A Garden, A Pig and Me, A Year at Torreyburn－by Ferguson.J

This is a book full of fun and surprise! I had never intended to read this book before. I found it one day when I was wandering around the library and searching books about gardening. I had to admit that the title attract my attention and after I read several pages, I decided to take it.

It does not merely talk about gardening, it also talks about food and feeling of live and of course some beautiful pictures! Overall the writting is lovely and always make me laugh.

Some people spend their time dreaming of paradise in heaven. I would rather try and creat it here on earth.

The authort tells us why she wants to build a garden and why she spends so much effort on it. I agree with her. When I was in China, space is limited and a garden to me is a dream never come true. But my family grows vegetables and flowers on the roof of the building. Though we cannot own our garden, we can at least grow things that we like near our home. The feeling is different when we build our mini garden which seems a paradise created by our own hands. So I think creating things that we admire is better than complaining not owning those.

In page 41, the author describes an very interesting experience about the lost lamb leg. The lamb leg is put in the sink and disappeared when the author return home (stolen by the big cat!). That is so funny and wanna u to have a look by yourself.

Let me share some of the amazing paragraphies:

It is just so much easier to run away from difficult situations, or to agree with the other person's point pf view. Particularly in a group situation, it is so tempting to go along with everyone else rather than be true to oneself and suffer possible rejection.

For me, age brings confidence and greater feeling of acceptance of oneself, and this in turn brings power. The best thing about fifty is at last being able to be oneself. Murmurings that have been locked up deep inside are allowed to pop out now. We try so hard to be dignified when young, and now that we are older, by some strange twist, we are able more truely to acknowledge the child within, and be ourselves.(pp.87-88)

Lincoln is not the only person to be criticised for helping animals. It is a familiar experience for many to be upbraided for wasting their time and money in suck efforts, when there are so many humans who need help.

This sort of criticism is self-centred and short-sighted. All living creatures are connected, and to work with animals is to work at the heart of what we are ourselves. Compassion does not discriminate. It flows from the one source deep in our hearts...The connection between how we treat animals and how we treat other people is inextricably linked.(pp.52-53)

p.s sorry that I can't find a picture of the cover~maybe not many people read it ..

Book lover-by Kaufman J. and Mack K.

This book is not bad, even though some of the parts are seemingly disconnected and the ending is a little bit odd.

To Dora, the main character, book is the first priority, the comfort and the lover.

“…no matter what’s going on in my life, I will always need a book. Nevertheless, after all that happened to me, reading is not purely an escape. It’s more of a search for some kind of meaning in this world. Now when I read, I think I might open to any page and find the true…The answers are there. Somewhere. Each author has their own vision, whether it be transforming, unnerving, inspiring, or devastating. It’s comforting in a pathetic sort of way and I have wallowed in this comfort for most of my life.” (pp.255-256)

But later on, she understands that the books can not tell everything to her and she has to explore her life by herself rather from the books. After she falls in love with Fred, the owner of the bookshop, she gets to know that the lover is not as compliant as the characters in novels. Fred is so cold-hearted to his family and Dora can not stand his attitude.

Finally Doro spits up with Fred and at the same time she finds out that she still love her ex-husband and she can’t calm down herself by reading books. She needs a job, a family, a normal life free from the shadow of unhappy childhood. Bits by bits, things are getting changed and Dora gains more confidence towards her life.

The meaning of reading books? I haven’t thought too much about it, but I feel really happy when I read a book. In reality, I have a lot of unhappiness, sadness, sorrow and pressure, but when I read books, I feel that I still have peaceful and happy moment in my life. Nevertheless, I believe life is more important than books and it can teach you more lessons than those from books. I think the authors are trying to express the similar feelings to us, right?

China Witness--by XinRan

It is a collection of interviews with Chinese people. Different people from different provinces, having different political background, may have different stories.

People talk about the past, the political activities and some terrible experience forced by the Party. But I don't think they are willing to tell the truth from the bottom of their heart. Since they are still live in China and people's talk are still under Party's control, they are afraid to say what they would like to say.

Thus this book is not as good as I have expected for it lack of detail and deep analysis of China's history. Maybe the book will be better if the author interviews with Chinese who are living outside Mainland China. However, it still provide some interesting insight into the elders' past experience.

Trafficking in old books--by Anthony Marshall

This is not a guideline that help you to run a secondhand bookshop. But this is a very interesting book that can excite those booklovers, like you,like me.

I can't explain why I prefer secondhand bookshop to bookshops which sell new books, I can't explain the feelings. Maybe because I can directly deal with the owner and may have interesting conversations; maybe I feel more comfortable when I stay with the old books and elder people (most 2nd-hand booksellers are 50 or 60 something);or maybe because I can find lots of good books in much cheaper price.

Someone says, books will die out in the future and internet resource will replace the paperbooks. I don't believe that and I even dream of opeaning my own 2nd-hand bookshop(may turn to be true in 10 years or 50 years?). It is different from the bookshop in the internet, it is more real, more interacting,more interesting.I used to operate an e-bookshop and earned some money, but I would prefer face-to-face dealings. Talking on the internet is dull and most customers can compare your price immediately with other online booksellers(force you to set a low price).

I want to know more about 2nd-hand bookshops, look into the booksellers' feeling and experience, so I searched the library and then I found this book. The author, Anthony Marshall, is running a 2nd-hand bookshop, calls Alice Book, in Melbourne. This book gave me great pleasure while I was reading it. Have you ever found a fried egg or bacon(already dried, of course) in the old books?Do you know how the 2nd-hand bookseller set their price? And can you imagine the life where you live above your shop?

This book is for the readers who love books or interested in 2nd-hand bookshops.It won't disappoint you!!

evil text books

I always regard text book as a commercial good which is different from other books.

For one thing, who can say 'reading text books is a great joy or enjoyment'? Or, 'I have a hobby of reading text books'? Ok, admit it, we all hate text books!

In Australian,text books are changed every year. The content may haven't been changed a lot, but the cover, footnotes, questions and presenting order may be changed. Students have to spend more than $300 to buy text books every semester which is a great burden to family. But we can't find 2nd-hand text books--will booksellers keep those text books which can't be used in the next year?

Moreover, text books are heavy, over weight, fat and large, in need to keep fit. I really don't want to carry a text book for reading! I have to say I only use my text book when I prepare the exams.

Text books have no value to keep, generally speaking. Few text books are kept for they will increase value in 5,10 or 100 years.

I always seperate text book from my real worth-reading books. I hate to mix them together. But when I mention that I love reading, lots of my Chinese friends would said 'wo!!' and normally think that what I love to read are text books and I must be a boring guy. Maybe Chinese people are poisoned by too many text books and tent to regard all the books are in the purpose of studying.

So evil the text books!

Finding out-by Elspeth Sandys (New Zealand)

It is the early 1950s. In Knox Bay, a remote part of New Zealand, people are scarred by war and steeped in a repressive puritan tradition. But all these are changed by an arrival of an “outsider”, a new teacher, Tom.

Tom uses a different approach to teach. He breaks the discrimination of orphan and brings out a great potential of acting of Albert. He helps children to know more about history of Maori and English settlers.

Tom’s students start to find out something about themselves. Mary has a sexual experience with a boy and conscious of her new adult status; Jennie find herself fall for her teacher and finally tell Tom about the sexual harassment by her uncle; Avril thought she has pregnant but the result tells her that it is not. She has learnt the bitterness and tries to take responsibility for her body.

Tom has found out some to do about himself. He cares about Jennie but has to leave for England to start a new life. Maybe in the other continent he can know more about the history and himself.

I was breathed in the conversation of the two girls, Jennie and Mary. They imagine the love life of the new teacher; pretend themselves as Tom and his lover. In those conversation they know more about their bodies, sexuality and love.

I remember when I was a little girl, I sometimes imagine I will fall in love with the handsome schoolteacher, or a pirate, or a foreigner. It is the girl’s imagination that helps us to grow up, to start our love and to know more about our desire.

P.S It is really hot in Sydney and I have no mood to write. Just mark down some feeling after I finish this book.

The Thousand Miles Without a Cloud-by SunShuYun

Last nigh I can not sleep (insomnia?!), so I got up and finished the book at 3am.

The author grew up in China during the Cultural Revolution. Each night she listened to her grandmother’s forbidden Buddhist prayers and she became interested in Xuanzang after she read the book Monkey King, given by her grandmother.

As the Revolution failed, the author began a search for her own beliefs and to discover more about the monk, Xuanzang by traveling from China along the Silk Road, through dangerous parts of Asia to India. This book gives us a vivid, fascinating insight into China and its history, and what Buddhism is in different area and different people’s mind.

I always want to know more about Cultural Revolution in China. My parents have told me what they have suffered and how crazy the people are in that time. But I feel not enough. I can read very little information in newspapers and books in China because Chinese government doesn’t want its people know the true of the Communist history.

I was free and I had not suffered like my forebears and my fellow-countrymen. But like so many Chinese, I felt strongly that something was missing. The idea of a confirming faith dies hard. I was increasingly unsure of where I was going, why I was doing the things I did; I was at a loss, and pondering. (P41)

I have the same lost feeling like the author. I may not have the chance to do the same things like her to find out more of the past of our country, but I can read books to know. Lucky I am, I have come to Australia and have found a lot of books about Chinese history. This book is one of the excellences.

Communists always say they united China and brought peace to the people. I doubt that. What about the Cultural Revolution? What about Chairman Mao’ deadly faults? Why Chinese people are prevented to discuss these kinds of matters? Yes, they did good things for our country but why they avoid admitting the faults?

Revolution in China almost pushed the people back into the abyss from which they had been saved, all in the name of Communist idea of absolute equality. The peasants, like the rest of the country, were so equal that nobody wanted to work: however hard they labored, they were paid the same. The whole nation lived on rations for more than thirty years. And then we suffered one of the worst famines in history, when over thirty million people died of starvation in the early 1960s, most of them in villages. (P282)

What caused this suffering, unprecedented in Chinese history? Never before was the whole nation, hundreds of millions of people, allowed to think only one thought, speak with one voice, read only one man’s works, be judged by one man’s criteria, Never before were our traditions so thoroughly shaken up, destroying families, setting husbands against wives, and children against parents. Never before was our society turned so completely upside down. The Party was barely in control, with all its senior members locked up or killed. Workers did not work; farmers did not produce; scientists and artists were in labor camps; not criminals, but judges, lawyers and policemen were in prison; and young men and women were sent to the countryside in droves for re-education. On top of the physical devastation, the psychological impact on everyone was even more poisonous. The Cultural Revolution brought out the worst in people. They spied on, reported, betrayed and murdered each other—the strangers, friends, comrades and families alike—and all in the name of revolution. So much hope, so much suffering and sacrifice, and for what? (P36)

Not only those who are the targets of the revolution suffered, but also those who joined the revolution got nothing but pain, regret, and confusion.

They were betrayed; they were even being blamed for what had gone wrong. The bitterness of loss was crushing and the void left in their hearts was deep. They found it impossible to cope with a past that had been cancelled and a future so uncertain. (P39)

Until now, the influences of the past have not yet disappeared. Some people who are sent to Xinjiang or some remote countryside to produce or re-educated have no chance to return home. Their children, for they can not find jobs outside the place they lived, also forced to stay.

They live in an impossible dream of returning home, and their longing has become a poison, filling them with loneliness, fear and resentment. (P141)

Many historical places or religious sites are destroyed by red-guards.

Temples in village were destroyed and the farmers used the stones to build pig-sties and houses. In Tibet, the destruction was almost total. Gone with them was a large part of our history, culture and life- a part we had denounced as antiquated, feudal and backward, a part whose value we did not know until it was gone. (P60)

In the way to unite all the nationalities in China, Communist government destroyed our religious and cultural roots. This do harm to our nation in the long run. I start to understand why Tibet and Xingjiang try to break up from mainland China. Minorities don’t admit to be ruled by Han and they do not feel the belongingness of China.

There is a song that‘56 nationalities are 56 flowers; 56 nationalities are the families of China’. It is easy to put them all in one song and one set of stamps; but to make them into one big, happy family will need more effort. (P348)

Though people suffered from the past, they try to lead a new life to their best effort. The author meets a man, Duan, who is used to be a monk before the Cultural Revolution but forced to married a woman in the revolution. He dose not return to be monk after the revolution and feels content of his poor and simple life.

Instead of blaming others and bearing grudges, Duan would always look deeply inside himself and think how he could improve. (P62)

The author finally reaches India. India is the neighbor of China and also a large population country, rapid developing. But actually they are quite different.

China and India seem to be humanity’s polar opposites. The Indians are philosophical, spiritual and transcendental, while the Chinese are practical, materialistic and down-to-earth. For the Chinese, the world we live in is all there is. Confucius told us that ‘to dedicate oneself seriously to the duties towards men, to honor spirits and gods but to stay away from them.’ For Hindus, religion dominates life. Their ultimate goal is moksha-the final liberation from this mundane and ephemeral world into blissful eternity. And they have a staggering 300 million gods and goddesses to help them achieve it. (P222)

The way Indian and Chinese people think of Buddhism is different too.

In China, people simply did what the sutras told them to do: to pray sincerely and make offerings to the best of her capacity, and leave the rest to the Buddhas and the Bodhissattvas.

Because Chinese people relay on the help of God and do nothing by themselves, government used to make people believe that Buddhism was nothing more than superstition. Even today, we regain religious freedom, the way we interpret Buddhism has not change much.

In India, Buddha was thought to be born a man and died as a man. ‘Pray to yourself, not to anyone else’. (P276) There is no other Buddha except what is inside you. Buddha himself did not approve of miracles: they were impediments to spiritual progress and the final awakening. (P295)

There is one interpretation of the Buddha’s teaching. I guess it tried to draw as many people as possible to Buddhism in the first place. Once they learn more about it, they would realize it is good for them and they would not need the extra incentives. (P274)

I try to learn Buddhism by myself and come to know that Buddhism is not only religious but also a philosophy that encourages people to find inner peace and achieve goals by ourselves.

Self-nature, complete and clear,
Like the moon in the water.
The mind in meditation, like the sky,
Ten thousand miles without a cloud. (P255)

And the most precious I learn from Buddhism is ‘Everything is impermanent’. We feel sad about the tragedy and show pity of the cultural loss. But this is the law of nature, everything is changing, no matter it is good or bad. We have to move on and content with what we have at the very moment.

There are conflicts between religion and science. Most people regard that the two are at daggers drawn, two can not exist at the same time. But I always think both religion and science are the themes of the world, people can not live without them.

I often think of Ganga as life, with science and faith as its two banks. The banks never meet but the river wouldn’t flow without them. Without science we would be back in the dark ages; but without faith life would be poorer. (P298)

We, Chinese have success at revolution and now focus on economic development. But there are still countries suffering wars and conflicts. Revolution is the common way people seek to liberate their country and sometimes it bring more suffering to people.

We have to free ourselves from the mental slavery we have grown up with. That’s our worst enemy. Revolution might be quick, but its results could not last; change had to come from people’s minds-that was the only durable solution. Had people’s mind been seized with hatred and revenge, I would have brought disaster upon this land. (P309)

The Last Chinese Chef-by Nicole Mones

I like cooking; it is a source of creation and happiness. So I am very excited to find this book: The Last Chinese Chef.

The author does a fantastic job to link a cliffhang story with Chinese cuisines and culture.

The story begins when Maggie, a widowed American food writer, learns of a Chinese paternity claim against her late husband’s estate. She has go immediately to Beijing, China. She asks her magazine for time off, but her editor counters with an assignment: to profile the rising culinary star Sam Liang.

In China, she knows that his husband has a one-night affair with a Chinese woman, Gaolan. She meets Gaolan’s child, Shuying with the help of Sam. Millions of reason that Maggie should hate her husband and angry with the Chinese woman, but she accepts this fact. She remember her husband once asked for having a child before he died but she proponed so that they never have opportunity to have a child. In Maggie’s heart, she hopes the child proved to be his husband’s and she understand the pain and helpless of Gaolan after they met. Even though the lab test proves the child belongs to the other man, not Maggie’s husband, she still provides help to Gaolan.

Meanwhile, with Sam as her guide, Maggie is drawn deep into a world of food rooted in centuries of history and philosophy. Unlike western food, the peak of Chinese cuisine is giving and sharing of food. “Great food should never be taken alone. What pleasure can a man take in fine cuisine unless he invites cherished friends, counts the days until the banquet, and composes an anticipatory poem for his letter of invitation?” Chinese people like to place all the dishes at table and every one can eat those dishes. That is sharing: food must be eaten with a group of people.

Westerners do not understand the real Chinese food. “A meal for them was nothing but food. When it came to the food of China they had their version, a limited number of dishes that always had to be made the same way with the sauces they would recognize from other restaurants. Sameness was what they wanted. They went out for Chinese food, they ordered their dishes, and they did not like them to change.” It is true that, in western countries, we can’t find out a restaurant that offer real Chinese food because chefs have to modified Chinese dishes to meet the need of westerners. So it is sad that westerners rarely understand Chinese food and culture. (I miss Chinese food so so so much!)

Different parts of China have different food and culture. Maggie comes to know that food always related to the Chinese culture and history. “The major cuisines of China were brought into being for different purposes, and for different kinds of diners. Beijing food was the cuisine of officials and rulers, up to the Emperor. Shanghai food was created for the wealthy traders and merchants. From Sichuan came food of common people, for, as we all know, some of the best-known Sichuan dishes originated in street stalls. Then there is Hangzhou, whence came the cuisine of the literati. This is food that takes poetry as its principal inspiration. From commemorating great poems of the past to dining on candlelit barges afloat upon West Lake where wine is drunk and new poems are created, Hangzhou cuisine strives always to delight men of letters. The aesthetic symmetry between food and literature is a pattern without end.”

Beside these cuisines, there are thousands of local cuisines all over China, you may have unexpected surprise while you eating in different parts of China.

Sam is participate in a banquet contest and has to prepare dishes with the help of his uncle. Maggie follows him to visit his dying uncle Xie in Hangzhou. She feels warm and comfortable in Xie’s house. The close relationship between relatives and friends is quite different from America and Maggie comes to enjoy life in China. She used to eat alone and live apart from people; she thought it is the life she wants. But after she comes to China, recalling the old life, she realizes she lost so much happiness in the past. At the end, Sam loses the contest. But he gets more than expected—love. Maggie and Sam are in love: they are brave to step out of their comfort zone.

“Eating is only the beginning of cuisine! Only the start! Flavor and texture and aroma and all the pleasure—this is no more than the portal. Really great cooking goes beyond this to engage the mind and the spirit—to reflect on art, on nature, on philosophy. Never cook food just to be eaten.”

If we cook food just to be eaten, cooking may become a repeated and uninteresting task. Food should be shared and appreciated with others--that is what Maggie learnt in China and that is what readers learnt in this book.

First day of work

I begin my first work day today in a busy cafe. Making mile tea and coffee is not as easy as I think, and too much orders make me confus.

I get very tired for several stressful hours and my hands ache!

But I am quite enjoy working with the people there who are nice to me. Have to work hard! But never stop reading!! (Hands shaking when typing)

Squeeze time to read

I really want to make a list and then read one by one. But I find it difficult for I have little spare time to read regularly.

I have to work from 6am till 7pm four days a week and I often spend one day to walk around the city to find interseting gallery. Every two week I have to go shopping. That means every week,I have only one or two days left. If I have to go to school, may be several hours left.

So I squeeze time to read:

1. Read while taking a train

2. Read when in toilet(quite enjoy the quiet moment in toilet)

3. Taking books in bag, read in case have to wait some one

4.Listen audio book while cooking,jogging and before sleep(though I always feel hard to concentrate)

5.Shorten my cooking time, cook 2 meals a time(eat one and store one in frige)

6.Have to sleep late,coffee and tea to support

........................................

Do you have any other suggestion?

I often search or idlely walk in the library to find books without any plan. Beacuse I find it quite exicited to do so: if I unexpectedly find a good book I will feel extrat happy. So I may read some books out of most reader's list. But, so what?haha~~~~