The Camel Club [5] January 29, 2009

I am slightly ahead of schedule on my 52 books challenge. I decided to read The Camel Club, another David Baldacci book. This is my third one so I think it is safe to say I am a fan. I really love his characters. They are just so human. They always have questionable pasts, are always flawed, and always conquer their fears to become heroic (even if it is just to a single person). So far in each book I have found myself laughing out loud a few times, tearing up a little, and getting downright angry at the villains.
The Camel Club is the first in a series of four books so far (more to come). It deals with conspiracy theories, intelligence agencies, “resurrection of the dead”, and mid-east terrorists. It is like a whole season of 24, wrapped up in an extremely readable book, with Jack Bauer being divided into four love-able middle-age men. It also puts an interesting twist on the terrorist angle that you never see coming. It also tries to explain the mentality of the terrorists. While it does not excuse what they do, it does help shed some light on the psychological driving force behind it. The explanation is a little lacking though and Nelson Demille does a far far better job explaining it in The Lion’s Game. Overall I highly recommend the book and can’t wait to read The Collectors some time soon.

Next up will be one of three books The Voices of Marrakesh, Seeing Redd, or Split Second. We will see which one suits my fancy, although all will be read during February. My pages read total is now 1802

The Burnt-Out Town Of Miracles [4] January 21, 2009

Since I have been lying in bed with the flu for the last few days, I have had some extra reading time. My latest book was The Burnt-Out Town of Miracles by Roy Jacobsen. It was a book that intrigued me by the title alone. I like to do that sometime, pick a book because of the title or cover. I have found some gems that way and only one disappointment I can think of.

Anyway, the story takes place in Finland during the Winter War of 1939 when the Russians invaded. One man, Timo the woodcutter, decides to stay in his village while the rest flee from the coming Russians. The town is burned down before the troops arrive and Timo is taken as prisoner. It is a story about courage and bitter cold, unlikely friendships and violence, hard-work and stubbornness, and about a man that your heart just goes out to. I just wanted to give Timo a giant hug so that he knew that at least I know his story now, and he won’t be forgotten. It is also a reminder that war lasts, long after peace treaties have been signed, for those who have lived through it. I highly recommend it, but its themes are heavy for such a light book.

I will pick a new book tomorrow but for now I have read 1209 pages…

Bedridden January 19, 2009

Being a kindergarten teacher is tough. Teaching kindergarten children whose first language is not English is more tough. The language barrier, since I am not allowed to speak Turkish with them, is a pain but the fact that they are ALWAYS ill makes things difficult too. On Friday I was giving one of the sicker children an assessment, to see how many shapes and colors he knows in English. Without any build-up or warning he sneezed all over my face. I went to wash my face immediately but the damage had already been done.

I woke up on Saturday with some minor aches and pains, took a pain killer and was fine for about six hours. Then it hit me like a load of bricks! Every joint in my body ached, my skin was super sensitive, my cough was worse, I had a constant but low fever alternating with chills, nausea, killer headache, dehydration, and the list could go on. Basically everything that could go wrong did. Last night my fever finally broke and I could eat some food. Murat has been taking wonderful care of me, making me food, taking me to the doctor, and staying the night on my couch in case I need anything. I could not ask for a better boyfriend!

What makes this even worse is that it is our last week of school before the semester break. I am supposed to be doing assessments on all my kids and doing report cards. The doctor said I should not go to school all week because I am very contagious. I said this is not possible so he said at least three days. Now I have to break the news to my co-teachers and principal. They will not be happy at all, but hopefully they will be understanding.

100 Things To Do in Your Life January 19, 2009

I found this list on a fellow Raveler’s blog and it said “tag, you’re it.” The bolded things are the ones I have done.

1. Started your own blog (here we are)

2. Slept under the stars (Point Reyes and at my dad’s house)

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii (specifically Kauai)

5. Watched a meteor shower (on dad’s deck or the street in front of mom’s house)

6. Given more than you can afford to charity (not often enough)

7. Been to Disneyland (the happiest place on Earth)

8. Climbed a mountain (Alpspitze, 2nd highest of the Bavarian Alps)

9. Held a praying mantis (one lived in the marigolds and was kind of our pet)

10. Sang a solo (many times as a kid)

11. Bungee jumped (in Munich)

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea ( I was not at sea but the storm was so I will count it)

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (started watercoloring last week ;0)

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning (wish I hadn’t)

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train (too many times )

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort (up at Sarah’s old cabin)

25. Held a lamb (recently one was let loose in my classroom and I had to)

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice (waterbuses should count until you are older and can afford a gondola

29. Seen a total eclipse (in Utah when I was a kid)

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset (everyday I see the sunrise on my way to work)

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (went to Poland so one down three to go)

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language (one of my favorite past times)

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person (and climbed it! the strangest feeling ever)

39. Gone rock climbing (bouldering on Mt. Judah)

40. Seen Michelangelos David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant (bought a homeless man Subway once)

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud (we thought it was mud but it was actually manure :/)

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class (yellow belt in Tae Kwon Do)

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen (Loaves and Fishes, man)

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies ( I sure ate a ton!)

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (hit my gallon mark before I left)

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp (Dachau, the most depressing place ever)

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem (the most amazing place ever)

84. Had your picture in the newspaper (a lot when I was a kid)

85. Read the entire Bible (working on it )

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous (met Good Charlotte before they were famous)

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake (don’t think I want to)

97. Been involved in a law suit (for a car accident but I never had to go to court)

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

100. Read an entire book in one day

That is 55 for me. Tag, now you are it D !

New Europe [3] January 18, 2009

I have finally finished New Europe by Michael Palin. I should probably start of by saying that I had no idea who this guy was until after I bought the book. He has done some popular travel miniseries for the BBC but is most well known for being one of the Monty Python gang. I saw Monty Python and the Holy Grail twelve years ago in my high school ceramics class. It was supposed to inspire us to make out own “holy grails” but I think it was mostly our teacher’s favorite film. I was not impressed. Maybe I should give it another try, but British humor is usually lost on me.

Having said this, I did enjoy the book. Palin travels all around “new Europe” better know as eastern Europe. From the Balkans to the Baltic with a short foray into Turkey as well. These are the countries that top my list of where I want to travel to next. He meets the most interesting cast of people and always seems to be in the right place at the right time for every festival and event. His writing is very smooth, easy to follow and I think his sense of humor is quite nice.

On the other hand I feel like this must be a companion book to the miniseries of the same name. So much seemed to be missing. As soon as he got somewhere he left. I am sure his coversations with people lasted much longer than a paragraph or two. I was constantly left wanting/expecting more. I think he could have done a much better job if he had not tried to cram 21 countries into 300 pages. I would love to see the miniseries sometime to see if I am correct. I am not sure I would recommend the book unless someone has traveled through the area and wants to reminisce. I have made it to 5 out of 21, but will hopefully change that in the near future.

Stay tunned for book number four, The Burnt-Out Town of Miracles by Roy Jacobsen. I am right on schedule with my 52 books and am happy to announce that I have 1009 pages read so far this year. I will keep a running tally

Postcrossing and Watercolors January 14, 2009

There have been some new developments in the new year for me. I recently joined a website called Postcrossing. You sign up (for free) and say you want to send someone a postcard. They give you a random address of someone in a different country (who belongs to the site), and you send them one. Then someone from a completely different country sends one to you. I love this idea! My first card goes to a girl in Finland.

This brings me to the second piece of news. I decided to take up watercoloring as a small hobby. This may seem odd to many folks because I am not artistic in a painting/drawing way. I have never done more than the occasional forest scene (that I have been doing since I was 10 years old). I am much more into photography, writing, knitting, and crocheting than painting. I have to say that I am very pleased with my first piece. I used a photograph I took as inspiration, but made some of my own changes to it. It will actually be the postcard I will send to the girl in Finland. I need to get a can of spray for protecting it this weekend, but then off it will go. I will also my making/painting a bookmark for a handmade bookmark swap in my Ravelry group. I am really excited to try new things this year and see what happens.

Also, I should be finishing up my book in the next couple days so check back for a full review…

My first watercolor!!!

Simple Genius [2] January 6, 2009

I literally just finished reading Simple Genius by David Baldacci. It is my second book by him and I am still very much impressed. He has four books out that feature the freelance PI team of Sean King and Michelle Maxwell. I absolutely love them! He is incredibly smart but human, and she is incredibly flawed but strong. You can’t help but root for them. I started with the second book, Hour Game, and this was the third in their series. It was right up my alley with the subject matter: CIA, cryptology, spies, WWII, treasure, Alan Turing, and the Enigma machine (I got to see a real one in Germany!). It was exciting until the very end. I can not wait to get my hands on more of his books!!!

I could not keep silent anymore January 3, 2009

I would like to preface this by saying that I know my views on this issue differ greatly from a large group of my friends and readers. I am usually silent on the topic of politics, in my daily life and in my blog, but what I saw today was the-straw-that-broke-the-camel’s-back for me. I hope you will respect my opinions as I respect yours (you are not forced to read any further). I am not questioning how strongly you feel, and am always open to speaking civilly on the matter (or just agreeing to disagree:).

As I walked down the ever crowded Istiklal Caddesi in Taksim today, I witnessed a march. Now, this is not an extraordinary occurrence by a long shot. On any given day this occurs all over the city, and most commonly on weekends. There are usually many people carrying signs, yelling the slogan of that particular march, and trying to make their voices heard by the masses. The number of marchers is usually nothing in comparison to the amount of police brought out for each event. Usually there are a few tanks, and about 20 police to each marcher.

This march stood out to me though. A couple of things were very different. The first was the very low number of police. It was no small march, and a very emotional one from what I could tell (I could hear the sheer anger in the chants). I could not really understand what they were saying, but the Palestinian flags, keffiyeh (scarves), and signs made it very clear what the cause was. But where were all the police? What if any supporters of Israel came out to disagree with the marchers? There were a few vans, but most of the officers were waiting inside. The marchers were only followed by a dozen or so police! In my opinion this was due to the belief that no one could possibly think any different than these people. And granted how could the majority of people living in Turkey think anything different based on the news coming in? I have yet to see a single newspaper publish anything that criticizes Hamas for starting to bomb Israel a month ahead of the ceasefire being finished, of the bombed Israeli kindergarten, of Palestinians being treated in Israeli hospitals, or about any dead Israelis for that matter (I do not expect them to). What I do see however is picture upon picture of bombed out Palestinian homes, and dead Palestinian children. How could someone not hate Israel when this is all they are shown? Those pictures of the Palestinian children break my heart as well. No child deserves to die in this way or any other for that matter! It also greatly saddens me because I support Israel with out hesitation, but things like this make it difficult for me to justify my support to others. But at the same time, Israel is not just standing by and doing nothing about the lives being lost and people being injured. Many people are being taken out of Gaza to be treated in Israeli hospitals. Hopefully some news agency has covered that. I do wish for there to be peace, just like I wish for balanced media coverage, but both are just as unlikely to happen.

The other thing that struck me was the sheer amount of propaganda used by the marchers. Signs, flags, scarves, chants, and the like are always completely legitimate in a march. However, the marchers were surround by a buffer of men selling Palestinian flags, flags with slogans in Arabic, headbands, football team looking scarves, regular keffiyeh, and scarves that looked like white satin (with flags as the ends) with something written in Arabic, to the onlookers. I felt like I was at some major league sporting event as was half expecting to see the big foam fingers and snacks. Is the money spent on those items going to help the people you are so fired-up to support in anyway? I am positive they are not. They will just go into the pockets of these entrepreneuring men who are taking full advantage of this event to make them some quick cash. Perhaps the most shocking display of propaganda was the live child that they dressed up, and carried through the crowd on a stretcher, like the dead Palestinian children. I thought that it was completely uncalled for and just a cheap trick to get at people’s emotions. That one act alone made me sick (not to mention the other things), and put me into a different state of mind.

I was thinking to go on about the media, and recent events I have read about ,when I started writing this blog but will limit my rant to today’s march. I always try to educate myself on issues of importance to me, and have read a lot about this subject from both sides. I have read books, newspaper and magazine articles, websites, watched footage, and looked at pictures that run the gamut. I have also been to Israel and talked to people, Israeli and Arab, first-hand. Feel free to comment and I will try to respond in a timely manner.

James and the Giant Peach [1] January 3, 2009

For my first book of 2009 I chose a book I had not read in ohhhh…. eighteen some odd years, James and the Giant Peach. Back in primary school one of my teachers read it to the class (Mrs. Maxwell or Miss Fazer I believe) and I loved it. I read it a few times after that, but over the years I had all but forgotten about it. All I could remember were giant insects, a flying peach, and the terrible aunts that met their timely end.

It came back into my mind as I was thinking about stop-animation films, and remembered that the book was made into a movie a while back. I tracked down a copy at one of the English bookstores in town and saved it for January 1st. I had forgotten so much and thoroughly enjoyed reading it again! I had forgotten about the Cloud Men, about how terrible the aunts really were, and about the wonderful rhyming songs Centipede sang. Perhaps I will make a point of reading one favorite childhood book a month. Next month I will reserve for The Little Prince.

Onto the next books this month, Simple Genius by David Baldacci and New Europe by Michael Palin.