Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Wood in the Afternoon

This is the title of the third-to-last chapter of Markus Zusak's novel, The Book Thief.

If any one of you readers are truly readers at all, you've probably at least heard of this novel at some point. In case you were wondering if I think you should read it, wonder no more. 

I, Bithiah Lee, formally recommend this book to you now.

What a beautifully written novel. Sometimes, I just forget what it feels like to read something that is gorgeous-- even if that something also infuriates you, makes you want to cry. You also feel giddy, because you realize that it's just words that are doing that to you. The shaking, the breathing, the blinking, the cheering-- just words. 

I would write more, but my fingers are still stiff, my eyes are so tired, and my head is throbbing, still, from taking in the last 250 pages of the The Book Thief all over the last couple of hours. 

Instead, let me leave you with this:

As you can see, I have been in your library again and I
have ruined one of your books. I was just so angry and afraid

and I wanted to kill the words. I have stolen from you and
now I've wrecked your property. I'm sorry. To punish myself, 
I think I will stop coming here. Or is it punishment at all? I 
love this place and hate it, because it is full of words.
- 522 

If only she could be so oblivious again,
to feel such love without knowing it,
mistaking it for laughter and bread
with only the scent of jam spread out
on top of it.
- 408

I have hated the words and
I have loved them,

and I hope I have made them right. 

- 528




Think on that, will you?

Thank you, Zusak, for this story.

- bcl.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Review: Kaling & Fey

Even as I sit here, typing up this post, donning deliberately oversized plastic eyewear, drinking stale, room-temperature water out of a mug-- and using only pretentious synonyms for everyday words (including, but not limited to donning, deliberately, oversized, eyewear, stale, pretentious, and synonyms), I can't help but wish that someone was here to take a photo of me. The kind of photo that was candid, of course. And probably instagram'd.

I also can't decide if this is a moment in my life where I will one day look back and feel embarrassed about, or if it will be remembered as one of my finest and proudest moments. Impossible choice.

Anyway, I just finished reading two autobiographies of two funny-ladies. (The reason that there is a hyphen between those two words is because they are to be read as one). Mindy Kaling's "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)" and Tina Fey's "Bossypants." I read them back-to-back, and thoroughly enjoyed them both.

(Note: I originally included a photo of Kaling's book too, but then I removed it because it was so pink).

To make a general statement, I would say that I enjoyed Bossypants more. While Kaling was funny in her writing (I read hers first), I felt that Fey's rendition of "I'm-hilarious-and-sarcastic-and-will-make-fun-of-myself-to-appear-lighthearted-and-fun-so-that-you-forget-to-dislike-me-at-least-a-little-since-I'm-super-famous-and-make-way-more-money-than-you-but-don't-feel-bad-because-I,-too,-once-suffered-from-teenage-acne" was a more mature, refined and even slightly less aggressive one. I felt as if it was evident that she didn't have to try as hard. She is a very cool version of herself. I will also like to take this moment to point out the irony of this paragraph as a whole since I am a 22-year-old sarca myself. I'm obviously just jealous of her. 

Anyway, I would recommend Bossypants to anyone who finds Tina Fey funny. If you don't think she's funny, then you shouldn't read it.

Here are a couple of my favourite excerpts (the ones that made me laugh out loud) from Bossypants:

(Referring to people who approach her and ask about the scar on her face)
"The grossest move is when they say they're only curious because "it's so beautiful." Ugh. Disgusting. They might as well walk up and say, "May I be amazing at you?"

"Every time I reached into the closet to grab a Sunday School dress or my colonial-lady Halloween costume that I sometimes relaxed in after school..."

"I was walking home from middle school past a place called the World's Largest Aquarium-- which, legally, I don't know how they could call it that, because it was obviously an average-sized aquarium."

(Regarding how proud she is that 30 Rock features 'normal human-faces')
"When you watched Sanford and Son, you didn't want to have sex with everybody you saw, just Grady. I've never understood why every character being "hot" was necessary for enjoying a TV show. It's the same reason I don't get Hooters. Why do we need to enjoy chicken wings and boobies at the same time? Yes, they are a natural and beautiful part of the human experience. And so are boobies. But why at the same time?"


Hahahahahaaa.

-bcl.


Monday, July 9, 2012

My Year in Detroit!

What I think my apartment will look like:



What it will actually look like:



WHO WANTS TO VISIT ME??

#housingsearch

-bcl.

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Spiritual Growth

On the subject of my relationship with God, I would hope for it to be said of me that I'm growing, of course. I want to be developing and maturing as a Christ-follower. There have been lots of changes taking place in my life these last several months, and I am experiencing new things, and reflecting a ton. I feel as if I am beginning to change as an individual, too. Slowly but surely, I am noticing a difference in the way that I think, speak, and feel.

But above all, my heart's deepest desire is still for God.

I long for more of Him every day. I want to see and hear Him all around me. I long to be filled with a greater hunger for God's Word and increasing thirst for his presence.

Having said all of that, however, I will also include in here a brief mention of how these are things that are true of most Christians. Who doesn't want those these things? I have been making these same claims and praying the same prayers for years and years. But lately, for some reason (or many reasons), I've been feeling incredibly unsatisfied with my spiritual growth. I just feel so sluggish and stagnant and slow and.. grey. Right now, I can say confidently that I love Jesus! But I'm wanting that spark-- that raging flame within me. The passionate, burning desperation embedded deep within my heart to experience more of God's holy and awesome power. I'm just feeling kind of a little bit comfortable.

Abba Father, this is the cry of my heart. Just come and meet with me. I want a new touch, a powerful encounter with you! I am hereby requesting a private audience with you. Take me by the shoulders and shake me awake.

I am trying to be disciplined and diligent in striving for greater, and continuous spiritual growth; I'm not ready to give up yet. I'm sure that there are countless ways to gague whether or not I am "growing" but so as to take steps toward achieving self-accountability, I've come up with 3 questions to ask myself to help me focus on how to tangibly grow.

1. Am I growing in my knowledge of Christ?
2. Am I growing in my intimacy with Christ?
3. Am I growing in my likeness of Christ?

I spent the larger part of this past school year reading through the Old Testament, and it has been really very rewarding. Honest! I love the New Testament because it teaches me about how to live my life today, but wow. The O.T. has taught me more about God's character and about his heart than I ever knew before. I'm so thankful to God for revealing himself to me through his Word, but I want more!

I think that my intimacy with Christ is the easiest of the three to gague. It is pretty much reflected directly in my personal prayer life, my consistency (and desire?) in reading the Word, and in my actions and words and attitude.

Likeness of Christ. What a feat, eh? I want to become more and more like Christ. I want to bear the fruits of the Spirit as he dwells within me. May I speak and act out of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (*Galatians 5: 22-23)

Hoo boy. Spiritual growth, I am coming.

Step by step.

- bcl.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

To a little brother who is no longer a little brother

Dear Felix, 

Do you remember when we used to be best friends?


Do you remember when you used to call me "gah jay"?

Do you remember when we would play Black Beauty and how I'd always be the horse?

Do you remember when we used to be together 24/7?

Do you remember when I described what a "booby trap" was to you?

Do you remember when I thought it'd be funny to nickname you "feline"? (Confession: I don't think I knew what that word actually meant at the time.)

Do you remember when you used to always be SO excited to see me in the hallways of Drake Elementary School and I wouldn't allow you to say hi to me?

Do you remember how you used to do it anyway?


Do you remember when we used to be the two coolest members of the rollerblading club of CCCC?

Do you remember when we would watch "Night of the Living Dummy III" together multiple times even though I was kind of scared every time?

Do you remember when your voice was more high-pitched than mine?

Do you remember when we used to shop for gifts for mom and try to pay using only coins?

Do you remember hula-hoop races on our driveway?

Do you remember when I was bossy and you would obey me out of fear that I would call the cops on you?

Do you remember when we went fishing with butterfly nets in our swimming pool?

Do you remember "Jacob Field, Jacob Field, Jacob Field, JAM"?

Do you remember when we would play the Cabbage Patch Kids board game together for hours?

Do you remember foot wars in the back of the Eagle during 6-hour long car rides to Toronto?

Do you remember the mustard-ketchup game during 6-hour long car rides to Toronto?

Do you remember when we would sing the pokemon rap together?

Do you remember when we tried to build-- and crawl over-- a bridge between our two beds using a blanket?

Do you remember when I bought Cutie for you that one Christmas?

Do you remember Buttman?


I'm sad that we got old.

Sincerely,
an older sister who feels so so old

- bcl.