Better Half and I being movie buffs, of sorts, can spot an oppurtunity for idle sport when a film festival is in town. Why miss a chance to sit on backside, munch popcorn and let someone else fight out lifes battles on a big screen in front of you.
After suffering a year long 'movie drought' (Japan aint too hot on keeping up with the world of movies) the effect on us was akin to a parched desert traveller spotting an oasis. The Tokyo International Film Festival was the pool of clear blue water that we wanted to glug away at. Turned out we were getting too excited, too soon.
The famed Japanese fetish for order and discipline has a flip side to it. Their dogged love for processes and 'ways to do things' makes nothing easy here. Everything has a process that is designed to exact the last drop of blood and sweat from you before knocking you down if not killing you.
So we have identified the Albanian,Armenian,Slovakian and whathaveyou movie. What then? No tickets sold at the theatre (now that would be too easy wuldnt it). Website! Everything in Japanese. Tickets at 'Pia' stations at convenience stores. You need to first make bookings on the Net, then colllect tickets from the machine. Steps-to- follow.Steps- to- follow. You are back to staring at the big glowing screen in front of you thinking you should have paid more attention during Japanese lessons. The feeling when you've reached a dead end is not a nice one.
You are that close to retreating into a dark corner when enter the Noble Concierge. Those noble souls without whom life in Tokyo would have been more of a struggle than it is. They are the reception or help desk of our apartment who are just a phone call away for any help you need - book tickets, order stuff, get delivery....
After much navigation through the complicated phone ticket booking system (six movies, six different phone calls, a zillion steps each) and some never ending hours later the job was half done. To actually get tickets in hand I have to still grapple with the Japanese speaking machines at the convenience stores, which I am sure is a whole ritual in itself. But tomorrow is another day and whats life without its challenges.
I am exhausted.
Now the movies better be worth it.
