Of Harry Potter and Edward Cullen

It was a year ago this month that I read Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse, all over the span of one weekend. One weekend. I spent that entire weekend cooped up inside, rejecting the prospect of going to the movies with friends, just so I can read read read read and read. I'm pretty sure I didn't properly eat that weekend either. It's safe to say the Twilight books had me mystified. I was obsessed. But with reason. Edward Cullen: moody, mysterious, virgin vampire? Be still my beating heart! It was at that same time that the movie was being filmed and I kept following it religiously. Fansites offered clips and pictures of the set and with the stars. Honestly, obsessed.  The movie came out, I was hugely disappointed (except for that kickass baseball scene while Muse plays on the soundtrack, and the last scene with Bella and Edward dancing under a gazebo while Iron and Wine's Flightless Bird, American Mouth played in the background).  However, even before the movie came out, my obsession with Twilight had dwindled considerably.  And now, a year later, it seems that EVERYONE is obsessed with Twilight. The movie converted an onslaught of new readers. I know a handful of people who are all about Twilight right now. And it's kind of annoying me, to be perfectly honest. People are claiming it the best book ever. And a comparison to Harry Potter was thrown in the mix.  First of all, the moment I started reading Twilight, I immediately concluded that Stephenie Meyer wasn't that great of an author. While enjoyable, Twilight isn't a magnificent prose or anything akin to 'genius literature'. But the minute I heard the J.K Rowling comparison I almost lost it.  I was never a fan of the Harry Potter series. I watched most of the movies (my brother loves them) but never read the books (until now). But I knew that Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga could never come up to par with J.K. Rowling's Hogwarts universe. No way. No how.  And now, as I've started on the Harry Potter series, and I'm on the fourth book, I stand by my previous statement.  How can they even utter J.K. Rowling in the same sentence as Stephenie Meyer? I'm not bashing Mrs. Meyer (not really, no) because I do respect her for writing such a famous series. But HONESTLY? Twilight's cliched. It is. Stephenie's just gone and twisted aspects of it so that it doesn't seem like your everyday cliche. Vampires and werevolves? Done and overdone.  But what Rowling did was create a completely different universe. You watch (or rather, read) how the protagonist grows up in each book. Seven freaking books, people! The Twilight series only expands over a period of two-three years (except for the last chapter of Breaking Dawn, I believe. I'm not sure. I haven't finished it yet. Don't have the strength to finish that terribly cliched last book) Okay, poor arguments. But, Stephen King said it waaay better: "The real difference is that Jo Rowling is a terrific writer and Stephenie Meyer can't write worth a darn. She's not very good," But my point is, Twilight, while enjoyable, is overrated. If people think this is proper literature, I fear for the fate of the world.

D'oh!

I've completely disregarded this blog for the past eight months. It's hard to believe that so much time has already passed. Because it sure as heck doesn't feel like eight months. 

A whole lot has happened since my last blog post. I moved to the Netherlands (the second hardest day of my life.), started college, had to get used to the weather around here (gimme a break, I've lived on an island where the weather consisted of sunny and scorching days a majority of the time!), living on my own, doing laundry and on my own, and making sure I eat properly (momma's task prior to moving here, sad to say).

It's been a heck of a ride, and despite a momentary lapse of judgement back in January when I was adamant on staying on Aruba (after having gone for the christmas holidays), I am really liking life here. Despite the horrible weather, I am really warming up to life here

With sixteen days to go before I'm off to Nijmegen, I've decided that today was the day - after postponing said "day" too many times to mention - that I start really cleaning up my room. With cleaning up my room, I refer to putting everything I'm not taking with me to the Netherlands away in boxes, and throwing away what I deem unworthy. 

I started about an hour ago, throwing everything in my closet and on every surface of my room on my bed. My bed's pilled with everything from CD's to clothes to DVD's to hairbrushes and hair ironing straighteners to body splashes from Bath and Body Works, to Qtips to makeup. Don't get me started on the floor or the lone chair I have in my room.

But just as I'm about to start with the whole "this will go, this will stay, this will go into the trash" procedure, I ended up just staring at the clutter on my bed, on my floor and on the white chair. I just don't know where to friggin' start. 

I've already moved my stereo to the living room (I offered it to my mother since it'll be gathering dust in my room for the next six months, or whenever I return to Aruba and actually use it.) But I can't place everything else again.

It's extremely nerve-racking to be sitting here in my old room and packing up my entire life. The fact that I'm only allowed to take 30 kg worth of stuff with me, probably in just ONE suitcase, doesn't make it any easier. I'm notorious for packing unnecessary essentials, and overpacking, and I can only imagine the dilemma I'll be in once I actually start packing up that suitcase. 

My mother would have to ship the rest of my stuff over as soon as I'm settled in.

Oh, and now comes the next dilemma.

As of yet, I am still homeless. I'm on a list to get a room in a student flat in Nijmgen - either in Hoogeveldt or Vossenveld - but I have yet to hear a single word from SSHN, the housing organisation of Nijmegen. 

I'm trying not to think about it too much, since a friend of mine has offered me her room for the meantime while she's on vacation in China, but it still keeps me up at night wondering.

Well,

Might as well start picking up in here. It looks like a tornado of the strongest category tore through my room.

 

Going dutch soon enough

Time is ticking by. Fast.

With, if my calculations are correct, fifty-six days left until I'm Amsterdam bound (that is if the departure date for the beursalen is still slated for July 31), my time here on Aruba is running out. Just yesterday I heard from my school in the form of a letter and a bunch of forms I have to fill in. It's still hard to believe that I'm leaving. I mean, I'm finding it hard to believe. Maybe it's because I can't imagine myself in Nijmegen in less than two months, let alone living on my own and starting school in a country I've never been to. 

I've been preparing everything in the last few weeks. My room is slowly becoming bare; everything that I might not use for now being stored away in boxes, while what I might need but am not taking with me this time are being put away in plastic containers on top of my dresser. 

Another thing I'm preparing myself for; speaking Dutch 24/7. I've been speaking dutch ever since the first grade, but over the years my dutch fluency has diminished considerably. Right now, I'm embarrassed to say that I can hardly speak Dutch - simple convo, sure. But I quickly find myself reaching for a dictionary whenever I can't find a word.

In an attempt to improve my Dutch, today I've started watching Sesam Straat (that's Sesame Street in dutch). Besides laughing at how they pronounce Grover and the theme song being completely different, I marveled at the fact that the dutch Big Bird was BLUE. 

I've never been one to watch Sesame Street, not even as a kid, but...isn't Big Bird YELLOW?

Or is it just an attempt by those who run the dutch version of the show to be unique?

Because seriously, a BLUE Big Bird? 

I've decided that since Twilight (the movie) is seven months away from being released to theaters I'm going to reread the whole Twilight series again. At least, I'll start with Twilight (the first book). 

It'll help ease the excitement over the first teaser (or...as the official website claims, "a sneak peak" before the first official trailer is released on Friday...or whatever.) And excited I was when I logged into myspace and saw the advertisement for Twlight Trailer. I believe it was Robert Pattinson's intense stare that garnered my complete attention.

But ohhh the trailer! There are no words!

A friend of mine just called me, to congratulate me on passing my driver's test, and to invite me to go watch Iron Man with them. I declined. Why? Well, despite the movie grossing an estimated 100 million over its opening weekend (REALLY MAN?) I had no interest whatsoever in this movie. 

Secondly, I've made a vow that I was going to reread Twilight tonight. And dammit, I'll keep that promise. 

Moving on.

It's official. I passed my driver's test and in three weeks time I'll have my driver's license in my hands. 

Meh, short blog.

whatevs.

It seems that the only time I write in here (or, I guess, as it is usually preferred, "blog") is after midnight.

Once again I find myself sitting on my bed, the rest of my family already deep in REM stage of sleep, with my laptop on my lap and my fingers typing away what is sure to be typical mumbo jumbo. 

It's been a dull couple of days. I passed my driver's test - well, the oral part of it (you know with the questions on traffic regulations and traffic signs). I would've done the driving part of the exam if it weren't for the sole reason of Indexering.

God damn, I'm REALLY starting to hate that word and all the shit behind it.

From what I understand (mind you, the whole topic confuses me) indexering is basically a raise in pay for some workers that the government promised these workers. And because they still haven't seen a cent in pay raise (or something...I still don't know what the heck it's really about....I believe it has something to do with pensions too)these people have gone on strike. It's teachers, firemen, airport workers, and police officers who are the ones demanding what they were promised.

Apparently, police officers have the right to demonstrate (along with a throng of people camped out daily in front of Parlamento (which I guess is the equivalent to a city hall...or something) from 12 to 6. 

And lucky me, I had my exam at 1.30.

So, while I did well on the oral portion of the exam (oh..that sounds unbelievably dirty), I couldn't go out and drive, and thus hopefully pass the test, and in conclusion officially pass my driver's test.

And GRRR that has me pissed.

With no end to this indexering problem in sight (at least until the current wonderful government caves in and give these people what they've been promised and rightfully deserve), I suppose it would take a loooong time until I get that damn license in my hand (not counting the 3 to 4 weeks it takes to manufacture that damn license; it has to go to the Netherlands and back here) 

I suppose driving without a licence might be a bit...reckless. Only because if something does happened, I'd be the one who's screwed. 

Dammit, this is unfair on sooo many levels.

Okay, enough bitching about my lack of a driver's license. 

On to another topic...

Oh fuck that.

I'm tired. It's nearing 2.30 AM, and I dutifully promised myself that I would start waking up at a decent hour (instead of pouring out of bed after noon...)

I can see that not happening tomorrow though.

God damn that euro

I am supposed to be prepping for my driver's exam (which is in about ten days) but what I find myself doing is staring out the window as one of my dog chases an iguana around the backyard. Exciting stuff, really.

Boring day around here. Thankfully, unlike the past few days, today the weather's been sufferable. I woke up in a haste because after pressing the snooze button on my alarm clock, I had fallen asleep again.  To avoid horrendous traffic on my way to take my brother to school, I always make sure I leave the house at seven, or preferably at 6.55. So when I realized it was already 7.02 and I had yet to friggin' pee, let alone get dressed, I practically sprang from my bed and sprinted towards the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. I think it was 7.10 when we left the house, and miraculously, there wasn't any traffic. 

Must be the unions strike that's going on - among the strike, the teacher's union. 

Meh, this strike thing is starting to work on my nerves.

I agree that these people deserve what they had been promised - a pay raise, and god knows what else, I really don't know much about the topic - but dear lord. These teachers who are demonstrating...they do know that the education of students are put on hold why they strut around the court house screaming wonderfully put together rhymes about Indexering. 

It's 4.24 and I'm soooooooooo sleepy. Four days of going to bed at around 3 AM and waking up at 6.30 (with the exception of today, of course) just plain sucks!

Oh, the euro just went from 2.82 to 2.85. Wonderful. By the time I leave for Holland, it'll be 3.00. It'll cost my mom 3000 florins to get me a 1000 euros. bloody fabulous.

I'm off to study.

Try to study.

Procrastinating is such an unfair burden.