はる’s Neighborhood

I like science fiction and fantasy very much. Recently, I have read the first volume of the Song of Ice and Fire series, called A Game of Thrones. The series consists of four books altogether. I found it very interesting. First of all, the writer's style is very good, something which often is not true of science fiction and fantasy. And the ideas are very interesting. Most of the book feels a little like historical fiction, but there is also a fantasy element.

I also like science fiction. I have just started reading Hyperion, a book by Dan Simmons and the first book in the Hyperion series. This is a very well-regarded series, and critics say it has many interesting ideas. However, from reading the first few pages, I feel that the style is not very polished, so I'm wondering how enjoyable the book will be.

This book is about the Owl and the Pusscat.

I haven't had time recently to go to the movie theater, and anyway there haven't been any movies that I really wanted to see. But I did get a chance last weekend to see Gran Torino on DVD. Gran Torino is Clint Eastwood's latest movie; he directed it and starred. Many people think it might be his last movie, too, because he is now very old (79 years old). He has acted in and directed many movies. Do you know the Dirty Harry series?

Anyway, Gran Torino is about an old man, played by Clint, who lives in a neighborhood that used to be all-white but now has many Asians, including his next-door neighbors. Clint is very grumpy and appears to be hostile to his neighbors, to the point of racism. But as the movie progresses, he discovers that his neighbors are human beings just like him, and that in fact they have more in common with him than his own family does. I recommend that you check out this movie!

• Greece (especially the Greek Islands, of which there are more than 1400!)
  
• Finland (my brother used to live there)
  
• Italy (particularly Sicily, Sardinia, and Tuscany)

Italy has the 8th highest quality of life index score in the world. It's also known for its natural beauty and of course the great history of the Roman Empire. Greece is an even older civilization than Rome. Finland is a very cold country and it's dark for about 20 hours per day in winter, but it's very beautiful and the food looks interesting! (Try reindeer with lingonberry vodka and cheese!)