Drowning My Sorrows - In Printer's Ink

I've been reading quite a lot, I find. It offers me a release from my cares. I am immersed in other worlds, other times, other sufferings than mine - and for a while, I cease to exist. Not entirely, but it sort of feels that way. My gnawing suffering is kept at bay, and for a while after finishing a book, I can even function with something close to normalcy. It's a residual effect of my escapism I suppose. There it is - I've acknowledged it.

I've always been a voracious reader, but the past few days have seen me go through books at an alarming rate - even for me. And the way I get irritated by the demands of my real life - take a shower, do the dishes, go to work, eat - is not normal.

This cannot last. I need to stop escaping my realities by getting drawn into others. It is definitely easier than looking my problems in the eye and building my life around the new paradigm. Oh... just how much easier!!

But it has to stop. Now. I've set a number of hours per day that I can have to myself - to escape. It can't be all tragedy, I'd really go mad then. But no more neglect. I'll finish all the house-work, correspond with my friends and family (calls, emails, whatever it may be) and then, only then, allow myself this release. I will not stay home anytime just because I'm too depressed to get out of bed.

I will drag myself to work. Once I'm there and I start working, it usually gets better. No more slacking off.

There, that's enough resolution for now. It will tax my will-power to the utmost to accomplish these things, insignificant as they would seem to someone who is not me. But I must - I don't want my loved ones to see the pain I'm in and suffer themselves. Besides, self-pity never got anyone anywhere. Ever.

(Oh. One more thing. Ink pens are so much better when you want to put down your thoughts.)

Twilight.. Really?? Well, yeah..

I gave in to all the hype and read the Twilight series. All 4 of the books. Not what I'd read, normally. But I see why it could be popular, on a superficial, candy-floss level.

One, the girl could be anyone. And a "stunning" vampire comes along and saves her life just as she begins what would normally be a very yawn-inducing stay with her father.

Everyone loves bad boys, this one is better than all the rest because.. wait for it.. he's a good bad boy! Brilliant.

And there's the whole vampire-werewolf rivalry. Two gorgeous supernatural creatures vying for one girl. Love eternal. Blah blah blah.

There's more criticism about this series everywhere than the number of pages in all books mutliplied by n (n can be any number you like, it'll still be true!).

This series is pop fiction at its Pop-est. But I wouldn't include it in my "this-one's-a-keeper" list. Besides, underneath all the vampire and werewolf hoo-haa, it's very, very mushy. Don't we have Mills and Boon for that? Sorry, Twilight fans. One time was almost (but I admit, not quite) one time too many.

Spaghetti with Tomatoes - The Real Italian Way

My Italian colleague gave me this recipe.. apparently it's the first thing any Italian girl should know how to cook.

It's fairly easy to make, and tastes heavenly. And unlike many Continental dishes, you don't have to go to great lengths and buy all kinds of stuff you will never use again just to make it once. ;)

Ok. Ingredients:

• A packet of spaghetti (duh!) - Rule of thumb: One portion equals the number of spaghetti sticks that fit between your hand and thumb when the thumb is straight.
• Some tomatoes, chopped but not too finely - preferably the small red cherry tomatoes (quarter them!) but any ripe ones will do.
• 4 pods of garlic per portion - finely chopped and then crushed a bit
• Oil (extra virgin olive oil would be best, but sunflower is ok too)
• Salt
• A little white pepper if you want to spice it up a bit.

How to put these together:

• Fill a large enough pot with water, bring it to boil.
• Add the spaghetti along with a few drops of oil and a pinch of rock salt (or ordinary salt if you can't be bothered).
• Let the spaghetti cook as many minutes as mentioned on the pack, or until they are tender.
• Meanwhile, in a pan, heat some oil and saute the garlic until it's slightly brown.
• Remove the garlic from the oil and keep aside.
• Add the tomatoes to the oil still in the pan and let them cook.
• Stir the garlic into the tomatoes once they're done, along with some salt to taste . Spice aficionados can add white pepper and "Italian seasoning" at this stage.
• Strain the spaghetti and toss with the tomato sauce.
• Serve with a smile (at this point you're actually not too tired out by the cooking to smile!)

This is exactly how they serve spaghetti with tomatoes in Italy - the only addition is a basil leaf for garnish! Buon appetito :)

Lotus Eyes

Today I suddenly remembered this statement out of the blue:

God's eyes are bloodshot because He strains them so much, looking for when someone will turn to Him.

He always waits for us to turn to Him. Only do that, and He will do the rest. And He waits...

That's what they mean when they say His eyes are like lotus petals. They are white, streaked with red or pink - bloodshot eyes. Also because they're beautiful and in that shape, of course. But isn't this more profound and meaningful?

Night, blogsphere. Sleep tight :)

Um... New Post?

After not writing for so long, it's tough to decide what to write about.

Burning issues of the day, or idyllic times in Italy last year?

Or maybe a bit of both. OR something else entirely!

But what?

And it went on and on until I realized that while thinking in circles I had lost track of what I wanted to DO. Write.

So here I am, feeling fervently thankful that it's not a technical document (due yesterday!) that I'm updating dolefully.

I'm re-reading "The Return of the Native" by Thomas Hardy. I last read it more than 5 years ago, and it feels like I'm reading a totally different book.It's making me realize in what ways my thought process has changed over the years.

Where earlier I read it more or less like a romance, now I can appreciate the characterisation of the people in the book, and what Hardy was trying to capture - the idealist dragged down by a time of clouded judgement and its consequences (not to mention the social mores of the time); and the sensualist yearning for the glittering world of fashionable society and bustling cities filled with every imaginable luxury.

The eternal conflict between mind and matter, maybe.

And what do you know?!! While writing this post, I've also come to a decision. Italy it is.

Next post : Salerno!

Ciao tutti!! :P

Back to BlogLand.

01:30 am Sunday Morning.

Decided to write again. I used to be okay it this, guess I'm all rusted up now.

Time to burst through the writer's block!

I WILL write. It used to be what I did best (right after sleeping, eating and reading that is..)

I don't know what I'll write about. But this I know.. it mightn't be interesting. It mightn't be nice. It might be bad writing. But I will go on. Comments or no comments.