lists (2)

- dictaphone/walkman (should be able to record, play and have a plug-in for earphones, or is that too much to ask)
- dvd-rw-cdr-kit for in my computer (not an external one), so i can finally watch my dvd’s without having to buy a tv
- a pair of nice, warm winter pyjamas – i’ve already got red ones
- a nice smell (ck ‘be’)
- cd: coco rosie ‘la maison de mon rêve’
- cd: devendra banhart ‘rejoicing in the hands’ (i’ve already got nino rojo)
- cd: dresden dolls ‘a is for accident’ (i already have their debut studio album)
- cd: coldplay ‘a rush of blood to the head (no, i still haven’t got that)
- book: azar nafisi ‘reading lolita in tehran: a memoir in books’
- book: audrey niffeneger ‘the time traveller’s wife’
- book: danuta de rhodes ‘the little white car’
- book: paul auster ‘oracle night’
- book: dbc pierre ‘vernon god little’
- book: jeffrey eugenides ‘middlesex: a novel’

good luck, mum&dad

ça avance?

-ça avance? he asks, knowing what the answer will be.
my african colleague who will soon be leaving for a few months to go teach in his home country. for free.
because he hasn't got his PhD yet.
and because they haven't got anyone else to do it.
he's talking about my writing a first draft of a first chapter of ...and working on his own.
we're partners in crime.
or friends in shared misery - whatever.
so he knows what the answer will be: a lot of things are making progress, but the writing? not really. sorry. how are you?
- ça va
ça avance? knowing what the answer will be
- ... (if looks could kill...)
i'm grinning, secretly thinking 'haha, your writing is not going anywhere either', and trying to keep myself from doing it.
out of solidarity we really shouldn't do this to eachother.
he gives me a cramped smile
- mieux de savoir qu'il y a des autres qui ont les mêmes problèmes, non?
so right. and he's leaving in a few weeks.
then it'll just be me answering people it's really not going anywhere or at least not fast enough.
easiest way to make any PhD-student feel bad: oh, i'm, well, i'm ok. but how about you, how's the writing going, making any progress?
bastards. bâtards...

lists

Generally, I enjoy making lists - shopping lists, invitation lists, lists of to do's, favourite artists, books I still want ro read, and movies I should see before they disappear into the local community centre benefit circuit
But then around this time of the year making a list gets an awful ring to it. So I decided to make a list of lists I hate to make:
1. list of people I have to buy presents for by December 24th
2. list of things to do at work before the Christmas holidays begin
3. list of people I should send a holiday card
4. list of people I have to ring to wish them a happy New Year
5. list of groceries I have to buy before the shops are closed most of the time for two weeks
6. list of people to invite to my New Year's party
7. list of groceries to buy for my New Year's party
8. list of 'wanted presents', which is probably, by far, the worst
- hi honey
* hi mum, how are you?
- ok, I'm just calling you to ask what you want for Christmas
* anything's fine, mum, just surprise me, you know what I like
- honey, I don't have time to make up something for everyone of you, I really was expecting your list by now
* but, mum, you don't need a list, really, anything's...
- so, you'll be sending me your list this weekend, right?
I really don't see the point, what could probably be worse than spending hours having to think about what you want most and then another four things you might be happy with too. First of all, what I want most changes by the day and I always forget to put down the best stuff - which of course comes to my mind about two days before Christmas. What' even worse: you can't just put down the two things you want most and leave it at that, because this leaves the buyer with a lack of choice and also (or so my mum argues) the present will no longer be a surprise. Unfortunately the buyer lacking the capacity to think of a good present for you himself, almost always lacks the capacity to pick the best present from a list as well. So what it comes down to is that, instead of being surprised with a present which is probably not perfect, you have the certainty of getting a not so perfect present you have made up yourself. BAN ALL LISTS OF WANTED PRESENTS NOW! BAN THE LIST FOR PARTNERS FIRST (if you can't even think of something he/she might like, you're not a good partner - or your partner is just waaaaaaay too difficult)
Anyway, another really bad one is the
9. list of good intentions for the new year
If I still smoked this would be really easy. But then again I could ostentatively smoke at the family's Christmas Party, tell them 'yes, I know it's bad, but I'm quitting again at New Year' and try to fool them into that good intention. Unfortunately this will only get me through two or three rounds of 'good intentions'. Any hints for good addictions to get rid of in three years?