Chapter 35 Syndrome of Ordinary Life

Accompanied by the noise of the editing machine, the editing of "Rock and Roll High School" gradually came to an end. 

Two weeks later, on February 20, the editing of the entire film was completed. The next step is the mixing work, syncing the songs with the lips of the film with the tracks from the record. 

No assistant was needed for mixing, and Ronald's work on the "Rock of Ages" team ended, leaving him unemployed. 

Instead of trying to find a way to join a new team, Ronald was willing to wait until the university admission results came out. Besides running and exercising every day, he was recovering hours of sleep and watching TV series. After two days, he felt very uncomfortable. He was not used to this kind of routine and restful life. It seemed that he still needed to find something to do. 

Should he go to Cameron's house to talk to him? Cameron was in the stage of changing his enthusiasm for a new job. He worked late into the night every day and sometimes even lived at the specialist factory. As expected, he and his wife Sharon had fought again. 

Ronald had to think of something to do on his own. 

First, he hung up the phone with Demi Moore and asked about the situation. She had signed with Elite Modeling Agency and had some print modeling jobs waiting for her. However, her acting career still wasn't improving, and she didn't know when she would be able to enter the industry. Now she was learning to write rock lyrics with her boyfriend. 

Demi also told Ronald that Natasha Kinski had returned to the country to continue filming "Tess." She didn't know when they would be able to see her on the screen in the United States. 

Ronald felt a bit empty, and his daily life was too boring compared to the stories in the movie. On the set and in the editing room, he had been dealing with drama at every moment. 

After finishing a film, Ronald was not used to the boredom of daily life. It was as if he had escaped from this ordinary world. 

Filming and post-editing films are very colorful. Along the way, Ronald was a newcomer. After breaking into the film industry, he was climbing a mountain at every step of the way. He climbed vigorously and finally reached the top. But after passing the peak, it was flat ground. 

Now, this ordinary life is the flat land. I'm used to climbing mountains, and then, when walking on flat ground, I feel like I suddenly feel weightless. Most people's lives are not as dramatic as the world on the screen. Ronald was still adapting to a normal pace of life. 

Ronald drove aimlessly through Venice. 

When urban planning was first made, the municipal government of Los Angeles planned Venice Beach as a cultural center. The lower working class could not practice any elevated art, and Venice became a hub for surfing and roller skating. 

The municipal corporation built roller skating rinks on many roads. It is said to be a place, but in reality, it is a circular area paved with cement, which is quite simple. The original intention might be for people to skate inside, like in Ronald's hometown skating rink in New York. 

But now, the place has been occupied by skaters who challenge the difficulty of tricks. Instead of skates, they use skateboards and perform difficult tricks in pools, railings, stairs, etc. 

Ronald asked someone to lend him a skateboard and tried it out. Soon he found that he was too tall and couldn't perform any sophisticated moves. After watching the wonderful performances of others for a while, he felt a lot of envy and also jealousy for not being able to do it, so he decided to leave and go see other fun things. 

There's also a surf club at Venice Beach, where surfers in swimsuits and tanned bodies challenge the waves. They seem to be able to grab the fragile balance at the crest of the wave, hanging unsteadily but not falling. 

Some brave people tried to challenge the waves that were over 5 meters high and walked among the waves. The audience could only see a small figure on the beach, disappearing and appearing in the huge waves. Although most end in failure, occasionally one succeeds and rides the enormous waves, and the beach rejoices. 

Ronald also enjoyed watching and couldn't help but want to play. 

He found the surf club business location on the shore, paid the deposit, happily entered the changing room, and put on swim trunks. He picked up his newly rented surfboard and plunged into the sea. 

"Pfft, bah, bah, bah." Ronald was knocked down by the waves and returned to the shore embarrassed. 

It seems I am still not suited for these extreme sports. 

Then let's play wrestling. Ronald tried to find a wrestling gym again to recover his skills. But after driving a long time through Venice, he couldn't find it. 

Still, enthusiastic citizens pointed out that there was a martial arts gym around the corner. 

"A martial arts school might also be a good idea," Ronald thought. 

When he entered the martial arts gym at the intersection of two streets, he was greeted by the smell of shoes. Ronald frowned. There were a dozen pairs of shoes neatly placed in the entrance lobby. It turned out to be a karate club, and shoes had to be removed upon entering. 

People in the United States generally do not know the difference between Chinese and Japanese. 

They also called it Bruce Lee's Kung Fu Karate. Japanese karate and judo are also called kung fu. 

In any case, it is a mysterious martial art from the East. As soon as the "uncle" makes a move, the enemy will die. 

There were only a few children in the hallway, dressed in white karate clothes and belts. 

"Hey, ho, hey, ho," they were making punches, blocks up and down, and other basic movements. 

Ronald followed the rules, took off his shoes, and entered the club. The guild room was not large, with cream-yellow tatami covering the entire floor. There was no decoration around, and it was quite simple. There were some slogans written in Japanese on the wall opposite, as well as a banner that seemed to be the championship flag of a certain tournament. 

The club's coach saw an adult coming and approached to talk to him. The karate club's business wasn't good, and from the looks of it, he seemed to be a practitioner. Are you here to compete in the club? 

Ronald introduced himself and expressed that he wanted to find a wrestling place. The guide pointed to this place and said that the coach here has real skills. 

The coach seemed to be a mixed Japanese and American, about 20 years old, studying authentic Ryukyuan karate. After Bruce Lee's death, the business of Eastern martial arts has not been easy, and now they still rely on recruiting some children to survive. 

This coach had no personal opinions. Seeing that Ronald could fight, he expressed his intention to challenge him. The two asked the students to take a break and started fighting on the tatami. 

Karate emphasizes stopping inches, which means stopping until reaching the point. The coach's punch hit Ronald a few centimeters from his face, which was considered a victory. 

Ronald was not used to this, so he still took a step forward, grabbed the coach's wrist, twisted it hard, and threw him to the ground. 

He hurried to apologize, but the coach had no intention of continuing the fight. Instead, he talked to Ronald about this fighting method. All martial arts schools have similar techniques. Ronald also learned some throwing techniques from karate. 

Before parting, the two exchanged business cards. The coach said he had also practiced Wing Chun and that Ronald could come and test his skills. He had some good friends who could also fight in practice. 

Ronald looked at the name on the business card, Daryl Vidal, and it turned out to be an American name. 

… 

Ordinary life lacks excitement. Am I perhaps missing a girlfriend? Ronald thought. 

How about having Chinese food to celebrate? Ronald drove to Chinatown in Los Angeles to try the Chinese food there. 

After passing Sunset Boulevard and heading north for a short distance, Ronald saw the bronze statue of Mr. Sun Yat-sen and the tall arch with the words "Luo Zhi Qinghua" written on it. 

The whole person relaxed. Although I have no memories of my past life, I still feel a natural affinity for the Chinese-style houses, the various Chinese plaques, and the bilingual signs on the streets. 

He found a random restaurant and ordered a portion of Yangzhou fried rice, along with a serving of roast pork, sautéed vegetables, and soup. Ronald's tongue and stomach were satisfied. It greatly alleviated the boredom of McDonald's every day. 

I should come more often. Ronald patted his belly, left an excessive tip, and got up to go home. 

After taking a hot shower to wash away the fatigue, Ronald thought about the idea of finding a girlfriend again. How about we find the two "dance stars" from Van Nuys High School tomorrow? 

Sitting dazed on the living room sofa, Ronald turned on the TV. It just so happened that CBS-2, a local television station in Los Angeles, was broadcasting the nominations for this year's 51st Academy Awards, which had just premiered. 

The two most popular movies that I saw in the variety newspapers some time ago, "The Return" and "The Deer Hunter," received 8 and 9 nominations respectively. And they all include major awards like Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor and Actress. 

Another strong contender for the award is the comedy film

 "Heaven Can Wait," produced, directed, written, and starring Warren Beatty himself, which also received 9 nominations. 

Warren Beatty is a famous playboy in Hollywood. Since his starring role in "Bonnie and Clyde" became a box office legend a few years ago, his power in Hollywood has been increasing day by day. There are constant rumors about his affairs with various female celebrities, and none of his alleged girlfriends have anything bad to say about him.

Here's the translation of the text into English without changing any words from the story:

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In fact, Ronald envied him for being a promiscuous man while still maintaining a good reputation. Much better than the other two famous playboys in Hollywood, Jack Nicholson and Marlon Brando.

The host keeps constantly analyzing the winning odds of each nomination, interspersing various entertainment gossip and interviews with the parties involved.

Warren Beatty is a handsome guy and makes an effort to say good things about his movies during interviews.

"'Into the Wrong Heaven and the Wrong Birth' is not a simple new version of 'The Taoist Man' from 1943; it is not a simple farce. It incorporates thoughts about modern America and the kind of life we want to live." Thoughts about life, and it is essentially a romantic movie."

Ronald listened to what he said and thought for a while, but he didn't understand what the handsome guy was referring to.

The scene shifts to "The Deer Hunter," and the most important star of the film, Robert De Niro, defends the movie, claiming that "The Deer Hunter" is the best film of the year.

Then came director Michael Cimino. He is a fat and greasy man who talks grandiloquently, moves exaggeratedly, and is a bit egotistical. The host introduced him as having experience in advertising and that "The Deer Hunter" is the second feature film he directs.

However, this time he was criticized by many film critics and progressives. In Michael Cimino's three-hour film, there are some whimsical plots, such as American prisoners of war forced to risk their lives for North Vietnamese officers.

Several prisoners played with a revolver that contained only one bullet. The North Vietnamese officer spun the revolver, and the prisoners took turns shooting themselves in the temple. This is called Russian roulette. Many people criticized him for saying nonsense, claiming that nothing like this ever happened in the Vietnam War.

In an interview, Michael Cimino spoke plausibly:

"I served in the Green Berets of the U.S. Army. When I first joined the army in 1968, I served as a medic in the Green Berets and witnessed the entire spring offensive. I can only say that many things are beyond your imagination. Those who understand will understand what I mean. If they don't understand, I cannot reveal more. I can only tell you that much of the content of this film can be said to be autobiographical."

Ronald looked at the fat and greasy man on the television and said, "That's not right. He enlisted in the army and was sent to Vietnam in 1968, so he is only about 30 years old this year? This fat man looks 40, right?"

Then, the scene changes, and the heroine of "Homecoming," Jane Fonda, is interviewed. Jane is the daughter of Henry Fonda, a veteran actor from the golden age. She won an Oscar in 1971 for her role in the movie "Klute." She is a big star with good looks and acting skills. She has always been on the left and advocated for world peace. During the Vietnam War, she urged U.S. commanders to stop bombing civilians in the North.

This time, Jane Fonda was attacked by conservatives. The character she portrayed on screen had a romance with the high school idol of that time, who is now a disabled soldier. During the adventure, her character still wore a wedding ring, and her real husband was still fighting on the battlefield in Vietnam.

This caused discontent among many veterans and religious figures. They accused Jane Fonda of immorality and used the nickname "Hanoi Jane," which provoked public outrage when she visited North Vietnam.

But Jane Fonda defended her movie because it reflects the real situation of Vietnam veterans.

"Did you know? We filmed the scene in the veterans hospital at the beginning of the movie in real life. Those lines are the daily conversations of Vietnam War veterans. Anyone with a conscience should see this movie 'Homecoming.' It is truly 'to understand the trauma that the Vietnam War brought to our country, rather than sitting in a room imagining the brutality of the Vietnamese.'"

Ronald's uncle died in Vietnam. There were also many disabled Vietnam War veterans in Staten Island and New York, and he knew that what Jane Fonda was saying was very true.

The gossip journalists seized the opportunity: 

"Jane, are you insinuating that 'The Deer Hunter' is not really a reaction to the Vietnam War? That those plots of Russian roulette were imaginary?"

"No, I am not criticizing a specific film, but I am criticizing a bad trend in Hollywood that does not dare to face the truth. As for 'The Deer Hunter' you mentioned, I believe that our film 'The Return' is better and more reflective of the true face of that war."

"Jane Fonda once again expressed her stance on the Vietnam War. Will her new movie win the favor of the judges? The photo of her sitting on an anti-aircraft gun of the North Vietnamese Army in 1972 has not been forgotten by the American public." The host began to summarize.

The famous photo appeared on the television screen.

Ronald felt sleepy, turned off the TV, and prepared to sleep. It seems that this year's Oscar favorites are related to movies about the Vietnam War. No, there's also Warren Beatty's film; what's it called?

End of chapter