Hamish Downie’s News Sushi #114: Morsels of News From Japan and Beyond
Hamish keeps serving the best News Sushi!
Hooray! More News Sushi for you to enjoy!
Editor Note:It is Friday and that means it is time for the World Famous, soon to be Intergalactic Famous, News Sushi from our very own, Hamish Downie. Hamish brings us a decidedly different slant on Pop Culture as viewed through the lens of a non-native living in Japan.
Thank you (ありがとうございました) Hamish, for your insights.
こんにちは！Which means “Hello”!
Hello everyone! It was so nice to hear on the latest episode of the podcast (as of writing) that there are people who love this column!
Honestly, sometimes I wonder if I’m just talking to myself in these columns. It really warms the heart.
So, I have to apologise if today’s column seems rushed, because it was. I’ve been under the weather recently, and was waiting on someone who was promising to send me their answers for “5 Questions with” in time to be published this week (spoiler – they didn’t). In case you thought that column was the easiest thing in the world to write, it is, but it’s also a lot of preparation, and a lot of admin (chasing people and chasing answers). I don’t want you to feel bad, so let me share…
THINGS I’VE GOTTEN WRONG
There’s quite a few, but I’ll limit myself:
First, THE INTERNET. I remember the School Librarian gathering us in 1997 around the computer in hushed tones, and introducing us to “the
internet” as if it was going to change the world. As I looked over their shoulder and listened to their explanations, all I thought was that “this is just a very large library catalogue”. Little did I know that over 20 years later, I’d be working over the internet, be it teaching online, writing this column, or releasing my movies. I was capital W wrong.
Second, LADY GAGA. Back in 2008, when people were announcing the second coming of Madonna, I predicted that she’d shine brightly, but burn out quickly like Cyndi Lauper or Alanis Morrissette. Well, she’s managed to stay relevant. I think up until “A Star is Born” was released, my prediction had largely come true, and like Cyndi, she’d mostly moved into middle-of-the-road adult contemporary fare, but she really made a big comeback with that movie.
Finally, BITCOIN. The first I heard of Bitcoin was at a rooftop party in Tokyo where a blowhard was telling Paul and I how it was the next big thing in 2012. If I’d bought it back then, I’d probably be a millionaire now. That said, I still feel the same way as I did back then, it feels like magic beans or a ponzi scheme. Then again, the more I learn about the economy and how money is just something that a group of people have collectively decided has value, the more I realise that all types of money are just magic beans.
As someone who enjoys being right, I’m wrong a lot of the time. How about you? What’s something you were wrong about?
One of my friends has been uploading clips from his many trips to Japan. For those of you who desperately want to travel again, this might help – inside a real Castle:
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HOT LINKS OF THE WEEK
It’s been a while since I posted something from Kaori, but here she is as awesome as ever:
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Enjoy your weekends!
Ciao!
「またきんようびね！」
