Simple days are good days

Today is a really special day for me, it's my 18th birthday. After spending the weeks/days leading up telling my friends not to do anything, I'm finally having one of the best days in a long time.

It's the first day after Prelims, which means I can relax, which will not be possible soon (exams in 1 month), so for once, my birthday is in an optimal position. I was going to be virtuous and do math, but after attempting 15 questions, I gave in to the calling of reading.

Well, you see, despite the fact that I'm not supposed to come home with bags of books from the library (to put crudely, I've been banned), I've granted myself a little after-exam respite. And trust me, I've exercised a lot of self-restraint, considering that I only borrowed 4 books (hey, that's already 8 books less than normal).

So far, in the early afternoon, I'm finally enjoying this simple day at home. I've woken up later than the rest of the house, which feels like an absolute luxury for once. And it's indescribable to find that your little brother tucked a letter to "the birthday girl" directly above where you sleep, so you can see it once you open your eyes. And the letter has 3 simple, but sweet words "I Love You".

After my attempt to study failed cheerfully, I decided to go over to my grandma's place to just read with TLC channel on (the shows are really interesting to me. Well, the food looks good anyway). But then, when I came, the door was locked. So, being in no mood to go home and without a handphone (I avoid bringing them everywhere), I went to find a nice spot to sit.

Well, at the ground level, near the lift lobby, there are a few benches stacked next to the wall. Normally, you'll only see the domestic maids or the foreign workers sitting there, enjoying a few moments of quiet. Seeing that it was empty, I quite gladly sat down and began to read. And not read.

It's a conducive spot for reading, since there's a nice breeze with natural light (but no sun in your face). But I suppose the sight of me reading was a bit strange and shocking, because everyone who passed by turned and stared. Perhaps it's because I'm not one of the typical inhabitants of the benches but it was interesting to see the reactions of all the people passing.

But sooner or later, my stomach started crying for food (pizza for breakfast is delicious but still temporary), and I made the short walk home to get my phone, where I learnt that there was a mis-communication about whether I was going to be there for lunch. The long and short of the phone call was that I ended up doubling back to my grandma's house, this time, sitting on the floor outside the door to read.

Concrete is a surprisingly comfy seat, since it's cool to touch. And with potted plants around me (courtesy of my grandma and her neighbour), it was a surprisingly nice spot to read. Thankfully though, my neighbours weren't walking up and down the corridor, because I wouldn't have appreciated blocking their path or providing fodder for complaints. And when Emily came back, her question to me was not why I was on the floor, but why I wasn't reading on the steps. I suppose next time I get locked out, I can always try that.

I'm hoping the rest of the day goes just as well. I'm planning to just play my DS (at long last), read some more, and at night, go for a dinner with 3 of my closest friends. Because the simple days at home are good days.

And if you're wondering, I was reading Yes, My Darling Daughter by Margaret Leroy. I'm loving the book so far(:

Carrie by Stephen King

This may shock many people, but I've never read a Stephen King novel in my life *gaspofshockandtheatricalfainting* The reason for this is actually very simple, while Stephen King is a bestseller, I'm not a fan of horror. In fact, the thought of it fills me with, you've guessed it, horror.

But after reading about Stephen King writing about Carrie on Zite, I was very intrigued by it. I've always heard about the book/movie from various pop-culture references (so much intertextuality!), but I've always dismissed it, thinking it was standard horror fare.

But I was sadly wrong. 

From the opening page, I was hooked by King's wonderful command of the language. He writes in such a vivid and poetic way that I know I have never written and can only hope to aspire to. One of the opening sentences is "Nobody was really surprised when it happened, not really, not at the subconscious level where savage things grow". The one sentence hints at the savage nature of the novel's contents, while introducing the element of psychology into the book.

Another thing that really garnered my attention was his surprising use of the narrative structure. I don't know if it will be considered radical (as Arundathi Roy's The God of Small Things apparently is), but I like how he uses court transcripts, magazine articles, or pseudo-factual books to interrupt the linear narrative and provide the reader with a sense of how much the event would have shocked America.

In addition, I really think that the narrative helps the reader to maintain a crucial emotional distance from the characters. I would have much more afraid if the book was entirely in first person narrative, but it the mix of articles and first-person point of view helped me stay emotionally engaged without completely losing it.

All in all, I deeply admire Carrie as a work of fiction (I'd really love to try and analyse the book). I feel the book isn't just horror, but probes into issues of bullying and the human psychology. Now, I might try his fantasy books (I'm still not going to read horror)

P. G. Wodehouse and Jerome K. Jerome

After reading through some book reviews on Jerome K. Jerome's Three Men In A Boat (to say nothing of the dog), I decided at long last to pick up the title in question and actually read it. (And yes, my actions are 'validated' by reports I read that most people read books recommended to them by the Internet). I'm not sure how, but I associated Three Men In A Boat with P. G. Wodehouse's Three Men And A Maid (UK Title: The Girl on the Boat). I think it was the words "Three Men". Well, thanks to this illogical association, I more or less decided to read the books one after another (or as continuously as possible, seeing how as it's exam period that leaves me with little precious time for reading).

After reading, I was once again awed by my lack of knowledge about the world of books. Both authors are funny, but at times, poignant (but that could be just me over-reading).

The similarities between the books? Well, seeing as it was illogical, it had about 3 similarities with each other:

1. There are Three Men
2. They are not related to each other
3. There is a dog

And that's about it. If you want to read a good review of Three Men in a Boat, I'd suggest going to Corey P.'s review at intothebook.net here. All I will add about the book is that it's a well-written, humorous travelogue that incidentally magnifies the daily habits of people, thus rendering them absurd (whew, that was a mouthful. And well, I've been doing a lot of literature essays, hence the strange writing).

As for Three Men and a Maid, well, the plot is as different from Three Men in a Boat as possible. For one, it's a comedic romance (if it was in cinemas, it would no doubt be billed as a 'rom-com'). And honestly, the book only focuses on two men (our protagonist-narrator and his cousin). The third guy comes in as a sap who doesn't get the girl (the protagonist gets that. Oops, spoiler). And, Oh! there's a fourth similarity:

4. A boat is involved

Yes, so you can see, a boat is involved. But for Three Men in a Boat, it's there throughout the whole book (I know, you can see that from the title). But it's not so much in Three Men and a Maid, since the boat's just a way of transport for them

Seriously speaking though, this two books have taught me a quite unrelated lesson. And that is, never think that you have read all there is (even if you're talking about the classics). There are so many underrated classic authors (G. K. Chesterton springs to mind), that it's always possible to find something from a little throwaway comment in a book. And there's also a very good probability (which I refuse to calculate since my statistics paper ended today), that it might be exactly to your taste. I found out that these books are the perfect humour books that I've been looking for.

Let me elaborate, my English (i.e. Literature) class has a good (some say weird) sense of humour, such as making Shakespearean jokes based on King Lear, or making jokes with Robert Frost (using a quote to quip about a poem). Hence, not many books have such specialised sense of humour (because only the very wacky few can get it, I mean, who wants or has a brain full of trivia other than HL3? So to find something like this, where the humour feels like how we talk in class (apart from dated slang), is serendipitous(:

Ok, I should stop before I use too many words whose meaning I'm not sure of.

Every life has worth

I saw this on Facebook today, and while I'm not normally the type that reposts things, I felt very moved by the letter. I don't know who wrote this, but it's worth your time to read and my time to share:

Hi, Mommy. I'm your baby.

You don't know me yet, I'm only a few weeks old. You're going to find out about me soon, though, I promise. Let me tell you some things about me. My name is John, and I've got beautiful brown eyes and black hair. Well, I don't have it yet, but I will when I'm born. I'm going to be your only child, and you'll call me your one and only. I'm going to grow up without a daddy mostly, but we have each other. We'll help each other, and love each other.

 I want to be a doctor when I grow up. You found out about me today, Mommy! You were so excited, you couldn't wait to tell everyone. All you could do all day was smile, and life was perfect. You have a beautiful smile, Mommy. It will be the first face I will see in my life, and it will be the best thing I see in my life. I know it already.

Today was the day you told Daddy. You were so excited to tell him about me! He wasn't happy, Mommy. He kind of got angry. I don't think that you noticed, but he did. He started to talk about something called wedlock, and money, and bills, and stuff I don't think I understand yet. You were still happy, though, so it was okay. Then he did something scary, Mommy. He hit you. I could feel you fall backward, and your hands flying up to protect me. I was okay... but I was very sad for you. You were crying then, Mommy. That's a sound I don't like. It doesn't make me feel good. It made me cry, too. He said sorry after, and he hugged you again. You forgave him, Mommy, but I'm not sure if I do. It wasn't right. You say he loves you...why would he hurt you? I don't like it, Mommy.

Finally, you can see me! Your stomach is a little bit bigger, and you're so proud of me! You went out with your mommy to buy new clothes, and you were so so so happy. You sing to me, too. You have the most beautiful voice in the whole wide world. When you sing is when I'm happiest. And you talk to me, and I feel safe. So safe. You just wait and see, Mommy. When I am born I will be perfect just for you. I will make you proud, and I will love you with all of my heart. I can move my hands and feet now, Mommy. I do it because you put your hands on your belly to feel me, and I giggle. You giggle, too. I love you, Mommy.

Daddy came to see you today, Mommy. I got really scared. He was acting funny and he wasn't talking right. He said he didn't want you. I don't know why, but that's what he said. And he hit you again. I got angry, Mommy. When I grow up I promise I won't let you get hurt! I promise to protect you. Daddy is bad. I don't care if you think that he is a good person, I think he's bad. But he hit you, and he said he didn't want us. He doesn't like me. Why doesn't he like me, Mommy?

 ... You didn't talk to me tonight, Mommy. Is everything okay? It's been three days since you saw Daddy. You haven't talked to me or touched me or anything since that. Don't you still love me, Mommy? I still love you. I think you feel sad. The only time I feel you is when you sleep. You sleep funny, kind of curled up on your side. And you hug me with your arms, and I feel safe and warm again. Why don't you do that when you're awake, any more?

I'm 21 weeks old today, Mommy. Aren't you proud of me? We're going somewhere today, and it's somewhere new. I'm excited. It looks like a hospital, too. I want to be a doctor when I grow up, Mommy. Did I tell you that? I hope you're as excited as I am. I can't wait. Mommy, I'm getting scared. Your heart is still beating, but I don't know what you are thinking. The doctor is talking to you. I think something's going to happen soon. I'm really, really, really scared, Mommy. Please tell me you love me. Then I will feel safe again. I love you! Mommy, what are they doing to me!? It hurts! Please make them stop! It feels bad! Please, Mommy, please please help me! Make them stop!

Don't worry Mommy, I'm safe. I'm in heaven with the angels now. They told me what you did, and they said it's called an abortion. Why, Mommy? Why did you do it? Don't you love me any more? Why did you get rid of me? I'm really, really, really sorry if I did something wrong, Mommy. I love you, Mommy! I love you with all of my heart. Why don't you love me? What did I do to deserve what they did to me? I want to live, Mommy! Please! It really, really hurts to see you not care about me, and not talk to me. Didn't I love you enough? Please say you'll keep me, Mommy! I want to live smile and watch the clouds and see your face and grow up and be a doctor. I don't want to be here, I want you to love me again! I'm really really really sorry if I did something wrong. I love you! I love you, Mommy.

 Every abortion is just…
 One more heart that was stopped.
Two more eyes that will never see.
Two more hands that will never touch.
Two more legs that will never run.
One more mouth that will never speak.

Sorry for the terrible formatting before. I was using the Safari on my iPad and couldn't check properly.