Egypt - Day 1

I'm on a computer!!! In Egypt! I don't usually have this privalegde when on holiday. Anyway, there isn't much to report about except the flight and the food and the place I'm staying in.. so I'll get down to it:

1. The Flight

We woke at 2.20, got ready by 3.45, I think I must've had little over an hours sleep what with the excitement one usually feels before a flight. Funny thing is, at 4.30 I was with my family at heathrow waiting for about an hour to check in with the luggage... that wasn't so exciting. anyway, it happened and there was a brief goodbye to our parents before we shuffled to the security desk which checks our shoes, liquid bottles and hand-luggage. The first flight to rome (for our transit) was remarkably slow even though it was only a two hour flight, I was so exhausted that i tried to sleep but couldn't get into a comfortable enough position, I can't sleep on chairs :(

We got to rome, it was hot, not so hot that it was unbearable, but hot non-theless, it was 28 degrees. we walked around for a while killing time inside the airport before we had to wait with.. shockingly... other egyptians to board the plane. weird thing is they take you on a bus and transport you to the plane, the stupid driver had no-idea where he needed to go and i was so afraid we were about to head off a plane on a runway. Anyway, the second flight to cairo was remarkably quick as I an Miss. Short fuse played connect four... on PAPER! We are soo cool! (hehehehe). we ate minimalistic aeroplane food and landed after a comfotable snooz. The landiing was pretty crap as the plane hit the ground really suddenly and the next thing I know, we're moving really really fast, so fast that it's scary.

2. The Place

We met our dad's friend and he took us to the youth hostel thingy we're staying, it belongs to the government so it's actually alot nice than what I thought it would be.

3. The food
Not what i expected, I.e we had pasta for dinner.. at like 9! but non-the less I'm not complaining, it wasn't amazing like pasta at Zizzi's or anything, but it was okay.

Till the next time I get on a computer!

Take off!

Right.. so, I'm going on holiday this Monday... Yeah, sorry for not telling anyone. I don't know why but I find myself really un-communicative about those sorts of things. So... I will be going away for two weeks! Although how on earth I could possibly relax about it all is beyond me considering the immense heat of the summer weather in the paticular geographical location I'm going to. I'll post "regular" updates about the things I've done, the places I've seen and the people I meet over there.

So yeah... end of post.... the end.

Airplanes

I really like this song. I'm actually just really liking BOB at the moment. I hope he continues to make good music :D

French lesson 1

So yesterday was the first lesson, I now know how to pronounce the letters f the french alphebet! I also remember the numbers! I can say greetings and the Avoir verbs, alot o it was year 7 stuff, but it surprised me how much I could remember.

On with the next lesson!

Manga of the Month - June

Apollo's song is a remarkable manga by Osamu Tezuka and is a rare story in the sense that it describes the link between affection, love and care in association to sexual intercourse and pro-creation.

The main character Shogo, is the illegitimate son of a prostitute. Growing up in environment of confusion and no maternal affection Shogo soon learns that his mother sins, the uncomfortable way. As he grows up he feels the need to kill animals in the act of mating, as his mental stability falters from time to time he is then admitted into a psychiatric hospital before his attacks transfer from animals to humans.

While unconscious, Shogo meets the goddess of love in a different realm, she is angered by his crimes and then sentences him to a cycle of repeatedly falling in love with the same woman only to be separated from her repeatedly for eternity.

And thus begins Shogo's never ending life, meeting, loving and tearing away from the same woman over and over again. The manga quickly grew painful for me as a reader to see Shogo constantly being separated from his love. But his deep routed detest of affection between two beings was slowly being cured.

Apollo's song included the Greek myth of Apollo (son of Zeus) making fun of cupid for playing with warrior's tools, cupid got angry at Apollo's mocking and so shot him with a gold arrow so he would fall in love with Daphne, he then shot the nymph Daphne with a lead arrow so she could hate Apollo. Apollo then chases after her, wanting nothing but to claim her. When he just managed to catch her, Daphne pleads her father Peneus to save her, and so her father changes her into a Bay laurel tree (I have one in my garden!). Apollo is grieved but vows to tend to her as his tree and makes all famous leaders wear her leaves as a crown (hence Olympic game winner and bay leaf crowns). The story is metaphoric for one who mocks love and then is punished for it.

At the very beginning it brought forth the idea that conceiving a child is the highest proof of affection between two people, and then cuts to a child born from sin and empty lust. The story then discusses the disapproval the child has for anything related to copulation as a result from the lack of parental affection or observing romantic affection.

Apollo's song was not only medically imbibed but also highlighted the need for love between two people in order for healthy peadiatric development to occur. In a way it is saying that affection is a medical requirment.

The manga was not in anyway crude rude or graphic, I think it was a terrific story despite being painful to read. Tezuka delivers again, 8/10 rating.