The Dark Knight only just came out over here, whereas in America it's been out long enough for people to start saying 'shut up about Batman'.

...Is there any point writing about it, I wonder?

I really, really loved Harvey Dent's character. I have a thing for fallen angels and I also didn't know that Two-Face was going to be in it since I avoid all spoilers (there was no way I could avoid knowing about the Joker). When I heard his name at the start, I assumed they were foreshadowing for the next film, as they did in the first movies.

The Joker was pretty good too. I empathised with him as I was in the process of drinking a large carton of ice coffee and eating pick'n'mix candy. Believe me, if you consume enough caffeine and sugar, you'll start seeing things the Joker's way too. If it weren't for the circumstances surrounding Heath Ledger's performance, I don't think I'd even mention him (apart from the nurse's outfit and waistcoat, which deserve their own paragraph). Or perhaps I'd be going crazy over him, as I'm a contrary person.

I want another waistcoat (US: "vest"). Green and collared, of course. I did the same thing during the Indiana Jones movie, where everyone was wearing three piece suits with lovely waistcoats. It doesn't have anything to do with the quality of the film, I just really, really like waistcoats. I really started liking the Joker though when he put on the nurse's outfit... his conversation with Harvey was quite intense, wasn't it? He selected him to be turned towards the dark side. I know Two-Face died at the end, but I've always been a Marvel fan. Characters never die in our comic books!

I saw this article on the BBC, on the rating chosen in Britain. I'm not surprised they gave it a 12A certificate (recommended for kids over twelve, but anyone can see it with an adult), but I think it was a poor decision. I noticed that it was consistently bloodless, but with extreme and sudden violence and concluded they were going for a low rating. Look at the sequence when the Joker appears and makes a pencil "vanish" -- that stuff was nasty but carefully edited (okay, I LOL'ed). If it's done by a comic character with no blood, it's fine. WTF, people?

---

As promised, more of my Japanese homework.

８月１日

６時

夜明けで、大きくて美しい太陽が出た。ああ・・・嬉しい～！

ほっ！おはよう～！オイラは河馬の探偵で、ケニアの湖に住んでいる。泥が好きで、犯罪者たちが嫌だ。子供時代から、シャーロック・ホームズ様を尊敬しているから、犯罪についてよく考えたい時シャーロックの帽子をかぶる。

７時

あっ！忘れちゃった！最近、シャーロックの帽子を被らなかった。かべで作った野菜は涼しいのだ。友達は「バカのかばはかべからかぶばかりかぶる」と言った。

ガゼルばあちゃんは草のクッキーを作って、みなにくれる。本当に美味しい～！

ありがとう、ガゼルばあちゃん！

８時

ガゼルばあちゃんは行方不明で、大変だぞ！でもね、犯罪者は、この俳句をかきのこした。

夏の草　ばばのガゼルも　美味しいの

誰？ダ～レ！？意味分からねぇ～！　どうして、草原には警察いないの？

どうするどうするどうするの！？

ケニアで誰も俳句をかきません。

…たぶん。

（続く・・・）

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It's now my summer holiday... I went to a great fireworks display on Friday with some friends (including aionwatha, dilettantka, hinoai and starrbeam). Because it was her birthday, hinoai had a Red Velvet cake. I've no idea what that is, but it was delicious. The picnic was lots of fun, but I figured it was okay to drink a hell of a lot of rum because I had just finished work for the next six days.

It was a wonderful feeling, watching the dragonflies' wings catch the light of the afternoon sun and then sparkle in the lantern glow later as the sun went down. When we walked across the grass, little grasshoppers flew out with every step. I suppose that when I leave Japan, these will be the days I remember.