1. Ben Trovato: they had to change the title of The Eagle of the Ninth to The Eagle because people thought it was about golf. Yes, and The Madness of George III because people wondered what had happened to The Madness of George parts one and two. Sadly, I think both those stories are true. And here's where the generation gap comes in. I learned my history *not* in school, thak you very much, because if I had I'd have forgotten it as quickly as high school chemistry, but from novels. Kids these days learn it from movies, god help them, because the novels were better researched, by and large. No doubt this is also why they think The Wars of the Roses is about a domestic dispute. But it's not just the kids. How does one convince the school authorities that the history of other countries actually matters?
2. Anent which, the reason lawn books are usually lawn books (ie left out on the lawn for others to pick up): Philippa Gregory's spiritual Californians romping through the 16th century in whichever of that endless series it was, and Laurie Rigler's real Californian waking up in the Napoleonic War in Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. Got through three pages of both and decided life is too short.
3. Went to get another ticket to the terra cotta warriors on my break yesterday. Schools are closed: long long lineups; and ROM staff have still not learned manners. I dislike being addressed as 'Hey! Hey!' by the guard who wants me to check my backpack before getting into line. Stand for twenty minutes behind automaton female staring will-less at her
4. Have had to buy another non-dragon baseball cap because pink or blue does not go with the elegant beige-burgundy-black tones of the scarf
paleaswater gave me for christmas four years ago. Have bought one in camel. Dislike it intensely. It looks like a jockey's cap-- not that baseball caps are aesthetically pleasing at the best of times. Also Little Bunny Mei-mei's mother looked indescribably disappointed when she saw me without my signature 龍. (Little Bunny Mei-mei's English name is Isabella, so ill-omened an appellation that I can never remember it. No one knows her Chinese name; she's Mei-mei/ 妹妹/ younger sister.)5. Short list of trad-modern Christmas music that doesn't give me hives:
The Little Drummer BoyThe St Stephen's Day Murders and The Rebel Jesus don't count, of course.
Do you hear what I hear?
Silver Bells
6. Nice couple in front of me as I walked home last night were discussing something due to happen at 2 am if the skies were clear. Eclipse of the moon, apparently, but I was sleeping the sleep of the overworked daycare just. Also, red-brown moons are nothing new in this town.
