Fairly dull weekend -- didn't really get much of anything done. Hopefully I'll be more productive on these "days off" in the future. But maybe I needed the rest.

After I finished up my last day at the bookstore, one of the managers took me for a ride into some neighboring cities and showed me a few cool shops. At Creature Zone, I picked up another copy of 2046 (I'd gotten the film in Boston back in February, but unfortunately my copy was a faulty one that only played the first few minutes before giving in to skipping and glitches) and, at Tower Records, acquired three random CDs from the bargain bin.

Of the three CDs, Amy X Neuburg's Utechma is undoubtedly my favorite -- not only is the album itself good, but it's like nothing that I've heard before, which makes it an even more valued addition to my collection. Fuelnine's Eccentrica Gallumbits is also a worthy addition, but given that it's not quite as unique -- it reminds me of Poe -- it takes second place. And the third, MD.45's The Craving -- which, according to Google hits, is undoubtedly the most popular and least obscure of the CDs I bought -- is pretty weak, with every song on the album sounding pretty much like every other song. Still, I kinda like these bargain bin CD gambles -- hopefully someday I'll build an interesting and varied CD collection as a result.

As for 2046, I haven't watched all of it yet (I've got about 40 mins left; I'll say more about it when I've finished it), but my prevailing impression of the film is that it would be a great movie for lovers to watch together -- perhaps over the course of more than one night. It's a beautiful film, and interesting enough, but because it moves very slowly and has more than a few "pockets" of inaction I found it hard to stay focused. Either I'd start thinking about something else and end up having to go back a few minutes just to make certain I hadn't missed anything, or I'd have to get up and walk around, etc., etc., and, had I not been sitting in a chair that precluded the possibility of doing so, I probably would've fallen asleep while watching. But perhaps because there is one scene in which the main character, after a night of drinking with one of his many lady friends, is shown passed out with his head on her shoulder during the taxi ride back to their hotel, I can't help but picture two lovers asleep in a similar arrangement on their living room sofa with this movie playing on the television screen. And somehow this strikes me as the best way to watch this movie -- watching part of it with a lover, falling asleep together, trying again the next night, and discussing the film in the course of trying to figure out where to resume viewing.

Anyway, that's all for now -- I should have a crazy new video game review up on Scary-Crayon tomorrow, so stay tuned. Ja ne, minna-san.