Photo from St. Gallen, Switzerland
Part of my team dressed up for Halloween: me a dragon, my co-worker a unicorn and triangle of chaos that has taken over another person
October was a really action-packed month full of travels, friends, and experiences!
FEAST FOR THE EYES>>
- When heaven & earth changed places by Le Ly Hayslip. I finished this book after spending sometimes long weekends reading in bed. Sometimes you have to push all the other distractions aside and let yourself enjoy reading in bed. I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend if you’re interested in learning more about the Viet Nam War and are not opposed to reading a sad book. Although a lot of the things described in the book are terribly sad, Hayslip is hopeful.
- How We Are Hungry by Dave Eggers. This is a collection of short stories by Eggers. You can tell how disengaged I was in the book because it took me far too long to figure out that they were short stories. Individually, they were good and interesting, but I don’t think I can get into short stories any more. I like long stories that take me places with people much better.
- 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami. Speaking of long books…I’ve started listening to this audio book and, once again really love following Murakami’s stories. I have been sitting on the floor of my bedroom crocheting for hours with this playing in the background. I was trying to recommend this book to someone, but I couldn’t really tell my friend what it’s about without misrepresenting it. In fact, I never like it when people tell me what a story is about because I honestly never a read a book for the story itself, but the way it is told. And that’s why I think you’d read Murakami, because of his way of telling you a very intricate story. He blends the fantastical with the real so you have the opportunity to relate but are still challenged. But I feel like so many people have baggage that they bring with them when they hear the genre “fantasy” I’m hesitant to describe it that way (maybe “surreal” is a better word). It also makes me wonder if there are many Japanese authors who write stories like this and Murakami has just been pulled out by chance.
ENTHUSED>>
- FRIENDSGIVING! I can’t believe it’s this month already! My favorite time of the year is going to New York and seeing dear Katie, Igor, and Shanna. And this year Matt will be there too! I can’t wait. 🙂
COMPULSIONS>>
- Listening to audio books and crocheting.
- Texting people on the East coast
- I think I really like riding my bike.
COMPUNCTIONS>>
- I still get motion sick in the bus and I wish I could work or be more productive during that time since it’s so many hours of my life
- I miss my friends
- I wish I wrote more
- I think I kind of really like riding my new road bike
SIGHTS>>
- I saw my first Giants baseball game (they lost).
- Saw the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in Golden Gate Park. Crazy crowds!
- Switzerland to my favorite bed & breakfast.
- Traveled to St. Gallen to see the architecture and the abbey library (but we weren’t allowed to take picture).
- I went to Milan to present at DeSForM conference and kind of made friends…
- I also went to several art museums while I was there: La Triennale (that had some World Expo exhibits i really liked); Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea; Museo Civico di Milano; and Galleria d’Arte Moderna di Milano. In addition to having gelato three times in one day.
- Joseph, Vinita, and I went to LA to visit our friends Jackie and Bennett and had the most wonderful time! It was actually a little surreal how long time lasted while we were there. We went to a beach in Malibu, walked the canals in Venice, played at an arcade in Santa Monica, and had so much good food!
STORIES>>
- Freeheld. This was an amazing movie that takes place int he 1970s about a lesbian couple who, when one gets cancer, has to fight to transfer her pension to her partner. Based on a true story!
- Rock the Kasbah. This is Bill Murray’s up-coming movie about being a music producer who ends up finding talent in Iraq. I actually felt like it fell pretty short of expectations. I don’t think I would recommend it unless they make changes from the screening to the public version.
- Martian. I enjoyed this movie, but it made me really want to read the book as well.