Still Waiting After All These Years

I've been sluggishly working through Fumiko Enchi's The Waiting Years (Japanese title: Onna zaka or 女坂) for a couple of weeks now in anticipation of tomorrow night's book club meeting. I love a Japanese translation as much as the next person, but...I am going to have to put some time in tonight to finish.

This novel--a glaring social critique about the lives of Japanese women--was first published in 1958 and won Enchi Japan's highest literary award. The story follows Tomo, the wife of a high-ranking and politically shameless government official, as she goes about the daily affairs expected of a woman in her social position. Things like scouring the country in search of the perfect concubine to bring home to her husband. All in a day's work, Tomo!

It is heart-wrenching and frustrating to read about Tomo's ultimate submission and her husband's hatred-inducing oppression of all women. I'm looking forward to the conversation we'll undoubtedly have tomorrow--a group of college-educated, working wives and mothers--about the self-deprecating Tomo. I don't see myself entering into a friendship with someone as pitiful as she is, but then, I suppose that's what literature does, right? Exposes us to things we would not normally choose to give the time of day. Stay tuned for a re-cap of the evening's festivities.

On the menu: sushi and man-bashing.

Persuasion

I was persuaded, on Wednesday, to stay home with this:

Well, actually, I was mandated to do so on account of his above-average fever. But let's be honest, that is a persuasive little face.

Speaking of persuasion, I feel compelled to share a round of first attempts at persuading an authority figure, courtesy of my 9th grade honors students:

These might work on me:

K: Mom, please let me go to the movies. It will cost you nothing as I will find a ride and pay for the ticket. Also, when I return I will be rejuvenated and probably more productive as far as my chores are concerned.

C: Mom, letting me walk to school would save you gas money. Also, I will burn more energy which will make me calmer and more willing to eat your dinner.

A: Mom, I need a cell phone!! What if, one day, I get lost or in a bad situation (even though you always tell me not to do such a thing) and no one is around? I won't be able to call you or the police to come and save me.

B: Mom, can I go to the movies with friends? You won't have to worry about me for at least 2 hours and you can do whatever you want with that time. Plus, you won't have to make me dinner.

M: The best, most beautifulest, wonderful mom in the whole wide world belongs to me. I am a focused, hardworking girl for my age and I think I should be able to throw a bon fire party for my birthday with no parental figures attending. Remember, I am very responsible!

Driving-related hilarity:

S: Mom and Dad, can you guys stop yelling at me when I drive? It stresses me out and if you keep it up I'll crash or have a heart attack someday.

E: Hey mom, you should get me a car for my birthday! If I never get a car, then how can I go places in the life? Don't you want me to go places in life?

Extreme Sports:

J: Dad, I know you think he's too old, but honestly, he's a 4.0 student who goes to church twice every Sunday and Monday. And he already knows that I would never do anything extreme with anyone until I'm married.

My two favorites:

J: Mom, you should let me go to a musical theater camp over the summer because it will allow me to gain more experience in that field. It will also allow me to learn under different teachers and meet other people interested in this profession.

C: Dear Albus Dumbledore, Being arguable the best wizard of all time, you should be astute enough to recognize real magical talent when you see it. Therefore, I plead with you to accept me, being insanely un-mugglish and exceptionally magical, into you wonderful school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Juliet Always Dies

I am supposedly editing Romeo and Juliet literary analysis rough drafts as we speak. But between the invalidity of "young love" and the submissive role of women in the play I am feeling a little forelorn myself. Somehow these papers reek with cynicism and I am starting to wonder: "Did I put these ideas in your head, or did you come up with this stuff on your own?" I mean, it's still a good story, right? We might have to spend a day talking about all the puppy dog and rainbow parts or something. Did I forget to mention the puppy dog parts?!?

While we are on the subject of star-crossedness, let me just briefly mention the season premiere of 'Lost'. I have very little of my own insight to lend, but have done quite a bit of reading up on what others think and it has sparked some things for me. Our beloved survivors are now operating in what the producers are calling a "flash sideways"--as I see it there are three possibilities: 1. Jughead was successful in resetting time therefore allowing Oceanic flight 815 to avoid crashing on the island; 2. it was not and the survivors have simply been catupulted into the future along with the chains that bind them to their island nemesis; or 3. Jughead was successful in the eyes of Destiny, catupulting our survivors into the future along with the chains that secure them to their star-crossed lover, The Island. Or it could be all of them. I'm not sure, but the point here is JULIET!

Juliet dies in the island "flash sideways" (there is no good way to make that singular--sideway?), but not before thinking (a thought extracted from her cold dead brain by resident ghost whisperer Miles Straume) "...it...worked...[cough]...[sputter]..." What the what?!? does that mean? I don't know, but here is how I bring things back around for you and whilst I do so please remember that everything matters. Don't be like my husband, who, upon my gasp at the title "Shut the Door. Have a Seat." appearing on screen to prelude the season three finale of Mad Men said, "The title does not always mean something huge." Really, it was like a cry for help which resulted in the pausing of the show so that I could deliver a thirty-minute lecture on allusion and the various literary implications of said title. The thesis of this lecture: Everything means something. Elizabeth Mitchell's character is not named Juliet because the writers thought it sounded pretty. She has been a straddler of fences in an ancient feud. She has gone behind her parental figure (Ben)'s back and fallen in love with someone from the other side (Jack. And then Sawyer.). She has tricked that evil temptress Fate. Thwarted her plan, if you will. But ultimately, the story always ends the same. Juliet dies. She has to. It is her destiny.

I think what comes from her death will be monumental in determining the outcome for our survivors. Will it be in vain, or will she serve as a sacrificial lamb on an alter to "peace of mind"?

RIP Juliet. I didn't really like you until you became a mechanic in the Dharma Initiative in 1977 and lived in a house with Sawyer. But I'm sad to see you go.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

I love contests. And until I accidentally subscribed to 'Marie Claire' magazine, I entered evey one I came across. Now, armed with a subscription I can't seem to get rid of, I am more cautious in this course. However, while conducting research on abc.com in preparation for Season 6 of 'Lost', a cookie popped up addressed to me personally: Lost fanatics! Enter Now to Win a Sneek Peak of Season 6! SO I entered and guess what? I won. Here is what they sent me:

A message in a bottle along with a Dharma flash drive on which was loaded a sneak peek of the Season 6 premiere. Awesome! I watched and learned and was very excited. Then I went to the ABC website and guess what was on their home page? The exact same video. Suddenly I did not feel so special. The flash drive is pretty cool, though:

And the message reads: "Nothing's Irreversible". Which I get, because that was the whole point of the bomb, right?

Tonight's the big night! I am so excited I might actually be able to stay up past 8:30, which has been my median bedtime of late. Look for my post-viewing run-down tomorrow (or the next day, if I'm being realistic about my ability to stay up until 11:00. Ugg. Why would anyone want to do that except in extreme circumstances?!?). Until then friends,

On being hungry...

I revel in every opportunity to use the word "dystopian" so here goes: Ringing with allusions to '1984', 'A Brave New World' and 'The Most Dangerous Game' Suzanne Collins' 'The Hunger Games' blew me out of the water. It is the heart-wrenching story of Katniss, a sixteen-year-old girl desperately trying to survive in this near-future post-apocalyptic dystopian society known as Panem. After a series of dictator-induced catastrophes, what used to be known as the United States is now a mass of rubble divided by industrial potential into twelve districts. District 12 (home to our tragic heroine) is the coal mining district, and its inhabitants live in constant fear of death by starvation or execution for a crime they might unwittingly commit, seeing that the laws are vague and easily interpreted to match the will of the "Peacekeepers". And that is just the exposition.

Every year the Capitol puts on a competition aimed at "inspiring" the residents of the twelve district into submission. One girl and one boy tribute from each district are chosen lottery-style to participate in the Hunger Games--a fight to the death designed to leave one victor whose prize will be a year free from the harsh possibility of starvation for all of his or her district. Katniss is not actually chosen, but volunteers after her 12-yr-old sister's name is pulled from the hat. She finds herself alongside the baker's son, traveling to the Capitol, where their adventure will lead them into the depths of internal conflict, not to mention the fact that literally millions of people are trying to kill them.

This YA book is written at a 6th grade level--accessible for young readers but entertaining and a quick read for adults. I can't believe I'm going to say this, but, I think it will make a really great movie.

It feels weird to watch '24' and not be pregnant...

It was bound to happen. After eight seasons of torture and high terror alerts, '24' writers are going green and starting to recycle brilliant plot details such as the cutting off of limbs in order to remove police tracking bracelets and suitcases holding bombs. You just can't waste that kind of stuff. It's fodder for telephiles everywhere.

In Season 2, James Badge Dale's character Chase cuts, strike that, CHOPS off his own hand to save he and Jack from a bomb about to go off in...dunk, dunk, dunk, dunk, seconds. Then, saddly, we never hear from the guy again. I can't even remember if he died. Probably of something crazy like a gunshot to the neck or a lab-manufactured tropical disease.

*Not afraid to cut off hands.

This season, Renee is back, only now she's not wearing a pant suit or spouting off FBI anti-torture protocols. She has had a psychiatric break-down due to the torture Jack made her participate in, and now she is totally unstable. Which leads her to accept the offer to go back into deep cover with the Russian mob and, because it hasn't been done in six seasons, chop, strike that, GRIND off a Russian thumb in an effort to remove its previous owner's house-arrest bracelet.
*Not afraid to cut off thumbs.

And...I'm back on with '24'.

Reading While Tired

I have not felt inspired to write lately. Maybe because I am fatigued beyond belief. I don't know, I've heard it can sap your creative energy. Nevertheless, here you have a smattering of books I have read over the past month:

1. 'An Abundance of Katherines', by John Green. This book made the cut as one of our new additions to the Battle of the Books competition about to begin here at OHHS. I like it for teens for a few reasons: a. it is about being awesome at math, which you rarely see in literature aimed at young adults; b. it uses footnotes to explain certain words, phrases or historical references not necessarily pertinent to the plot of the story, but interesting nonetheless; c. there is a funny friend who has a great vocabulary. The story is that of Colin, a 17-yr-old child-prodigy who dreams of becoming a genius (the difference between the two is key to the development of the plot). By the time he graduates from high school, Colin just so happens to have dated nineteen girls named Katherine. Weird? Yes. But so is Colin. When K-19 breaks up with him before going to camp, he is devestated, love-lorn, and lonely. To cheer him up, his BFF Hassan takes him on a road trip and along the way Colin begins to develop a mathematical theorum about love, claiming that romantic relationships can be charted and graphed.

2. 'Flight', by Sherman Alexie. Sherman Alexie can be my boyfriend, if he wants. Lord knows I have spent enough time defending his honor to my work parents lately.* I read 'Flight' in a few hours on Christmas Eve, and maybe because of this and the fact that I read partly by the light of the Christmas tree, I found it to be ripe with Dickens-esque ghosts and visions. As per usual for Alexie, we find ourselves confronted with a hero who is himself extremely fragmented. In this case, he is fifteen, half-American Indian and half-Irish, a victim of the corrupt foster system, and beset with one of the worst cases of adolescent acne imaginable. Thus the self-esteem-boosting nickname "Zits" with which our young protagonist has been saddled. Zits is tired of the cruelty he has encountered in his life and eventually turns to violence. At the very moment he is about to commit an extreme act, he is somehow transported into the past and begins skipping around time, occupying the bodies of people who have been victims of and participants in horrific acts of violence. Through it all, Zits sees how he has had a role in the destruction of his own life and finds himself begging to be returned to the present, where he can boldly accept the judgement for the act he thinks has already occurred. Powerful take on redemption and grace. And, like I said, a few good nods at Scrooge.

3. 'The Last Song' by Nicholas Sparks. This was our book-club pick for January and reads like a Disney Channel Original movie. Which I enjoy, actually. But mostly when I can watch it while folding laundry and not as much when I have to read it. The movie is coming out soon too, I think, and features Hannah Montana. What did I like about it? The setting: North Carolina beach town and lots of nights spent looking at the stars while gaurding turtle eggs. You don't see that every day.

*For months I have, along with the support of some of my dear colleagues, been working on a book adoption for Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. We have faced, for lack of better description, challenges. However, I see success on the horizon...