comfort objects: books

 

I love the anticipation of turning the page

how the right finger slips under the corner ready for you to finish your paragraph

I love a used book because whoever held it before also flipped that page

and maybe they thought about it too much too

I love a new book because the spine hasn't been cracked yet

and your fingers feel dirty in the best way possible

corrupting the fresh white words

I love bookstores because each unknown title is a possibility for inspiration

a sculptor of the now

a friend in paperback camouflage

I love the feeling you get after reading so intently

the slow realization that your own reality has stood by, also waiting with baited breath

to know the secret ending

Basically, I love books. I love reading for school but I really love reading for no reason.

mhhhm. books. I am currently reading You Shall Know Our Velocity and it's grand. I both desperately want and don't want to be friends with these two crazy fictional men as they try to travel the whole world in a week.

Sukhothai!

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Between my time in Mae Sot and Empty Space my friend Jessica and I decided to give ourselves a break from the stress of school and research and such. We decided to go to Sukhothai and I have to say it was totally worth the trip. (Even though the trip was only a day long.) It was about a three hour bus ride but I have never minded traveling. It's strange, even after seven hours in a bus part of me still wishes I could stay in that state of transition idefinentally.

The town of Sukhothai was a little bit of a surprise after Mae Sot. It wasn't much to look at, very touristy but very smiley in typical Thai style. It was odd to be somewhere so touristy after two weeks in a town that given was full of forigners, but not tourists as we tend to think of them. The ruins, however, where breathtaking and the multitude of Buddhas was a little bit overwhelming. As Jessica climb ruins with great dicression in attempt to avoid the watchful eyes of the local athorities I was interviewed by not one but four awkward 15 year old school groups. Each asked me the same questions so by the end of the interview process I was The Great Chinese Greta from Argentina who liked juice and white tigers but disliked bug bites. It was quite the day! Lots of fun to say the least. When I visit ruins I always marvel at how long the statues have stood in that place and how many people and things they had stood witness to. I get a similar feeling to that of sitting below a very old tree, that my own existence in that moment is such a miniscule thing compared to everything that those stone walls and tree branches have witnessed.

I highly recommend the trip to anyone who has a little spare time in Thailand. Sure, it's touristy, but it's touristy for a reason. Stunning!

Censorship, No Thanks.

If you haven't heard congress is in the process of passing a bill that will allow for censorship of the internet. I don't think I have to explain (at least I hope not) that this is a huge issue that should be getting a way bigger hype then it is. In a time when people organize, converse, and revolt largely through the internet our internet should not be censored. Watch this video, and if you agree click here to speak out against the bill.

The Happy Part of Holdays

I ran across this doing research for my Occupy vs. Saffron paper I am ALMOST done with. Giving gifts is fun, it's tradition, and seriously, not all of the U.S. is going to stop buying presents because of corporate rule (though that is a nice goal I guess) but it's true. This whole thing isn't about the gifts. I'm not going to be in the home for Christmas and what I will miss won't be the presents, it will be the family and friends and snowy walks and black tea. Buy local presents, make your own, or just spend some time with the people you love instead of buying things for them!