Gyoza are Chinese dumplings and they're very delicious. You usually dip them in this oily, spicy sauce. And the city I live in, Hamamatsu, recently was declared the top gyoza-consuming area in Japan. We are the Gyoza Kings and Queens.
Coincidentally, or not, the first place I ever tried gyoza was here in Hamamatsu, at a Denny's style Chinese restaurant.
The Oscars are over and my predictions- based as they were on the experts' predictions- mostly all came true. Letters from Iwo Jima was my sentimental favorite, since it's a rare film about WWII told from the Japanese side and was directed by a personal hero of mine, Clint Eastwood.
But I'm happy for Martin Scorsese. He was robbed so many times... practically every time he was nominated. He should've won for Raging Bull and Goodfellas, most definitely. And I've always admired Forrest Whitaker's work as far back as Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
Kikuchi Rinko, the local favorite, didn't win. That's a bit of a disappointment. A lot of Japanese people I know were pulling for her. She's young... I don't know how much Hollywood work she'll get from here on out. Hollywood doesn't do a lot for Asian actors. The occasional villain, the martial arts sidekick, or the dragon lady is about all you can expect.
Hey, they wanted to cast Zhang Ziyi as Adam Sandler's mail order bride for one movie that sensibly didn't get made. And even when they make a movie about Japan, they have to cast Tom Cruise in the lead. Leave it to Clint to make a big exception... he's a guy to admire, who said his least favorite trait in a person is racism.
So I don't really look for Kikuchi Rinko to get another nomination unless things change. And... they won't. People can bitch about the supposed liberal attitude in Hollywood, but those liberals are just the actors and occasional directors. And Clint's a Republican. The real powers there are totally apolitical and worship only money and themselves. All they want is your money.
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