i guess i put it off long enough. i'd heard about it and read about it, but i was not ready. or i thought it was silly. but i knew i would become a victim. what the hell am i talking about? ...TWILIGHT! two of my friends had read it, k*spice and nure nezumi. so of course i had to read it. i cannot remember when i had the conversation with my friend about the book but she brought it to me on sunday, i didn't start it that night because i had a feeling i would like it and had to get up early the next morning. i needed to sleep. monday morning i started reading it on my way to work, continued during my lunch break, on the way home from work, heading to the coffee shop, at the coffee shop, on the way home, and at home until i finished it that night. i could not put it down for long. i don't even know what the big draw was. i liked the writing, plot, characters, and of course freakin VAMPIRES!!!
it's basically a high school romance with vampires, i guess. i have always liked but never obsessed about vampires, bram stoker's dracula is one of my favorites but was written long ago. twilight is set in a small town in washington where it rains a lot and is very green. the main character, bella, is a new girl in town who is painfully clumsy. i guess i relate to her in a lot of ways. not to give a lot away but her love interest is a vampire named edward. he is perfect, fluid, talented, amazingly beautiful and did i mention he's a vampire?!
i read the harry potter books in this obsessive fashion and i couldn't put da vinci code down when i started it. i get hooked into books pretty easily i guess. i am a few chapters into new moon (second book of twilight series) but don't want to read it too fast because then i'll be halfway done and in no time i will have no more twilight to read. that makes me sad but i cannot help but just take it all in at once. it's really good!
just one more thing - the movie. i wonder if i should wait until i read them all to watch it. it's playing right now at the kennedy school for $3. how can i resist? i want to know if it's like i pictured. i don't want to be disappointed but i hear it's good as well. i will probably see it next week because i'm just not that good at waiting patiently. i am sure i could get someone to watch it with me but i wouldn't mind going alone too. i feel like i'm always behind the trends. people were reading this last year and seeing the movie when it came out, etc. well at least i am reading it and i will see it soon. better late than never.
25 March 2009
17 March 2009
#177 - wicked
i just went to see the musical WICKED at keller auditorium in portland. it was awesome! WICKED is based on the novel of the same name, by gregory maguire. it tells the story of the wicked witch of the west from wizard of oz, before and how she became wicked. it's a very creative and interesting idea and gives me a new appreciation for the movie.
i read the book maybe 6 months ago, when i learned that the musical was coming to portland. although it's not for everyone, i really enjoyed it. the book is very dark and i wondered how they would make it okay for family audiences. so when i saw it the other day i learned - they changed it a lot. the general plot and story was the same but there were many important changes from the book that i won't go into. i am still trying to figure out if i am okay with those changes. before i went to see WICKED i listened to the soundtrack endlessly and really enjoy all the lyrics and melodies. watching it finally i was able to tie together the songs and it was pretty fun. the acting was awesome as well, i really enjoyed watching the actors.
in the original production, idina menzel (RENT) was the main character elphaba. that was one of the draws of WICKED for me, being a huge RENT fan and knowing her voice. although she was not in the traveling group that i saw, she is on the soundtrack.
if you have a chance to go see WICKED, do it! it's a fun musical and story. the costumes were pretty awesome too. i'd totally recommend the book if you are into dark stories that put a twist on what you think you know. it totally gives you empathy into wickedness and you know why she wanted those damn ruby slippers!
i read the book maybe 6 months ago, when i learned that the musical was coming to portland. although it's not for everyone, i really enjoyed it. the book is very dark and i wondered how they would make it okay for family audiences. so when i saw it the other day i learned - they changed it a lot. the general plot and story was the same but there were many important changes from the book that i won't go into. i am still trying to figure out if i am okay with those changes. before i went to see WICKED i listened to the soundtrack endlessly and really enjoy all the lyrics and melodies. watching it finally i was able to tie together the songs and it was pretty fun. the acting was awesome as well, i really enjoyed watching the actors.
in the original production, idina menzel (RENT) was the main character elphaba. that was one of the draws of WICKED for me, being a huge RENT fan and knowing her voice. although she was not in the traveling group that i saw, she is on the soundtrack.if you have a chance to go see WICKED, do it! it's a fun musical and story. the costumes were pretty awesome too. i'd totally recommend the book if you are into dark stories that put a twist on what you think you know. it totally gives you empathy into wickedness and you know why she wanted those damn ruby slippers!
10 March 2009
#176 - letting go
i have a deep and incessant need to be in control. there are so many things that are actually out of my control. things like weather (damn snow in march!), tides, bus schedules, and what other people do/think. i know i cannot control these things, yet i let them bother me. why can't i just let them go?
i've been listening to a lot of buddhist podcasts and one that really stuck out was "letting go". my mind is a constant chatterbug. it's always going, never ceasing to concoct the latest conspiracy theory or ultimate utopian society. i am always judging things - myself and others. it really drives me nuts. the point of letting go is not to rid yourself of these thoughts but to actually let go of the attachment to them. when i heard that it immediately made sense. in buddhist thought, it is attachment to things that cause suffering. and let me tell you, being attached to my thoughts causes me lots of suffering. i feel crazy sometimes.
judging people is not really a good thing to be practicing. i am trying to do more positive things and less negative, working on my karma! :) it is so hard to rid yourself of those judgements, though. when you are used to one way it is hard to change. it is easy to judge because it somehow makes you feel better. it's like watching jerry springer. the train wrecks they have on there are insane and it only makes you feel "normal" and "good". i am constantly making judgements though. i need to work on immediately letting go if it. i make a judgement then it is gone. ok. i cannot really help what gets into my head but i don't have to leave it there.
another term i like is "letting be". things will be what they are, just let them. you cannot always change the situation but you can let it be, like the song. to me, the song means that the right things will come to us, when it is appropriate. we may want something really bad but it may not be the right time for it. when the universe is ready, we will get it. it may even be a different version of what we thought we wanted. just accept what you have and let it be. we are in control of some things, like what we choose to wear on a given day. but our choices are influenced by things we cannot change, like the weather. i may want to wear my favorite sweater but if it's 100 degrees out, i would not.
i have tried to meditate. it is so hard! my mind just goes and goes, on and on. i try letting go of the thoughts and it takes a lot of energy. people say that meditating gets easier, i hope so. i've been reading a lot too, right now i'm reading a book of dalai lama writings. reading it really makes sense but it is the putting it into practice that is hard. i read something about 10 things to avoid. there are the obvious ones like killing and lying but then there are the more subtle, like idle gossip (i think that goes with right speech). i often speak without thinking and say things i later wish i had rephrased. i involve myself in a lot of idle gossip. and i like celebrity magazines, which is the ultimate idle gossip! it's one of my guilty pleasures.
another thing i think about with letting go is being in the moment. when you can let go of the extraneous thoughts then it may be easier to stay in the moment. you cannot be in the moment without letting go. two of my favorite songs are "let it be" (the beatles) and "be here now" (mason jennings). this is a constant struggle because my mind is always going, therefore i am planning the future and reviewing the past. i am rarely here. it is easy to be off somewhere else but it is better to truly enjoy this moment because in a blink it is gone. when i am totally in the moment i really enjoy myself. and when i am enjoying myself then you know i am in the moment.
i've been listening to a lot of buddhist podcasts and one that really stuck out was "letting go". my mind is a constant chatterbug. it's always going, never ceasing to concoct the latest conspiracy theory or ultimate utopian society. i am always judging things - myself and others. it really drives me nuts. the point of letting go is not to rid yourself of these thoughts but to actually let go of the attachment to them. when i heard that it immediately made sense. in buddhist thought, it is attachment to things that cause suffering. and let me tell you, being attached to my thoughts causes me lots of suffering. i feel crazy sometimes.
judging people is not really a good thing to be practicing. i am trying to do more positive things and less negative, working on my karma! :) it is so hard to rid yourself of those judgements, though. when you are used to one way it is hard to change. it is easy to judge because it somehow makes you feel better. it's like watching jerry springer. the train wrecks they have on there are insane and it only makes you feel "normal" and "good". i am constantly making judgements though. i need to work on immediately letting go if it. i make a judgement then it is gone. ok. i cannot really help what gets into my head but i don't have to leave it there.
another term i like is "letting be". things will be what they are, just let them. you cannot always change the situation but you can let it be, like the song. to me, the song means that the right things will come to us, when it is appropriate. we may want something really bad but it may not be the right time for it. when the universe is ready, we will get it. it may even be a different version of what we thought we wanted. just accept what you have and let it be. we are in control of some things, like what we choose to wear on a given day. but our choices are influenced by things we cannot change, like the weather. i may want to wear my favorite sweater but if it's 100 degrees out, i would not.
i have tried to meditate. it is so hard! my mind just goes and goes, on and on. i try letting go of the thoughts and it takes a lot of energy. people say that meditating gets easier, i hope so. i've been reading a lot too, right now i'm reading a book of dalai lama writings. reading it really makes sense but it is the putting it into practice that is hard. i read something about 10 things to avoid. there are the obvious ones like killing and lying but then there are the more subtle, like idle gossip (i think that goes with right speech). i often speak without thinking and say things i later wish i had rephrased. i involve myself in a lot of idle gossip. and i like celebrity magazines, which is the ultimate idle gossip! it's one of my guilty pleasures.
another thing i think about with letting go is being in the moment. when you can let go of the extraneous thoughts then it may be easier to stay in the moment. you cannot be in the moment without letting go. two of my favorite songs are "let it be" (the beatles) and "be here now" (mason jennings). this is a constant struggle because my mind is always going, therefore i am planning the future and reviewing the past. i am rarely here. it is easy to be off somewhere else but it is better to truly enjoy this moment because in a blink it is gone. when i am totally in the moment i really enjoy myself. and when i am enjoying myself then you know i am in the moment.
06 March 2009
#175 - reading books
i like reading books. right now i am on the lookout for books to put on "the list". i also have a list for movies, it's a long one. i've been reading a lot of random things, i read obama's first book and it was real good so i want to read the other one. right now i'm reading "junky" by william s. burroughs, it's about a heroin addict. not something i relate to very much but it's interesting.
so why am i reading all these books? basically, i have a big test coming up. whenever i have big important things to do (like studying) i tend to find other more important things to do. i am reading my own books, getting my hands on whatever other books i can (friend's books) and even reading books i've already read. i enjoy reading and will start any book once or twice to see if i can get into it. if i read a few chapters, 20-30 pages and do not get into it, i usually put it down. and then there are those other books i pick up and read it without putting it down at all, not even to sleep. (harry potter!)
last year i had a list of 50 books to read. i think i read about five of them since i made the list. i got kind of tired of the classics and wanted to read different things, eventually i totally forgot about the list. for instance, i tried a few times to read "ulysses" by james joyce. it is at the top of many top 100 book lists. i just could not get into it. i will try again later.
so basically i want some suggestions for books. my friend is giving me a stack of her books, which includes some on my list of 50. also one she recommends is "a thousand splendid suns" by khaled hosseini who also wrote "kite runner" which i think i liked. i maybe didn't like the ending but i hear this new one is better.
anyway, my posts lately have been pretty lame. no pictures, nothing that interesting, nothing too in-depth or thought provoking. maybe when i'm done with this term. i am having my last school test ever...in 11 days. it's about pregnancy/OB stuff and GI. not really my strongest subjects but i will do my best. i will be "studying hard" the next 11 days....or reading.
so why am i reading all these books? basically, i have a big test coming up. whenever i have big important things to do (like studying) i tend to find other more important things to do. i am reading my own books, getting my hands on whatever other books i can (friend's books) and even reading books i've already read. i enjoy reading and will start any book once or twice to see if i can get into it. if i read a few chapters, 20-30 pages and do not get into it, i usually put it down. and then there are those other books i pick up and read it without putting it down at all, not even to sleep. (harry potter!)
last year i had a list of 50 books to read. i think i read about five of them since i made the list. i got kind of tired of the classics and wanted to read different things, eventually i totally forgot about the list. for instance, i tried a few times to read "ulysses" by james joyce. it is at the top of many top 100 book lists. i just could not get into it. i will try again later.
so basically i want some suggestions for books. my friend is giving me a stack of her books, which includes some on my list of 50. also one she recommends is "a thousand splendid suns" by khaled hosseini who also wrote "kite runner" which i think i liked. i maybe didn't like the ending but i hear this new one is better.
anyway, my posts lately have been pretty lame. no pictures, nothing that interesting, nothing too in-depth or thought provoking. maybe when i'm done with this term. i am having my last school test ever...in 11 days. it's about pregnancy/OB stuff and GI. not really my strongest subjects but i will do my best. i will be "studying hard" the next 11 days....or reading.
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