Monday Blues

System Maintenance

It’s been a rough week, but it’s gradually clearing my system. Things are kind of falling back into place, though in the wake of events they all seem to be a little distorted, as if the world has changed just that tiny little bit.

Things are slowly getting back on track. Been working on papers and some writing. Been studying. Been watching TV. Been imagining things. Been dreaming. Been drinking ginseng tea. There are a few things that haven’t been going so great. Haven’t been sleeping, for instance. Haven’t been talking to many people. (Just about three in fact.)

Though at the same time, I’ve also been enjoying writing in a way I never quite have before. Although to say that it has to do with this is a little untrue, but to say that it has nothing to do with this is also rather naive. Maybe it does and maybe it doesn’t. Doesn’t really matter.

But really, apart from the lack of sleep and the decision to avoid talking to most people, I don’t think there’s too drastic a symptom.

And Now A List Of Random Things

Last week before the reading week. Goodness, we’re already halfway through the semester.

I’m going through Waiting For Godot next.

No, still not querying, but slightly more optimistic on Bukit Merah.

Two Links

AmpLive is the producer of hip-hop group Zion-I, and he did remixes of songs from Radiohead’s In Rainbows (dubbed RainyDayz Remixes) some time back, but received a cease and desist. Ever since then, the project has received the approval of Radiohead, and you can find download it for free if you’re interested. [via Josh Spear, actual link] I’m not much of a hip-hop person, but I did quite like a few of the remixes, especially the version of 15 Step.

Doctor Who Valentine’s cards. [via io9, actual link via Enjoying Life's Journey]

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New Loot

Dropped by at Kinokuniya, got a couple of presents for a couple of people, and also added to my library. Here’s what came in through the window:

The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time
Mark Haddon

I’ve read this before, actually, but I just had to add it to my library. It was also a long time ago since I read it, so I thought it would be a good time to make the purchase. It’s a book I remember being tremendously amused with, actually, and I’m very fond of it.

Waiting For Godot
Samuel Beckett

I have no theatre on my shelves, and I figured that that grievance had to be addressed. Something I know and love to begin with.

By Night In Chile
Roberto Bolaño

I’m devouring 2666 rather happily (more on that some other time), and so far the one affirmation I’ve had from it is that Bolaño is a magnificent writer. I’m keen to explore a bit more, so I’m starting with this.

Your Inner Fish
Neil Shubin

This volume is a natural history book exploring the evolution of the human body. I’ve had my eye on it for quite a while now, and now that the paperback is out, I’m happy to see my first science book in quite a bit. (I think the last Science book I bought was a Feynman, and that was the middle of last year, if memory serves.)

Selected Poems
T.S. Eliot

Eliot is one of the most important of writers to me, so it’ll probably seem more than a bit strange if I told you now that I gave away or sold all of my Eliot. A recent quote invoked by a friend of mine reminded me that it was high-time I restored Eliot to my shelf, and so here he is, in a lovely ff edition.

Murder In The Cathedral
T.S. Eliot

As a combination of the two previous points on Eliot and theatre, I also got my hands on an Eliot play. I’ve never read this before, and now’s as good a time as any, though that’s just a euphemism of a sort, since it’ll be a while before I get to it.

All in all, it went slightly over my budget, and I got a gift for someone whom I probably shouldn’t have got a gift for, but I think we’re doing well, especially with the return of science, the restoration of Eliot and the first seeds of theatre. All very good.

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