"THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER" - Stephen Chbosky
I'm definitely not the first to write about how brilliant this book is, and I'm coming rather late to the party but I can't go without mentioning it. Sometimes you read a book at just the right time: "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" just sums up all of the weird events that occur during the "growing up" period, and doing things for the first time. Also one of the smaller plots related to a situation I've found myself in, and Charlie reminds me of one of my friends to a ridiculous amount of detail. It was just really close to hope.
And I love that line: "We were infinite."
"POST OFFICE" - Charles Bukowski
It took me the first few chapters to get used to the narrator's voice in this novel, because Bukowski's writing style is so unusual, as well as him using a certain amount of what I guess was jargon, but all of that's a good thing and once I did this novel was really good and like nothing I've read before. I ended up liking Henry Chinaski in a twisted kind of way, despite how unkind and lazy and for want of a better word, pathetic he is - I think there's maybe a little bit of him in all of us. A great summation of the "white trash" culture, from a point of view I haven't come across much before.
WHITTARD'S TEA: DREAMTIME
I think I've expressed my love for ridiculously sweet instant tea drinks before. Apricot and honey flavour. Perfect if you have a cold. www.whittards.com. I believe they deliver.
PENGUINS
It was actually from a Laura Marling concert the other night that I learnt that here you can watch penguins at a zoo in California via live webcam. I don't really think I need to explain why this is amazing.
PETE ROE
If you hear from me anywhere else on the internet you probably know this, but I went to see Laura Marling last week... possibly three times. I'm broke but it was brilliant and worth it, and one of the guys who opened for her was Mr Pete Roe, who also plays piano and guitar in her band later on in the set. He's a really great guitarist, by the third night, I could sing along with several of his songs. I think this one below is my favourite of his.
I don't think he's released any music yet, but I'm sure it won't be long.
***
Sorry for forgetting Wednesday again. I won't make promises but we'll see what happens next week...
Aside from that, I hope all's well your end and I'll be back soon.
Lizzie x
Showing posts with label tea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tea. Show all posts
Thursday, 15 March 2012
Thursday, 3 February 2011
Biting David Keenan
Hello.
If you don't have time to read another post made up of ramblings about stupid things when I was a child, that's fine. But please scroll down to the bottom where there's a poem by Carol Anne Duffy I found, which I've looked for since I first read it and I guarentee it will make your day a little better. I don't know how.
When I was a child, I went to two primary schools - one in Year 3, from age seven onwards, but before that I went to a different one, and there I had more confidence and I was a different person. Thinking back, I'm fairly sure that when I was about five, I was a badass in school.
I don't really remember many of the things that gained me this reputation, I just know I had it. I was intelligent but I got into a lot of trouble. I have memories of standing against the cupboard at the back of the class - the ultimate punishment - up in the stocks for townsfolk to laugh at or maybe just inspect.
But I do remember biting David Keenan.
The whilstle had just blown for the end of lunch, it was cold and we were lining up at the end of the field. I was daydreaming, looking at the sky and the grass and the seagulls, eating leftover playground crumbs of snacktime KitKats and Nutri Grain bars, and in front of me was David Keenan.
I honestly haven't seen him since, but from what I remember he was quite chubby, at five, and he had very bright hair, and for some reason he said something which made me angry and so I bit him.
I don't remember why, and it bugs me a lot, and although I think I was probably evil in a lot of ways I don't think I can have done it for no reason. Nowadays, if I ask my mother tells me I was provoked. My teachers and parents were angry, back then. I don't know why I bit him but I did, right in the stomach, and his pale skin swelled up straight away with a volcano of pink and red, swirling blue and purple patterns forming around the edges of the bruise.
I was too proud to admit it. I remember my dad getting home and me begging him to read to me but my mum said no, not until I'd told him what I'd done and I wouldn't do it. We were in the conservetory and I was screaming and crying. Everyone said I had done wrong, I should feel guilty but I couldn't because I somehow knew I was right.
They tell me now that it was almost deserved, that it isn't on my conscience but I know that I bit David Keenan, and that it was wrong but I have no idea why.
Perhaps I never will.
I'm in understanding that that was a pretty stupid thing to talk about, so here is something beautiful.
TEA
by Carol Anne Duffy
I like pouring your tea, lifting
the heavy pot, and tipping it up,
so the fragrant liquid streams in your china cup.
Or when you're away, or at work,
I like to think of your cupped hands as you sip,
as you sip, of the faint half-smile on your lips.
I like the questions - sugar? - milk?
and the answers I don't know by heart, yet,
for I see your soul in your eyes, and I forget.
Jasmine, Gunpowder, Assam, Earl Grey, Ceylon,
I love tea's names. Which tea would you like? I say
but it's any tea for you, please, any time of day,
as the women harvest the slopes
for the sweetest leaves, on Mount Wu-Yi,
and I am your lover, smitten, straining your tea.
If nothing else melancholy, or squishy or sentimental, read in a really shallow way it makes me feel like simply walking around Whittard's and smelling sweet air, examining packets, leaves and syrups and shakers I'd never have the time to use. I stick with instant pearguava, and it's delicious.
Goodnight.
- Lizzie
PS
What I was actually going to do today is write a blog about how much I love webcasts and why, but I didn't, but it was because tonight I watched some of Imogen Heap's #live4capetown and although signal was bad and I only saw some of the songs, it was mostly just awesome talking to other fans, people who like or even just know my kind of music, having fights with people about Amanda Palmer and Tori Amos, that kind of thing. I love all of it. :) But yuss, I'll go on more in detail about stuff like that one day.
If you don't have time to read another post made up of ramblings about stupid things when I was a child, that's fine. But please scroll down to the bottom where there's a poem by Carol Anne Duffy I found, which I've looked for since I first read it and I guarentee it will make your day a little better. I don't know how.
When I was a child, I went to two primary schools - one in Year 3, from age seven onwards, but before that I went to a different one, and there I had more confidence and I was a different person. Thinking back, I'm fairly sure that when I was about five, I was a badass in school.
I don't really remember many of the things that gained me this reputation, I just know I had it. I was intelligent but I got into a lot of trouble. I have memories of standing against the cupboard at the back of the class - the ultimate punishment - up in the stocks for townsfolk to laugh at or maybe just inspect.
But I do remember biting David Keenan.
The whilstle had just blown for the end of lunch, it was cold and we were lining up at the end of the field. I was daydreaming, looking at the sky and the grass and the seagulls, eating leftover playground crumbs of snacktime KitKats and Nutri Grain bars, and in front of me was David Keenan.
I honestly haven't seen him since, but from what I remember he was quite chubby, at five, and he had very bright hair, and for some reason he said something which made me angry and so I bit him.
I don't remember why, and it bugs me a lot, and although I think I was probably evil in a lot of ways I don't think I can have done it for no reason. Nowadays, if I ask my mother tells me I was provoked. My teachers and parents were angry, back then. I don't know why I bit him but I did, right in the stomach, and his pale skin swelled up straight away with a volcano of pink and red, swirling blue and purple patterns forming around the edges of the bruise.
I was too proud to admit it. I remember my dad getting home and me begging him to read to me but my mum said no, not until I'd told him what I'd done and I wouldn't do it. We were in the conservetory and I was screaming and crying. Everyone said I had done wrong, I should feel guilty but I couldn't because I somehow knew I was right.
They tell me now that it was almost deserved, that it isn't on my conscience but I know that I bit David Keenan, and that it was wrong but I have no idea why.
Perhaps I never will.
I'm in understanding that that was a pretty stupid thing to talk about, so here is something beautiful.
TEA
by Carol Anne Duffy
I like pouring your tea, lifting
the heavy pot, and tipping it up,
so the fragrant liquid streams in your china cup.
Or when you're away, or at work,
I like to think of your cupped hands as you sip,
as you sip, of the faint half-smile on your lips.
I like the questions - sugar? - milk?
and the answers I don't know by heart, yet,
for I see your soul in your eyes, and I forget.
Jasmine, Gunpowder, Assam, Earl Grey, Ceylon,
I love tea's names. Which tea would you like? I say
but it's any tea for you, please, any time of day,
as the women harvest the slopes
for the sweetest leaves, on Mount Wu-Yi,
and I am your lover, smitten, straining your tea.
If nothing else melancholy, or squishy or sentimental, read in a really shallow way it makes me feel like simply walking around Whittard's and smelling sweet air, examining packets, leaves and syrups and shakers I'd never have the time to use. I stick with instant pearguava, and it's delicious.
Goodnight.
- Lizzie
PS
What I was actually going to do today is write a blog about how much I love webcasts and why, but I didn't, but it was because tonight I watched some of Imogen Heap's #live4capetown and although signal was bad and I only saw some of the songs, it was mostly just awesome talking to other fans, people who like or even just know my kind of music, having fights with people about Amanda Palmer and Tori Amos, that kind of thing. I love all of it. :) But yuss, I'll go on more in detail about stuff like that one day.
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