101 in 1001 - Goal #67 complete

Goal #67 - Go geocaching with husband

What is geocaching, you ask? Basically, it's a high-tech treasure hunt ("treasure" is a liberal term - there are no pots of gold here). You use a GPS device -- my husband uses a Garmin eTrex Legend -- and you input the waypoints (i.e., longitude and latitude) into your GPS and then go search. A great site is http://www.geocaching.com/, where you can learn about geocaching, find caches in your area, and download waypoints. When you find the cache, the etiquette is to take something, leave something in return, and leave a note in the logbook. You can also generally go back to the website where you got your original download from and leave comments there.

So husband, teenage son, and I went on a hunt this past weekend. Useful tip #1 - make sure your GPS has the adequate road software for the area to be traveled. Otherwise, like us, you can end up going miles out of your way because the unit will not know any shorter routes. Useful tip #2 - make sure that someone actually knows how to work the GPS unit. Enough said. We found the general area without too much trouble, mostly because we picked a cache nearby and knew the area that the cache creator was referring to. Finding the cache itself is a bit trickier, and the GPS is not too helpful with that -- it is accurate to within a few meters, but the caches tend to be quite small. This one was a vitamin container wrapped in duct tape. Useful tip #3 - pay attention to extra clues that may have been provided by the creator or other hunters so that you don't spend hours wandering around and not seeing the cache that's right under your nose.

I wasn't sure how much I was going to enjoy this goal, but it was quite fun and can be an excellent way to get out and spend some quality time with loved ones. Keep in mind that it's the search that's important -- the "treasure" is not the point. For instance, this time the cache contained a rubber band and a golf tee. I'll definitely do it again, with the caveat that I'm going to learn how to use the GPS beforehand and the next cache we pick will be in the city and not the country -- too many bugs!

The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II by Iris Chang

Synopsis from Barnes & Noble: "In December 1937, in the capital of China, one of the most brutal massacres in the long annals of wartime barbarity occurred. The Japanese army swept into the ancient city of Nanking and within weeks not only looted and burned the defenseless city but systematically raped, tortured, and murdered more than 300,000 Chinese civilians. Amazingly, the account of this atrocity was denied by the Japanese government.

The Rape of Nanking tells the story from three perspectives: that of the Japanese soldiers who performed it, of the Chinese civilians who endured it, and finally of a group of Europeans and Americans who refused to abandon the city and were able to create a safety zone that saved almost 300,000 Chinese."

I have had this book on my TBR pile for a few years now, and while I knew the subject was horrible, I was expecting the book to be excellent. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The author covers the topic thoroughly, but you never feel any real connection with any of the people. Much of the evidence is presented in a very bare-bones fashion, sort of a "just the facts" way, which may be accurate but doesn't arouse feelings of empathy for the victims or understanding of why such events occurred-- something that should always be included in books of this type. The thought that kept occurring to me while I was reading was that the book reminded me very much of a college term paper. There's no doubt that the book was incredibly well researched, but the material had the potential for so much more. My final impression of the book is that it does no more than an adequate job of presenting the issue, and I am ambivalent about recommending it to anyone. Perhaps Ms. Chang will revisit the issue in the future and the result will be better.

101 in 1001 - Goal # 96 begun

Goal # 96 -- Sell, give away, or throw out 50 things.

My son's school had its annual garage sale this past weekend, and I donated 3 of my cookie jars to the cause. We stopped by to check out the sale near the end and someone must have bought the jars because they were nowhere to be found. This was a big step for me, I went through a phase where I collected cookie jars (I have 100+) and even though I don't buy them anymore, I have a hard time letting go. So hopefully this will be a small step toward cutting back on my excess possessions (sort of a cookie jar rehab). Maybe I can even make it a goal within a goal -- try to complete this entire goal with cookie jars!

Salman Rushdie and Shakespeare

I've been meaning to post about this for 2 months -- better late than never!

One of the wonderful things about living in a university town is the eclectic opportunities to expand your mind. My favorite chance is our town's annual Seven Days of Opening Nights arts festival, which presents shows and talks by award-winning authors, dance companies, musicians, acting troupes, and filmmakers. The festival celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, and I make a point to attend at least 2 or 3 shows each year. This year, I was able to attend two of the best ones yet.

First, a talk by world-famous, award-winning author Salman Rushdie. I've read one of Mr. Rushdie's books, Midnight's Children, and loved it, so I was really looking forward to hearing him speak. To say that I enjoyed it is a HUGE understatement. He absolutely blew me away! I was completely enthralled. I know people don't always care for his work, but I think he's nothing short of a genius. He spoke for 2 hours, and took questions afterward, and I never once felt like the program was dragging or thought of leaving early. All I can say is, WOW! I felt like a schoolgirl when the football captain notices her existence.

Then, my son and I attended a performance of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, presented by the Actors from the London Stage troupe. This group was founded in the 70's by the actor Patrick Stewart (of Star Trek Next Generation fame) and is composed of actors from the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre of Great Britain, and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. The way in which the play was presented was intriguing -- no sets, no costumes, only 5 actors in total. Each actor had to play several parts, and would distinguish between them predominantly by changing their voices and mannerisms. It was fabulous! Without all the visual cues, I found myself focusing so much more on the words. Also, the audience was very close to the stage and the actors often looked right at you. At one point, one of the actors actually jumped into the audience. We were in the front row, which I highly recommend. You really felt like you were part of the show, not just a spectator. Apparently, the group performs 2 plays a year and tours to different universities to perform -- you can bet I'll go again if I get the chance.

One other thing that I just have to mention. As part of performing at our festival, the artists spend time working with students in their field. Can you imagine being an 18 or 19 year old kid, studying to be a writer, and having Salman Rushdie spend the afternoon with your class, critiquing your work? Or being a music major and having Paul Simon work with you? I think this is wonderful and want to give our festival organizers credit for this brainstorm every chance I get. I also want to encourage anyone who has the opportunity to support local or regional arts events like this in their area to do so. They are such an advantage to a community!

101 in 1001 - Goal #62, "French Toast" by Harriet Welty Rochefort

This charming little book was written by an American woman who has lived the last 20+ years in France with her French husband and 2 French-American sons. The author was born and raised in Iowa, but an adventurous spirit led her across the Atlantic when she was a young woman, and she has remained ever since. This book provides an overview of why the French are the way they are, and covers such topics as the French educational system, why Parisian women always look so chic, how French men differ from Americans, and the French love of food.

The book is (or should be considered, IMO) light-hearted -- I've seen several reviews that claim that she has simply reinforced stereotypes of the French, but I tend to think that those reviewers were taking this book a little too seriously. Whether her descriptions are accurate or not, I can't say, as I've never been to France, although I hope to rectify that situation before too many more years. Some of the reviews take the author to task for not providing a very in-depth view of the French, but I don't think that was ever her goal in writing this book. Frankly, I find it somewhat ridiculous to expect an analytical outlook in a book that explains why you see poodles riding alone in taxis through the streets of Paris (turns out the owners are sending them to the groomers, and the groomers then send them home -- who knew?).

I found this book delightful. There were several moments when I found myself chuckling and wondering how much was accurate and how much exaggerated, and I'm dying to go to France to find out for myself. One of the key points that the author makes about the French is how they find joy in simple things. Reading this book definitely meets that criteria.

Booking Through Thursday -- March 20

"You’ve just reached the end of a book . . . what do you do now? Savor and muse over the book? Dive right into the next one? Go take the dog for a walk, the kids to the park, before even thinking about the next book you’re going to read? What?

(Obviously, there can be more than one answer, here–a book with a cliff-hanger is going to engender different reactions than a serene, stand-alone, but you get the idea!)"

I usually need a little time to reflect before I jump into the next book. Depending on the type of book I just finished, that can be a couple of hours to a day or more. It's hardly ever more than 2 days, though, because I can never wait to get started on the next one:)

Most of the time, I start thinking about what I'm going to read next before I've finished the one I'm on -- since I've started doing challenges, I pull all my challenge books out of my bookcases and put them in a separate bookcase in another room, so I know which ones to focus on. I have to be in the right mood to start a new book, so I like having them all in one place when it's time to pick the next -- I can contemplate my choices much easier being able to see them all.

Generally speaking, I will reflect longer and more intensely on a fiction book than a nonfiction. I'll also sometimes do a little outside research (SparkNotes, academic papers focused on the book) because I want to make sure I understood the different layers of the story and connected with what the author was trying to say. (I'll also do this sometimes for plays or movies based on plays -- for example, I don't know if I would have figured out on my own that "The Crucible" was a reaction to McCarthyism.)

Another challenge!!

I was so excited to read about the Non-Fiction 5 Challenge over on Stephanie's blog. I'm a big non-fiction fan, so you know I can't pass this one up. The idea is pretty simple -- just read 5 non-fiction between May and September. One of the 5 has to be a different genre from the rest. For example, you could have 4 histories and 1 art critism. I couldn't pick just 5, so I have 5 and 3 extras. And, I only let myself pick books that are on my home bookshelf, instead of picking from my library TBR like I've done for other challenges. So, without further adieu, here's my list:

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris

How to Be Idle: A Loafer's Manifesto by Tom Hodgkinson

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir by Bill Bryson

The Trial of Queen Caroline: The Scandalous Affair that Nearly Ended a Monarchy by Jane Robins

What Southern Women Know (That Every Woman Should): Timeless Secrets to Get Everything you Want in Love, Life, and Work by Ronda Rich

And my extras:

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert

Night by Elie Wiesel

Running with Scissors: A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs

101 in 1001 - Goal #54 complete

Goal #54 -- listen to at least 1/2 of current podcasts.

Whew, 480 podcasts listened to in 2 months, my ears are tired! And the thing that frustrates me a little is that I've only made a dent, since new ones are constantly being added. It doesn't help that several of the podcasts that I subscribe to add a new one each day. But I'm going to keep plugging away until I get through the backlog. My new podcast goal is to get to where I'm caught up completely, so that the only ones I have are the newest for each show. And I'm constantly learning new things, which has got to be a good thing.