Tag: books

Categories
Careers / Work Miscellaneous

#029: In The Night Garden…creepy shiznit!

Currently listening to: “Maurice au bistro” – Les Cowboys Fringants

So most of you know that I work at Indigo. Work is always delightful; usually, it’s a complete laugh, and the books we get in are moderately decent, for the most part. Except on rare occasions. The other day at work, I was shelving a bunch of children’s books, and they were the scariest things I’ve ever had the misfortune to lay eyes upon. I am speaking of the “In The Night Garden” book series, also a BBC (gasp!) children’s television show. These books are some of the most disturbing things I have ever seen in my life, and I am downright opposed to the sale of these books. Why are they igniting such a radical flame of anger in me, you may inquire? LET ME TELL YOU.

Firstly, the book characters are bloody creepy. Let me direct your attention to some of the book covers:

Secondly, who named these characters? Igglepiggle? Upsy Daisy?? Ninky Nonk?!?!? Good god, this is bizarre.

Thirdly, I decided to read the books. Don’t judge by a rubbish cover and whatnot.
You know what? If the covers look anything like that, go ahead and judge, because the content’s not much better. Let me summarize the plot of one of the books I skimmed through – “Upsy Daisy loves the Ninky Nonk”:

here for your viewing pleasure.

So. Plot summary. The Upsy Daisy roams the forest, kissing wildlife and plant varieties indiscriminately. The Ninky Nonk, a train (?!?!) shows up, and is sad. Upsy Daisy kisses the train and it cheers up. Everyone is happy and goes to sleep.

What kind of message is this sending out to impressionable young children? In the guise of cheery (uh…think utterly frightening) creatures (occasionally nude, in the case of one particular character), I would see this to be the rampant spread of promiscuity among the young. Small children will roam around thinking it’s perfectly alright to emulate any of the above activities, including (but not limited to) kissing public transport. Honestly.

Fourthly, the television series is even worse, if possible.
PART ONE of “The Ninky Nonk Adventure”. I can’t follow the train of thought, or plot, if any. Just watch it. Seriously. You’ll understand my reaction after viewing such an abomination.

I ought to be studying for finals now, by the way.
Ta for now.

Categories
Academic Careers / Work Miscellaneous

#027: Multiple orders of business!

Currently listening to: “Foux de Fafa” – Flight of the Conchords

hello, I am Mary, hear me ramble.

Order of Business Numero UNO:
HEY JAYNE, I HEAR YA. The first thing you learn in Arts One is that you can’t write. Not even for change, baby. Not even Plato can save you. You’re in the cave. And you can’t get out. But I digress, as usual.

Order of Business Numero DEUX:
Twelve-year-olds, IT’S OKAY. You can RELAX. The world is not coming to an end. Yes, the Twilight movie is coming out. IT IS SERIOUSLY ALRIGHT. Don’t forget to breathe. (Or you know…don’t…let’s see…uhm.)

And on the same note, is there any real good reason why is Indigo selling Twilight t-shirts? What are we, the Gap? American freaking Eagle? Are we going to sell out and become the TNA of the book industry? Are we going to start selling tank tops for $50 – NO. WAIT.

I will rephrase that.

It’s really not our fault. We sell books. We’re just doing our job. BUT Twilight has blown out of proportion. A faintly entertaining novel with great potential to be read aloud in a sarcastic manner has been seized and taken hostage by the movie industry, as usual. I actually found the books quite entertaining. I had nothing against them in particular. In typical consummate Hollywood style, the industry is just so desperate to latch onto the next kids’ bestseller, make it into a movie featuring some unknowns, and market their end product (“I’d rather die than stay away from you”? “You are my life now”? WTF? Aren’t they like, seventeen???) to aforementioned hyperventilating twelve-year-olds, rendering themselves, and the kids, absolutely incomprehensible to polite society.

Even more puzzling to me are the 40-year-old women who read the books. I can’t quite imagine why, unless you were a highly worried parent wondering what sort of madness has stricken your poor and unfortunate child in throes of Twilightmania.

Order of Business, Numero TROIS:
T’is the season for wellies!!!!!!!!!

With that, I shall leave you now.
Ta, till the next time!

Categories
Miscellaneous

#024: Positively delightful!

Currently listening to: “Oxford Comma” – Vampire Weekend

THINGS THAT MADE ME SMILE TODAY (:

1. Crepe sale avec Le Club Français in MASS today- yummy!
With a queue stretching all the way past the doors, French music playing, and of course, a great amount of FOOD, t’was a great deal of fun indeed. Ah, the joys of spreading the Francophile love. You know you waaaaaaaant to.

2. The gorgeously bleak day sans rainfall. Waking up to the sight of the angular silhouette of a bare tree juxtaposed against a dusky grey sky gives me a thrill like no other. Sure, sunny days are relatively pleasant and all, but nothing quite compares to a beautifully gray and suitably cold day, accompanied with tea, a beret, and a good read. And yes, before you start your puzzled inquiries, as so many have previously done – yes, I do take the bus, and yes, despite it all, I love the weather. So there.

3. Finding Oliver James’ Affluenza and The Selfish Capitalist at the library today!!

God knows I’ve stood hovering around those books in Indigo during work, stroking the sleek covers and asking myself if it would be prudent to purchase them both. (And sneaking reads of chapters during break time, amongst various other things.) Patience wins out, and the library is made of win!

4. Feeling accomplished! I have actually studied for my French test. The less said about that, the better: elaboration will serve no purpose here aside from illustrating the extent of my procrastinating skills.

5. A text message from a friend whom I have not corresponded with in ages! ♥ Oh, trans-world-Canada-everywhere friendships. (Fully feeling an attack of the warm fuzzies coming on now.) I’m so glad, so, so so unbelievably glad that these marvellous people have all wandered into my life and chosen to stay and be part of it all, madness and larks and whatsits all included. (collective awwww)

6. Vampire Weekend !

Their quirky and upbeat songs never fail to make me smile. Check out their self-titled debut album, or listen to their songs on the new 90210 soundtrack and the Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist soundtrack. Oh, fusion pop-jazz-African-violin!-rock-even vague hints of samba?, the wonders you do!

7. THE HOPE THAT TOMORROW BRINGS. I will blog about this tomorrow (:

Till then, ta!

Categories
Miscellaneous

#023: Books and memories, oh my!

Currently listening to: “9 to 5” – Dolly Parton

Today, at work, a gentleman came up to me and requested the following book:

Less relevant, at least for my purposes, is the content of the book. Suffice to say, Jared Diamond is a freaking genius, and if you are the least bit interested in anthropology and development of society, you ought to read this book. But I digress – every time I see this book, it sparks off a series of memories (and I have to suppress the urge to rave about it). Memory-wise, I can remember exactly when, where, and under what circumstances I was reading the book for the first time. McDonalds, in Singapore. I was fourteen. Sitting by the door, I was reading the book in its original hardcover, taken out from the school library. Six-ish, after a Tribune meeting (thus, it was a Tuesday), in typical Mary style, reading in an eating establishment while having a Diet Coke and ice cream at the same time. This train of memories brings back images of the school library of the secondary school I attended there, wood-paneling and couches and all. Why should I have remembered any of this in such detail? None of it is particularly significant at all; I must’ve read any number of books at McDo’s, doing the exact same thing, and I can’t remember any of them. Except maybe Les Miserables, but I’ve read that book everywhere and anywhere, so that doesn’t quite count.

And while we’re on the subject of books, here’s a funky recommendation:

That book definitely distracted me way too much from Provincial exam studying in Grade 12. Definitely was trying to distract others equally by reading out the whole existentialist children’s storybook to my assorted bemused friends. It’s quite the brilliant reflection on death and the (presumable) afterlife tucked into the guise of a children’s picture book, with gorgeous black and white illustrations, and text-messaging animal protagonists. Need I say more? God, I love children’s books with profound truths in its simplicity.

Rawr.

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