a thousand splendid suns
Only two weeks since he had left, and it was already happening. Time, blunting the edges of those sharp memories. Laila bore down mentally. What had he said? It seemed vital, suddenly, that she know.
Laila closed her eyes. Concentrated.
With the passing of time, she would slowly tire of this exercise. She would find it increasingly exhausting to conjure up, to dust off, to resuscitate once again what was long dead. There would come a day, in fact, years later, when Laila would no longer bewail his loss. Or not as relentlessly; not nerely. There would come a day when the details of his face would begin to slip from memory's grip, when overhearing a mother on the street call after her child by Tariq's name would no longer cut her adrift. She would not miss him as she did now, when the ache of his absence was her unremitting companion - like the phantom pain of an amputee.
Except every once in a while, when Laila was a grown woman, ironing a shirt or pushing her children on a swing set, something trivial, maybe the warmth of a carpet beneath her feet on a hot day or the curve of a stranger's forehead, would set off a memory of that afternoon together. And it would all come rushing back. The spontaneity of it. Their astonishing imprudence. Their clumsiness. The pain of the act, the pleasure of it, the sadness of it. The heat of their entangled bodies.
It would flood her, steal her breath.
But then it would pass. The moment would pass. Leave her deflated, feeling nothing but a vague restlessness.
Khaled Hosseini.
Review by June H.L. Wong
"In an interview following the publication of The Kite Runner, Hossini, who lives in California, said he decided to write about the country of his birth because he wanted people to see how "the Afghan people existed before there was a war with the Soviets and before there was a Taliban" and that he wanted "people to get involved with the characters and care for them. And I want people to simply remember Afghanistan."
A must read. Moved me to tears.
There is no shame in being born a woman.
its over! for a while
I just sat for my last exam today. Wohoo! Done for the semester! So now I'm on a two-week break. It's not much, and everything is going to start again really soon, but right now, I'm just so thankful to God that I survived. Hopefully I won't do too badly this time either!
So friends and I have been making quite a few plans. Just went for yum cha with CK, Louis and Vivy, dinner and movie tonight with Emma, lunch with the girls tomorrow, dinner at 2 Kelburn Parade and another movie. Movie again on Monday. Gosh. In the space of 5 days, I'm gonna be watching 21, Prince Caspian and the Incredible Hulk. Thank God for student prices! (But seriously, when it comes to movies, nothing beats Malaysia). And when Vivy gets money from her sponsors we are hitting Queensgate. I don't have money, but it'll be nice to be in a mall. Makes me feel home. Despite the fact that its only two stories high. But thats okay. It's a mall. So Vivy can buy clothes, while I go buy necessities, like shampoo.
So I'm gonna just really relax for now. No uni. I can do whatever I want without thinking about studies. Sleep in, eat, watch movie, eat, gym, sleep again. And repeat the whole thing again. YAAY!
The best is bought at the price of great pain.
a new look
So I've been fiddling around with blog skins. I think I'll stick with this one. I finally got the comments to work, and I like the look!
Taking a good long break today. Did not get any study done because I'm too tired. I will have an early night tonight, and will start again tomorrow. Or I might just start studying a bit tonight. Haven't really decided.
I learned something awesome in church today
"There is nothing wrong with you."
YAAY! I need to listen to the good birdy instead of the bad one. Bad birdy. Bad.
I've always thought that there's just something a tad wrong with me. Not quite sure what. On the other hand, there will be no one, in the past or in the future, or in any time or space, that's like me. So individuality should be celebrated.
Anna K is leaving for a round the world trip tomorrow and won't be back till January. So many things are going to change come Jan. ='(
And today is Father's Day back home and in the rest of the world. I'm not quite sure why New Zealand has a different father's day, but Happy Father's Day to Dad! The wife and 3 kids pretty much robbed him of his youth, his freedom and his money, and he's been broke since he's about 30 because of the family. The utmost respect should be given to good men who love their wives and children, and took on the burden to put them first. These are men honoured by God, because they chose the better, harder road. And I hope there will be more men who are like that. Sin has already produce enough wife beaters, children molesters and adulterers.
A father is always turning his little girl into a woman. And when she's a woman he wants to turn her back again
140103 - something beautiful
C. L. Purdy
As I look back on all that has happened: growing up, growing together, changing you, changing me - there were times when we dreamed together, when we laughed and cried together. As I look back on those days, I realize how much I truly miss you, and how much I truly loved you. The past may be gone forever and whatever the future holds, our todays make the memories of tomorrow. So, my lifetime friend, it is with all my heart that I send you my love, hoping that you'll always carry my smile with you, for all we have meant for each other, and for whatever the future may hold.
Robert G. Ingersoll
Love is the only bow on life's dark cloud
It is the Morning and the Evening star
It shines upon the cradle of the babe
and shed its radiance upon the quiet tomb
It is the mother of Art,
Inspire of poet, patriot and philosopher
It is the air and light of every heart, builder of every home,
kindler of fire on every hearth.
It was the first who thought of immortality
It fills the world with melody,
for music is the voice of Love.
Love is the magician, the Enchanter
that changes worthless things to joy
and makes right royal kings and queens of common day
It is the perfume of the wondrous flower - the heart
and without that sacred passion, that divine swoon,
we are less than beasts;
But with Love, earth is heaven,
And we are gods.
