Sunday, August 16, 2009

Books I want to read:

Life of Pi
The Time-Traveller's Wife
Kafka on the Shore

Has anyone read any of these books and would like to offer an opinion? I'm thinking of buying one of them to bring on my epic 19-hour flight to Los Angeles (with a transit in between of course). Yup, for your information, I'll be heading there this Sunday for college. I really don't know what it's going to be like but I hope to blog about my adventures there.

You may wonder why I'm taking the trouble to travel to a faraway land for my studies. The thing is, I feel that I won't get any closer to the life I want in future by staying here. I don't just mean career-wise, but also the person I aspire to be and my lifestyle as well. By moving away I'll have the chance to try a new way of life, meet different people, challenge my thinking and start being the 'me' that I want. It's hard to change when you are surrounded by familiar things; it's hard to develop creatively when you don't have the freedom you need. I sense that I need to take an initiative in learning to be independent because it won't happen otherwise.

There are so many things I can do there such as cooking new dishes, incorporating exercise in my life, doing creative writing, drawing and getting back in the water because I once loved to swim. I stopped swimming after developing eczema and strangely, it's a different health problem that got me thinking about it again. I have a mild spinal curvature and was recommended by the doctor to pick up swimming. Maybe it's serendipity. With a fresh start I'll finally have the courage to put in action the things I've always thought of doing.

4 comments:

SC said...

I tried to read the Time-Traveller's Wife last year, but couldn't get past half of it (partly because I got it right before midterm week). I remember it being slightly confusing in the beginning (I'm one of those readers who like to skim the book first, then read it and digest every word, sentence, page slowly). I'm going to borrow it again hopefully. Maybe my new Gr 11 brain can take it and enjoy it. There IS a movie out now. But I'd rather finish the book before watching the movie, really.

Wow, congrats. LA (: Good luck, love! It sounds exciting. A time to reinvent.

Kaya said...

I wish u all the best now and from here onwards.

Y'know I've heard about these books u mentioned allot but have not read them due to my heavy schedule.

What I do recommend you pick up for your 'epic flight' lol is 'The Kite Runner' and 'Songs My Mother taught Me'... there's another one but can't recall the name.. will get back to you.

Unknown said...

i've only read the Life of Pi. i'm beginning to wonder if all fiction writers end up writing like Gabriel Garcia Marquez, lol.

make the best of your ride here on earth.

Shu Ning said...

hey yilin,

good luck for college ok? do blog often, because i will be watching this blog! :)

oh and i have read "life of Pi". not very memorable seeing i can't remember very much about it only that it was about a boy, a tiger in the middle of the ocean, or something along those lines...:P

-shuning:)