".  However, this time, I am falling in love with the voice dubbing of Howl.  His voice is low and slightly coarse.  To be honest, Miyazaki version of Howl is a bit too soft wimpy and feminine to be liked. The English dub give Howl a more mature charm and transform the character completely. He suddenly became so much more attractive that had inspire my desire to learn more details about the character from the book.

However the book and the movie are very different.  Although much of the setting and plot and characters remained the same, because the way character are portraited, the characters in the book are much more complex and all around therefore more real life like.   In the movie, Sophie, the heroine,  are stamped with Miyazaki's signature.  In all Miyazaki's work, the heroines are more or less the same: strong minded and determined with a somewhat fragile and delicate look and love for the nature.  They all show great courage under the special circumstance and are all very noble, almost too noble and kind for my liking.  The book version of Sophie is more normal, in such way that she react to the scarecrow the same way a normal girl would. Who wouldn't creep out from a one foot scarecrow stalking you?  She also shows more jealousy and can get mean from time to time.  Where in the movie, Sophie is more accepting and kind and despite of all the wrong that has been done to her, remain gentle and kind.

In the movie, Howl's love for Sophie is also more obvious and Sophie's admiration is written on her face from scene one.  With the book, because of the point of view is limited from Sophie's angle, the chemistry between the two are much more subtle.  You literally have to read between the lines to feel the attraction between the two who fights on daily basis.  Both characters are flawed but somehow they complemented each other in a strange way and was always there when needed help most.

And most importantly, the movie has a great deal of anti-war theme,  and that just parted the movie and book their separate ways.

Naturally I was a bit unsatisfied after reading the book, as my original purpose of reading the book, was to search more details about the character Howl.  But because the book and movie are so different, that goal is not accomplished. I honestly cannot say I like one or another better just because they seem to be complete different story to me, much like two historic novel base on the same historical figures if you know what i mean.

I went further search for the voice actor for the dub, and find out it is actually by a profession actor, unlike some of the cheaper production of dubbing.  It is Christian Bale.   All of the sudden, I love batman that much more and hope he come out with more movie soon.