Chipmunks help me

Not real chipmunks because we don't see them in this country. At least I haven't seen them anywhere I have lived in Japan so far. It's the movie "Alvin and The Chipmunks" that helps me feel better and get back into my swing this month. I got a DVD copy on US Amazon along with a movie "transamerica" in mid May. "transamerica" is also a great movie that makes me want to say "I love you" to all my favorite people. A nice story about a conservative transgender Bree and her son Toby who see each other for the first time in 17 years. At first Bree looks ugly but within 10 minutes you start loving her. Believe me!

I don't remember seeing the cartoon version of Alvin and The Chipmunks when I was little but probably saw it some times with my friends' kids in Colorado back in '85. I didn't know much about it before I saw the movie but their singing voices reminded me of one of my favorite songs when I was a kid called "Kaettekita Yopparai (badload who came back from heaven)" by The Folk Crusaders. It has a similar voice to the chipmunks. They record the vocal at half the normal speed and play it back at normal tempo to create an octave higher in pitch. My parents and grandparents used to say that I sang that song all the time when I was 4 or 5. I also remember singing it even though I didn't know the meaning of the lyrics at the time. I just found it funny. So, this movie actually took me back when I saw its trailer last December and made me want to see it so bad. Had to wait for 5 months to get a DVD copy.

The story is about 3 talking chipmunks and a struggling songwriter. I want them, I mean, Alvin, Simon and Theodore, especially chubby Theodore is soooooo cute!! He goes to the songwriter Dave's bed when he had a nightmare, sleeps on the right side of his bed at first but soon Theodore climbs up Dave's right shoulder and curls himself up between Dave's neck and shoulder. In the morning, he is on Dave's forehead sleeping peacefully! This scene is very lovely that puts a smile on my face all the time. It's my favorite scene. Alvin calls himself the awesomest, Simon the smart, then Theodore should be the cutest!! And I also love the scene where Theodore calls Dave "Dad" by accident. He corrects it "Dave" right away but it shows his love for Dave. Really, this movie makes you feel warm and gentle.

Because of Theodore, I miss my old cat Cha Cha who died of cancer 5 years ago. He loved to share my pillow at night and always slept putting his head on my neck in the morning...