bon voyage
Tuesday, 13 May 2008
Oh gosh I had planned to get some reviews out and time just flew away! You know how it is a few days before you leave anywhere, chaos! So much to do! I'm off to London in the morning and then flying to Rhodes tomorrow night. I won't be back in the 'Pool until June 5th. I'm sure I'll be able to track down a wireless signal somewhere on the island so I'll try to check in and depending on the signal and the speed of connection I may load a few photos. But just in case I don't pop in I hope everyone enjoys the rest of May and is prepared for a fantastic summer!
Oh and in case you're curious, I'm going to Rhodes for the Xth International Congress of Egyptologists - over 300+ speakers will be giving lectures from May 22-29. I'm going a week early and staying a week after in order to have a nice holiday. I may go island hopping or I might just pop a squat on the beach and read until I'm nice and crispy.
I was at a BBQ over the weekend to welcome 2 new Drs of Egyptology to the world. It was great! Although typical to an English BBQ we ended up inside when a thunderstorm hit (yes people real thunder and even some scary lightning! - but NOTHING compared to what we get in AZ). Below is a picture of a wee little man I found hanging out in my friend's garden. Apparently he was there when they moved in and so they just left him there. Seems like he's been there for awhile since his pants have nearly disintegrated! Ha! Ha! He's really roughin' it! Love the beard!
Ciao!
. listening . la camisa negra . juanes . mi sangre .
posted by Ashleigh @ 22:41,
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hmm what to call this
Saturday, 10 May 2008
Ok I think I like this new look! It's bright, it's flowery, it's making me smile - just like the weather we've been having here in the good old 'Pool. We've finally reached 75F/22C - Yippee! I even had a chance to sit in the park and eat an ice cream cone bought at a genuine ice cream truck. It's been so nice and sunny I've been able to wear my very expensive yet to be paid for prescription Coach sunglasses! I'm not really a material girl but these are my first pair of prescription sunglasses, I've been wearing glasses since kindergarten/first grade and the last pair of sunglasses I had were yellow and red with Ronald McDonald on them... So I thought I deserved a posh pair of shades! And let's not forget what an absolute necessity they are for working in Egypt, us Egyptologists need to dig in style!
So first the bad news... due to an unforeseen shortage in my stimulus payment (that'll teach me to rely on incoming funds) and the snail speed with which my loan checks are being dealt with there will be no trip to London. Boo! I've got friends who are willing to open their pockets but I'd rather use that offer for needs. I just don't feel right about having fun on someone else's tab. I'll still be heading down there on Wednesday to catch my flight to Rhodes but I'm really bummed, I was looking forward to good times. But now I suppose I'll have time to get some other things done. Like review writing! And reading (may finally finish those Mitford novels and poor Douglas Adams has been sitting on the shelf for awhile)! Finally I'll be able to do both guilt free because I'm done with the proofreading and I'm done with the scanning! My time is mine once again. Oh I do need to slap together a seminar that I'm giving when I get back but that shouldn't take too long.
I think I'll take a walk around Liverpool too! There's so much more to see. I've been invited to a BBQ on Sunday to celebrate the successful completion of two vivas and thus the birth of two new Drs. Wow finishing a PhD must be like the biggest relief ever! So here's hoping it's a good weekend for you and me. I'll just have to plan another trip to London perhaps one that will coincide with a trip to Paris...
Oh make sure you stop by Heather's (who I want to thank by the way for the awesome comments she made about me and my blog) to check out the teaser trailer for the movie Twilight based on Stephenie Meyer's book of the same title. It's awesome, I'm excited and unlike others I'm digging Edward's hair. I'm also excited about the next book, Breaking Dawn - I think it's awesome that Meyer is also a Phoenician well technically she's a Glendalian but that's just north-west Phoenix.
Ok gotta run and watch the latest episode of Lost! Ciao!
. listening . crash . gwen stefani . love, angel, music, baby .
posted by Ashleigh @ 00:53,
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fairy tale friday
Friday, 2 May 2008
Hark is this a Hobbit hole?
I met up with my friend Campbell to visit Reid's Used Books in search of books to bring to Rhodes. So many to choose from! There were several copies of pristine 1001 chunksters that I drooled over but I had to settle with stroking their spines and sighing. I couldn't however pass up the 2 Dickins chunksters offered outside, David Copperfield and Nicholas Nickleby £1 each, now that's a bargain. They won't be joining me in Rhodes but I will read them this summer. Campbell chose a copy of E.M. Forster's Maurice and Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. The hunt is still on for a copy of David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas.
I have decided that my Rhodes reads will be:
If I finish them all I will be shocked because we're only going to be gone a little over 3 weeks. And it's not like we're not going to be speaking to one another or busy sightseeing. But variety is always good!
After coffee and a sticky bun at No. 7 we took a little stroll down Rodney Street to look at William MacKenzie's pyramid. St. Andrew's Churchyard was in bloom, this time with bluebells. Even though the churchyard faces a very public street we couldn't help but think it looked like a secret garden. What with the weeds all over grown, the bluebells, butterflies dancing about, dandelions silently begging someone to pluck them and blow their seeds to the wind. It was quite charming.
Campbell then took me down a side street I've never walked down before and low and behold we did find a sort of secret garden, well not really but we can pretend right? It was really John Moore's University Mount Pleasant campus but it was so quiet and quite beautiful. I've only ever seen the front of it and had no idea this back part existed. There was a gorgeous church complete with spire and stained glass windows. Apparently before it became a university if belonged to the Notre Dame Convent and School. We followed a little trail that brought us to the back of St. Andrew's but unfortunately it was all boarded up so we still couldn't get to it but it felt like we were in a miniature forest. Down one of the other trails we spotted the little arch pictured above covered in bluebells. Now what is that all about? An old statue niche? Perhaps. I can imagine a statue of Mary inside.
There were even bushes with little red berries. But as we all know from having read fairy tales it's not always a good idea to eat something when you don't know what it is, especially when you're in an enchanted little place like this. We may have fallen into a deep sleep and missed our flight to Rhodes! Or they could have given us super writing powers causing us to write our PhD dissertations in one night! Hmmmm....
Quite a few people have been posting fabulous pictures of tulips on their blogs. Unfortunately I didn't get over to Abercromby Square in time to snap a photo of the pristine peppermint striped tulips. They're still there they've just completely opened up. But I still think they're gorgeous almost like a completely different flower. I love the little sphinx details of the gate leading into Abercromby Square pictured to the left. All in all it was a good Friday, save for my shopping expedition to ASDA but that's never really any fun. However, I do like walking by Toxteth Cemetery. I would really like to go inside only I will have to have someone with me because it's not a very good area and I don't think the dead will come to my aid. There are more new photos posted on my flickr page which you can access by clicking on photos up at the top. Well the books are calling my name. Ciao!
. listening . tripping billies . dave matthews band . crash .
Labels: book, liverpool, photos
posted by Ashleigh @ 20:31,
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enchant me please
Thursday, 1 May 2008
I've been searching for some enchantment, a.k.a. I've been wanting some new books. I did manage to snag Salman Rushdie's new novel, The Enchantress of Florence today along with a copy of Jeanette Winterson's The Passion (which by the way according to the author's website Miramax just bought the rights to and Gwyneth Paltrow and Juliette Binoche have signed). But before I can get any more new books I seriously need to finish everything listed to the right save for I, Robot and Timbuktu, those are checked out from the uni and aren't due till July. I actually need to read all those books if possible by the end of next week, because if all goes well I'm supposed to be leaving for London next Saturday but am definitely leaving for Rhodes the following Wednesday. I'd like to get caught up on my reviews too before I leave... lots to do!
But first, back to that book coveting...There are many others which hopefully will be read all in good time. Something else I've been thinking a lot about is Paris. Not just because I recently finished Les Misérables but because there's just so much I want to see there. So many things to do, like sit at the little café next to Notre Dame and read Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Could you imagine? Sitting there sipping a latté reading The Hunchback in the shadows of Notre Dame? And then entering the cathedral and climbing to the top to look out over Paris? I've got a copy of the book, I just need tickets... and I'm seriously thinking about going before I leave. I actually took the picture featured at the beginning of this post from the top of Notre Dame when I was there in 2005. Unfortunately it's the only one I have at the moment, I found it floating around my flickr page, must have been going to use it as a headliner for my blog at one point. The hundreds of other photos I took are on a disc at home.
I'd like to spend a good week there, visiting the Louvre. On my previous visit half the Egyptology exhibit was closed so that right there is a major reason to return. I want to read in the Jardin du Luxembourg, walk along the Champs-Élysées, return to Père Lachaise and visit all those graves I managed to miss the first time. Can you believe it I did not kiss the tombstone of Oscar Wilde? But not to worry I'll pack my brightest red lipstick and see that the deed is done. Though I did pay my respects to Jean-François Champollion, the man who translated the Rosetta Stone and thus led to the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs. I never did to make it out to Versailles and I so wanted to and I also managed to miss the Panthéon where Voltiare, Rousseau, Emilé Zola, Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas lie among many others.
Thinking about Paris, makes me think of what other books I might like to read while there. Perhaps Henry Miller's scandalous Tropic of Cancer which was banned both in the UK and the US for 30 years after its publication. Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice, Michael Musmanno wrote, "Cancer is not a book. It is a cesspool, an open sewer, a pit of putrefaction, a slimy gathering of all that is rotten in the debris of human depravity". Hmmmm... could be fun, no?
. listening . if you were there, beware . arctic monkeys . favourite worst nightmare .
posted by Ashleigh @ 12:33,
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paper faces on parade
Friday, 25 April 2008
Masquerade Queen
Well the Masquerade Ball was a blast! Everyone looked fantastic, the majority of the outfits were red and black, mine included. The party was held on a private floor at a swank little club called Modo. Foo foo cocktails were served 2 for 1 at the bar, yay I love cocktails! There wasn't a lot of dancing, mostly lounging in dark corners under the red lights chatting about this and that, then swirling across the floor to chat with someone else. A lot of picture taking! We're all obsessed with collecting photos for facebook, got to snap the best profile pic. There was dancing however in the fabulous co-ed loo! And would you believe it? I was crowned Masquerade Queen! Some girls get their crowns later in life. I was also presented with a pretty bouquet of pink carnations - sweet! my favorite flower!
So this weekend's book plans are to finish Les Misérables, perhaps The Lonely Londoners and start Mitford's The Pursuit of Love. I've got quite a bit of proofreading to do as well. I volunteered to look over and correct a fellow scholar's dissertation, it's taking a bit longer than I expected and it's got to be done by the 10th of May. Thankfully I'm getting paid!
Wow! Last night's Lost was fantastic! I just love that show so very much!
. listening . heroine . from first to last . heroine .
posted by Ashleigh @ 12:47,
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peeps party
Saturday, 19 April 2008
Peeps Party Part Two
A post that has nothing to do with books! In my birthday package last month my mom included a box of yellow bunny Peeps. Peeps are unheard of here, they just cannot be found so it was a funny thing that she had sent them because I had just been complaining to my friends Campbell and Gina about how much I was going to miss them this Easter. So being the generous person I am, upon their surprise arrival I decided to share them... Oh dear! Peeps took Britain by storm! They were hooked! We had a wee little tea party, smacked those bunnies on top of Nice biscuits (from Tesco 29p - score!) and popped them in the microwave. Suddenly those two were like kids all giddy over this delectable American treat. (What are Peeps?)I just had to put in a request for more. So my dear mom sent two boxes of Peeps (the original bird) in their flashy new colors of green and purple. And Peeps Party Part Two was quickly arranged and all the birds save one were devoured yesterday. Fun times!
Today we all met up to do very important mask shopping for Thursday's masquerade ball. The picture to the left was my lame attempt to catch us walking around Liverpool naturally as if we were totally used to having our photo taken. Didn't really work since Campbell's not even in the photo, I've been nearly cut out and Gina looks like she's singing a song. Guess next time we'll have to hire a professional to catch the moment. Anyway we visited Lili's Bizarre on Hardman Street and walked away with 1 rented white jacket, 3 masks, 1 fan and 1 pair of gloves. Luckily Gina had a pair of black opera gloves too big for her that I was able to borrow. I ended up getting a red, black and gold mask on a wand... not really what I was looking for (remember this is the one I wanted) but it'll do. The important thing is to have fun! I'll definitely post picks when we're all dressed up.Hope everyone else is having a good weekend! Now I must get back to those books!
posted by Ashleigh @ 21:15,
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there's no place like home
Tuesday, 15 April 2008
click click
Well I did it! I told Liverpool that I've decided to finish my degree back in Arizona. Yes I was nervous, yes I laid awake last night trying to formulate a speech, yes I didn't want to get out of bed this morning and no I didn't eat any breakfast. But it wasn't bad, in fact they were sorry that things didn't work out here but at the same time they understood and were supportive. I also took the opportunity to squash some rumors I've been hearing, I kept hearing myself being quoted as saying things I never did. I am still amazed that adults can be so petty. I don't know about the rest of them but I graduated high school. Anyway I apologized for the mess that surrounded my situation and thanked them for giving me the opportunity to come to Liverpool again. Overall the whole thing went well, and I feel like it ended on a good note, which was important to me because you never know when you may need to call on them for something.
I feel loads better, really like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Now I can just sit back and relax, do my work, and enjoy what time I have left here. I'm not sure when exactly I'll be leaving that all depends on my budgeting skills next month. Plus any traveling I do will reduce the length I'm able to stay and I do want to do a bit of traveling while I can.
I love my super cheap ruby slippers I picked up at Primark awhile back. I bought them to wear to Wicked but it turns out that they stuck to Baum's book and used silver slippers... oh well they're still shiny and pretty! Looks like we'll be spending a few days in London next month before we head off to Rhodes. So I will finally get to see Wicked, can't wait!
. listening . try again . keane . under the iron sea .
posted by Ashleigh @ 19:35,
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around liverpool
Monday, 31 March 2008
Liverpool Skyline from Albert Dock
Yesterday was a really good day. I woke up with the church bells chiming, the birds singing (honestly it sounded like a darn Disney movie outside - ha!). I went out for some breakfast, came back and prepared for a trip to the library. Even though the forecast called for rain it was sunny out and a bit warm 52F (funny how that used to be cold to me). As I started out I spotted my friend the song or mistle thrush and thought I should really have my camera on me. Quick trip back to the flat grabbed camera and thus started my photographic journey around Liverpool.
First stop, the Victoria Building on campus, all the scaffolding has been removed and her red bricks are clean and shining, built in 1892 she is responsible for the coined term, 'red-brick university'. The inside is also being renovated and will be open to the public in June or July of this year. Just next door is a nice white building with moulding but most impressively on top lounge two sphinxes, the Scouse Sphinxes facing one another. There are actually 4 Scouse Sphinxes the other two lounge atop the archway leading through to the archaeology building. I remember when I first moved here I looked everywhere for those suckers. A profile of one of them was featured in my welcome package and there was a bit of greenery just behind its shoulder so I assumed they were at ground level, you know like lions in front of a library. Imagine my surprise when one day I happened to look up! The greenery was just a bit of vine that had started to grow on his back.On to the library where I picked up some great reads :
: The Diary of a Nobody . George & Weedon Grossmith - I've been looking for this book, it just happened to be lying face up on a shelf completely in the wrong place but seems I got lucky because the stamped dates in the front show its been checked out over and over during the past few months. Finished it last night - it's hilarious!
: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan . Lisa See
: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie . Muriel Spark
: Madame Bovary . Gustave Flaubert
: She . H. Rider Haggard - now this sounds really good - ancient scrolls, lost civilization, a tyrannical female ruler waiting for the true descendent of her dead lover plus it's on THE LIST!
Before moving on I climbed the steps of the World Museum to take some shots of the cityscape. From here this is where I left my 'comfort zone' and turned down Dale Street, a street I've never walked down before. And boy was I glad I did, fabulous architecture! Wow! The picture to the left is of the Royal Insurance Building and it is magnificent. It was hard to get shots of the fronts of buildings because they're so tall and the street wasn't very wide. As I was taking photos of the Royal Insurance Building (a google search solved the mystery of its name) a Liverpudlian stopped and asked "It's amazing isn't it?" and then he advised me to turn left on Castle Street to seem more beautiful architecture. I think some Liverpudlians really are proud that their city was awarded the European Capital of Culture this year.
At the mouth of Castle Street lies Liverpool's Town Hall (pictured left). Another building hard to capture all in one shot, since it would be rather unsafe to stand in the middle of the street. This is one of the reasons why I love living here because there's real architecture, old architecture, Phoenix is just too new to have anything like this. On the corner of Dale and Castle Street was a Starbucks! I felt like treating myself to a nice iced chai tea latte among all these Victorian buildings and reading a Victorian novel, The Diary of a Nobody.
I must admit I didn't get all the way down Castle Street as a view of the Royal Liver (pronounced lie-ver) Building to the west distracted me and I headed down a side street to make my way towards it. I've only ever seen this building from Albert Dock (as pictured above). The building consists of two clock towers that can be seen from passing ships in the Mersey, the clock faces are larger than those of Big Ben in London. The two Liver Birds (mythical in nature, what started out as an eagle type bird in 1350 morphed into a type of cormorant with a sprig of seaweed in its mouth by 1797) sit atop the clock towers, one looking inland to watch over the city, the other to sea to protect passing sailors. A joke states that the bird looking inland is male and is making sure the pubs are open while the bird looking out to sea is female watching all the handsome sailors. Legend has it that if one of the birds were to fly away Liverpool would cease to exist, thus they have been chained to their domes to insure that they stay put.
I walked around Albert Docks and then worked my way towards the Liverpool Cathedral. At this point it started to get a bit overcast and I was a bit nervous about going into St. James Cemetery by myself. Not that I'm afraid of the dead, it's the living that had me worried. It's a nice park-like atmosphere and a lot of people walk through but a lot of hoodlums hang out here too and I've heard stories. Luckily after a small hail storm lasting a couple of minutes the sun emerged and the there were a few people walking their dogs and talking. In fact one old man talking to a younger couple turned to me and said, "Why hello there dear, aren't you pretty?" Now if we were the only two people in the park I think I would have ran but he seemed genuine and soon after passing he was commenting on someone's handsome Bull Terrier. But most of the time I was or seemed to be the only one in the entire cemetery.
I love St. James Cemetery. When I lived here before I used to come often but believe it or not after being here 6 months this was my first visit! The variety of gravestones and memorials is really neat and I love reading them and just being amazed by some of the dates and how old they are. There are quite a few gravestones belonging to children, one has an epitaph that I always find really touching, She is not dead, she sleepeth. I love how everything is green and mossy, there were beautiful purple hyacinth blooming here and there, they were so fragrant. It's really a peaceful place and the Liverpool Cathedral is one of my favorite buildings in all of Europe. I know there are much more amazing cathedrals out there (Notre Dame, Sagrada Familia, etc) but the Liverpool Cathedral just has real presence on its hill. Plus coming to Liverpool in 2004 was my first time ever in Europe (first time on a plane actually) and so it was really the first big architecturally beautiful building I saw.Just before heading home I backtracked a bit down to St. Luke's Church otherwise known as the 'bombed out church'. It is nothing more than an empty shell left standing after the Blitz of 1941. There used to be trees growing inside the church that peaked through the windows (at least I think they were trees they would have to be pretty tall to be seen from the windows) but now they're gone. It's still a very nice place to visit. My journey ended down Rodney Street to say hello to good ol' William MacKenzie sitting in his pyramid (sorry for the lame excuse of a short story yesterday - ha!) then it was home again home again jiggity-jig.
I took 100+ photos and have posted quite a few of them on my flickr page, just click on 'photos' in the top navigation bar and then click on the Liverpool album to view them. I really need to get a Pro account, the free account only allows you to have 200 photos visible and so now some of my Egypt photos are MIA. I wonder how many miles I walked... all I know is that I was gone for more than 3 hours! I really must do that more often, maybe drag some other people around with me. I'd like to make it out to Strawberry Fields again and just see as much of Liverpool as I can.
Sorry about the lack of reviews lately, I seem to be reading faster than I can write them up. Plus sometimes it feels like a chore and I don't like doing things that feel like homework. I will get around to them eventually but I think I'll stop promising to do so many by such and such time. I just really needed to get outside this weekend, I've been cooped up for too long. Now that we've sprung forward the sun sets just before 8 pm so there's a lot more daylight to get stuff done. I remember that in the summers it will be 11 pm and you can still just see a bit of sunlight on the horizon. It's going to get up to 59F/15C on Friday! Yippee!
. listening . send it up . vertical horizon . everything you want .
Labels: book, liverpool, photos
posted by Ashleigh @ 12:26,
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do you want to play?
Sunday, 30 March 2008
It was a dark and story night and notorious gambler, William MacKenzie was walking the streets of Liverpool. His goal was an old building in city centre where a Dutchman waited for him, a Dutchman wearing red shoes. During the past few months MacKenzie hadn't much luck when it came to playing poker, his continual losses had left him close to destitution. He was determined that tonight he would beat the Dutchman and gain back some of his pride.As MacKenzie reached his destination he sent a quick prayer to no one in particular, "Please let me win". With a deep breath he reached for the iron knocker but quickly withdrew his hand, a searing pain chased up his fingers and up his arm. The knocker was hot. Behind him a child snickered, "Be careful Mister". MacKenzie turned around to tell the brat to mind its own business but found he was alone on the street. Frustrated, MacKenzie reached out and rapped on the red door with his knuckles.
An old butler opened the door slowly emitting a long creak. "Right this way sir, his lordship has been waiting."
When MacKenzie was shown into the drawing room the Dutchman leaped up from the table and shook his hand as a slow smile crept up under his moustache. "MacKenzie so good to see you again. I trust you brought a deck of cards?"
MacKenzie patted at this coat pockets and suddenly his face fell, "I seem to have forgotten them."
"Not a problem we can use mine. Would you like to inspect the deck before we begin playing?" the Dutchman handed him a red box of cards.
MacKenzie lifted the lid of the box and flipped over the top card, the Joker. Yet there was something about the face. He brought the card closer to his eye when suddenly the joker's face turned into a hideous devil. MacKenzie quickly shut the box and handed it back to the Dutchman, "No sir, I trust you. Shall we begin?"
The two played for a couple of hours while the wind picked up outside, moaning and groaning in the trees. MacKenzie's bad luck continued. He had nearly bitten through his lip when he realized that his life was over.
The Dutchman put his cards down, "I'm afraid good sir we must end this game. You have nothing more to give me... unless... no never mind."
"What? Unless what?" MacKenzie practically blurted in desperation.
The Dutchman smiled his greasy smile and begin shuffling the cards. "Let us play one more hand, if you win I will give you back all of your losses and double them."
"And if I lose?"
"If you lose you will give me your soul." The Dutchman continued to shuffle the cards eyeballing MacKenzie through his spectacles.
MacKenzie jumped up from his chair knocking it backwards. "Give you my soul?! Whatever do you mean sir?"
From out of the dark corner the old butler moved forward to right the chair. The Dutchman gestured for MacKenzie to be seated. "Please be seated my friend. There is nothing to fear, after all it is well known that you are an atheist so what is your soul to you? It is nothing. I am giving you the chance to win your purse back and more."
MacKenzie sat back in his chair, his mind racing, his heart beating fast. His collar was choking him and the shuffling of the cards was beginning to sound like a swarm of bees in his ears. "Fine. If I win you will return my losses, double. And if you win..." McKenzie swallowed, "I will give you my soul. But I will shuffle the cards."
"As you wish" the Dutchman handed him the deck of red cards.
The game was over before MacKenzie could even begin to contemplate what it was he had agreed to. The Dutchman laid his cards out in front of him, a Straight Flush. The blood drained from MacKenzie's face and his cards shook in his hand. "Sir lay your cards on the table," the Dutchman demanded with a smirk.
"It makes no matter." MacKenzie folded the cards close to his chest. "My soul is yours."
The Dutchman laughed and slammed his fist on the table, "You keep your soul."
MacKenzie looked up a glint of hope in his eye. The Dutchman quickly leaned across the table and grabbed MacKenzie by the wrist, "You keep your soul that is until your dead and buried," slowly he released his fingers, "and then it will be mine."
The old butler came forward once more and helped MacKenzie from his chair and guided him across the drawing room, into the hall and towards the front door. MacKenzie stopped in his tracks and quickly turned to the butler, "Who is that man?"
"He is nothing and everything, a fallen angel sir, now goodnight." MacKenzie was pushed out the door into the rainy streets of Liverpool.
Over the next few days MacKenzie grew sick with fright. What had he done? As his illness progressed he sent for his good friend and lawyer, Frank Dawson. MacKenzie told him what had happened and told him that no matter what he could not be buried, "Please Frank do not bury me. I have left instructions." MacKenzie gestured to an envelope on his nightstand, "I have no money but I know you will look after me, won't you Frank?"
Within a couple of hours MacKenzie drew his last breath. Frank closed his eyes and said a prayer. He opened the envelope and read his friend's letter. Although he believed them to be the ravings of a mad man he valued his friendship and saw that MacKenzie's last wishes were granted.
A pyramid was erected in the small church yard of St. Andrew's where William MacKenzie now sits above ground in front of a card table holding close to his chest a winning hand.
I have of course taken great liberty in telling this tale but it is true that a William MacKenzie who was known to be a gambler was 'buried' inside this pyramid in 1851. And he is actually reported to be sitting at a card table with a winning hand clutched to his chest. It is not clear whether he sold his soul to the devil in order to win or if he actually gambled his soul in a game against a Dutchman who was actually the devil. The latter seems unlikely (but works nicely in a story). MacKenzie most likely believed that being buried above ground would cause his contract with the devil to be null and void but just in case the devil comes for him anyway he is prepared to play poker for all eternity. People since have claimed to have seen or have been haunted by the ghost of Mackenzie. The church at St. Andrew's is listed as a Historical Building and is under renovation and has been for quite some time. There was a rumor that the cemetery was going to be relocated. Hopefully this isn't true because it would be a shame to disturb the dead, and how on earth are they going to move that pyramid? And if they rebury MacKenzie in the ground will the devil come for his soul?Wikipedia information on MacKenzie can be found here
. listening . ramona . guster . keep it together .
posted by Ashleigh @ 19:08,
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bookish notes
Saturday, 29 March 2008
I felt inpired last night to finish Middlemarch, actually I should say this morning since I finished a little after 2 am! And still I wasn't tired so I read the next short story in The Ladies of Grace Adieu - On Lickerish Hill. I loved Middlemarch, Virginia Woolf calls it "one of the few English novels written for grown-up people" (full review coming soon). It's amazing how attached one can become to characters especially if you spend 838 pages with them. I'm glad everything worked out the way it was supposed to. I really enjoy stories where the lives of characters unfold on the paper in front of you with no sense of hurry.
I just realized that the library here is a bit more advanced than I thought it was, I was able to make an online reservation for Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson and The Dirk Gently Omnibus by Douglas Adams (including the stories Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and The Dark Tea-Time of the Soul - both of which are on the 1001 list)
One of the things about working from the 1001 list is that I tend to get caught up in it and forget about other books that I want to read. It's not a huge deal because I've really enjoyed reading the books that I have, save for maybe 3 (Catcher in the Rye, Crash, Thursbitch). But some of the new books seen in the library, on amazon or other people's blogs have been catching my eye. Here are some that I'd like to check out eventually:
: How I Live Now . Meg Rosloff
: The Court of the Air . Stephen Hunt
: Mister Pip . Lloyd Jones
: Notes from an Exhibition . Patrick Gale
: The Testament of Gideon Mack . James Robertson
: Nefertiti . Michelle Moran
: The Red Leather Diary . Lily Koppel
: Half a Yellow Sun . Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
: The Diary of a Provincial Lady . E.M. Delafield
In reading about and trying to hunt down a copy of Miss Pettigrew... I discovered the delightful Persephone Books with their beautiful simple grey covers and they're gorgeous 'fabric' endpages. I must look into reading some of these titles or perhaps begin collecting them myself. Imagine my surprise while reading one of my regular blogs I learned that there is a Persephone bookstore (I think THE Persephone bookstore) in London (read her post here and check out her Persephone fairy cakes). I must make a visit!
And another cool bookish discovery this week, you can now design your own book covers on a selection of 13 classical novels, brought to you by Penguin, the My Penguin series is really neat! "That cover is naked! Put something on it!" I'm no artist but I still think it would be pretty fun to design a cover.
For all of you who are tackling the mountain of pages that is Les Misérables there is now a blog here for you to join and discuss your thoughts and progress. Sign up any time there is no time limit, everyone can read at their own pace.This weekend's plans include finishing The Voyage Out, catch up on Les Misérables, possibly finish The Ladies of Grace Adieu, visit the library on Sunday and pick up some more books, and write up at least 3 book reviews. Oh and I musn't forget to spring forward on Sunday!
Tomorrow, the story of the Liverpudlian Pyramid...
. listening . latest mistake . mandy moore . wild hope .
posted by Ashleigh @ 15:45,
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charmed
Friday, 28 March 2008
Charmed... that is what I feel like today! I finally got a good night's sleep, a full 10 hours!! I know sounds like too much, but I've been lying awake for hours on end the past few nights with my brain on overdrive, finally falling asleep around 3 am then waking around 8 am. I am and have always been a must have 8 hours of sleep or I'm not very happy kind of person (I can survive on less if I absolutely have to but prefer to have 8 hours).
A graveyard in bloom in St. Andrew's Church Yard
Today has pretty much been a lazy day. It was raining this morning as I laid in bed reading from Middlemarch then a bit from The Voyage Out (I love how the Dalloways make an appearance in Woolf's first novel). The sun started to creep out, and having an entire wall as a window my room began to get nice and warm and I started to feel a bit sleepy. So like a kitten I curled up in my super soft sheets and took a wee little nap. But then I jolted awake thinking "Good God there's sun!" I needed to get my butt outside before it disappears because as I said yesterday the forecast shows rain for the next 5 days. After a quick shower I grabbed my camera and headed to the little cemetery on Rodney Street (more on that later). I got some pretty good photos, the pyramid was lit up by the sun and it was just perfect.
Then not wanting to go straight home I crossed the street to check out a little used bookstore. What a charming (that is my new word) place! Wooden floors that creak, shelves and shelves of books in absolute no order so it is a real treasure hunt, and there were some treasures: little old cloth bound copies of Emma and Pride and Prejudice for £2, a red hardbound copy of Nicholas Nickleby with gold foil lettering and much much more. I was hoping to spot a copy of Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. I'm going out of my mind people, I want so desperately to read this book. I just can't buy the brand new copy sitting in Waterstones without feeling waves of guilt, £12 (or $24) can get me through a week of food. Wait, I just checked the Liverpool library website and they finally ordered 1 copy! 1 copy for the entire city! It's at a different branch so I'll have to put it on reserve.
But I digress... back to the little green used bookstore... I did not buy anything, I was just browsing but I think I'll be back. So yes creaky wood floors, a ton of books and the old man looking over the store was sitting in an old wooden chair behind a wooden table with a crackling fire by his side, yes a real fire in a real fireplace. And to make sure we all remember that we are in the 21st century, before him on the table was a laptop. It was just too much! It really made me smile and that let me tell you hasn't happened in awhile.
I popped into Tesco before going home knowing full well that the sandwiches would be all sold out because it was going on 2 pm but I was wrong! There were sandwiches, but more importantly there was the BLT I had been craving! Happiness!
Song or Mistle Thrush busy eating worms
Between Tesco and my flat there's a little strip of green grass with trees. Last weekend I spotted a bird I had never seen before, a brown bird about the size of a pigeon with a spotted chest, quite beautiful. I researched it on the internet when I got home and it's either a song thrush or a mistle thrush, both birds look very similar with the mistle thrush being about 2 inches longer. Everytime I walk by now I look out for him/her. Well today having my camera on hand I was really hoping to spot it so I could snap its photo for my birdwatching mom. There it was hopping along whipping worms out of the ground, it looked like it was eating from a plate of spaghetti. I got a few pics but then it moved too far away to get a real good shot. I turned a bit to the right and there was another one, a bigger one with the same spotted chest but brighter and more defined. It was going at the worms as well until a pigeon swooped down on it trying to steal its worm which resulted in both thrushes crying out and flying off one up into the tree the other to another lawn. I'm afraid my pictures of them are less than stellar but I blame my sad little camera, it's only a 3.1 MP with 3x zoom... my other nicer camera was stolen in Mexico last summer. *sigh*
Song or Mistle Thrush
But anyway that was my Friday, the rest of the evening will be spent reading from Middlemarch, The Voyage Out, Les Misérables and The Ladies of Grace Adieu. Definitely not going outside this evening it's grey and rainy again.
. listening . end it on this . no doubt . tragic kingdom .
Labels: book, liverpool, photos
posted by Ashleigh @ 17:32,
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books and statues
Thursday, 27 March 2008
I wasn't going to go to the library yesterday, I was going to abstain until the weekend but I just had to get new books. I had to power walk cause I got carried away talking about books and other things with my friend over tarts and tea and suddenly realized the library closed in 50 min! I got there with a half an hour to spare and I walked quickly up and down aisles with my list trying to locate books and getting pretty frustrated. I'm sure I mentioned before that the collection at this particular branch is a bit sparse. I really wanted to pick up a couple Jeanette Winterson books and Schindler's Ark by Thomas Keneally which said it was in but no luck on either account.I did get away with the following :
: Crash . J.G. Ballard - on the 1001 List, finished reading this today and good God what a bizarre and quite disturbing book and no it is not the book that inspired the Academy Award winning film, Crash of 2004 - but it was made into a movie of the same title in 1996 starring James Spader. Just a warning the book is quite pornographic and a bit grotesque in its descriptions of car crashes and sex. Full review coming soon!
: The Ladies of Grace Adieu . Susanna Clarke - after reading a bit from Crash I needed some nice reading before going to bed so I cracked Clarke's newest book open and read the first short story also titled The Ladies of Grace Adieu. Jonathan Strange of Clarke's first novel Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is featured, this short story is actually referred to in footnote 46 of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. I bought that book last summer when the hardback was on sale for $5 at Borders and I started to read it but then I got so wrapped up in preparing to move to Liverpool and trying to read my ever growing library stacks that I never finished it. I've listed it as a book to read for the 888 Challenge so I will get to it before the end of the year.
: Saturday . Ian McEwan - on the 1001 List and part of the 888 Challenge, the novel takes place in London just before the US announced that it was going to war with Iraq. The main character, Perowne is growing uneasy with the state of the world and when a car accident (jeez what's with all the car accidents!?) brings him into contact with Baxter, a fidgety agressive man Perowne and his family may be in danger.
: The Female Quixote . Charlotte Lennox - on the 1001 List and part of the 888 Challenge, I have to say the title of this one has been catching my eye for some time, having read Don Quixote last year and absolutely loving it. The description sounds charming: Arabella reads French novels and paints a picture of her life as adventurous and deeply romantic. After her father's death she learns that she must marry her cousin, Glanville in order to keep part of the estate. But Arabella has a private code of conduct which does not allow her to take any role but center stage in the drama of her own life; her literary heroines are always in control. Sounds delicious! A quick flip through it has just revealed that there are no quotations used during scenes of dialogue so will have to pay attention.
: The First Century After Beatrice . Amin Maalouf - the author's name caught my eye when I was browsing the shelves on a previous visit to the library and I memorized the location so that I could check it out on my next visit. And as always the book had moved but luckily I found it again! May your name live forever and a son be born to you (an ancient Egyptian prayer) A French entomologist attends a symposium in Cairo where he finds a curious bean being sold in the market. It is claimed that the bean, derived from the scarab beetle has magic powers; specifically the power to guarantee the birth of a male infant. The entomologist conducts research and soon discovers that the rate of female births is becoming increasingly rare, he believes that the world has entered into a critical phase of history. He begins to question the validity of gender bias and attempts to redress the growing inbalance before it reaches irreversible proportions. But the poverty and famine of the South, where male children can mean the difference between survival and starvation, the popularity of the scarab beans is already taking devestating effect. It is a short novel, 192 pgs and was winner of the 1993 Prix Goncourt.
: The Plot Against America . Philip Roth - on the 1001 List and part of the 888 Challenge, I've heard Roth can be difficult to read but I'm willing to give it a try. This novel takes place during the fictitious Lindbergh presidency in 1940 which caused fear to invade Jewish households in America. Lindbergh publicly blamed the Jews for pushing America towards a pointless war with Nazi Germany and upon taking office he negotiated a cordial 'understanding' with Adolf Hitler. Roth recounts what it was like for his Newark family and for a million such families during the menacing years of the Lindbergh presidency when American Jews had every reason to expect the worst.
The days are getting longer and we actually had some sun yesterday. As I was leaving the library the sun was lighting up some of the buildings and statues across the way from the library so it was time to whip out the camera and take some pictures.
(you can view them all by clicking on 'photos' on the top navigation bar, once you're on the flickr page just click on the album titled Liverpool 2007/2008)
Even though the forecast shows that the next 5 days will be overcast with rain I hope to get a bit of sun this weekend so I can go pyramid hunting. There's a small cemetery located nearby squeezed between two buildings and inside the cemetery is a pyramid. I took a picture of it (of course) when I lived here in 2004 but I have since learned the story behind the pyramid. The picture is on a disc back home so I need a new one and then I will post it here and tell you all the story behind Liverpool's Pyramid.
Now that I'm fairly certain that I'll be returning home this summer there's so much to see and do here and plenty of photographs to take! I can't believe next week we're already in April, and then it'll be May and I'll be on my way to the island!
This is one of the delicious strawberry and rhubarb tarts I made for Easter dessert. It was actually pretty good, it was my first time using rhubarb in a recipe. I made darn sure there were no leafy bits anywhere on the rhubarb before chopping it up, I got scared after reading that the leaves are toxic! Didn't want to give any one a bellyache. These are very nice with fresh cream drizzled over them while they're hot. The recipe is here if you want to give them a shot, they're pretty easy and well worth it. . listening . intuition . feist . the reminder .
Labels: book, liverpool, photos
posted by Ashleigh @ 17:47,
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