Hanni's Bookreview

Ok, after I’m easily disctracted if there’s a bookstore in sight and I’m following its call to come in (even more often when I’m alone :)) I will tell you what I read so far since I came here to the Philippines and what I liked and what not :)

My recommendations (you should be open to a little bit of fantasy):

The Graveyardbook – Neil Gaiman
Very catching story of a boy who escaped the murderes of his family when he was a baby and was rescued and cared by the ghosts of a graveyard. He discovers the graveyards and its sometimes creepy and weird but mostly friendly inhabitants as well as friendship to a girl as he’s growing up.
When he decided he want’s to go to school like every other child, he steps in the normal world, where the unknown murderer is already waiting.
I really like Neil Gaimans writing, it’s so easy flowing and deep at the same time. And in addition his stories will catch you as the protagonists discovers grow up, discover their personality, reflect themselves.

Neverwhere – Neil Gaiman
The same with this story. It’s about a normal citizen of London, you can say boring and caught in the life of monotony and a fiancee he’s not loving but thinks he needs to marry. As he helps a run down girl, he’s thrown in the world of London below full of adventures and magic. Until the end he wants to go back to his calm life. But then he realizes the stupidity.

The Timetraveller’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
This was a recommendation from Reece – and Reece knows the heartthrobbing stories ☺ Very romantic, but not cheesy! He travells through time, but by chance meets his later wife when she is six, but he’s already over thirty. So she knows him all of her life, while he’s searching for the right girl until he meets her at the age of 28. Then their dramatic part of life begins. And be sure it’s more of a lovestory than a sci-fi-novel. I read it in two days :)


The Classics:

William Golding – Lord of the Flies
This classic tale about the monster inside of us is full of metaphors, but slightly to short for my taste. But it’s a good book, if you like thinking yourself about the story, the meaning, the opinion behind it. And Golding knows how to describe the depths of human beings without mentioning it by the proper word (maybe there is none).

Noli Me Tangere – Jose Rizal
Must read if you’re connected to the Philippines – even if it’s over a hundred years old and you feel that. This book substitutes every history textbook about the spanish rule. The story about the man who comes back to rearrange his life is just the coat to describe the situation between the poor peasants, the church and the aristocracy of that time.


The Could read:

Hektor auf der Suche nach dem Glück
Sehr süßes Buch, mit einer sehr schönen Aussage, aber auch sehr kurz und gut für einen gemütlichen Sonntagnachmittag, wenn es draußen stürmt und man nichts weiter tun möchte, als sich die Zeit sinnvoll zu vertreiben.

Wicked – Gregory MacGuire
It’s a nice idea to ask about the history of the wicked witch of the west (referring to The Wizard of Oz) and that she was not evil at all but became „evil“ because of the cirumstances and losses of her life. But that’s all, can’t see why it was on the bestseller list of the Times. It’s not really pageturning and it often looses context. It’s like a glance to another world without bigger explanations. A comprehensive plot line is missing and the there’s no flow growing while reading.

some difficulties

First: Liebe Sabine, alles Liebe, Gute und viel Glück zum Geburtstag!!!

When Belle texted me, she’s got something to talk about my visa... I was already aware that this sounded not good... Thursday I went to Belle’s Office and she showed me my passport. Yes, there was a visa inside but just until September 17. I wanted to bang my head on the table. Why is it so hard to get a visa for six months in this country... it’s connected at least to two of the following: bad medical examinations, quarantine, a lot of waiting, desperate follow ups, a lot of money and some bribe.
So at the end I’ll have paid about 250 Euros to stay in a country, that shouldn’t be afraid that foreigners will stay too long and on the other hand wants them to stay to spend some money... But this dismotivates my desire to go shopping or whatever...

When I went home with the jeepney Thom stopped me and I met a funny Filipino who was eager to speak spanish with me. I had to look for my words in the depths of my brain, but I managed well. Then Alysa, a Korean girl I met on my enrollment day crossed our way. We had tried to meet some times, but there was always something coming inbetween – so finally we met again by chance :) But the Filipino boy didn’t stop to speak in Spanish – I now have a glimpse of the information overload and trying to attend to everyone the boys must suffer, when they’re watching the Simpsons, but their girlfriend tries to tell them something important :P

After the long day I rewarded myself with some gyros and tomatorice. I invited Kay again and showed her the music I wanted to use for my MTV (if it’s good I ask someone to upload it ^^). Then I remebered I wanted to burn her a disc with German music for her birthday but I forgot. So I searched through my itunes afterwards and compiled a dvd.... now comes the horror. My drive was making noise, as if it would load a weapon and spill out the dvd in every next second so it can slice through everything on its way. Fortunately that didn’t happen, but it didn’t burn neither. Next try you could hear the tray trying to close but it didn’t work, try and try and try and some hammering on the laptop and some tries ... I even shut the whole thing down and tried it the next day, but the same problem. So after class I went to the mall to the mac store, after some waiting (again), they told me they could send it to the repair center and it would take two to three weeks. Shit, I was already thinking that could happen... Estimated four to six weeks without my computer is totally impossible (even if they would be in time). My search for a external dvd-burner was unsuccessful, too – I tried one, but my laptop is too old and didn’t connect. Fine.
Additionally I think we never get dsl, because Kaye’s application was rejected. So I’ll remain online between 11pm and 9 am...

After that, I needed to get me a huge burger, some french fries and a bookstore :) - I really like fully booked, because national bookstore is better for school equipment it looks like the book department in Karstadt :P - and went out spending 30 Euro on books (jeeez they got me, where was my intention of protesting against materialism to harm the economy... I would never do a good activist ;) But at least I have a birthday present for Emilie and one for Czarinas babyshower (that’s really cool – but I can’t tell you jet ^^). The other two things were a little bit more selfish...
Ok, next time there should be a little post about books, from the bookworm :)