It has been way too long for an update. Yes, I know, many days have gone by. So, poor reader who has been diligently checking this blog (yes, surely there is at least one of you), I should update!
How has life been treating Caveboy? Well, let me tell you. First, I saw The Lovely Bones. It wasn't the top choice but Sierra Leone Belle and I had no other choice because the other movies were either sold out or started much later. So we bravely entered, expecting murder stories about lovely bones. And instead we got random dream sequences in heaven or purgatory or some waiting/ temporary stage that we never really figured out. I'm sure those scenes were beautifully shot. But they just weren't that interesting.
I've been looking at lots of apartments. Yes, I'm planning on buying an apartment. Yes, Caveboy is planning on settling down. Except whenever I look at an apartment I find out the board rules on subletting b/c Caveboy likes to know that he can break a mortgage (I was going to write "lease" but that's renter-talk) whenever he wants. The search continues. I'll keep you posted.
I've been out about. I had drinks and a bar snack with Linus at 44 and X, which I have blogged about before, and to which I would link but for the fact it's late, I've had a bit to drink, it's late, I am trying to cover a lot of ground in this post.
On Saturday night, Sierra Leone Belle and I, or Sandra Dee, decided to make dinner together. We made food - chilli. I would link to the recipe but see supra, etc. It was delicious. And then we watched TV. In particular, the crazy TV show about lawyers - The Deep End - but instead we fell asleep on the couch. Yes, b/c that is what real lawyers do. They make dinner, have half a bottle of wine, they watch TV and fall asleep. They wake up b/c the lights are too hot in the living room and they're making a pretence of watching this TV show so they get up and open the window just a crack and they return to their indented spot on the couch and fall asleep. Only to wake up and close the window b/c now it is too cold and they are too cold. Repeat until 1:30am. When it is really time to go to bed.
I might or might not have spent the last two hours dancing to Journey's Don't Stop Believin', Queen's Under Pressure, Eye of the Tiger, Toto's Africa, etc. etc.
But that's neither here nor there now. As it's time to go to sleep.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
I was awoken by the cleaning lady
The world's scariest woman cleans the offices at work. She grunts and growls at you. She is not happy if you have left any food in the garbage can. When she reaches down to pick up the garbage can, she will hold on to the back of the chair, which means that your chair will swivel wildly, taking you on a joyride. I've tried handing her the garbage can each time to avoid this occurrence, but sometimes she just sneaks up on me and beats me to it. I live in fear of her.
Yesterday, I had to do boring, mindless work until midnight. I'm still suffering from a bout of jet lag. So at 10pm, I decided to take a nap on the floor. Like a night watchman trying to protect myself from the bitter cold (despite being indoors, I know, I'm weak), I wrapped my scarf around my neck, using the tail end as a faux pillow. I lay down on my suit and tried to get some shut eye.
Only to hear someone say, "What happened? Are you dead?" I looked up, and there she was. Menacing as ever. Evincing clear disappointment when my eyes opened . . .
Yesterday, I had to do boring, mindless work until midnight. I'm still suffering from a bout of jet lag. So at 10pm, I decided to take a nap on the floor. Like a night watchman trying to protect myself from the bitter cold (despite being indoors, I know, I'm weak), I wrapped my scarf around my neck, using the tail end as a faux pillow. I lay down on my suit and tried to get some shut eye.
Only to hear someone say, "What happened? Are you dead?" I looked up, and there she was. Menacing as ever. Evincing clear disappointment when my eyes opened . . .
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Book review of Ha Jin's Waiting
In an effort to show you that I'm a serious puppy, too, who does other things besides watch a lot of Law and Order SVU episodes (speaking of which, I started watching one last night at midnight, couldn't finish it, and now am going to watch the tail end at 740am, which means invariably that despite waking up early, I will find myself scrambling to get to work per usual, simply because one never really is one, and one can never really say no to another Law and Order SVU episode), I am also going to review the ocassional book that I read. There, aren't you happy? This is a serious, literary blog!
So on the plane ride back from Mumbai last weekend, I read Ha Jin's novel Waiting. Oh, at the outset let me warn you dear reader that I don't know how to do one of those "If you want more details, click the link after the jump" or whatever so I'm just going to go on and review the book here. I'll avoid spoilers to the extent I can but I'm not really good about anticipating where my stream of consciousness will take me and I rarely edit my posts after writing them (b/c sometimes important things like Law and Order SVU episodes await) so . . . c'est la vie.
Anyway, I liked the book. I was wary at first because I don't have connection to China generally much less the tiny rural village where the book was partly set in. And I know that intimate knowledge of the context of a book isn't necessary to reading it and/or appreciating it, but sometimes that knowledge gives you an added insight. I once got in trouble with a good friend who is white/ American for suggesting that she wouldn't understand Salman Rushdie's Midnight Children as well as I did because the history of the book -- emergence from colonialism/ independence/ the initial leaders of India/ the struggle with Pakistan and Bangladesh/ the Emergency period, etc. -- were built into my historical psyche.
I liked the book. It was predominantly sad. And I looked at the book jacket later and saw that many of the reviews talked about the "tragic comedy" of the book. Which I can see. But that comedy, let me tell you, really is tempered by a lot of sadness and melancholy.
I'm cheesy. I take away life lessons from books. So a big one from this book was "Seize the day." The book recognizes that it's not possible to always do that -- life is complex, and there are various factors all at play that compete with each other and might prevent you from doing something. I liked that understanding. But the bottom line that I took away is that one should not give up trying to make the change in one's life that one seeks. For otherwise life will just take its own course. (Which reminds me of that quote, "Life is what happened to you while you were busy planning.")
So on the plane ride back from Mumbai last weekend, I read Ha Jin's novel Waiting. Oh, at the outset let me warn you dear reader that I don't know how to do one of those "If you want more details, click the link after the jump" or whatever so I'm just going to go on and review the book here. I'll avoid spoilers to the extent I can but I'm not really good about anticipating where my stream of consciousness will take me and I rarely edit my posts after writing them (b/c sometimes important things like Law and Order SVU episodes await) so . . . c'est la vie.
Anyway, I liked the book. I was wary at first because I don't have connection to China generally much less the tiny rural village where the book was partly set in. And I know that intimate knowledge of the context of a book isn't necessary to reading it and/or appreciating it, but sometimes that knowledge gives you an added insight. I once got in trouble with a good friend who is white/ American for suggesting that she wouldn't understand Salman Rushdie's Midnight Children as well as I did because the history of the book -- emergence from colonialism/ independence/ the initial leaders of India/ the struggle with Pakistan and Bangladesh/ the Emergency period, etc. -- were built into my historical psyche.
I liked the book. It was predominantly sad. And I looked at the book jacket later and saw that many of the reviews talked about the "tragic comedy" of the book. Which I can see. But that comedy, let me tell you, really is tempered by a lot of sadness and melancholy.
I'm cheesy. I take away life lessons from books. So a big one from this book was "Seize the day." The book recognizes that it's not possible to always do that -- life is complex, and there are various factors all at play that compete with each other and might prevent you from doing something. I liked that understanding. But the bottom line that I took away is that one should not give up trying to make the change in one's life that one seeks. For otherwise life will just take its own course. (Which reminds me of that quote, "Life is what happened to you while you were busy planning.")
The first week back at work
How is it possible that my enthusiasm and motivation at work were drained in precisely two days despite three days of vacation? Ah c'est la vie. Must keep the faith!
The good news is that I have two new songs in my life. Which is great. You see, I live for the moment when I hear a song and it grips me, it takes control over me, it becomes an obsession. I have to listen to that song on repeat when I shower in the morning (with door open; yes, freezing cold, I know, Jijipoof); it gives me an added bounce as I walk to work; I have to force myself to take my headphones out when I get into the elevator at work to turn into "work zombie"; it's the song I sometimes listen to in the afternoon after lunch to give myself a non-caffeine boost. You get the point.
I don't think I'm alone in this regard. My friend the Loch Cess Monster and I have talked about the song that captures your obsession. In a way, these songs -- for me at least -- are like relationships. (Except I've fallen for songs waaaaaay more often than for real life people!) Initially I like at least one thing about the song: the lyrics, the beat, the feeling it gives me. Then I notice the individual impact that the song has on me: does it typically inspire me, motivate me, calm me, make me go to the gym? It plays a part in my life. Finally, after a couple of days of non-stop living, I toss the song aside and go about my life in an empty, sad manner, waiting patiently for the next song to stop on by and say hello.
My two present songs (yes, I'm two-timing/ threesome-ing):
The Killers, I Can't Stay ("In the dark, for a while now/ I can't stay so far/ I can't stay much longer/ Riding my decision home"). The saxophone bit at the end is cheesy, I grant you that, but it's also just a little bit light-hearted, a nice counter point to the serious lyrics of the song.
and
The Killers, Joyride: I love the peppy energy of this song, which reminds me of Franz Ferdinand. There's something slightly poppy and Miami Vice about this song. It's trying to feel just a little bit dirty, and I kind of like that ("It's getting close to sundown/ Over the Sierra/ Stranded on the heat wave/ Burning with desire/ She was on the sidewalk").
The good news is that I have two new songs in my life. Which is great. You see, I live for the moment when I hear a song and it grips me, it takes control over me, it becomes an obsession. I have to listen to that song on repeat when I shower in the morning (with door open; yes, freezing cold, I know, Jijipoof); it gives me an added bounce as I walk to work; I have to force myself to take my headphones out when I get into the elevator at work to turn into "work zombie"; it's the song I sometimes listen to in the afternoon after lunch to give myself a non-caffeine boost. You get the point.
I don't think I'm alone in this regard. My friend the Loch Cess Monster and I have talked about the song that captures your obsession. In a way, these songs -- for me at least -- are like relationships. (Except I've fallen for songs waaaaaay more often than for real life people!) Initially I like at least one thing about the song: the lyrics, the beat, the feeling it gives me. Then I notice the individual impact that the song has on me: does it typically inspire me, motivate me, calm me, make me go to the gym? It plays a part in my life. Finally, after a couple of days of non-stop living, I toss the song aside and go about my life in an empty, sad manner, waiting patiently for the next song to stop on by and say hello.
My two present songs (yes, I'm two-timing/ threesome-ing):
The Killers, I Can't Stay ("In the dark, for a while now/ I can't stay so far/ I can't stay much longer/ Riding my decision home"). The saxophone bit at the end is cheesy, I grant you that, but it's also just a little bit light-hearted, a nice counter point to the serious lyrics of the song.
and
The Killers, Joyride: I love the peppy energy of this song, which reminds me of Franz Ferdinand. There's something slightly poppy and Miami Vice about this song. It's trying to feel just a little bit dirty, and I kind of like that ("It's getting close to sundown/ Over the Sierra/ Stranded on the heat wave/ Burning with desire/ She was on the sidewalk").
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Resolutions
I have resolutions this year. I always do. Because I am always about self-improvement. I have the usual ones: More gym, more healthy cooking, more productive hours at work.
But in addition:
(1) books read w/ red wine accompaniment while listening to music, yes, in my living room, lying on my couch, the lights off everywhere in the apartment but for a single bulb illuminating my book, which illuminates my mind; and
(2) dancing everywhere, in my office (with glass walls), on my way to work, in my apartment (all the time, especially in the morning - music blasting on my speakers while I shower w/ the bathroom door open, must now slip in tub); and
(3) singing. Nonstop.
But in addition:
(1) books read w/ red wine accompaniment while listening to music, yes, in my living room, lying on my couch, the lights off everywhere in the apartment but for a single bulb illuminating my book, which illuminates my mind; and
(2) dancing everywhere, in my office (with glass walls), on my way to work, in my apartment (all the time, especially in the morning - music blasting on my speakers while I shower w/ the bathroom door open, must now slip in tub); and
(3) singing. Nonstop.
so much to say
Yes, I know, it's already the 10th of January and I haven't had the decency to wish you a happy new year. For which I make amends immediately: Happy new year, dear reader(s). It's been a great year so far. The reason I konw: I have random smiles on my face on a daily basis. Which is so unusual for me. So you know it's going to be a great year.
Where have I been for the last three weeks? India and Sri Lanka. I would provide you with details of the AMAZING vacation but truth be told I'm in a look forward not back frame of mind. So alas, here's to the future!
Where have I been for the last three weeks? India and Sri Lanka. I would provide you with details of the AMAZING vacation but truth be told I'm in a look forward not back frame of mind. So alas, here's to the future!
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