Meme copied from several folks...
Oct. 14th, 2004 03:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sabrinamariA book you own that no one on your friends list does: “Doomsday Book,” by Connie Willis---fantastic science fiction for medical anthropologists and people interested in the medieval period, epidemics and culture. It’s about a history grad student from the future who travels back in time to do research in the 1320s, but accidentally finds herself on the outskirts of a small English village in 1348, about a week before the Black Death comes to town. I highly recommend it!
A CD you own that no one on your friends list does: Pema Chodron’s CD of instructions for practicing tonglen.
A DVD/VHS tape you own that no one on your friends list does: The pilot episode of “Kung Fu,” from the TV series of the same name, which I followed with religious fervor as a child.
A place you've been that no one on your friends list has been: El Mundo Perdido, one of the ancient barrios of Tikal, the best-known archaeological site in Guatemala. Or how about on top of Tikal’s Temple II at night, under the full moon, listening to the monkeys howl and watching the trees move in the breeze over the ruins of the central plaza?
You probably saw Temple II briefly in ‘The Empire Strikes Back’, though---the secret rebel base was right beneath it.
A CD you own that no one on your friends list does: Pema Chodron’s CD of instructions for practicing tonglen.
A DVD/VHS tape you own that no one on your friends list does: The pilot episode of “Kung Fu,” from the TV series of the same name, which I followed with religious fervor as a child.
A place you've been that no one on your friends list has been: El Mundo Perdido, one of the ancient barrios of Tikal, the best-known archaeological site in Guatemala. Or how about on top of Tikal’s Temple II at night, under the full moon, listening to the monkeys howl and watching the trees move in the breeze over the ruins of the central plaza?
You probably saw Temple II briefly in ‘The Empire Strikes Back’, though---the secret rebel base was right beneath it.
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*bzzzzt*
Date: 2004-10-14 01:14 pm (UTC)Nope, sorry. Got that one. It's a pretty amazing book. In fact, I think it came up in conversation over the weekend...you must not have been in the room. :-)
Actually...I suppose it's possible that I borrowed it from someone and don't actually own it. I should check my shelves or something.
Re: *bzzzzt*
Date: 2004-10-14 02:16 pm (UTC)Re: *bzzzzt*
Date: 2004-10-14 03:31 pm (UTC)Re: *bzzzzt*
Date: 2004-10-14 04:08 pm (UTC)I don't know why I'm surprised to have connections of one kind or another with so many Minneapolis B* pagans. It makes some sense that we would...
2nd Try: "Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague" Geraldine Brooks
Date: 2004-10-14 02:22 pm (UTC)An Amazon.com review:
"When an infected bolt of cloth carries plague from London to an isolated village, a housemaid named Anna Frith emerges as an unlikely heroine and healer. Through Anna's eyes we follow the story of the fateful year of 1666, as she and her fellow villagers confront the spread of disease and superstition. As death reaches into every household and villagers turn from prayers to murderous witch-hunting, Anna must find the strength to confront the disintegration of her community and the lure of illicit love. As she struggles to survive and grow, a year of catastrophe becomes instead annus mirabilis, a 'year of wonders'.
Inspired by the true story of Eyam, a village in the rugged hill country of England, Year of Wonders is a richly detailed evocation of a singular moment in history. Written with stunning emotional intelligence and introducing "an inspiring heroine" (The Wall Street Journal), Brooks blends love and learning, loss and renewal into a spellbinding and unforgettable read."
LOVED this book---it is awesome!
Re: 2nd Try: "Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague" Geraldine Brooks
Date: 2004-10-15 06:06 am (UTC)You have to move away from the medieval stuff and into the hispanic stuff.
Hugs!
Re: 2nd Try: "Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague" Geraldine Brooks
Date: 2004-10-15 06:36 am (UTC)I'll have to think about the next try.
no subject
Date: 2004-10-14 02:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-14 04:06 pm (UTC)I love that place, and I believe I lived there at one point...it struck me so dear, for reasons that I could not explain. I've never met a non-archaeologist that's been there to my knowledge.
We do have some things in common...neat!
You would like "Year of Wonders" if you like "Doomsday Book".
no subject
Date: 2004-10-15 01:19 pm (UTC)Did you see any of the non-restored temples? They were amazing. So sompletely hidden by the jungle, but so clearly works of humankind.
no subject
Date: 2004-10-15 01:50 pm (UTC)Yes, I did see several unconsolidated temples. The last time I was there, Temple IV was only partially restored, so I and a friend painstakingly climbed up the base and then lay on our backs inside the top structure squinting and trying to make out the famous lintel design in the low light.
We climbed up to the comb and carefully slid along the rear back, sitting high up above the forest and dangling our legs over the drop. Boy, that was stupid. Thank you, gods, for not allowing me to die of my own stupidity then.
A bunch of other archaeology grad students climbed up and joined us a little later, and we sat together in a long line watching the sun start to descend and passing a bottle back and forth. Stupid, stupid.
But oh, it was beautiful.
I would love to go back. I went twice, actually. I miss traveling---especially traveling to archaeological sites.
no subject
Date: 2004-10-15 03:47 pm (UTC)Templo IV now has a gaurd stationed at its top whenever the park is open, and gaurds roaming by the entrances whenever the park is closed. I somewhat wish we could have been there sooner, when being a bit stupid was allowed. It must have been amazing.
no subject
Date: 2004-10-15 06:56 pm (UTC)As a the radical priest in Doonesbury proudly said when asked for his references, "My arrest record speaks for itself."
no subject
Date: 2004-10-15 06:57 pm (UTC)I'm pro-Kerry in this election, but he's not nearly progressive enough for me, sadly.
no subject
Date: 2004-10-16 09:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-15 06:14 am (UTC)A book-----that would HAVE to be "Tales of a Chinese Grandmother"! This is a book that I read over and over and over again as a child---so many times, in fact, that my mother always fussed at me for taking it out of hte library. "Are you reading tht book AGAIN?!" LOL anyway, Galen and I were discussing books that we read when we were young, and he told me about the one tht he read which was a book of Japanese folk tales/morality stories, and I told him about this book, which is the same thing except from the Chinese perspective. I also said that I didn't know if I would ever see the book again because I was sure it was out of print, as lots of books seem to be when you want to get them as adults. Well, lo and behold, a week later, I get a package in the mail from Alibris---I never heard of them----and I was wondering what in the world it could be. Upon opening the package, I found this special book---Galen had gone to the web and ordered it for me! :) This book is from a library in Tipton, Iowa, hadn't been checked out since September 6, 1968----now I have a book that I love, and the book has a history! It's fantastic!
CD---Brahms' "German Requiem", sung in German
DVD/VHS tape-----"Prince of Egypt" the story of Moses
Place that no one else has been------a long shot, but how about the Catacombs of Paris, not to mention the WWII Memorial that dips under the Seine. Seen on my ill-fated honeymooon 6 years ago. The honeymoon part was a bust, but Paris was delicious!
no subject
Date: 2004-10-15 01:51 pm (UTC)3rd Try: Book
Date: 2004-10-15 07:05 pm (UTC)I haven't read it yet, but couldn't pass up such a sci-fi-fantasy geek/spirituality combination.
Probably appealed to the same part of me that loved, loved, loved "Undercover Brother".
The very silly part.