After having complained endlessly about my old camera, and also NOT having a camcorder for the past 6 months, I've decided to rectify all these issues by buying a new camera that could serve as both. So I went off to buy myself a Panasonic DMC-LX3. As I was buying it, I realized how outdated I've been, I was offered to buy a 16GB memory card, and all these while I've been stuck with a 1GB one.
With the new camera, I headed off to Shinjuku Wald 9 again for the Fuyajo (Sleepless City) Cinema Festival, preparing for another sleepless night, and hopefully to catch some other films, and also visit my friends from my uni lab, who had offered to look after the cup noodles booth (free cup noodles were given to everyone who came for the festival).
When I arrived, they were watching the football match between Japan and Uzbekistan of the World Cup qualifiers. Japan had already scored, so they were happy.
![Watching a football game](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vu9swPBD257DLtl4NmtZPUCqhSLpG4I8TISdokjmngGS6315p-yvJlGqvcCbtTrvFnqI6s5-zt8n3oYACxyj3x-4suO-Ij9vGegz0CAwJXT-CWI0QaqenXKvpNXSn6eZQ=s0-d)
Game was being watched on An-chan's mobile phone.
![Live telecast of football game on mobile phone](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sSN_rYo3K66SF9Vlwm8OQkA1vjFBZ2K0AJ2qxUXB9zxPhwhA37zz4F_2Yy02W1AOKCzlMjslHeyj1Gd-dbfhmbOxGfdW_dKhK858osH4pYjvRJSST8I6scj6ZVWQZXl70=s0-d)
Then Kobayashi-sensei came and showed the capabilities of her phone camera. I didn't know why the others were reacting so strangely.
![Kobayashi sensei shows her phone](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vJmxjY4PDW-k-pbf9uUJbWW-g3jg8oFF3ZcSAUrgVaRe2g8U47S4vles7C5FLBbBm_5gXIfXQJXxyidDny10pPe0_S4Slga-qJCtL_LuJ6rmVxWX6dAnLEOW2fv2QWsw=s0-d)
The girl on the right in the pic below is Ayako, also a filmmaker. She had a film screening at the festival called BABY COMPLEX. I caught it, it was a good film (around 50 minutes long, has only 2 actors, great performances, very well-shot, and she has a good eye for visual composition) and I asked whether we could swap DVDs later.
![The cup noodles booth](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_u9j1LcIKKs3I39gtoUrUpJBq_kiwGerx4RsOi1NK0RBKq6o81cLV0lVG4FypLFYBvnDV-6Sx-ml7rHqWxayB905PIQlQg81G88MUdVTEtBGoO311XXqX8_qEWn3c_iSkg=s0-d)
They continued watching football as I continued fiddling with my camera.
![The girls watching the football game intensely](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sYwmDtLiCLbQWwSenDQHR8YXpI1LPIDojN-nIUg58GCxgaJ9NKqg4cmDmxfQh1gOJGtfKd1P6sKBOoiMxvHNj-S3IwLInDEy6xH2NXRgIR4oivp70FdE-skCwpytPkUak=s0-d)
![Maiko and Yamamoto posing](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sRuA5AFDBUaoCDPx4a-MDVWeoSTSZu-18IGpt-T-yd7mN-lg-7YfpGNU6jUbZZ34kG_DgkaqxYUKgcSThF-_HHTgbSylbpe4u7XCx_iVsNuP_kbVlSCc_zdeR9GDOL-aE=s0-d)
We were all in the cafe of Wald 9 cinema.
![The cafe in Wald 9 cinema](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vSsqjToAqR4qO2c8d6gAEZNQphIoopxfLd6I4zJspD4y0XAG7i_TosjCXma1gG2mAVHdFwpwq6ndiMbh_yKHDIZZYji_NIz4M-20cosaxYBxBgT1t3PLDxsqcub4C74oc=s0-d)
One of the main reasons why I bought this camera is because it shoots HD videos. And this is what Shinjuku Wald 9 is like at 11pm.
This is Kobayashi-sensei returning to her booth outside the screening hall.
![Kobayashi-sensei at work](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vJXGnlY-s-XoNAAp6Yya15oEuyEiw8VDRBARSR7EFnDu8tLUOLfO8dqumMmMR2bI8Yhwj0gBZFDST17AGWOYysUvt8K8TTyg-IR2RBlJGwSv-nbxGMTvqkVKjoIfXe2w=s0-d)
And I started to play around with the focusing of the camera. It took quite a while to get used to.
![Maiko ponders](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uRzYtO87YwQy-X1WrQ62jPh-ccn42dzN_l6cBiu6jtRr7qVae4fLDfB3Opuxo7I7CIF281he7kDJE0kPNSbvI685q5IkQWlxo4klwZmf_KgOpJwZ7PW9mv0P7V54SaLOw=s0-d)
![An-chan is devious](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vo3omcJHh63StvWWGcfJOX9UnEVxluxHZmt5YGBep5pQowF6D88z2-siO3No9O6dvJWm2yVnrsq0Q5KH1PaQ-qURrEsWzqh5_EVXg8DPiKpjnis7DO2kIkfMjVj15cPt0=s0-d)
![Wald 9 escalators](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_t_sq9IrUUWbTk4CDOlYCV7FAYUbw2ljaBU5lEX4Tvjy-Ko432gOC_eCUpAuMnOibH-hYCl04F1Uq3TQoBWL43_68_1iCtGdIKUFP7iiHLu4Uw5H5rI4KC5Xe_wp2fAlkM=s0-d)
![A stack of cup noodles](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sJw5LcT3cve9xx_-asmEyh5J6YaEEkN4Hwop3raSLcvtKA7KxiQav8_yTedbUS0s5LPWxiHefoGYauXdFO4tA7S4zmDFBmXXG3vRiNmPdNp5fgRXJkXeO8C5jcTrOgstQ=s0-d)
![Tsunaoka and An-chan ponder](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vC0XDbRp9tRsGWCTZt9PP1B921fAUPeM-jmIQg8TK7vOX3zdVfVsZgXLA3QMv_xzYQfVReOK52M0CB5JBk0q2QLLz52BO4ZyOJDYGTTxX9VfVZOXTTlwOOUKg0LHgPO3k=s0-d)
Decided to take the very first self-portrait with the camera.
![First self-portrait with the Panasonic DMC-LX3](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vYFA0CnHBk6JM_9PpILQ4UkoUIYUfdW2cvRObQOxs4d099HAHRJfbjmSSF3gyPjGZnXxJs77yu6amzWJoQq5BLg7Qq0KUAneVftOi0k0tn4BUulxp9CwEyuxD5TVhoBSY=s0-d)
After that I took a walk outside to see how good the night photos would look. (no, bicycle ain't mine)
![Two bicycles](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_u5cMMi2RtG9xND_NBVC_78pC6l7-dcXRIOT9oL8Heg9hkonFmyySxkDrFaq2cNtaHh9Znv3zy6XW5B56kXgxblFKUBXAAz-vGAepOq7vaIgQz6GU-87l3Bri3hAYuHhg=s0-d)
![Street of Shinjuku at night](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sFrdi_YXfxeuQf3URk-2az81DRHTed9w2Zx3g8JT1XyjUpwX33ngtqAF7O626MHc9Hk3FtxpVFjR2BP4NPMprJvU9aB6RTsxfe-ZYipnBjByOOUnCyZz2IA_8tyOkKnQ=s0-d)
![Street of Shinjuku at night 2](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_v9JE1-WU93K64xQoQtLV4CvSAmZpTl4oXHska3QxW8McYeyAHxyM3b0fJ1rd4NG3yqRxbzJXu3a2lAjLnmtvgwPJKzTfEkCGIvGNSXAXbxqddk-npaSwPsTwufpAUuA-I=s0-d)
![Flowers at the street of Shinjuku](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uaDzjNZb8Oke9dzlFoXW22N_NcjWgGTGhR0gbui0X0PglnCFpHWPFa_ezFMXF3QBJAiBXJuE9aa4DiwxUtcHNooUvSx_dDlHdAz0cMYeALUIgGjTYlSmypZOOH69LImuM=s0-d)
![Cars passing by](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tSj960rW8bsP3A4dQ-wD-PG_DTS8elmuP7EhLBE8WAnnPauSZWDvua0EMVcX5d2MCnTGvdGcX-MeLYvcbtY0o2am1DipSORm5YWcOK6f1gtBbOJc0QLUmrMliNaLQwaPk=s0-d)
Hours went by during the festival.
![Maiko drinking](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_v7wrEIE1IB6kuqIP_QmuWA-IDDm9WloHkZbZDC6MYQxcNxM1wQJRfH-uJtggGCePLFfLhxy-gcgXX0y3z27rk9H7CIrgENgLjY9PwnoszE5v-ApXqzDFe39f9JUinph4k=s0-d)
![Kawahara and Kobayashi-sensei](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uJDECUGgHbGImxfU2H3e6dlFITDkcAHebkrIfrIsbsh2pnmYAeF3PsWpCcSxQvjp4Y9yT7rlueJfl27AgYmHQyQzoryRALMs7iwiVPW91MHUP0-kto3r2zwR1oyTafixo=s0-d)
![Tsunaoka reading the brochure](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vvknL9GfjwNmMYRbRy9YBzOg2L3gzYqyNKePm1GPWe1GDr2gIvqCQP0eLk_JCylA09kw3tBIh1nk8wrRvAbFFp_fVOQ95_3U1XlHE2MFTZ2dANoeMuOLcnQgHSThi2DXE=s0-d)
![KINGYO on the brochure](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_v0pPxfyLVUrFAN4ygvG54YvaZd7r_8k_MRAamVDC39DygsXxSMdUeVf11G6OVtgeOIcBPB769k9cfkWAlssA2NxJZqiEf6yRXSQHkhEmL4HRvKXt3w2OAwMxQCtc2B1w=s0-d)
![Listening... listening...](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_seDBqImufgxEBSggd3bQdi8ToOzelGAYC6Lmnz3EwEy4INn8G_gnsm4hytCIOvjxr4VTEEKgvfs4vS-gTx-fjTt0Jquemi7gnSScWqV10xVdNgUcH-sASl_OZ2h6HqNow=s0-d)
As you can see, by the time it was around 3, the sky was starting to light up.
![Yamamoto and Kawahara chatting](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vlKwo80-bEWT0pbEVyJkOBFvQvQ7PpUlogZwiEtnf9AWYrclR2c2LT7n1ebHKQzosVSGjzu_Y-PrWGOU1WxqPzxDoWFiuv_ClO6yZkJKPKGMMkGKToKjS9LnRzOpyjCeY=s0-d)
Seki-kun had fallen asleep. But remained vigilant in his efforts to promote Kawahara-san's film "Aho Whisky". (Even though he didn't really know it)
![Seki promoting DVDs while asleep](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_v6tJHiJ4xuLAFk98OZjNzTjcev2vTEow4NBnRwEfnsuhuNNjp3KENecx0DX5b7Lr6vfpsJqGc8ENLfx58sPoh0QuZFQG9UW6--aS0tMFfCDae3ejiDJM7hTLp_rv4gaQ=s0-d)
![Prankster Ueda and sleeping Seki](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_v-zeaa3P9dhyE_t9njWW0FAkFTkRPNYTPVnBzCZ_n2iuOTJHM-W7Glcwp0aTmuxAqHRQWHIKWqmOXnLrcRqWGYcTxEvHsG_-NuRpf5r4FCfZ3LDOVPkhscQQMxwaqcMyE=s0-d)
By the time it's half past four in the morning. The sun has already risen.
![Shinjuku sunrise 1](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_usj7oin8KkEomM30C2pr1A2Gf_HnABm_ePHc4Gu0Ci1Mi1gb5MYYO2ihGSTU3z1Pra7a4oZdZpDoi-ISVLYyttV1zf39vXuDsqbvIzNKcyy_JCpXA1IAOSscqQKaSvbw=s0-d)
![Shinjuku sunrise 2](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_u0QMB1mcOZ0n-ljnASd18W-QJiyO4w5Xr7S-HkldsD1J6eSrEEUA_4Y2zsiGstDdRq6rdkNK1qsV17kDHr7-laZa7y2bir2EcJhoE1h5Oe7YsIbBTBfm8djCeidAVF-g=s0-d)
![Shinjuku sunrise 3](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vOF8OfuKLrr9KotgMOhM5c50QM-pdnapP_3EmFBDy2OxioqJLds1sq6iHhg5iF10P13xKq6Ea7U73dvfm30CrRwHVHXTKXUwaYjqJt6vk7AVNRH32mjq5rNRvaaN8nDtE=s0-d)
Check it out on video!
I left at 5am, catching the first train home. I was too tired to really stay on for Tokyo University of Arts' screening. I then woke up to the sound of my mobile phone ringing. It was Maiko, she had tried calling me a few times. She told me that Waseda University, which was represented by KINGYO and Kawahara's 'Aho Whisky', had gotten the silver prize for the festival's competition. I didn't even know there was really a competition. But it was a joyous news.
With the new camera, I headed off to Shinjuku Wald 9 again for the Fuyajo (Sleepless City) Cinema Festival, preparing for another sleepless night, and hopefully to catch some other films, and also visit my friends from my uni lab, who had offered to look after the cup noodles booth (free cup noodles were given to everyone who came for the festival).
When I arrived, they were watching the football match between Japan and Uzbekistan of the World Cup qualifiers. Japan had already scored, so they were happy.
Game was being watched on An-chan's mobile phone.
Then Kobayashi-sensei came and showed the capabilities of her phone camera. I didn't know why the others were reacting so strangely.
The girl on the right in the pic below is Ayako, also a filmmaker. She had a film screening at the festival called BABY COMPLEX. I caught it, it was a good film (around 50 minutes long, has only 2 actors, great performances, very well-shot, and she has a good eye for visual composition) and I asked whether we could swap DVDs later.
They continued watching football as I continued fiddling with my camera.
We were all in the cafe of Wald 9 cinema.
One of the main reasons why I bought this camera is because it shoots HD videos. And this is what Shinjuku Wald 9 is like at 11pm.
This is Kobayashi-sensei returning to her booth outside the screening hall.
And I started to play around with the focusing of the camera. It took quite a while to get used to.
Decided to take the very first self-portrait with the camera.
After that I took a walk outside to see how good the night photos would look. (no, bicycle ain't mine)
Hours went by during the festival.
As you can see, by the time it was around 3, the sky was starting to light up.
Seki-kun had fallen asleep. But remained vigilant in his efforts to promote Kawahara-san's film "Aho Whisky". (Even though he didn't really know it)
By the time it's half past four in the morning. The sun has already risen.
Check it out on video!
I left at 5am, catching the first train home. I was too tired to really stay on for Tokyo University of Arts' screening. I then woke up to the sound of my mobile phone ringing. It was Maiko, she had tried calling me a few times. She told me that Waseda University, which was represented by KINGYO and Kawahara's 'Aho Whisky', had gotten the silver prize for the festival's competition. I didn't even know there was really a competition. But it was a joyous news.