October Favourites

This has been a nice month, but I'm going to be dying with work until March, so everybody please pray times flies until then. Please?

Anyway, for the here and now, these were some of my favourites from last month. 

1. One of the many books I received for my birthday this year was Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock, which is a beautiful story about a suicidal boy, and which these few words don't even begin to cover, but suffice to say that it was an absolutely wonderful book which should be mandatory reading for everybody, and which I wish my friends would read already so that I could talk about it with them. It's an amazing book. Outstanding. Awesome. And not as depressing as my brief description made it sound. Not quite like what the blurb makes it sound like either. Read it.
2. The Thinking Out Loud video. Please, for your sake, watch it in HD. I have never, that I can remember, been so in love with a music video.  It is absolutely brilliant, the dance, and also the atmosphere that they somehow create of actually being two lovers dancing by themselves, despite all the difficult steps. Ed is my boo, but Brittany Cherry is a dream. She makes those steps poetry, while you can kind of see Ed needs to focus on his steps a little more (possibly because he learned how to do this in a month just for this video WHILE ON TOUR and thus probably super-busy). I am really into this video (and song) okay?
3. We redid our room (again)! It is, I think, the cleanest it has ever been in the history of us living here, though the mattress on the floor is gone. I'll miss you, mattress on the floor. You were beautiful while you lasted.
   I think I'll bring that idea back later in my life, when my floor hopefully won't be so prone to dust. Its departure has made the room way more spacious though, so yay.
   I put up my posters, finally and it looks a bit cluttered (don't ever let me buy more posters, please, I beg of you), but meh. I like it, more or less. The room's cleanliness has got me really happy though, along with the fact that it's the beginning of the term so I'm actually managing to get some sleep. *touchwood* That state is not going to last long. 
4. I was home for half of October, and it was awesome. In retrospect. I kind of acted like a spoilt brat while I was there, which I'm not exactly proud of. I'm not even sure why I was such a snappy annoying creature, but I shall try to make it up now, when I am home again for a week! Five days. Whatever. Shut up.
   I also got to meet my brother!!! :D It was very last moment, and only for a couple days, but I'd been wanting to meet him, and...yay! The world has been kind to me, so far. Touchwood, and thank you, world. ^_^ Home also meant that I got to eat a lot of double ka meetha, which is this amazing dessert my mom makes which I have loved since I first tasted it. And we had to go to this family celebration thing, which I'd been dreading but which had two nice outcomes: a) I got to meet a friend in the holidays after over a year now, I think, and that was brilliant, she really made a shitty day brighter; b) I got to dress up all pretty and swish in my swishy outfit! 
5. I read Hamlet!!!!! A movie released here, starring one of my favourite actors (he is so beautiful and also acts well and also dances well and has the most amazing smile with his scrunchy face and his teeth and did I mention he was beautiful?), which was an adaptation of Hamlet. I decided, with great determination, that this would be my time to read Hamlet (I've been wanting to/planning to read another play by Shakespeare for years at this point), and that I wouldn't let myself watch the movie until I'd read the play. AND I DID IT. I set myself a goal and accomplished it and it was the most amazing feeling ever and I wish I procrastinated less so I could feel that more often. But anyway, the movie was brilliant, but I was also ecstatic to be drowning in Shakespeare again.
6. My mum went to buy lipstick and for the first time in her life they accidentally gave her the wrong shade, which happens to be a shade of red, which I've been wanting only forever, so I happily took this unwanted burden off her hands, and now I have two lipsticks, and one of them is RED (okay it's "Rosy Sunday," whatever) and this makes me inordinately happy. 
7. I also got mehendi, what some of you will know as henna, put on my hands, which I absolutely love, so yay for that too. Though mehendi these days peels off instead of fading gracefully as it used to do, which is really upsetting because it looks good for like two days before becoming absolutely disgusting and which idiot thought that this was a good idea? I think putting in whatever chemicals they are which is causing this makes the colour come faster, but everyone knows that keeping the mehendi on waiting for the colour to come is the best part! Or maybe that's just me. 
8. Another birthday present I got was a star necklace (a pendant shaped like a star, on a necklace). It's pretty simple, but I adore it, because a) star, b) it's hardy which means I can wear it all the time, c) Marshmallow gave it to me so wearing it all the time makes me feel a little more connected to her and d) I have always been fascinated with the idea of a constant accessory, whether that be earrings or a ring or a necklace and now I finally have one! So yay! (I say yay a lot but there really isn't a synonym for yay, is there? I tried to reduce my usage of "amazing," I hope you've noticed the diversity in my words.)
9. I got to hug my mom a lot. I'm missing home, and her, so much right now. It's weird how I wasn't homesick at all when I actually left home, it's just hitting me now, two years after the fact.
10. I found THE MOST PERFECT HEELS IN THE WORLD. And couldn't buy them. They were beige, which meant I could wear them with anything and would thus not feel so guilty about spending so much; they were high and looked amazing, but were also insanely comfortable and I could walk in them. But they only had one pair in my size, and the finishing wasn't great on it, to the extent that even I could notice, so...boo. :( What I did get to buy, however, are loads of sweaters and cardigans, one of which has such a Christmassy feel to it, and all of which I love, and I'm just really excited about this because I love winter-wear. Winter which requires one extra layer of clothing is the perfect season for me. So I guess what I'm saying is: autumn. I love autumn, and I wish India had more of an autumn. Or that I lived in San Francisco. San Francisco sounds kind of awesome, and I loved the one day (two?) that I spent there when I was little. 
11. I finally watched A Winter Soldier and it's as good as they all said it was. On the other hand, the new Avengers trailer has me really worried because it looks so dark and I'm scared. :| That song in the background really doesn't help either, AND WHY IS STEVE'S SHIELD BROKEN? I don't know if I can watch this movie (of course I will) but I can't (but I must). I'm also really excited about Agent Carter! The story sounds awesome, and also..Chad Michael Murray is in it. :D 
12. On that happy note, Diwali! It was my first Diwali away from home, which was sad, but also my first Diwali on campus, and it was really well done! I lit my first ever sky-lantern! And my only, so far. But the general festiveness with everyone dressing up, and going to the temple, and eating out, and generally celebrating life was lovely. So much happiness all around. 
13. STROOPWAFELS. Doobie's mum got them and they're the most delicious things in the world and I must get my hands on more of them. They're basically these Dutch waffle-snacks, and so good omnomnomnomnom. Nom. 
14. I finally went out for breakfast. I've wanted to do this only forever, but I always ended up being too sleep-deprived to wake up in the morning, or too broke, or not in town, every time anyone made plans. I don't think I can ever forgive my friends for going to one of my favourite places multiple times without me (you know who you are). But I digress. The last Sunday of this month, I finally overcame my morning lethargy to get out into the world before noon, and had breakfast at this wonderful place. Who knew I could actually like baked beans? I should've known better than to order coffee though; I wrongly presumed that my new-found love of hazelnut lattes would allow me to enjoy non-flavoured coffee as well. I was so, so wrong. Four sachets of sugar and it was still too coffee for me. *shudders* But it was a great place, good food, and great company, which more than made up for the coffee. 

Until next month, 

~Sam 

Songs belong to their listeners.

You know what I really like about books and paintings and art in general, but music in particular (because I just thought of this because of Wake Me Up When September Ends)? A lot of the times, you go through a lot of emotional trauma to write that one song, whether it's about a loved one passing away or a break-up or depression or even how pretty the sky is (maybe that one isn't so emotionally traumatizing). But once that song/book/whatever is out there, it creates so many new memories for so many new people. It's completely out of your hands, the effect your art has once it's out in the world. It's a little like what John Green says about books: they belong to their readers, and once it's out, the authors have no more authority over it than the readers do. They'll interpret it on their own; they'll imagine their own futures for characters after the end of the book. But also- they'll have their own story with the book, how it spoke to them and the memories it created, the feelings it evoked.  Something that grew out of an awful experience for you might give strength to someone else, or might just be a happy karaoke memory, or background work music. Or something which you wrote on the happiest day of your life might be the song playing when a listener gets bad news. It's just weird how every single person who comes in contact with art, including the creator, has her own particular relationship with it.


~Sam

Post 'The Book Thief'

You know what authors are? They're the biggest manipulators of all time. The things they can do with human emotion. Take your heart and twist it and wring out all these feelings, all this attachment, towards people who don't exist, but who are still people. So much investment in a world which doesn't exist, but one which is still real. Often much more love for this fiction than we ever feel for the real world, the real people. Anyone who's been half awake on the internet and seen all the various fandoms-Harry Potter comes to mind first-would know that. And it isn't just authors. Every type of artist. Painters, musicians, directors, actors. They all make us..care. And isn't that what I want to do? Make people care? Make people listen. Make people cry.



~Sam, whose heart just finished crying over The Book Thief. 

The Beginning of a New Era?

Well, my copy of George R.R. Martin's "Game of Thrones" has finally arrived. I read about 75 pages so far, and it's pretty promising. Will it be the next big thing for me? Well, I'll just have to read on and find out. As of now, I'm already immersed in the book. I really hope it doesn't disappoint me...and I also hope that it never ends. I hate it when epic books end. It fucks with my brain. Also, I have considered watching the T.V. show. But I'm waiting to finish the books that are out first. So yeah.. I'll keep you guys posted(If you even care).
I just discovered that my thumb hurts when I type. And also that my glee finale torrent is done. And that it's past 3 A.M....well there goes my normal functioning REM cycle.

I used the word "well" a lot. Sorry, I'll try to stop. 

Books and T.V. Shows.

The title of the post explains exactly what I want to talk about.

So recently I ordered Rachel Vincent's latest book, Blood Bound. It's her new adult novel, and it's bloody brilliant! The only book I've read in a REALLY long time. Damn. Rachel Vincent, you've done it again. You are now the favorite author. How does she manage to write such books?! And the story isn't anything like you've ever read before. The female protagonist is a total bad ass. It has guns and thugs and thrill and romance. If you like action, then this is the book for you.

Moving on to T.V. shows, the last episode of One Tree Hill came out again. A part of me just died watching it. You know that feeling you get when a T.V. show or a good series of books is ending? That aching feeling like you don't know what to do with your life? Yeah, I'm totally feeling that right now. Earlier today when I was talking to Sam, she told me to relax and said that I still had other shows like supernatural. To this, I said that I am a delusional person who lives in various parallel universes and one of them just ended. *dies* You're probably shocked that I watch One Tree Hill. * no comment*