kalunka*

This post serves notice that I do not know when or where I will post again. Maybe here. Maybe on another site. I have found that I need a new personal philosophy regarding private vs public and what can cross between the two.

If you want to contact me, try frcrnrs at yahoo dot com.
Or leave a comment.

When thinking about past celebrations of the new year, most of them have left much to be desired. Anticipation and expectations are enemies to having a good time.

Last year was definitely one of my best new year's ever. I met up with two old friends in Florence, Italy, and we rang in the new year in an Italian restaurant surrounded by Italians who all must have been related to or best friends with the owner. They allowed us to join in on their private party in the basement, where we danced until 2am.

Another steller new year was the 1999 - 2000 shift. Interestingly, I was visiting the same two friends, this time in Austin, TX, and we enjoyed a night of dancing to swing/lounge versions of songs like Radiohead's Creep.

But this most recent new year's eve might have those two beat. Turning down several invitations and parties in order to stay in and do nothing, it was just me and a companion, wearing pajamas and drinking a champagne toast while watching Dick Clark's countdown, followed by the movie Airplane.

Since being temporarily freed from graduate studies for a short month, I have been able to return to reading for pleasure. I have a hard time narrowing down what I want to read to just one book. Books that I am currently in the middle of, or have just finished:


1.
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri (author of The Interpreter of Maladies)

I read the Interpreter of Maladies several years ago, and enjoyed it. My mom checked out the Namesake from the library and left in my room for me so I started reading it when I arrived home for the holidays. It captured me, and I finished it the same day.


2.
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

I am in an all girl bookclub (and yes, it is as exciting as you might imagine - maybe even more so - those girls are well-read, attractive, diverse, and intelligent, and we get in a good amount of gossip at each meeting) and we decided to read this Bryson book for January. It's ok so far, and I like the science in it, but it is a slow read, and I keep putting it down to pick up one of the other books on my nightstand.


3.
Neither East nor West: One woman's journey through the Islamic Republic of Iran by Christiane Bird

I've been reading this book all semester. I pick it up to read a chapter whenever I have had the time. It is amazing. I like to look at the world and politics from the individual and personal point of view (rather than the statistical or aggregate historical view), and this book is one woman's account of the places she goes and the people she meets in Iran. It amazes me how little I know about the Middle East in general and Iran in particular, and how much I like about it as I read this book.

4.
A Prayer for Owen Meanyby John Irving

This is my favorite Irving book, and one of my favorite books of all time. It reminds me of my dad, who first lent it to me. I bought it to give to a friend and I can't stop myself from rereading it now before I give it away next week. It is a book that makes you laugh and cry, usually at the same time, by simply talking about family and life and miracles as an extraordinary part of every life.


5.
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser

A good friend gave me this paperback copy more than a year ago, signed by the author. I finally picked it up to read on the airplane, and I am a few chapters in. I have been reading and thinking a lot this semester about suburbanization, obesity, urban planning, community planning and development, and American's car dependency, and this book is further informing my thinking on these interrelated topics.

continued from Friday:

the thing about me that I am most gratified by is my ability to surprise myself with my spontaneity and insanity....

two hours ago - a half joking comment made by him about flying out to spend new year's together
30 minutes ago - I booked my flight.

Tomorrow morning I fly to El Paso for the holidays. I didn't grow up in El Paso, so I don't know many people there - it will be two weeks of watching cable tv, walking the dog, and reading. That sounds good.

Except, I'm feeling like I'll be homesick for Pittsburgh. Even though I've only lived here 6 months, it feels more like home than anywhere else does right now.

Two weeks. Right now that seems like forever.

The thing about love that I am most gratified by is its ability to suprise me and to appear from unhoped for sources.

I survived four exams last week, and I'm barely surviving the subsequent celebrations. Friday I was in a bar by 11am, napping by 3pm, and out again by 8pm. I won't tell you what time I got home.

Over the past few days of freedom, I've participated in a jam session, walked a mile in a foot of snow with a guitar on my back, listened to jazz at a holiday inn, slept until noon, read A Fine Balance, started a complete winter cleaning of my apartment, designed and printed my own holiday cards using a linoleum block, indigo ink and drawing paper, and kept myself alive through periodic feeding. Tonight, a group of us are going to hit my neighborhood's dive bars.

I'd promise to fill up all my free time with writing, except my favorite hobby is procrastination, so I'd better not make any promises.

So, I was watching the Florida Democratic Party convention on a channel that is usually the Hallmark channel, but mysteriously became C-Span today. Maybe it becomes C-Span all the time. I don't know, I don't often switch to the Hallmark channel. I listened to Edwards, Clark, Dean, Kerry, and Kucinich speak.

I was impressed by Kucinich. He is passionate and an idealist, which I have to admire. I agree on much of his platform, including turning Iraqi oil assets over on an interim basis to the UN, asking the UN to approve contracts for the rebuilding of Iraq, and inviting UN forces (or should I say begging them) to help or even run the peacekeeping forces in Iraq. I'm a little worried about his views on free trade, though I understand his stance that free trade should also be fair trade. At times I got uncomfortable listening to him, he gets so worked up. But I think it would be a good thing to have a president who understands what it really means to be homeless. Or how a child in poverty feels. Even if Kucinich doesn't win the nomination, at least he will force the other democratic candidates to face these topics and state their stance.

I liked Edwards too. He is handsome, a natural speaker, and has a good sense of humor. That would make him a good date or a talk show host. Otherwise I think he may be too much of a politician for my liking. I caught a few minutes of the last democratic debate, and I was unimpressed by his inability to answer a question directly. He did much better today, but I'll reserve my full judgment until I hear more from him.

Last week a friend told me that Clark reminded her of a pretty girl. He is quite dainty. And there is nothing wrong with that. I appreciate his experience as a supreme commander of NATO forces in Europe, and I believe that he would use military intervention only in cases of last resort. I'm not sure that is enough for my vote.

Kerry rubs me the wrong way. I can't yet pinpoint why. Maybe it's the fact that he likes to constantly remind us that he is married to the rich widow of the Senator that the public policy school I attend is named after. That's not really a good reason though. He has a great face for political cartoonists, and I'm sure he'll get their vote.

Dean. He is good at getting people to follow him, and he speaks well about the issues. I like that he is appealing to the democratic party base and not to the swing voters. I had an argument this summer about how a democratic candidate could win this election. I argued that they have to move away from the middle, and go left. Dean (and Kucinich even more so) is doing that, and he has charisma and speaking power to boot. But is he completely genuine?