Back to School

Well summer has come and gone for me, especially after making a trip down into the southern hemisphere to visit family and friends and endure winter for the second time this year. Now it is time to get my pens and other stationary items out and go back to school.

I love September because the days aren't as hot, the mornings are crisp and the evenings fresh and it has an air of new beginnings to it. I am a teacher and I love getting my new classes and spending the first week decorating my noticeboards and setting up the class the way I want. I love my job and I guess it is this energy that stops me from experiencing post-holiday blues. I'm glad I have chosen a job that is never repetitive and where I'm always learning, always moving forward along my chosen career path. This year I have decided to use a very famous quote from a small wisen creature who once said: "Do. Or do not. There is no try."

Happy Back to School to everyone!

66 Years Ago

Every year on this day (August 6) Japan holds its Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony in remembrance of the victims of the Atomic Bomb, and as a prayer for everylasting world peace. The ceremony starts at 8am in front of the Memorial Cenotaph in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, which also includes the "not eternal" flame which will continue to burn until the last atomic weapon is destroyed. I was lucky enough to attend this ceremony on August 6, 2001. If you click on the title, it is linked to the Mayor´s Declaration of Peace for 2001.

The ceremony started with the traditional dedication of water (to symbolise the water the victims desperately needed on that day but could not find). After which the officials gave their respective addresses and a flower dedication was made to the victims of the atomic bomb. At 8.15am everyone went quiet for the silent prayer and the ringing of the peace bell, which is always rung by a Hibakusha family member and a children´s representative. This lasted 1 minute and it was impossible not to have goosebumps from the emotion that part of the ceremony evoked. The mayor of Hiroshima gave his annual Peace Declaration, after which doves were released to symbolise Hiroshima´s hope for peace. The children of Hiroshima and the Prime Minister of Japan addressed the public before Hiroshima´s Peace song was sung and the ceremony was drawn to an end.

Official Ceremony

 In the story "Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes" we learn of the horrors that the children of Hiroshima had to face, not only on August 6, but also the years that followed. This tale is one of courage and human spirit, and it is Sadako´s statue in the Peace Park of Hiroshima that represents all the child victims of this crime. Many people flock to her statue bringing paper cranes they have made as a token of their personal wish for world peace, and to pay their respects to the victims of the bombing.

Senbazuru

Floating Lanterns

Candles near Gembaku Dome

As the day unfolds, there are many activities held around the park, but for me the most beautiful was at sunset, where many people gathered at the riverbank to light lanterns and offer them to the river in memory of the victims, who on August 6, 1945 could not find comfort in the river as it was a burning, radioactive hell. It is a solemn occasion, as people write messages of peace and love before releasing their lanterns to the river.

Around the once city hall, and now a world heritatge site, the Atomic Dome is lit up with thousands of candles that people decorate and leave as a hope for peace and to bring light on this day. 

It was an experience I shall never forget, and I spent 3 weeks preparing my 1000 paper cranes to leave under Sadako´s statue. On this day, my wish for world peace and for an end of this eternal violence is stronger than ever. 

As an afterthought: Hiroshima always has a blazing hot summer´s day every August 6, some people say that it to remind us of how the victims felt when the bomb was unleashed on the city, now 66 years ago. 

Photos from Google Images. No copyright infringement intended, I will remove them if need be. 

What is the best first sentence you can think of off the top of your head?

Would it be cheating if I have memorised the opening line of the story I am yet to publish? Perhaps if today's topic had of included a prompt to use that would have been more helpful. But seeing as this opening sentence is my own, and at the time it was the best that I could come up with, I will use it. It comes from the Prologue (Titled Goodbye) of my novel, The Other Half of Life and it is as follows:

"You are the only one who understands me."

I wrote my story for NaNoWriMo in November of last year. It was the first time I had taken part. The challenge is to write 50,000 in one month. I have always wanted to write a book and so I thought this would be a really fun way to get it written. Looking back, almost 9 months later, I realise it was fun, but at the time it was very hard work and quite stressful. But I have my 50,005 words and now I'm in the process of editing. Hopefully one day it will be published.

The basic backstory was developed when I was 15 years old. I had written what is essentially my prologue as a creative writing piece for my English class when I was in 11th grade. My teacher was a bit concerned with how I had come up with such dark material, but she told me that it was very good work. I wrote the story without planning, it just flowed from me the night before the assessment was due. I wanted my story to reflected Edgar Allan Poe's philosophy that a story should end at the climax (and not have a resolution as such). I had also heard that writing in the second person singular (that is, you) was very rare, and hardly used. So that's what I set out to do, write a short creative piece using you as the subject and wrapping up the story in such a way that the climax came at the very last sentence.

The opening sentence is not referring to a person, but an object the main character has personified in her despair and loneliness. There are hints throughout the prologue as to who (or what) the girl's audience actually is, but hopefully it is done subtly enough so as to not lose dramatic impact when the reader comes across the final sentence of the prologue.

Knowing that this is a dark tale, that the main character is melancholic and the opening line is "You are the only one who understands me." Who/ what do you think this sentence is referring to? Post your ideas in the comments below, they are most welcome :)

Which character would you most like to meet?

Today's prompt is a hard one, but at the same time it was the first name that came to me when I read the question. I would love to meet Edward Cullen. Even though the Twilight series itself is nothing special, Edward's character is just so beautiful, he doesn't realise how special and amazing he is, and I guess we have all been able to relate to that feeling sometime or another.

I have always loved vampire lore since my 9th grade English teacher chose Bram Stoker's "Dracula" to read (and I will always be grateful to her for that!). What is it about vampires that make them so appealing? For me its not their beauty (something which has truly evolved when we think of the monster-like description of Dracula of the past to today's own Damon Salvatore, well and his brother Stefan too, in LJ Smith's "The Vampire Diaries"). For me its their immortality and their darkness.

So Stephenie Meyers created an ideal based on (copying, call it what you will) all the great archetypical characteristics of the perfect man. Edward Cullen is dangerous, and girls always go for the 'bad boy'. He is also hard to get. Its the thrill of the chase. That is why dating is so much fun, it makes you feel alive, it's nice to feel wanted. Most people bore easily if it is all too easy. Things that make you work hard to get are the things that people value and actively seek. The things we get easily are the things we take for granted. Edward Cullen is also strong, not just physically (how many times did we have to read he was chiseled from marble? Seriously.) but also mentally. Men who are strong, independent and not afraid of equally strong, independent women (definately NOT Bella) are increasingly hard to come by. There seems to be a shift back to the days where girls were to be protected and taken care of. Edward may be obsessed with his new love, but he is also capable of controlling this obsession when he has to deal with life and death situations. A guy who can take care of himself is appealing. I don't want to be with someone who needs me, who can't live without me, because I don't need anyone, I prefer to choose to share my life without losing my identity and independence in the process. Edward is also a romantic and I don't care how feminist one may be, let's face it...who wouldn't want Edward to sit down and play a magickal love song that he had composed, inspired by you?? Don't even try and deny that one. Perhaps if society would once again raise its sons to treat women with honor and dignity, and their daughters to respect themselves and to expect the same from others then Edward Cullen wouldn't seem so special. But when Edward Cullen falls in love, he falls in love forever. He is completely dedicated to his partner. And that is what every girl dreams of finding. Someone who gifts them not with material goods, but with true, everlasting love.

If those aren't good enough reasons, then the only other one I can give you is that Edward Cullen is hot. Not his pale Robert Pattinson cinemagraphic version, but his smoking-hot Alexander Skarsgård/Ian Somerhalder sexy literary counterpart. Enough said.

 

Have you ever wished you could enter a book?

Today's prompt makes me want to pick up and read "The Never Ending Story". I read books to disconnect and to open my mind to different ways of thinking and different cultures, but I have never thought about what it would be like to be the main character of a particular book that I was reading. I guess that I try to make sure I'm the centre stage of the life I live in the real world (some may call this selfish :P), and not to waste time thinking about a fairytale life, because life is what you make of it.

With the boom of reality programs and the ever increasing consumeristic attitude people are applying to friends and family, it seems more and more people are living a life of soap-opera drama, or their reality is a virtual one. I don't want that to happen to me. I don't want to not have time for my family and friends or to try and make myself seem cool in all these social networks. I just want to be me. And let's face it, there is nothing more awesome than life itself. We should be waking up everyday, thankful for the gift of life. And as much as books are my passion and I love losing myself in the worlds that unfold before my eyes, I would never substitute them for getting out in the sunshine and living my life. It may not be perfect, but it's mine and I only get one shot at it.

Walt Whitman wrote,

"O ME! O life!... of the questions of these recurring;
Of the endless trains of the faithless—of cities fill’d with the foolish;
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light—of the objects mean—of the struggle ever renew’d;
Of the poor results of all—of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me;
Of the empty and useless years of the rest—with the rest me intertwined;
The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?
Answer. That you are here—that life exists, and identity;
That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse."

So, no I don't wish I could enter a book, because I'm living my own personal book, with my footsteps as my ink. I would add to Walt Whitman's verse..."That the powerful play goes on, and you can contribute a verse. What will your verse be?"

Who's your favourite author?

Here's the thing. I love books, all types of books, but I don't think I have one favourite author because that would mean sticking to a certain type of genre and I read to see different things. It would be like only reading Dan Brown and after his second book, you already know who the villain is because he always twists the plot in the exact, same way. I want books to transport and surprise me. I do have a few authors that I will always try and read everything they write.

As I mentioned yesterday, Paulo Coelho is a great inspiration to me. His books are spiritual in nature but they also deal with hard social issues like prostitution, suicide and the dark world of the rich and famous. Apart from his storytelling which is unique and easy to read, his writing is thought provoking. He doesn't ask his readers to follow him blindly like some guru, he only gets us to think about what he has written. What I like most about Paulo Coelho is that he has always been close to his fans, and now with the explosion of the social networking phenomena, he actively seeks out contact with his fans. I study Portuguese to one day be able to read his books as he writes them, not the English translation. One of my favourite books is "The Alchemist". You can find his blog here.

Bryce Courtenay is a South African who has spent many years in Australia and writes exclusively on themes coming from these two countries. What I love about his writing is his rawness and head-on approach towards taboo topics such as rape, violence, apartheid and drugs. He doesn't soften over these issues, he tells things as they are and it can be quite difficult for a reader to be able to sit down and get through some chapters as they are emotionally very charged. Being Australian, I enjoy reading any books that are set in Australia, and as someone who is a complete pacifist and a strong believer in justice for all and not just the ruling class, the books Bryce Courtenay writes about his homeland make me furious at times when he talks of the injustice done onto the African population. His best book is "The Power of One" and it tells the tale of Peekay a small boy who battles his way through the hardships of prejudice. Bryce Courtenay has his own website if you want more information.

John Marsden is an Australian author and probably my favourite because of the impact his stories had on my growing up. He writes across many genres but the saga that I strongly recommend everyone to read, even if it is aimed at teenagers, is "Tomorrow, When the War Began". There are 7 of them and they are fantastic. They tell of a hypothetical future in Australia when the country is invaded and how a group of children were unaware because they had been camping in the middle of nowhere. The saga treats the teens as strong, proactive people who try their best to face up to their problems and not run away from their responsibilities to their country, their friends and to themselves. Today's fiction has a lot of weak self-conscious main characters, which is why I like this saga, because these teens are strong, healthy role models. If you want to read more about John Marsden's books, you can find information on his website.

There are many other authors who I greatly admire and enjoy reading, but as August in the month of fiction in NaBloPoMo, let's see if they ask about favourite series etc. It is also coincidental that I have chosen 3 male authors here. I love Fiona Horne, a modern day witch in the 21st Century, and JK Rowling, obviously I am really hoping to be able to write about her amazing Harry Potter series at some stage this month.

What is your favourite book?

"Shoot all the Bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a Mockingbird."

To talk about my favourite book, we need to take a journey through my own personal library. I love books, I always have. Now I have my own small library, just like in the movies :) It's my favourite place to be in my house. There have been many books that have impacted my life, but I will keep the list to three.

The first one is "Sadako and the 1000 Paper Cranes" by Eleanor Coerr which I had read to me in my 4th grade class. It is a true Japanese story of an energetic eleven-year old girl who becomes sick after the Hiroshima atomic bomb. It tells of her fight for life and the Japanese legend according to which if  Sadako makes 1000 paper cranes (the crane being a symbol of longevity) she will get better and her wish will come true. Anfortunately Sadako dies, and after her death her classmates petition for a statue of Sadako as a symbol representing all the children who died as a result of the atomic bomb. Her story made such an impact on me that I lived in Hiroshima for 2 years and attended the annual Peace Ceremony that takes place on August 6, and I made 1000 paper cranes to take with me. It was an experience that I can't put words to, something that I am very fortunate to have seen and experienced, and all because of a book my teacher read in 4th grade. If I hadn't known of the book beforehand, maybe I wouldn't have had wanted to study Japanese nor wanted to live in Japan. Now there is so much Japanese culture in my life, I don't know what my life would be like without it.

The second book is Paulo Coelho's "The Alchemist". I read it at a time in my life when I really needed to read something like that. It is a story of a shepherd who leaves behind everything in search of fulfilling his personal legend. Its clear spiritual journey inspires the reader to make all the necessary changes in their life to be able to enjoy life as it is. This book filled me with so much energy to live and to keep going forward. It taught me that to be able to see the stars, there must be darkness. I was so impressed by the book that I emailed Paulo Coelho explaining what his novel had meant to me, and he replied! The fact that I was able to reach out to the author whose book had a profound influence on my life was amazing. His reply has almost the same value as his book, and I have it laminated in my library sitting next to "The Alchemist".

The last book, and my favourite, has been left until the end. It smells antique, its pages have yellowed and sound as if they were going to tear at any given moment. It is the only book I cannot travel without. I always have it with me and it is called "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. In English class at high school we had to read from a list of classics. My class read Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" (which I also love) but my sister had to read Harper Lee's book. She complained that she hated the book, so I decided to read it to be able to help her with her English assignment. From the first page I was hooked. It is a story through the eyes of Scout, an eight-year old, who explains life in the South in the 50s when there were still problems between the African American and Anglosaxon population. It tells of the racial discrimination that the African Americans suffered at the hands of the ruling Anglosaxons. This book was an eye opener because I didn't like how the African Americans were treated and the end of the book made me cry with such sorrow, disgust and indignation that it still makes me cry today. It is a book that taught me that there are many different types of people, with distinct cultures and we all need to respect what each of us brings to Earth. Each person enriches the world with their experiences and if we share our cultures with one another, we can see that there is enough space for everybody. The ability to accept and learn from other cultures enriches your life also.

It is for this reason that I love books. Each person who has written a book, has a story to tell. Sharing it is what makes us human. So on my first blog for NaBloPoMo I share with you my passion for books and my favourite book. My dream is to one day publish the book I have written, because finally I have my own story to tell.