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Friday, July 04, 2003

It's time for the Friday Five once again!

1. What were your favorite childhood stories?

I love Roald Dahl. Stories about space. And magic.

2. What books from your childhood would you like to share with [your] children?

If I ever have any, I would definately want to give them all those amazing Roald Dahl books. George's Marvellous Medicine, would probably be the favourite. And Dr. Suess. Also, that book about the little boy who escapes from the concentration camp. I think it's called Peter or something.

3. Have you re-read any of those childhood stories and been surprised by anything?

Occasionally I have re-read Roald Dahl, who I love. I have also started to read his adult things, as well, which are kind of cool. It's a bit difficult to adjust to him talking about fucking in the same over the top style as he tackles those kids stories, though!

4. How old were you when you first learned to read?

I don't know really. About four, I think.

5. Do you remember the first 'grown-up' book you read? How old were you?

I don't really remember, to be honest. When my mum gave me Perfume by Patrick Suskind to read, that was a pivotal beginning-to-read-books-about-fucked-up-stuff moment though :) I was about 11, I think. My mum ruled.

  5:30 PM



For all those who haven't noticed the new link in my top bar thing, go check out Black Napkins a new project :) It is a communal blogging enterprise featuring Me, Mike, DC Mike, Johnny Von Kobra, and Graham. Early days yet, but it's pretty cool...
  11:48 AM


Wednesday, July 02, 2003

Well, the big news is that I got my degree! I got a 2:1 :) The beginning of the rest of my life, etc etc etc. If I was really pretentious I could sign my name J McCabe BA now. But I'm not :) Luckily :)

I am really happy and relieved about this, but at the same time it is very weird that university if over now. I want to do an MA one day, but not right away, so it will be a fair while until I start studying again. I like studying though: I think I am going to miss the structure of learning at uni. Getting myself to read and think might be a bit harder than before :)

Me and Mike are going to Hong Kong! It's ages and ages away, and only for a weekend, but it is EXCELLENT :) Flying to the other side of the world for a weekend might seem a bit extravagent, but the tickets and accomodation and food only cost £250 each! Really excited about that.

And I am in my second week at my new job now: I am starting to really like it, despite some ugly hangover moments this morning. However much I like it, I can't help staring longingly out of the window at the planes taking off for far away places. The office is in Hounslow, right near Heathrow airport. It will never be soon enough for me that I am on one of those planes! I have been reading a proof of this book:



It's all about modern day nomads in the American west, and connecting the tradition to the stories of the conquistadors and the Indians, the cowboys of American history. He is a storyteller of the best kind. He makes me want to take off and live the the people he describes: with only the possessions you can carry, never staying in one place more than a few weeks. My life is practically the opposite of the way of life he describes so vividly! I haven't found America exciting or romantic like Grant makes it since I was a kid.
  5:03 PM


Sunday, June 29, 2003

Duncan is coming back to England for three weeks! Some of the time he is going to stay with us, which should be rockin' :) He has been away for a really long time: a few months in Finland, and then in Ethiopia. It will be almost a year since he left. I still remember how teary we all were when he sent off his boxes to be shipped to Helsinki last September! Anyway, it will be really nice to see him again, and here some more tales of his travels. Talking of that, from his latest blog:

Playing football I see a rusty tin on the pitch. I decide that before someone falls on it, I will pick it up. I pick it up. I drop it.
It is a hollow hoof.

I finished my first week of work at my new job. I kind of like it actually! It is in Hounslow, which is miles away (it takes me an hour to get to work, and ages to get back because the trains are at funny times). Hounslow is really near to Heathrow airport though, so on my walk from the station to work I get to see these HUGE looking planes fly low enough that you feel like you could almost touch them. Except they look about the size of a car, so I am guessing they are pretty high up still :)

Now I am working all week, I am really starting to appreciate my time a bit more. I have been writing a lot, (not on here, but that will change, hopefully!). I got invited to join a new forum called Red-Green-Left, where I am re-directing all my RANTS that I used to post on PunkPlanet with. Although, everyone pretty much agrees, so it is not as argumentative as I might like :) I am still posting on PP. I have MIXCDS and things to send out tomorrow, so I am going to have to work out where the post office is in Hounslow. I might actually take a map with me and do some exploring on my lunchbreak :) I have been reading every lunchtime (and every spare minute all week!). I just finished Carlos Fuentes The Crystal Frontier which I have been glued to all week. I love this book. His prose practically glistens, even in translation.

over and out.
  8:55 PM