mauve_boudoir

I shouldn't be complaining for in the Ketsana survival scale, I am not at the lowest rung. Yet I cannot let it all go without writing about the loss of my most prized possession - my library.

My books were my first true inheritance from my parents, both of whom were book lovers. My dad bought me a complete set of reference books (26 volumes plus 4 medical volumes and 6 science volumes) on my first day of nursery school. I recall learning alphabetization skills and honing my use of synonyms (my six-year-old brother wanted to read about cars and could not find it under C; my nine-year-old self told him to look under A for automobiles - he found what he was looking for). Scanning through the medical volume and reading the photo caption: "Cancer can strike at any age, above, a five-year-old boy undergoes chemotherapy", my seven-year-old self spent sleepless nights fearing cancer. I saw pictures of a heart clogged with fat and shocked my mom when I turned down a hefty serving of sinigang na baboy.

My dad bought my first fairy tale books (which eventually influenced the party dresses I wore thereafter). I read about Snow White, Puss in Boots, Lady Flowerville, The Little Match Girl, etc. On certain afternoons, I recall reading to my little brother; we laughed at the Big Wolf blowing down the Little Pigs' houses and at the name of Ararat (where Noah's Ark landed after the flood). I had a volume devoted entirely to Hans Christian Andersen (which Mom bought for me) and I loved reading about the Little Mermaid and the Princess and the Pea. Dad then supplemented my readings on fairy tale princesses with picture books of the real McCoy - the kings and queens of Europe. He quickly added books on Greece and Crete for a taste of ancient civilizations.

By the time I was nine, I had gotten into the act of collecting and reading books. Alongside Archie and Betty and Veronica comics, I had Sweet Valley Kids, Twins and High; above them were my Alison Weir and Antonia Fraser biographies on Renaissance Europe as well as my Russian history books. My brother was into Goosebumps, space exploration and Titanic then so he had his share of books. Later, he shifted to biographies on Ford and Alexander the Great and Tom Clancy novels.

Most of the books had an even more significant meaning to me since I collected them alongside my family as we tore through second-hand bookstores for limited edition and out-of-print volumes. I found a battered Reader's Digest compilation of Mysteries and a compilation of Tales of Terror (I still recall curling under the covers on rainy evenings, reading my favorite real-life ghost stories). Mom found a two-volume biography of Winston Churchill's illustrious American mother as well as 1932 editions of Agatha Christie mysteries. Dad uncovered rare books on the Civil War and Lincoln, the 20th century, and a compilation of a century's worth of New York Times front pages.

Throughout high school and college and the start of my professional life, my library continued to grow - Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, Kerima Polotan, more Alison Weir and Antonia Fraser, Margaret Atwood, Gunther Grass, Nabokov, Ralph G. Martin, D.H. Lawrence, Anne Edwards, German language books, Spanish and French dictionaries etc., etc., etc., etc.. Turabian. XEBS. Coffee table books on Faberge Easter eggs and Venetian palaces. Great Russian short stories. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. The Iliad by Homer. The Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella. Yearbooks. Commemorative issues of Life and National Geographic magazines. Five years' worth of A-Day letters. Palancas from five retreats (Grade 7 to 4th year). Paper plates from four years' worth of retreats with my seniors.

That morning, as Ketsana bore down on Manila, I was moving books up from the first to the second floor but I was nothing compared to the cold, murky waters that rose steadily and relentlessly. Bookshelves eventually collapsed and books faltered into the water. I had saved library books from Xavier (some IB books - for the future, my gut instinct must have told me), Puzo's the Godfather, diplomas, passports and jewelry. For a few seconds, with water on tummy-level, I stared at the floating debris and thought, my God, so this is what it's like to have your life vanish before your eyes. I stared, tearless and defiant, in silent mourning. Then, when those books and shelves threatened to trap me, I shoved them aside and moved on.

Lying down on the roof that night, staring up at the immense flatness of the skies while shivering in bone-chilling cold, I felt that everything I had seen, heard, read and believed in were condensed at that moment. The books have served their purpose, I told myself, silently (with teeth chattering and chest heaving). I had identified with fictional and historical heroines, I sought comfort in well-loved old favorite tales. Now I needed to recall all the lives and stories I had read to consciously draw up inner strength somewhere deep in the gut for what was to come.

Ten days after the storm, I bought my first book - Axel Madsen's biography on Coco Chanel - which focuses more on the lady's struggles than quilted bags and twinsets. I long to collect the works of Kerima Polotan (her Emma Gorrez showed remarkable spunk) and Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind (featuring the fiery Scarlett O'Hara). Is there any coincidence as to why I feel the need to recover these particular books? I realize that where reality and sanity collapsed into surreal madness, I sought strength from my library's heroines - and that's a great deal of strength.

This week, while talking about food cravings, a colleague asked me if I think up cravings or if it's only when I see the given food. I said, I only crave once I see it or something that reminds me of it. He said that, in his psych class it's a sign that I am pretty much detached.

It got me thinking. I easily let go of life with Multiply.

Today, after months of feverish facebooking, I bid that site adieu today.

And am fine with it

We were stunned by Columbine. Can you believe it's been an entire decade since that bloody day? The event haunted my summer 1999 - right before my junior year. Of course, a lot happened since then that I've forgotten about the Columbine horror.

Almost eight years since 9/11.

I am not a big fan of loooong masses - as in washing of the feet, etc. I am also not so keen on doing the way of the cross - it was bad for my feet and my temper (one time we went to seven churches and did the entire way of the cross each time - so 14 times 7!). I do look forward to watching Holy Week type of films:

1) David and Bathsheba
2) The story of Ruth
3) Solomon

:) :) :) :)

In Kinsella's second Shopaholic novel, Luke and Becky take New York by storm. My favorite modern-day heroine (after Shakespeare's Beatrice and Jane Austen's Lizzy Bennet and Marianne Dashwood) remains irrepressible and hilarious!

Novel highlights
1) Tom's wedding to Lucy - and how Becky "copes"
2) Becky spends a day with Elinor, Luke's mother
3) Suze's boyfriend
4) Becky's meeting with John Gavin
5) Becky's auction
6) The airport scene of Luke and Becky

For the record, this is my chick lit of choice after Sweet Valley :)

I'm waiting for my hair to fix itself. Every haircut I've had, it always takes a week or so for it to settle. I guess this one makes me feel more apprehensive since it's super short....

Anyway, the title of this entry is the opening line of all Shopaholic books by Sophie Kinsella. I love that series to bits (even if I'm more responsible and rational compared to Becky Bloomwood, the heroine). Kinsella impresses since all five books are funny and witty and... you just cannot tell what will happen next.

My favorite is Confessions of a Shopaholic, the first one.


The film is a desecration of the first two novels.

Highlights in this book:

1) How Becky gets her Denny and George scarf
2) How she explains the scarf away to Luke's parents
3) Becky stands up to Luke after he makes her shop... for his girlfriend
4) Becky's date with Tarquin

This book really made me laugh aloud.

Another school year has passed... my fourth!

Last week was one of the most hectic weeks:

Monday - graduation ball
Tuesday - pick-up toga, cap and tassel
Wednesday - my students' graduation
Thursday - service recognition (I did the script) and the grad party of my advisory class
Friday - Baccalaureate mass and a little luncheon
Saturday - my graduation
Sunday - shopping with mumsy

It was hectic but fun week :) Today, I handed out my students' diplomas and report cards. It was really so emotional, as I waited for them. I was seated in an empty classroom and empty chairs and a table full of diplomas. Finally, groups started trickling in and I shared laughs and stories with them. In the end, I left them in the classroom, not really daring to look back.

It is a relatively restful day... and later, I re-start my investment in my health!

OOOHHH. and yesterday I bought out all the remaining books in the Shopaholic series!!!! I love "Confessions of a Shopaholic" best, tho I must say each book really has the same brand of wit and comedy... and substance. Just finished "Shopaholic Ties the Knot" last night and I quickly plunged into "Shopaholic and Sister". I hope the plot improves from the eighth chapter onwards. Becky's sister is REALLY annoying.

Here's to the most restful summer since... 2003(?) Summers 04-08 were really... busy and taxing. Now, I can rest back, relax and plan ahead.

I passed the LET!

One thing off my mental plate...

well, wouldn't you know...

i had my stat class yesterday evening and i took down the formulas - then conked out... until the professor assigns seatwork and i get to practice. in the middle of class, i received a text message saying classes the next day were cancelled because of a coming super typhoon.

2 blitzkrieg thoughts:

one-act play for seniors!
notecards from the juniors!

then i decided, the hell with it... will enjoy the long weekend (since we're celebrating the school's Golden Jubilee and it's St. Xavier's feast on Sunday - we're going to work half-day on Sunday, which'll be all activities plus bazaar but no class on December 4)

it's pretty calm now except for a slight cool breeze...

After dinner and a shower, I implemented my plan to de-stress.

I know. De-stress on a Monday? Well, only because I have MA classes Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 5:00pm-8:00pm.

Sure, I had a batch of quizzes to check but... I was able to do that while watching some local news (am not a big Pacquiao fan to begin with but 30 minutes of airtime - gawd!) and international news (apparently, OJ Simpson's accepted 3.5M for writing a book 'If I Did It,' where he will discuss how he would have killed Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman - as though he didn't do the deed, though. The book will also have its TV show version. Now, I've read trash biographies in my life - ala Kitty Kelley - and even trashier Jackie Collins novels but this is a SLEAZE. I watched the Goldman family react to it on Larry King.)

While checking, I turned on the Tyra Banks show - right, I know! But she did 20 questions on Janet Jackson who's celebrating 20 years in the biz. Of course, Tyra - who is really no Oprah - asked how Janet compares life as a twentysomething to a fortysomething. Apparently, 40 is the new 20. My poor generation - never really quite there, are we? No wonder we can be a bunch of schizoids. When we were teenagers, the '20's were perceived as the "it" time of your life... now it's 40? Lemme guess - when we're 40, they'll be saying 20 is it.

And capped off my early evening watching White Chicks. So hilarious! it's the only movie of its kind that I actually like - and my mom says that's cos the dudes were predominantly white.

Top 100 Beautiful Women of ALL time according to some entertainment website:

(The women were chosen for their "embodiment of natural beauty, healthy living, beautiful on the inside and out, with great skin and a natural glow to their personality, as well as their complexion)

1. Audrey Hepburn (wasn't she too skinny for healthy living?)
2. Liv Tyler
3. Cate Blanchett
4. Angelina Jolie
5. Grace Kelly
6. Natalie Imbruglia
7. Juliette Binoche
8. Halle Berry
9. Helena Christensen (patrick swayze lookalike at certain angles)
10. Elle Macpherson
11. Cameron Diaz
12. Princess Diana (maybe in the early to mid-'80's)
13. Kate Moss
14. Charlize Theron
15. Scarlett Johansson (looks like #14)
16. Isabella Rossellini
17. Nigella Lawson (matronly body in her Forever Summer with Nigella show but lovely face)
18. Beyonce Knowles
19. Madonna
20. Jamelia
21. Nicole Kidman (never thought she was pretty with her ultra-sharp features)
22. Monica Bellucci
23. Audrey Tatou
24. Vanessa Paradis
25. Julianne Moore
26. Jennifer Lopez (wouldn't rate her this high)
27. Marilyn Monroe
28. Julia Roberts (good actress but beautiful?)
29. Liberty Ross
30. Kylie Minogue
31. Estelle Warren
32. Gisele Bundchen
33. Gwyneth Paltrow (uptown New York but...)
34. Kate Winslet
35. Katharine Hepburn
36. Ava Gardner
37. Keira Knightley
38. Iman
39. Jerry Hall
40. Heidi Klum (too common-faced)
41. Ursula Andress
42. Virginie Ledoyen
43. Sophie Dahl
44. Michelle Pfeiffer
45. Uma Thurman (i know ethan loved her once but...)
46. Kim Catrell
47. Jennifer Aniston
48. Eva Herzigova
49. Brigitte Bardot
50. Felicity Kendal (mousy)
51. Claudia Schiffer
52. Jacqueline Kennedy
53. Marlene Dietrich
54. Milla Jovovitch
55. Lucy Liu (where's zhang ziyi then?)
56. Penelope Cruz (ugh)
57. Neve Campbell
58. Sharon Stone
59. Vivien Leigh
60. Sophie Marceau
61. Linda Evangelista
62. Dido
63. Catherine Zeta Jones
64. Jessica Lange
65. Ingrid Bergman
66. Greta Garbo
67. Jodie Kidd
68. Laetitia Casta
69. Princess Caroline of Monaco
70. Kathleen Turner
71. Rachel Weisz
72. Naomi Campbell
73. Grace Jones
74. Christie Turlington
75. Famke Jensen
76. Catherine Deneuve
77. Cindy Crawford
78. Heather Graham
79. Judy Garland (hello? insert addictions - not healthy!)
80. Ginger Rogers
81. Sophia Loren
82. Yasmin Le Bon
83. Kirsten Dunst (plain jane)
84. Sandra Bullock
85. Melanie Sykes
86. Cleopatra (one only knows her likeness probably from her profile on a coin)
87. Lisa Snowdon
88. Rita Hayworth
89. Katie Holmes
90. Honor Blackman
91. Joely Richardson
92. Joanna Lumley (shriveled)
93. Andie MacDowell
94. Alicia Silverstone (yuk)
95. Cat Deeley
96. Rene Russo (lithe and slender but not gorgeous)
97. Sienna Miller
98. Rachel Hunter
99. Jade Jagger
100. Kelly Brook

They ought to differentiate sexy from beautiful, not to mention at-the-moment moneymaking/marketing potential from classic beauty

My Top 10 (in random order)

http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/ylmao/sparetime/VivienLeigh/005big.jpg

1) Vivien Leigh

http://images.askmen.com/imagesmodel/nov00/paulina_porizkova/paulina_porizkova_150b.JPG

2) Paulina Porizkova

http://www.sitevip.net/catherine-zeta-jones/images/index_catherine_02.jpg

3) Catherine Zeta-Jones

http://www.thesoundofmusic.net/images/liesl.jpg

4) Charmian Carr (Liesl in the Sound of Music)

http://files.myopera.com/E.%20Driver/albums/35120/cate%20blanchett.jpg

5) Cate Blanchett

http://img.kbs.co.kr/drama/drama_photo/028/001/028001011_S.jpg

6) Lee Tae Ran

http://www.koreanwiz.org/Choi_Jung_Won.jpg

7) Choi Jung Won

http://img487.imageshack.us/img487/6906/thismyotherwife7if.png

8) Rochelle Aytes

http://www.repubblica.it/2006/08/sezioni/persone/reginette-ereditiere/reginette-ereditiere/este_13164637_46500.jpg

9) Charlotte Casiraghi

http://www.prebble.com/Brooke.jpg

10) Brooke Shields

but I agree with this assessment

This Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) Was Better Than This One (Kate Bosworth).
That hardly makes her spectacular. Kate Bosworth has nothing on Margot Kidder (aside from her far-left wackoism) or even Terry Hatcher. Their renditions of Ms. Lane were far superior. Bosworth's is as ho-hum as the lady at the supermarket looking for her Clairol fix. The only thing that seems apropos is Lane's Pulitzer Prize for her "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman." It's the work of unethical journalism--a "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" manifesto by a jilted lover against her boyfriend.

true, true. Bosworth was more Homecoming Queen than hard-bitten, Pulitzer-prize winning field reporter. Plus, I watched Win a Date with Tad Hamilton the day before I watched Superman so... hard to shake off the blond ditz image she had there....

Take this survey, post the results, and see how many things have changed since then.

1) How old were you?
THEN: 12
NOW: 21

2) Where did you go to school?
THEN: Assumption
NOW: Ateneo de Manila University (M.A.)

3) Where did you work?
THEN: was a student
NOW: still studying but teaching high school at Xavier

4) How was your hairstyle?
THEN: shoulder-length, layered
NOW: shoulder-length, layered still

5) Did you wear braces?
THEN: no
NOW: no

6) Did you wear contacts?
THEN: yes
NOW: no

7) Did you wear glasses?
THEN: no
NOW: should be ;p

8) Who was your best friend?
THEN: Irene and Lovelynn
NOW: Irene and Lovelynn still

9) Which of your pets were still alive?
THEN: none
NOW: none

10) Who was your boyfriend/girlfriend?
THEN: none
NOW: none

11) Who was your celebrity crush?
THEN: Hmmm... this was before Backstreet, haha
NOW: That tennis guy, Nadal

12) Who was your regular-person crush?
THEN: none
NOW: haha ;p

13) How many piercing did you have?
THEN: 1 - ears
NOW: same

14) How many tattoos did you have?
THEN: none
NOW: none

15) What was your favorite band/singer?
THEN: no doubt
NOW: none in particular

16) Had you smoked cigarettes?
THEN: nope!
NOW: one puff ;p

17) Had you gotten drunk?
THEN: no
NOW: no

18) Looking back, are you where you thought you would be in 2006?
Well, i knew i wanted to become an English teacher but I didn't think I'd be one in Xavier!:P

- not much has changed, apparently :)

i had the funniest time at the salon yesterday. the funniest.

it all began with a conversation with a friend from work. now this guy's got weird scientist-ish hair that's matted on a high forehead so i go, "what do you want to do to your hair?" and - i did expect a positive response from this guy - he says, "help me think of what to do - because i don't know what to do with it"

before i go on: this guy is not gay. in fact, he's pretty open-minded with homosexuals. like sine_nixus ;p (sorry, couldn't think of a better example)

anyway, i surfed a bit for men's hairstyles and read up on masculine face shapes. he caught up with me later that day and i mentioned that i'd be heading for the salon after work... and he got all impulsive, saying he's coming along for a haircut. i told him the cheapest cut's pegged at 180p and he was aghast since he gets a barber's cut for 75 - 100p. anyway, while i was setting up our appointment, he wanted to go for the 250 haircut.

by 5:30, we were at the salon. his stylist recommended that he get his hair treated (like my stylist said i should have my already-straight locks rebonded so i was like no thanks) but my friend yielded to the pressure... and ended up with a 850p bill!!! he had his hair wrapped in a plastic turban and i cursed my phone for dying out (waaanted to take a pic of him in that soooorrrry state!)

he finished 25 minutes ahead of me and while watching the stylist's assistant blow-dry my hair, he harped on the 850p he spent on his hair - on a style he might not be able to copy once left to his own shampoo-comb-whathaveyou product- devices. i teased him with "850 reasons to do your hair" and "850 pesos later" cracks.

the thing was, i had to shell out for both our salon trips because he had to take a trip to the teller! (the wise guy) but i had the last laugh because when i told him that tip's usually 20% of the final rate, he grumbled because he had to cough up another hundred.

but i was laughing the whole time; i mean, i haven't gone to a salon trip with irene_sez_om or even winter_love and i got to "chaperone" this dude who is just clueless about parlor rates!

this morning at work, he came up to me with a freshly showered look, seething about how he could have gotten the same look for much much less!

watched the premiere of the OC's third season... it was the most rough-hewn episode ever. uggh. but... will still catch it next week - my first quarter telly-vice:p

project runway season two's well... underway but it's on thursdays at ten and cannot stay up that late without feeling woozy the next day. sadly, i cannot find the replay details yet.

am grateful for the overcast weather... i swear, May heat's just downright oppressive!

i'm working on six units' worth of MA classes this april and, while am comfortable with the ateneo enviro, i still feel oddly isolated from the place. i guess, it'll never be the school campus i knew and enjoyed myself in without my friends :( i still get senti walking past bel field and remembering how i had to run from bel to sec in ten minutes during freshman year!

anyway, i've picked up quite a lot from my classes - curriculum planning (classmates have teased me for "planning" to be a principal or a dean! lol. but, right now, i'd have to say that admin work does not look quite as appealing as working the classroom;p) and media education. i definitely have a better idea on how to handle my classes this coming june... and speaking of, i start work next tuesday. hrrrmpff! i know i shouldn't be complaining - after all, two weeks' worth of vacation is a pretty good deal - but starting all over again is always pretty heavy.

If you score less than 17 on this, then you haven't had a normal childhood.
one [x] = one point

[X] climbed a tree
[ ] built a treehouse
[X] had some kind of stuffed animal when little and still have it in your house
[ ] had a sleepover at your house
[x] chugged some kinda soda (not water) with friends
total: 3

[x] watched sesame street more than 10 times
[x] seen one of the following movies: Shrek, disney cinderella, Lion King, Sleeping Beauty
[ ] read the book, cat in the hat by dr. seuss
[x] faked being sick
[x] faked being sick and gotten away with it
total: 4

[x] ordered pizza
[ ] had a "hold ur breath underwater" contest
[x] played a full game of ping pong
[x] ridden a bike with a friend
[ ] used the phrase lol in real life, not on the computer
total: 3

[ ] watched the show Arthur on pbs
[x] played pac man not online
[x] held a nintendo controller
[ ] been skiing/snowboarding
[x] heard the song stairway to heaven
total: 3

[x] seen at least 10 minutes of American Idol
[x] able to name 3 actors/actresses on OC
[x] watched mary poppins
[ ] had a shout out list in a profile
[ ] kicked or thrown a soccerball/football at your house by mistake
total: 3

16 points. well, close enough!

You Have a Melancholic Temperament

Introspective and reflective, you think about everything and anything. You are a soft-hearted daydreamer. You long for your ideal life. You love silence and solitude. Everyday life is usually too chaotic for you. Given enough time alone, it's easy for you to find inner peace. You tend to be spiritual, having found your own meaning of life. Wise and patient, you can help people through difficult times. At your worst, you brood and sulk. Your negative thoughts can trap you. You are reserved and withdrawn. This makes it hard to connect to others. You tend to over think small things, making decisions difficult.

hmmmm....

You Are a Retrospective Soul

The most misunderstood of all the soul signs. Sometimes you even have difficulty seeing yourself as who you are. You are intense and desire perfection in every facet of your life. You're best described as extremely idealistic, hardworking, and a survivor. Great moments of insight and sensitivity come to you easily. But if you aren't careful, you'll ignore these moments and repeat past mistakes. For you, it is difficult to seperate the past from the present. You will suceed once you overcome the disappoinments in life. Souls you are most compatible with: Traveler Soul and Prophet Soul

Now that I’ve slept enough (and more) this summer, I’ve resorted to sapping my energy by flipping channels throughout the day and well into the wee hours, watching all the shows and movies I cannot watch when work begins in May. My favorite this summer is Bette Davis’s 1945 film “The Corn is Green.” I’ve been as lazy as the Earl of Sandwich, eating my new comfort food, peanut butter sandwiches drizzled with maple syrup and (separately) a childhood snack, slices of cheese. I’ve also taken an interest in taking care of plants, which surprises me.
Otherwise, I’ve passed the time reading Purgatorio. (Mandelbaum’s translation, which is a lot more tedious than Ciardi’s because the latter uses footnotes, rather than endnotes – which are aplenty with all the mythological, biblical and historical allusions Dante uses)
From the farthest to the closest to heaven, Dante categorizes those in Purgatory: the Excommunicates, the Indolent (Late-Repentants), Those Who Died in Violence Without Last Rites (including babies who were not baptized!), and the Valley of the Rulers. Only then does Dante describe seven terraces corresponding to the seven deadly sins: The Proud (who carry heavy stones on their backs), the Envious (whose eyes are sewn up with iron wires), the Wrathful (who live and breathe dark smoke), the Slothful (who run without rest), the Avaricious (who are bound to the earth, face down), the Gluttonous (who suffer emaciation and thirst) and the Lustful (who are purified by fire). While am fascinated by the symbolic punishments, I was also struck by the difference between those in the Inferno and those in Purgatorio. The souls in Limbo generally remain as they were on earth - all selfishness and pride – while those in Purgatory at least think about the people they left behind. (Something like The Rich Man and Lazarus story from the Bible).
It’s interesting to read Purgatorio because it does balance out goodness and evil, especially during Holy Week when people think about how they’ve been and make resolutions on how they should be. I wonder how the religious react to the Divine Comedy. I remember, nearly four years ago, when we had theology class with Dr. Natividad and we were taking up Inferno for Western Lit. We asked her what she thought of the Divine Comedy and she was rather prickly about the topic! In fact, I think she was offended that we could even suggest, let alone think, that she’d read such a heathen work; she shouldn’t have been, honestly. It would have made Theology 121, with all its dogmas and doctrines, a lot more interesting.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz’s.

The story of my life this summer!:) I did go to the bookstore following that last day of work and bought a book (Barbara Leaming’s “Mrs. Kennedy: The Missing History of the Kennedy Years”) I devoured in thirty-six hours! It was an interesting read but while it tried to portray the purpose of Jackie Kennedy’s life, it did show what a nutcase JFK was.

My Summer Reading List:

Joachim C. Fest's "Hitler" (only the second best biography on der Fuhrer because there is no English translation of the the best Hitler biography, according to a German family friend who served in World War II - may Onkel Willy rest in peace)
Dante’s “Purgatorio” and “Paradiso”
Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” – for analysis

I’ll be teaching seniors in June, so my summer reading’s part pleasure, part work but I really don’t mind :)

yesterday was the students' last day of reular classes. had my juniors for the last period, which i thought would be difficult to handle. i asked one student to lead the prayer and he ended up giving an evaluation of all the "difficult tests [they] had to take, hard stories [they] had to interpret - special mention 'A Rose for Emily'!" But he did say nice things - like my "patience with [their] bitchiness" - to which i said aloud "Amen!" to bursts of laughter!

they clamored for a good-bye speech, which i delivered spontaneously. then we all settled for the final round of oral defenses. afterwards, they asked for another speech, and i said about two sentences before calling for a photo op! hilarious! i will miss my students....

but it was a welcome relief to go home and NOT be thinking of lessons to teach for the next day.... this morning, i actually woke up to my scrrreeeccchhing alarm clock and for a few seconds, cursed myself for forgetting to switch the alarm off! I thought it was a saturday!!!!