August 2013 – Creative Meanderings

_Stillness Speaks_ by Eckhart Tolle

Aug 312013

_Stillness Speaks_ by Eckhart Tolle

This is the last of the _Power of Now_ series, if that is what they are called. It was not nearly as interesting or ‘helpful’ as the other two were, but it did still remind me of the importance of being quiet. Mostly, the book reiterates what is said in the previous two books about knowing yourself, going beyond the ego, etc.

What I found most thought-provoking for myself was that as an introvert, I naturally do many of the suggestions or tips Tolle mentions. I analyze myself, watch and listen to others intently, ponder everything and constantly crave silence even from the voices in my head. So, I wonder if extroverts need the pointers in this book more than introverts? Would be an enlightening survey, no? 🙂

Anyway, it was okay, but really the best part was that it was short and quick to read!

-T 😀

_The Yellow Birds: A Novel_ by Kevin Powers

Literary Escapes No Responses »

Aug 302013

_The Yellow Birds: A Novel_ by Kevin Powers

So…my reading frenzy has not quite ended yet; thus I will be updating more here over the next few days. 😉

A few months back my parents wanted to send a book on Kindle, but could not figure out how to do it and said they would give it to me for R when I got home. My dad passed it on to me saying how this book was amazing in its writing and that a few of his friends had also said how well-written it is. As it is a book based on the war in Iraq, I was not overly interested in reading it despite the accolades on the writing style. So, I kept it until I met up with R.

Then, R read it and shared the sentiments of awe towards the writing style saying how it is rare to find a writer who can be so poetic in prose. With all these positive comments, I could not help but be interested in it. Therefore, when I ran out of other books to read this summer, I picked it up. The compliments were not wrong. Powers has a great talent and writes beautifully. The story was well-told shifting back and forth between the main character’s time in Iraq and his return home after his one-year tour. Both periods are wonderfully described from the character’s perspective even to someone who has never been in the military, war or in the male psyche. 😉

Later, upon discussing the quality of this novel with R, I wondered what other women would think of the writing and story. All of the comments I had heard came from men. Obviously, the book has been nominated for awards and so it is not just men who have read the novel. Yet, I wonder if my other female friends would enjoy the book as much or appreciate the writing style. The reason is that his style reminded me a great deal of Dickens, Steinbeck and other very famous male writers of the past whose talent for minute and extreme description was what made them amazing, but also annoyed the bejibees out of me when I had to read their work. While I did not get annoyed through Powers’ book, I did wonder if it is more of a ‘guys’ book than a ‘gals’.

Anyway, it was a very nice and quick read. I highly recommend it to anyone!

-T 😀

Ongoing Hair Saga

Going Mental No Responses »

Aug 292013

So, I am always trying to find what is the ideal style for me because I am too lazy to do my hair regularly and I also do not want to look like a stereotypical Asian with long, straight, black hair.

This summer, I thought I would go for the permed look again. Little did I know that in the States it is actually difficult to find a place that still does perms, as it has basically gone out of style. Everyone does highlights these days. Luckily, I found a place and the stylist understood what I wanted – something fun and wavy. The perm was good, but my hair was growing out and I still was not satisfied.

Upon talking with R and mentioning someone’s hair on a movie we were watching, he said he thought my bob from two summers ago was the best hair style I had and did not know why I had gone long and curly. I explained that I did not know he liked it so much as he had never said that before. He confirmed that the bob was really nice.

Since he is gone at the moment, and I wanted to make sure I was happy with my hair before work begins fully, I booked an appointment at a different salon than I have been going to but has a good reputation. I explained what I wanted and I think she did a pretty good job.

The bottom row is how she styled it blowing out all the curl. The reality is that I will *NEVER* take the time to do that on my own and so after I got home and had a swim, I did the hair as I would normally. I think it looks better with the curls actually, but in any case, it is manageable.

So…I think I might just actually be satisfied! Plus, I found a new stylist perhaps and not get annoyed with like I did with the previous ones. 😉

-T 😀

Returning to ‘Normal’

Returning to ‘Normal’ Going Mental No Responses »

Aug 282013

It has been a very busy week and my continual writing has taken a short hiatus as I try to settle back into the real-world again.

There will be more updates coming soon….

-T 😀

_Fall of Giants: Book One of the Century Trilogy_ by Ken Follett

Literary Escapes No Responses »

Aug 222013

Fall of Giants: Book One of the Century…

_Fall of Giants: Book One of the Century Trilogy_ by Ken Follett

So…I think this may be near the end of my summer reading books. There might be time for just a couple more before real life returns and I do not have as much freedom to read, but we shall see. 😉

Anyway, after reading _The Pillars of the Earth_ by Follett, I was not so sure if I would read another book by him so soon. However, knowing that one of my friends quite enjoys his books, I went for another title. _Fall of Giants_ is a totally different kind of book from _Pillars_ and perhaps more my kind of novel. It is set in the time leading up to and just after World War I. There are characters showing points of view from Russia, the UK, the US and Germany. Of course, it is a fiction novel using possibilities and some true events from WWI. Still, it was more interesting to read than an actual WWI history book. 😉

I enjoyed the way Follett intertwined the characters’ lives somewhat subtly, but in a way that shows our human connection to people around the world despite times of peace and times of war. It’s amazing (sad?) to think that one could be shooting a relative just because of nationality or the demands of differing governments. There is patriotism and loyalty, but at what cost to humanity? War is such a weird thing and makes no logical sense, yet continues around the world….

Anyway, I did enjoy this novel and have already downloaded the next in the series. I am reading another war book at the moment and may go back to Atwood for a break from war stories, but eventually I shall return to Follett’s series. 🙂

-T 😀

The Big Buddha

General, Meanderings Abroad No Responses »

Aug 212013

Aside from going out to see the famous islands around Phuket, there is not a lot to see on the island itself. However, there are a number of main sights and we finally saw the last ‘big’ one the other day.

Up on the mountain overlooking the cities of Phuket is a big white Buddha. At night it is lit up and during the sunny days it shines atop the mountain. It’s kind of cool to look up at when admiring the green mountains and blue skies.

So, we decided to try to head up the mountain to see it on our little scooter. It took about a half hour and the ride was not too bad as we got to see some lovely scenery, views and cute elephants. 😉

18-Aug-2013 15:11, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 6.6, 6.3mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100

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