July

Sometimes I think about becoming a Buddhist chaplain. There’s a program for it in California–three years of study to become a Master of Divinity. But I don’t think this is the route I’ll follow in this life. I’ll stick with my pen & paper & camera, and remain a lay Buddhist.

 

Happy Bloomsday!

Ulysses

by James Joyce

“O and the sea the sea crimson sometimes like fire and the glorious sunsets and the
figtrees in the Alameda gardens yes and all the queer little streets and pink and blue
and yellow houses and the rosegardens and the jessamine and geraniums and
cactuses and Gibraltar as a girl where I was a Flower of the mountain yes when I put
the rose in my hair like the Andalusian girls used or shall I wear a red yes and how
he kissed me under the Moorish wall and I thought well as well him as another and
then I asked him with my eyes to ask again yes and then he asked me would I yes to
say yes my mountain flower and first I put my arms around him yes and drew him
down to me so he could feel my breasts all perfume yes and his heart was going like
mad and yes I said yes I will Yes.”

Excerpt from, “Ulysses, ” by James Joyce.

Today is Bloomsday. It is the day on which James Joyce’s (books by this author) Ulysses takes place, in 1904. It’s named after the main character, Leopold Bloom, and Joyce chose this day for the action of the novel to commemorate the first date he had with his future wife, Nora Barnacle, an uneducated chambermaid from Galway whom he met for a stroll around Dublin. A few days earlier, Nora had stood him up for their scheduled date.

Today, Joyceans all over the world celebrate with staged readings of Ulysses. Dublin has a long tradition of hosting celebrities, politicians, and international diplomats to do these dramatized readings. In fact, in Dublin, Bloomsday is not just celebrated for a day — it’s a weeklong extravaganza. There are Ulysses walking tours, where a person can retrace the steps of the fictional Leopold Bloom, as well as literary-themed pub crawls, musical acts, and museum exhibits. There’s also an annual Messenger Biker Rally, where people dressed in Joyce-era clothing ride old bicycles along the route that Leopold Bloom would have walked, and there are large-scale Irish breakfasts and afternoon teas devoted to Ulysses devotees.
(From the Writer’s Almanac)

(Back to my regularly scheduled constraints tomorrow)

 

Go Say Hi to Some Students in China!

My friend Rachel, who maintains one of my favorite blogs in which she chronicles her experience as an English teacher in China, has just created a video blog where her students can practice their mad English skillz. Go visit Hello from China, and leave some encouraging comments for these students.

 

Look at me, look at me!

My story ran today. So exciting. Though, I did find some changes I would have made if I were writing it today. Ah, well. That’s writing for you. Now, lets hope I get my byline in more often!

 

My place

My brother found a house for me in Spain. Isn’t it exquisite?

 

Jake’s visit

It was worse going in the second time. I thought I had escaped Jake’s visit with only a 2-inch gash around my wrist; it was my war wound, proof that I could help hold onto a 90 lb., angry, thrashing Pit Bull. “I’m going to need more blood from Jake,” the doctor said, and I could scarcely believe my ears. He had struggled with the dog too. Was relieved when we got blood the first time. Walking back in, I felt like some grand dare devil about to stick my head in a lion’s mouth. Jake greeted us with Don’t-Fuck-With-Me barks and growls. “Do you want to muzzle him or do you want me to?” the doctor asked, distracted with his note taking. I wanted to forget the muzzle and flee the premises. But I didn’t. Instead I took the muzzle from the doctor and slinked toward Jake.

 

150 words or less

I’m going to try this constraint again. I tried it for a few days last year and found it to be fun. One of the reasons I haven’t been posting lately is because I’m tired after work, and, when I do blog, I stop half-way through and decide the work is too dull to post.  I think I can put together 150 interesting words to comment on life, books, etc.

 

omg

 

Yes

Boredom is the absence of attention. When bored, pay attention. (From the editors of Tricycle)

“We’re fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance.” —Japanese Proverb (lifted from Soul Pancake)

 

random record skips

Yesterday, I thought about the times I visited KMart with my mother when I was a kid. We’d eat together in the cafeteria; I’d gobble down a hot dog and chocolate pudding with whipped cream.  I loved going there. They had layaway (I think they still do). My parents purchased a lot of stuff that way. I think stores should bring layaway back; I’d much rather do that these days than put purchases on a credit card.

Today, I thought about the television show V. I wonder if anyone remembers it? The people in the show looked normal, but when the normal skin was peeled away, a green, lizard skin was revealed. I remember one of the aliens had a child with a human. It was a scary lizard baby. I think this show really freaked me out when I was a kid.

This evening I ate far too much sugar cookie dough. And when I say far too much, I’m not meaning a wimpy, one or two dollops of dough. I’m talking enough cookie dough (and pizza and a drop of beer) to make me say I may never eat cookie dough ever ever ever ever again. And I fuckin’ love cookie dough. But not right now. Right now I want wrap my arms around and rest my head against the cold toilet bowl. But I won’t because I’m really quite a germ freak.