Cafe Jujé

Tata Motors (same company that is buying Jaguar and Land Rover) in India just revealed their solution to motorizing the masses in India. The car will sell for $2500. The Nano, offering seating for 4-5 people, is 10 feet long, 5 feet wide, a little more than 5 feet tall. What makes the car so cheap is a very minimalistic design: no power steering, no air bag, no power windows, and use of plastic and adhesive instead of welding. Extras for an additional cost include air conditioning, radio, and sun visors.

When conversing with another person of the opposite gender close to your own age, it’s fairly safe in most cases to address them as “anh” (male) or “em” (female).

Anh la đẹp trai = You (male) are handsome
Em la dễ thương = You (female) are cute

Also the sound “uuhy” is sometimes added to the end of words to be more endearing.
Người yêu-uuhy = Person love or lover

Autumn Tale is very much a Korean drama - love triangles, deceit, jealousy, hardships, etc… Be ready to cry, a lot!

Drama begins with two teenage girls that find out they were switched at birth. One raised in the wealthiest family of the area, and the other with a struggling single mother and abusive brother. They switched back the children to their real families, and go on to live one another’s lives. The wealthy family moves to the States with their real daughter and son, leaving behind the girl they had raised from birth. Years later, the brother returns to Korea with his family to find his long lost sister. Sad ending though, be prepared!

The whole series is here.

Nobody Knows is a good Japanese film that’s different from most dramas. It has a documentary feel to it (which it isn’t), but is still offers a great story.

It’s about a single mother in Tokyo with four young children. One day the mother leaves a note and some money explaining that she’ll be away for awhile. Twelve year old Akira, the oldest child, is left to take care of his other siblings. The mother comes back a month later with gifts, and then leaves again with the promise to come back for Christmas. Akira tracks his mother and finds that she has married and is living a new life. The children are left struggling to survive on limited resources again.

The film ends rather unresolved. Not a happy ending, but it’s unsure what happens. Film is in Japanese with English subtitles. Can watch it on cruncyroll.

Curse of the Golden Flower is a movie during the times of dynasties in China. The emperor marries a princess of a different region, and have two sons together. The palace is filled with deception, secrecy, and affairs.

As time passes, the Empress becomes progressively ill, which does not subside with all the medicines. Throughout the movie, the Empress has a strange obsession with golden chrysanthemums.

Although this movie was actually released by Sony (American made foreign film), it still has a great story with beautiful scenes. The movie is in Mandarin with English subtitles so it has a more foreign feel.

Can watch Curse of the Golden Flower on cruncyroll.