In a strange funk with multiple datelines and PMS.
A few week ago, Kiran Desai was reading The Inheritance of Loss. There was a fair bit of brouhaha as it's now in the Booker longlist and a few other literary types were there as well. Like the poet Benjamin Zephaniah (whom my young cousin describes as weird-cool). I love the title. The Inheritance of Loss. It has such an evocative, almost sensuous rhythm to it. This is the first time I've ever been to a reading with dinner thrown in. Very charming, over samosas and masala thosa!
XXXX
I got this from my PhD support network and it cracked me up:
Top 10 Reasons to do a PhD
1. Thought Dr. would look good on a credit card
1. Thought Dr. would look good on a credit card
2. Wanted to add nothing whatsoever to the sum knowledge of humankind
3. Saw the character Ross Geller from Friends as role model
4. Quench thirst to explore ethnobiosocioanthropsycholinguistics of sudoku
5. Get to wear jeans to work
6. Believed urban legend that doctors get free upgrade from airplanes
7. Delusional belief about curing AIDS/Cancer/stupidity
8. Peer pressure from nerds
9. Disdain for humdrum things like salary, career prospects, employee benefits
10. Too clever for law school too nice for politics
18 comments:
I love #1, "Thought Dr. would look good on a credit card"!! hahaha!
Stress? Pms??? you shd have been to where i went. started with sauna and then the kneading started. Am feeling quite light headed now.
My reason if I were to do a Phd?
A good excuse for my forgetfulness - just like my prof!
Hee heh that is indeed funny. :-)
How come all the reasons remind me of Ross?? LOL
I know someone who has this reason.."I wanted to be a real doctor, but I faint at the sight of blood"...
May: It's funny eh?
Kak Teh: I was sooo tempted btw. I am so going to go for the massage soon...yes,and you can be an absent minded graduate!
Sines: Hey, you are a real, proper doc. Is the urban myth about plane travel true?!!
Kat: Yeah, Ross Geller is so my inspiration...not!
I am not sure about that myth. It hasn't happened to me yet. Well I didn't have to board a plane yet after becoming a doctor so I wouldn't rule that out completely. :-) Oh but one thing that does happen, if someone on the flight gets sick and the crew announces for 'is there a doctor on board', you do get some kind of reward (monetary or some gift vouchers) for seeing the pateint. Even if all it includes is just listening to them with your stethescope. Pretty cool hunh?!
11. An incurable tendency to shirk real life.
Love the list about PhD's!
and am trying desperately to finish inheritance of loss to reviw it but heyyyyy no time/ energy/ inclination at the moment. Maybe it shall ebcome my holiday tome!
i love no 3..ross gellar..dr gellar..hehh..hehh...any phd holder like that??
you can add Dr on yr credit card even without a PhD...hmm maybe i should try that if i apply for a new card
"Dr" WOULD look cool on a credit card, now wouldn't it? And no wonder lawyers without PhDs (which is what, 99.999%?)are mostly dimwits (yours truly high on the list, of course).
hmmmm.....
I agree about the fabulous poetic title, The Inheritance of Loss.
Isn't language wonderful, I'm sure that every single language has the capacity for these sensuous rhythms.
I like your nice simple sentence 'I love the title'
and thanks for sometimes replying to comments! much appreciated even though we don't reply again!
Dr.Sines: That is pretty cool!
Basho: *nods head in agreement*
30in2005: Its a wacko list really. Oh, tell me how it is when you are done with the book cause I dont have time to read it at the moment either. Sigh.
UbA: Yeah but isnt one Dr. Geller enough for us all?
GravtKills: Tell me if you get one.
Blab: But..phd is for permanent head damage.
Pak Tuo: Hmmm
Deborah: Yes, its a nice title but havent read the book so cant comment on it yet
i vouch for no.1, and not just on credit cards, tee hee
*sigh* would have loved to have heard kiran reading ... just finished the book and enjoyed it totally (gotta spend tomorrow writing the review)
dr. is a pretty cool title. i wonder if i have the stamina to go get one for myself.
This evening it is Wednesday 11th October in Bordeaux, and I heard on BBC world service via the computer last night that Kiran Desai won the M Booker Prize for The Inheritance of Loss.
She was being interviewed and saying that her mother probably didn't know she had won as her mother was staying in a small village in India with no television or telephone.
Anita Desai had three titles up for the same prize at various times. Was the last time an Indian writer won, Anrundhati Roy with The God of small things?
I was immensely moved by The God of small things even though it took a little time to get into the book.
It is definitely on my list of books that should be read. Perhaps, Jane, you should come up with a list of your all time important books. At least twenty!
Atn: Te he.
Telly pundit: Will do.
Bib: But you've been rubbing shoulders with various writers at Ubud!!!
Deborah: Thank you for the alert. I am definitely looking forward to reading the book now. I have come up with a list of favourite books but a much shorter one. You can get it here: http://janesunshine.blogspot.com/2006/02/these-are-some-of-my-favourite-books.html
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