Yum & Yuk

Since she knew I was home sick in bed last week, my sweet mom bought me PD James' new book, Death Comes to Pemberley. The classic mystery writer also turns out to be a big Jane Austen fan, and decided to set her new book in the world of Pride & Prejudice. While combining two things I love is not necessarily a recipe for success (witness most fusion restaurants), I'm enjoying it so far.

Ha! Watch ‘Portlandia’s’ Tribute to ‘Battlestar Galactica’

From Cover Me, some Covers of the Best Songs of 2011.

Image: source.

There're only about 3 weeks left till I leave for Nicaragua - for a whole month! Yep, 4 weeks in a small town, with no internet or phone, no English....just me, living with a family, getting one on one Spanish instruction, and trying to stay sane and enjoy myself. I'm excited but definitely nervous - I'm a creature of habit, and solitude, so being out of my comfort zone for a whole month is gonna be a challenge. Of course for me, one of the big questions has been, "What do I bring to read?" I don't want to bring too much English language material, because I'm worried I will use it as an escape. However, my Spanish isn't (yet!) to the point where I can read a lot. I'm thinking two potential options are graphic novels in Spanish or children/young adult books in Spanish. Current options include: Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal; David Boring (Spanish Edition) by Daniel Clowes; La perdida (Spanish edition) by Jessica Abel; and Persepolis (Nomadas) by Marjane Satrapi.

“Knowing how to be solitary is central to the art of loving. When we can be alone, we can be with others without using them as a means of escape.” - bell hooks, All About Love: New Visions