Sister babe
I know you are reaching
Deep inside to scratch
At an itch that won't go.
We always look outside ourselves
For something to fix the wrongs.
But we always come back,
Basket empty, bearing no fruit.
How do we go about
Truly seeing within?
How do we heal
Ourselves?
Your eyes are so glassy
These days.
But you don't notice
Because your grin is stretched wide
Across a flawless face.
Or maybe...
I'm wrong
And I just judge because
You don't mind running
While I have nowhere to go...
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Staying for Life
I'm beginning to see.
Trust so easily broken.
Be careful.
I'm glad you're always there.
No matter what.
Trust so easily broken.
Be careful.
I'm glad you're always there.
No matter what.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Absolute Thunder Storms
Friday was my core course exam, it was pretty simplistic. The day was filled with hot coco, Bowl's Club pizza, and followed by an interesting evening of IHRE farewell. It was nice. Yesterday was a slow day. I said goodbye to CKM as they headed off to Capetown, it's crazy how I'll probably never see K&M again. I'm not really that torn up about it though. Plus it's a small world so I guess you never know.
Lydia, Amanda and I made our way to Rosebank on a quest for Subway but it closed right as we got there. Very dissappointing. Our night was made up of Amanda's friend's friends and a thunder storm. I got pretty excited about it and ran out to frolic in the rain, fun stuff :)
Today was spent at Rosebank buying presents for people at the African Market. We then watched a very strange but beautiful movie called Before the Rains. It made me miss India...
Tomorrow is my Philosophy exam. I have studied and feel pretty prepared. I can't believe after that I will only have a ridiculous essay to write. My mom comes a week from Tuesday!
The previous tenant of my room left behind a bunch of her writing. I've been reading through some of it and it's pretty good. She strings words together in a really beautiful way, I'm envious.
I bought a Snickers bar today at Clicks. I haven't seen one in so long, I didn't know they had them here. I can't wait to eat it.
I'm happy.
Lydia, Amanda and I made our way to Rosebank on a quest for Subway but it closed right as we got there. Very dissappointing. Our night was made up of Amanda's friend's friends and a thunder storm. I got pretty excited about it and ran out to frolic in the rain, fun stuff :)
Today was spent at Rosebank buying presents for people at the African Market. We then watched a very strange but beautiful movie called Before the Rains. It made me miss India...
Tomorrow is my Philosophy exam. I have studied and feel pretty prepared. I can't believe after that I will only have a ridiculous essay to write. My mom comes a week from Tuesday!
The previous tenant of my room left behind a bunch of her writing. I've been reading through some of it and it's pretty good. She strings words together in a really beautiful way, I'm envious.
I bought a Snickers bar today at Clicks. I haven't seen one in so long, I didn't know they had them here. I can't wait to eat it.
I'm happy.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Pulitzer
So a while ago I told Dan I wanted to read all the Pulitzer prize books, maybe in a certain section, maybe picking and choosing between them, I wasn't sure how to go about it.
Then, today I was looking at other blogs and I found the 'Pulitzer Project' which is to read all 82 books that have won the Pulitzer prize in Fiction, perfect. So I'm thinking I may go ahead and do this, there's no time limit, and it would be fun. I have really enjoyed the few books I've read that have been awarded the Pulitzer so why not? Anyone want to join me?
The List
2008 - The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Diaz)
2007 - The Road (McCarthy)
2006 - March (Brooks)
2005 - Gilead (Robinson)
2004 - The Known World (Jones)
2003 - Middlesex (Eugenides)
2002 - Empire Falls (Russo)
2001 - The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (Chabon)
2000 - Interpreter of Maladies (Lahiri)
1999 - The Hours (Cunningham)
1998 - American Pastoral (Roth)
1997 - Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer (Millhauser)
1996 - Independence Day (Ford)
1995 - The Stone Diaries (Shields)
1994 - The Shipping News (Proulx)
1993 - A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain (Butler)
1992 - A Thousand Acres (Smiley)
1991 - Rabbit at Rest (Updike)
1990 - The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love (Hijuelos)
1989 - Breathing Lessons (Tyler)
1988 - Beloved (Morrison)
1987 - A Summons to Memphis (Taylor)
1986 - Lonesome Dove (McMurtry)
1985 - Foreign Affairs (Lurie)
1984 - Ironweed (Kennedy)
1983 - The Color Purple (Walker)
1982 - Rabbit is Rich (Updike)
1981 - A Confederacy of Dunces (Toole)
1980 - The Executioner’s Song (Mailer)
1979 - The Stories of John Cheever (Cheever)
1978 - Elbow Room (McPherson)
1977 - None given
1976 - Humboldt’s Gift (Bellow)
1975 - The Killer Angels (Shaara)
1974 - None given
1973 - The Optimist’s Daughter (Welty)
1972 - Angle of Repose (Stegner)
1971 - None given
1970 - Collected Stories by Jean Stafford (Stafford)
1969 - House Made of Dawn (Momaday)
1968 - The Confessions of Nat Turner (Styron)
1967 - The Fixer (Malamud)
1966 - Collected Stories by Katherine Anne Porter (Porter)
1965 - The Keepers Of the House (Grau)
1964 - None given
1963 - The Reivers (Faulkner)
1962 - The Edge of Sadness (Edwin O’Connor)
1961 - To Kill a Mockingbird (Lee)
1960 - Advise and Consent (Drury)
1959 - The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (Taylor)
1958 - A Death in the Family (Agee)
1957 - None
1956 - Andersonville (Kantor)
1955 - A Fable (Faulkner)
1954 - None
1953 - The Old Man and the Sea (Hemingway)
1952 - The Caine Mutiny (Wouk)
1951 - The Town (Richter)
1950 - The Way West (Guthrie)
1949 - Guard of Honor (Cozzens)
1948 - Tales of the South Pacific (Michener)
1947 - All the King’s Men (Warren)
1946 - None
1945 - Bell for Adano (Hersey)
1944 - Journey in the Dark (Flavin)
1943 - Dragon’s Teeth I (Sinclair)
1942 - In This Our Life (Glasgow)
1941 - None
1940 - The Grapes of Wrath (Steinbeck)
1939 - The Yearling (Rawlings)
1938 - The Late George Apley (Marquand)
1937 - Gone with the Wind (Mitchell)
1936 - Honey in the Horn (Davis)
1935 - Now in November (Johnson)
1934 - Lamb in His Bosom (Miller)
1933 - The Store (Stribling)
1932 - The Good Earth (Buck)
1931 - Years of Grace (Barnes)
1930 - Laughing Boy (Lafarge)
1929 - Scarlet Sister Mary (Peterkin)
1928 - The Bridge of San Luis Rey (Wilder)
1927 - Early Autumn (Bromfield)
1926 - Arrowsmith (Lewis)
1925 - So Big (Ferber)
1924 - The Able McLauglins (Wilson)
1923 - One of Ours (Cather)
1922 - Alice Adams (Tarkington)
1921 - The Age of Innocence (Wharton)
1920 - None
1919 - The Magnificent Ambersons (Tarkington)
1918 - His Family (Poole)
Then, today I was looking at other blogs and I found the 'Pulitzer Project' which is to read all 82 books that have won the Pulitzer prize in Fiction, perfect. So I'm thinking I may go ahead and do this, there's no time limit, and it would be fun. I have really enjoyed the few books I've read that have been awarded the Pulitzer so why not? Anyone want to join me?
The List
2008 - The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Diaz)
2007 - The Road (McCarthy)
2006 - March (Brooks)
2005 - Gilead (Robinson)
2004 - The Known World (Jones)
2003 - Middlesex (Eugenides)
2002 - Empire Falls (Russo)
2001 - The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (Chabon)
2000 - Interpreter of Maladies (Lahiri)
1999 - The Hours (Cunningham)
1998 - American Pastoral (Roth)
1997 - Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer (Millhauser)
1996 - Independence Day (Ford)
1995 - The Stone Diaries (Shields)
1994 - The Shipping News (Proulx)
1993 - A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain (Butler)
1992 - A Thousand Acres (Smiley)
1991 - Rabbit at Rest (Updike)
1990 - The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love (Hijuelos)
1989 - Breathing Lessons (Tyler)
1988 - Beloved (Morrison)
1987 - A Summons to Memphis (Taylor)
1986 - Lonesome Dove (McMurtry)
1985 - Foreign Affairs (Lurie)
1984 - Ironweed (Kennedy)
1983 - The Color Purple (Walker)
1982 - Rabbit is Rich (Updike)
1981 - A Confederacy of Dunces (Toole)
1980 - The Executioner’s Song (Mailer)
1979 - The Stories of John Cheever (Cheever)
1978 - Elbow Room (McPherson)
1977 - None given
1976 - Humboldt’s Gift (Bellow)
1975 - The Killer Angels (Shaara)
1974 - None given
1973 - The Optimist’s Daughter (Welty)
1972 - Angle of Repose (Stegner)
1971 - None given
1970 - Collected Stories by Jean Stafford (Stafford)
1969 - House Made of Dawn (Momaday)
1968 - The Confessions of Nat Turner (Styron)
1967 - The Fixer (Malamud)
1966 - Collected Stories by Katherine Anne Porter (Porter)
1965 - The Keepers Of the House (Grau)
1964 - None given
1963 - The Reivers (Faulkner)
1962 - The Edge of Sadness (Edwin O’Connor)
1961 - To Kill a Mockingbird (Lee)
1960 - Advise and Consent (Drury)
1959 - The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (Taylor)
1958 - A Death in the Family (Agee)
1957 - None
1956 - Andersonville (Kantor)
1955 - A Fable (Faulkner)
1954 - None
1953 - The Old Man and the Sea (Hemingway)
1952 - The Caine Mutiny (Wouk)
1951 - The Town (Richter)
1950 - The Way West (Guthrie)
1949 - Guard of Honor (Cozzens)
1948 - Tales of the South Pacific (Michener)
1947 - All the King’s Men (Warren)
1946 - None
1945 - Bell for Adano (Hersey)
1944 - Journey in the Dark (Flavin)
1943 - Dragon’s Teeth I (Sinclair)
1942 - In This Our Life (Glasgow)
1941 - None
1940 - The Grapes of Wrath (Steinbeck)
1939 - The Yearling (Rawlings)
1938 - The Late George Apley (Marquand)
1937 - Gone with the Wind (Mitchell)
1936 - Honey in the Horn (Davis)
1935 - Now in November (Johnson)
1934 - Lamb in His Bosom (Miller)
1933 - The Store (Stribling)
1932 - The Good Earth (Buck)
1931 - Years of Grace (Barnes)
1930 - Laughing Boy (Lafarge)
1929 - Scarlet Sister Mary (Peterkin)
1928 - The Bridge of San Luis Rey (Wilder)
1927 - Early Autumn (Bromfield)
1926 - Arrowsmith (Lewis)
1925 - So Big (Ferber)
1924 - The Able McLauglins (Wilson)
1923 - One of Ours (Cather)
1922 - Alice Adams (Tarkington)
1921 - The Age of Innocence (Wharton)
1920 - None
1919 - The Magnificent Ambersons (Tarkington)
1918 - His Family (Poole)
In Limbo
It's my last day of work. Even though I have spent some of my time here bored, with nothing to do, I have also spent time being very busy, helping client after client and it's been good. I know it can't always be busy, retail has definitely taught me that. I've enjoyed my experience at LHR, I do believe I will miss this place and the people I've met.
Tomorrow is my second exam, after that there's one exam and one essay left. Two weeks left and then my mom and I are off to Durban and Capetown. Hopefully my next adventure into South Africa's 'Little India' will exclude being mugged.
I'm in limbo, it seems like so long ago that I was on my way here, nervous, excited, unsure, and now I'm on my way out with similar feelings.
I'm excited for BGIA in the spring.I got the job as PC (peer councilor) so I'm really happy about that :D
I hope it's at least as good as my experience here is SA has been because that would make it really good, though it will be very different.
Tomorrow is my second exam, after that there's one exam and one essay left. Two weeks left and then my mom and I are off to Durban and Capetown. Hopefully my next adventure into South Africa's 'Little India' will exclude being mugged.
I'm in limbo, it seems like so long ago that I was on my way here, nervous, excited, unsure, and now I'm on my way out with similar feelings.
I'm excited for BGIA in the spring.I got the job as PC (peer councilor) so I'm really happy about that :D
I hope it's at least as good as my experience here is SA has been because that would make it really good, though it will be very different.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
City Johannesburg (1972)
This way I salute you:
My hand pulses to my back trousers pocket
Or into my inner jacket pocket
For my pass, my life,
Jo'burg City.
My hand like a starved snake rears my pockets
For my thin, ever lean wallet,
While my stomach groans a friendly smile to hunger,
Jo'burg City.
My stomach also devours coppers and papers
Don't you know?
Jo'burg City, I salute you:
When I run out, or roar in a bus to you,
I leave behind me, my love,
My comic houses and people, my dongas and my ever
whirling dust,
My death
That's so related to me as a wink to the eye.
Jo'burg City
I travel on your black and white and robotted roads
Through your thick iron breath that you inhale
At six in the morning and exhale from five noon.
Jo'burg City
That is the time when I leave you,
When your neon flowers flaunt from your electrical wind,
That is the time when I leave you,
When your neon flowers flaunt their way through the
falling darkness
On your cement trees.
And as I go back, to my love,
My dongas, my dust, my people, my death,
Where death lurks in the dark like a blade in the flesh,
I can feel your roots, anchoring your might, my feebleness
In my flesh, in my mind, in my blood,
And everything about you says it,
That, that is all you need of me.
Jo'burg City, Johannesburg,
Listen when I tell you,
There is no fun, nothing, in it,
When you leave the women and men with such frozen
expressions,
Expressions that have tears like furrows of soil erosion,
Jo'burg City, you are dry like death,
Jo'burg City, Johannesburg, Jo'burg City.
-Morgane Wally Serote
My hand pulses to my back trousers pocket
Or into my inner jacket pocket
For my pass, my life,
Jo'burg City.
My hand like a starved snake rears my pockets
For my thin, ever lean wallet,
While my stomach groans a friendly smile to hunger,
Jo'burg City.
My stomach also devours coppers and papers
Don't you know?
Jo'burg City, I salute you:
When I run out, or roar in a bus to you,
I leave behind me, my love,
My comic houses and people, my dongas and my ever
whirling dust,
My death
That's so related to me as a wink to the eye.
Jo'burg City
I travel on your black and white and robotted roads
Through your thick iron breath that you inhale
At six in the morning and exhale from five noon.
Jo'burg City
That is the time when I leave you,
When your neon flowers flaunt from your electrical wind,
That is the time when I leave you,
When your neon flowers flaunt their way through the
falling darkness
On your cement trees.
And as I go back, to my love,
My dongas, my dust, my people, my death,
Where death lurks in the dark like a blade in the flesh,
I can feel your roots, anchoring your might, my feebleness
In my flesh, in my mind, in my blood,
And everything about you says it,
That, that is all you need of me.
Jo'burg City, Johannesburg,
Listen when I tell you,
There is no fun, nothing, in it,
When you leave the women and men with such frozen
expressions,
Expressions that have tears like furrows of soil erosion,
Jo'burg City, you are dry like death,
Jo'burg City, Johannesburg, Jo'burg City.
-Morgane Wally Serote
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