Currently Reading The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt (Modern Library Paperbacks) By Edmund Morris see related

Oh bother. I got a "We miss you" e-mail from Xanga today. It has been a while, hasn't it? They wanted me to completely restart my site, which I think I won't. Everything is different here now; it took me five minutes to figure out how to start a new post. (Apparently a big button at the top of the page is too subtle.)

It doesn't seem like six months since last July. I guess I've just been really busy with school and what not. I'm getting an unexpected four-day weekend due to snow, though, so I've had a nice break which I've used to do lots of studying. I've got the ACT and SAT coming up and then four AP exams in May. Thank goodness I don't have any on the 16th.

And... well, I don't have a whole lot more going other than school right now. I really love school, though, particularly my AP Calculus class. We get to do such fun stuff in Calculus.

Anyway, this is a pathetic little post. In the absence of anything to really talk about, I think I'll repost something I wrote for something sometime ago. (I feel like being vague.) It's about my used bookstore, which I really love.

I am preparing for a long trip and have more than enough clothes, shampoo, and other such necessities, yet I am sorely lacking in books. Therefore, one Saturday morning I find myself visiting the used books store on Dickson Street. I open the door and hear the bell ring. Right inside is a disheveled but amiable-looking cat. Now this is promising; someone once explained to me that a bookstore can never be perfect unless it has a cat. Stepping past the cat, I am greeted by a pleasant old man and his pierced assistant, her long dreadlocks nearly the same color as her hemp dress. After saying hello, I turn and begin to browse the sections.

The first section that catches my eye is the children’s section. Enid Blyton, E. Nesbit, C.S. Lewis, Noel Streatfield – these authors are familiar and comforting. Suddenly embarrassed to be in the children’s section, I move to the other side of the building. Here are the paperbacks – the dusty classics, the trashy romances with their yellowed pages, and the science fiction. I pick up a few Douglas Adams books and some random classics I have not yet gotten around to reading but feel as though I really must. My basic goal accomplished, I feel free to explore the rest of the store.

            Though the bookstore seems small on the outside, it actually goes on and on, farther than anyone would guess. As I go further in, the light grows dimmer and the smell mustier. I pass first edition Bobbsey Twins, weird racist children’s books from the 1850’s, obscure 19^th century travel accounts, and books about almost every other subject you could imagine. Bookshelves are crammed with books and extend in every direction, even crossing over you like little bridges over the aisles. It is a bibliophile’s paradise. The whole place smells of books, and I am filled with a sort of awe at the amount of knowledge contained in this store that at first seemed so tiny from the outside.

            I climb up a few stairs and enter a sort of side room walled only by books. Here are the travel books. Perhaps I will never need a traveler’s guide to Mozambique but I decide to get it anyway. Nonfiction is my weakness and I realize that if I don’t control myself I will end up buying more books than I have room (or money) for. Resolving to just look from now on, I keep going, stopping to read various books that catch my eye. The Joys of Yiddish, The Voluptuous Vegan – I am happy with any and every subject, and that is what this store has. It’s fortunate the store encourages browsing, because I stand reading for hours. I finally decide to leave, my back aching from reading while standing up. I pay for my books and again step past the cat and onto the street, vowing to go back to this place as soon as possible.

Currently Reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7) By J. K. Rowling see related

I forgot to mention it, but I did manage to read HP7 without seeing any spoilers. It wasn't easy, as I couldn't get it until Sunday night and one of the Indian newspapers had a spoiler on the front page. I got the British version, which I was rather pleased about. Now they can cudgel their brains, bewitch gaolers, and wear colourful robes in all their British glory.

In other news, I have decided that, despite the fact that I don't really like 5's, 519 is my favourite number. I stayed awake for over an hour yesterday just thinking about it. You see, 519 is an odd number composed of three different odd numbers. When you divide it by three you get 173, also an odd number composed of three different odd numbers. 157 is also a good number. It's the third prime number composed of three different odd numbers. It's also the third prime number composed of three different prime numbers. The third prime number composed of three different odd prime numbers is 173.

I found a website I quite enjoyed: http://www.juvalamu.com/qmarks/ . It was made by people who share my annoyance with quotation marks used for emphasis.

Oh, in answer to JillPole's question, I'm really not sure whether I like traveling or being at home better. I enjoy traveling, but I also like being home. So I dunno. (Some unashamed fragment use there.)

I'm getting a little tired of Indian food, but I think it's more the cafeteria food we're served than Indian food. One of the main staples of the cafeteria meals is this spicy water with vegetable chunks floating in it which is pretty bad, but we went to an Indian restaurant last night that was actually really good. It restored my faith in Indian food.

Currently Watching Fanaa see related

Goodness, I haven't updated in a while, have I?

Anyway, the AP exam went well. I got my results a week or two ago and I got a 5. It's a huge relief; I kept dreaming I got a 2.

I'm in India now. I've got about three weeks left. India is... interesting. I like it, but it's just so different it's kind of hard to describe.

I've been watching some awesome Bollywood movies. They're all about three hours long with plenty of song and dance numbers. Every movie also contains every genre. And about half of them star Shah Rukh Khan (sp?), who I really don't see the appeal of. They're fun to watch, anyway.

I love fast food here. It's great being able to get a vegan meal at KFC. Generally it's hard to get vegan meals, but there are lots of vegetarian options. I like how McDonalds actually has more veg options than non-veg. Oh, and they totally seperate the veg and non-veg stuff.

We've been seeing lots of temples and stuff. We saw the Taj Mahal, of course. (I think it's practically required if you visit India.) It was pretty cool; I think we visited the day before it was announced as one of the world's new 7 wonders.

Last weekend we saw several Jainist temples. One required a 700 step climb with bare feet up a mountain. I learned that many Jainist priests don't believe in clothing...

For some reason, many people want their pictures with me. I'm singled out more than anyone else in the group, so I'm sure it's just because of my height.

Anyway, India is starting to feel more normal. I still can't exactly say I fit in, though...

Currently Reading REA's AP US History Test Prep with TESTware Software By J. A. McDuffie, G. W. Piggrem, S.E. Woodworth see related

I am officially leaving for India on July 2. (I'll be outside the US for Independence Day.) Though I'm not quite sure if I like the idea of one my flights being a Flight 815 , I am looking forward to it. I get back sometime in mid-August. Just in time to get back to school. Whoo.

Okay, I'll admit it. I actually am looking forward to next school year. I'm taking AP European History, AP Biology, AP Language and Composition, AP Calculus, Honors Chemistry, and French II. I'm excited.  (Well, I'm not excited about the fact that I also have to take Speech and Art, but other than that.)

I enjoyed school today, for the most part. I took a Pre-Calculus quiz and found out that I finally have an A in there again. I would have already, had it not been for the stupid class points system, where how much information you volunteer in class affects your grade. Then I found out that I did well on the practice AP US History Exam we took yesterday. (The real exam is Friday... gah.)

Short post, yes, but I must study some more. I've done a lot of that lately. I can't wait until this summer or even the rest of this May when I have the free time to actually read something other than school books.

Happy Pi Day!