Tomorrow is the beginning of my road to a Masters in Education. I've decided to stop lj-ing because, although it's lovely keeping up with people, it has the potential to consume all my free time resulting in my never getting any reading done.

I had planned to delete my journal but I do want to keep the edmundwhite community going, so it shall remain in case I feel the need to pick it up once again. I will be checking email, so if you post something I'll see it and I'll definitely keep in touch with people in the Edmund White comm^_^

Hope you're all doing well! ^_____^

Despite my love for Edmund White's The Flaneur, I'm starting Andrew Holleran's Nights in Aruba because I need a novel to get into at the moment. And unfortunately I know why I want a story to immerse myself in. I am a most pathetic procrastinator and seeing as I'm starting my post-grad work this coming Monday, my brain is screaming, 'This is your last moment of freedom!!! Use it!!!' Despite the fact that my summer has hardly been free of work seeing as I've been reading 'Learn How to Teach Mathematics in a Secondary School' books as well as pouring over GCSE and A-level study guides and completing a bugger of a workbook designed to start one thinking about how to explain mathematics in different ways.

But I just can't bring myself to complete the workbook yet. I shall work on it today because despite grabbing Nights in Aruba off the shelf, I'll ruin my day by guilting myself into some work so I'd better start and get some done quick before I'm feeling too rubbish.

On a happier note, I finally sorted out my Primary School placement for a week starting Monday. I'll be observing/helping out at St. Paul's R.C. Primary School here in my town. The deputy head I spoke to was absolutely lovely and really sounded like she was interested in having me there, which is always a plus.

I recently finished Hervé Guibert's to the friend who did not save my life.

I enjoyed this book immensely and highly recommend it.

After reading Edmund White's article on Guibert in the London Review of Books, I was expecting a partially bitter tribute to Guibert's friend, Bill, who was active in drug trials for, what was then hoped to be, a revolutionary AIDS vaccine. Instead, I found an intensely moving account of Guibert's daily life with HIV/AIDS. The book is a collection of journal entries, that progress in a somewhat linear fashion, which include discussions on the pain of his ups and downs with hope concerning this miracle vaccine that was promised to him by his friend as well as observations on the French health care system and staff, and Guibert's physical condition.

The work truly shines, however, when Guibert speaks of his friends: the actress Marine, Jules, the character Muzil (Michel Foucault) and others. Guibert seems surrounded by brilliant and colourful people yet increasingly abandoned and alone and his eventual feelings of betrayal sear the reader.

I have yet to read a book where the word 'tender' could be more appropriately applied; Guibert's touching and bruised moments should be experienced.

One thing that worries me:

Why do people bid above the reasonable price for normal items on ebay? If they could get it new from a shop or Amazon, why would they pay more on ebay for a used copy plus postage? Surely it's not JUST the thrill of the bid driving them, is it?

I worry that they've some how misunderstood what item they're bidding for. Maybe they think it's some amazing rare item that warrants this excessive price...

Hello all^_^

I posted this on wildworld_gates but I thought maybe some of you on my list may play Animal Crossing for the DS and fancy coming over^_^

Name: Heather
Code: 2362-9237-9171
Town: C[star]Side
Nook's: Nookington's

My gates will be open for a while, so feel free to drop by. I would really like some fruit other than apples if anyone would be willing to bring me some, but gifts are not required to visit^_^

I'm not too worried about flowers so feel free to run about, talk to the critters, shop, grab fruit, bugs, fish etc^_^

Everyone's welcome^_^

I just finished Carnet de Voyage by Craig Thompson.



I read Thompson's Blankets a few years ago and adored it. I remember reading whilst sat on my parents-in-law's sofa in the living room and having to get up and hide in the staircase to wipe away tears and compose myself. I haven't read his Goodbye Chunky Rice yet, but I'd like to sometime.

Carnet de Voyage is a travel journal covering March to May of 2004 when Thompson travelled to Paris for book signings, then spent weeks travelling through Morocco and finally returned to France, Barcelona and the Alps for more promotional work.

His art is beautiful, as is to be expected, but the tenderness and humour with which he presents the people he met and the places he saw along the way is a certain treat. He states in the foreward that he was uncertain whether he ought to publish such 'off-the-cuff material', but I'm glad he did. The very fact that the journal carries you with it through his journey's ups and downs gives the reader the unique experience of having travelled with him. The days of homesickness riding alongside the days of gleeful exploration, the loneliness leading to exaggerated gratitude for unexpected hospitality, Thompson offers his reader the opportunity to feel all this with him and reading presents one lovely moment after another.

This book is certainly worth a look whether you're a fan of Thompson's other work or a first time reader.

I also want to ask why do people not find this picture hot?!



No one I know looks at this and thinks...HOT. No one. Why? I think there's something sensual and intriguing about it. Am I just an old perv? Possibly... Where's he off to? I'd imagine he's getting dressed to go out...where? What will the evening hold... Ok, over active imagination maybe? Something just gets me about it. ^_^

I was watching Top Embarassing Moments of the 80's tonight. (Yes..if I have a guilty pleasure it's countdown programmes and kooky clips shows...I think it's my hubby's fault because he LOVES them and I think I've fallen into watching them with him...there, blame safely placed on spouse...can now move on to point...)

Anyway, I can't remember what number it was but one of them was 'blokes in makeup' and consisted of showing clips of Boy George and all the other popstar offenders of the day (Including the guy who's name escapes me with the skunk dyed hair cut who sang Too Shy Shy who I just found out sang on the Neverending Story song which I love?! ...poop.). Then it showed Phil Oakey in the Human League on Top of the Pops with his red lips, black stiletto heels, and dark pant suit and I thought: SAWA-SAN from Harudaki!!!

Then I tried to find pictures of the two so I could show them side by side...and I can't find any of Phil or Sawa-san!! Rubbish...the internet is just a pile of bollocks, I tell you...when you can't find a simple picture of a guy in makeup...what's the world coming to?!?

If I could be arsed I'd go up and scan my Haru wo Daiteita books right freakin now, but I can't...I'm tired, off to bed, to curl up with Edmund White's The Flaneur which is AMAZING!!!! I never knew I could learn so many wonderful and interesting things about Paris and the people who have lived there in a few pages^______^ But it's White...what did I expect^_^

Stuff I'm selling on ebay so if anyone's interested: Books for Sale

There is quite a great deal of manga at the top including, among others Kizuna, Golden Cain, Hot Gimmick, Vampire Game, Legal Drug, The Demon Ororon, Snow Drop. You'll have to scroll down to find the novels. Authors include Poppy Z. Brite, Andrea Barrett, George R.R. Martin, Brian Jaques, J.R.R. Tolkien, Stephen Fry and more.

I'm not around to selling my Japanese manga yet, but I'll get to that after this stuff is gone^_^

Once I catch this clean out bug, there's no stopping me.

Ok, so I'm glad I finally got around to doing the whole ebay thing. I probably should have done this ages ago and made way for all these Edmund White books ^_^

For anyone interested - this lot is just a bunch of manga, I'll be listing books tomorrow:

ebay smorgasboard

Well, I've got one. But apparently the cavity isn't huge and they naturally give you tooth coloured fillings for front teeth which is included in the standard National Health Service charge of £42.40. Which I can just about pay using all the money I just made on ebay! Yay! See what happens allegedly with plans to save money?! You try for that nest egg and bang! All your teeth fall out and you have to spend it all on some shiny new dentures...

On the plus side someone who bought books from me left me feedback that said I was a friendly seller^_____^ Which makes me smile a whole lot, hehe...*is possibly reading way too much into a simple feedback comment of 80 characters or less*