30 seconds with Yuki, episode 55

In which we wonder if we should change the name of this blog to "A Lifetime of Curious Behavior."

And now, the preamble. We love Studio Ghibli movies. The studio, run by legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki, has created such movies as My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, and Ponyo, just to name a couple you might have heard of. A few years ago we bought a huge, imported box set from the local snooty video store (Scarecrow Video, if you know it) because we didn't think any of these movies would ever be released in the States. Well, shortly after we bought the set, Disney started releasing Ghibli movies in the U.S., which is great, but we had already spent a bundle on the box set.

ANYWAY, there is one movie that I'm not sure ever saw U.S. release. It's called Whisper of the Heart (that's the English title, at least, the literal translation of the Japanese title is "If You Listen Closely") and it's sweet and adorable and in heavy rotation in our house. Here is a scene from the movie that features a song you might recognize. Also, this is your homework. Please watch it for at least a couple of minutes, as you'll need it for what follows.

For you Singaporeans, and others, who can't view the above click here.

Oh, hi. You're back. Adorable, no? So a few nights ago, Kiddo was pounding out a song about Minnie Mouse on her toy piano (an original composition, I think, about Minnie Mouse going to a dance and then she got hot) when her foot caught her ukulele that was under the piano. After playing piano and uke simultaneously for a second, she stopped, looked at me, and said, "I need a chopstick." We went to the kitchen and picked out the perfect one. Then this happened.

The End.