A few recent reads - a quick summary

Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood
I loved loved loved this book. Oryx andCrake is set in the future, after the collapse of civilization, and follows what might be the only human survivor as he goes about his daily routines, attempts to survive, and reminises about his life and loves before civilization collapsed. This novel explores scientific developments such as genetic engineering,particularly the creation of transgenic animals such as the friendly "Rakunk" and the vicious "Wolvog". It also covers such issues as the break down of morality and ethics in the publicized executions, assisted suicides and commodification of sexuality, particularly online child pornography. The gap between rich and poor is another issue covered in the book, with the rich living in safe, germ free environments where they have access to the best schools, malls, and food, while the poor - or pleebs - live in squallor.
I liked the book because it wasn't too far fetched - this could happen in the future and is happening already. We are already developing new, germ resistant plants and I'm sure that'll extend in to animals (if it isn't already). We already have a taste for the grotesque in the movies we watch (like the Saw movies), so how long will it be until we are watching the real thing - real beheadings and real torture? And the child pornography and sex industry is already thriving.
As we follow "Snowman" - the last remaining human - we learn about this dystopian society, about the scientific developments that got so carried away that they resulted in humanity's collapse, about Snowman's love interest Oryx and his friend Crake (here we have a religious theme which seems to liken Oryx and Crake to Adam and Eve), and about Snowman's quest for survival in a world without other humans.
The reviews that I read for the book were critical. Many people said they were disappointed with this book, that Margaret Atwood shouldn't write science fiction etc etc but I feel the complete opposite. This book was great. It was very readable and gripping. Unlike many of the books I have read, I didn't just finish it and move on with my life without a second thought, it was a book that made me think and want to talk. I highly recommend Oryx and Crake!

Two other recent reads:

The Spanish Bow - Andromeda Romano Lax A slow moving story which follows the life of underpriviledged child prodigy Feliu Delargo as he develops his cello skills, bringing him in to contact with kings and queens and political leaders during World War I and World War II. I didn't like this book, I found it boring and I wasn't interested in any of the characters. It was a torture to read it.

The Visible World - Mark Slouka This is the story of a child of Czech refugees after World War II trying to find out about his history - a history which shaped him but which he doesn't know much about. His parents' past remains a mystery to him, understood in fragments of conversation, stories and whispers but never really revealed. The one big mystery is his mother's unhappiness, brought on by the fact that she never ended up with the man she truely loved. The book is divided in to three parts and I enjoyed the way it was written. The first part of the book describes the narrator's childhood spent in the States in immigrant communities. The second part is about his travels to the Czech Republic in search of information about his parents, where he meets people who remember the difficult times during World War II, who quarrel amongst themselves about events, yet can't shed light on what the narrator is looking for: information about his mother and the man she truely loved. The third part is the narrator's fictional version of the events surrounding his mother and her lover, and the fictional truth about the relationship between his mother and his father. I thought this part was a bit of a stereotypical love story and didn't add much to the book. I did enjoy the book however, and I particularly enjoyed the historical references to life in Prague/Czech Republic during World War II.

Valentine's Day at "The Wine House"

I'm not a fan of Valentine's Day. I used to think that it was important, that chocolates, flowers and gifts were of utmost importance. But then I was disappointed time and time again. Now that I am older and wiser, I realize that Valentine's Day is not significant, that if I love someone and if they love me in return, we should know that every day, not just on one day. Valentine's Day is just an excuse for Hallmark, chocolate makers, and people who grow roses to stress people out and rake in the money. Last year Yadi and I did not celebrate Valentine's Day, but this year he - a Valentine's Day non-believer - took me out for a really great dinner at a posh place called "The Wine House". It's located somewhere near Panora mall in a converted house located in a very wealthy neighborhood (huge houses, high fences, guard dogs and security... not to mention streets lined with Audis and BMWs). The restaurant was perfect. The walls and rafters were decorated with red streamers and heart shaped balloons. We had a quiet table to the side and were served with a cheese plate and salad to start, followed by steak medallions, and a heart shaped chocolate brownie to conclude the night. We also had a nice bottle of "testi" wine (stored in a special container). It was a really nice night with good conversation, fantastic company, and even an accordion/violin serenade. I'm not sure what the normal menu is like at this restaurant (it was a Valentine's Day set menu) but it is a really nice place and very romantic, but a little expensive.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Anne Shaffer and Annie Barrows

This book (I'm not re-writing the title as it's too long) is a feel good book, it's an easy read and it will make you smile. The book is written as a series of letters between an author, her publisher, and the residents of the island of Guernsey. Guernsey is a tiny island off the coast of England that I knew absolutely nothing about. Apparently, it was occupied during World War II by the Nazis who built all sorts of defensive structures using slave labour. The resources on the island were quickly depleted, leaving both the residents of Guernsey and the Nazis to struggle for survival. This book is set shortly after World War II and tells the story of the people of Guernsey, how they dealt with the difficulties of life and how they made the best of everything.The people of Guernsey provide fodder for the author (Juliet's) newest novel by recounting their experiences under the Nazis. Juliet grows to admire and love the people of Guernsey and decides to visit them. Thus comes a heartwarming tale filled with hardships and perseverence.

My latest adventure: Çanakkale, Gallipoli and Troy

Semester break. My colleagues are travelling to exotic places like Zanzibar, Egypt and Georgia, but I am not. I have decided to save money and travel in Turkey - after all, winters in Turkey are generally mild and snowless, especially along the Aegean coast... right? Wrong. The trip to Çanakkale was supposed to take four days, but we fled, tail between legs, after two days. It was so cold.

On Sunday night, Rick, Tim and myself boarded the overnight bus for the ten hour ride to Çanakkale. The weather was mild in Ankara, but Istanbul had been hit with a severe snowstorm the day before. The weather reports for Çanakkale reported sunny weather and above zero temperatures so we weren't too concerned. As the bus drove in to Çanakkale I looked out the window and saw snow, ice and bundled up people. My heart sunk... we were in for four days of cold, pursuing activities that involved being outdoors. We disembarked from the bus and hailed a taxi whose interior was colder than the coldest day in Antarctica. After a short, yet freezing, cab ride, we arrived at our hotel and found that it was not open. Luckily, there was another, cheaper hotel right next door which provided us with breakfast, rooms and warmth.

After breakfast we decided to head to Troy, the city made famous by Homer's book "The Iliad". We walked on treacherous streets to the dolmus (mini bus) station and caught a freezing cold mini bus to Troy. I was quite excited to see the place made famous by the siege of Troy, the Trojan horse, and the beauty of Helen. I wanted to walk in the footsteps of Hector, Achilles and Agamemnon (not Paris though because he was a loser). Troy was sorely disappointing. First, you pay too much money to get in (for the quality of the place). The first stop is an information bulletin about Troy, which you can read if you want to be pummelled by the Arctic winds whipping about. Visitors then stop at the replica Trojan horse, a great photo-op because your friends can climb up and poke their heads out the windows. The stairs up in to the Trojan horse are extremely steep and, at that time of year, ice covered. Not for the faint of heart. Following that, visitors can stop in a very poor excuse for a museum while a small cat follows, meowing loudly. Then, visitors follow a path through loads of rubble - the foundations of houses, walls etc. This may have been interesting had we decided to take a guided tour (not an option at that time of year apparently) or if there had been one of those little information radio guides to listen to (also not available). The ground was slippery, the weather cold, and my appreciation very non-existent. My advice: Don't waste your time and money on a visit to the ancient city of Troy. And if you must go, go in the summer.

That evening, upon our return from Troy, we were so cold. I don't know what the temperature was... but it was SOOOO cold. Turkey is a country of cement buildings without insulation, where warm air gets sucked out as soon as a door is opened. That evening we were unable to get warm so we retired to our hotel early, played an invigorating game of "Bananagrams" and were asleep by nine.

We awoke the next morning, ready for another cold day but feeling happy because we had a car booked for our tour of Gallipoli. Wrong. The car rental company which had OK'ed the rental the previous day was now claiming that it was too dangerous to drive (although no new snow had fallen) so we were forced to take a tour. I really enjoyed the tour, the bus was warm, lunch was provided, and the guide was very knowledgeable.

For those who know nothing about Gallipoli, it is a peninsula south of Istanbul where a large battle was fought during World War I. The British/Australian/New Zealand/French troops wanted to take control of this important area to have easy access to Russia and the food the Russians could provide to the troops, as well as to control Istanbul. The Turks, under the command of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who were on the side of the Germans, weren't having any of this... and thus, a long, drawn out, bloody battle with lots of casualties on both sides. Gallipoli is especially important to Australians and New Zealanders and is commemorated every April on ANZAC day. The tour took us through the major battle sights, allowed us to visit a museum (which needs a lot of improvement), Anzac Cove (where the Anzacs landed), various war memorials for both sides, as well as the trenches. There isn't a lot to see on the Gallipoli peninsula and it's hard to envision the huge battle that took place, but if you are interested in military history or if you are in the area, it is worth going to.

Although Gallipoli was interesting it was also SOOOO COLD. By the end of the tour we were all ready to go home. It was Tuesday and we had plane tickets to Ankara booked for Thursday but we couldn't envision spending another minute in that cold, inhospitable land. Like cowards, we ate our plane tickets and booked a bus home. Unlocking the door of my warm apartment and crawling in to my comfortable bed was heaven.

The picture above shows a beautiful quote from Ataturk:
Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives, you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country, therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us, where they lie side by side here in this country of ours. You, the mothers, who sent their sons from far away countries, wipe away your tears. Your sons are now lying in our bosom and are at peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.