Odds and ends
Yesterday the BF was here, fresh from his trip to Germany, where of course the new pope is on everyone's lips. I hear they have already given him the nickname Pappa Ratzi.
Last night was spent mostly at the computer. You can take that literally: it was past 5 before I went to bed. I was rather annoyed with myself, as I knew I would feel drowsy all day.
The weather today was beautiful and I felt compelled to go out this afternoon. The sun had already left my garden and besides I knew that if I sat down to read I would fall asleep, which in turn would mean staying up very late again. So I went to Leidsestraat instead, window-shopping (amongst other things) for red boots or shoes to go with my new red pants. I saw one pair I liked, but they were very expensive, suede (impractical), and too bright.
I only bought some chocolate truffles and was home again at quarter past 6. I felt rather dissatisfied with not having done anything useful the whole afternoon, but I guess I would also have regretted staying at home and not enjoying the weather.
(And why do I always leave my homework for the reintegration bureau to the last minute? I have to go there again coming Tuesday and I haven't so much as looked at it yet. I dislike doing most of the exercises, but it would make me feel better if I just got it over with quickly instead of putting it off. *sigh*)
I took an interesting quiz from bezigebij; it gives an indication of our impact on the Earth's resources.
My ecological footprint:
CATEGORY: GLOBAL HECTARES
FOOD 1.1
MOBILITY 0
SHELTER 0.7
GOODS/SERVICES 0.6
TOTAL FOOTPRINT 2.4
IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 4.8 GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.
WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 1.8 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.
IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 1.3 PLANETS.
And a FIVE BOOK MEME from heartofdavid:
Directions:
1. Take five books off your bookshelf.
2. Book #1 -- first sentence: Mrs Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.
3. Book #2 -- last sentence on page fifty: Such a lovely day!
4. Book #3 -- second sentence on page one hundred: 'We were expecting you sooner,' Robert said.
5. Book #4 -- next to the last sentence on page one hundred fifty: That should do.
6. Book #5 -- final sentence of the book: I took a taxi back to the shop, it was that kind of day.
7. Make the five sentences into a paragraph:
I took a taxi back to the shop, it was that kind of day. Such a lovely day! 'We were expecting you sooner,' Robert said. Mrs Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself. That should do.
8. Feel free to "cheat" to make a better paragraph:
Alternatively: Such a lovely day! Mrs Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself. That should do. I took a taxi back to the shop, it was that kind of day. 'We were expecting you sooner,' Robert said.
9. Name your sources:
Book 5 - Russell Hoban - Turtle diary
Book 4 - Jeanette Winterson - Oranges are not the only fruit
Book 3 - Ian McEwan - The comfort of strangers
Book 2 - Fay Weldon - Female friends
Book 1 - Virginia Woolf - Mrs Dalloway
10. Post to your blog.
The same sentences, taken only from Turtle diary:
I don't want to go to the Zoo any more. Only a certain number of things can happen and whatever can happen will happen. What in the world was it all about, I found myself wondering. The road went up to the turtle-launching and ended there at a chasm where the bridge was out. I took a taxi back to the shop, it was that kind of day.
From books in Dutch:
1. U weet hoe het afloopt: iedereen gaat dood.
2. Dan moet ik voortmaken.
3. Ik besta alleen nog voor jou, en als we de oorlog gewonnen hebben, zal ik met je trouwen.
4. In haar gezelschap voel ik mij altijd als iemand die niets anders doet dan alles voor zichzelf nodeloos moeilijk maken.
5. Ik kan eerder beneden zijn dan de echo van mijn schreeuw terug is.
Book 5 - Harry Mulisch - Twee vrouwen
Book 4 - W.F. Hermans - Nooit meer slapen
Book 3 - Andreas Burnier - De huilende libertijn
Book 2 - Charlotte Mutsaers - Rachels rokje
Book 1 - Frédéric Beigbeder - Windows on the world
- And again it's late!