Always Travelling

I've been bumming around for the last 2 days. I have a couple of things to do today, but I'm going to keep the activity to a minimum as well. I feel flat, like I have no zest, my motivation is there but I have no spring in my step. So I've taken a step back.

I've watched maybe 6 movies in the last 48 hours. From the local video store I can rent new releases for $3.50, which is pretty cheap, especially compared to the $6 it was just 6 months ago.

When I get out movies, I always go for a varied selection. I mix action with a love story and get a sci fi or a classic or a sports. Always an eclectic taste. I often get out foreign language films. I love to be taken to another, less familiar world outside of my experience. I love to get caught up in a story.

I'm a big sci fi geek. My favourite gaming genre is RPG in the style of the Final Fantasy series (I haven't played with a PS2 for over a year though). My bookshelf is littered with fat sci fi and fantasy books. So it'll come as no suprise that I love movies with a science fiction or hard science element.

I watched a movie last night that blew my socks off. It was really really good. It's called Casshern. I loved it. It mixes real actors with Japanese animation; a retro-mecha world with painful and raw emotions; strong violence with love and an overarching anti-war message; and to top it off it has some of the most stunning visuals I've seen. This is no simple sci fi movie. This movie was a feast.


From the official site:

"An alternate world with an alternate history.

The entire planet was divided between two opposing alliances.
After fifty years of bitter warfare, the Greater Eastern Federation triumphs over the forces of Europa and gains dominion over the Eurasian continent.

However, this is an empty victory. Years of chemical, biological and nuclear war have poisoned the land and left an exhausted population at the mercy of every pestilence and newly-mutated disease.

It seems that there's little hope for humanity's future. Debate rages over the chances of finding some way to stave off the seemingly-inevitable decline of civilization.

One man comes forward with a possible solution. Dr. Azuma is a geneticist who proposes a "neo-cell" treatment that can rejuvenate the body and regenerate humankind. He's driven in his studies by a desire to save his beloved wife, Midori, from the ravages of pollution-related disease.

He appeals for funding to the government but the politicians in the Health Ministry turn him down, fearing that the new technology will threaten their entrenched powers.

However, a sinister faction in the powerful military makes a secret offer to provide the support he needs to further his research.

When an incident occurs in the lab that sends the Professor's "neo-cell" cloning experiment haywire, a race of mutant human beings (Shinzo Ningen) is unleashed upon the world.

Instead of being the savior of mankind, the Professor's miraculous technology looks set to threaten its very existence..."

WANCon starts tomorrow! The last few days have been preconference meetings and activities. Monday was Subcommittees day, Tuesday was the National Leadership Team day (see the pic below, most of the NLT are present), today was Developing Leaders Day. Conference actually properly starts tomorrow. Chair for conference is WA's very own trainee Prasad (last pic).

I missed most of DLD as I went home to sleep. It sucks that I've come back from Pakistan and got sick straight away! I'm a bit rundown, haven't had the opportunity to sleep much at all and the pub crawl on Monday didn't help things either. (you can see all the pics from the pubcrawl here). Ah well, should be okay for conference. I've stocked up on cold and flu tablets and cough medicine.

I've also got so much to write about Pakistan, and shall be writing up things here and there over the next few weeks after conference is over. I've got a stack of photos and some wonderful memories to share.

Well, after starting up the Curtin LC blog and getting that going, I think it's finally time for me to have my own blog too.

I'll be writing about my experiences day to day in AIESEC and in life, about techy stuff that interests me, generally whatever interests me.