Ten Things I Love About America

Once again I have made the long journey home to America for the summer with my two little kids, a couple of suitcases, and a handful of dreams.

I dreamed of a leafy street, of my mother’s kitchen and my father’s smile, my children’s laughter and their wide-eyed wonder. I dreamed of home.

H-O-M-E. It feels good to spell it out. I’ve been thinking about all the things I love about this country, and I’m amazed at how, regardless of the time I’ve been away, I seem to fit in the moment I get back.

I made a list, because things become real to me when I write them down.

1. Diversity. It’s good. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. I’ve seen what happens in a closed society, where fear and mistrust of outsiders are the norm.
2. Respect. For people, for animals, for dreams and hopes.
3. Opportunity. The chance to work for what you want, the chance to get it, the right to keep it.
4. Freedom. The right to be what you want, do what you want, dress how you want, love whom you want.
5. Work. There is so much a woman can do here, there are no limits.
6. Accountability. Actions have consequences, and carelessness and negligence do not go unpunished.
7. Education. You can be the best here, study anything, learn anything, regardless of your age.
8. Rules. Life is better for everyone when people follow the rules, from how to drive a car to waiting your turn and standing in line.
9. Order. I love properly planned houses and properly planned roads.
10. Efficiency. Things work as they are supposed to. The lights come on when you flip the switch, the water flows when you turn the tap, the shop opens when it says it will…

5 Things I’ve Done as an Expat

That I would probably never have done at home:

1. I’ve had threading done on my eyebrows. Hair is removed with a string that is held taut and pulled over the skin. It hurts. A lot.
2. I have used a squat toilet.
3. I am used to driving in traffic without rules.
4. I have eaten a cow’s tongue for dinner.
5. I have bought meat from a chicken that was slaughtered in front of my eyes.

Around the World in 80 Clicks

My friend Charlotte, who was my first blogging friend, has tagged me for a meme  for mothers who live in far away lands. I can answer the call perfectly, because I am a mother, and I am definitely in a far away land.

Five Things I Enjoy About Motherhood

1. On a hard day it’s difficult to think of one thing I enjoy, let alone five, but I always love how a hug can truly change my mood and make me happy. Even on the worst day, the sincere, eager embrace of my children does it for me: the clouds pass, the brow unfurls, the smile begins.
2. I enjoy the sense of purpose. I know that I am needed and wanted and that knowledge gives meaning to my life, regardless of anything else I may have to deal with as a woman, a wife and a human being.
3. One of the best things about being a mother is that I have someone to love, to shower with affection, someone who right now truly belongs to me and not only wants my love, but actually needs it.
4. The opportunity to mould a human being, to try to teach kindness, compassion, and a sense of honor. I look forward to the chance to cultivate a mind, to share the learning and the wonder, to see it all through my children’s eyes and explore the world afresh. I hope to instill in them the love of books, the respect for nature, the appreciation for beauty and peace, for words, music and art. There is so much to do and that is wonderful!
5. I feel safe having a family of my own. This little family of my own making is like my little nest, my niche in life, the rabbit hole that I can run to when things get tough. There will always be a connection between us, no matter how much distance there is, or how much time passes. I have it with my own parents, and I look forward to having that tie with my children as they grow up and become my dear friends.

I will not tag anyone, because it seems everyone I know is doing this meme, but if you feel it suits you, consider yourself tagged.

 

106 books

I haven’t done a meme in quite a while, and I find myself in need of some lighthearted amusement today so I have turned to my friend Helen, who did this book meme some time ago.

My reading has been kind of stale these past few months. I am stuck on The People’s History of the United States, it’s a long book and it’s going very slowly, but I did manage to read the first two books in the Inspector Lynley mysteries a few weeks ago.

This meme, in Helen’s words, ”is about LibraryThing’s list of the top 106 books that lie unread on people’s shelves. You have to bold the ones you’ve read of your own accord, underline the ones you had to read for school or university, and italicize the ones you started but didn’t finish.” I will also follow Helen and put a star by the books I own but haven’t read, and I think I should strike the ones I will probably never read.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell♦ I have to be honest and say I know nothing about this book. I’ll have to do a search on it.

Anna Karenina♦I had to take a break in the middle of this one, but it is a very powerful story. In the end I felt sorry for the heroine and I thought two things: that she did it all for nought and that she deserved better treatment, from others and from herself.

**Crime and Punishment**♦ I bought this book in England a couple of years ago and it is still waiting for me. I’ll read it one day when I feel I can handle its depth and subject matter.

Catch-22♦ Well, this is not a good beginning. I haven’t read this one either.

One Hundred Years of Solitude♦ A great favorite. I’ve written about it here.

Wuthering Heights♦ Despise me if you dare, but I am not a Bronte fan. I know what the book is about and nothing about it appeals to me.

The Silmarillion♦ I am not a reader of fantasy stories as a rule, but I will probably read Tolkien at some point. I read all the Harry Potters, but the last two were really disappointing to me, and in the end found them gimmicky and I thought all the secrecy a little annoying, especially as there really was no big secret at all in my opinion.

Life of Pi : a novel♦ I have this on my wish list at Amazon.

The Name of the Rose♦ I enjoyed this very much.

Don Quixote♦ Another one that is on the wish list. I’ll read it in Spanish of course.

Moby Dick♦ Does the movie count?

Ulysses♦ No thank you, I’ve heard about it and I have no desire to subject myself to it.

Madame Bovary♦ A very sad, disturbing story. I failed to identify with the heroine. I couldn’t understand her at all. Do people like her really exist? Tragically, they do.

The Odyssey♦ I read the Samuel Butler translation, which I didn’t like much. I’d like to try a different version some time.

Pride and Prejudice♦ My favorite book in the world. I’ve written a little about it here.

**Jane Eyre**♦ I’ve seen part of one of the adaptations. I can’t remember which. I am not particularly interested but I guess I could pick it up one day, so I won’t scratch it off. It’s highly unlikely, as I don’t like Lifetime Television-type stories. I have decided to read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall which will, in all probability, be my only Bronte book.

The [A] Tale of Two Cities♦ I like Dickens, and I’m slowly going through all his works.

The Brothers Karamazov♦ I plan to read this at some point in my life, although Russian literature is never my first choice.

Guns, Germs, and Steel♦ Something new for the wish list.

The Time Traveler’s Wife♦ For some reason I tend to stay away from current fiction.

**The Iliad**♦ I’ll get to this one eventually.

Emma♦ Many scholars think this is Jane Austen’s finest book. Out of the six, this is number four or five on my list. It changes position between readings.

The Blind Assassin♦ Again, another contemporary fiction book that I have simply not been compelled to read.

The Kite Runner♦  

Mrs. Dalloway♦ I liked it.

Great Expectations♦ Probably my favorite Dickens.

American Gods♦

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius♦

Atlas Shrugged♦ I have a feeling I will probably not like this book, but I think I should at least give it a try.

Reading Lolita in Tehran: a memoir in books♦ A very moving book.

Memoirs of a Geisha♦ I saw a little bit of the movie. I hope the book is better. I’m not very interested I’m afraid.

Middlesex♦

Quicksilver♦ I don’t have this book but it seems very interesting.

Wicked: the life and times of the wicked witch of the West

The Canterbury Tales♦ I’ve read parts of it.

The Historian: a novel♦

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man♦

Love in the Time of Cholera♦ My second favorite GGM.

Brave New World♦ I don’t like to read books like this. There is enough despair and unhappiness in real life as it is. All I need to do to get a dose of it is to turn on the news.

The Fountainhead♦ It seems like a very interesting, thought-provoking book, although I have to say that I normally don’t like novels that are used as propaganda tools, which this may well be.

Foucault’s Pendulum♦ I read it’s a difficult book, but based on my enjoyment of The Name of the Rose, I would try it.

Middlemarch♦ My favorite Eliot.

Frankenstein♦

The Count of Monte Cristo♦ Loved it.

Dracula♦

A Clockwork Orange♦

Anansi Boys♦

The Once and Future King♦ I’ve always loved the legend of King Arthur, so I will probably read this at some point.

The Grapes of Wrath♦

The Poisonwood Bible♦ I’ve never read Barbara Kingsolver, but the plot seems very original and interesting.

1984♦ I like George Orwell. I think he was a genius

Angels & Demons♦The Da Vinci Code was enough for me.

Inferno♦ I will assume this is Dante’s Inferno and not the science fiction novel. If not, insert strikethrough.

The Satanic Verses♦ We have Midnight’s Children, which I’ve never read. I’d like to read this just to see what all the fuss is about. My husband thought it was much ado about nothing, and he’s a Muslim.

Sense and Sensibility♦ My number two of the six major novels. I wrote a little about it here.

The Picture of Dorian Gray♦ I saw the black and white movie. It doesn’t appeal to me much, but I won’t reject it out of hand.

Mansfield Park♦ I wrote a review here.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest♦

To the Lighthouse♦ I like Virgina Woolf, so this is a future read, to be sure.

Tess of the D’Urbervilles♦ I don’t particularly like Hardy, but I read a great review of this book, so I’ll give it a try based on that recommendation.

Oliver Twist♦

**Gulliver’s Travels**♦ I started reading this book but gave up. I’ll give it another go at some point.

Les Misérables♦

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay♦

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time♦ The reviews are great, so I would like to read this.

Dune♦ I saw the movie and that was enough.

**The Prince**♦

The Sound and the Fury♦

Angela’s Ashes: a memoir♦

The God of Small Things♦ A half-hearted maybe. There are so many other books I’d like to read.

A People’s History of the United States : 1492-present♦ I’m reading this at the moment.

Cryptonomicon♦

Neverwhere♦

A Confederacy of Dunces♦

A Short History of Nearly Everything♦ I enjoy non-fiction books about topics like this one.

Dubliners♦

The Unbearable Lightness of Being♦ Not particularly appealing, but a maybe.

Beloved♦ Too tragic by half.

Slaughterhouse-five♦

The Scarlet Letter♦

Eats, Shoots & Leaves♦ I enjoyed it. I thought it was really clever and funny at times.

The Mists of Avalon♦

Oryx and Crake♦

Collapse : how societies choose to fail or succeed♦

Cloud Atlas♦ The reviews are good, and the plot seems very interesting so I would give this a try.

The Confusion♦ Maybe.

Lolita♦ I’ve almost bought this book several times and probably will read it some day.

Persuasion♦ Number three of the six for me. It makes me sad to think that Jane Austen was dying as she wrote every word.

Northanger Abbey♦ Perhaps the Austen I like the least, if that is possible. I treasure all her writing, but this is the one book that I re-read less often than the others.

The Catcher in the Rye♦ This book is so famous that I feel I should read it, so I will.

On the Road♦

The Hunchback of Notre Dame♦ Maybe.

Freakonomics : a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything♦

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance : an inquiry into values♦

The Aeneid♦

Watership Down♦ I bought an animated movie as a gift for a child and I didn’t like it.

Gravity’s Rainbow♦

The Hobbit♦ It’s on my wish list.

In Cold Blood : a true account of a multiple murder and its consequences♦ It’s not my kind of book.

White teeth♦ Seems interesting. I would give it a try.

Treasure Island♦ I read this a few years ago. I still remember an animated movie of this book that was on television when I was a child.

David Copperfield♦

So what does this meme tell me about my reading choices? Well, two things: it’s obvious that my taste in books is very different from most people’s, and there are few books I own that I haven’t read.

Seven things I disapprove of

I am pilfering Charlotte´s post about the things she approves of, but since thirty days of daily 4-hour blackouts, -2°C weather in a country where insulation and central heating do not exist, and daily rationing of cooking fuel have left me just a tiny bit grumpy, I am writing about the things that I detest.

•  Corruption, ranging from the traffic cop who wants a hundred rupees before he lets you drive on your merry way, to the $100,000 Mercedes that nearly drove you off the road, to the 19-year-old party boy who inherits his own political party, to the total failure of a nation to provide the basic necessities to its people while not neglecting to invest in nuclear weapons that could murder millions of human beings; to the executives of international aid organizations and their expense accounts, who dine in first-class restaurants and drive the $100,000 Mercedes that nearly drove you off the road.
• Women who become politically powerful because of the men in their life. I am offended by women who, regardless of their own merits, get elected primarily because of who their fathers or their husbands were.
• Women who think of nothing but shopping.
• Landlords who think there´s nothing wrong with you heating your bath water in a saucepan in the kitchen. Water heaters do not get fixed by themselves, you know.
• Unruly children who break the toys that my daughter lovingly and carefully plays with.
• Fruit vendors who cheat and over-charge foreign women who don´t speak Urdu.
• Religious zealots (of any kind) and people who don´t keep their religion to themselves.

And one more, because I´m that grumpy:

• People who kill, who hurt others, who set fire to things that don´t belong to them, who loot, cause chaos and turn the world upside down.

Seven Weird Things About Me

I’ve been tagged by Kerryn, who has saved my life tonight. I’m plain out of ideas today, but it’s almost over and come the first of December, I am sure my mind will be full of all the posts that I could have written during NaBloPoMo.

I don’t consider myself weird, but I know that there are many things about me that other people think are totally out of the ordinary. Here I go, let’s see if I can name seven.

1. I tend to memorize entire chunks of dialogue from my favorite movies. I used to love the original Die Hard movie because of Alan Rickman’s performance, but the movie is full of four-letter words and really foul language, which made it very difficult to repeat some of the lines. I also know all the dialogue to the 1995 BBC miniseries of Pride & Prejudice, and can recite it at will, which I sometimes do when I am bored and there’s no one around. Ok, that is pretty weird, I admit.
2. I am totally out of touch with current popular music. I listen to my favorites over and over, and the new music I get is usually something new from the musicians I like, or from recommendations found in trusted sources. I heard Amy Winehouse on the radio the other day and I liked her voice and her style, but I knew about her from the publicity regarding her personal life before I heard her music.
3. I sometimes faint when I visit the sick in hospitals. I think it’s the smell of medicine and antiseptic, and the air of ill health all around me.
4. I waited ten years to have my daughter. She was born when she was supposed to be born, but we were lucky.
5. I am a horrible dancer, especially of Latin American music like salsa and merengue. When I was at university the Foreign Languages Department made a trip to the Cajun region in Louisiana to attend the French Festival, and a Spanish Literature professor from Dominican Republic made me dance with him, to my utter chagrin. He kept saying “where’s your Latin blood?”.
6. I cry when I am moved, which people here in Pakistan think is very  weird. My husband’s sister had a baby a couple of months ago, and when I first saw him my eyes welled up. The nurse kept asking what was wrong with me.
7. I am allergic to tree sap, but I didn’t know it until last year. I had had reactions to it in the past, but I was unable to figure out exactly what was the cause. Our house in America was surrounded by oak and pine trees, and drops of sap would always fall on our car. I tried to clean a glob that fell in the middle of the windshield with some cotton soaked in rubbing alcohol, and when I finished my fingers were itching. I touched my face before I washed my hands and hours later my eye was swollen shut. My skin was red and blistery, and I had to go to the doctor twice before I got better.