Zoo and Book Review

Me and My Dad

Dear reader, I hope you are excitedly preparing for New Years Eve, where most get intoxicated and end up in situations they shouldn’t be in! I on the other hand am not. The only thing that I am really doing to get ready is making some Nanimo Bars right now. I only have the base done at this time but the rest is soon to come. One of the most favourite places in Ontario of mine is the Zoo and I was lucky to have the pleasure of going there with my dad. It was a bit chilly (and I was silly because I didn’t wear my coat or bring a hat and mits) but when the sun was out it was not so bad. We were able to get the whole Zoo (minus the animals and such that were not out b/c of the season) done and in 5 ½ hours. I thought that was pretty good because I am a bit out of shape at the moment and there is a lot to see at the Zoo. The one area we did not go in was the Canada Domain because there is a hill that is practically vertical and I was not going to tackle that and have a heart attack and ruin the day. Besides I know what animals are available there and I’ve seen them many times. The one disappointing this was that the Australayasia Pavilion was closed so we didn’t get to see the Night Time Animals or some of the cool animals found there, ie. kookaburra, possum, wombat, sugar glider, tree kangaroo, many fishes and reptiles. The one thing that saddens me is that when I was a kid there used to be painted foot prints to follow for certain trails and since I am growing up the foot prints are starting to vanish. The prints I used to jump on when I was a kid and pretend that I was actually leaving them. Unfortunately they have broadened the foot prints and painted more, there are now 6 trails that you can follow instead of the 3 I grew up with. I had a fun day and enjoyed seeing all the animals. I will include some pictures to show you about my adventure, I hope you like them.

Book Review – Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs

This book will probably have a very confusing review but I will try my best to stay ‘on the beaten path’.

The blurb that describes the book goes as follows:

Augusten Burroughs was just twelve years old when his mother gave him away to be raised by her unorthodox psychiatrist who lived in a world which rules were unheard of and a pedophile resided in the backyard shed. Running with Scissors is Burrough’s painfully funny and unforgettable account of his outlaw childhood – now the basis of a motion picture.

The one quote I got from the book that i really enjoy is this:

Our lives are one endless stretch of misery punctuated by processed fast foods and the occassional crisis or amusing curiousity.

The reason i liked this quote so much was because i could really relate to it. I know that when I am having a crappy time all I want some yummy, greasy fast food to make all my problems disappear. I realize that it never really helps, or at least to this day it hasn't but hey, i can wait for a windfall i guess.
I don’t know about you but from that I get a whole lot of nothing. I choose the book because I saw that it was made into a film that I wanted to see. After reading the book, I am definitely interested to see what the film will be like. The author did not live a regular childhood, but I guess I can’t say or think of anyone that has really, there’s always some sort of tainting somewhere, you may just have to dig a little deeper then the norm. Burroughs is a creative child that cannot stand the boring regimen of school and refuses to go, because he is so young, only 12, he and the psychiatrist and his mother formulate a plan so that he does not have to go. Note that the plan last for a short term period of time and it goes to great lengths involving hospitalization and such but I will leave the rest for you to read if you decide to. The book does describe mental illness a little bit but not in the proper way, it helps perpetuate the stigma that most people have. It is a common denominator in the book though because almost every character has some form of mental illness which is presented to the reader by their quirky character traits as well as common words used in the mental health community. The book is somewhat strange in that it isn’t really a story, it is a bunch of recounted memories and it jumps around quite frequently. It delves into the author’s personal life by the reader and himself learning that he is gay and how he is to handle it not only with the family he lives with but also his own mother. The father character in this book is present for maybe 2 chapters and then chooses to escape Burrough’s mother and try and lead his own life, which he hopes to be ‘problem free’. The book did having me laughing to myself a fair bit because the situations and scenarios involved were so out of the ordinary and outrageous that any reaction the person involved would have, would be hilarious. As a ‘thinker’ type of read, I don’t really recommend it because nothing really can be taken seriously except for the fact that the author had a very ‘different’ childhood. As a light read with a bunch of laughs, I would definitely suggest the book. The only thing I am curious about now is what will the movie be like if there is no real storyline?

3 Movie Reviews, 2 turtle doves and a .......

Well dear reader, Christmas and Boxing Day are officially over. Was everyone a good boy or girl. Probably not, I know the type of people reading my blog and you are all naughty most of the time, at least from what I hear from you. Those people I don’t know that read my blog, you are probably a good egg. BE AWARE: don’t get under the influence of a naughty person, it can lead to a whole lot of trouble. So I am going to admit the holidays were very anxiety provoking this year. I have a lot of issues with my mum that are not resolved and I cannot begin to give an eta as to when they will be. Even though I was glad she was going away, Christmas was different because she wasn’t there, (it’s an only child thing, some of you may not get it). My dad and I have been have a good time though. I have made sure that there is a large supply of good food, baking especially. Christmas dinner went fabu, and my Yorkshire puddings turned out the best ever. I think I have found the secret to making them. I have basically been doing a lot of relaxing, listening to music, watching movies, and reading. I finally got around to watching a movie I bought a longtime ago and will be giving the review right now.

MOVIE REVIEW – Miami Vice

Well I must start off by saying that if you think Colin Farrell is a sex pot, definitely rent this movie. His hair is a bit cheesy but it’s sexy in his own way (it’s long in the back, not really short in the front, all the party is in the back!). Jamie Foxx doesn’t look to bad either but I have mentioned in a previous blog about the Willie Beamen commercial I always picture him in. There was a lot of guns, sex, cars, and drugs in the movie. I would rate them in that order too. The women that the 2 leading men ended up falling in love with were amazingly beautiful. I couldn’t get over how if they wore a paper bag (which they didn’t in the movie) how hot they would make that bag look. KUDOS to the leading men for getting hot co stars. The story line was kind of boring and regular but there was plenty to keep your attention focused on the movie. I would say it was a great movie for any Colin Farrell loving female. Guys would like the guns and cars part. Overall though, it was a pretty general, nothing too fabu about it movie.

MOVIE REVIEW – My Super Ex-Girlfriend

Now I wasn’t sure why but Luke Wilson looked extremely heavy in the face in this movie. Maybe they were trying to get the average guy look out of him, but that doesn’t mean you have to plump him up. Uma Thurman, what can I say, I am not a big fan of hers, her face is very manly I guess I would say, but in this movie she blew me away. She was hot as hell. The wardrobe they gave her as her superhero outfit was amazing and couldn’t be any more fitting. The movie is supposed to be extremely funny and this and that. Well sorry folks, the movie was only OK. There were a few really funny parts but not as many as there should be. The characters didn’t go together as well as I would have liked either which I found a bit irritating. Another thing that bothered me was a co star was the lead girl from all the “SCARY MOVIE”s and I really just don’t like her. She seems as dumb in every movie as she was in JUST FRIENDS (with Ryan Reynolds). Overall I wasn’t that fond of the movie, wouldn’t recommend for people to buy it, that’s for sure.

MOVIE REVIEW – Cheaper By the Dozen 2

This movie I was watching with my dad (unfortunately, he fell asleep and didn’t watch hardly any of it). This is a great family movie or even a regular person movie. It is packed with laughs because well Steve Martin and Eugene Levy are the leading characters. They are a very funny combo, rent BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE to see what I mean. Carmen Electra makes her first appearance as a parent which is a very strange roll for her but she plays what seems to be her free loving self. Some of the clothes she wears are not very PARENTLY but hey she’s got an amazing body, to cover up would be a shame for most watchers. This movie is so funny I found my self laughing out loud (the big belly laughs) so much that it was starting to hurt. The ending is nice too because it expresses the true meaning of family to the viewers. KUDOS to the characters of Gunner (the Baker family dog) and Chiseler (the rat at the cottage), they were some of the most funny animal co stars in a movie in a long time. One of the funniest movies I have seen in a long time and I really enjoyed it too. Although, Hilary Duff is a bit of a make up twit and stuff, she is the only character that I would really get rid of if I had the choice. Overall good movie, very funny and down to earth, I laughed my ass off!

Dear reader, I have not been a very good author for you in the last little while. I have neglected to write to you because yet again, I have moved houses and I am now back at my dad’s house. My mum and I weren’t getting along and it really wasn’t a good scene. I have been busy with the hustle and bustle of Christmas as well, which I am sure you have too (hopefully I can use the holiday busy-ness to get me out of complaints and trouble). I will bring you up to speed on a bunch of things though, as long as I can remember them. First I will put a question out to you:

The actor Rob Lowe has been in numerous films and tv shows, ex. St. Elmos Fire, The West Wing, etc. I was pondering today what possessed him to be in the film Wayne’s World, when most of the work he had done was of a more serious nature. (He was good in Wayne’s World, I’m just left wondering….WHY????)

I finally got the infamous Christmas shopping fully completed yesterday. Some good things: I only gave presents to people I thought were important, I did not make myself go bankrupt buying presents, I tried to use my brain when giving presents to people instead of just getting them some piece of junk they will throw out in a few days, I used new and inventive ways of shopping, and even better, I have plenty of money left over to start saving for next year.

Today my mum left to spend Christmas with her sister’s family and her mum is Peace River, Alberta. It’s just me and my pa for Christmas. He has booked 10 days off to help out and take a bit of a break as well. We have planned a few little jobs/outings to do while he is on break. One I am really looking forward to is going to the Toronto Zoo. Even though the African Pavilion will not be active, there will still be lots of animals that we will be able to see. I LOVE THE ZOO, it’s definitely one of my favourite places ever. Dad and I plan to have our traditional dinner of Roast Beef, potatoes, parsnips and Yorkshire Pudding on Christmas. I am looking forward to the feast already. I also plan to bake a variety of desserts so there will be lots of selection on the sweeter side of things.

Movie Review – The Devil Wears Prada

This movie, if anything, I found really quite disappointing. Anne Hathaway, Merryl Streep, Stanley Tucci and Adrien Garnier did not impress me at all. Gisele Bundchen had as small bit part but she was kind of not good either. The movie depicted the way the fashion world is to a T, which was nice to see. It really is a dog eat dog world and I don’t think people understand how bad it can really get. Anne Hathaway and Adrien Garnier did not have any likeable chemistry together, even though they were dating within the movie. Merryl Streep did a fabulous job of playing a complete and utter bitch. I can’t remember seeing a movie where she played a total mean hag, but on this one she nailed it. Stanley Tucci’s character was very different for what you are used to seeing him play. Usually he either has a really serious role (like the tv show 3 lbs.) or he is in a villainous sort of role. Seeing him play an eccentric designer fashionista was very interesting to say the least. The main thing I took away from the movie is that a regular plain jane can be hired into the fashion world and completely transformed just to suit the industry, she gets the un-nice traits as well, ie. stepping on people to get where she is going. The one thing I really did like about the movie was the fashion and such. It was almost a weird version of America’s Next Top Model, I kept waiting to see a sneak appearance by Janice Dickinson, and alas I was let down.

Movie Review – STEP UP

Now this movie isn’t really an actual review because I saw it in theatres and I bought it just recently but I figured I would talk about it since I have neglected you for so long. The movie falls into the dance category and if you know me at all, I love dancing movies. This also was a romance flick but the lead characters weren’t too horrible to look at so it was nice to see 2 hollywood people (Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan)falling in love, in a not real scenario. If I think about it now, it sort of resembles save the last dance but not exactly. The dancing I must say was very awesome and eye catching though.

I finished reading James Patterson’s “Mary, Mary” book. I usually don’t review his books because they all are sort of the same, unless it is one that is totally different from his style. I wasn’t too keen on the ending of the book, but the beginning and the middle were really good. If you like his style you might like the book, his style for those that don’t know is murder, mystery, fiction.

I can’t really think of what else to tell you dear reader, I am at a loss for words. I know that when I move my computer back to my dad’s house there will be more postings and such. My cows, dad thinks, are both pregnant which is a nice thing to hear. We are hoping for girls so that we are able to build our foundation stock of cattle. If we get 2 little boys though it will still be a pleasant surprise. Dad says the babies are about the size of a soft ball, but they have legs, a head and everything. We are expecting the babies to be born around November next year, I am already looking forward to it.

I am going to wish all my readers a wonderful Christmas, or whatever it is you may celebrate. Hopefully, you get all the presents you want and you eat till your heart or belly is content. Season’s greetings !!!

Book Review - Marley & Me by John Grogan

This picture is of my dog Phil and I am so proud of him. He brings me comfort when I am sad, a snuggle when I am cold, and when I look at him I know that he truly loves me because that’s what the expression is in his eyes. So dear reader if you are an animal lover like myself, I have a very good choice for you. The book is Marley & Me by John Grogan. Now I am going to be honest with you, it took me a long time before I actually decided that I was going to buy it. I pondered as to A)how it would be written, B)how the story would flow, C) and honestly, whether it would be really good and be worth the full price I would have had to pay if I bought it when it first came out. Luckily for me, and the book too I guess you could say, it got to be a bestseller at chapters and there was 30% off the original price, and me being an irewards member I get the extra 10% off, (a whole 40% off for wee old me, that’s good because I buy enough books from chapters, I am probably one of their main supports!). The story is a biography about Marley, John Grogan (the author), his dog. Marley is a very interesting specimen of a Labrador Retriever. He has non-stop energy, loves people, is outgoing, and completely crazy and silly. The sorts of trouble he gets himself into are totally unbelievable and have the reader laughing to themselves quite frequently (or at least that’s how it was for me. You learn about Marley from when he is 8 weeks old to 13 years old (which is a really long life for a Lab.). I will admit I didn’t read through this book as fast as usual because I got a little bit bored with it in the middle but especially at the end, I was reading the book like a trooper. In a strange sense Marley was like the cartoon Marmaduke in the way that he would always be into something or being naughty. Marley and the author hadn’t an instant bond from the very first night he was brought home to the day he died. The author’s wife, Jenny, also was welled bonded with Marley but nothing could break the love Marley had for the author. An example of Marley taking care of Jenny would be that he watched over her and never left her side after she mis-carried her first ‘child’. Jenny would wake up every morning sobbing and inconsolable, Marley would be instantly by her side and she would wrap her arms around him and cry into his furry neck. Marley took care of Jenny and the favour was returned later in the book as Marley aged. The end of the book was very special to me because it made me think of my first dog and my dog(s) that I have now. I value each day of their lives and love them with all my heart. The ending had me in tears, and I don’t usually cry when I am reading (because I am the ‘cold, unfeeling’ type). The ending also showed appreciation for the bond that any animal lover has with said pet, no matter what they have done in the past or present.

Some quotes that I thought I would like to mention are below.

1. Author and wife reminiscing on what his mother had said about the children growing up.

“We both rolled our eyes when my old-school mother clucked at us, “Enjoy them while you can because they’ll be growing up before you know it”. Now, even just a few years into it, we were realizing she was right. Hers was a well-worn cliché but one we could already see was steeped in truth. The boys were growing up fast, and each week ended another little chapter that could never again be revisited. On week Patrick was sucking his thumb, the next he had weaned himself of it forever. One week Conor was our baby in a crib; the next he was a little boy using a toddler bed for a trampoline. Patrick was unable to pronounce the L sound, and when women would coo over him, as they often did, he would put his fists on his hips, stick out his lip, and say, “Dos yadies are yaughing at me.” I always meant to get in videotape, but one day the L’s came out perfectly, and that was that. For months we could not get Conor out of his superman pajamas. He would race through the house, cape flapping behind him, yelling “Me Stupe Man!” And then it was over, another missed video moment.”

I chose this quote because it truly does say something about the moments that children create. It’s almost like the quote relating to some of the smartest things come out of the mouths of babes (it’s like that or a little different but you get the idea). The author was always talking about his family and how they were with the dog, this was one of the few quotes and sections of the book that had not a lot to do with Marley. I just liked how his mum made the statement and then immediately things started happening that would never be done again by the kids. Strange little creatures, kids, are; most humans are creatures of habit, but I think kids a totally different ball game.

2. Author thinking about Marley and how he had truly become a part of the family.

“Marley had earned his place in our family. Like a quirky but beloved uncle, he was what he was. He would never be Lassie or Benji or Old Yeller; he would never reach Westminster or even the county fair. We knew that now. We accepted him for the dog he was, and loved him all the more for it.”

This is self explanatory. They realized that all the dreams they had when they first got Marley were unattainable because of his behaviour and how outgoing he was, but even still, in my mind that made him more special then all the famous pooches.

3. Author speaking to Marley, Marley at this point is older in the book and just escaped death’s door.

“I pulled his head up and made him look me in the eyes. “You’re going to tell me when it’s time, right? I said, more a statement than a question. I didn’t want to have a make the decision on my own. “You’ll let me know, won’t you?””

This relates to a point that I hold very dear to my heart. When animals have been so good over the years and done a service whether voluntary or not, they deserve to die with dignity. If that means putting them to sleep instead of letting them suffer, then my belief that putting them to sleep is the most humane thing you can do for them. If you truly love your pet(s) you wouldn’t want them to suffer, and as hard as it is to say good bye you know that you are doing the right thing. I really felt for the author at this time in the book because he knew Marley’s time would be coming to an end and he didn’t want him to suffer, even though he loved Marley as much as one of his children.

4. Author talking about how he wanted to write an article for work as a tribute to Marley and his life, and what he contents might be.

“What I really wanted to say was how this animal had touched our souls and taught us some of the most import lessons of our lives. “A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours,” I wrote. “Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart. He taught me to appreciate the simple things – a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight. And as he grew old and achy, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty.”
It was an amazing concept that I was only now, in the wake of his death fully absorbing: Marley as a mentor. As teacher and role model. Was it possible for a dog – any dog, but especially a nutty, wildly uncontrollable one like ours – to point humans to the things that really mattered in life? I believed it was. Loyalty. Courage. Devotion. Simplicity. Joy. And the things that did not matter, too. A dog has no use for fancy cars or big homes or designer clothes. Status symbols mean nothing to him. A waterlogged stick will do just fine. A dog judges others not by their color or creed or class but by who they are inside. A dog doesn’t care if you are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his. It was really quite simple, and yet we humans, so much wiser and more sophisticated, have always had trouble figuring out what really counts and what does not. As I wrote that farewell column to Marley, I realized it was all right there in front of us, if only we opened our eyes. Sometimes it took a dog with bad breath, worse manners and pure intentions to help us see.”

This really touched my heart, especially the fact that the author would not rest at work until he was able to complete and print his tribute to Marley. It shows how dogs and even animals in general, have an everlasting effect on the peoples lives they are in. Even the basic things the author wrote about learning from Marley, I can totally agree with because I see the exact same thing in my dog(s). This was the part that really said to me, “This is a good book, and it is worth recommending to others.”

And the ANTM winner of Cycle 6 is.........CARIDEE

So dear reader I will bring you up to date on my tv habits which are now none. I finally received the America’s Next Top Model Cycle 1 (with Adrianne Curry). I bought it because I hadn’t seen it and I love Adrianne Curry, ever since I saw her on the Surreal Life, where she met her now husband Christopher Knight (that’s right he’s a Brady). I even was so desperate that I found Adrianne Curry’s myspace account and I added her and I even subscribed to her blog. It was definitely her, I know that for sure because the writing was like how she would talk and there was real pics and stuff of her and chris and their wedding, their cat, the guy who was the dad Brady, etc. It’s quite amazing to see how far the ANTM has come since the very first season. Janice was a real stunner for the models because she delivered harsh criticisms and there was no padding on them whatsoever. I kinda wish they had someone like that on season 6, Twiggy is just too polite and she’s kinda wishy washy. She doesn’t make a strong decision and when you’re a judge on something like that you need to be up front and give the criticism because these girls are not going to get better unless you tell them. Most of them don’t know much about the modeling world and they need the assistance that her experience can offer. I don’t know if I mentioned this before but Tyra’s hair this cycle (6) was the most disastrous mop I have ever seen and it was always lopsided. Maybe there’s less brain in one side of her head???? I shouldn’t say that, well it might be true though, the area that holds the fashion sense and information is probably packed with stuff causing the lopsided head issues. Nigel Barker was amazing as usual, and what a sexy man he is. I must say that Jay Manuel has definitely transformed from cycle 1 to 6, but he’s quite sexy and it’s a shame he’s gay…. Miss J. Alexander still has amazing runway techniques and the girls all admit that he has the most beautiful legs and it’s true they are amazing. Well defined and structured and not too muscley, and for a man he can work a pair of heels like no other. So Cycle 6 what should I say. Well I was hoping that AJ would go farther then she did, but oh well and Megg had the same fate as AJ did, they were booted early on. They didn’t even to get a free trip to Spain. The people that are able to hang in are really able to rake in the riches because they get a paid vacation and get to work a little bit but not too much, there is a lot of down time between the tapings. The bottom 3 were Melrose (superficial bitch), Eugena (no personality whatsoever), and Caridee (the loose cannon as Twiggy kept saying). I will make it easy for you and tell you that it got narrowed down to Melrose and Caridee because Eugena got nabbed for having no personality, something she gained in the last 3 weeks but she didn’t convey emotion of her want to win well, hence she was nixed. So out of the two left who would you pick a fake, nasty bitch, would had a big nose and looked stranger or a perrson that is unpredictable, but has a sense of humour that’s amazing and looks good beauty-wise. Well as my picks got booted I started to become a part of the Caridee fan club. Her shots expressed emotion and conveyed beauty really well, and she didn’t crack under the pressure like her opponent Melrose. And the winner is….Caridee….Sorry Melrose you have to return to the hotel and pack your belongings and go home…to bad Tyra didn’t tell her that because I think Melrose would have hauled off and hit her but it would have made for good tv. I’m so happy that Caridee won, she truly deserved it although she did make a deal about the psoriasis thing but hey, every winner has their scars I guess.

Book Review - The Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra

Dear reader, I have just finished reading a book, The Swallows of Kabul, that has bought light to me on how life goes on in another part of the world. The place is Kabul, which is located on the Afghan countryside. The first thing I found out which was shocking is that the books author is not who I thought it was. The book says it is written by Yasmina Khadra, but inside the cover is this “Yasmina Khadra is the nom de plume of the Algerian army officer Mohammed Moulessehoul, who is the author of four other books published in English: Double Blanc, Morituri, In the Name of God and Wolf Dreams. He took the feminine pseudonym to avoid submitting his manuscripts for approval by military censors while he was still in the army. He lives in France.” For me that sort of set the tone, I pictured that there was going to be a lot of control over people and a harsh society. These predictions were right but not near the extent that I thought it would go to. The book is fiction but it could very well be real, especially how it is depicted by the author.

First – this is an excerpt to describe the setting of the country and what it is like

“The cratered roads, the scabrous hills, the white-hot horizon, the pinging cylinder heads all seem to say Nothing will ever be the same again. The ruin of the city walls has spread into people’s souls. The dust has stunted their orchards, blinded their eyes, sealed up their hearts. In places, the buzzing of flies and the stench of animal carcasses declare the irreversibility of the general desolation. It seems that the whole world is beginning to decay, and that its putrefaction has chose to spread out outward from here, from the land of the Pashtuns, where desertification proceeds at a steady, implacable crawl even in the consciences and intellects of men.”

To me I get the imagery that the city is full of little crumbly rock houses, there are lots of buildings but they are all in a state of ruin. There are people absolutely everywhere, but none of them look like they are well taken care of. The vendors make sure that looming children do not try to steal anything from their carts by slapping their constantly moving hands with thin sticks, almost like a ruler. The children are running absolutely everywhere, there are dogs randomly wandering down streets looking for food or something they can turn into a meal. Any women that are seen are covered head to toe in a burqa, they live in fear of showing their bodies to anyone, including their husbands.

The story is about 4 people whose lives get entangled after the incident of the stoning of a prostitute. The stoning was described so carefully. It was as if people gather the stones and put them in a pile and wait for the prostitute to arrive. She is then buried up to her knees in a hole so that she cannot fall over while being stoned. There is a speech said before the stoning happens and then everyone runs to the pile to grab rocks to be thrown at this poor woman “who has gone against the Lord and given her body to too many men”. There is lots of blood and groaning from the poor woman. I would have expected screaming but I doubt she would do that because it may give the crowd satisfaction. Executions in this country are regular and are often made a public affair. Many times you will find children playing and re-enacting an execution. Women are thought of differently then we think of them her. Women have almost no rights and are only there to be a caretaker to the children, to have the children, keep the house tidy and make the meals for the husband. Men can have more then one wife and if a wife is ill or about to die it is common that she be divorced immediately for a younger woman that can provide and meet all the needs the man may have. In this city the Taliban are lurking everywhere, the quite often disrupt meals and grab people as they are going to Mosque as a way of recruiting.

Second – a conversation between a friend and Atiq, one of the main characters, (just to depict how women are treated)

“…Can there be any greater generosity to a woman than to offer her a roof, protection, honor, and a name? You don’t owe her anything. She’s the one who should bow down before you Atiq, and kiss the toes of your feet, one by one, every time you take off your shoes. She has little significance outside of what you represent for her. She’s only a subordinate. Furthermore, it’s an error to believe that any man owes anything at all to a woman. The misfortune of the world comes from precisely that misconception.”

Third – this quote from the book shows the power the Taliban have over the citizens within the city and to what lengths they will go with such power.

“Things in Kabul are going from bad to worse, sliding into ruin, sweeping along men and mores. It’s a chaos within chaos, a disaster enclosed in disaster, and woe to those who are careless. An isolated person is doomed beyond remedy. The other day, there was a madman in the neighbourhood, screaming at the top of his lungs that God had failed. From indications, this poor soul knew neither where he was nor how he had lost his wits. But the uncompromising Taliban, seeing no extenuating circumstances in his madness, had him blindfolded, gagged and whipped to death in the public square.”

I never knew what a powerful force the Taliban was, I mean yeah after 9/11 I thought they were pretty damn important but I didn’t know how they operated in areas which they claim to be theirs. It must be hard for citizens to live in fear of when and where they may be grabbed and have to deal with them. I found it shocking but definitely an eye opener as to how things are in a different country.

Fourth – When Atiq sees Zunaira in the jail cell, awaiting her death sentence (this is when Atiq’s views towards women start to change)

“Never before has he seen such a splendor. With her goddess’s profile, her long hair spread across her back, and her enormous eyes, like horizons, the condemned woman is beautiful beyond imagination. She’s like a dawn, gathering brightness in the heart of this poisoness, squalid fatal dungeon.”

I enjoyed this quote because finally a man is seeing that a woman is a beautiful creation, not just an object as they are taught. After this point in the book Atiq’s attitude really changes and he has to deal with the conflicts it causes with his work and other areas of his life. He deals with these conflicts sometimes in a manner that you or I would classify as strange but as I have shown the life is very different in that country. The ending of the book is totally shocking and even still it has you reflecting back on an incident in the book that you read before. The ending is not predictable at all. It is sad but also it is good for the type of harsh world the people of Kabul have to live in. I definitely recommend this book, as it has opened my eyes to a totally different view.