little sarah Big World

Month: December, 2010

Sidetracked

…from the books I’m “supposed” to be reading (even if the person who assigned them is…well, me). This is what happens when you work in a library.

from Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

“He thought of how long it had been since she looked into his eyes and smiled, or whipered his name on those rare occasions they still reached for each other’s bodies before sleeping.” (A Temporary Matter)

“I wondered if the reason he was always so smartly dressed was in preparation to endure with dignity whatever news assailed him, perhaps even to attend a funeral at a moment’s notice.” (When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine)

“I put the chocolate in my mouth, letting it soften until the last possible moment, and then as I chewed it slowly, I prayed that Mr. Pirzada’s family was safe and sound…That night when I went to the bathroom I only pretended to brush my teeth, for fear that I would rinse the prayer out as well. I wet the brush to prevent my parents from asking any questions, and fell asleep with sugar on my tongue.” (When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine)

“In truth, Sanjeev did not know what love was, only what he thought it was not.” (This Blessed House)

“At night we kissed, shy at first but quickly bold, and discovered pleasure and solace in each other’s arms.” (The Third and Final Continent)

From Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen

“I began to feel revulsion too. Insane people: I had a good nose for them and I didn’t want to have anything to do with them. I still don’t. I can’t come up with reassuring answers to the terrible questions they raise.”

“One of the great pleasures of mental health (whatever that is) is how much less time I have to spend thinking about myself.”

And another thing: Flowers. From my best friend.

Holidays

Who says I don’t like to party? Most people, actually, and they’re right. But here are some exceptions to the rule, from the last 3rd of 2010.

Pre-Halloween

 

Lovely Ladies @ Allison’s

 

HALLOWEEN!

 

Brother was a Hipster

Yes, indeed

Sister was a Viking

Lover was a LumberJack

 

Kevin’s Birthday

 

Christmas Crab Dinner


Little/Big World

I guess the whole “littlesarahBigWorld” theme kind of falls apart when all I do is stay at home, reading books and baking, tucked into myself. Sounds like a small world to me (albeit…calm). I guess you could say that I cope with the large-ness and scariness of the world by making my world smaller, more manageable.

But that’s not super exciting to read about/watch. So here are some (sorry, but…) retroactive posts from my post-Spain travels! Oklahoma City and San Francisco! So American, so wonderful.

How I Live Now

I live in my parents’ basement. I know this is actually quite common–graduating from college combined with uncertainty about the future equals moving back in with Mom and Dad for a bit. Back into your childhood bedroom, or maybe the guest room.

Except that I’m not living with Mom and Dad, I’m living with Mom and (step-)Mom. So is my little brother (age 23) and my little sister (age 3). And they’ve taken all the spare rooms, so I sleep in the laundry room, with sheets for walls. Right next to the coal shoot. Like this:

I call it my shame-ber, but it’s actually kind of charming. And this is what I see at night before I fall asleep:

Gold Stars

So…I have now officially read THREE non-fiction books in a row, which makes me feel…something. (Proud? Accomplished? Adventurous? Or just…bookish).

After this, I read

Doesn't it look nice, though?

…which really wasn’t that good. It was very much an exercise in determination, but DAMNIT, I finished it! I guess it’s good if you go into it not knowing anything about language. Like what grammar is, or why we name things. That sort of stuff.

Then I read

…which, again, had some interesting little tid-bits, but felt more like a published blog. Better than the David Crystal, though, definitely.

And, of course, I helped myself along by sneaking in some of these guys:

I love Craig Thompson

I liked them a lot

And now I’m on to biographies, starting with this guy:

Aron Ralston

“…LaĆ«ticia suggested that illness is a way the body closes in and shelter’s itself from chaos”

Hillevi: “You have so many layers, that you can peel away a few, and everyone’s impressed that you’re baring your soul, while to you it’s nothing, because you know you’ve twenty more layers to go…But we’re the ones that are most scared, and need the most love.”

(Both from Carnet du Voyage, by Craig Thompson)