Good reads: "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle"

So, despite the fact that I have some awesome 19th-century Spanish Romanticism works that are calling my name so that I'm prepared to teach for the week, I finally finished up Haruki Murakami's work, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, which I very much enjoyed, except for the end. I hate that! Not that the end was a total 'let-down', per se, but there were several loose ends. Still, I think I need to re-read the final chapters. You know when you are just racing to see what HAPPENS rather than taking in the experience of the fiction and the language? Yeah, I think that happened last night.

I am glad that I finally read a work of Murakami. It's funny because I had wanted to read something by him for a while, but for some reason, I hesitated, year after year. For Christmas, a student (or her parents) gave me a gift card to a local bookstore, so I decided to buy a book that I would remember and that I wanted to read. Somehow, Murakami jumped out at me.

On the whole, I would highly recommend the book to most people. Although I read the translation (of course, which I just read was cut WAY down because the publisher demanded a certain word length), it's such an interesting work, with different pieces to it and, of course, a very open ending. I loved the different spaces and times that Murakami created and evoked with it, presenting the reader with the timeless question "What is real and what is fiction" but doing so with a compelling narrative. Just a few quotes by more 'authoritative voices':

"Yet what Murakami lacks in finesse is more than compensated by the brilliance of his invention. (...) Murakami has written a bold and generous book, and one that would have lost a great deal by being tidied up." -Jamie James, The New York Times Book Review

And:

"Wind-Up Bird has some powerful scenes of antic comedy and some shattering scenes of historical power, but such moments do not add up to a satisfying, fully fashioned novel. In trying to depict a fragmented, chaotic and ultimately unknowable world, Mr. Murakami has written a fragmentary and chaotic book." - Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

For my own reading pleasure, I will return to the Romantic movement, and I'm also going to try to get through "Tiempo de silencio", a Spanish novel that I was supposed to have read years ago for my master's. Better late than never, no doubt! I'll also try to read the school's book club choice, which I can't remember at this point.

Week in review - Nadir and Zenith

In my world, April is not the cruelest month, March is. It's a long haul between February and the end of March, when the quarter ends and spring break beckons. Yes, there IS that carrot, the promise of a week that offers trips and lazy days.

However, we all must get through March.

This past week was definitely the roughest of the year (so far? Perhaps I have forgotten things like giving a student the option to withdraw or to be expelled. Hmmm...). No, it was. Between feeling like I was hungover for the entire day for a few days thanks to a really awful sinus-cold-thing that I've been struggling with, dealing with our school's accreditation process, and finally chaperoning a school dance on a SATURDAY night, I'm not sure what was the nadir. I'll process, however.

The cold/sinus-thing has been a major drag. I usually get sick about once a school year, but I'll be really sick for a day or two and then bounce back. I have felt low-energy for over a week now, and I am so tired of and frustrated with the sinus headaches and occasional coughing bouts. I've also been getting through the day self-medicating, which I hate.

The WASC accreditation - this was actually the end of what has been a long process, starting last year, but it was the most stressful point. An outside committee comes to evaluate the entire school, interviewing people, meeting with departments and randomly dropping in on classrooms. Of course, the class of mine that they visited was less than scintilliating - last period of the day, half the class missing because of a track meet, and a lackluster (on my part) discourse on "adverbial clauses". FUN times. Not that they were evaluating ME, per se, but there is still that sense of paranoia because I did not "perform" appropriately. Also, the entire school, being under a microscope, gave off a general impression of high stress.

Obviously we are going to be accredited, that is not the question, but the process is rather grueling.

Finally, the school dance last night. I can now say that I have definitely heard a Lady Gaga song, a fact of which I had been dubious before said dance. I actually don't hate being a chaperone, but it's a long and a late night for me and I usually have thumping music and pop-y songs stuck in my head for at least 24 hours afterwards. No drama last night, except when the

DJ (a student) decided to play a song with extraordinarily sexually explicit lyrics. I'm no prude, and Idon't mind the occasional F-bomb in a song here and there, but this went far beyond anything like I had heard. To me, it sounded like porno in a song. Maybe I've become an old hag, but the other chaperones were equally outraged. I played the 'heavy', but it's times like that when I wish I were really tall and imposing and could scare the shit out of a 16-year-old kid.

...

Okay, the GOOD part of the week?

The major excitement for me is that I bought a new skirt at Anthro. I did not get a new, spring-summer print skirt last year, for whatever reason, so I felt that I was due one. Plus, the temperatures next week will be balmy - in the 70's. Perfect timing for a new skirt!

And so:

I always have such the dilemma when I buy something that I really like: do I wear it school and then it becomes tainted because it is for "work" or do I separate the item and wear it for fun? I do think that I'll wear this to work, as it will be nice to throw in a fresh look, but hopefully it will still be 'fun'. I may have bought some other items too (oops!).

And...

Michael and I have been experimenting with curries, and we made a fantastic chicken red curry for dinner this past week. It was a welcome change from the Progresso chicken soup that I had been eating to combat the sinus thing. Not only does it look pretty nice (I think), but it tasted great and is so easy to make. We will definitely incorporate it into our standard repertoire.

Weekends are for brunch

Random side note: While we have a big-ass television set on/through which we watch movies and play video games (I don't really do the latter, although I have tried out "Little Big Planet" and it is fun), we do NOT have cable and cannot watch regular television. Yes, I missed the Olympics and I have also just now missed the Oscars. That said, the Interweb is a wonderful place where you can follow the entire Oscar ceremony on NPR's live blog. Pathetic, I know, but it kept me rather entranced for a few hours of the evening. I must say that I don't have anything against "Avatar", but I did not want it to win.

Back to the main story: Brunch.

I happen to love brunch, although I am always torn between the decision: sweet or savory. Sweet, in the form of pancakes, waffles and french toast; savory, in the form of eggs and sausage, omelettes, scrambles, chilaquiles, burritos, bacon, grits, bicuits. The ideal, of course, is to have sweet AND savory, which I can usually swing because I'll order the sweet and Michael will go for the savory. We are a good team like that.

Yesterday morning, we were supposed to meet up with some friends for brunch. They ended up canceling on us, but I swear the brunch idea was firmly lodged in my brain. So, after an early dog walk, we headed out for brunch. It seemed decadent because we almost never "just go out" to brunch on our own. This tends to be a 'social' activity. We threw caution into the wind, however. The experience did not disappoint - banana bread french toast for me and a Southern egg concoction for Michael. We shared our meal with each other, of course, and left completely satisfied and stuffed.

Then, this morning, as we were walking Gus and Milo around the neighborhood for their morning walk, we smelled breakfast cooking, the aroma wafting out of one of the houses along our route. Once again, the brunch idea inserted itself into my 'breakfast' plan. So, instead of coming home and eating a "typical" breakfast of cereal and fruit, I made waffles and eggs (with goat cheese and chives). I've had a waffle maker since I lived in Seattle (ooh, long ago - 2000-2002) but rarely use it. However, about once a year, it comes in VERY handy. Today, the waffles hit the spot, and the eggs were great. Topped it all off with fresh strawberries from the farmers' market and a lovely cup of French press coffee, we couldn't have been happier or more satisfied.

Tomorrow is the beginning of what will probably be a very long, crazy-busy and stressful week, so I will try to keep the memory of lazy weekend breakfast/brunches close to me.

Traveling: Trips or Vacations?

Ah, relaxation. Spending a week in the Bahamas or the Caribbean, hanging out by the pool, taking walks along the beach at dusk, waving down the pool boy for another margarita, daiquiri or piña colada. I can't wait!

Except for the fact that Michael and I do not travel in such a way. Or at least, we have never gone anywhere together that resembled this fantasy of total relaxation. Abandoning all of one's troubles and thinking about nothing except whether to take a nap or have another beer sounds quite nice, when I come to think of it, but we function rather differently. I remember this past summer we were talking to a family friend about her honeymoon (we, by the way, went fly-fishing with family members for our honeymoon. It's a long story) and their experience. They went to a resort in Cancun that was similar to Sandals and highly recommended it to us. I really try not to judge people, but this is a woman who has traveled to Chile and Argentina and all over Europe, but she recommended an all-inclusive resort in Cancún, Mexico?! No. Not gonna happen. Ever.

Not that Michael and I dislike travel. If that were the case, we would not even be together, since we spent two years "together" thanks to coast-to-coast travel. Despite all of those miles logged, we actually only traveled together twoice before we got married and moved in together (we ended up being rather traditional, not living together, but it wasn't really planned that way). The first trip sort of resembled something like the image above - we went to Baja California, and we really did relax and enjoy ourselves. Fortunately we missed out on Cabo San Lucas, except for the day that we departed and we had to spend some time there, unfortunately. Most of the week was spent in a small town called Cabo Pulmo which is easy to get to - if you don't mind driving along dirt roads (they may be paved by now!). Despite the ominous sign of several buzzards feasting on a carcass as we drove into town, it was a beautiful little place, and we spent much of our time just hanging out.

The second travel experience was definitely NOT a vacation, although we had some great moments and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves in Ecuador

As one can see:

Very exciting, as we wrestled with donkeys, suffered from altitude, and crouched in weird positions, looking cool and relaxed in all of these activities.

Although we have a very exciting upcoming trip in July/August, I fear that yet again we will be taking a trip and NOT taking a vacation. I shouldn't say I "fear" since we are going to France and Spain to visit friends, family, sightsee and hang out, but I must admit that I am gunning for a long weekend when we can be alone and do nothing but drink wine, eat cheese and stroll around a small village, preferably in the mountains, by a lake or by either the Mediterranean or the Cantabrian Sea (like San Sebastian, as a small example!).

Not that I am complaining about the fact that we are traveling to Europe - don't get the wrong idea. But I don't see a "vacation" in our future! Rather, we will be staying with friends in Paris as we tour various museums, see the final day of the Tour de France as they ride through Paris (I'm SO psyched about that), eat lots of baguettes, walk tons, go visit family and do more eating, walking, and touring. Shew!

And so, Michael and I were talking about travels over dinner on Thursday, and rather than specifically talking about this upcoming trip, we were daydreaming out loud to each other about our wish list. I said that I'd love to plan a trip to Thailand at the end of 2011. I think that trip actually WOULD let us vacation. I'm already dreaming of sparkling, warm water and amazing Thai food to eat every day. Maybe it was no coincidence that we were eating Thai food?

But, yes, a real vacation would be so nice one of these days...

What about others? Do you take trips or vacations? What places are on your 'wanderlust list'?

Sometimes a country girl at heart

You know what they say? "You can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl." Substitute person, man, boy, individual, woman for "girl" and it's more or less the same effect. Despite that I gravitate to more urban and metropolitan areas, having lived in or around a number of cities as an adult, I grew up outside a small town along the U.S.-Mexican border in Texas, a fact that surprises many people when/if I tell them. Not that it's a well-guarded secret, seeing as I frequently visit my family members who still live there, but I like to think that I've pretty much shed my accent and most any trace of Texas from my being.

That said, there are memories and images and moments that will tug at my heart, and I will feel a sense of loyalty and even a bit of that Texas pride for my origins. When Michael and I took a road trip at Christmas, cutting through West Texas from El Paso and on to San Antonio, we spent the night in Kerrville, Texas, right in the heart of the "Texas Hill Country", where I used so spend summers at camp and my family would spend Thanksgivings. I will always remember my experiences raising sheep for the local 4H club. Never was I so surprised as when I won a blue ribbon for "showmanship" with one of those idiotic lambs, considering that I never worked with the animal. Not once. But somehow it performed that night, to my wonder and surprise. Nor was I ever so happy as when I sold those beasts - usually to a family friend, because despite the lambs' youth, the meat wasn't very good (I think South Texas is just too hot of a place to raise good lamb).

A few years back, my parents gave us cowboy boots for Christmas, and they are, without a doubt, some of the finest shoes that I will ever own in my life. We went out to a ranch north of my parents' place, and they measured our feet and our legs and we picked out everything - the leather, the design, the type of heel (I chose a lower "walking" heel), whether we wanted toe bugs (stitches on the toes) or not. A few months later, my parents surprised us with them for a wedding that we attended. The rehearsal dinner was country western-themed, so we danced all night in those boots. They were so comfortable, that despite never having worn them before, it seemed that I could spend the rest of my life in them.

Last night, we went to the movies and watched "Crazy Heart", and yet again I felt that twinge of sentimentalism about Texas and country western culture. I did not LOVE everything about the movie, but I really did like the main character played by Jeff Bridges, and I also loved the music. I don't listen to much country music, and I passionately hate the crap that comes out of Nashville (there was definitely a joke about the fabricated Nashville music in the movie). But some good, soulful country music, by the likes of Lyle Lovett, Lucinda Williams, Willie Nelson, and Merle Haggard touches me rather deeply and takes me back to a childhood memory or two, especially if I'm driving through the not-yet-tamed parts of the American West or feeling nostalgic about Texas or small towns or the places and spaces in between.

Down time (aka "The most boring post EVER")

While I could (or *should*) be grading right now, I'm taking a break. Last night was also a break, despite the fact that I actually had just got a fresh batch of tests in and that I had (and have, present tense here) some papers that are turning a bit stale. I swear, I will attack them this weekend! I can't wait - scintillating analysis of Cabeza de Vaca's Naufragios as compared to Lazarillo de Tormes, the first picaresque novel! I will hand them back, in exchange for an essay on Cervantes and el Quijote. Not REALLY el Quijote since the students only read a wretched 5 chapters of the work, but that is what is required on the AP Spanish Literature reading list. This class has made me loath the College Board, an organization that must be run by Satan, I've decided. Who else would create a reading list composed of 57 different works? Some are short, many are fragments, but still...

After two rather frantic weeks, this week seems to be offering me a bit of a breather. Last night, I decided that I was prepared enough for today to watch an ENTIRE movie. That almost never happens on week nights during the school year, I'm such a curmudgeon . I picked the movie that just arrived in the afternoon, so that also was inspiration to take the night "off". The movie, "In the Loop", while not the best movie I have seen recent, certainly had some very sharp moments and the writing at times was incredible. Some of the situations were hysterically funny. I won't say anything else about it because I don't want to spoil it, but I would recommend to people who like comedies of the darker nature.

Tonight, I will actually grade some tests. Nothing like the present subjunctive used with expressions of doubt and denial versus the indicative with expressions of truth and certainty! And throw in a few superlatives, such as "the most boring post ever"!

Michael's made a huge pot of black beans, so we'll enjoy an evening of rice and beans, a salad, an old 30-Rock episode, and lots of tummy rubs for the dogs.

If I can tuck into bed before 9:00 and read some of "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle", I will be completely content!

Deep thoughts from (and about) the gym

I actually went to the gym TWO days in a row this weekend. Almost as much a miracle as the US Hockey Team beating the Russians way back in 1980 or the Canadians just yesterday. Go Team USA (hello patriotism!). I happen to love going to the gym these days because they are showing the Olympics on a regular basis, something that I cannot get at home, seeing that we do not have cable. So far, I have seen some of the Men's ski cross (way cool) and the biathlon (very warrior-esque). If I could be an athlete in one event or the other, I would definitely favor biathlon.

Other than going to the gym to catch up on some TV viewing, I also meet up with a friend on a regular basis and we bitch and moan while we are on the elliptical trainer. The other option for me is the treadmill, where I join Michael, although we don't talk and socialize so much.

I find the gym experience a bit boring but also rather social in a nice way, since I'm apt to run into a colleague or a student from work. It's quite a change from the gym that we used to frequent (or non-frequent, really) in LA. It was in the heart of Hollywood, which sounds cool, perhaps, but was a nightmare. It fit the term "meat market" to a 'T'. Now, I don't mind so much that I'm a bit of a blob because there are plenty of normal people at this gym. I am running a bit on the treadmill, which feels good and painful at the same time. Ah, love that! It is actually nice to feel that I'm pushing myself a bit these days, even if it's to run for 5 minutes rather than 4.

Back to the experience yesterday... While I was watching the men's ski cross, they were also showing on another television "Keeping up with the Kardashians" or whatever-it's-called. I must admit that I knew about this family, but I had NEVER seen an episode until yesterday. It was like the proverbial carwreck - I couldn't help watching it! Seriously though, who ARE these people? And why is reality TV such a big draw? I do not understand our culture/society at times.

Anyway, that's it from the gym.

To be honest, I really prefer being out and about when/if I exercise. Despite loving sports and athletics and athletes, I'm more "active" than "athletic". I enjoy a challenge, but it doesn't necessarily have to be competitive. Rather, it can be that wonderful sensation that comes from a long, exhausting and exhilarating hike. Or the satisfaction of a backpacking trip (only short ones for me, unfortunately). Or the thrill of a bike ride with lots of hills thrown in.

I can't wait until I can actually DO half the stuff I've mentioned here, by the way!

Go Team USA, Go Me!