.SOMETIMES RAW.

One of my bookshelves and I. And this hair of mine is growing like crazy. Awesomeness!*

Time flies. As I always say. I studied a lot, learned a lot, read a lot but Friday nights are just sacred for me to unwind, relax and reflect. There is always some time to maintain this blog however; simply because I love to write and share things. Here are my Friday’s Five Things. Enjoy! 

Black Squirrel Books in Ottawa

Reading: Even though I have to read a lot for University, there is (and always will be) time for pleasure-reading. I am officially reviewing books for Harper Collins Canada now and they already sent me a copy of – Wally Lamb’s I ‘ill Take You There,  which is fantastic and keeps me up all night even though I should sleep. It will be released end of November! Stay tuned for a book review soon! 

Watching/Listening to: Besides documentaries for University I watched Paw Patrol with Petit Joel. He is obsessed with this show and I like it too in a way. [It is not dumb like some other kid’s shows I mean.] We do not have regular TV because we decided not to; however, we enjoy Netflix here and there. It is really special for Petit Joel to curl up on the couch next to me with blankets and (salty) popcorn and watch a bunch of Paw Patrol episodes on a Friday night before bedtime. Sacred time. For both of us. I found out about the podcast How I Built This on NPR and I listen to it every day on my phone when I get a chance – that’s how good it is. 

Discovering/Learning: My neighborhood is pretty new to me and Petit Joel and I still discover. As far as eating goes, I love to purchase local vegetables, fruit and whatever is in season. I was happy to find out about Bryson Farms and that they deliver organic, locally grown veggies right to my door. However, it is way more fun to physically go to a farmers market, walk around, browse and discover. Needless to say, I am fortunate again.  There is a really awesome one located at Lansdowne Park every Sunday from 9 am to 4 pm. Lastly, if you are into art, Watch this amazing video which is a collaboration between surrealist painter Salvador Dalí and Walt Disney. I love art and cannot wait to visit The Ottawa Art Gallery and all the other museum that are around here. 

Thinking About: A lot of things actually. That the workload for this Master is very intense. Time management is a good thing but it can become a little overwhelming and tiring at points. Sometimes I have to be careful what I wish for. Then again, I love linguistics and what it is all about but when there are three papers due, a journal synthesis and an oral presentation in one week, it is sort of INSANITY. Playing with Petit Joel, spending time in nature and at the playground keeps me grounded and makes it all manageable.  

New month, new journal. 

Looking forward to: Seeing my husband again. I am literally counting the days when we can pick him up at the airport and spend quality time time together. This is what it is all about. Even though we cannot be together all the time, we still are so close and able to manage this long-distance relationship very well – even throughout challenging times. The key for us is trust, respect, compromise and care. 

*You know why my hair grows so fast? I don’t do anything to it. Read my hair routine here. 

Have a great weekend. 

Hello there.

I have to study a lot. The picture above is the library at my University where I spent many hours every day. This Master in Linguistics Program is no joke; however, I mentioned earlier that I will always find time to read for pleasure  just because I love books so much. And even though I am sometimes only able to read “for pleasure” for about half an hour or so before I go to bed, but it is worth it. A separate post on all the independent bookstores where I find most of my gems will follow soon. Today, I just want to share what I am currently reading and the books that are already patiently waiting on my nightstand/office desk. I also have to announce that I will officially review books for HarperCollinsCanada. How awesome is that? I was really excited when they contacted me I have to say.

Autumn officially starts on September 23rd, which means we are slowly spending more time inside with tea, books and reading, candles, cookies and all that good stuff. You need something good to read? Here are my top five picks for Autumn. Enjoy!

Emma Donoghue. The Wonder.  

“A village in 1850s Ireland is baffled by Anna O’Donnell’s fast. A little girl appears to be thriving after months without food, and the story of this ‘wonder’ has reached fever pitch. Tourists flock in droves to the O’Donnell family’s modest cabin, and an international journalist is sent to cover the sensational story. Enter Lib, an English nurse trained by Florence Nightingale, who is hired to keep watch for two weeks and determine whether or not Anna is a fraud. As Anna deteriorates, Lib finds herself responsible not just for the care of a child, but for getting to the root of why the child may actually be the victim of murder in slow motion. A magnetic novel written with all the spare and propulsive tension that made ROOM a huge bestseller, THE WONDER works beautifully on many levels—as a simple tale of two strangers who will transform each other’s lives, a powerful psychological thriller, and a story of love pitted against evil in its many masks.” We all remember Emma Donoghue from the “Room”!!! 

Walk Through Walls: A Memoir by Marina Abramovic. 

“I had experienced absolute freedom—I had felt that my body was without boundaries, limitless; that pain didn’t matter, that nothing mattered at all—and it intoxicated me.” In 2010, more than 750,000 people stood in line at Marina Abramović’s MoMA retrospective for the chance to sit across from her and communicate with her nonverbally in an unprecedented durational performance that lasted more than 700 hours. This celebration of nearly fifty years of groundbreaking performance art demonstrated once again that Marina Abramović is truly a force of nature. The child of Communist war-hero parents under Tito’s regime in postwar Yugoslavia, she was raised with a relentless work ethic. Even as she was beginning to build an international artistic career, Marina lived at home under her mother’s abusive control, strictly obeying a 10 p.m. curfew. But nothing could quell her insatiable curiosity, her desire to connect with people, or her distinctly Balkan sense of humor—all of which informs her art and her life. The beating heart of Walk Through Walls is an operatic love story—a twelve-year collaboration with fellow performance artist Ulay, much of which was spent penniless in a van traveling across Europe—a relationship that began to unravel and came to a dramatic end atop the Great Wall of China. Marina’s story, by turns moving, epic, and dryly funny, informs an incomparable artistic career that involves pushing her body past the limits of fear, pain, exhaustion, and danger in an uncompromising quest for emotional and spiritual transformation. A remarkable work of performance in its own right, Walk Through Walls is a vivid and powerful rendering of the unparalleled life of an extraordinary artist.

[I have met her in 2010 at the MOMA so it is especially awesome to read this amazing book by Marina Abramovic. Check out this video, too!] 

The Gaslight. Steven Price. 

“London, 1885. In a city of fog and darkness, the notorious thief Edward Shade exists only as a ghost, a fabled con, a thief of other men’s futures — a man of smoke. William Pinkerton is already famous, the son of a brutal detective, when he descends into the underworld of Victorian London in pursuit of a new lead. His father died without ever tracing Shade; William, still reeling from his loss, is determined to drag the thief out of the shadows. Adam Foole is a gentleman without a past, haunted by a love affair ten years gone. When he receives a letter from his lost beloved, he returns to London in search of her; what he learns of her fate, and its connection to the man known as Shade, will force him to confront a grief he thought long-buried. What follows is a fog-enshrouded hunt through sewers, opium dens, drawing rooms, and seance halls. Above all, it is the story of the most unlikely of bonds: between William Pinkerton, the greatest detective of his age, and Adam Foole, the one man who may hold the key to finding Edward Shade.
Epic in scope, brilliantly conceived, and stunningly written, Steven Price’s By Gaslight is a riveting, atmospheric portrait of two men on the brink. Moving from the diamond mines of South Africa to the battlefields of the Civil War, the novel is a journey into a cityscape of grief, trust, and its breaking, where what we share can bind us even against our darker selves.”

Brain on Fire. Susannah Cahalan. 

“An award-winning memoir and instant New York Times bestseller that goes far beyond its riveting medical mystery, Brain on Fire is the powerful account of one woman’s struggle to recapture her identity.

When twenty-four-year-old Susannah Cahalan woke up alone in a hospital room, strapped to her bed and unable to move or speak, she had no memory of how she’d gotten there. Days earlier, she had been on the threshold of a new, adult life: at the beginning of her first serious relationship and a promising career at a major New York newspaper. Now she was labeled violent, psychotic, a flight risk. What happened?

In a swift and breathtaking narrative, Susannah tells the astonishing true story of her descent into madness, her family’s inspiring faith in her, and the lifesaving diagnosis that nearly didn’t happen. “A fascinating look at the disease that . . . could have cost this vibrant, vital young woman her life” (People), Brain on Fire is an unforgettable exploration of memory and identity, faith and love, and a profoundly compelling tale of survival and perseverance that is destined to become a classic.”

On Writers and Writing. Margaret Atwood.

“A brilliant, ambitious, insightful inquiry into the art of writing from the legendary Margaret Atwood. What do we mean when we say that someone is a writer? Is he or she an entertainer? A high priest of the god of Art? An improver of readers’ minds and morals? Looking back on her own childhood and the development of her writing career, Margaret Atwood addresses the riddle of her own art. Her wide-ranging reference to other writers, living and dead, is accompanied by personal anecdotes from her own experiences as a writer. The lightness of her touch is offset by a seriousness about the purpose and the pleasures of writing. Wise, candid, informative, and engaging, On Writers and Writing provides an insider’s view of the writer’s universe, written by one of the most celebrated writers of our time.” 

Since I moved to Canada, I want to read as much CanLit as possible but these days I am stuck with Margaret Atwood. What an amazing writer. 

What are you reading or recommending? I would love to hear from you. 

“We don’t see things as they are-we see them as we are” (Anaïs Nin)

Hello there. 

I have not written a “Five- Things” post in quite a while and it is overdue. Plus, I have a bunch of things to share. Winding down after a full day of lectures, library for three hours (I find, the best place to study is on the 3rd “silent” floor of the library so far!), running around to meet with professors and finally picking up Petit Joel from preschool was in a way tiring. At 3 pm, my brain felt like it is in desperate need for a break, so my little guy and I went to our favorite cake/cookie place “Life of Pie” in Ottawa so far. We made this sort of “our thing” on Fridays to eat chocolate cake there and I have a much needed wake-me-up-cup of coffee. Then we went home, got our bicycles and went to the park. We stayed there until sunset. A beautiful day indeed. I really focus on him and the time we are together now since he is in preschool until 3pm. He is doing such a great job there. He fell asleep within ten minutes tonight and I am back to studying in a bit. First though, here are my Friday Five’s. Enjoy! 

Reading: I always find time to read. No matter what! Even though, the readings for the three lectures I am attending a week are pretty intense at the Masters level. For pleasure, I am reading Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale which kept me up late every other night. It is so good! The other book that is fantastic is Susannah Cahalan’s Brain on Fire. Watch this interesting TED Conversation of her and her disease she had here. If you love memoirs, the human body and psychology, this book is for you. It amazes me every time, how fast life can change and makes me realize how special it is to be on this earth and that I should not take anything for granted. This article from The New York Times is also a great read. 

Watching/Listening: I stumbled upon Jenny Mustard’s videos on healthy eating, minimalism and so much more on YouTube, subscribed to her channel and watch her videos ever since. Clean, simple videos without a lot of fuss but with tons of great information. This is how I like it. I am very fortunate to be able to attend lectures by  the linguist Dr. Marie-Odile Junker at my University. Just watch her video here if you interested in linguistics. 

Learning/Discovering: Since living in Canada, I am interested in anything First Nation; especially the Innu and East Cree people. Dr. Junker has a specialization in aboriginal languages and works on language preservation, lexicographies and so much more. “It is about the East Cree language, spoken in Northern Quebec, Canada, in the James Bay area. The East Cree language is a Native American language of North America and belongs to the Algonquian language family.” Click here for the website.  

I am a huge tea-lover. DavidsTea is an amazing place where I purchase most of my tea or drink a cup and relax when Petit Joel and I explore the neighborhood. This morning in class, a classmate told me about The Tea Party Café at the “market” which is known by everybody here as The Byward Market. Tomorrow it is supposed to rain, so museum and café it is. Also, I mentioned that I wanted to work out again and I did indeed. No excuses and time to get back in shape. I went to the gym at University and it was very good. However, I will not sign up for any gym membership anymore. I prefer to be outside in fresh air, park and such. Sticky, sweaty, crowded gym – not really my thing but it is included in the university package, so why not. They have a sauna and a huge pool too. Yay! 

Thinking About: I was overwhelmed initially with the plethora of possibilities that are out there within the Linguistic field. Research is awesome. What Dr. Junker does blows my mind. But honestly, I am mostly interested  in Forensics Linguistics these days. Maybe it is because of my background – who knows. However, don’t quote me on it. I might change directions throughout the program but it sounds good for now. 

Looking Forward to: Seeing le husband again. I miss him so much. Everything is smooth here these days, but it is just so so much better when he is around. We have a solid marriage and talk every single day via Skype (sometimes even more often) which I think is very important for a long-distance relationship like ours. It does work. But, I am literally scratching days of on my calendar until we see each other again. Unconditional! What we have is special and I treasure it. Even though we cannot be together every day, we still are always. Same goes for my family in Germany. I miss them too but we talk a lot on Skype as well. My grandma (82!) is about to get an iPad so we will be able to talk and SEE each other.  So special. Thank you Skype creators! <3

Have a great weekend. Love Always.