How to Breathe Under Water, by Julie Orringer

How to Breathe Under Water by Julie Orringer

This is a collection of short stories on teenage girls' growing pains. Orringer writes well, but I personally just can't relate to her characters. Must be the result of my having been a tomboy living through a vastly different sort of childhood...

Old School, by Tobias Wolff

Old School by Tobias Wolff

Tobias Wolff writes beautifully, and the story is absorbing even if predictable, but I must protest his bias against those who are more math- or science-oriented. The part about Ayn Rand is most amusing --- did it actually happen? The last chapter is very odd though: it came out of nowhere and is tenuously connected to the rest of the plot. What can one say about the lack of logical reasoning on the part of some artsy types...

Curaçao

Trip Photos

We've been going to the Caribbean every winter for a few years. Usually, we try to see a different island each time. This year's destination was Curaçao of the Netherlands Antilles.

By chance, our hotel sat on a stretch of the beach that offered ideal snorkelling conditions. I first got hooked on this activity in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Even though having one's first snorkelling experience in the Great Barrier Reef is akin to having Brad Pitt for a first boyfriend, I'm still enthusiastic whenever there is a chance to snorkel. Last year, on a snorkelling trip in Sint Maarten, I came upon a little sea turtle in the water, swimming happily towards the bottom. My attempt at following him ended in vain because he was too good a swimmer. This time, with coral reefs right along the hotel property, I ended up spending hours in the water almost everyday. It was mesmerizing to watch the colourful tropical fish zooming around silently, individually or in schools, in and out of the corals, close enough to touch. One day, I went with a boat to a coral reef area off the north-west coast of the island. The waves were stronger out there, but the fish were more abundant. I wished I had a book on Caribbean fish so I'd know better about what I was seeing. Snorkelling fun came with a price though: I carried home a horrible sunburn, and was in agony for weeks afterwards. On top of the long periods of sun exposure, I forgot that Curaçao is almost at the Equator. Those of us from the north tend to underestimate the strength of the sun at that latitude.

Willemstad is the capital of Curaçao. It's a beautiful little town. Along the waterfront, a row of houses painted in the most brilliant colours stood against the blue sky and the sparkling water. A lively market, a bustling commercial area, historical old buildings and delightful restaurants and cafés made up the rest of the city.

On Saturday, we joined a jeep tour of the island. Curaçao is actually more desert than tropical. The beaches on the island are not quite as nice as on the other Caribbean islands, but the corals along the shore and the layered seabed make Curaçao a snorkellers' paradise. I would like to come back someday for sure.

On Being John McEnroe, by Tim Adams

On Being John McEnroe by Tim Adams

I've read John McEnroe's autobiography, You Cannot Be Serious. Tim Adams's book is not about McEnroe's life, but about his temperament, his approach to playing tennis, and what it was like to watch McEnroe play. It's a tiny little booklet, and takes no time to finish, but it's rare to come upon a book on sports that is philosophical without being sentimental.

Bertie Wooster Sees It Through, by P.G. Wodehouse

Bertie Wooster Sees It Through by P.G. Wodehouse

This one is pure "fluff" but also outrageously funny. Although it was written in the 30's, already, the "fashionable" set was concerned with carbohydrates. Why is it that no one talks about this Wodehouse fellow? He is so funny!

The Heart of a Goof, by P.G. Wodehouse

The Heart of a Goof by P.G. Wodehouse

Danijela lent me this book along with Bertie Wooster Sees It Through, both by P.G. Wodehouse. This one contains nine golf stories (note the significance of the number nine). Wodehouse has such a distinctive style and an out-of-this-world sense of humour. I can't believe how much fun I'm having reading the book. The stories are made all the more enjoyable because of my own sad attempts at the frustrating game of golf. (I refuse to call golf a sport; it's a game, and a challenging one at that, but it's not a sport.)