The Penpal took the day off and came to visit me in Azusa took the day off to come and hang out with me at Hello House. We decided to have a cultural exchange with movies.
The first movie we watched was Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (風の谷のナウシカ), which is a cool Miyazaki movie. Even though Nausicaa was made before Studio Ghibli was officially founded, it is often considered a Studio Ghibli film. Nausicaa and Castle in the Sky were some of The Penpal’s favourite movies growing up. I was surprised by the strong environmental message, considering the movie was released in 1984.
My movie selection was American Pie, which I still think is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. I recently picked up a Japanese DVD version on sale. The movie had Japanese subtitles, but really didn’t need them for the physical humour. A guy getting caught having sex with a pie is funny in any language.
It was pretty cool that two people who grew up in different cultures in different parts of the world could enjoy the same movies. Movies can be a great way to share culture, and are a great excuse to spend time with someone.
Drinking in Japan 