Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Off for a few weeks


I'm traveling tomorrow, and therefore, this blog will not be updated for a while.

You know, the one thing I always have with me when I travel is a big book. It has to be big because I do not have the space to carry a few books, so it has to last. It has to be non-fiction, because I like to feel like I'm not just wasting the time away. Vacation time is a good time to embrace history and its reality and maybe learn from it. Also, it has to be paperback. I really do not understand the fascination with hardback book covers. They make it bulky and heavy. You can't just sit and read it anywhere. Your hands get tired and eventually, you stop.

So, after careful consideration and much deliberation, I picked Mein Kampf (Hitler's "baby"). As a poli sci graduate, I am ashamed to admit that I never read it. I was looking for a good, decent translation. I do not want to read something that does not represent it properly. So, I got one that comes highly recomended, and I plan to read it through. Hopefuly, I will finish it before I get back, but if I didn't, then that would mean that I am having way too much fun and not enough time to read. So, we will see how it goes.

As I was saying before my ADD kicked in, I will be MIA for a few weeks, so check in after July 10th for new posts.

Missing you all already.

Bisous!

P.S.

B, Happy Birthday hun! I'll call you soon as I land.
C, I'll miss our videocalls!
Tar, wa ashra7 laha, 3an 7alati... I blame you for getting that stuck in my head
Fads, I think I finally found you a codename, you like? Honestly?
Anj, where are you and what are you doing? You went * poof * and disappeared

Saturday, June 13, 2009

On Book Endings...

You buy a book, rush home and flip to the first page. You start to read, and then, you become so engrossed in the book that you lose track of time. You no longer know whether it is day or night, nor do you even care. You read and you read, you read until you pass half of it and then, dread seeps in. You want to finish the book, you want the characters to end their stories, may it be a happy ending, or a sad one. You want to set them free. At the same time, you aren't ready to say goodbye yet. So, you read a little slower, take your time and give them theirs. Slowly, yet inevitably, you reach the last chapter. By then, the characters aren't just alive in your imagination, they are crystal clear. You can hear their voices clearly and see them dressed in all their different outfits and could even see the rooms they enter/exit and the roads they travel on.

However, no matter how slow you read, and how much you prolong it, it happens. You reach the last page, the last few words and then, you read "The End". These two words are bittersweet. You are happy that it ended for their sake, but your sad because, it is like saying goodbye to a friend. It is as hard to say goodbye to the characters as it is to say goodbye to friends. Why is that? Well, for a brief moment in time, you are allowed in to their world, you share their secrets, celebrate their triumphs and cringe at their failures. They become a part of you as you become a part of them.

I just finished reading one of the best books I have ever read. The best thing about the book is that it is many stories in one. I must admit, in the beginning, it was a little hard to get into it, but eventually, I really had a hard time putting it down. I'm really sad that it had to end. Some books you just wish would go on forever and ever. This is definitely one of those. The book is called "The Hakawati" by Rabih Alameddine. He is a Lebanese American and the book is written in English, so nothing is lost in translation. The best part of this book in particular and any book in general is when you can relate to it. Family dynamics and societal ones are similar all over the world, and so, anyone can relate to it somehow. I highly recommend it.

One of my favorite paragraphs:

" Uncle Jihad used to say that what happens is of little significance compared with the stories we tell ourselves about what happens. Events matter little, only stories of those events that affect us. My father and I may have shared numerous experiences, but, as I was constantly finding out, we rarely shared their stories; we didn't know how to listen to one another."

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Rambling....

Know what's the saying I hate the most? It is the one that goes "life deals everyone different cards, and it's how we play those cards that counts". I hate it, mainly because in a poker game when you are dealt cards, you always have the option to fold and try your luck the next round. However, life doesn't really work that way, now does it? We are stuck with the "cards" we are dealt, and that is the end of it.

Life, to me, is more like the saying "we are all kings and pawns". Sometimes, we are kings, we rule, we decide, we choose, we use, we... well, we are in charge basically. Other times, we are pawns. We are ruled, decisions are made for us, in a nut shell, we are ruled.

The best saying, however, is "Life is a bitch". It is obvious why that is...

Out