169 Books: Argentina

Musicians and Watchmakers by Alicia Steimberg

Argentina is a rather large country in South America. You may remember it from the musical/movie Evita (which I actually haven't seen, but know almost the entire soundtrack to...it's on my list to watch.)
So here's the lowdown on the book:
Told from the perspective of an adolescent girl, this humorous and deceptively intuitive account of a Jewish family living in 1940s Buenos Aires tackles themes of identity and history through a flawlessly rendered colloquial style. Semi-autobiographical and charged with energy to match the young narrator's age, this episodic novel tackles issues of religious belonging, the first sparks of political awareness, budding sexuality, and the complications of an eccentric family.

I know for the previous "reviews" I've made bullet points, but I'm not doing that for this one. There weren't a lot of specific areas that caught my attention, and I think it would just be easier to give an overall. 

One thing that did stand out was the mention of the pogrom, the massacre of Jews in Russia. There have been so many Jewish massacres throughout history. It's kind of insane. 
Anyway another big theme that jumped out in this book was kind of crappy family. The women in this family seemed to completely hate and resent each other and do nothing but fight. It was honestly kind of depressing. 

The account of the childhood was a little disjointed for my liking; the stories didn't transition or connect very well. It was entertaining enough, but I didn't really see much of the humor and energy in the description. 

Toward the end of the book it gets a little political. It talks about Peron being elected and how most of the people that she knew didn't support him. It kind of spurred me to read a bit about him, and I'm confused. Ok, I haven't quite finished my "research," but so far it sounds like he did a lot of good for Argentina. There also aren't dates attached to the Peron stories in the book, so that makes it a bit harder to relate the two. 

Alright, so this book wasn't quite as entertaining or telling as I'd hoped. But my final thought is that it got me interested in learning some different parts of world history, so I'll call that good. 

Touristing

See the world at home

It's about time for another Juneau post, and this is going to be a long one laden with beautiful pictures for you to be jealous of. (And maybe some ideas of things to do if you ever make your way to the last frontier). 
So one of the best perks of my job is the opportunity to go on lots of the local tours. I mentioned at the beginning of the summer that we got to go on the zipline and to the Glacier Gardens. Unfortunately I had left my phone on the bus and don't have any pictures of those. But it was a fun break into the touristy side of Juneau. 
Another work trip was to the State Museum. I'm a bit of a nerd and really enjoy history and culture, so I loved the chance to learn all about Alaskan history just after the museum was renovated and reopened. There's a big population of Tlingit natives out here, so there was a lot of stuff about them in the museum. There was also stuff about the gold rush, the oil pipeline, and Alaska becoming a state. I had fun. 

Soldier and I started our rounds with a trip up the Mount Roberts Tramway. It's 1800 feet up to the top of Mount Roberts with beautiful views of Juneau from the top. 

 

Unfortunately I wasn't dressed for hiking, and Soldier isn't big on heights, so we didn't do a whole lot up there. But I enjoyed the view. 

Around mid-summer, Soldier and I finally had a day off together. We adulted first thing in the morning and got new passports. As we were leaving the post office I got a call from my boss telling us to head downtown right away. We were able to get on a seaplane tour going out to Taku Lodge. It was awesome to take off from the channel, and we flew by 5 glaciers. The lodge is nestled in an inlet and you can only get there (I'm relatively sure) by boat or seaplane. I was really excited and surprised to find that the Lodge has ties to our home town. The ride was a bit bumpy, but we had a really good time. AND! I finally saw my first bear! He likes to eat the blueberries and check out the salmon cooking at the lodge. 

When we got back to the dock, there was a text from my boss that we had a thumbs up to go whale watching with her and another coworker. Soldier and I had enough time to run home and change before meeting up with them to go to the boat. Not gonna lie, I didn't take pictures on that trip because I was more focused on hanging out with them. We did see some humpbacks, but it's honestly more exciting to see them in our little skiff. They seem so much bigger. 

Flash forward to a couple of nights ago, I got another chance to go whale watching with colleagues. (Meanwhile, Soldier was out catching us a 42 pound halibut. My freezer is now completely stuffed with fish. Literally. There's no more room for anything else.) This trip was a little different because we saw orcas. I WAS SO EXCITED. And it was so cool...there were a couple of pods that just kept surfacing next to the boat, almost going right along with us. 

This past Sunday we got to go on board one of the cruise ships. It was neat, we got a tour and had dinner. I've never been on a cruise, but I'm pretty sure I'd enjoy it. I told one of my coworkers that I'd spend the entire time with my sunglasses on looking down at everyone and not smiling, like I'm super important. 

Today was a huge treat. I was at work, not feeling great, just counting down the minutes till I could get out of the cold and wind. Towards the end of my shift, one of the helicopter tours was about to head to base with only one person, some others just hadn't shown up. The dock reps knew I'd wanted to do this tour to the all but pushed me into the bus. So before I knew it, I was strapped into the helicopter on my way to dogsled on top of the glacier. 

It was windy today, so I kind of started to understand why Soldier calls them flying death machines. He also calls them helio-chop-chops, which I like a lot better. And it's fun to say. 

It was cool to see Juneau from that perspective. I also loved seeing the puppies...and actual puppies, only 3 weeks old! A lot of the dogs at the camp have or will run in the Iditarod, and they would start barking and strain on the harnesses every time we stopped. 

 

 
 

Doing all this stuff is one of the reasons I wanted a job like this. It's been so worth it to get out and experience so many different adventures in such a beautiful location. There aren't many places in the world where you could do all this.

169 Books: Antigua & Barbuda

Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid

This one is a small island in the Caribbean:

And here's the summary:

Annie John, the protagonist of the book, starts out as a young girl who worships her mother. She follows her everywhere, and is shocked and hurt when she learns that she must some day live in a different house from her mother. While her mother tries to teach her to become a lady, Annie is sent to a new school where she must prove herself intellectually and make new friends. She then "falls in love" with a girl by the name of Gwen. She promises Gwen that she will always love her. However, Annie later finds herself admiring and adoring a girl that she called the "Red Girl". She admires this girl in all aspects of her life. To Annie this girl is the meaning of freedom because she does not have to do any daily hygienic routines like the other girls.

Annie John is then moved to a higher class because of her intelligence. For this reason, Annie is drawn away from her best friend Gwen and the Red Girl, while alienating herself from her mother and the other adults in her life. It later becomes clear that she also suffers from some kind of mental depression, which distances her from both her family and her friends. The book ends with her physically distancing herself away from all that she knows and loves by leaving home for nursing school in England.

• Let me start by saying that one description I saw of this book likened it to Catcher in the Rye. I hated that book. I even tried to read some of Salinger's other works and couldn't stand them either. Buuuut, in the interest of growing with my worldly reading endeavor, I decided to go for it anyway. Yay, me. 
• The first line is "[f]or a short while during the year I was ten, I thought only people I did not know died." Interestingly enough, I really identify with this and I've been thinking about it lately. Back home, I would sing at funerals...it was always a bit sad, but not a big deal. But every once in a while, I think about the people I love dying...and it's freaking terrifying. Like panic-inducing. We'll see where this one goes.
• Though I'm only a few pages in, we're heavily focusing on a theme of death. 
• The main character digresses, and as punishment her mum tells her she won't be in to kiss her goodnight. I remember, when I was small, having my mum tuck me in and saying that my dad would be up in "just a second." And I would say "No just a seconds" because I'd be asleep when he came up to say goodnight. Now that I'm older I appreciate it much more...Dad working hard to support six kids so Mum could stay home and raise us. At the time I would get all small-child-frustrated, but now I smile when I think about it.
• I'm a little confused about the relationships with the other girls. 
• There's a really great description of depression in this book. She says it's like a black thimble spinning around inside her, burning everything it touches. 
• The last couple of chapters got a little vague. Annie gets sick, so it's understandable that it's vague, but all of a sudden it's about 5 years later and she's leaving
• As we follow Annie to the ship, she reminisces about her childhood as she walks through town. She's happy about the decision she's made to leave, but starting to think about all the things she'll miss. I completely understand this; when Soldier and I knew we'd be leaving, I just wanted to get out. When I found out we were going somewhere I wasn't excited about, I started to see all the things I would miss.
• Annie's relationship with her mother runs the gamut during the book, but they did have a nice goodbye before she leaves. Not gonna lie, it made me tear up. I miss my momma.

I've really lucked out on the books I've picked. There were a couple of times that I was a little annoyed with the ADD feel of the book, but it wasn't as bad as Salinger. I almost wish the book had been longer to see if she ever went back or regretted severing ties. Families are complicated.  

Climbing

Higher and...not.

This summer has been a lot different than most. To be fair it was supposed to be, but it's even more different than I expected. 

I really enjoy my job. Well, for the most part...although half the time I don't want to talk to random people. But usually I start the day cranky and it completely changes. 
Okay, there are a couple of reasons for that. The majority of the people I talk to are happy and it's a bit infectious, so it brings my mood up. Maybe it's also the "acting" part. You kind of have to be "on" when you talk to people: friendly, helpful, not annoyed at the stupid questions and jokes you've already heard a thousand times. Maybe not, I dunno. The other reason are my favorites. I have 3 coworkers that I truly enjoy and (*gasp*) love. 
I was drawn to them pretty quickly, and I think...maybe just hope...that they were drawn to me as well. Let's see...one is very perky and pretty much likes everyone but he feels like family. Another started out very guarded and now has opened up and seems as happy to see me as I am him. The third is even better. We have similar personalities (although she's much cooler) and we've shared some secrets. And honestly, when Soldier and I are having a spat or whatever, I look forward to seeing her even more. 

Alright none of that information is super important. Maybe kind of background? Maybe me just saying things. 

Transition! I used to enjoy rock climbing. Uh, rock gym climbing, I have no desire for the real shit. I even have my own, relatively nice, harness. I also used to enjoy jogging, yoga, dancing, and skiing. 

But...autoimmune changed everything. I mean everything. Ok it's hard to describe if you're not sick like that, but once your body "betrays" you, you don't really trust it again. I mean, really, it's been like 2 years since all that stuff happened. But since it happened, I've been afraid to do so many things. Even simple things like squatting or kneeling concern me. I'm scared to hurt my legs, scared to get sick (the kind of autoimmune "sick" that's different from normal sick), scared of messing something up, scared of feeling like that again, scared of...I don't even know what else. Everything. 

So, to get back to the point kind of, there has been talk of being under the influence enough to climb. I can't tell you how badly I've wanted that. 
Yesterday we had a work party. It was also the day that my Soldier headed off for the weekend. He gets to see family and friends, which I love, but I hate that I don't hear much from him when he's gone. And I'm also a little jealous that he gets to hang out with them. Can I request that we inject a little bit more emotion in there? Alrighty then. 

The two of my favorite coworker gentlemen (the lady coworker was out of town) let me chauffeur them to the party, and were influenced enough afterwards to climb. Well, maybe I should add in here that I had much more fun at the party, and stayed much later, than I expected to. 
Seriously, I've been waiting for this. I've put off climbing during regular hours because I've been afraid. I've wanted to climb and try and it out. And...I climbed. Not very high. Mostly because I looked down and knew it was too far for me to just jump. 
Anyway I did it. Barefoot, in jeans. And it hurt, but it was amazing. Because I did it. After a couple of us climbed a few feet, we back tracked and just laid on the squishy floor. And I just laughed and felt so fantastic. I found out that I could handle it. 
I've tried jogging a little bit, but I'm pretty lazy about it. Even standing on my feet at the docks scares me, I wear knee braces every day. This was really actually working my knees and body and, yeah I know that it's still going to be hard on me, but I feel like I can start doing things again. You know, if I stop being lazy about it. I think I'll try to go skiing again this coming winter.

I know that these three will be gone after summer. Not just out of the vicinity...out of touch and everything. Sometimes I think friendships are like that--they're only there for a little while and you know it'll end. We won't talk anymore. I'll be sad that they're gone, think about them sometimes, and check them up on Facebook every once in a while. I know that, and I don't like it, but maybe it's just a part of growing older. But for the time being, they're helping me a lot, and they're very, very important. 
I've gotten out more, pushed my physical and emotional boundaries a little bit, and lots and lots of fun. 

I'm glad this summer has been more different than I expected. You're never too old for some adventure. 

Soul Mates

You just know.

I had an interesting conversation with a coworker last night. She said when she first met Soldier she was surprised: she thinks I'm better looking, but as you get to know his personality we're more understandable. I was a bit shocked at this. Of course I love his personality (although I'm irritated with him a lot), I find him incredibly attractive. I also just assume everyone else finds him just as good looking. Years (and years) ago, it was his eyes that first caught my attention, and I still find them captivating. I don't really understand that everyone wouldn't have that reaction. 

This morning I was looking at some of my memories on Facebook. I found that Soldier and I have been together for over a year and married for 8 months. I was a bit surprised at that, I hadn't realized it'd been that long. In most of my other relationships I've felt like it was a bit of a drag, and that if we just hit some sort of milestone it'd all be okay. I honestly started to think that that's just how it was, and maybe I was just better off on my own. It's really weird to think that this much time has gone by without me really even noticing. And before you know it, we'll have been on our Alaskan adventure for a year (which means another winter will be upon us...whiiine.) 

I'm sure I've told you guys all about how I don't believe in soul mates and "the one." Despite my love for Soldier, I'm still sticking with that line of thinking. There are still days when he's just doing everything wrong (because I'm obviously always right), or that it feels like we're just not on the same page. That stuff doesn't really feel like a relationship death sentence anymore, though. It's more like we'll just try again tomorrow. (I feel like I've heard that about parenting...but sometimes Soldier seems like a kid sooo...). 

I'm on the verge of getting mushy, aren't I? I'm so sorry guys. I don't think I've ever experienced this sort of thing. I kind of just wanted to be like "what are you talking about? How are you not in love with him? How is everyone not in love with him? Look at him! He's adorable!"

Alright. Anyway. I just had to share those weird thoughts with you guys. The moral of the story? Soldier irritates me and drives me insane, but he's my lobster.

169 Books: Angola

My Father's Wives by José Eduardo Agualusa

Angola is in western, southern-ish Africa:

And here's the recap of the book:
 When the celebrated Angolan musician Faustino Manso dies, his youngest daughter Laurentina journeys to Angola to trace the story of the father she never knew. Setting out to find the 7 wives and 18 children he left scattered across southern Africa, the fictional account of Laurentina's journey runs parallel with the author's chronicle of the novel's genesis. As the characters and their creator travel the southern African coast-from Angola through Namibia and South Africa to Mozambique-they meet extraordinary people and, along the way, discover Faustino's secrets.

• "How many truths make up a lie?" Whoa. Deep. On the first page. 
• This is written like a diary, which is kind of cool in some ways. However, there are multiple characters "writing" as well as the actual author's story, and I kind of have to guess who's point of view it is. It's irritating to spend half the section trying to figure it out.
• An essay on silences, and how many different silences there are. Happy, sad, afraid, tense, calm, dramatic, and on and on. 
• Even though I haven't read a whole lot of my Around the World books yet, I'm finding a theme about heritage and ancestry. Maybe white people don't really have such strong ties to the past...or maybe just me. I'm having a hard time understanding those potent themes.
• Ah. She slept with her nephew. Cool. 
• "A person who has no enemies doesn't deserve to have any friends."
• There's a lot of discussion about apartheid and frank deliberation about racism, from both the black and white sides. Some really interesting thoughts, I like it. 
• "Life is neither grey nor rose-tinted. It depends on the lenses through which you look at it.
• "Life is no less incoherent than dreams, it's just more persistent."
• There's an interesting twist that she doesn't take very well. Kinda sad.

This book took me for.ev.er. I know. I won't bore you with my myriad of excuses. Only some of them are good. This was definitely a thinking book. There wasn't a whole lot of action, but a ton of interesting thoughts and some discussion on tough topics. I did like the twists but didn't love the main character's attitude toward them. 

Like I said, I was kind of meh about the diary-style narration. Mostly I didn't like that, to an extent, you had to guess which character (or the author) the perspective was in. There were also a lot of references to poems, though I don't know if they're actual poems or the author made them up. Either way, it was a pretty intellectual book. Overall I liked it. 

A Shower

Good, clean fun.

Get your mind out of the gutter, not that kind of shower. Although those are also good, clean fun. 
I realized I hadn't written a post from my trip home and the wedding shower. So, very late, here it is.

Now, I may or may not have mentioned it (I think I did), but I did not want to have a shower. I used all the excuses of being so far away, the expense of getting out of Alaska, and not being able to bring gifts back. All those excuses were answered, tickets booked, and before I knew it I was headed back to the continental (or, as I like to refer to it, the real) United States. Let me tell you, I know I'm still technically in the US, but it feels like going to a completely different country with so much more stuff. More things to do, see, and buy, places to go, and people to hang out with. It's glorious!

Know what's not glorious? Traveling for 12 hours. I shouldn't complain, my sister and brother in law traveled for like 17 hours...but that doesn't make it suck less. I think I left Alaska at like 6 in the morning and got home at like 10 or 11 at night. Craziest part? When I got up in Juneau at 3:45 in the freaking morning the sun was getting up with me. THAT'S NOT RIGHT. I felt like a vampire hissing at the sun. And then it was so dark when I landed. I kept saying that the time change wasn't too hard on me, but the light change was. It was weird. 
Anyway, I got in after basically forever and got to see my parents and some siblings and the dogs and it was wonderful. And I was tired. 

The next day we went shopping. We were looking for a bridesmaid dress for my sister...it was not the most pleasant experience. I thought I was being the opposite of a bridezilla by telling them to pick whatever they wanted. What would the opposite of a bridezilla be? Hmm. Dunno. But I thought they'd get to pick something that the felt and looked good in and spend the amount they wanted. Sister decided we had to go to a bridal store and she discontentedly picked out a bridesmaid dress. Well, okay. I'm not sure she's the least bit excited for the wedding, but I did give them all the choice to opt out of bridesmaiding. 
So we moved on to the mall where I was super excited to shop. I did a great job at Sephora and then lost my excitement. I do this every time: I'm so happy to be able to shop and then remember that nobody dresses up or tries to look nice for stuff in Alaska and I lose steam. But it was nice to spend time with my mom and one sister nonetheless. 

Uh, I'm not gonna go through day by day, I don't remember them specifically. But I got to spend time with my side of the family, Soldier's side of the family, and some friends. 

The day of the shower, I was expectantly nervous. So many people, so much attention, so stressful. 

I'd ordered a dress from Rent the Runway. A beautiful, $700 Marchesa that I wore for $30. Not too shabby. So I was feeling pretty, which was a good start. I tried making small talk as people arrived and felt like a huge idiot. Things started moving along: food, gifts, chatting. And then it was over.  

That was it.

It was quite awkward. I don't really like having all the attention, especially when people stare at you while you're opening cards and stuff. But it was also really fantastic. It was a whole bunch of women who really love Soldier and I and who we're so lucky to have in our lives. As much as I didn't want to do a shower, I'm so glad I did it. I can't wait to get back home to see everyone again. But really, on the other hand, hella awkward.