The Academy Awards and Drive My Car

In the United States, the most famous awards for movies are the Academy Awards.  We also refer to these as the Oscars.  The first Oscars were given out back in 1929, so the awards are almost 100 years old.  While the Academy Awards tend to focus on American movies, it is more common to see films from other countries being nominated recently.  For example, in 2019, the South Korean film Parasite was not only nominated for Best Picture but it actually won!  

Last year was an exciting time for films, and specifically, there was a Japanese film that is now nominated for many Oscars.  Drive My Car is a 2021 film which was directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi and was based on a short story by the famous writer Haruki Murakami.  This is the first time that a Japanese film has ever been nominated for the Best Picture.  The movie is also nominated for Best International Feature Film and Best Adapted Screenplay, and Hamaguchi is nominated for the Best Director.  If the film wins any of these awards, it will be an important moment for Japanese cinema.  

The Academy Awards will be held on March 28, 2022, so please check the news to see if Drive My Car manages to take home any Oscars.  The next time that you come to BRIDGE, let’s talk about what movies you have liked recently.

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St. Patrick's Day 2022

March 17th is the holiday known as St. Patrick’s Day.  Although its origins are deeply-rooted in the country of Ireland, it is actually the most-widely celebrated national festival in the world.  Interestingly, people in North America, South America, Europe, and Australia regularly do something on this day to honor Irish history and culture.  

This holiday is named after Saint Patrick who was a respected priest in Ireland during the early 5th century who tried to convert many people to Christianity.  There is a famous folk story which explains that Saint Patrick drove all of the snakes out of Ireland.  However, this story is only a metaphor for all the religious help that the priest gave to the people of Ireland because there actually never were snakes in Ireland!  Saint Patrick passed away on March 17, 461, so that is why we honor him and celebrate this holiday every year on March 17th.  

Many people ask the same question: Why do people in so many countries celebrate this Irish holiday?  The answer to this question comes from a devastating period in Ireland between the years of approximately 1845 to 1852 known as the Great Famine.  Directly before that time, most Irish farmers grew potatoes, and it was a staple of the country's diet.  However, a potato disease started spreading across Ireland which killed the majority of the crops which farmers had worked so hard to grow.  As a result, many people were left without food and faced with starvation.  This terrible situation lasted for nearly 7 years and  led many Irish people to move to other countries, especially the United States.  In fact, almost ⅓ of the Irish population left Ireland at that time.   In these new countries, the Irish people started new lives and introduced their culture and traditions to people from all over the world.  

If you feel like celebrating St. Patrick’s Day this year, the most famous modern tradition is to wear something green.  Also, many people enjoy drinking with friends and family on this holiday, and some Irish bars even serve green beer to commemorate the day.  Have a great St. Patrick’s Day and let’s talk more about holidays when you come to BRIDGE!

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Women's History Month: Greta Thunberg

How are you?  Long time no see!  We have been busy here at Bridge trying to come up with some exciting new programs for you in 2022, and we can't wait to share them with everyone.  However, we wanted to take a quick break to acknowledge Women's History Month in March, which is recognized by countries such the US, the UK, and Australia.  Also, March 8th was International Women's Day all over the world, and this year's theme is "Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow." 

Therefore, today, we thought we would honor a great young woman living today who is standing up to corporations and countries in order to help solve our planet's climate change crisis.  19-year-old Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg has become famous recently thanks to her powerful speeches in front of the United Nations and at other internaional conferences, but she has been thinking about our Earth since she was in elementary school.  When Greta first learned about climate change at the age of 8, she couldn't understand why people were not doing more to reverse the negative effects caused by humans.  She became quite depressed and felt helpless in the face of this global issue, but when she was 15, she decided to do something. 

First, she stopped going to school in order to protest outside of the Swedish Parliament and demand politicians take action.  Her parents, friends, and other classmates soon became impressed by her determination and regularly joined in her activities to raise awareness about climate change issues.  Only 4 years later, her spirit has gone on to inspire people around the world, and her strong criticism of government and corporate policies has sparked changes already.  Greta continues to protest and speak out whenever she sees something that is harming our Earth.  Therefore, we'd like to thank Greta for her past, present, and future service in creating a better, healthier world for everyone. 

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