Girl, Interrupted.

I watched this Academy Award winning film yesterday for the first time. I found it to be an incredibly moving piece, and was surprised by the way in which it impressed itself upon me in a permanent way. Angelina Jolie is famed for her depiction of Lisa, labelled a sociopath, in this film, but it was Winona Ryder's portrayal of Susanna Kaysen that resonated with me, perhaps for the reason that Susanna's character is not especially unrecognisable.
Girl, Interrupted is the movie adaptation of the real-life memoir of Susanna Kaysen, who was placed into the care of a mental health facility after a suicide attempt. Diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, Susanna resists the facility in whose care she is placed, and is inspired and mesmerised by fellow patient Lisa's radical manipulation of those around her. In denial of her disorder and furious with her life both inside and outside of the hospital, Susanna's journey to mental health is a struggle in which the hospital staff, therapists and other patients participate in, and at times, appear to hinder.
The film sheds light on the way in which mental health was viewed in the sixties; arguably a mixture of emerging acceptance and lingering predjudice. It is also an example of the way in which a seemingly healthy person may be suffering under the surface, perhaps unknowingly.

I don't want to summarise the plot too much, or to analyse too heavily its details, as I feel that for many, that ruins the purpose of the movie. In this post, I just wanted to commend the film for being a sympathetic and realistic portrayal of the journey through which people with mental health issues must struggle. It is refreshing to see the staff of a mental health facility being portrayed in a positive light, for they deserve nothing less in this modern era (Nurse Rached, be gone!).

I think the title of the film, and the memoir from which it is derived, is incredibly apt. Girl, Interrupted is demonstrative of the way in which one's life may be temporarily, or permanently, interrupted by the presence of mental health issues, and brings about the notion that, in order to move on, these issues must be managed and worked with with nothing less than the utmost of diligence and care, as is depicted with finesse in this wonderful film.

Burned: A Verse Novel

It's hard not to pull out the literary critic's jargon when assessing this novel, but I'm trying not to let the structuralist in me win out over my appreciation of this incredible book, so here's a quick rundown of the plot:

Pattyn is a seventeen year old girl, the eldest of seven in a strict Mormon family. Hopkins is staunch in her depiction of Mormon women as submissive to men, naming them as "slaves" in some places, and she brings this to the forefront as Pattyn's primary conflict. After a typical teenage tousle leads Pattyn to be expelled by her abusive father to the countryside of Nevada, she is opened to the realities of life outside of Mormon doctrine. Growing closer to her nurturing and damaged aunt, Pattyn is exposed to the sorrows and joys of a life ruled by personal choice, and not religious law. Finding freedom, "forever love", and a new perspective of herself, Pattyn becomes a new person. The reader shares in this tentative journey as the protaganist reveals the pleasures and revelations she experiences as she emerges from underneath the oppressive influence of her father's misogynistic and abusive interpretation of Mormon doctrine.

Seemingly as soon as she has established herself in her new Nevada home, Pattyn is called to her familial one to take care of the eighth baby her mother has borne. This brings about changes Pattyn dreads, and the relaxation and relief she experienced in her time away from her zealous and abusive father weakens her against his influence.



Featuring a shocking and arguably fitting ending (which I would do no justice to attempt to describe), Burned is both traumatic and beautiful. I wouldn't really label it as a true tragedy, though there are certainly elements of the tragic within its pages.



It is, of course, in my nature to pay homage to Hopkins' incredible poetic structure. To a poetry novice such as myself, the words initially read in a straightforward manner, and very few verses rhyme, or have apparent rhythmic devices. However, the way in which the poetry is laid out invites the prose to be read twice, with a deeper, consolidatory meaning often concealed in the secondary reading of a piece.



Ellen Hopkins' verse novel Burned is a triumph of the genre, and a masterful exposition of the turmoil and joy faced by the protaganist Pattyn as she navigates her way through crises of religion, love and family. Burned presents what feels like a snapshot of the life of a Mormon girl in prose which is innovative both in a literary and visual context. It is a sad tale, but one which is peppered with moments of true joy and lightheartedness. Possibly a very different use of poetry to one you may be accustomed to - at least it was to me.



[It warrants warning, also, that Hopkins' depiction of the Mormon Church is very extreme. It is not a subject I claim to know much about, and I understood the portrayal contextually - that is, as part of a fictional story. Thus, it follows, that I should register my understanding that this is not, by any means, a complete or accurate portrayal of the Mormon Church, but simply an interprative one.]

I'll leave you with this quote from Burned; it is taken from the section of the novel where Pattyn has lost her virginity to the man she truly loves. Her struggle with the religious and personal implications of her decisions are evident in the way she describes it as follows:


I cried for what
I had lost,


my best-kept secret,
given away.


I cried for what
I had gained,


the knowledge of Eden, irrevocably
learned.


Happy reading!

claire. x.

The Truth About True Blood

Charlaine Harris's paranormal romance series, referred to as the Dead in Dallas or Sookie Stackhouse novels before the True Blood TV show, was largely ignored before director Alan Ball picked it up. Not so ignored, however, that I didn't devour them in the transitional period between primary and high school. A viewer of True Blood would perhaps be shocked that a twelve year old had read the novels which inspired the gritty show, and to be honest, so am I, now. But at the time, I thought they were sweet, cute stories about a pretty waitress with a vampire boyfriend and an unwanted telepathic ability, somewhat like Matilda, of Roald Dahl fame. Hence, when I first watched True Blood, I was appalled at the raw, confronting manner in which it was portrayed, and refused to watch any more. I thought Alan Ball had got it wrong, and that my tweenaged interpretation of the Sookie Stackhouse novels was far more accurate than this gritty portrayal of life in the South with legalised vampires.

Here is where the truth about True Blood lies. True Blood (the title now encompasses the novels and the show) is not merely a predeccessor to our current, somewhat softened, vampire romance model. It is a fertile social commentary which provides intrigue and possibly more moments of sadness and contemplation than suspense and thrill (although those are there too). It has more parallels with Harper Lee than it does with Stephenie Meyer, and series creator Alan Ball has imbued the characters and relationships established in the novels with more meaning and clarity onscreen than you probably thought possible in a show centring on vampires.

The creation of synthetic blood in Japan has brought about the legalisation of vampires across the globe. However, vampires face predjudice in various forms as they attempt to "mainstream" and re-integrate with communities populated by humans. Such is the case for Bill Compton, whose return to his original home of Bon Temps (pronounced "Bohn To-ahm". Sort of.) brings about a flurry of commotion. Upon entering Merlottes bar, workplace of telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse, he begins a deep flirtation and eventual romance with her.

Their dalliance is met with contempt from those around Sookie, including her hedonistic brother Jason, her enamoured boss Sam, her abrasive friend Tara and the local police. When several women, known "fangbangers", are murdered, suspiscion falls heavily upon Bill, and Sookie is forced to make decisions she never anticipated.

At this point, I'm sure you've realised that the setting of True Blood in Louisiana is no accident. The Southern American societal depiction conjures considerations of segregation and predjudice perhaps like no other in Western contemporary culture, thanks to Harper Lee's landmark masterpiece. I would never be so presumptuos as to hold True Blood up to To Kill A Mockingbird, but I acknowledge and admire the progressive commentary it provides on similar issues. The series has been acclaimed for its honest and unashamed exploration of drug use, sex, homosexuality, alcoholism, and small town mentality (more so the bad and ugly than the good), and all in accompaniment with the underlying ideology of society's continuing resistance to accept minorities.

Laced with characters which range from the likeable to the despicable, True Blood is probably not for everyone. But I urge you to give it a second try, as I did, if you found that you did not enjoy it the first time. However, this time, look not for the sweet moments in the vampire relationship between Bill and Sookie, for there are few - these vampires are as real as we're gonna get, and they do not sparkle. Instead, search in True Blood for those valuable insights into societal mindsets which refuse the onset of the new, and push away the different, in whatever form. I hope that you'll see in it the value that I now have!

I hope this isn't too much like a literary essay...I find that I miss very much the exploration of texts and the exposition of underlying messages in them. I'm craving complex books and series and the moment! Let me know if True Blood has grown on you, or if you liked it from the start!

Claire.xx

An Absence and Some Promises

Hello to all those patient enough to still be reading my blog,

I've been away from it for a while, as I've had a busy Christmas and New Year; I was away from home for a few weeks, and didn't have my regular access to my computer. Needless to say, when my laptop and I are happily reunited, I'll be updating on the books I've read (there are a lot of them, and a number of fantastic ones), some of the movies I've seen (Avatar was incredible, and the Lovely Bones was quite emotional for me...) and Christmas chaos in retail.

For now, I thought I'd post my New Year's resolutions, as a tribute to the time I've missed here, and also, hopefully, in order to motivate me to keep them throughout the year, given that I've published them!

1. Learn to drive. I know, I know, how can I not have got my license already...the truth is, I just never needed, nor wanted it. So I never got it! I live very close to the Busway here in Brisbane, and I have access to everywhere in the city and beyond that I could hope for, all two minutes walk away. However, the time will come soon when I will be moving out with my boyfriend, and may be removed from my beloved Busway, so I guess this is a must do this year.

2. Learn to cook. I want to be able to cook basic meals and some nice ones, as well as biscuits and cakes and things. I'm aiming to be healthier this year, and this is one way to get started on that! My gran bought me the Women's Weekly Complete Cook book for Christmas to get me kick-started!

3. Attend the gym twice a week. This is a pretty obvious one, I guess. Keep fit, make use of my gym membership, etc, etc. I've been going good with it so far thanks to a work friend who has taken on the task of being my personal trainer! She's going to make a great PT when she's qualified!

4. Never be afraid of failing at uni again. This one is easily achievable; I was so frightened I had failed a course - I had to take an exam again due to illness on the day and I was certain I had failed. I was wrong, thankfully, but I never want that feeling again!

On top of these, I plan to keep saving money for moving out, and all those sorts of big things, as well as planning to stay away from situations which make me stressed. Stress takes a physical toll on me, and I end up becoming ill from it (as do most people, I guess), so this year, I plan to stay as far away from stress as possible!

On a different topic, I'm working with some designs for my tattoo. I plan to get it underneath my ankle bone on my left ankle (so that when I'm a teacher, it can easily be covered by my favourite ballet flats). I have always loved cherry blossoms. I studied Japanese from grade two, and was introduced to them from a young age. I would want my tattoo to be delicate and fine, and to have no heavy black on it at all. I want to make use of white inks, and to find the perfect pink colour. I will design it myself (well, before the tattoo artist finalises it, anyway). I've been fascinated by tattoos at the moment, and would love to hear about yours, if you have some, or if you plan to in the future. I love hearing the stories behind people's tattoos - for the most part, if you choose to ink yourself permanently, chances are you've got a good story behind your choice! I like this design, but by no means is it what I will finally have... Thoughts? More updates soon. Love Claire.xx

How to Have a Bad Week

Welcome to How To Have a Bad Week 101. In order to past this course, you must undertake the following:

1. Fill your week with an immeasurable amount of stress - this may be related to exam pressures, family issues, concern over friends, and a lack of time spent with your boyfriend due to his new position. For maximum results, all of the above should be undertaken.

2. Attempt to fit in study around this.

3. Attempt to fit work around this. (Please note: it is highly unlikely that you will be successful in steps three and four if you have successfully completed step one).

4. Become sick. If you have undertaken the above steps correctly, step four should be a natural occurence.

If you have completed steps one through four, you have fulfilled the requisites for How To Have a Bad Week 101. The secondary course following this subject is How to Feel Better and Recover 202. The following are necessary in order to ensure optimal outcomes for this course.

1. Step back, and realise that exam concerns are easily put to rest.

2. Take a short break and return to study fresh-faced.

3. Realise that your work friends are extremely supportive, and relax, because they will help with your shifts.

4. Take some cold and flu medicine, get some light exercise and drink more than your usual amount of tea.

5. Watch Veronica Mars.

6. Look forward to the good things in the near future.

It is likely that, in finishing all of the tasks set out for you in How to Feel Better and Recover 202, you will have completed your week. It may have been a tumultuous one, but it's over, and you can now move on.

Last week was long and hectic, but it's over now. It finished on a good note; Szilveszter and I went to a friend's house, and we played Battle of the Sexes and had a few drinks. It was a triumphant win for the girls; the boys, when asked where the female scapula was, came to the conclusion that it was "something they do their eyes with". It is, of course, the shoulder blade, which is in the same place as the male's, obviously...

I have plenty of good things coming up over the next few weeks, the first of which is Szilveszter's 24th birthday party on the weekend. I can't wait to catch up with our friends, both old and new! Then on Sunday, Szilveszter and I have booked two nights away at the Crown Plaza at Surfers Paradise to celebrate both his birthday and our two year anniversary of being together. I can't wait to relax at the coast (even though, unfortunately, it will be Schoolies...), it's my favourite place to be. This afternoon is my work friend Ella's formal, and my mum is styling her hair for it. I'm excited to see her all dressed up for her formal! Then in early December, I have a couple of Christmas parties; one on a boat cruise down the river with my mum's work and some of my work friends (our parents work together), and then our Famous Footwear one at the coast, which is semi-formal, how exciting! During the day, on that same day, I'll be returning to my prac class for their Christmas party at the local bowling alley. It's going to be a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to all of it.

I love Veronica Mars at the moment. I'm late to catch onto most trends, unfortunately, and I realise she had her boom a while ago, but still. Anything where the protaganist is an outcast is generally guaranteed to click with me.

Hoping everyone's had a good week!

claire. x.

A Lovely Weekend, Actually.

Today I've given myself a day off. As I've mentioned previously, I've been busy with uni assessment and study, prac and work, so this weekend, I took some time out and decided to give myself a break so that I'll be fresh for my last few days of prac and study for my one and only exam on the 14th.

Friday night, I went to a Halloween party at Garden City, where I work. Szilveszter and I ordered costumes online for pretty cheap, and I had a Queen of Hearts dress. I've always been a bit fascinated with Alice in Wonderland, so I was glad to come by the costume, which had a ribboned bodice and a skirt made of playing cards. Szilveszter was Batman, and after a few drinks, felt that he embodied the role appropriately. It was a great night, and the costumes were most certainly the highlight. I caught up with a few people I hadn't seen for a while, so that was excellent. The group who organised and threw the party are in definite need of commendation, and I look forward to their next event!

After work on Saturday, I went to a work friend's house with one of the girls from our store. We had dinner together and had a few drinks. It was relaxing to sit around chatting, and then we watched Love, Actually. One of my favourite movies! I think everyone relates to at least one of the stories in it. The scene where Emma Thomspon's character is standing in her bedroom listening to Joni Mitchell's Both Sides Now usually makes me cry, also. But in a good way, I suppose. But who could resist smiling when the children's lobster-inclusive nativity scene raises its curtain to reveal Prime Minister Grant locked in the much anticipated embrace of the sweet and bumbling Natalie? Just the thing to put you in the festive mood...

















I am so excited about Christmas. I can't wait for my exam to be over (although yes, I know I haven't got much of a complaint, what with having a single exam and all...). The decorations have begun to be put up in Garden City, our local shopping centre, and at work, we're planning the rosters for the late night shifts over the weeks leading up to Christmas. I know it may sound wierd, but I actually love working over Christmas. I love it when you start to see bulk-purchased rolls of wrapping paper in people's overfull shopping bags as they approach the counter, and when the staff of various stores begin to don Santa hats. I don't even mind the fact that I can't get to the foodcourt because Santa's got such an extensive queue of children waiting to put in their requests for this year. This will be my first Christmas at Famous Footwear, and I've already anticipated the Santa hat, and so I have purchased red ballet flats (well, I initially bought them for the Halloween party, but they'll double as Christmas shoes!). I guess that the fact that we work so extensively over Christmas means that we essentially share Christmas with our workmates, and given that we've got such a fantastic staff at FF, it's going to be great.



Since my last post on A Great and Terrible Beauty, I've read Rebel Angels, the sequel, and have almost finished Hush, Hush, the highly anticipated Nephilim romance, among a few more insignificant things. I'll most certainly update on Hush, Hush when I get it back from where I left it at my friend's house (oops), but a post on Rebel Angels will follow this one. I've also fallen in love with the New Moon soundtrack, which I didn't particularly like the first time I listened to it. After putting it through the motions a few more times, I find this soundtrack somewhat more atmospheric than Twilight's, and obviously it's a little bit darker, given the painful nature of the book itself. My favourite song is Thom Yorke's Hearing Damage, among others. It's inspired me to hunt down some Radiohead this week.

Hoping everyone's having a lovely week, and is anticipating Christmas as highly as I am!
claire.x.

A Great and Terrible Beauty

It's been a while since I updated with a book review, and this one was I particularly loved. Libba Bray is a relatively uknown author outside of her first mainstream trilogy, but I have a feeling that we'll be hearing from her again soon. The first book in what is known as the Gemma Doyle triology is called A Great and Terrible Beauty. It revolves around the interactions of the young women at an austere boarding school which houses secrets which have remained under dusty lock and key for decades.

Following the suicide of Gemma's mother on the Indian streets on which she was raised, Gemma is transported to Spence Academy to learn how to become a proper young lady ready to be released for the matrimonial picking of London's finest gentlement. Unschooled in the interworkings of young girls, Gemma is shocked at the cruelty displayed by her English peers. While she herself is a formidable target for would-be bullies, Gemma begins to notice that a particular group of girls is making life difficult for an underprivileged and unfortunate girl named Ann, her new roommate. On top of her attempts to make Ann's life a little easier, Gemma is plagued by visions which allude to the existence of a world exterior to our own, which contains the most desirable and wonderful of things, as well as the worst, and most horrific. As the story unfolds, Gemma's connection to the realms she glimpses is unravelled with the narrative expertise of a writer whose talent is extremely apparent, and as her supernatural ability reveals itself, the girls who proved former tormentors begin to expose their vulnerabilities in a world where they are traded as commodities.

Felicity longs for the power to influence those around her. Ann, cursed with unattractiveness, wishes to be beautiful so that her unfortunate past is perhaps more concealable, and Pippa, the most stunning of the four, desparately wants the opportunity to find true love for herself rather than walk down the aisle toward the incompatible husband and dreary future her parents have arranged for her. Gemma's deepest desire is to have the inner workings of herself revealed to her, so that she may understand her role in both the worlds she inhabits.

All four girls are appeased in their deepest desires when Gemma begins to control her ability to access the realms, and the greatest wishes of the girls are within tangible reach. Meeting in a cave adorned with Celtic prehistoric imagery in the dead of night, the girls explore the realms and the diary of a student of Spence past which begins to reveal, page by page, a destiny which awaits Gemma.

Brimming with Gothic eeriness and a modern understanding of teenage girls, A Great and Terrible Beauty provides insightful commentary into the lives of women during the late 1800s. I felt drawn into the inner circle of the Spence girls, as if I were a part of the illicit secret they harboured, and I was as enthralled by the novel's plot as the protaganists were by the diary of their predecessors.

The novel crept up to a suspenseful and dramatic ending, with more than one surprise I most certainly did not expect. Absolutely unputdownable! I'm so glad I read it, as this is one I'd been tossing up on for literally years.

I give this book my highest reccommendation to anyone looking for, as they would have put it in Gemma's day, "a rollicking good read".

The following books are: Rebel Angels and A Sweet Far Thing. I'm sure you'll get an update on these as I finish them!

Thanks to Gracie, a fellow superbookworm (because we're more avid than your average bookworms) who reccommended this wonderful novel to me.

thanks for reading.

claire.x.

Ode to the iPod

It would only be just to give my recently acquired purple iPod nano its due credit for having gotten me through some confusing and difficult times of late. The past few weeks have been filled with the usual ups and downs, as well as an onslaught of pressure from unexpected places, but I've been just fine, because when I'm so frustrated that I can't find words to describe it, my little nano shuffles itself into gear, and presents me with Paramore's "Pressure" to do it for me. When I've got a minute to myself, the nano reminds me to try and relax by serving up Josh Pyke's "Lines on Palms" and Coldplay's "In My Place". Or, once, when it was in a particularly perceptive mood, the nano offered me "Full Moon" by Black Ghosts, indicating that I should go and escape into my favourite fantasy world at Forks and unwind.

Okay, so this is probably reading into my iPod's shuffle function a little too much. But I most certainly have come to appreciate the benefits of having this little piece of technological advancement in my handbag at all times. Music is a relaxing influence, can be vindicating, is an outlet. It can stir up memories of an entire period in your life (X&Y and Queen's "A Day at the Races" for me = high school), or from a particular night (Black Eyed Peas' I Gotta Feeling, anyone?), and can entirely change your mindset. Soundtracks, if put together well enough, have the capacity to transport us back to the setting of our favourite movie or book. Romeo and Juliet's incredible soundtrack has the ability to tell the entire story of Shakespeare's play through the clever track arrangement of Radiohead, Garbage and Desree. These days, music can make you laugh and cheer you up on a day when you feel down. Take Lily Allen, for one, whose surprisngly insightful appraisal of George Bush ("You want to be like your father/His approval you're after), set against cheerfully boppy music, never fails to crack me up. And Katy Perry, one of my favourites, whose hit Hot 'N' Cold yielded the following sparkling gems of wit: "You change your mind like a girl changes clothes/Yeah, you PMS like a bitch, I would know". How can you not laugh at that sarcasm? It's fantastic. Flight of the Choncords, not to be matched, provide crazy, quirky and hilarious lyricism, which immediately recalls their hilarious show no matter how often you hear them.

At the other end of the spectrum existing within the confines of my little purple nano are the heart wrenchingly works of Placebo, whose drug based songs are definite downers ("I'm forever black-eyed, a product of a broken home"). Good to listen to while you're in the same mood, but not for long, lest you remain there. And for goodness' sake, don't move on to Eminem, who seems to lurk in the "Unknown" track titles, even when I think I've evicted him from the iPod, who is blatantly open about his disdain for most of his fans, himself, his family...you know how he is. However, as I've mentioned, I found Paramore's albums immsely useful in relieving frustration of late...Then there's the endless string of Ministry of Sound albums I've acquired over the years, which are surprisingly useful for study, the gym, drowning out noise, etc., but lack most emotional depth, as would be expected.

So I'm thankful for my purple nano for housing all these realms of expression for me. It's definitely helped me get through these stressful weeks just past. :)

claire. x.

Busy week & Tim Burton

This has been a busy week yet again! So just a quick post to update you. I've been occupied with my study, naturally, and have been assembling several essays for submission as the FINAL ASSESSMENT PIECES FOR THE YEAR. What an exciting feeling! I can't wait for this to be over. However, even though I'm just dying to be free of reference lists and Turnitin.com and due dates, etc., I'm enjoying these last few essays. Essays are my favourite assessments, and I have one to write on the Black Death, as well as another one on Tim Burton! What could be better?! I've always loved Tim Burton's directorial style; my mother used to put us through the paces of watching The Nightmare Before Christmas every year since I was little, and I've grown up appreciating his eccentricity as artful. So I'm anticipating that my essay on his films will be an enjoyable one to write! It's also made me excited about Alice In Wonderland, coming out next year!

I've also been at my first practicum this week. For some reason, they wanted us in a primary school, despite the fact that I'm a pre-service high school teacher...but I ended up in my old primary school, to which my sisters and my partner's neice have also gone. It's strange to hear myself being called Ms. Lines by teachers who taught me, and remembered my tendency to read under the table during their lessons. I have four more days there, and my next day is on Friday. I like it there, but it hasn't swayed me to become a primary school teacher just yet.

I'm also happy this week because I've gotten some marks back for assessment, and despite it having been yet another stressful one because of family issues, I have managed to keep all my marks above a six so far. Hopefully with a bit of hard work, I can keep them there!

Somewhere in amongst all this assessment, I've managed to fit work in. Work's going really well at the moment, despite our excessive consumption of Whittakers Coconut Block during the week, and the dilemma of where to shelf the bondage shoe, as we like to call it.

Today is Szilveszter's Bathurst BBQ (more like pizza, though, I'm thinking...), and after a bit of study in the morning, I'll be going along with Jess, so I'm looking forward to an afternoon relaxing. :)

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

claire.x.

Love La Roux!

This week, I've been listening to a lot of La Roux. I bought her album for Dad for Father's Day (he's predisposed to like anyone and anything from England, but particularly liked her), and put a copy on my ipod. I quickly became addicted to her music, especially her songs Tigerlily, Cover My Eyes and As If By Magic. I often think that finding an album that you truly love is as satisfying as a good book, and almost as good an escape from a stressful day.

Well, I'm on holidays for a whole week (ha) from uni. This week has been a crazy race against time to get all my assignments finished before their due dates, but I managed, and it's over for a whole seven days...

I'm looking forward to having a few lazy days reading and watching DVD (Gossip Girl and Alias and Big Bang Theory) sets before throwing myself into the last few weeks before the exam period. I have a growing collection of books I can't wait to get through, including the first in the Percy Jackson series, the new Marian Keyes book, Blood Promise (I made myself wait for this one, I've absolutely fallen in love with Vampire Academy) and rereading Catching Fire. Yes, I am going to indulge in young adult stuff over the break, it's awesome. :D You won't be surprised to know that I have had a cold again over the past week. All my enegery dissolved, which made pushing through those final exams a bit of a chore, and all my joints and limbs ached with the fever, which made me feel like I was constantly walking through mud. After I handed in my final group assignment, I crashed, and it was such a relief to just be able to lie in bed for a while and watch TV! Szilveszter kept me supplied in Ease A Cold and cups of tea, so I feel much better now!

Speaking of walking through mud, however, all of Brisbane this week was ensconced in a sepia haze of dust, the result of dust storms that had blown up from Sydney. It was very eerie! I was in the uni library when it really hit; I'd been there since about 8.30am, and so I didn't see it start, and all of a sudden all the library windows had this strange, peachy tint. Uni itself was very strange to be at; the sandstone buildings, intimidatingly academic at the best of times, almost looked haunted. Strange.

What was less supernatural, however, was the resulting dryness, and the dust that dirtied anything and everything it landed on. Sigh.

I'm already looking forward to Christmas, on a slightly more festive note! Christmas means lots of listmaking for me: lists of decorations, presents, things to do and buy; extended trade means being a part of the Westfield Christmas period almost non-stop, not that I'm complaining (yet), and numerous Christmas parties and celebrations. I can't wait! We're having some visitors from overseas this Christmas, including my dad's closest friend Dirk, from Germany. It's going to be a big affair at my house! Expect photos of all the animals dressed in Christmas outfits. My mum insists upon it, and if grumpy old Begby could manage his Christmas bow, I'm sure bouncy Daisy and friendly Rosie will manage their outfits... sigh for the puppies!!

claire.xx

What I've Been Up To Lately...

It's been a busy couple of weeks, so I just thought I'd write a quick update. I'm slowly getting through the Vampire Academy series, I love them! Thanks to my work friend Ella's insistence, I finally got over the off-putting covers (which they substantially improved for Blood Promise) and cringe-worthy title, and found that Richelle Mead's series if tautly written, full of a different kind of romantic tension to Twilight, and based around a narrator who is the exact opposite to Bella. More on those in a later post, I'm sure!

I've been trekking through assignment territory steadily, and have one group assignment and one (ahem, unstarted) smallish argumentative essay due in the coming weeks, and then I think I'm done until after the mid-semester break.

I spent yesterday with my boyfriend, who hurt his back recently. We had a lovely relaxing day, and took in a little sun. I did manage to get a slight tan - wow, this means I might have to buy the second lightest shade in my make-up now! Incidentally, on the subject of my beloved boyfriend, I managed to push, shove, plead and coerce him into reading The Hunger Games. And, lo and behold, he adored it. He's currently reading Catching Fire, and for those who don't know Szilveszter, let me just say that he is so resistant to reading that he has read a total of three books in his lifetime prior to THG, and all because I forced him to (he did enjoy them, however!). These include Dean Koontz's Life Expectancy, Russel Brand's autobiography My Booky Wook (which I couldn't really get along with, but he loved), and The Hobbit, which is still under contention, as he was actually read to by his teacher at the time. Hmm. If you count that sort of thing, he also "read" Twilight, by using an audio book. SO it is an indicator of the power of THG that Szilveszter would enjoy them as much as he has, and I'm so pleased.

I'm off to work today, wishing Garden City would hurry up and put its Christmas stuff up. That'd put me in a better mood!

I am currently...

Thankful for the bounce proof case on my iPhone, which has proved its worth a number of times now (and just did again).
Curious about how I managed to hurt my elbow do badly, it's a little swollen and bruised and I don't know how I did it!
Wishing that they made more diaries at this time of year so that I could have a new one. I'm considering just writing the dates in my small moleskine.
On that note, needing another moleskine.
Looking forward to going away for a night with Szilveszter in the mid-sem break. Oh, and Jason and Gracie's engagement this weekend. :)

Have a lovely week, everyone.
More book-related posts soon, I hope.

claire.x.

Catching Fire

Catching Fire, the long-awaited sequel to Suzanne Collins' dark young adult novel The Hunger Games, is an unbelievable book. Following Katniss Everdeen's rebellious win of the Hunger Games in the triology's first installment, Catching Fire concerns the aftermath of Katniss' daring refusal to play the Games by the tyrannical Capitol's rule.

For those who haven't yet experienced the Hunger Games, here's a quick recap: in the America of the future, Panem, a central region called the Capitol holds total rule over the twelve active districts which ring it. Each district, numbering one through thirteen, performs a special function which serves the Capitol, from mining in the poverty stricken District 12 to the manufacture of luxury items in relatively privileged districts 1 to 4. As a haenous reminder to the districts of the failed attempt of District 13 to rebel against the Capitol in the Dark Days, a tournament is held yearly where the names of two children from each district are drawn at random for the purpose of a glorified gladiators game. The twenty four tributes enter a highly controlled arena, and are forced to kill one another until one survivor remains.

Katniss, a sixteen year old tribute, managed almost to outsmart the Capitol at what is quite literally their own game. She managed to keep her district's fellow competitor alive in an act which, at its heart, was pure rebellion, but was presented to the masses as uncontrolled love.

It is from this point that Catching Fire begins; Katniss and Peeta's lives have been transformed into ones of relative comfort, yet neither are happy. Katniss is being controlled in her every choice from where she spends her victor's money, the partner she chooses and the words she speaks. Threatened personally by President Snow, she is under enormous pressure to hold a full-scale rebellion at bay by continuing her romance with Peeta. Essentially, she needs to disguise her own refusal to comply with the Capitol, so that the masses do not follow her lead.

What's worse is that the Hunger Games are not over for Katniss; being the mentor to this year's tributes, she must first complete a victor's tour of the districts before settling into the brutal and savage rhythm of the Games once more.

In the not so obscure world of Panem, however, the government is all-powerful. Katniss's accidental beginning of a long-dormant uprising means that the punishment of the many will forced onto her shoulders, and her relationship with the Hunger Games shifts once more.

With an ending as shocking as its subject matter, Catching Fire lived up to every expectation I had personally held for a sequel to what has become one of my most beloved books. Katniss is every bit as ambitious and determined as she was when we were first introduced to her, but now she is weathered with the horrors of what she has seen and done. As a readership, so are we; I felt every twist of every knife, every stab of fear and every moment of confused hope and panic that Katniss did. Just like the Hunger Games, only more so, Catching Fire resonates with the reader. It remains a part of you for days after having endured its horrors. In a world which so closely resembles our own, Suzanne Collins has shown us what a dark and horrible place the future could be. The hope of the many, however, rests frighteningly easily upon the shoulders of the young.

Everything's okay.

Just a quick post to let everyone know that things are on the up. After a very difficult and stressful week, I'm behind at uni, and worried about that. I'm hoping to catch up early this week though, with a lot of hard work. I'd like to thank anyone who might be reading this who offered any form of help or support during the difficult times we went through last week; your efforts were invaluable. As usual, my boyfriend Szilveszter was wonderfully supportive; my best friend Jess went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure I, and others involved in the situation, were okay. My work friends were generous in their time, offering to work when I wasn't able, and they were more than supportive.

So thank you again to everyone. Looking forward to better weeks ahead.

x claire.

A Beneficial Break

I had the most fantastic day today for several reasons, with the main one being that Szilveszter and I went to Seaworld. I have been to Seaworld before, but not for ages, and it was wonderful to be there again. I was so excited to see all the animals, the polar bears and the dolphins in particular, and was extremely impressed with the shark tank. 'Tank' is probably the wrong word for it. Shark realm is probably more like it. When you looked at it from underneath, through the glass, it seemed to stretch on forever. The constant movement of the fish and rays amongst the regally slow sharks was absolutely mesmerising, and the small distance between us and the animals behind the thick wall of glass was unnoticable. We stayed watching the sharks for ages, there was simply so much to see. Szilveszter adores sharks, and was fascinated by their movements and grace; I, on the other hand, couldn't tear myself away from the dolphins, much to Szilveszter's chagrin. We didn't see everything, and we only saw one show, so there's so much more to see when we visit again, thanks to the Q150 passes Szilveszter got for us.


Today was a refreshing escape from all the petty little things that bring you down in everyday life. In the afternoon and evening, when we returned from Seaworld, we went shopping, and then had dinner at my house. I found that I was in a much better mood than I have been for a long time. And what's more? I even got a little bit of a tan! (If you squint and tilt your head to the left...I don't look SO much like a vampire anymore!) All I needed was a little bit of a break to get back on top of things, and I have!

I'm looking forward to catching up with my Boost friends this weekend for dinner, and going to a retro night on Friday with my old primary school friends and Jess. Throw in a few assignments and that's what I have planned for the rest of my week.

Excited about Catching Fire's release! The sequel to The Hunger Games, I cannot wait to read it.
Reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and realising that, following the odd looks I got on the bus to uni (by some people reading Twilight, no less) and after approximately ten years of doing so, it may be time to stop reading Harry Potter in public places.
Very thankful for my boyfriend Szilveszter. He is my best friend and one of the only people with whom I can truly relax; time spent with him is time treasured.
Appreciative of a day off. With work and study and study and work and uni and study and gym and - did I mention study? - and everything else in between, a break is the most precious luxury you can afford yourself. Normally I like nothing better than to plonk myself in an armchair with a cup of tea and a lengthy novel (a guilty rarity, however), but being away from everything today was just perfect. I can't wait to visit the polar bears again. :)

Hoping you can take a break soon too,
claire.x

My week so far has been fairly quiet, most likely owing to the fact that the cold I've complained about in the last few posts will not surrender! I've caught up on some uni work, and spent some time with some friends, and during the week I had a day in watching movies with Szilveszter. We watched The Talented Mr. Ripley, which was reccommended to me by someone who knew my favourite novel was The Secret History, and once I'd watched it, the connection between the two was apparent. The Talented Mr. Ripley, to give you a quick rundown (as I think I'll be putting up a full review of the book when I finish it), is an unsettling story which takes place in panoramic Italy. Tom Ripley, surprisingly and excellently portrayed by Matt Damon (... ^_^ ...), is something of an impressionist. By chance, he one day impresses the father of a young, rich playboy (a young Jude Law, just in case Matt wasn't enough for you) named Dickie Greenleaf, and he is sent on a mission to retrieve the hedonistic Dickie from his Italian abode.

But once Tom arrives in Italy, he becomes enamoured with the life that Dickie leads, and Dickie's charmingly sweet partner Marge (Gwyneth Paltrow). Oh, yes. And Dickie. Tom becomes obsessed with Dickie, and Dickie responds by seeking to put distance between the two. Tom reacts by killing Dickie in a brutal and savage fashion. From hereon in, The Talented Mr. Ripley becomes as complicated as another of Matt Damon's films, The Departed, as Tom takes on the identity of his obsessee, and continues on a chilling murderous streak in order to protect himself. Matt Damon absolutely enthrals as Tom Ripley. He is both repulsive, in that his obsessions are pathetic and needy, and endearing; his naivety and vulnerability, expressed separately from, and in conjunction with, his obsession, are charming. Ever since seeing Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting (and forever quoting "DO YOU LIKE APPLES?" for about the next week), I have been a loyal fan of his, but of all the films I have seen him in so far, I think he did the best job of Tom Ripley. If you liked The Secret History, this film is about as close as you'll get to cinematic portrayal of that hideous, creeping sensation which refuses to leave you after having closed Donna Tartt's wonderful novel. But let me stress that The Talented Mr. Ripley is its own piece, and was written long before the former.

So I'm currently seeking out an omnibus copy of The Ripliad, which is the title of the series of crime/mystery/psychological thrillers written by Patricia Highsmith featuring Tom Ripley. I have located singular copies in Borders, but because they're rather hard to find nowadays, they are quite expensive. Sigh. So onward with the search, perhaps the internet will be my saviour!

What a life I lead, I know! However, there are a few things coming up for me that I'm looking forward to, including Jason and Gracie's engagement party, and Riverfire with the girls from work (wait til you see the footwear that night... :p ).

Hope everyone else has had a lovely week.

Thanks for reading.

claire.x.

Feeling accomplished!

Just finished my first assignment for the semester (and I'm quite pleased with it, even if I did finish it on the day it was due!), and I feel rather accomplished, even though there is a mountain of other stuff I need to move onto rather soon.
It's been a lovely week so far. Szilveszter and I had dinner with Jason and Gracie Monday night; the boys ate two of the most enormous steaks I've ever seen, while Gracie and I wistfully discussed the need for expensive ballet flats (and yes, I did say NEED). Tuesday and Wednesday were spent mostly in bed for me, unfortunately I've had a bad headcold this week. My doctor speculated that it was tonsilitis, but I sort of doubt it, it wasn't that bad. Just slowed the whole week down a bit. Thursday I worked the morning, but I think my ridiculously congested-sounding voice prompted the girls to offer to cover me, so I went home early. Well, actually I went to Gran's, and then, FINALLY, collected my iPhone. Then last night, prompted by my parents, I brought Daisy with me to Szilveszter's soccer game. As I said to the girls there last night, I believe that I may be acquiring a reputation for being a Crazy Dog Lady, as I have been seen at various soccer events with a total of three different dogs now. I can hardly deny it, really...but then, if that's on record as my worst quality, I definitely can't complain! :p

After soccer, Szilveszter, Daisy and I went to dinner and a photo-showing at our friends', Emma and Greg's. Daisy was certainly well-received there, but, despite my best efforts, apparently insisted upon leaving a twenty-cent coin-sized surprise for her hosts after we'd left.

Unfortunately I haven't really been reading too much lately, so I don't have anything much interesting to report. Envy, the third installment of The Luxe series, was brilliant; if you felt a bit disappointed by Rumours, then definitely still stick Envy out. I've been re-visiting Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince in light of the movie; a reminder to everyone (if there is still anyone?) who just watched the movies and never read the books - you're missing out!

Hope everyone's having a good week too. Has anyone seen My Sister's Keeper? Is it worth seeing?



claire.x.

It's a mess. It's a start. It's a full work of art.

Take back the city for yourself tonight
Or I'll take back the city for me

Take back the city for yourself tonight

Whoa

God knows you put your life in two a times

And it's both cradled you and crushed

But now it's time to make your own demands

Whoa

All these years later and it's killing me

Your broken records in words

Ten thousand craters where it all should be

Whoa

No need to put your words into my mouth

Don't need convincing at all

I love the place where I have no doubts

Whoa

It's a mess, it's a start

It's a full work of art

You're a save, you're a call

Every crack, every wall

Make a sign, make a fight

Get your head, it's not right

We can sing, 'til you drop'

Cause the fun just never stops

I love this city tonight

I love this city always

This song, you probably recognise, is Snow Patrol's Take Back the City. Kristy had it on a CD she made for work, and it's been stuck in my head all weekend. It makes me think about place, and the way that surroundings can shape you. The city, for me, is Brisbane, pictured above. Some talented photographer managed to capture the colourful movement of Brisbane at nighttime, and made it appropriately lovely. I love the bridge that holds together the casual, natural (although in reality not so at all) vibe of Southbank and the structural aesthetic of the city. I love the Arbour in Southbank, which has blossomed into the canopy of colour it was intended to over the course of my high school life. Remember when the Arbour was nothing but intimidatingly bare steel, curved to unnervingly sharp points?

Going to school at State High, which is adjacent to South Bank, meant that I spent a great deal of my time after school trawling the book stores in the city. I especially loved Archives on Charlotte Street, and used to go there when it was raining, for some reason. It had an oddly old-world type feel. I think they've changed that back room, with its archaic chairs, now. Sadly.

I've spent many afternoons with Szilveszter wandering around the Southbank markets, pretending that perhaps there's something new this time, but always coming back to the same horrible cane toad wallets. For me, there's always a sheepish feeling when I arrive at Southbank, as though I'm not really meant to be there. A remnant from many illicit periods spent by the river from 2003 - 2007, perhaps.

Oh, the river. It's horrible, by light of day, is it not? The most hideous shade of acid green, dotted with the faded City Cats (which, incidentally, my mother always points out with too much interest, as though they are a rare and endangered animal - "Oh, look, everyone, a CityCat!" - and as if we haven't been seeing and riding them since before we could register for a ticket) and probably a collection of rubbish thrown from over the bridge. We all know there are, famously, hammerhead sharks in there, though I've never heard of anyone seeing one for an absolute AGE, and someone once told me, or I read it online, that there was once a cow's carcass found in there. Horrible. However, when night falls over our humble city, the river transforms from puce to jet black, and reflects with stunning clarity, the colours of the city it divides.

Recently, when I was on the new Brisbane wheel with Jess, the casino was lit up in an electric shade of magenta for support of breast cancer. The river mirrored this, as well as the luminousity of the usual street lamps and the lights from the suddenly graceful overpass. I was impressed with the river's ability to be both hideously polluted (is it actually?) and elegantly beautiful all in the space of twenty four hours. It makes the line, "I love this city tonight" all the more appropriate!

It is a mess - so many different atmospheres, all lumped together like a house with endless extensions. The class and old-fashioned sophistication of The Regent, say, compared with the pristine modernity of Broadway On the Mall.

It's a start - it represents to me the start of my relationship; my first day with Szilveszter as a couple, I spent with him in the city and Southbank. The start of friendships, solidified over chai lattes and a shared interest in literature at Borders.

It's a full work of art. Whether you shop, work, live, party, trawl, eat, read, or travel in the city, there's something beautiful about it that I'm sure you'll notice. The pieces that each of us identify as being beautiful combine, of course, to prove that this city, and probably every city, is a full work of art.

claire.x.

Short and sweet.

I'm currently utterly engrossed in The Picture Of Dorian Gray. I'm only about a third into it (I tend to read the classics a fair bit slower...it's a big change from my usual teen fiction, sadly), but it's entirely compelling so far. The characters are intruiging, and each in their own way somehow dangerous. Dorian, at the point I'm up to currently, is enchanting. Lord Henry is frighteningly persuasive, and Basil, the artist, is sort of pathetic, and fairly transparent. Wilde fully intended this; I think he's applied carefully separated aspects of his personality and self to the trio. If you know anything about Wilde's history, you'll see, then, that disaster is probably intended to befall all three. Well, I'll keep you updated, anyway!

I've had a fairly busy weekend that was, guiltily, devoid of uni work. I'll have a lot of catching up to do this week. Saturday I worked, and that night, Jess and I went out to the city with some of my old friends. It was great to have a catch up! I skillfully (or luckily) avoided a hangover for work today. Saw a few friends, incidentally, throughout the day, as is the Garden City way. I often think that those of us who are (willing, or unwilling) participants of the Garden City community sometimes bypass its quaintness. How many specialty shops can you walk past without throwing a wave to one of the staff that you have worked with before, or perhaps is a regular at your own store? Honestly, we're like the Westfield version of Stars Hollow.

Watch this space...

I'm having a lazy afternoon reading and playing with the animals, and I've been trawling Blogger and seeing some other beautiful blogs made me want to change a few things about mine. The themes, the look of it, the way people see it...so watch this space. ;)
x.

This is Daisy, our new puppy (previously referred to as Evie). She is the sweetest ball of fluff in the world, and she's just tiny. She fits, in her entirety, in one of my palms. Szilveszter's hands absolutely engulf her! This picture doesn't really do her justice; it was difficult to get her to sit still long enough for me to take the photo, but this is the one that came out best. We decided to name her Daisy, instead of Evie, because it's far more fitting, not in the least because when she characteristically stumbles, we all chant, "oopsy daisy!". Her feet are roughly the size of five cent coins, and they never seem to go in the way she wants them to, so she does tend to fall over quite a bit. She's also very young, only just six weeks. Bella was about two months old when we first got her, but her feet were about egg size! The other animals in this house, Rosie and Murray, have had mixed emotions, it seems, about Daisy's presence. Spoilt-rotten Rosie was green-eyed for the first day or two, and then she realised that she wants to mother her. Murray, our Russian Blue cat, wasn't so excited. He's harder to read, being the first cat we've ever had, but he definitely needs some extra care while he's getting used to Daisy.

Last night Szilveszter and I joined a new gym; it's Jetts, in the Village near my house. It's within walking distance to me, and has a great atmosphere, silly as it sounds. I'm really excited about it, because its proximity to me means I'll hopefully have the motivation to make use of it. I instantly liked the place, so I'm hoping to spend a bit of time there this week.

Still getting back into the swings of things at uni; today I can't go in, I have a dastardly cold, and I'm a little worried about falling behind. But I have the whole day to catch up. :)

As you could probably guess if you've been reading my blog lately, I've been fairly stressed recently. A few things have been weighing on me, and with so much going on, sometimes just the smallest obstacles can affect the balance in your life drastically. This week, though, things have definitely picked up, and I've found positivity in the most unlikely of places. For example, an article in a magazine which was lying around my house, of all things, made me feel really lucky to have a stable job and a secure amount of savings, be debt free, and working toward a degree, as well as to have several close friends, and the most wonderful boyfriend, whose influence helps to overcome anything.

I thought I'd share with you one of the infinite life lessons that Harry Potter has taught me (really, you must expect that I'm this attached to these books, I've been constantly reading one of them at all times since I was ten). Yes, it is a bit sad, though. But anyway!
Do you remember what the class was taught by the insightful Professor Remus J. Lupin in relation to dealing with the Boggart, the shape-shifter which is guaranteed to take on the shape of your greatest fear?
Laugh at it. (Riddikulus!).

Thanks for reading!
claire.x.