Spirited Away

There was a very small fire in Mark's kitchen. We just pulled something out of the oven and the greaseproof paper connected with a flame from the hob, after that we had a small moment of panic. Not because we could burn the house down, but because we could burn our dinner! Lucy makes these cracking filo pastry salmon wrap things and I'd be damned if they got a bit charred. Mark clearly shared my virtue and blotted out the fire with a bit of pluck. Certainly made my dinner a bit more eventful.

By far the coolest part of my day was going to see Spirited Away at an outdoor showing this evening. Some coworkers got there early and saved us front row seats (which was great because the venue was packed) so we sat down and watch the film as the sun went down. I'd forgotten just how much respect I have for Spirited Away, it really is a celebration of creativity married with stunning visuals and more so than ever before I felt like I just 'got' the movie. There is a real timeless quality to the film and it only gets better the older you get and I related more to the struggle of Chihiro. I saw a small part of myself in how I would have acted had I been separated from my parents at that age, the scene where she wanders through the streets that fill with shadows is reminicant of being abandoned in a supermarket; a terrifying prospect for a young child.

But then it feels so rewarding when we see her grow as a person, by the end of the film she is noticeably savvy and can carry herself confidently. The journey of Chihiro is the true reason for the staying power of the film and I think every member of the audience felt that once the credits started rolling. We applauded even if we had seen it a million times before because we collectivly knew that we had seen something great, and that we got to share that experience with each other.