Gossiping

I now think nurses are among the groups of most gossiping people. I've already heard them saying about me, "She's got tiny little veins", "a happy camper as long as having books to read", "the baby is easy finder", etc.

"The time traveler's wife"

I finish this book quite efficiently, in less than 1 month - partly because it's borrowed from library, partly because it's a nice story that I want to finish quick.

It's very interesting and enchanting in the beginning. I always like time traveling thing (for instance 苍之涛), and this book directly starts from how this couple met each other. It's kind of complicated with this time traveling, making it unable to tell who actually knows who first. Then the middle part is a little slow, especially the part of Christmas at Claire's home. Later the wedding and new married life is interesting again. Further later their struggle to have a baby is quite sad, especially since I'm in such a stage now. Then the happy baby birth and future acquaintance, but it also indicates the death of Henry. After that it's all tragedy: Henry's accident, disabled life, and finally, death, and Claire's forever agony and wait. The end.

I read the final parts very quickly, skipping descriptions and thoughts. I'm still moved to tears in the end, same as my ultrasound technician did when she read it. It's a very good story overall, but since it's sad I won't read it again.

One thing noticeable is that the conversations are very funny. There are also many slangs and metaphors and quotes from books/or so which I don't quite understand. I believe it would be more fun for native readers. What I don't like is that the book has no table of contents, so it's difficult for me to look back when I want to find earlier hints and traces.

I appreciate Wang Yu's recommendation of this book to me.

"Joy Luck Club"

Finally I finished Amy Tan's 'Joy Luck Club', my first English fiction in years... I got this book in 2003 and read the 1st part before putting it away ever since. In fact I hardly read anything, except papers, in past few years. Then I began reading Time magazine recently when I (finally) go to bed early. Thanks to the little one! I was forced to improve my daily schedule: to sleep more, read more, and waste less time on internet. (So I still have no time writing blog in Chinese at home :P ).

Back to the book. It's an interesting story, although too descriptive and a little boring in some parts. The background and story line is familiar, which largely encourages me to finish. I was actually very moved for the last chapter. Altough now the time range is totally different for us, but the theme is still the same: How to help the next generation understand our Chinese background, and how to help them define themselves in this country. I'd give it 4 stars.

没有自我

I always feel that I lost myself since leaving PKU. When I was a student, I felt losing myself in the lab work. When I began to work, I felt losing in belief. Now I foresee that I'll have no self but family. Well, what can I expect when waken up by kicking from inside at 7am? Show me the life~