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Posts Tagged ‘Canada’

See You Then, Inyeon

Posted in General Comments, Movie Review, Movies, Reviews, tagged Arthur Zaturansky, Best Picture Nomination, Buddhist Concept, Canada, Celine Song, General Comments, Greta Lee, Hae Sung, Highly Recommended Movie, Hollywood, Inyeon, John Magaro, Jung Hae Sung, Karmic Connections, Movie Reviews, New York City, Nora Moon/Moon Na Young, Past Lives (2023) — movie review, Reviews, Seoul - South Korea, Teo Yoo on May 19, 2026| 2 Comments »

“Past Lives” (2023) — movie review
Today’s review is for the Korean semi-romantic drama: “Past Lives”, directed by Celine Song and starring Greta Lee as Nora Moon/Moon Na Young, a Korean‑born playwright now living in New York; Teo Yoo as Jung Hae Sung, her childhood friend from Seoul, still carrying the weight of their early childhood bond; and John Magaro as Arthur Zaturansky (Nora’s American husband), a steady, thoughtful writer trying to understand the emotional gravity between his wife and another man.

Background: I first heard about “Past Lives” a few weeks ago when I noticed it on the list of Best Picture Nominees for 2023. It ended up with two Academy Award nominations (Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay) which is pretty remarkable for a quiet, small‑scale drama with no big set pieces and no “Oscar‑bait” theatrics. It also picked up a ton of festival attention and was widely talked about as one of the best films of the year. Historically, it’s already being viewed as a standout in the “what‑if” / missed‑connection genre — a very realistic, adult look at how childhood bonds, immigration, marriage, and identity can all collide in ways that don’t fit neat Hollywood categories. This was my first viewing. I watched this for free on my library feed and have since purchased streaming rights (as it fell to my price point) for future viewing.

Plot: Nora and Hae Sung were close friends as kids in Seoul — the kind of early bond that feels like it might turn into something more someday. But Nora’s family emigrates to Canada, and the two lose touch. Twelve years later, they reconnect online, talking constantly, but the timing is off: Nora is focused on her writing career, and the long‑distance thing doesn’t make sense. They drift apart again. Another twelve years pass. Nora is now married to Arthur and living in New York City. Hae Sung decides to visit the city, partly as a vacation, partly to see her. The film follows the three of them over a few days — not in a love‑triangle way, but in a very human, very honest way about what it means to grow up, grow apart, and still feel something powerful for someone who represents a version of your life you didn’t choose (or which the universe didn’t choose for you). There’s no melodrama, no big blow‑ups — just three people trying to navigate something complicated with as much grace as they can manage.

So, is this movie any good? How’s the acting? The filming / FX? Any problems? And, did I enjoy the film? Short answers: Yes; excellent across the board; clean, intimate filming; a couple of slow stretches; yes — very much.

Any good? Yes. “Past Lives” is one of those films that sneaks up on you. It’s quiet, but not dull; emotional, but not manipulative. The story feels lived‑in — like something that could actually happen to real people, not movie characters. (But I am a “romantic” who believes in serendipity.) The pacing is deliberate, but it works because the film is about small shifts in emotion and perspective, not big plot twists. IMHO, it earns its reputation as one of the standout films of 2023.

Acting: Greta Lee is terrific — very controlled and internal feeling, but you always feel you know what’s going on under the surface. Teo Yoo brings a kind of gentle steadiness to Hae Sung that makes the whole situation feel believable instead of melodramatic. And John Magaro does a great job with a role that could have easily been written as “the jealous husband,” but instead comes across as thoughtful, self‑aware, and genuinely trying to understand what Nora is feeling. The three of them together make the film work.

Filming / FX: This is a small, realistic film (no FX to speak of ) but the filming is clean and intentional. Lots of long takes, quiet moments, and simple framing that lets the actors carry the weight. New York looks like New York (not the glossy movie version), and the scenes in Seoul feel authentic without being touristy. The final sequence on the street at night is especially well done — understated, but powerful.

Problems: A couple of stretches run a bit slow, especially in the middle when the film is setting up the emotional stakes for the reunion. Nothing drags badly, but if you’re expecting a more traditional romantic arc or big dramatic confrontations, this movie isn’t that. It’s also very quiet — which is a strength, but it means you have to be in the right mood for it.

Did I enjoy the film? Yes — very much. It’s thoughtful, honest, and surprisingly moving. The ending in particular hit harder than I expected. It’s not a “feel‑good” movie, but it’s a very human one, and it sticks with you after it’s over.

Final Recommendation: Highly recommended. “Past Lives” is a beautifully made, emotionally realistic film with excellent performances and a clear sense of purpose. Its Oscar nominations make sense, and I think it’ll hold up well over time. If you like character‑driven stories about relationships, identity, and the paths we take (and don’t take), this is a MUST see. Final Note: This film introduced me to the Buddhist‑rooted concept 인연 (inyeon), which refers to the karmic connections built over countless past lives.

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Click here (19 May) to see the posts of prior years. I started this blog in late 2009. Daily posting began in late January 2011. Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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No War In Iran, Greenland, Canada, Mexico Or Cuba!!

Posted in General Comments, Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, tagged American Politics, Canada, Cuba, Force, General Comments, Greenland, Iran, Mexico, NO WAR!, Philosophy, President Abraham Lincoln, Quotes, Short-Lived, Victory on March 3, 2026| 2 Comments »

Force is all-conquering, but its victories are short-lived.

— President Abraham Lincoln

[How about just NO WAR, period! Full Stop!! — kmab]

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Click here (3 March) to see the posts of prior years. I started this blog in late 2009. Daily posting began in late January 2011. Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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A Bear Of Few Brains

Posted in 2025 Book Review, Book Review, Family History, Reading, Reviews, tagged 2025 Book Reivew, A. A. Milne, Canada, Christopher Robin, Donkey, E. H. Shepard, Eeyore, General Comments, Kanga, Kangaroo, Moderate to Strong book Recommendation, Owl, Rabbit, Reading, Roo, The House At Pooh Corner, The World Of Pooh - book review, Tiger, Tigger, VHS Tapes, Winnie the Pooh, Winnipeg on January 30, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Last night I finished reading: “The World Of Pooh” by A. A. Milne (1957©) with illustrations by E. H. Shepard. The book is actually a combination of two books by Milne: “Winnie The Pooh” (1926©) and “The House At Pooh Corner” (1928©).

Background: This is a children’s book which we’ve been carrying around for years (decades). This was supposed to be read to our kids twenty plus years ago, but they watched the VHS tapes instead and I don’t think we ever got around to actually reading them the book. I’ve been using some of quotes from Pooh on this site and I asked my wife if she still had our copy as I’d like to read the original. She said we did still have our copy, but she wanted to read it first (at the tail end of 2024), and I’ve now read it, too.

There is a convoluted real-life story of how “Winnie the Pooh” came into being, but none of that is covered in this book. Basically, Milne purchased a stuffed bear for his son (Christopher) and then a number of other stuffed animals. Milne would frequently take his son to some woods by their home and they would also visit the London Zoo, which had a small bear named after the childhood home of the bear’s owner (before gifting to the Zoo): Winnipeg, Canada (i.e. “Winnie”).

The first book is a series of short stories introducing each of the stuffed animals as if they are real live characters. They include: Christopher Robin (the human boy character), Winnie the Pooh (the bear who loves honey), Piglet (a small, nervous pig), Tigger (a bouncy tiger), Eeyore (a sullen donkey), Kanga (a mother Kangaroo), Roo (Kanga’s baby), Owl (a well spoken, but usually wrong “expert”), and Rabbit (an active, but another, usually wrong “expert”). There is also a mention of a host of extended family members (Rabbit’s) and friends (other small animals), but it is not clear if these are also animated stuffed characters. The second section (“book”) is their shared adventures and ends with the departure of Christopher Robin – presumably he is going off to boarding school, but he may simply be moving away.

So, is the book any good? So-so… If you are a fan of the animated VHS tapes, you will probably enjoy reliving the memories of children’s stories. If you are one of the many parents who actually read these stories to your own children, I’m sure a re-read will raise many happy memories. Unfortunately, I’m neither. I found the book pleasant enough, but ultimately far too simplistic for an adult reading on his own. I’m confident if I had children or grand-children to read it to and act out the characters’ voices, I would thoroughly enjoy the book. Again, though, not my circumstance.

As an elderly male who’s lived through the “Politically Correct” changes over the last 30-40 years, I found two of the stories “questionable”. In one, the animals don’t take to the arrival of Kanga and Roo, so they kidnap Roo with the intent to drive Kanga away. In the second, they want to teach Tigger a lesson, so they lead him out into the woods with the intent to strand him there overnight and come back for him the following day (“or so”). While all of this is harmless enough in the end, it reminded me of the critique of “fairy tales” because children were eaten by witches, bears, and wolves. Those stories / movies never bothered me when I was growing up and these two stories didn’t “bother” me, either. I just found them “interesting” from a modern day perspective.

Final recommendation: strong recommendation – if you are going to use the book to spend time with your children and vocalize (act out) the characters for / with them; moderate recommendation if you are an adult coming to the stories with a shortage of childhood wonder and imagination. I enjoyed the book, but not as much as I had hoped I might. (I admit to still enjoy reading “Twas the Night Before Christmas” each year.) Maybe I’m just getting too old for “new-to-me” children’s stories…

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Click here (30 January) to see the posts of prior years. I started this blog in late 2009. Daily posting began in late January 2011. Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Rut-Roh

Posted in General Comments, tagged 2023 Atlantic Storms, Canada, Disclaimer, Europe, Florida, France, General Comments, Huricane Katrina, Hurricane Franklin, Hurricane Idalia, Hurricanes, Images, Ireland, Mexico, New Orleans, U.K., Weather on August 27, 2023| Leave a Comment »

I know I’m a worrywart and don’t know beans about weather forecasting, but why do I feel like we have another Katrina in the making…

August 2023 Atlantic Storms Image
August 2023 Atlantic Storms Image (forecast)

What we see in the images are two tropical hurricanes and one Atlantic storm. The one currently over Mexico is named: “Idalia“. The one east of Florida is named: “Franklin“. The third system is to Franklin’s East and is currently unnamed. It is currently headed North by (slightly) North-West.

At the moment, the assumption seems to be the hurricanes will “just” miss each other in time and continue as independent storms… (Hopefully, this is what will happen.)

My conjecture is this “may” not happen, and, in fact, there is a good chance one of two other things may…
1) Idalia pulls Franklin towards the West and they combine into a massive hurricane sliding up the Atlantic seaboard. Or,
2) Idalia doesn’t join with Franklin, but instead is itself pinned against the Atlantic coast all the way to Canada. This might occur if the third (unnamed) storm continues North-West and slows and pins Franklin in front of Idalia.

If either of these scenarios occurs, there will be terrible flooding all along the coast. If neither of these happen, it seems most likely all three storms (the unnamed, Franklin and Idalia) will take their turns hammering northern Europe – specifically, Ireland, the U.K., France and the Netherlands.

Hopefully, none of these things occur and these are wild imaginings of an unqualified doomsayer. But I have this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach which feels an awful lot like watching TV the week before Katrina hit New Orleans.

Disclaimer: both images were snipped off of images I found on the web. Both are partial cuts from larger images. I make no claim of ownership to the original images.

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Click here (27 August) to see the posts of prior years. I started this blog in late 2009. Daily posting began in late January 2011. Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Shocked!

Posted in General Comments, Pictures, tagged Australia, Canada, General Comments, Images, India, Pictures on July 7, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Shocked! Shocked, I say. For the first time (since starting this blog back in 2009) I’ve gotten more views from a single country which are greater than from the U.S. Somebody pinch me… 🙂



Over the years, Canada and India have come the closest (Canada most often), but they never quite got there. Thank you “Down Under”!

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Click here (7 July) to see the posts of prior years. I started this blog in late 2009. Daily posting began in late January 2011. Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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A Reminder Of Pride And Responsibility

Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, tagged Canada, Code Of Ethics, Obligation Of An Engineer, Obligation Of The Order, Order Of The Engineer, Philosophy, Quotes, Ritual Of The Calling, Symbols, Wikipedia on February 15, 2022| Leave a Comment »

The Order of the Engineer is an association for graduate and professional engineers in the United States that emphasizes pride and responsibility in the engineering profession. It was inspired by the success of the Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer, a similar and much older Canadian ceremony, and is a common presence in American engineering schools.

Oath:
Before joining, members must take an oath to abide by a code of ethics called the “Obligation of an Engineer“:
I am an Engineer. In my profession, I take deep pride. To it, I owe solemn obligations.

As an engineer, I pledge to practice integrity and fair dealing, tolerance and respect, and to uphold devotion to the standards and dignity of my profession. I will always be conscious that my skill carries with it the obligation to serve humanity by making the best use of the Earth’s precious wealth.

As an engineer, I shall participate in none but honest enterprises. When needed, my skill and knowledge shall be given, without reservation, for the public good. In the performance of duty, and in fidelity to my profession, I shall give my utmost.

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During the ceremony, engineering graduates take the Obligation of the Order. After each member takes the obligation, they put their hand through a large representation of the Engineer’s Ring. A member of the Order of the Engineer then places a stainless steel ring, known as the Engineer’s Ring, onto the little finger of the graduate’s dominant hand. The ring is worn on the little finger so that it will drag across any surface on which the wearer writes, providing a constant reminder of the engineer’s oath.

Each inductee takes the obligation, signs a certificate of obligation and wears the ring as a symbol of their pride in the Order and their obligation to the profession, as well as the public. Often, friends and family join the new initiates to celebrate after the ceremony.

This information was found at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Engineer

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Click here (15 February) to see the posts of prior years. I started this blog in late 2009. Daily posting began in late January 2011. Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.