I've had tiring days... and didn't have time/energy to sit and write. One, I had promised to assemble a chest of drawers from Ikea for my aunt, and I had been putting it off for ages... and now it's done and my hands are too sore to type. Even though I am happy to say that I'm quite good at assembling wooden furniture like chests of drawers, bookshelves and tables (which come packed as separate planks, screwdrivers, nuts and bolts etc etc..), my aunt insists on reminding me every other hour that I can't do it since I'm a girl. Unfortunately for her, I have proved her wrong on a number of occasions. Pointing to my previous success (book-case) only lead her to observe that I had screwed it loosely, and any heavy book or touch will make it collapse. I wonder if that is the case at all? That book-case has been standing, by the Grace of God, on its apparently 'loosely screwed' base for the past 4 years, under tons of rubbish, 2 thick dictionaries, the entire Harry Potter series, 22 novels I needed for my English course, and 3 biology textbooks, not to mention my jewelry box and other items that have no reason to be there but well...
As far as I can tell, that good old book-case (may all the evil forces stay away) has stood the test of time and 4 years of university education. Good job, I say!
So while I was applying all my energies on screwing (actually 'super' screwing) each nail in this chest of drawers, my aunt's repetitive remarks about "not a girl's job" were my only words of encouragement. Now... (again, may all you dirty evil forces stay away) the chest of drawers is standing on its "superscrewed" feet, tall and handsome in all its wooden glory. I don't understand why people still have such obviously misogynistic tendencies. The worst part is, it's actually women who are the most against women. I've felt more aware of my "lack due to being a girl" by another lady's words/gestures than by any gentlemen! I mean, I don't claim that I can lift 150lbs without trouble, or I can work with a tractor, or I can become a roofer/builder, etc. But I believe there are somethings girls actually CAN do...like screwing screws nicely and putting planks together to make a bookcase. That's called following instructions correctly, using sound judgement, and having a bit of know-how with basic tools (hammer, screwdrivers, etc etc). Also, girls CAN check the oil range in a car, they CAN take the car to a mechanic to get the carburettor checked, girls can use hammers and nails, and they can paint walls as well. I feel, even though the world has 'supposedly' changed so much, we still hold the same backward expectations that were prevalent in the mid-1900s.
Next, I was also trying to read this book by a Canadian author Yann Martel, "Life of Pi", and although it's got rave reviews from many reviewers, and has been highly popular on the subway stations/trains (being the book of choice to read when stuck in yet another 'currently experiencing delays at eastbound' subway train) I've actually put down this book 2 times. By that, I don't mean I was so hooked that I only ate/drank/slept/watched tv/facebooked/sneezed 2 times since I've been reading it. It means I've kept this book down for good twice. Which is disappointing for an avid reader like me. I began to read this book right after I'd finished "A Thousand Splendid Suns" (spectacular book-that one!) in order to 'lighten' my mood. After 5 hours of Life of Pi, I shut it for good... and went on with my life for another 2 years. But it's title kept mocking me from the bookshelf all this while, so I decided to conquer it once and for all. So far, it seems I'll be defeated yet again. The writing style is nice, the story is bizarre and interesting, but the problem with the book is, I just don't care. I don't care about Pi Patel and Richard Parker sailing to nowhere, I don't care Pi Patel ends up in Canada, or where he learnt to swim. That is a sad lack of the writer, that the character isn't very connected with the reader, at least not with me. The worst part is the book's notorious cover (seen so many times on subways during 'currently experiencing delays eastbound' that I mentally connect the two scenarios and feel like I'm stuck on the train whenever I lay my eyes on it). At first, I could only make out an incorrect (retarded) representation of a mitochondrion swimming in a blue cytoplasm. With a name like "Life of Pi" I could only imagine a recently discovered sub-cellular organism documenting its boring scientific existence somewhere inside the animal cell. Imagine my shock, therefore, when I saw a tiger inside the mitochondrion! Anyways, I guess to some readers, this book has been a great read.... To me... I think I should eat/drink/sleep/watch tv/go facebook stalk people/ and sneeze now. Thank you.
Oh...I also attended a party tonight. What? Write about that? No way...
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