Hobby Inspiration from an Unusual Place

It is weird where hobby inspiration comes from.  I get the itch to start a new hobby quite easily.  Often it is from talking to people.  When someone is passionate about something, then you can't help but be intrigued.  Often it is from television.  Exposing the masses to something will certainly catch some people's interest.  Most recently for me, it was from a book.
 

Looks pretty and organized.

I started reading Lawrence Block's Hit Me on a recommendation from a friend.  He had recommended another series by Block, but I couldn't find them in the library so I settled on this one.  The basic story was that of a contract killer who loves..... wait for it...not alcohol.  Not fast cars.  Not loose women......stamps.

 

The character (his name is Keller) had such passion for stamps.  He also had a lot of knowledge to impart on this impressionable reader.  He detailed the equipment and literature, as well as quite a lot of historical information about stamps.





When I was young I shared a stamp collecting hobby until that person took it over and became obsessed with it.  I don't even know what became of it afterward--probably someone benefited from it.  Either way, I do remember looking at the stamps and thinking of exotic places.  I loved the themes--trains, cars, paintings, space travel, .... the ideas were endless.  For some countries, it is really interesting to see what they value enough to put on stamps.  Of course, for some countries, they are hoping other people from foreign countries will value them enough to collect them--hence the Disney stamps produced by some countries--I guess some country has already produced a Frozen stamp.  I wonder if that is a big part of their GDP.  (note...I checked, and yes, a stamp already exists)







I would love to have this one.

As for me, yes, there is an itch....but I won't even scratch this one.  There is just too much out there.  Too many stamps from too many countries.  While the tool collector in me loves the idea of all those specialist tweezers, there is just too much involved.  On top of that, since I really am more interested in the pictures than the collecting aspect, I would be better off buying a full colour catalogue.  I could enjoy the hobby is a much more confined way.

As for the novel....I enjoyed its episodic nature and reading about stamps.  It was entertaining and certainly made my commute more enjoyable.

I Finally Found It

Despite being into model trains, I really don't know a whole lot about them.  I have learned a lot in while pursuing this hobby, but I am nothing like the people I meet at the hobby shop.  These people are way into the hobby.  They quote rail lines and dish out engine numbers like I could recite comic book characters.  They have a name for every part of every car.  It amazes and astounds me.  Granted, sometimes it makes me feel rather uninformed.  It also makes me feel that I just don't take this hobby as serious as other people.  I have to admit, that doesn't really bother me.

Nonetheless, I do want to continue to educate myself.  I participate in online forums, search the web and do a lot of reading.  If you have seen my other post, you will know that I have amassed a library of interesting books.  Here is a link to that post.

http://jackofallhobby.blogspot.ca/2012/05/procrastination-thy-name-is-research.html

 

Unfortunately, one book has eluded me.  I considered it my white whale (thanks Melville).  Since I started this hobby, I have wanted to read The Model Railroaders Guide to Freight Cars.  The problem was that the book was no longer in print and the prices people were asking for existing copies was rather astronomical.  We're talking over $300 in some cases.  I wanted to read it....but not at that price.

I have scoured hobby shops, hoping that a stray copy was lurking in an overlooked bin.  I have gone to flea markets, train shows, and even hoped that some unlucky hobbyist's wife or husband had decided to put their copy into a garage sale.  I have gone so far as to contact the publisher to see if they had a copy or if they ever planned to reprint the book.  They didn't even bother to respond--Thanks Kalmbach.  I have had the book on my favourites list at Amazon for quite a number of years.

Luckily, I continuously check my lists, because someone decided to part with theirs for a price I deemed reasonable (profitable for sure, but nonetheless reasonable).  It arrived yesterday and I couldn't be happier.  This seller will no doubt get a five star rating from me.

I haven't started reading it yet, but after leafing through it, I feel quite happy with my purchase.  I know, most of this information (if not all) is available online, but I like books.  I like sitting on my deck (when it isn't bitterly cold outside or snowing) and reading.  There is just something so satisfying about the tactile experience. If I feel the need, perhaps I will do a review of the book.

All of  this got me thinking....is there anything out there that you consider your white whale?  Is there something you are on the lookout for?  I imagine it could be an original Star Wars figure still in the package, or Wayne Gretzky's Rookie card, or ..... who knows.  I would love to hear what you are looking for.

As for me, next on my list is either a 1:12 Mustang convertible model kit, a book on the history of the Starlost, a collection of Park tools for my bicycle, or...... I had better stop before I say too much.

Reading Can Be Hard

 

 

 

What makes a book a hard read?

With some books I just blast through them like a manta ray cutting through the water.  Other times, I am a salmon swimming upstream.  Some books are gone in a day or two while others take weeks.  In the following paragraphs, I consider some of the obstacles to fast reading.

Physical Characteristics

Some books are just longer.  Dickens couldn't seem to write anything shorter than a phone book.  His shortest novel probably still comes in at over 700 pages.  Granted, he was selling his stuff one or two newspaper pages at a time.  Whatever the case may be, some books are longer, so they take longer to get through.

Some fonts are hard to read.  You know how most books these days contain a little blurb about the typeface.  They all glamorize their choice of typeface, but that doesn't mean they are perfect.  Some are just plain difficult to read.  They look dense and really clutter up the page.

Dialogue versus Description

Dialogue is much easier to read than long paragraphs of explanation and description.  I imagine a 300 page novel that is all dialogue probably won't take more than an hour and a half to read.  This is especially true when they stop writing the he said, she said parts and just have the people ping pong back and forth.

Depth

A deep book.  A book with a lot of meaning and symbolism, as well as self referencing will require slower reading.  The book I am currently reading (Ghostwritten by Mitchell)  is a book like that.  All the stories are connected, but only with great subtlety.  It requires careful reading, and re-reading.  One does not always want to miss what's going on.

The Reader

I have been horribly sick, and concentration has been hard to come by.  I should have read two or three books in the time I took on the last one.  I blame the cold.  On some days, I just didn't want to read.  I was too busy hacking and coughing (not to mention shaking and sweating).

My Thoughts on the 50 Book Challenge

In the past two weeks my Facebook friends have inundated me with book requests.  It seems they have joined something called the 50 book challenge.  Okay, they haven't inundated just me, they have probably inundated everyone.  I don't want to discourage reading, but there are a couple of things that rub me the wrong way.

The goal is, obviously, to get people reading.  As well as being an important goal, it appears to be a necessary one.  I say this because another post claimed that a large number of people haven't read a book since high school, or that the average family hasn't been to a bookstore in years.  Since no mention was made of the library, I will take these "statistics" with a grain of salt.

If you fall into one of the above categories, I feel pretty confident in saying that 50 books seems like a lot.  I am a daily commuter, and therefore, have plenty of time to read.  A book a week isn't really a challenge--unless someone is talking too loud on their cell phone or the crossword puzzles are particularly difficult that week (I do those too.)  I certainly wouldn't want someone to read 25 books and feel like a failure.  Twenty-five books should be as equally celebrated an accomplishment as 50 would be.  Heaven forbid someone only reads 49.

I understand this is part of that New Years Resolution deal.  As someone who has resolved to lose weight every year, and not always reached that goal, I know how disheartening that would be.  However, if this is the way you motivate yourself, I hope it works out.

As I said, I don't want to discourage reading.  I love reading.  I just don't want this to turn people off reading like some high school English teachers have obviously done.  Please enjoy reading your books at whatever pace you manage.  If you don't get through a book a week, relax.  If you enjoyed your read, it doesn't matter how long it took.

I had never heard of this challenge before, but a quick online search reveals that this is not a new challenge.  It has been going on for years.  I wonder why it has gained so much momentum this year?

For people taking this challenge I would like to offer some advice

v     If you feel yourself behind schedule, there are lots of quick reads out there.  You can sacrifice some of the "classics" you have chosen for some guilty pleasures.  Quick read choices for me include Robert B. Paker, Barry Eisler, and Patrick Robinson.  You can blast through these in a day or two.

v     Don't neglect your library.  Supporting writers by buying books is great, but taking trips to the library is also a  good way of developing a habit--which is an unstated goal of the 50 book challenge.  I am a big supporter of the library because I just don't have enough shelf space for books I have already read.

v     Don't read too many books of the same author in a row.  It can get tiresome.

If you are going to proceed, I would like to offer you a short list of wonderful books.  I have mostly not included a long series of books (such as the phenomenal Ian Ranking detective series).  I have tried to wait before putting this list together because I am sure that I will think of ten more just after I post this....but one has to know when enough is enough and just get the thing out there.

I welcome any comments on this blog, or on my Facebook page if that is where you found the link to get here.

Recommendations

Waterland--Graham Swift

A Prayer for Owen Meany--John Irving

The Crying of Lot 49--Thomas Pynchon

Slaughterhouse Five--Kurt Vonnegut

Barney's Version--Mordecai Richler

Bluebeard--Kurt Vonnegut

The Sun Also Rises--Ernest Hemmingway

90 Day Geisha--Chelsea Haywood

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo--Stieg Larsson

JPod--Douglas Copeland

Hitching Rides With Buddha--Will Ferguson

Fear and Trembling--Amelie Northomb

Lost Girls and Love Hotels--Catherine Hanrahan

A Separate Peace--Knowles

Pattern Recognition--William Gibson

The Quiet American--Graham Greene

Good Luck Everyone

 

2013: A Year in Hobbies

The most popular place in Tokyo to spend New Year's Eve--in Nanoblocks (fitting isn't it)

 

 

Despite what people might think, Christmas is not necessarily the greatest time for hobbyists.  Yes, Christmas brings the potential of much wanted presents for the hobbyist.  It might also bring a good boxing day sale (as it did in my case) but that doesn't mean there really is time to actually do anything.  Christmas is so full of stuff that the real hobby season may not begin until the start of the new year.

I know there are people out there who had planned and executed their Christmas shopping and preparation by September.  Those people probably have had lots of time to play with trains or build model cars.  Based on what people on my favourite train site are saying, there seems to have been lots of time to improve their models and run quite a few trains.

I have not been blessed with too many vacation days--yes, I am that guy.  They guy you see marching off to work like some lemming every morning while you are still in your PJs enjoying that first cup of coffee.  While this may sound like sour grapes (and at times it is) I was still better off than the people around here who didn't have power until Christmas day.  Even if those people had the day off, they couldn't have run trains or powered an airbrush.

 

The new year is upon us, and I should take stock of the --in terms of hobbies.  Life has been pretty full, but I'd rather focus on what this blog is supposed to focus on.

• I have enjoyed blogging and while this blog's readership has been growing slowly, the blog that I set up to help my students' English has done remarkably well.  I have even done a good job of preparing and working ahead, so I don't need to panic the day before a lesson is supposed to be published.

• I have reconnected with the Nscale.net website and have enjoyed their advice and stories as part of my effort to build my n scale train layout.

• I have built and painted several models, and can feel good about my improvement in these areas.

• I have spent time running trains and have reignited my passion in this area.

• I have come to love Nanoblocks, but hate that they aren't as readily available as their big brother Lego.  While they are popping up at toy stores, they soon sell out and restocking seems to take months.

• My passion for reading allowed me to read 44 novels this year.  While this is by no means a record for myself, I think it isn't too bad since for a quarter of the year I had my head buried in ESL methodology books.

• I found time to do a few Jigsaw puzzles, but wonder what to do with them after they are built.

• I have watched far too much YouTube, but I am happy that the few things I have posted have seemed popular.  Though, honestly, I am not sure why unboxing the Statue of Liberty Nanoblock kit is so popular.  Maybe one of you could watch it and let me know.

• It hasn't been a stellar year for practicing Japanese, but I still feel good about my ability.

In my next blog, I will look ahead to the coming year and what joy it may bring.   Thanks for reading.

 

 

Bittersweet Accomplishments

Reading is a passion of mine.  There is a problem.  When you find a character you love, you tend to read all the books.  While they last this is great.  In the last few years, I have enjoyed Ian Rankin's Rebus, Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden, and Barry Eisler's Rain.  When the book supply is finished, you're left without a character to read.

In the above examples, there will be other books.  Maybe every year or so, the author will write one...maybe.  I guess I should consider myself lucky.  When I came upon these authors they had written quite a few books, so it took quite a while to get through their catalogue.  However, now I am caught up, and there will be a long wait between books.  Before, as soon as I finished one, there was another one waiting for me.  Now, I will have to wait a year or so.

Luckily for me, my bus is full of commuters who also like to read, though I am noticing more people doing "work" on their tablets or laptops.  By work I mean Candy Crunch, but that's another story.  If I have the courage, I ask them for recommendations.  If I feel shy, I just try to read the title or author and remember what they are reading for the next time I go to the library.  I probably won't hit upon the literature I read for my degree, but it should be passable commuting fare.  Since I've read all the classics, and quite a few post-modern tomes, some escapist fiction won't kill me.

Recently I have been reading the Inspector Banks series by Peter Robinson.  One of my commuter buddies recommended it.  He said that the first few were a little slow, they would pick up later.  I have read ten of them, and the last few have been really good.  Happily, I have at least ten more to read.  That should get to spring, especially if I read a couple of other books between those adventures.

There is a great sense of satisfaction when you come to the end of a series, but there is also a feeling of loss.  Bittersweet is too romantic a word,....but it seems to be fitting.  Maybe I need to go back and read all the Musketeer's books.

Feel free to recommend some book series to me.  I will need something for late spring.

Rummaging Through The Bookstore

I had a chance to look around the bookstore yesterday and I have a few observations I want to share with all you hobby people out there.  And, whereas I might whine about them gearing up for Christmas on my other blog, this will be a more positive blog.

The Gift of Literacy

I have to admit, shopping at a bookstore is one of my favourite things.  I don't do it as much as I used to because I generally take advantage of the wonderful library system we have in Ontario.  While I used to love having a whole library of books, I have moved so many times that I really don't need that huge library any longer.

Oddly enough, I have met so many interesting people in the bookstore over the years.  This includes my university bookstore, Kinokuniya in Japan, and the soon to be closed World's Largest Bookstore in Toronto.  Just yesterday, I met someone very interesting... but I digress.

I just wanted to say that books and things you can buy at the bookstore make fantastic gifts.

Just for Christmas

I noticed that there are a lot of interesting gift packs for Christmas.  I came across a catapult kit, a boomerang kit (I was sorely tempted....but then I would have to wait until spring.....but I am still tempted.  Besides it's orange.  I might be able to find it in the snow.  Besides, it might come back to me......) learn guitar kit.  The list is endless.

Add to that, there are so many interesting book sets.  The complete Calvin and Hobbes is now on sale in paperback for those of you who couldn't justify getting the hardcover version.  I saw so many interesting things that I want to go back today and spend more time looking around.  Maybe I will.  Maybe I will pick up the whole Ender's Game series just so I can watch the movie and not look like a complete newb.

If you're shopping, the bookstore is a good place.  Sadly, hobby books for trains, model cars and the like don't seem to get much shelf space in these stores.  I guess the hobby shops have sewn up that market, but that really isn't fair.  I would think that it would be easier for the hobby inclined to send anyone wanting to buy them a gift to the bookshop rather than the hobby shop.  For some, the hobby shop is a little intimidating.

Sorry for rambling, but I roamed around the bookstore, and now you've roamed around my thought process..... I am off to the bookstore to look around some more.

The Dresden Files

Reading is one of the joys of my life.  I love books and bookstores.  I love going to the library--since the books are free there.  I have written about reading as though it were a hobby, but I really feel that it is so much more.  It is more of lifestyle.

I have enjoyed reading Jim Butcher's Dresden Files books.  They are an interesting blend of modern mystery and fantasy.  I would not really consider myself a fantasy reader.  I have only read two of the Game of Thrones books, after all and I have not read any of the Lord of the Rings (stop gasping....I will read them someday.....I have the books, I have seen the movies...sorry.  Don't run away!)

Back to Jim Butcher.  I have read almost all of the Dresden books, though I have read them out of order and am slightly confused, I have enjoyed all of them.  I took some time to check Wikipedia and discovered that they had made a television series out of the books, and shot it in Toronto, and even had the beautiful Joanne Kelly appear for a couple of episodes (okay, I am totally smitten with her...If I knew where they filmed Warehouse 13, ....I had better stop now before the restraining order gets filed)

Now, I've lost my train of thought.....Joanne Kelly....beautiful......ah yes, the Dresden Files.  So, basically, I bought the DVD's of the series.  Sadly they only made one season.

I have watched two episodes, and I can only conclude that they had some difficulty bringing the story to the screen.  The production isn't bad, but they were certainly hampered by budget, and by trying to cram dense storylines into 40 minutes.  The acting is good, but character development seems to have also been hampered by time.  Too often the conversations were stilted because they had to give away parts of the plot.  I know writing is difficult, but that kind of thing can be tough on a series.

It seems to me that the show could have been fantastic.  There are moments when the potential is obvious.  The source material is excellent....I guess it just wasn't meant to be.

If you have the time, read the books.  If you've got even more time, check out the series.

 

Life

 

 

For anyone following this blog, you can see that my posting frequency has fallen off a little.  Sadly, it's true.  I don't want the couple of people out there who follow this blog to think I am abandoning it.  No.  Absolutely not!  The sad fact is that the real world is intruding in on my hobby world.  I don't want it to be that way, but that's the way it is.  Once things get back to normal, I will be posting fast and furious.

What's keeping me from the keyboard?  School and yard work.  Check out the photo and see a small sampling of the books that I am reading.  There's more, I just didn't want to collect them all in one place in case it totally blew my mind.

Yard work...it's spring after all.  The grass needs to be cut and weeded and all that other stuff.  Frankly, I really should not focus on the yard and hit the books.  However, a little bit of time outside really wouldn't hurt.

And don't forget, next week is Mother's Day.  If you haven't got your card and gift sorted out, .... what are you waiting for?



What's Next?

As a hobbyist with too many hobbies, I am most often juggling several at one time. Nothing wrong with that as it keeps me from getting bored.  I realize that I have not posted an update on my hobbies lately--mostly because I am not particularly satisfied with the results, partly because I am preoccupied with Christmas (and memories of Christmas' past) and partly because having so many hobbies, work, obligations and a rather long commute, I haven't completed that much.

lots of kits to build

I have managed to actually finish some things, and that means I have to look ahead.  That's the topic of this blog: What lies ahead?  I am sure most hobbyists confront this question.  Mostly, they are confined within one hobby, but I am sure they ask it.  Train layout builders ponder if they should expand their layouts, or redo some part of it.  Video gamers wonder which game they want to beat next.  Puzzle makers consider which kit has the least amount of sky.  Music makers are looking for the next beat.  All of us are wondering what's next.

What makes this question so difficult for me is that it has so many meanings.  Which kit should I build next?  Which Nanoblock kit should I buy and build next?  Which train building needs to get done next?  Which set of freight cars should I buy?  What layout project should I tackle next?  Which blog should I update next?  Should I start a new blog?  Which books should I get from the library?  Should I start a new hobby like remote control helicopters?  Should I get a pool table for my house? (The Hustler was on TV this weekend.... just so you understand how my mind works)  Should I get my motorcycle or pilot's licence?  Should I join the gym?  Wouldn't it be cool to make my own beer?  Baking seems like a good way to feed myself.



lots of model railroad buildings to make

Yes, not only do I wonder what is next in the hobby queue based on what I am doing (I finished one kit, what's the next one?) but also on what new hobby I would like to take up.  Is this wise?  I can't really say that it is, but that is just how things go.  That's what makes the question, what's next? so difficult.



The other wrinkle in all this is preparation.  I might want to do something, but that doesn't mean I am ready to do it.  I might pick a model kit, or building kit and find I don't have the paint or that my glue has dried into a rock solid mass that will never dislodge itself from the bottle.  There is nothing more of momentum killer than having to go out and get something.



and a nanoblock project awaiting

Sometimes a trip to the hobby store is good for getting oneself going again, but for someone like me, it just opens up too many avenues of exploration.  Going to the hobby store for glue might mean the beginning of an entirely new hobby.



So, what's next?



Books or Movies

Books or movies.  I love both.  Each of them have great qualities.  However, I am most often confronted with the fact that books are better than movies.  Books are pictures for the mind, while movies are most often pictures for the eyes.

Perhaps it really isn't fair to compare the two.  Books can have many hundreds of pages to explore a topic, to describe and to present a story.  Movies have a limited time span.  They've got to get their message out in less than 2 hours usually.  This is true.  I must point out, however, that movies benefit from music and sound effects.  While this may seem small, I can assure you that this is a very important part of a movie.

On the plus side, I have to thank some movies for introducing me to a book. Had I not seen the film, I wouldn't have even heard of the book.  In fact, if I see a decent film, one of the first things I do is get on the internet and see if the movie was based on a book (thank you imdb.com).  If it is, I will try my best to track it down and read it.
Most recently I watched the film Eddie and the Cruisers.  It was quite a good film, with believable characters (Tom Berenger did an especially good job of emoting Paul Newman)\ a compelling storyline and a solid ending.  The soundtrack was quite memorable too.  When I watched the credits I noticed a "based on " credit for the book.  I checked it out of the library later that same day.

The book was good.  It told a straight ahead story that the film followed quite faithfully.  Its tone was a little darker, and its resolution somewhat grittier. but it still worked quite well.  As for a read, it was quite compelling and I finished it rather quickly.

Here is a list of books that I have read (and can remember) that outshone the films they were made into.

A Prayer for Owen Meany

The Time Travelers Wife
About a Boy
The Sun Also Rises

Of course some movies might equal the books they came from.  I think this is true when one thinks of spy novels.  As long as they are done correctly, films, with their shortened storylines, probably make those worlds more accessible.

Here is a list of films I believe were as good as the books they were based on (and didn't stray to far from the original storyline)

The Quiet American

Presumed Innocent
Slumdog Millionaire
Sayonara

the novel Die Hard was based on

As for films that outshone their books (I would have put the Bourne movies in this pile, but when you change the story so much, I refuse to make a comparison) I can only think of one.  The movie Die Hard is based on a book.  A lot of what happens (though not all) comes from the book.  Thanks, in part, to some witty humour, good special effects, and good pacing, the film is much more enjoyable than the book.

If you would like to add any books for films to this list, please do so.

Analog vs Digital

It has been a couple of months and three books since I started using the Kobo.  Now, there should be a moment of reflection.

The obvious advantages of the Kobo really seem to be weight.  Compared to the second book in the Game of Thrones, the Kobo is much, much lighter.  I started this book on Friday morning, just after the bus left my stop,  and by the time I got to the subway station my arms were tired.  I am regretting not buying the Kobo version.  I might have to, just to save myself.

Currently, I have about 21 books on my Kobo.  Without adding any memory, I should be able to add about 79 more.  I haven't actually purchased any of these books, relying instead on the benefits of public domain,  I am pretty sure I can easily find those 79 books.  Good thing I like the classics.

The downside of the Kobo falls into two categories.  Durability and capability.  Both of these are affected by my own responsibility.   The Kobo itself seems durable enough, but what if I drop it?  I tend to get sleepy on a warm bus, after a long day of work, followed by reading.  As far as capability goes, I really need to read the instruction files.  Currently I have the font set pretty large, making it easy to read, but making the chapters much longer than they might be in book form.  I am pretty sure that Dr Fu Manchu isn't six hundred pages long.

So, two months in.... I am enjoying the Kobo, but still enjoying the analog version of books as well.

Calvin and Hobbes

There is nothing that makes me more nostalgic, or take me back screaming to my younger days than Calvin and Hobbes.  There is no denying it, it was a fantastic comic strip, and it makes me laugh every time I open the book--and I do that a lot.

I am not sure if it was the theme of a boy and his tiger, or the time travelling, or the incredible daydreams..... but it struck a chord with me that has never stopped.  I love it now as much as I did the first day I read it.

It raises the hard what if question.  What if Bill Waterson hadn't stopped when he did?  Would we still be laughing at the exploits that precocious boy and his rational, sceptical tiger?  I would like to believe that we would.  In that way the world would be a better place.

I still find a few comics worth reading.  Zits and Retail come to mind.  In recent months Dilbert has also come to have greater importance.  They are funny, and occasionally profound.  However, if I miss them, it doesn't cause any fuss.

All I can say about Calvin and Hobbes is that profoundness along with humour were a given.  If I missed a day, (and this was pre-internet) I was crushed and recovery was a hard road.

I miss you Calvin and Hobbes.

Another Mini-Review

I haven't done it in a while, but I think it is time for another book review--because reading is amazing and important.  Long live literature.

In books, perfection is hard to come by.  If any book that I have read comes close to that,  I would have to say that A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving is that book.  I realize that kind of statement is rather strong, but I truly believe it is well earned.  The book is fantastic.

What makes this book really good is how well it is thought out.  While some books seem to be killing time, inventing subplots and following meandering plot lines, this book does none of that.  In that regard it might demand more of your attention, but most really good books do.

Perhaps the greatest things about the book is how it makes you feel.  By the end, you will feel as though you have experienced something amazing.  By the end, you will feel as though you have been on an incredible journey.

I have decided not to try and explain the plot in this blog.  I would rather you experienced it without any outside influence.  However, if you need to check out the plot, well google brought you here, so I am sure google can provide you with a plot site.

I rarely read books more than once, but this is one of those books that I will read again and again. It speaks to me much in the same way that A Separate Peace does,  Youth is an amazing time, and though it is long past, I can celebrate it in books.

Commuting Distractions: An E-Reader Update

I used my e-reader for the first time today.  I spent a relatively brief time downloading free e-books from the Kobo website.  I spent a much longer time trying to find available (and free) books from the library.  The first of those tasks was fruitful and I now have about 31 books to read.  The second was difficult because anything I wanted was too popular and was subsequently checked out.  In addition, some of the waiting lists were so long that I didn't feel inspired to get on them.

As far as reading goes, it seemed rather comfortable.  It certainly took less effort to turn the page--unbelievable to think of all the energy I wasted turning pages the old fashioned way.  (I guess I can take solace in the fact that I probably burned a few calories the old way)

My first book was a bummer.  It was really short (I read it in about 30 minutes) It wasn't particularly well written, but since it was free, I really shouldn't complain.  I am on the second book, and all is progressing nicely.  It is better written, and managed to keep my attention for most of the trip home.

I don't seem to have any eye strain, and the e-reader is probably lighter than any book I have ever carried on the bus, so I shouldn't experience any muscle pain.  If I have misjudged this, I will probably wake up tomorrow with an incredible headache.

The only negative thing about the device so far is that way it counts pages.  In a single commuting session, I read about 200 e-reader pages.  I take pride in my reading speed, but that seems rather fast.  The pages are small, so you blast through a lot of them.

I talked to a woman on my bus and one of those George R. R. Martin books clocks in at over 1000 pages.  Keeping that in mind, I was temped to download Charles Dickens' Bleak House, but that would most likely surpass 2000 pages.

Time will tell if this device will replace books for me.  Most likely I will still go to the library to check out books from time to time.  I can't imagine my life without periodic pilgrimages to the library.

Project Update July

I haven't updated my hobby progress in a while.  This is probably due to a lack of progress.  I have done a few things, but I wouldn't call this a particularly productive summer for a hobbyist.  Of course, in Canada, the best indoor hobby time is winter.  When it is cold outside, unless your playing hockey or skiing (two very fine pursuits) then being outside either means that tough walk to the bus stop, the pull your kids up hill so they can slide down in 1/10th the time, or the dreaded driveway shovel.  Being cold outside provides the perfect opportunity to work on models, puzzles, the train, or something along those lines.

Lately here the weather has been rather warm and the flower garden has been demanding a lot of my attention.

Fear not, I have done some things.  First and foremost, I have committed myself to this blog.  The second thing is that I picked up (well, in fact I had Amazon send me) some new train books.  I have read quite of bit from each one and I am happy with the purchase.  The third thing I have done is get the bike tuned up so I can ride around and enjoy this weather.

Sadly, my tennis partner is relocating and I am afraid my game will fall off to nothing.

Truth be told, I have neglected my models, my trains (well, I got some books, and I have made a decision about my layout--but I will save that for another blog) and my Japanese study.  I have put off the Lego purchase.  I have spent time reading, but I have not quite gotten used to loading books on the e reader.

I finished my book of Codeword Puzzles (all 150 of them) and started my book of logic puzzles.

I am not worried, and I am not short of topics for this blog, so even if this officially becomes a lazy summer, I will still have a progress report for you in August.

a mini review



The Book

When looking for a good book for the bus, a captivating story is the most important thing.  The book Waterland by Graham Swift certainly fits that description.  The story is cross between coming of age novel ( as a Canadian I should let you know we love that kind of thing) and a historical fiction novel.

The story flows back and forth(through time ) effortlessly, perhaps modelled on the twisting river that provides the backdrop to the story.  The distant past is tangled up with the present and the recent past is tangled up with the future.  It is a very good novel.

The story of Crick, the teacher appealed to me because he was no Robin Williams in Dead Poet's Society.  He was a teacher, striving to balance his life and his job with a very foreboding future.  He teaches history, but his history class learns about a more personal history.  It is a history full of mistakes, regrets, jealousies, joys, relationships and tiny victories.  It is a solid read, and is perfect for a commute to work.



The Movie



The book was made into a less than stellar film--Despite casting the brilliant Jeremy Irons to play the lead, and have him supported by a young Ethan Hawke.  If I had to fault the film, it was just that the book was so good.  It would take a phenomenal effort to bring it to screen the way the words bring it to life.

I bought the book in Osaka.  It was my first trip to Kinokuniya Book Store,  I took the book home and read it sitting on the floor in my living room drinking beer from large brown bottles.

I lost the book (not exactly true--but you'll understand soon enough) when my Australian roommate moved out and hadn't finished the book.  I wanted to keep it, but he wasn't done with it, so I let him take it.  I don't really regret it, but I hope he liked it and finished it.

I had a thought this weekend.  I was gearing up to write another blog about commuting distractions and usually this involves rereading the previous commuting distractions bog.  In one of them, I asked for book recommendations.  This blog is relatively new, so I only got one.  I felt pretty good about the one, but I realized I would need to be patient.

Rather than sit idly by, I decided that I could (hopefully) write one blog a week recommending books.  I am not sure how this will go over, but any feedback is welcome.

I am not entirely sure of what type of books I am going to review.  Considering this blog, and considering my previous posts, you can bet it will include:

1.         books about Japan (the obsession boils close to the surface)

2.         science fiction (that was a given)

3.         unusual books

4.         books about trains, and hobbies

5.         books that I like quite a bit and feel like recommending

For my first book, I have decided to write about Cathy N. Davidson's 36 Views of Mount Fuji.  This was probably the first book about someone teaching, or travelling in Japan that I read. It was rather ironic, since I was living in Japan when I stumbled across the book.  It was amongst a bunch of books teachers (I suppose) had left at the school in the teacher's room.  There were about 30 of them, and they comprised an unofficial lending library.

I don't know what drew me to the book, but as I didn't live in Tokyo, and there wasn't any online shopping,  getting my hands on an English book, while not impossible, was a pretty mean feat.

I wouldn't call this book a masterpiece.  I like it more for sentimental reasons.  Since that day I have read quite a few books in the genre, but this one will always be the first.  The story in no way resembles my own experience--but then again, I have yet to find a book which does. (I guess I should write that one.  If blogging goes well, maybe I will rekindle that dream)  I have reread this book a couple of times, though more for sentiment, rather than any desire to probe between the lines.  I have found things I have missed, but the effect is not that profound.

This book chronicles the three extended stays the author had in Japan.  It spans her days as a professor at an elite women's university to lazy days spent in a fishing village on an island.  In between we get the classic stages of cultural adaptation (I know there is a better way to express this, but for the life of me I can not think of it as I type this). 

There is less explanation of the Japanese way of life in this book than there is in other books of the genre.  There are fewer stories of overwork and cram schools. 

That being said, there are still judgements about Japan, and explanations of cultural phenomenon which many other reviewers found lacking.  Other reviewers criticized her for her unfair treatment of foreigners like herself.  It is true that she seems to have only two characterizations--ugly tourists who don't fit in, and those that have gone completely native.  This is a fair criticism.  It would be fair to say the author spends a lot of time looking outward, when perhaps more introspection would have helped.

Nonetheless, it is a worthwhile read, if only as an introduction to the genre.  The writing is decent and the story flows well enough.  Check your library, and you might find it there.

Commuting Distractions Revisited

For most commuters, a book, even the newspaper would be enough.  For this hobbyist, super enthusiast, if you will, I need more.  Yes, as I mentioned before, I do my best to read a lot of books.  Sometimes, though, books are just a slog, or just aren't doing it.  When this happens, I turn to puzzles like crosswords, sudoku, the jumble if I can find one, or some other puzzle.  The one that has currently caught my eye is called codeword.

I get the feeling that for people in England what I am about to introduce is old hat.  As for Canada, I have never seen it in a newspaper here.  It sometimes appears in a book of variety puzzles, but I stopped buying those because never get through all of them and the book hangs around for years.

I was introduced to Codeword when I visited my friend in Japan.  He told me that he looked forward to his Sunday Edition of the Daily Yomiuri newspaper because they carried a Times supplement and had a codeword puzzle in it.  I could sympathize with my friend because I look forward to the Saturday Star because of the comics and the huge crossword.  As for Japanese newspapers every Sunday I read the Japan Times online because they have a great Dahl cartoon (check it out, it is pretty cool)

When I visited his place he graciously let me do his codeword (pretty nice considering he would have to wait seven days to do another one)  I was hooked.  It is different from both a crossword and sudoku, but contains some elements of both.  Basically if you like word games you might get a kick out of this.

I decided to repay my friend by sending him a codeword book, and since they had two I bought one for myself.  I have done about 143 of the 150 puzzles in the book.  There were 70 easy ones, 60 moderate ones, and 20 difficult ones.  I am not sure I appreciate the ratio of puzzles, but since it has taken me almost one year to do them, I really shouldn't complain.  I have enjoyed the puzzles, and even learned a few, slightly obscure words.

I wish a Toronto newspaper would carry these puzzles once a week, but they've probably got enough going on right now.  I certainly wouldn't want them to bump the jumble for this one, but.....

I probably won't buy a book of these puzzles again, just because it seems like such a big commitment. 

If you want to try some of these yourself, a quick google search and you'll find some that you can print up.  Let me know what you think.