(no subject)
Feb. 20th, 2004 11:22 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rivendellrose
You're Ulysses!
by James Joyce
Most people are convinced that you don't make any sense, but compared
to what else you could say, what you're saying now makes tons of sense. What people do
understand about you is your vulgarity, which has convinced people that you are at once
brilliant and repugnant. Meanwhile you are content to wander around aimlessly, taking in
the sights and sounds of the city. What you see is vast, almost limitless, and brings you
additional fame. When no one is looking, you dream of being a Greek folk hero.
Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.
Hmm... I suppose it's appropriate for an English major, but now I'm even more embarassed for not having read it.
ETA: Yesterday, I finished a book called Women of Afghanistan. Today, I received the first mass-email from my former housemate Josie, who is now living in Jordan, working with the Peace Corps. Needless to say, having just read about a very similar country, it gave a lot of what she said less impact than it otherwise would have had, particularly having done a decent amount of study of Islam last year. Still, it's very strange to picture someone I
[Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<i?know<i>') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.]
<lj-cut text="Book meme">
<p><img src="http://bluepyramid.org/ia/ujj.jpg"><br>
<font face="Georgia, Georgia Ref, Book Antiqua, Garamond" size="5">
You're <i>Ulysses</i>!<br>
<font size="4">by James Joyce</font><br>
<i><font size="3">Most people are convinced that you don't make any sense, but compared
to what else you could say, what you're saying now makes tons of sense. What people do
understand about you is your vulgarity, which has convinced people that you are at once
brilliant and repugnant. Meanwhile you are content to wander around aimlessly, taking in
the sights and sounds of the city. What you see is vast, almost limitless, and brings you
additional fame. When no one is looking, you dream of being a Greek folk hero.</font><br>
<font size="2" face="Times New Roman"></i>
Take the <a href="http://bluepyramid.org/ia/bquiz.htm">Book Quiz</a>
at the <a href="http://bluepyramid.org">Blue Pyramid</a>.</font></font></p>
</lj-cut>
Hmm... I suppose it's appropriate for an English major, but now I'm even more embarassed for not having read it.
<b>ETA</b>: Yesterday, I finished a book called Women of Afghanistan. Today, I received the first mass-email from my former housemate Josie, who is now living in Jordan, working with the Peace Corps. Needless to say, having just read about a very similar country, it gave a lot of what she said less impact than it otherwise would have had, particularly having done a decent amount of study of Islam last year. Still, it's very strange to picture someone I <i?know<i> - someone I lived with, someone who once helped me down a whole bottle of champagne in one night and who was forever making the sort of dirty jokes and innuendos that the Harem thrives on - living in a country where it's indecent to look a strange man in the eyes or talk with a man.
I was also... kind of appalled by her description of the other volunteers. Some of them fit my impression of the Peace Corps - young people just out of college. Others... I wonder why the hell they're being allowed out there. Particularly a woman on Josie's team, who is sixty-two and "The kind-of person who will wander out in front of buses if you don't stop her, if you know what I mean." Right. Because that woman will be safe when they're out in the middle of gods-only-know-where. And that's the teammate the Josie has to stay with most of the time, because she's the only other woman.
Three of the 25 people who she went to Jordan with have already backed out and gone home - one to marry his fiance earlier than he'd expected, the other two because they had break-downs over the culture shock. Josie sounds like she wants to come home, too, but is too determined. She says it's easier to stay than to go, and that she'll give it six months.
As it has for the last several months since she got her assignment, her email signature reads "The closer we are to danger, the farther we are from harm."
<p><img src="http://bluepyramid.org/ia/ujj.jpg"><br>
<font face="Georgia, Georgia Ref, Book Antiqua, Garamond" size="5">
You're <i>Ulysses</i>!<br>
<font size="4">by James Joyce</font><br>
<i><font size="3">Most people are convinced that you don't make any sense, but compared
to what else you could say, what you're saying now makes tons of sense. What people do
understand about you is your vulgarity, which has convinced people that you are at once
brilliant and repugnant. Meanwhile you are content to wander around aimlessly, taking in
the sights and sounds of the city. What you see is vast, almost limitless, and brings you
additional fame. When no one is looking, you dream of being a Greek folk hero.</font><br>
<font size="2" face="Times New Roman"></i>
Take the <a href="http://bluepyramid.org/ia/bquiz.htm">Book Quiz</a>
at the <a href="http://bluepyramid.org">Blue Pyramid</a>.</font></font></p>
</lj-cut>
Hmm... I suppose it's appropriate for an English major, but now I'm even more embarassed for not having read it.
<b>ETA</b>: Yesterday, I finished a book called Women of Afghanistan. Today, I received the first mass-email from my former housemate Josie, who is now living in Jordan, working with the Peace Corps. Needless to say, having just read about a very similar country, it gave a lot of what she said less impact than it otherwise would have had, particularly having done a decent amount of study of Islam last year. Still, it's very strange to picture someone I <i?know<i> - someone I lived with, someone who once helped me down a whole bottle of champagne in one night and who was forever making the sort of dirty jokes and innuendos that the Harem thrives on - living in a country where it's indecent to look a strange man in the eyes or talk with a man.
I was also... kind of appalled by her description of the other volunteers. Some of them fit my impression of the Peace Corps - young people just out of college. Others... I wonder why the hell they're being allowed out there. Particularly a woman on Josie's team, who is sixty-two and "The kind-of person who will wander out in front of buses if you don't stop her, if you know what I mean." Right. Because that woman will be safe when they're out in the middle of gods-only-know-where. And that's the teammate the Josie has to stay with most of the time, because she's the only other woman.
Three of the 25 people who she went to Jordan with have already backed out and gone home - one to marry his fiance earlier than he'd expected, the other two because they had break-downs over the culture shock. Josie sounds like she wants to come home, too, but is too determined. She says it's easier to stay than to go, and that she'll give it six months.
As it has for the last several months since she got her assignment, her email signature reads "The closer we are to danger, the farther we are from harm."
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no subject
Date: 2004-02-20 09:00 pm (UTC)You know what's funny? Everytime I seem to talk about a book over LJs, it's always a book I hate. I do like books. I love reading. It just doesn't seem that way. Heh. :P
Re:
Date: 2004-02-21 05:14 am (UTC)I suppose I ought to read it eventually... but I've heard too many awful things about it to really want to.
So what books *do* you like, just for the sake of breaking the pattern? ;)
Re:
Date: 2004-02-21 06:44 pm (UTC)I adore Jane Austen as well. And JKR. Heh.
How about you?
Re:
Date: 2004-02-21 07:11 pm (UTC)Huge fan of *good* historical fiction. Memoirs of a Geisha is one of my favorite books ever.
no subject
Date: 2004-02-20 09:09 pm (UTC)Being the Social Worky kinda person I am, I have looked periodically into the Peace Corps. She has a hard, very worthy job. I'll send vibes her way. It's so different once you ARE somewhere, than thinking about it. Much less glamourous, that's for sure. Of course, my excursions were only into the poorer parts of Mexico and were never more than a week... but I can imagine..
Re:
Date: 2004-02-21 05:16 am (UTC)Thanks for the vibes - we're all really rooting for her.
no subject
Date: 2004-02-20 10:40 pm (UTC)Re:
Date: 2004-02-21 05:12 am (UTC)There really are getting to be a lot of odd connections, aren't there?
Re:
Date: 2004-02-21 05:20 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2004-02-21 05:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-21 02:39 am (UTC)I'll be thinking of her, wishing her safety and good health.
P.S. How's her kitty, have you heard at all?
Re:
Date: 2004-02-21 05:09 am (UTC)I'd not mind the plane - it's the rest that'd get to me. ;)
Boo is living with Josie's mom back East - she lived there while Josie lived in the dorms and all, so I'm sure she'll be fine. She's gonna miss her mommy, though. Poor kitty.