I've been tempted for the longest time to set down a list of books that are good reading, books I enjoyed in my childhood and those I read lately. The list itself will probably resemble more a Great Classics of Literature than a list of high school reading, which appear to be watered-down paperbacks whose only claim to fame is an exaggerated enumeration of various body parts or bodily functions, things which wouldn't even be mentioned in books of quality of the past.
And lest I come off as a prude, let me add I have nothing against describing various physiological processes, for instance, in a biology textbook. The problem starts with modern authors who seem to think that everyone is fascinated by a teenage girl's divigations on the size of her cleavage. I understand that these are real issues to be faced in everyday life, but I can't see how writing pages on inflatable bras is going to help any insecure teenager out there. On the other hand, a book that doesn't focus on body image and who-to-go-to-the-prom-with and what-to-do-when-my-crush-prefers-my-younger-sister problems, but instead touches on vitally important matters of the heart and soul, this is the book you remember and take with you into later life.
I take issue with the poor literary quality of today's 'youth' literature as well. I suppose if the content is severely deficient, than it's wishful thinking to expect the language to be the least bit inspiring. After all, it is hard to write about throwing up in the wake of an especially eventful party with the subdued, delicate tone of a George Eliot. And I do realize few teenagers in school speak to each other with the polished sentences of Jane Austen's smooth banter, or even diss each other with a tad of irony. Neither am I totally oblivious to the fact that, most probably, few Victorians fought and flirted with as much class as Darcy and Elizabeth. And yet I can't help feeling that we've lost so much by breaking all taboos in literature. The books on reading lists in public elementary schools make Zola's naturalism pale by comparison, and the "Manifeste des 5" and its protest against a macabre and morbid view of life could very well be applied to picture books in the kid's corner in libraries.
So much for hard-cover books. As to magazines for teens... don't even get me started on that.

I was reading of one of those inspirational magazines the other day at the doctor's office (that's where I catch up on fashion, home-making tips and anything else that I'm usually not too much interested in). In the section of uplifting quotes they had one that sounded familiar:
"When you sing, you pray twice." Johnny Cash.
I'm not denying that Johnny Cash may have said this, but the original quotation reaches far, far back. To Saint Augustine.

El corazon tiene razones que la razon no tiene.

http://bluepyramid.org/ia/bquiz.htm
I don't usually do these kinds of quizzes, but this one is worth a try. Admitted, it got it all wrong the first time, but that happens to the best of people.

What did I get the first time round? Well...

"You're Love in the Time of Cholera!
by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Like Odysseus in a work of Homer, you demonstrate undying loyalty by sleeping with as many people as you possibly can. But in your heart you never give consent! This creates a strange quandary of what love really means to you. On the one hand, you've loved the same person your whole life, but on the other, your actions barely speak to this fact. Whatever you do, stick to bottled water. The other stuff could get you killed."

Now please, don't even attempt to draw parallels between this description and me. My secondtry was much better and (I like to think) much more accurate.

"You're Catch-22!
by Joseph Heller
Incredibly witty and funny, you have a taste for irony in all that you see. It seems that life has put you in perpetually untenable situations, and your sense of humor is all that gets you through them. These experiences have also made you an ardent pacifist, though you present your message with tongue sewn into cheek. You could coin a phrase that replaces the word "paradox" for millions of people."

I'll go with the "perpetually untenable situations", that's for sure!

I had a million and one ideas for new posts I wanted to do, but by now I've forgotten them. Ah summer...

During the last few months I've realized that my studies are exactly suited to my personality and to my interests. I get these epiphanies every once in a while, mostly they alternate with my end-of-the-year pity parties during which I feel that I've accomplished nothing and that what I'm doing at the university in no way contributes to the benefit of mankind. I guess the truth, as usual, lies somewhere in between.

One thing I really enjoy are the tidbits of information which will probably never come in handy but which, nevertheless, are very interesting. For instance, take the story of William Makepeace's mother, Anne Beacher Thackeray. She was sent to India to a pre-arranged (typically Victorian) marriage after being informed by her scheming family that her true love, Henry Charmichael-Smyth, had died. Little William Makepeace was but a year old when his father, Richmond Thackeray made the mistake of his life and invited the presumedly dead man to dinner. One can only imagine the ideas racing through the mind of young Anne, now a wife and mother. Compelled to stay with her husband by the social mores of the age, she supposedly nevertheless carried on a passionate love affair with her ex-fiance. Her husband dying conveniently a few years later, she married Henry and returned to England with her son.

Truth really is stranger than fiction.

Self-confidence and motivation, Polish-style.

Ever since I saw photos of Michael Owen on the beach with his girlfriend I have been very much disappointed with the world of football. However, since the World Cup is only once every few years, I've been trying to follow the playoffs as much as my limited time will allow.
One thing I find fascinating are the explanations coaches give for their teams' miserable performance. The Polish head coach, Pawel Janas, is quite good at this art, having had time from 1974 to figure out the reasons behind Poland's weak presence on the soccer field.
Some memorable quotes of his:
"The only problem was that we scored less goals than our opponents did".
Or my personal favorite "The truth is it was impossible for us to win. There aren't enough good soccer players in Poland".
Nothing like believing in your team...

I'm actually slightly embarrassed to be starting this blog. I seem to have some conviction dating presumably from the Stone Age that blogs are the domain of attention-deprived teenagers who wish to share with the world their angst against demanding chemistry teenagers and ditzy blonde cheerleaders. Or again, the domain of ditzy blonde cheerleaders who chronicle their adventures in the school gym. Or locker room.
But it appears that I was mistaken. The afore-mentioned have turned their attention to sundry myspaces and facebooks, leaving normal people to take over the "blogosphere" (a word which has taken Polish newspapers by storm, although no one seems to know what is means.)
Enough of apologizing. I'm starting this blog with the hope that it will serve to impart my present reflections to my friends and family in various parts of the world. Academic Writing classes at the univeristy, during the 6 semesters of which I must've annhiliated the resources of a few tropical forests in writing fascinating objective summaries of Economist articles fail to satisfy my drive for more creative writing. So be prepared - the writing here will get fairly creative, according to my mood/time of day/whether or not I'm supposed to be studying for an exam. Presumably the closer I get to necessary studying time, the more interesting it will get and the more entries will appear.
After all, I am quite good at the art of procrastinating.
A presentation on Thackeray's "History of Henry Esmond" is due on Monday, so I suppose I should get back to that.