Totoro

I bought this Bento-Box to brighten Ruben's packed lunch without entering into competition with the over packaged and processed food that turns up in other kid's lunches. I try to make fresh food, mostly organic and with as little packaging to dispose of as possible. But Ruben was admiring the colourful action figures (Spiderman crisps?) and complex packets (yogurt tubes??). So, inspired by this website ,I decided to make his lunch look more appealing. And for me to have more fun preparing it (hey, try skewering fruit and making square rice).

I bought this box without knowing who or what the green and white characters were - I just liked them - Ruben likes green...
...And so I was introduced to the wonderful world of "Totoro".

He is a character from the most wonderful Japanese children's animation film. Last weekend we finally saw the film at a friends house. I was as enchanted and gripped as Ruben was; it is timeless and beautiful and sensitive and funny. It has a refreshingly calm pace, looking at the details of everyday life set in 1950's Japan, mixed with a magical forest-spirit story. I think all good children's literature, theatre and film should be as entertaining and absorbing for the adults as for the kids. It should have layers of meaning for all ages. My best example would be Winnie the Pooh - who just seems to get better and better the older I get.

Anyway I'm going to be searching out more films by Studio Ghibli. The number of Japanese things I love seems to be stacking up.