CRISTY IN THE CITY

Saturday, June 22, 2024

JFF 2024 Film Review : My Broken Mariko (2nd of a series)

Here is the second installment of my JFF 2024 film review. This next film runs on a darker theme which involves suicide, child abuse and lots of cigarette smoking.

My Broken Mariko is one of the diverse films featured during the recently concluded Japanese Film Festival Online 2024. As a live-action adaptation from the manga of the same title, this psychological drama delves on the story of two best friends and schoolmates Tomoyo Shiino and Mariko Ikagawa. Growing up, Tomoyo was a witness to Mariko's fractured soul. Being neighbors in a low-cost apartment complex, she would hear Mariko's tortured screams on a daily basis. Living with an extremely abusive and violent father took its psychological toll on the fragile Mariko who would often go to school with her face covered in bandages. It is her feeble attempt to hide bruises and blisters from the physical abuse that she routinely suffers. Tomoyo on the other hand is a premature cigarette smoker who learned to smoke in grade school. She tries fo hide her little vice by wearing strong perfume to mask the stubborn cigarette smoke clinging to her school uniform. Cigarette smoke is apparently a veil from where she could hide from the dysfunction that she sees in Mariko’s household. A kind and empathetic soul, Tomoyo has many times tried to save her friend from chronic domestic abuse but has not succeeded.

Many years have passed and the two girls have grown into young adults with Tomoyo turning into an angsty, overworked office worker. After work, they would find time to bond over street food and share hopes, dreams and bucket lists like when they were still giggling schoolgirls. Mariko shares her dream of living with Tomoyo (and a cat!) if neither of them gets married and they turn into wrinkly spinsters.

One day, while deep in work, she hears the news on television that a woman has committed suicide by jumping from the 5th floor of an apartment. The woman turned out to be her friend, Mariko. Too stunned and shocked, Tomoyo abandons her work and runs to the exit, much to the annoyance of her boss whom she nicknames "asshole boss" on her phone contact list. She runs to Mariko's address only to find the apartment already emptied out. She also heard that Mariko's body had been cremated and her ashes are in her parent's house in their old neighborhood complex. Mariko as a young girl had repeatedly tried to take her own life but this time she really succeeded.

Tomoyo rushes home and gets into her bandit get-up to steal Mariko's ashes from her parent's highly dysfunctional household. She hides a kitchen knife in her bag just in case. She figures that by stealing Mariko's ashes, she will be able to liberate her friend from suffering even in the afterlife. After a violent scuffle witn Mariko’s dad, she was able to retrieve her friend’s ashes kept in a white box. She then goes on a train journey to a certain seaside town which is one of Mariko's wishlist of places to visit. Along the way, she stops at a noodle shop, ordering two big bowls of ramen-one for her and one for Mariko who in spirit is accompanying her.

When she was almost near her destination, a motorcycle riding thug snatched her backpack which left her with no food and money. Luckily, some kind stranger (a hobbyist fisherman I presume) took pity on her and gave her money enough for overnight provisions and a train ride back to Tokyo.

While on top of a grassy hillside, Tomoyo goes on an emotional soliloquy expressing everything she wanted to say to Mariko--her grief and her loss of losing a best friend. Screaming into the wind, she questions why Mariko left her alone in the world when they had so many dreams yet unfulfilled. In throes of despair, Tomoyo suddenly lurches towards the edge of the hill to throw herself down into the craggy rocks below. The kind stranger who heard her tear-filled soliloquy saved her just in time before she could follow Mariko into the afterlife. In a distance, a young girl is running away from a man who apparently wanted to assault her. It triggered memories of Mariko's desperation to escape from domestic violence, from a life of relentless cruelty. Almost by impulse, she charges towards the man hitting his head with the box containing Mariko's ashes. The ashes unceremoniously get dispersed into the wind and Mariko's journey towards liberation is suddenly completed. Tomoyo's healing also begins.

Tomoyo is slightly injured and is accompanied by the kind stranger to a hospital clinic. She comes out wearing a crutch. While at the clinic, she also receives a heartwarming letter filled with profuse gratitude from the girl she saved.

Mid day comes and Tomoyo is ready to go home to Tokyo. The kind stranger sends her off at the train stop, giving her a box of delicious bento meal to fill her grawling tummy. He also gives her some comforting, parting words:

She returns to work and promptly hands in a resignation letter to her asshole boss who shredded the letter in front of her. It seems she would have to stay a little bit longer in her soul sucking job before life throws her a better opportunity. The film ends with Tomoyo going back to her ramshackle flat, to the ordinary life post- Mariko. She finds a letter in her mailbox. It’s from the girl she saved in the seaside town. While reading, a slow smile lights up her face. We don’t know what the letter says but her dark room fills with hope.

Of all the three and a half films I watched during the Japanese Film Festival this storyline hits a major nerve because some of the plot is similar to the story of my friend who passed away not to suicide but to a sudden, unexplained illness. Unlike in the movie, she was not a childhood friend but a co-worker in a radio station that I used to work for. We became very good friends eventually, almost like soul sisters. She was an old soul and a kindred spirit and we shared the same interest in cooking and other artistic pursuits. She would disappear for years and re-emerge suddenly. I would be like, “WTH, where have you been the past five years?” Just like Mariko, she was a product of emotional abuse and was made to feel unloved and unaccepted in her early life. Her spirit was also broken into shards. Life treated her so cruelly that her past was sadly more dramatic than the afternoon teleseryes I see on television.The most painful part is that after she resurfaced, she disappeared again and one day a mutual online friend messaged me that she passed away after New Year’s Day and her remains were immediately cremated. Unlike in the film My Broken Mariko, her ashes remained with her relatives somewhere in a far northern town. Her death left me with guilt that I could have saved her just like Tomoyo. I could have done a heist and scatter her ashes in the Strait of Guimaras.

My Broken Mariko is one of those rare movies that allow you to get introspective about life and death- the-could-have beens and the should-have-beens. It offers the realization that life is a continuum and not just beginnings and endings.

Thursday, June 20, 2024

JFF 2024 Film Review: We Made a Beautiful Bouquet (1st of a series)

I discovered Japanese Film Festival Online 2024 while doomscrolling on Facebook. It’s been awhile since I watched a Japanese film, the last being Makoto Shinkai’s “Weathering with You” which I watched on the big screen. The film festival has a diverse genre of 20 films available for free streaming from June 5 to June 19. Despite attempting to view the complete lineup, I could only muster watching three and a half films given my erratic life schedule- We Made a Beautiful Bouquet; My Broken Mariko; I am what I am and the half-finished samurai comedy film We’re Broke, My Lord! . The latter is cute and hilarious but I was only able to watch half of the film since piled-up, unwashed dishes on the sink were calling my name. When I resumed watching, streaming was already unavailable for the entire movie catalog. What a bummer. Maybe the JFF organizers can make next year’s online film festival a two-month event? There’s no way I can marathon watch 4-5 films in a weekend. I would have loved to watch all the films in the lineup.

I didn’t regret watching the films I randomly selected, starting with the beautifully color graded “We Made a Beautiful Bouquet” starring Masaki Suda (Mugi) and Kasumi Arimura (Kinu). I particularly like the visual tone and texture of this film- the grainy, deep autumnal filter that evokes a cozy feeling of being in a cafe with wooden interiors.

In this film, two university students find themselves in a late night bar after missing the last Keio train to Tokyo. They hit off right away, fall passionately in love and in true whirlwind fashion decide to move in together in a quaint apartment facing the scenic Tama River. The highlight of this movie would have to be the couple adopting a cute kitten one wintry New Year’s night. The English subtitle hovers on the scene where the new kitten (a grey British Shorthair) is fed and named. “Naming a cat is one of the most sacred things you can do,” the subtitle says.

As twenty-two year olds trying to navigate the adulting life, Mugi and Kinu go through a series of challenges and setbacks that rigorously test their idealistic notions of romantic love and youthful dreams. Their relationship eventually runs its course and unravels in a poignant scene where they mutually decide to part ways in a cafe where they used to date as university students. Despite the tears, Kinu expressed her desire to keep the cat after their split.

After a tight farewell embrace and shedding of copious tears under a streetlight, the scene gently fades into black and a sunlit apartment comes into full view. We see that Mugi and Kinu have consciously uncoupled and have decided to peacefully move on with their separate lives yet remaining to be friends. They trade erstwhile jokes while boxing remnants of memories they have shared for the past five years. They appear comfortably settled with their separation that they even tease each other if anyone of them has ever been unfaithful during the time they were together. I found this scene particularly funny because it looks like a relationship exit interview minus the post-breakup wailing.

To settle who gets custody of the cute cat, they play rock, paper and scissors and the feline officially goes to Mugi. Fast forward to a scene where Kinu waits for her new boyfriend at the entrance of a bakery. They walk off into a street while another couple follows. It's Mugi and his new girlfriend. The two couples go their opposite ways with Mugi and Kinu waving to each other with their backs turned. So long, first love. This scene is bittersweet like your first taste of Cafe Americano.

I enjoyed the warm and cozy visuals of this film despite the predictable plot. The blossoming and unraveling of youthful love confirms the reality that we already know. A starter pack love affair always comes with risks and uncertainty. Young couples outgrow each other while searching for self-identity. Youthful dreams and ambitions may become a priority whilst romantic relationships remain in the sidelines. Whichever romantic side of the coin you are on, you will never know if a relationship will work out or not unless you try. Whatever the outcome whether it ends in marriage or separation, make a beautiful bouquet.

Wednesday, June 12, 2024

Quick breakfast recipe card

Morning commutes and making it to work on time drastically cuts the time we can spend preparing a healthy, balanced breakfast. If you're on the fly you just grab coffee or a cereal drink on your way out of the door but that would not be enough to power you until lunch. Since I have no time to fuss over Pinoy breakfast preparations I always depend on this quick breakfast recipe to sustain me until lunchtime. Best of all, this meal is also full of antioxidants, nutrients and fiber necessary for good health.

Check out the health benefits you can get from the ingredients:

Sunday, June 9, 2024

Ang Panindahan: A Weekend Pop-Up Collective

Let me just say I'm a Gen-X getting in touch with my inner Gen-Z! Ang Panindahan, a weekend pop-up market with a very Gen-Z stylized flair was just the perfect distraction on a boring Saturday afternoon. Saturday mornings are reserved for serious garden and yard work so afternoons are free for fancy strolls and carefree me-time activities. With a dearth of weekend markets this time of the year, the youthful bazaar was a lovely event to visit. I am a fan of some of the merchants so I dragged my perimenopausal bones to check-out the goodies, fancy drinks and grub.

I have always been intrigued with the interiors of the event venue Balay Sueno so the weekend market was the perfect opportunity to legally peek inside the house and see the splendid restoration work done on the property. Decades ago, the house was the local version of the Tower of Pisa, the structure perilously held together by poles and pillars. Today, it a stunning landmark near the Tabuc Suba Bridge.It is beautifully lit up at night during privately catered parties and celebrations.

The bazaar had candle and ceramic workshop stations, curated thrifted vintage apparel, flower shop, pet gifts and treats, local artisan artworks, snacks, pastry and coffee. It's a pet-friendly event as well. There is a garden enclosure on the east side of the property for guests to drink and dine. A very lovely set-up for Ilonggo youngsters to enjoy themselves. I look forward to more of this kind of weekend markets in the future as this is a great way to showcase the city's heritage buildings and homegrown brands.

I hope they come up with a Gen-X (30s-40s age group) version of Panindahan next time as I realized the marketing come-on attracts a very young niche market. Kidding aside, you know it's awkward mingling with very young shoppers because you feel so old if not archaic. What do you say Titos and Titas of Iloilo?

Friday, June 7, 2024

Art and Archetypes: A camera story

My first camera was a Fujifilm Finepix point and shoot type that my uncle from the States gave me. The nifty little thing started my love of taking photos of everything and anything, saving the decent ones for my scrapbook (printing photos into 4R was a thing back then) and for my fledgling first blog on on Pyra Labs (now Blogger). My Finepix camera had a good run and one day it just decided to conk out due to overuse. Nowadays I own a Fujifilm X-T100, a mirrorless model that takes the best features of a DSLR and a point and shoot camera. It's not as complicated as a DSLR but allows you to get as creative as you want.

I love images and I love thought provoking quotes. I hate the idea of flooding Instagram and Facebook with photos and cheesy quotations so I started this photoblog eons ago to indulge my predilection for introspection and reflection. I could get seriously spaced out on a beautiful scenery.

It's only recently that I revived this photoblog as I have too many photos to filter and throw away. The better ones will make it here.

Sunday, June 2, 2024

Our perfume making experience at La Luz Essence

Perfume is magic. It's mystery. We recreate the smell of a flower. Of wood. Of grass. We capture the essence of life. Liquefy it. We store memories. We make dreams.
-M.J. Rose

Fragrance is evocative and powerful in distilling old, buried memories, feelings and sensations. It could remind you of a favorite person, place or moment you hold close to your heart.

I spent a friend's (a kindred soul) belated birthday celebration with a perfume making session at La Luz Essence, a homegrown artisan business specializing in hand poured scented soy candles and small batch customized fragrances.

I already had a fragrance concept in mind before walking into the cute and cozy craft studio of Miss Eva. I recently returned from a trip to Kyoto/Osaka and I was inspired by the fresh, invigorating atmosphere of Kyoto's zen gardens. Think yuzu citrus, green tea, hinoki, azalea and cedarwood. I gravitate towards woodsy, citrusy scents so voila, Kyoto in Late Spring is born! Kyoto has bergamot as top note, Japanese honeysuckle as mid note and cedarwood blanc as base note. The sillage (or drydown) evokes a walk through a cedarwood forest on the cusp of late spring and early summer.

Miss Eva introduced us to the fragrance pyramid as well as the fragrance profile associated with top, mid and base notes. I love singular scents like pine, vanilla and rose but it is the alchemy of notes that makes a scent complex, memorable, and unique. We loved how our perfume creations turned out! After mixing our concoction with a glass stirrer, we distilled the perfume into a Chanel No. 5 inspired perfume bottle. We also designed our own label sticker to make our creation truly ours! We enjoyed our perfume making class and we hope to come back again soon to concoct a new personal scent and try La Luz Essence's candle making workshop!

The inspiration: Kennin-ji Temple's zen garden in Higashiyama, Kyoto

Our perfume creations: My friend's Covent Garden (originally titled Chelsea Flower Market) and my Kyoto in Late Spring

We were served by Miss Eva petite bowls of berry fruit tea while we were concocting our fragrances

La Luz Essence

MacArthur Drive, Tabuc Suba,

Jaro, Iloilo City

Friday, May 24, 2024

Kennin-ji — a quiet pause in Kyoto

Some places feel like an invitation to slow down.

Kennin-ji Zen Temple, tucked quietly in Higashiyama Ward, beckons the tired and travel-worn soul into a space of calm, silence, and gentle reflection. Founded in 1202 by Eisai—the father of Japanese tea culture and founder of the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism—Kennin-ji is believed to be the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto.

The walk to the temple is part of the experience. From Gion Tatsumi Bridge, it takes only eight quiet minutes on foot. The bridge sits at the meeting point of Shinbashi-dori and Gion Shirakawa, in the heart of Gion—a neighborhood defined by lantern-lit streets, wooden machiya houses, ryokans, and the soft feeling that time moves differently here.

Before stepping into stillness, we made a brief and cheerful stop at Miffy Kitchen Bakery Gion for usagi—rabbit-shaped bread, cookies, and small trinkets. A light, playful pause before the quiet that awaited us.

A refuge from movement and noise

Away from the steady flow of tourists in Higashiyama, Kennin-ji offers something rare: space to pause. A modest entrance fee is collected at the reception counter, after which shoes are left neatly on old wooden racks. Photography of people inside the temple is respectfully prohibited, allowing visitors to move freely without self-consciousness or interruption.

As I walked along the antique wooden corridors—my rented geta left behind—I felt the warmth of the aged floors beneath my feet. The temple opens itself slowly through framed views of its Zen gardens. Shoji screens reveal red pine, Japanese maple, moss, and carefully placed stone, each angle offering a different composition. Every window feels intentional, like a painting that changes with the seasons.

It was late spring during our visit. The trees were dressed in fresh greens—youthful, hopeful, and quietly alive.

Windows that ask you to look inward

Inside the tatami-matted meditation rooms, visitors may sit on floor cushions facing rock or moss gardens. Some rooms feature round windows, often referred to as Windows of Enlightenment, inviting reflection on wholeness, continuity, and the cyclical nature of life.

Square windows—known as Windows of Delusion—offer a different meditation altogether. Through them, one is gently reminded of impermanence: life, aging, illness, and death. Nothing feels heavy here. Just honest.

Outside, meandering stone paths encourage unhurried wandering. Sunlight filters through maple leaves. Water glistens on bamboo basins and stone. In the stillness, even the subtle flutter of bird wings becomes audible. Slippers wait near the steps leading down to the rock garden for those who wish to walk deeper into the greenery.

Furu ike ya

kawazu tobikomu

mizu no oto

古池や　蛙飛び込む　水の音

The Old Pond

Old pond…

a frog jumps in

water’s sound

-Matsuo Basho

Tea, memory, and lingering calm

A small temple café and gift shop offers carefully prepared Uji green tea and traditional biscuits—simple, grounding comforts. Souvenirs are understated, chosen not to impress but to remember.There is a particular kind of peace found in Zen temples—one that doesn’t demand effort. Faced with harmony, the chaotic mind seems to fall naturally into alignment. Kennin-ji is not just a place to see; it is a place to feel.

A garden not only of moss and stone, but of quiet clarity—for the mind and the soul.

Green light on tatami,
even the heart slows its pace—
nothing left to chase.

Wednesday, May 22, 2024

Back to nature, back to Casitas de Palma

Just like that, I’m back at Casitas de Palma for the weekend!

A quick escape to the mango tree island is just the best thing to do if you're tired of being slow cooked by the sweltering heat. On days when the heat threatens to fry your insides, being surrounded by trees, vegetation and staycationing in an air-conditioned hobbit house is just a literal breath of fresh air. In between hours when the heat index is at its peak, enjoy the art of being lazy. Have coffee. Read a book. Listen to your favorite music. Sleep. Do nothing. Enjoy the sound of the crickets in the evening.

I enjoy the oasis that is Casitas de Palma. In this semi wilderness of inexhaustible heatwave and urban weariness, I find my happy place.

Till then, we dream of rainy days.