Juice! Books! Weekend!
Today was a fun day. Yes, it was so fine that it deserves its own unique font colour.
Why was it so good? Eh, just a bunch of little things that added up to awesomeness.
First, I got up at 2. In the afternoon. It was amazing. My housemate (industriously working away like the little chipmunk she is) called me a heathen, because that's what she always calls me. It's a term of endearment, I swear. My other housemate went somewhere, and all that was left of her was a plate on her bed. In my befuddled state, this amused me for a while.
Then, under the pretext of purchasing groceries, I got juice. People do not understand my fixation, but I am a juice fiend, I tell you. Allow me to introduce you to my favourite types of juice.
Arthur's Natural Fruit Smoothies make my life complete. Oh, how I wish I was exaggerating (because they go on sale about once a year). My favourite flavour must be mango, because it tastes of sunshine, and rainbows and joy. Also, a large cup of it contains two daily servings of fruits and vegetables, and let me tell you, when you're in university, green leafy foods tend to fall by the wayside.
Continuing in the theme of my mango adoration, there's Bolthouse Farms Mango Lemonade. Amazing. Love.
Does anyone have any juice recommendations for me? Feed my craving, people.
On an entirely unrelated note, I've once again tried to complete reading Paulo Coehlo's The Alchemist, and once again, I have failed. The book was originally written in Portuguese, so perhaps some of my complaints are a result of faulty translation, but from a novel so lauded, I expect something better.
The book itself spreads a very heavy-handed message about finding one's own Personal Destiny (yes, it's capitalized, which only adds to my frustration). The story postulates that everyone has a calling in life, a road to walk that will make them perfectly happy, and that the universe itself conspires to make a person follow that road.
Poor plot and cardboard characterization aside, I find the notion of a "personal universe", which seemingly cares about individual happiness both unnecessarily mystical and philosophically questionable. If there's an underlying theme in philosophy, it's that self-knowledge alone can bring acceptance of oneself, and that nothing can guarantee happiness. Certainly, the idea of doing what brings you pleasure has its merits, but unlike the Epicurean school of philosophy which endorsed the same ideal, this novel does not present any limitations or guidelines. Instead, it shouts: Go ahead! You can do anything! Really!
Like a motivational poster.
In itself, an inspirational self-help book isn't a terrible thing, though it shouldn't masquerade as a religious or philosophical masterpiece.
And the cherry on top of this literary dubiousness? Within the context of the novel, girls don't have Personal Destinies worth mentioning. It is enough for ladies if their man of choice fulfills his own Personal Destiny, and they should just wait politely until he does.
[My Personal Destiny is to finish the last 50 pages of this, then donate The Alchemist before my mom's bookclub finds it]
Has anyone else read this book? Opinions? Disagreements? Please, let me know.
Why was it so good? Eh, just a bunch of little things that added up to awesomeness.
First, I got up at 2. In the afternoon. It was amazing. My housemate (industriously working away like the little chipmunk she is) called me a heathen, because that's what she always calls me. It's a term of endearment, I swear. My other housemate went somewhere, and all that was left of her was a plate on her bed. In my befuddled state, this amused me for a while.
Then, under the pretext of purchasing groceries, I got juice. People do not understand my fixation, but I am a juice fiend, I tell you. Allow me to introduce you to my favourite types of juice.
Arthur's Natural Fruit Smoothies make my life complete. Oh, how I wish I was exaggerating (because they go on sale about once a year). My favourite flavour must be mango, because it tastes of sunshine, and rainbows and joy. Also, a large cup of it contains two daily servings of fruits and vegetables, and let me tell you, when you're in university, green leafy foods tend to fall by the wayside.
Continuing in the theme of my mango adoration, there's Bolthouse Farms Mango Lemonade. Amazing. Love.
Does anyone have any juice recommendations for me? Feed my craving, people.
On an entirely unrelated note, I've once again tried to complete reading Paulo Coehlo's The Alchemist, and once again, I have failed. The book was originally written in Portuguese, so perhaps some of my complaints are a result of faulty translation, but from a novel so lauded, I expect something better.
The book itself spreads a very heavy-handed message about finding one's own Personal Destiny (yes, it's capitalized, which only adds to my frustration). The story postulates that everyone has a calling in life, a road to walk that will make them perfectly happy, and that the universe itself conspires to make a person follow that road.
Poor plot and cardboard characterization aside, I find the notion of a "personal universe", which seemingly cares about individual happiness both unnecessarily mystical and philosophically questionable. If there's an underlying theme in philosophy, it's that self-knowledge alone can bring acceptance of oneself, and that nothing can guarantee happiness. Certainly, the idea of doing what brings you pleasure has its merits, but unlike the Epicurean school of philosophy which endorsed the same ideal, this novel does not present any limitations or guidelines. Instead, it shouts: Go ahead! You can do anything! Really!
Like a motivational poster.
In itself, an inspirational self-help book isn't a terrible thing, though it shouldn't masquerade as a religious or philosophical masterpiece.
And the cherry on top of this literary dubiousness? Within the context of the novel, girls don't have Personal Destinies worth mentioning. It is enough for ladies if their man of choice fulfills his own Personal Destiny, and they should just wait politely until he does.
[My Personal Destiny is to finish the last 50 pages of this, then donate The Alchemist before my mom's bookclub finds it]
Has anyone else read this book? Opinions? Disagreements? Please, let me know.