The Sheik

Yesterday, on my recent foray to the library, I managed to get my hands on a copy of E.M. Hull's "The Sheik". For those not romantically inclined, it was first published in 1919, and details the love story of one Diana Mayo and Ahmed ben Hassan, the ...errr.... sheik. It is the first modern romance - romance as we know it now. Following that, I read two Mills and Boons romances in the same vein. What I find disturbing was not so much the racism in Hull's book - one has to excuse the era for what it was- but the same that I find in more recent novels, the latest published in 2002. Even in our era, the 'exotic Oriental' exist. I read a book some time back detailing the "exoticizing of the Oriental"; a process stretching from the Crusades. It makes a very salient point - that that is a form of making the "Other" different, distinct; and in extreme cases, less human. Right....I get it when it was the colonial era, but now, it seems that such dichotomies should (theoretically) be gone. Hrrr....idealistic me. So, we have the tyrannical Arab rulers, who bends their women to their will, and of course, it takes the heroine (who, in both Mills and Boons, have American, i.e. white, parentage) to teach them the ideals of communication between partners, equality and freedom of speech. Groan. Sounds like anyone we know, y'all?
I am all for equality (jury's still out on freedom of speech - can there be complete freedom? ) but I resent it being stuffed down our throats like that. Anyway, can't speak for all Mills and Boons - or the whole publishing world - but I found both books galling. Still, it would be an interesting research topic - Colonies in the postcolonial world. :D

I am desirable......ha

Got this from Ain's blog. :D

Men See You As Desirable Men often find you immediately attractive and sensual You're honesty is refreshingly beautiful ... it draws guys in You are also able to be open with your feelings with no emotional baggage Packing light means you enjoy new relationships easily How Do Men See You? Take This Quiz :-) Find the Love of Your Life (and More Love Quizzes) at Your New Romance.

All's well with the world

There is no greater feeling in the world than to step into a library. For me, at least. When I enter a library, all my cares fall away and all is well with the world. Yeah, it's a crappy world we live in but any place with a library has to have some good in it. People go to pubs to drown their sorrows - err...I go to the library. What to do, am a nerd.
This feeling of general well-being has been with me the whole day. It has been a perfect day - I went to the Hornsey Library today and got a library card. Now, I can go to the library anytime and borrow up to eight books for three weeks etc etc. Although my experience has been eight books will last me just over a week - eight days probably. It was dead easy to get a card; no fuss and no cost. Oh joy! And at the checkout, the lady offered me a bag for my eight books. Hmm....am THAT greedy today.
I walked home (about 10 min walk....so close! Joy oh joy!) with a silly grin on my face. I sort of did not notice until people smiled back at me. One even said hello in a friendly fashion. Gee, that's not sth one would get in Singapore. That made my already great day much much better. See what a smile can do. :D So, get smiling people! (Btw, sorry for the giddiness. Am rather drunk.;P)

Snow keeps falling on my head….YAY!

The first snowfall of the season in London! Oh joy! Nazir has been eagerly anticipating the occasion – almost since winter started; bugging me with the weather reports, updates and chit chat. He is more English than the English…hee hee. Yesterday, on the bus together, me on the way to the National Gallery and Nazir to school, we saw the first snowfall of our lives. I thought, at first, Nazir was just being hopeful but it was the real deal. Yawnsville….some bits of white stuff, big deal.
I began to appreciate the whole snow deal while crossing Tralfagar Square when the snow began to fall in earnest. The air smelled crisp – the first for the congested area. It was really pretty! Later, emerging from Euston station to meet Nazir, the snow fell some more. And at night, even more, blanketing the pavements, roofs and our car. Of course, some idiot had to mar the perfection by swiping his (I firmly believe it’s a male – no woman would wreck destruction on such beauty! Grrrr…) hand across the cars. Unfortunately, our neighbours seem blase about the whole thing - we were the only dodos sticking their heads out of the window, taking pictures and playing with the snow.
Woke up this morning with the snow melting. Since then, it has been snowing intermittently. Curled up, reading Forrester, watching the snow fall is quite a pleasant way to spend time indoors.

The book I am currently reading is “The African Queen” – jolly good stuff! Apparently, it was made into a classic Bogart/Hepburn film; I wonder what that is like. I can’t imagine Hepburn being “the ugly sister of a hated missionary”. Or Bogart being the “rat-faced engineer”. Hollywood!

On other news, I was on a guided tour when I discovered Canaletto while at the National Gallery yesterday. While we were ushered to see selected paintings, my eye caught sight of one of Canaletto’s paintings. Fell in love with him so much so that after the tour I rushed to the room to see it. Oh dear, Turner (my first love) has serious competition. The painting we were led to, Gainsborough’s “Mr. and Mrs Andrew” did not do much for me. <>Well, if you are bored by all this talk of art, at least see this painting: The Virgin in Prayer by Sassoferrato. Am impressed by this painting – am not a Christian but I can appreciate the beauty of this painting. The gorgeous ultramarine of her cloak is even better in real life (or real paint, rather).

Toilet Humour

Did you know that the French prefer their WC (water closet – aka the loo itself) separate from the shower/bathroom? According to my current French textbook, the BBC’s French Experience 2, “”Les Francais veulent des toilettes separees”. When they said it would be a cultural expereience for me, I doubt this was what they had in mind. :D

The fact of the matter is, though, toilets are one way patterens of living (an no anthropologist; do not know the technical term for it) differ, which I found out upon my arrival in London. First, there were the puzzling WC signs everywhere – which I later found out from my sister refered to “Water Closets” *eye roll*. Yeah, I figured those were the toilets, when I needed to find one, but what WC stood for I did not know. I had to wait three months for my sister to come and explain it to me. Quite.

<>Then, there’s the issue of wet/dry toilets; London being full of the latter. I realized it early on when I attempted to wash the toilet in the apartment; exceedingly puzzled to find the water not draining, I looked for a drain hole (should have done that before I hosed everything, innnit?). Much to my consternation, I did not find any. By that time I was so fed up with the process, Nazir had to mop up the water. Hee hee. I never did feel too clean in that old apartment, which am now not remembering too fondly, if you know what I mean.

Still, upwards and onwards for me – we have now been in this fantastic apartment for three weeks. The loo is great (I checked that out first!) – still dry type but the person we are renting it from is such a clean person (yay!) and a kindred spirit (the books, the ecofriendly cleaning fluids, the recycling – oh joy!) that it is not a worry for me anymore. Honestly, in that other apartment, I was turning into a basket case. :S

<>

Desperate Housewives

I was watching "Desperate Housewives" last night and as usual, Brie's sorry excuse of a husband irritated the hell out of me. This week's offence: telling his son (his own son!) that he cannot stay with him post divorce - because he has issues he needs sorting, and with the son there he cannot. To me, that moment defines everything wrong with the guy - he puts his own issues above his son's needs. Anyway, I would say half the reason I tune in each week (strangely enough, it's the only TV show I watch these days. Me, TV princess. The Queen is my oldest sister - who in my absence have not been watching much TV either. Hee hee.) . Right, I lost track of what I was saying....Half the reason I tune in to Desperate Housewives is to see if Brie and asshole will divorce. Damn, I wish she would clean him out. :D

The thing that really makes me feel for Brie is the sense that people around her seems oblivious of the mask she wears. And sometimes, I wonder, do they not even care to look beyond that mask? I suppose everyone is to a certain extent self-absorbed and take other people at face value but if one really loves someone else, shouldn't they care to look beyond the surface? Jerk husband for example - he knew what she was like before she turned into Stepford Wife - didn't he ever wonder why she changed? Or is he just too self absorbed and selfish? Or even more depressing, didn't even love her to begin with?

As for masks, I guess hypocrisy is a necessity to the functioning of society. But at what point do you supress , you? Who the hell is "you" (or "I")? Interesting thought -"you" is the "I" presented to society? What happens when "you" becomes inseprable from "I"? Oh dear.

Nenek

It is a week to the day since my (paternal) grandmother died. My thoughts have been flitting to her this past week, at the oddest moments. My sisters and I were not particularly close to her until she fell really ill, and came to stay with us these past year, year and a half? I can’t remember. What I do remember is her, and her very unique character. I wouldn’t say that she was one of the fun-est person to be around; hell, her ornery nature made me positively cheerful in comparison. It’s just the little things that made me miss her. Like the way she wouldn’t get my sister and I, like how she eventually succumbed to hugs and kisses (much to the amusement and some shock of the extended family). Her perrinial need to know what went on, who entered or left the house – mcuh like a house guard. Yeah, it irritated me at the time, but that’s just nenek. (Coming to think of it, “That’s nenek, became a household phrase). I regret not being there in the end, though, even before she died I did miss her. She had become a real part of my family; funny how living with someone can change one’s perspectives. Still, I can’t say I’m too grief-stricken over her death; being doped up, in pain and unable to move was not very fun. Least of all for her.

Joy! Oh Joy!

Yesssssss........I managed to do it - with due thanks to Ain. :D Ma chere ami! I have never imagined how gratifying it is to do something tech-y. All in under an hour (yeah, yeah, you pros can roll your eyes). I have managed to put in a song (woo hoo!) and a link to my fotopage (for those who wanna see pictures).

Before I end this entry, apologies to those who hate rock. You'll find yourself in good company as Nazir can't stand it when I switch this on.

Kyo's my favourite band at the moment - I discovered them while in Paris. I was in HMV (in Paris! Tsk tsk. Globalization!) when I overheard a French woman telling her partner excitedly "Look, it's Kyo. *Some other babbling in French which my pitiful year taking French did not cover*". Anyway, I was intrigued enough to listen to the preview CD, and bought 300 lesions a few minutes later. Well, that's the sorry reason (hee hee) why am inflicting the song on my non-rocker friends. Was going to put in something less LOUD (Ce soir) but couldn't find the file online. And couldn't figure out how to upload it from CD to blog. There is a limit to my patience with technology. About an hour, actually.

Flirting with blogging

Oh wow! This is like the first time I used blogger- well, other than that time I used it for a project. Bottomline: new at this whole blogging thing for personal reasons.

Strange as it may be, I have resisted the whole idea of web publishing- because honestly, who cares, yeah? There are enough crap online without me adding to it.

Then again, having been harangued by some friends, especially since I am in London, and theoretically should be having stories to tell, I guess someone out there cares. So, am hoping the ones who have been bugging me (I use the word bug affectionately! :D) would spend time to read this. And be patient about the slow picture uploading rate. Sigh. Newbies.

Back to the point, I changed my mind when I read through some blogs - namely, Ain's and Banu's, finding them both interesting. So, hush inner critic. Damn you! To the others who I have not read, *sheepish smile*. Am slightly Net-o-phobic. Or just a philistine.

Cheers