Home at last. Although I have two more weeks of summer break left, everything already seems so over. The rest of it will probably be spent in going through the motions, in anticipation of the new school year.
Croatia was great. The weather was unpredictable as usual, with scorching heat one moment and strong, cold northern wind gushing forth from the high peaks of Mt. Velebit the other. I love it when the clouds begin to gather and suddenly all the tourists quickly evacuate from the beaches, as if a fast-approaching natural disaster is about to wipe out the entire human race. Nothing ever happens, as the blackness normally disperses in about quarter of an hour, by which time people don't bother coming back to the beaches. Lunchtime anyway. There are always a few people left though, sitting happily along the coast, watching the tide rise and the waves grow powered by the wind. I can tell this is not their first visit to the village. We are in the know when it comes to local weather patterns.
My two cousins are right in thinking that nothing ever changes there. The same people sell their produce on the stalls at the minuscule village market, the same woman sells drinks and sandwiches on the beach, the same things happen at the local village feast of St Mary of the Angels in early August. Everything is cyclical there, tides and ebbs, the winds, coming and going of tourists, feasts of saints... Years ago, before the war, there was a large camping area near the beach, with beautiful, tall poplar tress that provided much needed shelter from the sun for the campers, mostly large groups of young Poles and Czechs. Someone cut down all the poplars soon after the war. This year there stood only two tents erected in the area. Numinous spirits of the place have vanished. Changes are unwelcome and disturbing. I do not welcome them.
The last evening in Karin I was feeling rather melancholic, in one of those states of mind when I feel able to converse pretty much only with plants and animals. I went to the small salt water pond opposite our summer house to say goodbye to the crabs, something I've been doing since early childhood. I found the pond full of life, seagulls minding their own business on the left, a lone heron searching for food on the right, and hundreds of crabs running in all directions in the shallow water. One daring little crab crawled toward me, raising its delicate claws as if to greet me. We played a little, exchanged goodbyes and I knew I was ready to pack.
The cat back home didn't seem to recognize me this time. Maybe she is giving me the silent treatment. Or perhaps my cat-sitting cousins who chose to skip Karin this year were too good to her and now I've fallen into disfavour.
Everything seems to come in cycles. Even the tides and ebbs of feline approval.
Saturday, 11 August 2007
Tuesday, 24 July 2007
Back from Montenegro
I got back from Montenegro yesterday, finishing stage 1 of my summer holidays. It was good to be there in great company and with over a week of nothing else to do but swim, sunbathe and enjoy Mediterranean cuisine.
Not everything was great though. It was excruciatingly hot, as in most of the region. I don't think I have ever swum in a sea that warm. Nights were most frustrating, leading up to morning grumpiness and frequent daydreaming about a return to the comforts of my air-conditioned home. Now that I'm back, however, I miss all of it. It's always like that for me.
It was good to see that the cat hasn't forgotten all about me. It was the first time I left the city leaving her without my ever-watchful presence for over a week. She didn't seem to mind, which is great. Now I can get rid of some of the guilt for abandoning her next time I go somewhere.
Which will be in a couple of days, actually. Stage 2 begins this Sunday, when I'm leaving for another two-week journey to Croatia. Life can be really good at times.
Not everything was great though. It was excruciatingly hot, as in most of the region. I don't think I have ever swum in a sea that warm. Nights were most frustrating, leading up to morning grumpiness and frequent daydreaming about a return to the comforts of my air-conditioned home. Now that I'm back, however, I miss all of it. It's always like that for me.
It was good to see that the cat hasn't forgotten all about me. It was the first time I left the city leaving her without my ever-watchful presence for over a week. She didn't seem to mind, which is great. Now I can get rid of some of the guilt for abandoning her next time I go somewhere.
Which will be in a couple of days, actually. Stage 2 begins this Sunday, when I'm leaving for another two-week journey to Croatia. Life can be really good at times.
Sunday, 17 June 2007
End of school year!
I taught my last class this school year on Friday and, as much as I like my job, I am soooo looking forward to waking up on Monday morning, only to realize that I won't have to go to work - not until September!
I've already done some long overdue decluttering in my place over the weekend. I've thrown out piles of old notebooks, lesson plans, newsletters and magazines. Suffice it to say that I'm in a much calmer, although not entirely balanced state of mind right now...
I've already done some long overdue decluttering in my place over the weekend. I've thrown out piles of old notebooks, lesson plans, newsletters and magazines. Suffice it to say that I'm in a much calmer, although not entirely balanced state of mind right now...
Sunday, 11 March 2007
Quarterly Book Reviews #4
LITERATURE
Strange Things: The Malevolent North in Canadian Literature by Margaret Atwood
Originally presented at Clarendon Lectures in English Literature, in this book Atwood analyzes a number of novels, poems and folk stories that might be cconsidered distinctly Canadian. She eloquently uses Franklin's expedition, Grey Owl and Wendigo as examples of historical, psychological and mythical undercurrents that give Canadian Lit a unique flavour.
Also noteworthy, the book contains excellent bibliography for anyone courageous enough to step into the fascinating world of the malevolent North on one's own. Through fiction, at least.
RELIGION
Son of Man: The Mystical Path to Christ by Andrew Harvey
More like four books in one. Part One (The Historical Jesus) is a lucid and progressive approach to Jesus as a man, teacher and revolutionary, not unlike Jesus as interpreted by other liberal Christian thinkers and theologians. Part Two (The Mystical Christ) relies a bit too heavily on the Gnostic gospels, which the author tends to treat as more authoritative than the canonical ones. In Part Three (Christ and the Sacred Feminine) the focus is shifted almost entirely on Mary, her mystic motherhood and divine femininity. Part Four is a collection of practices and meditations on the mystical Christ.
What the book lacks is a sort of bridge between the historical Jesus and the mystical Christ. Those who are prone to think of Jesus in more rational terms (as Harvey portrays him in Part One) are not very likely to endorse the rather advanced neognostic hyper-mysticism espoused by the author in other parts of the book.
RELIGION
Which Witch Is Which? compiled & edited by Patricia Telesco
A collection of articles about various neo-pagan traditions, written by the practitioners themselves. Each article contains contact adress(es) and suggestions for further reading about a particular group, coven or tradition. It's a Who's Who of neo-paganism; very easy to use, highly practical, especially for those who have just begun exploring this rather heterogeneous cluster of different spiritual traditions and practices.
FICTION
Augustus by Allan Massie
A historical novel in the form of reconstructed memoirs of Augustus, the first in the long line of Roman emperors. The good thing about it is that Massie clearly knows historical facts and also knows how to use them for the purpose of fine and exciting story-telling. The bad thing about it is that in the attempt to make history alive he goes a bit too far. For instance, you will find Maecenas calling Augustus "Duckie" and similar horrors which often result when authors insist on using modern language or jargon in historical novels. (Sorry, I'm just not a big fan of that.)
In short, the novel is good enough to make other Massie's books in the series (Tiberius, Calligula) worth checking out, but it is not quite in the same league with, say, Graves' famous I, Claudius.
Strange Things: The Malevolent North in Canadian Literature by Margaret Atwood
Originally presented at Clarendon Lectures in English Literature, in this book Atwood analyzes a number of novels, poems and folk stories that might be cconsidered distinctly Canadian. She eloquently uses Franklin's expedition, Grey Owl and Wendigo as examples of historical, psychological and mythical undercurrents that give Canadian Lit a unique flavour.
Also noteworthy, the book contains excellent bibliography for anyone courageous enough to step into the fascinating world of the malevolent North on one's own. Through fiction, at least.
RELIGION
Son of Man: The Mystical Path to Christ by Andrew Harvey
More like four books in one. Part One (The Historical Jesus) is a lucid and progressive approach to Jesus as a man, teacher and revolutionary, not unlike Jesus as interpreted by other liberal Christian thinkers and theologians. Part Two (The Mystical Christ) relies a bit too heavily on the Gnostic gospels, which the author tends to treat as more authoritative than the canonical ones. In Part Three (Christ and the Sacred Feminine) the focus is shifted almost entirely on Mary, her mystic motherhood and divine femininity. Part Four is a collection of practices and meditations on the mystical Christ.
What the book lacks is a sort of bridge between the historical Jesus and the mystical Christ. Those who are prone to think of Jesus in more rational terms (as Harvey portrays him in Part One) are not very likely to endorse the rather advanced neognostic hyper-mysticism espoused by the author in other parts of the book.
RELIGION
Which Witch Is Which? compiled & edited by Patricia Telesco
A collection of articles about various neo-pagan traditions, written by the practitioners themselves. Each article contains contact adress(es) and suggestions for further reading about a particular group, coven or tradition. It's a Who's Who of neo-paganism; very easy to use, highly practical, especially for those who have just begun exploring this rather heterogeneous cluster of different spiritual traditions and practices.
FICTION
Augustus by Allan Massie
A historical novel in the form of reconstructed memoirs of Augustus, the first in the long line of Roman emperors. The good thing about it is that Massie clearly knows historical facts and also knows how to use them for the purpose of fine and exciting story-telling. The bad thing about it is that in the attempt to make history alive he goes a bit too far. For instance, you will find Maecenas calling Augustus "Duckie" and similar horrors which often result when authors insist on using modern language or jargon in historical novels. (Sorry, I'm just not a big fan of that.)
In short, the novel is good enough to make other Massie's books in the series (Tiberius, Calligula) worth checking out, but it is not quite in the same league with, say, Graves' famous I, Claudius.
Friday, 9 March 2007
In the absence of more intelligent things to write about
I had a haircut this morning. It never fails to brighten me up. And it seems to be linked, in some esoteric way, with an instant urge to workout and flex some muscles. Which is exactly what I did as soon as I got home, but that's beside the point (the whole fitness "routine" will only last a week or so, anyway).
What I did mean to write about is the sheer horror of realizing that my hair looked like a grey cat's fur. At least that's exactly what it looked like lying there on the floor, before they brushed it away. I just stared at it for a few moments, wondering whether that really was my hair, growing out of my head. And how could I have walked around all these weeks with that wretched thing on my head?
I'm so glad I'm back to my more presentable self now (or as my mother would delightfully put it, like-you-just-got-out-of-prison look).
What I did mean to write about is the sheer horror of realizing that my hair looked like a grey cat's fur. At least that's exactly what it looked like lying there on the floor, before they brushed it away. I just stared at it for a few moments, wondering whether that really was my hair, growing out of my head. And how could I have walked around all these weeks with that wretched thing on my head?
I'm so glad I'm back to my more presentable self now (or as my mother would delightfully put it, like-you-just-got-out-of-prison look).
Saturday, 17 February 2007
Hello kitty!
I adopted a cat three weeks ago. She's such a wild little creature, without a modicum of sophistication or any semblance of decency (except for those precious moments when she's fast asleep, or too tired of running around, destroying anything that might cross her path). But I absolutely adore her, sharp claws, treacherous fangs, ruined furniture, many a sleepless night and all.
At least we agree on politics, which is no small thing. She likes to watch Arianna Huffington on YouTube with undivided attention. That's my girl!
At least we agree on politics, which is no small thing. She likes to watch Arianna Huffington on YouTube with undivided attention. That's my girl!
Friday, 10 November 2006
You know you're Eastern European when...
As emailed to me by a friend. Quite true, actually.
1. You had to share a room until you were 21.
2. Everything you eat is savored in garlic and onions.
3. You are standing next to the two largest suitcases at the airport.
4. You arrive one or two hours late to a party - and think it's normal.
5. All your children have nicknames which sound nowhere close to their real names.
6. You talk for an hour at the front door when leaving someone's house.
7.Your mom tells you you're too skinny even though you're 30 pounds overweight.
8. Your house is full of medicine from your old country and it's probably all illegal here.
9. You and your friends have ever been kicked out of a restaurant or recreational park for being too loud or rowdy.
10. You don't know how to use a dishwasher b/c *u are* the dishwasher.
11. You have a vinyl tablecloth on your kitchen table.
12. You use grocery bags to hold garbage.
13. Your dad ever butchered a pig or lamb.
14. You don't use measuring cups when cooking.
15. If you don't live at home, when your parents call, they ask if you've eaten, even if it's midnight.
16. Your parents don't realize phone connections to foreign countries have improved in the last two decades, and still scream at the top of their lungs when making calls.
17. It's "normal" if your wedding has 600 people.
18. Your 15 year old sister can out-drink any American guy.
19. You drive a nicer car than your parents.
20. Your dad carries around enough money to buy a car.
21. You have all brand new appliances in the kitchen but your mom cooks in the basement with the stove from your old house.
22. Your parents have gone on vacation ONCE and it was to your home country.
23. You base your whole life on fortune in your coffee cup.
24. Your parents still prefer to buy cassettes instead of CDs.
25. You're actually nodding and laughing at most of these things.
26. You're a proud Eastern European and pass this on to your European friends.
27. Your non-English speaking grandmother gives a shocked look when you say 'pizza'.
28. You wear French Connection and other designer clothing when going to work out.
29. You carry liquor back here from your country in plastic Sprite bottles under tons of clothing in the suitcase.
30. You have 17 consonants and 2 vowels in your last name.
1. You had to share a room until you were 21.
2. Everything you eat is savored in garlic and onions.
3. You are standing next to the two largest suitcases at the airport.
4. You arrive one or two hours late to a party - and think it's normal.
5. All your children have nicknames which sound nowhere close to their real names.
6. You talk for an hour at the front door when leaving someone's house.
7.Your mom tells you you're too skinny even though you're 30 pounds overweight.
8. Your house is full of medicine from your old country and it's probably all illegal here.
9. You and your friends have ever been kicked out of a restaurant or recreational park for being too loud or rowdy.
10. You don't know how to use a dishwasher b/c *u are* the dishwasher.
11. You have a vinyl tablecloth on your kitchen table.
12. You use grocery bags to hold garbage.
13. Your dad ever butchered a pig or lamb.
14. You don't use measuring cups when cooking.
15. If you don't live at home, when your parents call, they ask if you've eaten, even if it's midnight.
16. Your parents don't realize phone connections to foreign countries have improved in the last two decades, and still scream at the top of their lungs when making calls.
17. It's "normal" if your wedding has 600 people.
18. Your 15 year old sister can out-drink any American guy.
19. You drive a nicer car than your parents.
20. Your dad carries around enough money to buy a car.
21. You have all brand new appliances in the kitchen but your mom cooks in the basement with the stove from your old house.
22. Your parents have gone on vacation ONCE and it was to your home country.
23. You base your whole life on fortune in your coffee cup.
24. Your parents still prefer to buy cassettes instead of CDs.
25. You're actually nodding and laughing at most of these things.
26. You're a proud Eastern European and pass this on to your European friends.
27. Your non-English speaking grandmother gives a shocked look when you say 'pizza'.
28. You wear French Connection and other designer clothing when going to work out.
29. You carry liquor back here from your country in plastic Sprite bottles under tons of clothing in the suitcase.
30. You have 17 consonants and 2 vowels in your last name.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)