Words on Bathroom Walls

Words on Bathroom Walls is an American drama (2020) about a teenager named  Adam Petrazelli (Charlie Plummer) who suffers from schizophrenia. He moves to a new school after a psychotic break which leaves him alienated from his peers.

 Adam’s constant companions are his imaginary friends Rebecca (Anna Sophia Robb ) a hippy who wants him to be in tune with his feelings,  the bodyguard (Lobo Sebastian)  who protects him, Joaquin ( Devon Bostick) a sleazy bro and the darkness (Jared Bankins) a dark mist of negative energy.

Adam tries his best to ignore his imaginary people as they hinder him from being present in his everyday life. Adam is able to relax from his mental illness when he’s cooking. His dream is to go to culinary school to become a chef. He makes a friend at his new school called Maya (Taylor Russel) who has her own secrets.

I enjoyed watching this movie and thought it handled the subject matter sensitively. I hadn’t thought about schizophrenia before and how it could affect a young person. In the movie, Adam tries his best to ignore his delusions, but the other characters can see that he’s distracted. I can see how difficult it would be to ignore delusions and pretend that everything is okay. It would also be difficult forming relationships because you would be worried if they will accept you.

I thought the performances in this movie were wonderful. Charlie Plummer played Adam with a realistic vulnerability and had great chemistry with the rest of the cast. All the characters were complex and played brilliantly by the actors. Taylor Russel and Charlie Plummer had great chemistry.

I think this movie would be suitable to watch with family with older children or teenagers. As an educator, I would suggest it for a book and film study for English or wellbeing course.  

X0 Kitty

Photo by GR Stocks on Unsplash

XO Kitty is a spin off series from the movie series, To all the boys that I loved. The series stars  Anna Cathcart as Kitty, a Korean American who goes to boarding school in Korea. She goes to boarding school to learn to learn more about her deceased mother who went to the school and be with her long-term boyfriend Dae-heon Kim (Choi Min-young).

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It’s a cute series that’s perfect for binge watching.  I love stories where the characters are in boarding school. I think it’s something about being with your friends 24/7 and being independent at a young age. It’s fantasy viewing with the eye candy cast members and cool clothes.  

 The only criticism that I have is that the series had the ‘I can explain trope’ where there’s a big problem and one of the characters refuses to listen. All their problems would be solved if they would hear them out instead of storming off.

I’m not sure if there’s going to be season 2 but I will watch it if comes out. 

The Babysitter’s Club BSC Forever : Everything Changes by Ann Martin

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I’m obsessed with The Babysitter’s Club series. When I was a little girl, I thought they were the coolest books ever. I always look for the old books when I’m in a thrift shop. The series has been republished but I like the old books from my childhood. I have a big collection of Babysitters Club books and I hope to collect them all. I haven’t read all of them yet.

The BSC Forever series is a spinoff of The Babysitter’s Club which focuses more on the girls rather than babysitting. This series also concludes The Babysitter’s Club story, with the girls moving on to high school having other interests. This book is a special edition where there are several story lines, told in letter, email and diary format by different characters.

The book is set during summer vacation and the girls don’t babysit in this book. Kristy is at summer camp, Maryanne is at home, Claudia goes to Monhegan island with her family and Stacey goes to New York to spend time with her dad. The other babysitter club members are mentioned but don’t feature much in this book.

I don’t think this special was as good as others in the series. The characters usually are more connected and communicate with each other more. In this book, the characters mostly interact with their closest friends rather than as a whole group.

Kristy

Kristy’s story was mostly told through diary format and letters. I didn’t like the diary format because of the abbreviations. In a diary, Kristy abbreviates her friends names and as A. for Abby, MA for Maryanne. I understand that it makes the diary entries more authentic because diaries entries are meant to be a stream of thoughts. You might shorten things to save time or use code words for secrecy.

Kristy’s storyline was about her dismay about The Babysitters Club falling apart. In the book, several characters want to pull out of The Babysitter’s Club to focus on other interests.

Claudia

The story I did enjoy was Claudia visiting Monhegan island with her family. Monhegan Island is located near Maine. It’s a small little island know for its artists colonies and fishing. I liked reading the descriptions of the island and how Claudia was enjoying hiking, painting, and drawing.

Stacey

Stacey is New York to spend time with her father as her parents are divorced. She’s 13 and dating someone who is 15. The dad doesn’t like the age difference and her father doesn’t want her to spend too much time with him. I thought there would be more fighting about this but Stacey handles it maturely.

Maryanne

Maryanne is living with her family in a temporary place since their house burnt down. Her grandmother comes to stay with the family. Maryanne is also feeling smothered by her boyfriend Logan for trying to support her.  It was a little tedious reading Maryanne’s storyline. Maryanne is a very timid character, and she doesn’t resolve anything by the end of the book.

My goals for 2021

                                                    Photo by Jordan Wozniak on Unsplash

1. Read all the unread books on my bookshelf.

I have about 30 books that have been collecting dust on my shelf for years. I have thought about donating them, but I can’t bring myself to do it. I keep thinking that if I do throw them out, I will miss out on learning some important or meaningful. Maybe I should mark 2021 as the final year I can hold onto them, either I read them or donate them.

2. Read new books

While I already own books that I don’t read, I’d like to add more to the pile! I buy my books from the thrift store and most are old titles. I would like to read something more recent.

3. Be positive and have fun.

I have to remind myself to stop and enjoy the moment. I am usually the one making sure everything runs smoothly.

Mary Poppin by P.L Travers review by Carlyn

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 I have a terrible habit of starting books and not finishing them. I decided that since I had a lot more time due to the Corona Virus, that I would finish Mary Poppins by P.L Travers. It is a book that I started reading in 2018. I found it in an old box when I was doing some cleaning.

Mary Poppins by P.L Travers is a book about a magical and mysterious nanny named Mary Poppins. She is looks after Michael, Jane, John and Barbara Banks who live on 17 Cherry Tree Lane, London. Mary Poppins takes the children on adventures like going on a trip around the world using a magical compass, having tea parties on the ceiling and meeting talking animals. All the adventures are episodic and leaves you wanting more. My favourite chapters were the one about a cow who couldn’t stop dancing and John and Barbara who are babies talking to a crow.

I think one of the intriguing things about Mary Poppins is her mysterious character. She never explains the weird stuff that happens and even denies that it happened at all. The children are left not knowing what to think.

I also watched the movie for the first time and I thought it was magical. I can see why it’s a family favourite for many people. There are many more Mary Poppins books but I’m not going to go out of my way to read them. If I find one at a secondhand bookshop, I’ll give it a go.  I think this book is great for children, it would be easy for children to read by themselves or have an adult read to them.

Pride and Prejudice: Dreadfully Ever After by Steve Hockensmith- Review by Carlyn

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Pride and Prejudice: Dreadfully Ever After by Steve Hockensmith is the sequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith. The book is a parody of Pride and Prejudice with zombies added for fun.

The sequel picks up where the last novel ended. Elizabeth and Darcy are newly married and adjusting to living with each other. Elizabeth is discontent with being a gentleman’s wife and discarding her warrior duties for the sake of decorum. When Elizabeth and Darcy go on a leisurely stroll to discuss matters, Darcy is bitten by a zombie. Elizabeth turns to an unlikely source to help her find a cure for Darcy. She must set aside her morals to help the man she loves.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It’s a lot of fun. You have to embrace the ridiculous premise to enjoy it. What makes the novel entertaining is the humor. I don’t think there’s any laugh out loud moments but there’s plenty of ridiculous characters and situations that make the story entertaining. There’s always a surprise zombie attack that makes all the villagers run for their lives and the Bennet girls spring into action.

I liked how all the Bennet girls are skilled warriors. It was kinda like they were superheroes because they had to hide their fighting prowess as it would be considered unladylike for that time. While the villagers run off screaming from a zombie horde, the Bennet sisters race into action. There’s also ninjas in the story which add to the fun.

I thought the side plots with Mary and Kitty were more interesting than the main story that featured Elizabeth. It was interesting for them to go on their own adventures and love stories. I would love to read more stories where they are the main characters.

There’s a never a dull moment in this book. The blood and gore isn’t too graphic. I don’t enjoy horror unless it’s horror comedy so I found this book just right. There is a prequel to this book called Pride and Prejudice: Dawn of the Dreadful by Steve Hockensmith which will probably be more action packed as it will show the beginning of the undead plague.  

Beloved by Toni Morrison

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Beloved is a story about an African American former slave named Sethe who is haunted the ghost of her infant daughter Beloved. While escaping from her master, Sethe murdered her daughter Beloved so that she wouldn’t have to live the life as a slave. Sethe is shunned by her community and lives her other daughter Denver. The two live an isolated existence with the poltergeist until an old acquaintance called Paul D. arrives.

The book was inspired by a former slave named Margaret Garner who killed her daughter, so she wouldn’t endure a life of slavery. It is an interesting and sad case as it was debated whether she would be trialed as a person or property.

I thought it was interesting how the characters embraced Beloved and the different relationships that they had with her. Denver has a confidant and doesn’t feel so lonely anymore and Sethe feels like she can make up for what she did to Beloved. Paul D. doesn’t trust her at all.

I sympathized with Sethe. What she did to Beloved was terrible, but I understand that she was in an awful situation and wanted to protect her children in her own way. Maybe I would feel differently if she were a real person. The true tragedy of the book was slavery and the trauma that survivors felt and having to adjust to the world. It was hard reading the cruelty that happened to the characters in the book and the racism of that time period.

This book is not something I would normally read. I had to read it for a college course that I was taking in Gothic Literature. I found this book a little hard to read at first because of the way it is written. I didn’t understand some of the metaphors and the dialogue at times. Overall, I enjoyed reading the book.

October Update

Life

It’s been a long time since I blogged. In August I accepted a new job teaching in the Torres Strait. The Torres Strait is a series of islands located up north of Queensland. I live on a small island of 250 inhabitants and I teach primary school.  The island is very small and it only takes an hour to walk around the whole island. I’ve really enjoyed the experience. The people are very friendly and welcoming. It is a bit of an isolating experience in some ways. Mobile phone reception is limited to a few hotspots on the island and the internet is slow. This island is not open to the public as it is a part of the Indigenous Protection zone.

I’ve recently had a short vacation in Cairns. It was refreshing to be back in a city again. I went shopping and explored the sights. My brother came up from Brisbane to join me on vacation. I hadn’t seen him since I left.

I am looking forward to the end of the year. There’s going to be a lot of fun events happening. The school will have a Christmas Concert and the grade six students will have their graduation. When the students have finished all their assessments, we’ll play games, do arts and crafts and watch movies. The last week of school was always my favourite time of year when I was a kid.

Reading

I am still reading Dracula by Bram Stoker. I think it’s a very exciting book although some might see it as tame compared to the horror genre in modern times. I think the story is told in a very interesting way. I like how the story is told through different viewpoints by diary entry, newspaper clipping and telegrams.

Watching

I’ve recently started watching Doc Martin. It’s a British drama series about a cantankerous surgeon who moves to a sleepy coastal town after he develops an aversion to blood. The town inhabitants get on his nerves with their stupid questions and beliefs. He is a very serious and blunt person which is what adds to the entertainment.

We Bare Bears

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We Bare Bears is a cartoon series about three bears living in San Francisco. The oldest is Grizz who is a Grizzly bear, then there is Panda and Ice Bear who is a polar bear. Grizz is an extrovert, who loves action movies and video games. Panda wants to find a girlfriend and loves anime. Ice Bear loves to cook and is pretty handy with an axe.

The three bears try to integrate into human society having grown up alone and homeless. They make a few friends along the way but mostly stick to themselves. It’s a heartwarming cartoon that everyone can watch. The episodes are the brothers trying new restaurants, going to the movies, grocery store and then having something go wrong.

I think this show is so cute. I’ve watched three seasons so far. My favourite bear is Ice Bear. He’s the quietest out of the bears and talks in a monotone. Ice Bear says random one liners that I think are funny and endearing.

The episodes are about twelve minutes long so it’s good when you want to something short to pass the time. I like to watch it when I’m eating or taking a break.

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

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The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa is a story about a white cat named Nana and his life with his owner Satoru Miyawaki. The story is told from the cat’s point of view. Nana starts life as a stray but is befriended by Satoru. They live happily together until something happens to Satoru. He cannot look after the cat anymore and tries to find a new home for Nana. The pair go on a road trip to meet Satoru’s old friends who might be able to care for him.

I’m a cat lover and I have a cat. I was thrilled to learn about this book. I haven’t read many books where the main character is an animal. I thought that Arikawa did a great job in making a cat’s personality. Nana was aloof yet loving in his own way, which is what cats are like normally. I was also interested in the book from a writer’s perspective. I think that it would be difficult to write from an animal’s perspective. Animals don’t talk, and a lot has to be conveyed by internal thought and their movement.

The story is deceptively simple. The friends that Satoru visits reveal different parts of his life, from childhood, adolescence and adult life. The stories reveal Satoru’s kind and gentle nature and his love for his family, friends and cat.

I really enjoyed this book. I almost shed a tear at the end. The book has been made into a film! 

Mind your own business Kristy! by Ann Martin

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My guilty pleasure reads are reading The Babysitters’ Club by Ann Martin. There are hundreds of books in the series, I’m not sure how many exactly. It’s a teen series from the late 80s to early 2000s about a group of girls who babysit in their neighbourhood. I started reading them in my teenage years and I still collect them to this day.

In this book, Kristy decides to host a softball clinic for her softball team, Kristy’s Krushers during spring break. The team consists of some of her babysitting charges who are too young to be in Little League. Kristy’s brother Charlie volunteers to help her out.

Kristy becomes envious of Charlie because he’s able to coach the children better than her. Her relationship is further strained when Charlie gets into a relationship with a new girl named Angelica and begins to shirk his responsibilities with the clinic. Kristy feels that Angelica is wrong for her brother and does what she can to break them up.

I wanted the story to go in a different direction than it did. Kristy took an instant dislike to Angelica without getting to know her. In every book, there’s some lesson that the reader can take away. I thought it was going to be that you shouldn’t be quick to judge other people. I thought that Kristy would learn to let her brother go and accept that he’s going to get into relationships. Kristy has abandonment issues after her father walked out on the family. It is a topic that is broached in this book.

I could see that Angelica was going to be the villain because she’s seventeen and smokes. In a wholesome books series like The Babysitters’ Club it means you’re a bad kid. I don’t approve of young people smoking but I don’t think that smoking means you are bad person.

I thought this book was a little bit more negative than the other books in the series but it’s obvious from the title. I find most of The Babysitters’ Clubs books in thrift stores, but you can now buy them new as they have reprinted them again in bookstores.

Please Write Back! : More Letters from Henry and Voula by Maureen Stewart

Please Write Back! More Letters from Henry and Voula by Maureen Stewart is the sequel to Henry and Voula. The story about two teenagers in the late 80s writing love notes to each other. I wrote a review of the first book here.

This book continues from where the first book left off. Henry and Voula are reunited after the school holidays and continue their romance. Voula is not allowed to date so they meet in secret in the library and computer room and pass notes to each other in class. The love affair is very innocent with a few kisses and handholding.

Voula is bolder in the story, initiating more in their relationship. She becomes resentful of her parents for forbidding her from socialising with boys. But she doesn’t openly rebel against them. Henry is still the lovesick fool who gets blotches whenever he’s apart from Voula. It’s interesting reading about a boy being that infatuated with a girl.

The first book and the sequel are quick reads and it seems like the author could have kept it all as one book. It was a cute story that makes me nostalgic for young love. It reminds me of high school about having crushes, getting your friends to play messenger and having fantasies about walking that person to class or going out with them. 

I just learnt that there is a third book too, Henry Goes Green. As these books are no longer in print, it'll be hard for me to find this one. 

The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald

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The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald is a fictionalised story of German philosopher Friedrich von Hardenberg (2 May 1772 – 25 March 1801) and his short-lived love affair with Sophie von Kuhn (1782–1797). The two met when Hardenberg visited her house to meet her father. Hardenberg was learning to be a salt mine manager when he met Sophie who was twelve years old at the time. She was an unusual choice for him considering how most thought she was average in looks, personality and intelligence. Hardenberg was also an aspiring poet and philosopher at the time, thought she had a special quality about her.

The pairing was considered unusual at the time but not wrong. He was twenty-two years old at the time, but his intentions were honourable. The pair got engaged when she was thirteen and they were to be married when she turned fifteen. I felt sorry for Sophie. In the book, she seemed very passive. I think as she grew older, she developed some affection for him but only because she grew up with him.

I think Hardenberg and Sophie would not have been happy together if they did get married. In the book, all he did was say romantic and philosophical things and Sophie never understood them. She was more interested in playing with her dogs, snow and playing with her siblings, typical interests for any child. I think she had a lot more growing up to do and didn’t comprehend the responsibilities that marriage would entail.

Besides the romance, the book also describes Hardenberg’s family and friends. I felt that all the characters were very fleshed out. I liked reading about Hardenberg’s family, particularly his siblings. I felt sorry to learn what happened to them in later life.

I thought Fitzgerald captured every day life in the 18^th century authentically. I liked descriptions of the relationships between men and women.  There were times when I didn’t like the dialogue, I thought it was too philosophical and not what people would say.  

The Blue Flower is not something I would normally read. Jon Bear and I put it on our booklist when we first started the blog. We wanted to do a book challenge and read things we had never read before. I don’t know who picked this book. I think we chose eleven books each. I chose a selection of books off the bestseller lists and some from my own collection.

I enjoyed reading The Blue Flower. I like historical books. I thought Fitzgerald’s writing was so good that if I hadn’t known, I would have thought that the book was written in that time instead of being published in 1995.

Henry and Voula: An Offbeat Love Story by Maureen Stewart

Henry and Voula by Maureen Stewart is the story of two lovesick teenagers. Fourteen-year-old Henry has a huge crush on Greek girl Voula, so he sneaks a letter into her art portfolio asking for her help in a project about Greek culture. The two start a letter exchange which leads to love.

The two characters are adorable, and I believed in their love story. Henry is melodramatic, neurotic and deeply infatuated with Voula. He’s lovesick on her, getting hives every time at the slightest inkling of disapproval or set back from Voula. Voula is the most sensible of the pair. She’s delighted but cautious about the relationship. Her parents don’t want her to date and they wouldn’t approve of Henry because he’s not Greek.

I have a thing for YA books from the 80-90s and I bought this book from a Lifeline store for a dollar. There’s short message written at the front, it was a Christmas present for a girl named Barbara in 1993.   I thought this book was very cute and reminded me of high school. The love story is very innocent, puppy love stuff. They pass notes to each other and meet in the library. They don’t even kiss or hold hands.

I could relate to Voula and the gender inequality that she faced in the story. She is not allowed to date because she’s a girl. However, her brother is allowed to date because he’s boy. Voula is forbidden from socialising with boys and her family call to check where she is at all times. They are worried that if she socialises with boys, she’ll disgrace the family by getting pregnant or a bad reputation. My parents were also worried about me socialising with boys when I was growing up, but I wasn’t forbidden from dating anyone. I didn’t date anyone in high school, so it wasn’t an issue.

The book is rather short but there is a sequel which finishes the story off. One could finish the book in a few minutes.  I’ve read the sequel too. It seems like the story was just cut in half. The book is no longer in print but look for it online, in the library or in a thrift shop.

May Happenings (2018)

Life

This month, I’m trying to turn over a new leaf. I have a terrible habit of procrastinating. I put off what I need to do, and I think I’m too busy to do the stuff that I would like to do. So, I decided to stop being lazy and have weekly goals. I mainly want to read more, exercise and get more things done.

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I’m always tired so being healthier will help me with the having energy to get things done. I’m going to bed earlier and trying to focus on sleeping instead of thinking about everything.

As for exercise, I’ve started walking for thirty minutes on a treadmill and doing squats and sit ups. I’m going to do Pilates and yoga too. It’s something I enjoyed doing years ago.

Watching

Search Party 

Search Party is a comedy mystery series about a bunch of millennials who try to find their missing friend Chantel. I am watching season two now. I would say the first season is more compelling than the current season. There were lots of twists and turns. What I find appealing about the show is that it is current with trends and events happening. All the characters are little ridiculous in their own way. The second season is more comedic. Australians can watch the show on sbsondemand.

Imposters

Imposters is a show about three people Ezra (Rob Heaps), Richie (Parker Young) and  Julia (Marianne Rendon)  who were scammed by Maddie (Inbar Lavi) . She married each of them and stole all their money. They manage to track her down to confront her and find out that she’s part of a bigger conspiracy. Meanwhile, they are all being tracked by the FBI and a mysterious doctor.  I’ve only watched three episodes of season 2 so far and I like what’s going on. They are in Mexico and it’s just gorgeous there.

Reading

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I’m still reading The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald which has been on my booklist for eight years. It’s a fictional biography of Friedrich von Hardenberg, a German philosopher who lived in the 17^th century. It’s an interesting read. I find the character to be a bit silly, but he is young and a dreamer. The only thing I have contention with, is that he courted Sophie von Kuhn, twelve-year-old girl when he was twenty-two years old. It was something that he really did do. However, I understand that it was a different time.

The characters do find it peculiar that he would be so besotted with a twelve-year-old. They think she’s just a child but Hardenberg says there’s something special about her. He was an honourable man though. Hardenberg asked her father for permission to court her and she liked him. They got engaged when she was thirteen years old. *spoiler* They were to wed when she turned fifteen, but she sadly died of tuberculosis. *

UnIndian

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UnIndian is an Australian/Indian produced movie starring Brett Lee, a former Australian cricketer and Indian actress Tannishtha Chatterjee. Cricket is a popular sport in both countries so having Brett Lee as a lead was a draw card. I don’t watch cricket at all, but I was curious to see Brett Lee in a film. This film was a passion project for producer and writer Anupam Sharma who has been working in the film industry showcasing Indian cinema. Many patrons helped to produce this film and there is a lengthy amount of credits thanking organisations and individuals in the opening.

Meera (Tannishtha Chatterjee) is a single mother to Smitha (Maya Sathiamoorthy) and working in Public Relations for Cochlear. She is pressured by her parents to marry again. Her parents are convinced that is the only way she’ll ever be happy.

 Will is an English teacher, who teaches Australian culture to international students. He meets Meera at a Holi festival and is instantly smitten. Will’s best friends Tinku “TK” ( Arka Das) and Mich (Adam Dunn) help him, telling him the differences in dating an Indian girl. Meera and Will have to fight for their relationship, against the wishes of her family and culture.

I thought the movie was okay. I didn’t find it funny, but I thought there were some cute moments. I could relate to trying to balance two cultures. The acting in the film was amateurish. I didn’t think there was much chemistry between the leads. The dialogue was a bit corny which may have attributed to some of the poor acting. Brett Lee tries his best, fully embracing his role. Maybe he’ll get better with practice.

The parts of the movie I did like were the dance numbers which is the norm in Bollywood movies. The dance scenes were so entertaining, over the top and frivolous which is exactly how it should be. I loved the ending credits where they had a dance scene with the production staff.

I would watch this film again despite its flaws. It’s an entertaining and feel good film. You can see the love and effort put in the film.

Dawn and the Surfer Ghost by Ann Martin

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The Babysitters’ Club was a book series for teen girls, written in late 80s and finishing in early 2000s. There are more than a hundred books in the series as well as spin off series. I loved reading the Babysitters’ Club books when I was younger and have been collecting them for a while now. I have about eighty books so far. I look for the books when I go to thrift stores and markets. They now reprinted the first four books, so some are available in department stores, but I like the old ones. I haven’t read all the books yet in the series.

Dawn and the Surfer Ghost is a book no.12 in the mystery series spinoff. The books are standalone and feature one of the babysitters’ trying to solve a mystery. The mysteries are lightweight stuff like Scooby Doo mysteries as it is a book series for kids.

There are seven babysitters in the series and the books focus on one of their viewpoints per book. This one is on Dawn Schafer, the environmental, vegetarian peace-loving babysitter. (There’s a different babysitter for every taste). Dawn has moved away from Connecticut where the other babysitters are, to live with her dad and her brother Jeff in California.

She attends surf lessons with her friend Sunny and participates as a volunteer for children’s program at the beach. A big surfing competition comes up and Dawn enters it in the beginner’s category.  One day, the best surfer on the beach goes missing. Some people think he’s dead others think he’s skipped town. Dawn is on the case to find the missing surfer.

This mystery wasn’t as good as the other ones I have read in the series. I feel that she didn’t really do any sleuthing at all. There were hardly any clues, no following leads or false accusations, no mysterious calls telling her to quit investigating like the other mysteries. It all came together in the end when she got a hunch.

What I enjoyed the most was the nostalgia from reading it. It is why I read the books.  The book was printed in 1993. It was amusing how Dawn explains what a smoothie is and there’s lots of cringeworthy surfer lingo. I can picture this book as something from one of those made for tv movies when the characters go on vacation. I think my thirteen-year-old self would have liked this book and not noticed any of the shortcomings. 

Life in April

Work

I’m no longer working as a teacher aide but it was a wonderful learning experience. As a teacher aide I assisted many different classes and I was able to learn ideas on classroom management and activities. I was working with teachers who had been teaching for many years and it was great seeing the level of experience they had in action.

I had some fun times at the school. Everyone was friendly and polite. It was a positive environment which was a nice change from some of the places I have worked at before. I will miss the children and the staff.

Life

One of my goals this year was to catch up with old friends. During the school holidays, I met up with my old teaching buddies from when I taught in the desert. We had a nice lunch together and chatted about old times and what were up to now. I also met up with one of my best friends. We finally swapped Christmas presents from last year as she’s been away travelling.

Watching

I’m currently watching Chrisley knows best which is a reality tv show about a rich Southern family and their life. They all have big personalities which makes the show entertaining. I like how the episodes are around 21 minutes, so I can watch it while I’m eating and finish an episode during that time.

Reading

I’m still reading The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald. It’s a fictional biography of Friedrich Von Hardenberg, a German philosopher. The book has been on ‘to be read’ pile for years. I’m liking it so far. I’m also reading Dawn and Surfer Ghost by Ann Martin. It’s one of the books from The Babysitter’s club.

 

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Our Souls at Night

Addie (Jane Fonda) and Louis (Robert Redford) are two senior citizens who have been neighbours for many years. They both lead solitary lives after their spouses have died. Addie asks Louis to sleep in her bed every night to ease their mutual loneliness. They talk in bed together and reminisce on their families and relationships. The couple’s relationship becomes more complicated when the neighbours find out about them and Addie’s son arrives with her grandson in tow. Addie and Louis contemplate their growing attraction towards each other and what their future will bring.

I liked how this film explored aging, relationships and isolation. While Addie and Louis had friends, both were lacking intimacy in their lives which made them lonely. Not just physical intimacy but having someone to talk to about their inner thoughts. It’s easy to forget that older people want those things too.

 I thought the romance between the two was interesting because of the maturity and life experience that they both had. Jane Fonda and Robert Redford played the characters with ease, having worked with each other before in four different films. I think they both gave an understated performance, as their characters were mild mannered people.

The movie goes at a gentle pace, highlighting the staid lifestyle of the two main characters. They don’t do anything exciting, just go about their day in their small town. They both live in big empty family homes, with floors that creak just like their bones.  However, when the two characters get together, they have more fun. Sometimes, things are just better with company.

I wasn’t fond of the ending, but it was a happy ending. I would have liked the movie to end more triumphantly. I wouldn’t see this movie again, but I don’t regret watching it. I would recommend this is a movie to watch with your parents. The themes in this movie would be a good avenue for discussion.