|
|
Friday, August 17th, 2007
| |
1:34 pm
|
Ah, the pop culture meme. *laughs* Well, I can't do it. My references are not yours, see. I hardly ever read my friends page without going "huh?" at some comment discussion or other that I simply do not get. Because no matter how well I speak/write the language, I will never completely own your pop-culture, and vice-versa. While I understand every word, the references will remain mostly obscure to me.
This is how I know that I will never completely belong -- but that's OK, because I belong elsewhere. :)
Funny, that. I remember reading Michel Houellebeq's mind-blowing book, Les Particules Elémentaires, both in French and English at the same time*, and despite the impeccable translation, I realised that quite a lot of information was lost to the English-speaking reader. The translator did a great job with the dry tone and the general flow of the book, but he explained none of the references -- possibly he just didn't get them? Because when you describe someone to me as "reading Le Nouvel Obs and dreaming of going to Groenland on vacation", hell, I know what the guy looks like, I know where he buys his clothes and even his underwear, I know who he would have voted for in the last Presidential elections. This simple description speaks VOLUME to any Frenchman; but it's completely lost in translation.
I read lots of books in English -- English books, American books, Canadian books -- and very often, I wonder how many references like that I miss. I once discussed a book I'd liked with a Canadian friend of mine, and she was like, "All that NAME-DROPPING, how OBNOXIOUS!" and I hadn't even noticed the name-dropping, because those names meant nothing to me.
And this is why I will never completely understand you guys. Your pop-culture is not something I could learn from books. I just didn't grow up here, and it will always show.
The English book was a lot smaller than the French book, and I wanted to check if they had cut anything out. Shut up, I know I am weird
Also, snippet of conversation at the breakfast table:
rainette *idling leafing through Braindead Magazine*: Jesus, look at that picture. How many dogs does Paris Hilton even own?
Husband *dryly*: one per handbag, with a matching outfit.
And this? Is why I love my Husband, even in the early morning, when I am not inclined to love anyone. :D
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Wednesday, August 15th, 2007
| |
11:49 am
|
Cross-posting to JL, IJ, GJ and LJ, take two. Because, ahahahaha, it won't cross-post unless you ask it to. *baps self*
I am, for the first time, reading Lord of the Rings. Yay?
Now, this is something I have attempted several times before, and I always got stuck at around page 80 or so, once the hobbits get wandering. Because it goes like that: the hobbits went up the hill, the weather was fine, they got hungry, they stopped and had breakfast (insert breakfast menu), they sang for a while (insert sont lyrics), then they slept for a while (insert mentions of sleeping habits and various snoring noises), then they get up and do it all over again.
The first time I attempted to read the book? I had bought myself a LORD OF THE RINGS MAP to follow the hobbits' wanderings. Which was possibly the worst idea ever, since trying to follow them blew my mind with sheer boredom.
This time, however, I am not even bothering with following their steps. I just imagine New Zealand mountains and forest and I know that they're beautiful and basta, as we say. I skip the breakfasts, second breakfasts, elevenses, luncheons, dinners and suppers and assorted snacks altogether, and I seem to be doing OK so far.
I am even starting to enjoy myself. *grins*
Right now, I am past page 100 (HOORAY! I BROKE MY RECORD!) and have just hit the point where Frodo and Sam realise that yo, their friends Pippin ad Merry know exactly what they have been planning, despite their best efforts to keep everything a secret, and this amuses me greatly. I am sure you have all experienced this at least once, haven't you? I am sure you have all, at least once, tried to keep something Really Sekrit... and then found out that everyone knew and that you could just as well have relaxed a bit, cos frankly, why bother?
Anyway. I am amused. It doesn't take that much these days to amuse me.
Also, I think I like Sam in the book even more than I like Sam in the movies. Dude, I think I may even finish the book this time.
|
|
(5 comments | comment on this)
|
|
|
|
|