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Mar. 14th, 2009 09:19 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selene_13Personal jabbering ahead! (just warning ya)
So I'm in Prague. I work for an academic publisher and I've been sent out to a medical conference in the Czech Republic to man a promotional booth. I've been to conferences on my own before, but it feels like the people here are just not as talkative or interested as elsewhere. This makes for long days. Luckily I don't have to be there until 10 and I can leave at 5. Most of the time, I sit in my chair and read novels (I try to read the research in our journals to kind of grasp what current affairs are, but without a medical background it's near impossible). We get fed regularly and I try to eat healthy, but I know I'm overeating. Normally I don't eat a warm meal at midday, nor such a big breakfast as I do now in the hotel (if I even eat breakfast at all!). Though I guess I'm not eating any bad stuff simply because I'm not buying any. My only indulgence is my Caramel Macchiato and whipped cream from the Starbucks: You might not get how happy it makes me. There are no Starbuckses where I live and I love this coffee.
When I am sprung from the booth at 5 I hurry back to the hotel (2 stops by Metro. I forgot my wallet today and was freeloading the ride, but there appears no sign of any kind of controlling so far). Then I walk through the city for an hour or two until it gets dark and find a cafe or restaurant to eat some food. Though I find it awkward to sit in a restaurant alone, I prefer not to get fastfood (though I have done so yesterday). There is a gym and sauna in the hotel (tiny though), so I can get some exercise, and every evening I take a long bath, book in hand.
I don't mind being alone, as long as its by choice and not out of necessity. In fact, I find it quite relaxing to be away from everyone I know for a week: no obligations, no social calls, no rushing about. Except for the work of course.
Today I am reading Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.
I don't get what's so great about it (am now almost mid-way). Sure the language is clever and the setting engaging, but why am I supposed to care about this whinging, sorry, annoying character? She's pretty, thin and athletic, has published 3 books (which she travels for) by the time she's thirty and has a husband (mentions also a house in the suburbs and a Manhattan apartment) by the time she's in her early twenties; she catches a gorgeous guy the minute she leaves her husband (and basically boasts about how she never had any trouble catching a guy), gets an advance on her 4rth book so she can have a year of pleasure travelling the world without working or worrying about her bank account, has friends by the dozens (honestly, she's in Italy for only 4 months and she has 2 friends, an aunt and uncle, and a sister who come visit her, while in a matter of days she makes best friends (all of them upper-class and enormously interesting) with 3 separate women, a couple, a gorgeous Italian guy, another Italian guy, and mentions at least 4 or 5 other great, wise friends back home); she has a loving wholesome family who she celebrates Christmas with and she is so knowledgable and spiritual (while saying she's not taking the trouble to read anything) it's resentful.
So why is she depressed and suicidal again? Because she didn't want a baby at 30 (?!) and had a divorce? Because she needs to find herself? Cry me a river. The only reason she is, is so she can be tearfully tragic so we can be emphatic to her quest for enlightenment. If her situation wasn't so fucking perfect and blessed to begin with I might care for such a character, but now most of the time I just wonder what in hell she's complaining about. STFU, Elizabeth.
I read Pat Barker's Life Class the other day and I liked that much, much better. I would compare it to Atonement considering the subject matter (social interaction, WWI, love and loss), though where that one's stilted and, frankly, boring, Barker's novel is actually life-like and involving (IMO). Love her work.
In unrelated news, I'm downloading the new Supernatural eppy as I type. Can't wait to see it!
So I'm in Prague. I work for an academic publisher and I've been sent out to a medical conference in the Czech Republic to man a promotional booth. I've been to conferences on my own before, but it feels like the people here are just not as talkative or interested as elsewhere. This makes for long days. Luckily I don't have to be there until 10 and I can leave at 5. Most of the time, I sit in my chair and read novels (I try to read the research in our journals to kind of grasp what current affairs are, but without a medical background it's near impossible). We get fed regularly and I try to eat healthy, but I know I'm overeating. Normally I don't eat a warm meal at midday, nor such a big breakfast as I do now in the hotel (if I even eat breakfast at all!). Though I guess I'm not eating any bad stuff simply because I'm not buying any. My only indulgence is my Caramel Macchiato and whipped cream from the Starbucks: You might not get how happy it makes me. There are no Starbuckses where I live and I love this coffee.
When I am sprung from the booth at 5 I hurry back to the hotel (2 stops by Metro. I forgot my wallet today and was freeloading the ride, but there appears no sign of any kind of controlling so far). Then I walk through the city for an hour or two until it gets dark and find a cafe or restaurant to eat some food. Though I find it awkward to sit in a restaurant alone, I prefer not to get fastfood (though I have done so yesterday). There is a gym and sauna in the hotel (tiny though), so I can get some exercise, and every evening I take a long bath, book in hand.
I don't mind being alone, as long as its by choice and not out of necessity. In fact, I find it quite relaxing to be away from everyone I know for a week: no obligations, no social calls, no rushing about. Except for the work of course.
Today I am reading Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.
I don't get what's so great about it (am now almost mid-way). Sure the language is clever and the setting engaging, but why am I supposed to care about this whinging, sorry, annoying character? She's pretty, thin and athletic, has published 3 books (which she travels for) by the time she's thirty and has a husband (mentions also a house in the suburbs and a Manhattan apartment) by the time she's in her early twenties; she catches a gorgeous guy the minute she leaves her husband (and basically boasts about how she never had any trouble catching a guy), gets an advance on her 4rth book so she can have a year of pleasure travelling the world without working or worrying about her bank account, has friends by the dozens (honestly, she's in Italy for only 4 months and she has 2 friends, an aunt and uncle, and a sister who come visit her, while in a matter of days she makes best friends (all of them upper-class and enormously interesting) with 3 separate women, a couple, a gorgeous Italian guy, another Italian guy, and mentions at least 4 or 5 other great, wise friends back home); she has a loving wholesome family who she celebrates Christmas with and she is so knowledgable and spiritual (while saying she's not taking the trouble to read anything) it's resentful.
So why is she depressed and suicidal again? Because she didn't want a baby at 30 (?!) and had a divorce? Because she needs to find herself? Cry me a river. The only reason she is, is so she can be tearfully tragic so we can be emphatic to her quest for enlightenment. If her situation wasn't so fucking perfect and blessed to begin with I might care for such a character, but now most of the time I just wonder what in hell she's complaining about. STFU, Elizabeth.
I read Pat Barker's Life Class the other day and I liked that much, much better. I would compare it to Atonement considering the subject matter (social interaction, WWI, love and loss), though where that one's stilted and, frankly, boring, Barker's novel is actually life-like and involving (IMO). Love her work.
In unrelated news, I'm downloading the new Supernatural eppy as I type. Can't wait to see it!
