11 posts tagged “happy”
It's been ages since I finished a book in under two days, so finis hing Jonathan Carroll's The Marriage of Sticks was a treat. And as usual, after finishing a good book, I gave myself an extended stretch, like I would do in the mornings when I wake up from a good night's sleep.
I don't even know how to describe the story, other than it starts out like there's nothing extraordinary going on, and somewhere in the middle things start going weird until you get to the end where everything's totally bizarre. That's what I love about Jonathan Carroll, you never really know where you're going to end up, and you always end up somewhere fantastic but oddly familiar. (Props to my friend Ces who initiated me into the cult, and huge apologies for my having lost her copy of Sleeping in Flame during the move.)
Finding this poem in the book was sweet, too.
If I get to love you, please leave without knocking,
but think it over well:
my straw mattress will be yours, the dusty straw,
the rustling sighs.Into the pitcher fresh water I'll pour,
your shoes, before you leave, I'll wipe clean,
no one will disturb us here,
hunched over, you could mend our clothes in peace.If the silence is great, I will talk to you,
If you are tired, take my only chair,
If it's warm here, loosen your collar, take off your tie,
if you are hungry, there's a clean sheet of paper
as your plate if there's food,
but leave some for me—I, too, am forever hungry.If I get to love you, enter without knocking,
but think it over well:
it would hurt if you stayed away for too long.
All in all, a very satisfying read and totally recommended.
Finally, I get my grubby hands on this book after numerous delays. And now I wish I had it on the plane with me to read because the first sentence sucked me right in. I'm not done yet, but I'm two-thirds into it after only a record two sittings.
As mentioned on the cover, the book is a series of stories revolving around medical students and the kind of lives they lead and the relationships they make. In the center is Ming, who starts off as a pre-med student at the beginning of the book; she is an achiever with complete focus on her goal of getting into med school, and is trying to find a balance between her strict Chinese upbringing and the more western society of which she is also a part of. Each chapter of the book is like a slice out of her life, as well as the lives of the people she interacts with, and is written in such a way that it can stand on its own like a short story. (Then again, they're stories that are so interconnected that they seem like chapters of the book.)
What I find most interesting is how multicultural the stories are and how the viewpoint shifts with almost every story. Some stories are in the third person, some are in the first; sometimes it's about Ming, sometimes it's about Sri, or Winston, or some of the other people in Ming's circle. It's sometimes disorienting but nevertheless still very interesting; it often feels like getting the inside scoop on someone else's private life. The writing is strong and clear, and there is a nice, even flow to all the stories I've read thus far. I find it hard to believe that this is Vincent Lam's debut; his writing reminds me of both Jeffrey Eugenides and Haruki Murakami at the same time, with a touch of Amy Tan. Maybe it's just me, but being reminded of all three is very, very good thing.
I would totally recommend this book, especially for those who are looking for books that have med students, Chinese culture, Canadians, short stories, interesting titles, overachievers (heh), among other things. And another good thing: at the end of the book is a glossary of medical terms for the rest of us mere mortals. I find that really considerate and of course that gets brownie points!
Having said all that, I'm now going to go off and finish the book!
Cashback, by far, is the best movie I've seen in the past couple of weeks. It's about Ben, a guy who suddenly stops sleeping after a breakup with his girlfriend, who finds out that he could freeze time. That's just the tip of the iceberg; there's so much more to this movie than that. It's smart and funny and just the right kind of sentimental in parts. If I were to have a perfect boyfriend in the form of a movie, this would be it. And no, it's not a chick flick.
I also happened to watch it on a day when I needed a bit of a mood boost, and I found it in this movie. Those who know me well know where those bits are; hearing them totally made my day (and pretty much confirmed to me that I am going the right way) and made me smile.
It stars Sean Biggerstaff, better known as Oliver Wood from the Harry Potter movies. He's all grown up now, less munchkin-cute, a bit more dorky-cute but in that sweet, kind of sexy way that Jake Gyllenhaal is.
So many good reasons to watch this movie!
I just finished watching the documentary The Great Happiness Space: Tale of an Osaka Love Thief, which is about guys who work in host clubs in Japan. It has been ages since a documentary has kept me riveted in my seat like this (the last time was a couple of years back when I was watching this one on TVE about a woman who had herself operated on so that she'd become a man, down to the equipment). It opens with Issei, who's the top host in a host bar called Café Rakkyo in Osaka and from there it goes into the kind of life he, his workmates and their clientele lead. It's just brilliant, and a wee bit sad, too.
People interested in all things Japanese will love this, so will people into psychology and sociology. Same goes for people who like watching movies, people who are bored and want to see something new, and people who are just plain trying to figure out what is it really that people want. The documentary works on a lot of levels and it's some good fodder for thought.
You can watch the documentary here.
Tags are back! Yay!
Artichoke and mediterranean tapenade on real unsliced loaf bread.
I really feel much better now.
Yum.
I first heard this song in the Japanese movie Waterboys. I don't understand it, but it does put me in a good, perky, head-bop-bop-bopping mood. I have no idea what it says, so maybe in this case ignorance is bliss.
Check out the dance steps and the 90's outfits! Reminds me of a time when we all looked horrible and we thought we looked good... like during the 80's... and the 70's... and the 60's...
