Warning Sign
Today was a funny day. I remember waking up and having the feeling that I won’t see my apartment for a couple of days. It was almost sad. I was already missing the big windows, the easy access to any directions, my wonderful bathroom. But I had to go. So I zipped my suitcase (the big one because my mum always wants me to bring the big one – to have space for home made sausages and christmas cakes) and left 5 minutes earlier: the first time in my life I took the morning bus in the middle of nowhere (where I live).
The bus was fast – too fast. I had to wait 15 minutes for the train, and in the train it was completely dark. I gave meaning to every little thing this morning, the morning that separated me from my home for a couple of days. I figured out my haiku for the day:
sötét vagonban
bőröndöm fogságában
indulok haza
Then I made it to work, with my big suitcase. My dear colleagues looked at me and joined me in celebrating a special day and my big suitcase with me. But the more we talked, the more we noticed that something was wrong. I thought it was Wednesday 23rd of December. 23 - the day of our team lunch and the day of my flight. Then I took a look at my watch: it was the 22nd of December, Wednesday. I looked at my suitcase, and I went through the last night in my head. Shopping, packing, washing hair, watering the plants, cooking a dish – half of which I threw away, emptying garbage… I probably fooled myself during weeks.
This is not the first time. Couple of years ago I dressed up for New Year’s Eve – one day before… And now that I think about it, once I went to kindergarten by myself – on a Saturday. Maybe that was just a dream.
It’s pretty strange to come home where you didn’t plan to show up for some time. I’m sitting now in a clean house, dishes are washed, garbage is empty, plants are watered, no drying clothes hanging. I take a look at my morning pages. This morning I wrote down this date: 2010. december 23. szerda (Wednesday). I look at the date from one day before: 2010. december 21. kedd (Tuesday). And I keep smiling.
And I’m looking at my new books. I decided to reward myself for this funny joke – and walk through the snowy Amsterdam on this strange day. And I was lucky, the bookstores were still open. It doesn’t happen every day in Amsterdam that you can buy your books 5 minutes before 9 o’clock pm. I felt it was very special and very pleasant. (I thought to write that I want all the shops to be opened every day till late, but then how could I feel so special about such a little thing?).
I bought 5 books - 4 for myself. I kind of regret not asking the shop assistant to wrap them. Each of them separately. Shop assistansts in Amsterdam always wrap presents so nicely. I wish I told them, the books are presents for myself, I need them wrapped. Each of them separately. Well… Next time.
So my books, in the order I took them from the bookshelves:
a.m. homes: this book will save your life – I don’t know this book. But once I saw a girl on the train who read this book and she laughed so loud (not too loud) that she made curious.
nabokov: lolita – wanted to read this for a long time, never did. now it might be time.
patrick süskind: perfume – on recommendation, haven’t seen the movie, wanna read the book first.
stephen r. covey: the seven habits of highly effective people - on the same recommendation. Naturally I started to read this book on the train. Probably this is why this blog entry came to life.
New books and I’m thinking that slowly I will need new book shelves on my walls. Or more space in my bed. I’m already sleeping with couple of them. These are the books I keep in and around my bed at the moment:
Pluk van de Petteflet by A.M.G. Schmitt, Kín (Hungarian title) by Natsuo Kirino, Taal is zeg maar echt mijn ding by Paulien Cornelisse, The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, Weg met de literatuur by Herman Brusselmans. I kept this last one at the end of the list for a reason. It seems to be such a boring, academical book, but it’s hilarious (even if I don’t get all the jokes). He published his reviews in this book – written in his own style. The first page convinced me that I wanted to read this book till the end. I will quote, so maybe you will read it, too. He writes about a book – he didn’t really like (like most of the books that were not written by Him).
„Eerlijk gezegd, achteraf bekeken vind ik de achterflaptekst het enige stuk tekst dat enig niveau haalt, en dan vooral de mooie poetische zin: „Hij is burgerlijk ingenieur en werkzaam in het bedrijfsleven”.
I hope tomorrow I really get home.
The bus was fast – too fast. I had to wait 15 minutes for the train, and in the train it was completely dark. I gave meaning to every little thing this morning, the morning that separated me from my home for a couple of days. I figured out my haiku for the day:
sötét vagonban
bőröndöm fogságában
indulok haza
Then I made it to work, with my big suitcase. My dear colleagues looked at me and joined me in celebrating a special day and my big suitcase with me. But the more we talked, the more we noticed that something was wrong. I thought it was Wednesday 23rd of December. 23 - the day of our team lunch and the day of my flight. Then I took a look at my watch: it was the 22nd of December, Wednesday. I looked at my suitcase, and I went through the last night in my head. Shopping, packing, washing hair, watering the plants, cooking a dish – half of which I threw away, emptying garbage… I probably fooled myself during weeks.
This is not the first time. Couple of years ago I dressed up for New Year’s Eve – one day before… And now that I think about it, once I went to kindergarten by myself – on a Saturday. Maybe that was just a dream.
It’s pretty strange to come home where you didn’t plan to show up for some time. I’m sitting now in a clean house, dishes are washed, garbage is empty, plants are watered, no drying clothes hanging. I take a look at my morning pages. This morning I wrote down this date: 2010. december 23. szerda (Wednesday). I look at the date from one day before: 2010. december 21. kedd (Tuesday). And I keep smiling.
And I’m looking at my new books. I decided to reward myself for this funny joke – and walk through the snowy Amsterdam on this strange day. And I was lucky, the bookstores were still open. It doesn’t happen every day in Amsterdam that you can buy your books 5 minutes before 9 o’clock pm. I felt it was very special and very pleasant. (I thought to write that I want all the shops to be opened every day till late, but then how could I feel so special about such a little thing?).
I bought 5 books - 4 for myself. I kind of regret not asking the shop assistant to wrap them. Each of them separately. Shop assistansts in Amsterdam always wrap presents so nicely. I wish I told them, the books are presents for myself, I need them wrapped. Each of them separately. Well… Next time.
So my books, in the order I took them from the bookshelves:
a.m. homes: this book will save your life – I don’t know this book. But once I saw a girl on the train who read this book and she laughed so loud (not too loud) that she made curious.
nabokov: lolita – wanted to read this for a long time, never did. now it might be time.
patrick süskind: perfume – on recommendation, haven’t seen the movie, wanna read the book first.
stephen r. covey: the seven habits of highly effective people - on the same recommendation. Naturally I started to read this book on the train. Probably this is why this blog entry came to life.
New books and I’m thinking that slowly I will need new book shelves on my walls. Or more space in my bed. I’m already sleeping with couple of them. These are the books I keep in and around my bed at the moment:
Pluk van de Petteflet by A.M.G. Schmitt, Kín (Hungarian title) by Natsuo Kirino, Taal is zeg maar echt mijn ding by Paulien Cornelisse, The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, Weg met de literatuur by Herman Brusselmans. I kept this last one at the end of the list for a reason. It seems to be such a boring, academical book, but it’s hilarious (even if I don’t get all the jokes). He published his reviews in this book – written in his own style. The first page convinced me that I wanted to read this book till the end. I will quote, so maybe you will read it, too. He writes about a book – he didn’t really like (like most of the books that were not written by Him).
„Eerlijk gezegd, achteraf bekeken vind ik de achterflaptekst het enige stuk tekst dat enig niveau haalt, en dan vooral de mooie poetische zin: „Hij is burgerlijk ingenieur en werkzaam in het bedrijfsleven”.
I hope tomorrow I really get home.
Comments