WWQP Bulletin Board Chat

Down under, up over, whatever....;)

The question is--who decided that North is at the "top" of the globe/map, and South is at the "bottom"? Whoever it was first started making navigation maps, of course--my country (whichever that is) goes up top. Because of course I-the-mapmaker and those of my ilk, are Top Dog, King of the Cats, the Grand Turtlissimo. An Oz friend of mine actually has a T-shirt printed with an "upside down" map of the world with the legend in Gothic script: "Yeah? Says who?"

I finally got the postal mess sorted, via a good friend who deserves all the kudos she can get. None of you know her so I can't shout-out to Jennifer! LOL but I just did.

Fall is on its way--bliss. We have had some cooler days thank goodness. No rain yet but there have been storms in the other parts of this small country that at least are bringing cool air even though the clouds haven't made it over the mountains. I know, everyone out there is pelting me with overripe, if metaphorical, comestibles, but I for one LOVE fall and winter. If I were filthy rich I'd have a home in France and another in NZ and I would just fly from fall to fall and never see summer again. I would, honestly.

Teaching still goes on apace. Wednesday is a local holiday but I still expect to have about 4 hrs of class. (Query: Does this actually mean, then, that I'm good at what I do?) I haven't done a single stitch of quilting, which is good and bad. Usually I am reduced to quilting as there's no work; and summer was traditionally my "finish a quilt" time. But I can't be sad about that. I figure I'll have some down-time in Sept, which is makeup exam month. I have gotten spoiled, and I will feel terrified if things don't take off right away in Oct.

Got half of my next talk (9 Sept) written, and today while sitting in church I was struck with an inspiration--life as a quilt. Not new, I know, but perhaps, applied to Christianity in particular--at least an interesting angle. Particularly the idea of a scrap quilt; all those bits that don't "go"--the wrong colour, an ugly print, a terrible clash--and yet you get it all together in a top and somehow, harmony results. And that goshawful beige works its way in among the reds and keeps it from getting too"samey" or that bright orange provides a perfect foil for the green. Same is true of any group of people trying to live/work together. We are so different, in our past, our abilities, our tastes, and yet--harmony can happen. Anyone with any useful suggestions, examples or comments, please leave them attached to this post. This one isn't for the 9th but it is on the back burner bubbling away for whenever.

Has anyone else noticed that cinema-wise we are living in the Age of the Remake? What ever happened to creativity? As Michael Caine so wisely said, anyone can remake a disaster and improve on it--but how can you remake a runaway success and get anywhere? or words to that effect. (I may have commented on this before, but if I have, consider it all of a piece with the trend! :P)

So, not alot else going on. I have allowed myself a couple of treats, such as ordering a copy of the reprint of D'Aulaire's Norse Gods and Giants, which is the first book I ever took out of a library all by myself at age 6; school hadn't started, we went to register, and joy of joys they actually had a library at my new school (the only one in town that did). That library was directly responsible for my being where I am today since they had a Spanish/English "picture dictionary" which had wonderful illustrations I pored over on and off for years. It was Mexican Spanish but hey...I know it all started there, even if I've never actually had occasion to use the word "rebozo" in a sentence! LOL I was able to get the local university bookstore to order "Norse Gods" for me (with the excuse of its being useful for tutoring Anglo Saxon, uh-huh, right!) so no postage fee.

Thanks for explaining the worldwide postage cabal--why am I not surprised that Switzerland, a land-locked, rich and very influential nation is the place this decision to stop overseas surface mail was made! Feed em enough chocolate, cheese and whipped cream and they'll follow your lead. Either that or you threaten em with the "everything knife"--how many international postal execs would not back down at sight of a 12-fold "deadly weapon!" Oh I'm sorry, I suffer terribly from "sidebar disease" and am rambling worse than usual today!! ROFLOL

Is it just me or can no one spell on the internet anymore? I am surprised in the vegetarian chatroom I frequent of an evening to see young ladies from the US spell it "Whoot"! Is this something I've missed? Must have been when I was immersed in the sonnets of John Donne or Spencer obsessing about his ladyfair's frontage...mind you, I don't know why I complain, English spelling wasn't codified till the end of the 18th or beginning of the 19th century, it's not like they're breaking any time-honoured rules.

What news of the rest of the world?
anna in cool-for-once Spain

Labels: Fall as in on my face

posted by anna in spain @ 9:35 AM