Books and thoughts

As I haven't taken the time to write a blog in a very long time, I thought I would take these moments of boredom/free time to write about a couple of books I recently finished reading. I suppose this will be a review of some sort, but it's mainly just my thoughts and feelings on the books and how they have affected me in some way.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

The Bell Jar was one of those books that was lingering in the back of my mind's top shelf in the "to-read-eventually" section. I started reading the first chapter not really feeling much of a connection to what Plath was writing because normally I like to research the author before I fully immerse myself into a story. It always helps me understand it more or link various characters, details or events to the writer. But lo and behold, my book had a whole section at the back about Sylvia Plath's life and the process of writing The Bell Jar. I immediately understood that the main character, Esther Greenwood, is merely a mirror image of Plath herself. At this point the story changed immediately in my eyes and it suddenly took on a more powerful meaning. It's a relatively simple read, but the true insanity and paranoia present in Esther slowly comes forward as the story continues. As the blurb says, "Sylvia Plath masterfully draws the reader into Esther's breakdown with such intensity that Esther's insanity becomes completely real and even rational, as probable and accessible an experience as going to the movies". I could not have summarized it any better myself. What really attracts the reader to think this way is the narrative of the book, which is written in first person, so we are experiencing every detail through Esther Greenwood's distorted view of the world. There are moments in which we see hope for her, but she can't help but wonder, "How did I know that someday - at college, in Europe, somewhere, anywhere - the bell jar, with its stifling distortions, wouldn't descend again?"

I don't believe Esther ever did free herself of the bell jar, she simply had moments in which she resurfaced, but soon sank back into the whirl of discomforts that came with living in her own skin. I found the book extremely powerful and compelling, but also quite harrowing. It should indeed be considered a modern classic and I recommend it to anybody who is looking for some modern and absorbing literature which will really make them think. Now that I have read the book I can place it on my "best books ever read" shelf with conviction.

"To the person in the bell jar, blank and stopped as a dead baby, the world itself is the bad dream."

Next Post: The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid

What pisses me off

No one reads blogs anymore.

Therefore, no one writes anymore.

That is why I am sad.

Long time no--write?

Why, hello there strangers!

I cannot believe how long it has been since I last posted. I suppose I'd decided to take a break from blogging because I failed miserably at it, but now I've set myself a new goal: post at least once a week! That shouldn't be too hard..

Alright so quick update:

Still at school and everything is going fine. I'm having a bit of a crazy time with work and especially my big art project which is a self-portrait on canvas which has to be finished by monday so.. you all know what I'll be doing this week end!

Finally bought To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee) as a book to read out of interest which works well with our theme in English this year: Clash of cultures. Our teacher encouraged us to do some research and reading outside school which will then help us with writing and especially in our exam. I'm already getting ideas, so I can't wait to prepare that essay. In class we're reading Maya Angelou's first book out of her six autobiographical novels. It's called I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. It deals with the clash of cultures in the southern states of america back in the 1930s, as does To Kill a Mockingbird. Very excited to read that.

Also, my birthday is coming up in 2 weeks! Quite excited to turn 17 and my easter holidays start a week after that and I'll be on Spring break for two weeks.

Okay, so that's just a short glimpse into my life at this very moment. I don't know if there is anybody out there who reads this, but it felt good to post something again!

Hopefully, see you next week :)

All you need is love..

"Un hombre que me quiera que me trate a su manera, de la palabras sinceras que me de la vida entera! Cómo explicar, como decirte Mira! YO te quiero, yo te adoro yo te amo, yo te anorio -yo te siento."

Inspiration

Today, I have been truly inspired by a woman who I once thought was just an eccentric, over-the-top, pop star wannabe. I recently started looking at her from a different aspect and I believe she is a smart, intelligent and extremely talented human being. Of course, I'm talking about Lady GaGa.

I was watching her interview with Alexander Fury, in which she was asked questions from celebrities and fans from all over the world. She was honest and clearly thought about exactly what she was going to say before answering. A good word to describe her answers is: complete. They were consistent and nicely thought out. GaGa's intelligence and passion as an artist really came through. It was great to see that live. You can read the transcript of the interview here.

A couple of answers she gave were really inspirational and made you think about the true meaning. Sometimes it's good to have something to think about when you're trying to figure someone out. When asked this question: With your music and aesthetic, are you another fantastic story-teller, or are you showing us what real life can be? Lady GaGa answered:

"Both. I'm telling you a lie in a vicious effort that you will repeat my lie over and over until it becomes true."

This answer was thought out and honest, I think. But what really hit me as an inspiring answer to an excellent question was this:

Q: Do you ever wish that you weren't famous?

A: I've always been famous - just nobody knew about it. Fame is on the inside. I guess you can say 'The Fame' is something I've always felt and want my fans to feel. Do I wish I wasn't famous today? No. I do wish sometimes I had more privacy, but there are sacrifices that you make. The trade off is that if I wasn't famous I wouldn't have my little monsters and I would never give that up for anything.

I'd encourage anyone to go and read the entire interview, although it is quite long. I must say it definitely changed my view on her as a person and she has opened up a lot since she first started out. I used to see her as cold and as a person who let fame take the best of her. But after today, I can see what a strong woman she is and she's managed to stay true to herself and her fans throughout. I have too many good things to say about her now, I might stop here before it gets long!

What do you think?

ari

Old feelings come back

It's really starting to feel like summer now. Today the weather was lovely and I took the opportunity to go out and sunbathe in the 30°C. I must admit it feels great to be off school for an entire week and as much as I hate certain aspects of summer, so far it's pretty good. I mean the sun is out till about 9pm and you can stay outside and hang out and it never gets too cold. I'm sitting on my bed with the window open and my PJ bottoms rolled up into shorts because it's so warm. I can actually smell the summer air and it brings back all those memories from this time last year. So I sit here, writing a blog and listening to the crickets' chirping.

In general, today was a good day. I spent a lot of time outside and not on the internet seen as it wasn't working for most of the day, which was good. I got a bit of a tan and didn't get burnt, which is also good. When I got to my dad's house I had dinner and watched The Back-Up Plan (with Jennifer Lopez). It's a good comedy, but I feel sorry for my little 9 year old brother who had to watch more than 1 woman go into labour, but he managed to laugh it off and isn't too traumatized! Well, with kids these days.. you have to teach them when they're young.

Anyway, I'm really excited about tomorrow because I'll be going to a friend's house to watch a movie, have a barbecue and chill outside with my friends on an early summer night. It just sounds like so much fun, I can't wait! I hope this summer is gonna be good. It better be amazing! I'm planning on making a few changes, starting with my hair. That'll be a surprise! Oh MAN, now I'm all excited and won't be able to sleep! Also, going to the park with my niece, my brother and my sister tomorrow morning! So many good things!

Adios!

ari

A stressful week to say the least

Wow. It has been way too long since I last posted. I suppose I should come up with a good excuse, but the main reason is: I practically forgot I had a blog. Along with that, I just had exams and they were pretty hardcore. You know that feeling when it's the summer, the end of the school year and you have better things to look forward to than study for 9 exams all in one week? I felt like that. Just like I could not be bothered to make that last effort and study as hard as I should have. This lot of exams was different from the ones at the start of the year because these ones were "harmonized"; meaning that every language section in our year had the same exact exam and that each teacher would contribute to writing at least a couple of questions for the final paper. This was not cool. Especially for the sciences, which are taught so differently by each teacher and our Chemistry exam was by far the hardest one. None of us were expecting it. This should prepare you to this shocking fact: I failed that exam. So, I went from a 9 in my last exam to a FAIL. I was pretty disappointed, but the highest mark in the class was an 8.6 (out of 10).

Okay, okay. I cannot continue talking about the exams now. I'll say that we all went out to party last night and to celebrate the end of that horrible week and the start of a week off school! I had an amazing night and I can confess I wasn't exactly sober. But nonetheless, we all had a blast and I started "duelling" with my friend in the middle of the street. Yes, Harry Potter style. That was the highlight of my night and the highlight of the onlookers' night too, I'm sure. So now I'll try to enjoy my week off school with the sunshine and seeing my friends. We're planning to go to an amusement park/ theme park (?), I don't know what you call them. Well, one of those parks with loads of rollercoasters and cool rides. We have one a couple of hours away called Gardaland next to the lake of Garda. I haven't been there in years and I used to be scared of rides then so this will be my first time on crazy rollercoasters there! I'm really excited, especially because I'll be with my friends. I really hope the whole plan works out, though.

I do apologize to the few loyal readers (and to myself) for not writing in so long. You can clearly see that I am a bit rusty after all this time. Hopefully I'll be writing more during this week off!

Hasta luego, amigos!

ari