monoceros blogsI'm finally catching up on my reading, and since I had a few people ask me for suggestions, I thought I'd put together a small list of books I'm reading presently and a few favorite reads from the past two years. In no particular order:
1. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
- Interesting narrator. Lost love, lost book, a name.
2. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
- Literary mystery. Terrific characters. Three cases that a private detective has to solve, in addition to his own problems.
3. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
- Magicians in 19th century England during the Napoleonic wars. This one is doing very well.
4. Country of Origin by Don Lee
- Another unsolved mystery. A quick read, but still very beautiful writing.
5. The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana by Umberto Eco
- What it's like to have lost your memories except for all the poetry and prose you've ever read. To retrieve, go to childhood home and read your old comics and books again.
6. The Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears
- A classic literary/historical thriller. Should appeal to the masses as well.
7. The Eight by Katherine Neville
- More mass market than anything. But it's an intriguing thriller. If you liked The Da Vinci Code, you'll probably like this.
8. Freakanomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
- An award-winning economist who asks seemingly random and bizarre questions. The answers are astounding though. I couldn't put this down. For teachers, sociologists, closet cheaters, real-estate agents, parents, and anyone who likes a little thinking.
9. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
- Because she's my friend. Well, because it's a wonderful and best-selling novel (and it's not meant to be the next Da Vinci Code).
10. Sorcery and Cecilia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Caroline Stevermer and Patricia C. Wrede
- If you like epistolary novels aka the stuff of Jane Austen's novels. Very humorous fantasy set during Regency England.
Maybe another list later on.
My shipment arrived last week. Thankfully, the Singapore customs folks didn't even bother opening my lift van. The Singapore agent handling my consignment remarked that I had a large number of books, and I quickly assured her that I wasn't a book merchant - I would never sell my books even if someone wanted to buy my library. Writer, instructor, editor - my various occupations, I ensured her. I also had to send her scans of my passport and American visa so she could pass them to the customs department. I got the GST waiver and the lift van arrived at my doorstep two days after reaching the port. I suppose I was luckier than the accountant at Cisco, whose shipment contained several pornographic DVDs. He got thrown in jail and slapped with a fine after customs officers opened up his boxes. His brother's property apparently.
Several of my books were damaged - a dust jacket of a favorite book torn, a number of paperbacks with their pages bent in, folded book covers. I'm not happy about it, but I'll live.
In other news, I sent my foot measurements - length, width, arch circumference, foot circumference - to an online site last night. My tango shoes are in production at last!
Tango shoes was a topic at dinner last night when I met up with Peiming and Noella, the pianist and cellist, respectively. Of course, the main topics were weddings (theirs) and homes (mine). Noella has been learning salsa but is keen to take up Argentine tango this month at the Singapore History Museum. Peiming and Max will be roped in to classes with me and LK later this year, I hope. Seeing as how Peiming and Noella performed Astor Piazzolla's "Le Grand Tango" at the opening of the Arts House last year, it would be very apt for them to learn the dance too. And speaking of performances, the two of them are going to the stage again on September 11 at Victoria Concert Hall. Peiming will be performing Saint-Saens's Piano Concerto No. 5 with the Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Noella's father (and Noella will be principal cellist).
You Belong in RomeYou're a big city girl with a small town heart, which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome. Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand; and gorgeous Italian men - could life get any better? |  |
Thanks to A L for the link. It's uncanny - she's matched with the city from which she just returned; and I got Rome, capital of the country where I'd buy my second house, if I had money to buy a second house.
Incidentally, DSD, A L and I met for lunch today. I don't believe I've met another female who likes and collects toys so it was a thrill discussing LOTR figures with AL, and learning that my Eowyn figure might be worth a bit more than I imagined. Stikfas, Darth Tater were other popular topics.
After that it was an editorial meeting with the old boss and DSD's new colleague. Discussing schedules and editorial work made me feel as if I'd never left the field. The de-ja-vu of it all threw me. Ann Arbor seemed very, very far away (which, of course, it is), a lifetime ago, perhaps. It's almost as if I left the other me behind in Michigan; and the person that's here in Singapore has simply awakened from a two-year sleep and been summoned straight to work.
"Waiting for my real life to begin"
by Colin Hay (from the album Going Somewhere)
Any minute now, my ship is coming in
I'll keep checking the horizon
I'll stand on the bow, feel the waves come crashing
Come crashing down down down, on me
And you say, be still my love
Open up your heart
Let the light shine in
But don't you understand
I already have a plan
I'm waiting for my real life to begin
When I awoke today, suddenly nothing happened
But in my dreams, I slew the dragon
And down this beaten path, and up this cobbled lane
I'm walking in my old footsteps, once again
And you say, just be here now
Forget about the past, your mask is wearing thin
Let me throw one more dice
I know that I can win
I'm waiting for my real life to begin
Any minute now, my ship is coming in
I?ll keep checking the horizon
And I'll check my machine, there's sure to be that call
It's gonna happen soon, soon, soon
It's just that times are lean
And you say, be still my love
Open up your heart, let the light shine in
Don't you understand
I already have a plan
I'm waiting for my real life to begin
So I have about half a dozen drafted entries for the blog, none of which reached completion in the past three weeks I've been home. I had a lot going on during my last couple of weeks in Ann Arbor - packing (as has already been mentioned but I can't stop writing about it), dancing (can't stop writing about this either), farewells, and much despair.
I left the blog dead in the water for a long time because I just didn't feel like writing. Actually, I didn't want to do much apart from sleep, eat, and write the very occasional email. It took me some two weeks to unpack everything from my two suitcases, and even then, most of my stuff is lying around my bedroom. LK has been incredibly patient with my crazy moods, although he's had a hellish few weeks at work as well. I don't deserve him.
Apart from moping around (I really should be ashamed of myself), I got acquainted with the new family member - the pint-size dog, Snowy - and also said goodbye to a friend - Barney, my old colleague, who's traveling for the next month before moving to Japan. I still can't believe how soon he had to leave after my return home. Go well, B. See you in Japan some day.
I semi-successfully transfered my Itunes library from the laptop to the new desktop LK put together for me. The library has been shifting around quite a bit - in Ann Arbor, it left my HP desktop and settled nicely in the new HP laptop I was bringing back for LK; in Singapore, I thought I had this transferring business down, but I messed up and lost my playcounts. At least I got the library over intact. No more moves again, I hope.
I also dragged Ms. DimSumDolly with me to a milonga at Opium Bar. After dancing with two fellows, I've decided I really miss my old partners in Ann Arbor, and that I need to take lessons really soon - tangueras here dance a vareity of styles, and I only dance close-embrace, which is what they dance in the salons of Buenos Aires. One guy told me girls in Singapore are shy about getting so close to another man. Hmm...it's just dancing, what's the big deal?
Many thanks to noob, who supplied me with Scrubs episodes from season 1 through 4. I admit I've come to the series embarrassingly late in the day, but that's okay, I get to watch over 80 episodes at a go! Great writing, acting, directing, and boy, what a soundtrack!
In other news, I've turned down a full-time job with my old boss but taken on freelance work for the next half a year. I hope I made the right decision. And with all my free time, I came across a young Singaporean fellow who's just rearing to begin his college education in Michigan. It's funny, knowing I've left school forever, and watching him at the beginning. Who knows, if I hadn't turned down the university's belated offer, I might be teaching him college composition this fall. But then I would miss out on doing up the new home, which is looking as splendid as it can manage with brick and cement and a roof.
I guess I should say thank you to several of my friends in Ann Arbor (even though some of them may never read this), who made my last days there really special. Jake (Jake, the superb guy who lent me his car for over a month) and Jia, who accompanied me to an outdoor milonga on my last night even though they don't dance; Frank, who thought nothing of wading in Huron River at the Arb when I decided it was the only thing worth doing on my last afternoon in Ann Arbor; Michelle, who brought me lunch when I was cleaning up my apartment and whose eyes welled up behind her sunglasses (I just knew) when we said goodbye; Irene, who came to tango class because I asked her to, but then loved it enough to keep attending even after I left; all my MFA buddies, for that dinner and such awesome company; Kay, Erwin, and noob, for being there, for Chicago, and of course to noob, for putting me up during my last week, for the Ipod/Itunes tutorial, banana/cinnamon/brown sugar/ice-cream heaven, and storing all the junk I couldn't take home with me. I'll be back to reclaim it one day.
"Girder" by Nan Cohen, from Rope Bridge
The simplest of bridges, a promise
that you will go forward,
that you can come back.
So you cross over.
It says you can come back.
So you go forward.
But even if you come back
then you must go forward.
I am always either going back
or coming forward. There is always
something I have to carry,
something I leave behind.
I am a figure in a logic problem,
standing on one shore
with the things I cannot leave,
looking across at what I cannot have.