Friday update and BOOKS!!

[alexandral]

1. My little girls' birthday is soon. She is going to be 7. Am I that old? I don’t feel it. I think if I refuse to grow old, it will not happen. I feel the same way as when I was thirty. I mean, you are as old as you feel, right?

2. The new kitten is very cheeky. We all succumbed to his charms. He plays with the Doggy and she doesn’t know what to make of it. "Leave me alone" she says.

3. Weather is beautiful. We sat outside near the pond during the lunch break.

4. I have seen an "English with Creative Writing" course, part-time available. I am so temped!!!!! I know I can't write, but!!!!!!

5. Lords debate euthanasia. I feel very conflicted about the subject .

6. I want to re-read "Master and Margarita" (Michail Bulgakov). It is pity that I don’t have this book in Russian. It is one of the best books of all times. It has everything – Satan’s visit to Moscow! Writer’s destiny! Cat Begemot! Singing! Mystery! Pontius Pilat! Ladies flying broomsticks! I love this book. I can’t recommend it enough to anybody.




Amazon link


7. "The Winter Queen" (a first book in the saga of "Statsky Sovetnik" Erast Fandorin by Boris Akunin) is translated and available on amazon.com. I like this book very much too.. 19’th century Moscow! Aristocrats! Revolutionaries! Conspiracy! It is an easy reading, but very elegant and has a lovely feel of ninetieth century Russian prose.




Amazon link

Comments

[elspethsheir.livejournal.com]

I feel the same way as when I was thirty. I mean, you are as old as you feel, right?

Exactly. I sometimes catch myself realizing that I'm not thirty anymore, because we none of us age backwards, and it still stops me. I have a hard time accepting that Brother Mine is going to be thirty this year; to me, he'll always be 28. Heh.

Aw, new kitten. I don't think that Mai even really knows what cats are; she has only ever seen them from a distance.

4. I have seen an "English with Creative Writing" course, part-time available. I am so temped!!!!! I know I can't write, but!!!!!!

You can so write! And if you took it, we could compare notes on our writing experiences! (My first true assignment, after submitting a journal on my assessment of my own writing, will be a descriptive essay.)

I want to re-read "Master and Margarita".

*notes* I've never read this one!

Boris Akunin is very popular here as well, now that his works are being translated.
Have you read them in both Russian and English? I often wonder what author style, if any, is lost in the process of translating!

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Exactly. I sometimes catch myself realizing that I'm not thirty anymore, because we none of us age backwards, and it still stops me.

I like my thirties, twenties were stormy, but thirties are splendid times for me - I feel like I understand the basics. :)

Aw, new kitten. I don't think that Mai even really knows what cats are; she has only ever seen them from a distance.

We had a cat before. He lived in the house prior to the Doggy's appearance and his first reaction on seeing the puppy was to run. He may be has met dogs already. Sky-the-puppy only wanted to investigate the cat, but because the cat run, Sky was forever running after him. So I thought that Sky would be chasing the new kitten too, but funnily because the kitten doesn't run, she doesn't know what to do :).

I really want to take this course, but I want to take a year off probably, this year was tiring for me. But I fell I will be going on and on about it, sorry!!!!:)

"Master and Margarita" is truly FANTASTIC!. I almost never try to read Russian books in English. I picked up once "Master and Margarita" which I have brought for my husband, and read few pages. It was different, I must say.. :)

[maddeinin.livejournal.com]

Oooh, I LOVE Master and Margarita! I think I've read it in both Swedish and English, and I've seen the play in Swedish and Finnish. Such a great book. Now I want to re-read it, too!

The kitten sounds awesome! Does he have a name yet?

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

You can read in English/ Finnish/ Swedish/ Russian?? You are made of awesome!!!

Sasha named the kitten Bart. Bart is her cat, really.. She doing extremely well with playing and such. The old cat used to hate her because she was around 2 when he was a kitten and used to carry him round.

[maddeinin.livejournal.com]

No Russian, alas. And it's not like being able to speak Finnish and Swedish is much of an accomplishment, seeing as my mother is Swedish(-speaking) and my dad Finnish.

I used to be able to read pretty fluently in French, but I haven't kept up with it. It's pretty much gone now.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I used to be able to read pretty fluently in French, but I haven't kept up with it. It's pretty much gone now

I bet you can pick it up like swimming :).

[syliasyliasylia.livejournal.com]

Am I that old? I don’t feel it. I think if I refuse to grow old, it will not happen. I feel the same way as when I was thirty. I mean, you are as old as you feel, right
Exactly! That's what my 78 year old aunt Mari always says, she still feels and thinks as if she was younger, it's just the body the one that unfortunately ages :/, she says that suddenly one day she looked in the mirror and realized she was 70! But even thow she physically feels old and has her ailments, she tries to enjoy life to the max doing all the things she ever loved and can still do. (she is a bit sad because her health doesn't allow her to travel though)

And yay! for your daughter's birthday! I hope she has a fantastic day!

The new kitten is very cheeky. We all succumbed to his charms
Aaaaaawwww!

I'm sure you can write! If you finally enroll in that course, I'll be looking forward to hear about the experience :)

Oh! And thanks for those two book recs, I'll try to check them out! :)

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

But even thow she physically feels old and has her ailments, she tries to enjoy life to the max doing all the things she ever loved and can still do.

Is she the aunt you went to see a play with Spanish heart-throb once?? I remember thinking your aunties are full of life.. When I look at the older people like that I think - OK, this growing old business is not that bad at all. Best wishes for your aunt's health!

I'm sure you can write! If you finally enroll in that course, I'll be looking forward to hear about the experience :)

I am seriously thinking about enrolling next year, in 2007. I just have a nice year off eating cakes and making icons :)

[syliasyliasylia.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's the one! :) I love my two aunties so much!!! :)

I just have a nice year off eating cakes and making icons :)
Best plan ever!!! I'm looking forward to seeing your new batch!

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Your aunties sound great!!!!!!

I am doing "book" icons this weekend :)

[lage-nom-ai.livejournal.com]

Aw, I hope we get to see pictures of the kitty soon! And my cat was exactly like that when she was a kitten (and actually, still is)--she almost always starts the tussle with the German Sheppard, and the poor dog doesn't know what to do! Heee.

Take the writing course--sounds like fun! :)

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I need a digital camera. I am talking of digital camera advantages daily. :) Mr. Alexander is very good at photography, but he says digital camera's quality is not that good unless it is really expensive and that real pictures are made using REAL camera, and so on and so forth.. :)) I never had a camera - the whole process with the paper and such didn't appeal to me. BUT - digital camera!!!!! You just connect it to the computer and -YAY!!!

I think I am very tempted with the course for next year.. :)

[lage-nom-ai.livejournal.com]

I have never had the interest/patience to develop my own photos or whatever, but I do love taking pictures. And I do feel that the quality on my film camera was better. But! I totally totally love the convenience of the "instant feedback" of the digital, and being able to post my pet pictures to LJ and stuff with such ease. :)

Takethecoursetakethecoursetakethecourse.... :D

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I totally totally love the convenience of the "instant feedback" of the digital, and being able to post my pet pictures to LJ and stuff with such ease.

Definitely! I have borrowed my friend's camera for the tea-party pictures and gosh - that was easy, even for someone like me who never has done any photography in my life. Also the fact that there will be no big bags with photographs laying around but you can keep everything on CDs really appeals to me..

** I am working on it :) **

[juprujac.livejournal.com]

The new kitten is very cheeky. We all succumbed to his charms.
Ahhhhhh. *pets kitten*

The books sound really interesting and they have them in English so yay for me! And a happy early birthday to your daughter.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

"Master and MArgarita" - I love that book so much I am like in a the case with "North and South" adaptation can't wait to hear what you think about it.. :)

[endlessdeep.livejournal.com]

Aw, kitties are so wonderful.

Am going to look at that first book. :)

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I hope you will like it!

[nutmeg3.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad the kitty continues to enliven your life.

I, too, loved The Master and Margarita, and I ought to reread it. I've also got the first two (or maybe three) Akunin books, but I haven't read them yet.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Yay! Master and Margarita! I find Akunin's stories highly unbelievable, but they are meant to be like this. His are the books I never can put down once I have started. :) And the main hero Erast Fandorin! He is so attractive and doomed! The books start when he is just a young lad of 18-19 and follow his history through the years. I am dying to know what non-Russian friends will think about Akunin.

[nutmeg3.livejournal.com]

The reviews here were really good, which is what intrigued me. Someday I'll get to the books and see if I agree. *g*

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

My sister introduced me to Akunin last time we were in Russia and gave me one of his books - "You can read it during your flight", she said. I got so engrossed, I didn't want our plain to land.. :). A lot of appeal for Russian readers is in the amazing feel of late 19th century Russia - in style and in storylines.