Francesca Forrest's Blog, page 136

biblioburros

I just learned from Little Springtime about the existence of bibioburros--like bookmobiles, only with burros instead of vans to carry books to isolated households on Colombia's Caribbean shore.

The program's founder, Luis Soriano, is a primary school teacher. His portable library started with just 70 books, but grew to several thousand volumes, thanks to donations. Soriano has two burros, Alfa and Beto, who carry the books. This Wikipedia article on bibiloburros tells of much excitement (for e...

Felled by the flu

I've come down with a really nasty flu and will not be able to go to the event I mentioned yesterday, the Women of Wonder talk that p_m_cryan is hosting tomorrow in Worcester (details HERE )

I am SO SORRY to miss this opportunity to hang out with Terri and Patty and Lizziebelle, and to meet Trisha and Patricia. I hope everyone has a lovely time and tells me all about it.

Curse this bad luck -_-

A teensy bit of Pen Pal promotion

Pen Pal is currently available for free from the Amazon Kindle store. This means if you've been cash strapped but have been wanting to give it a try, now's the chance (provided you have a Kindle app and can tolerate Amazon, which, I admit, are large provisos, but) [Note: those of you to whom I've promised physical copies--they are still coming!] Same with if you know people who might be curious about the book who haven't wanted to risk committing money--now is a chance to try. ( HERE is a hand...

Pen Pal playlist, part II

I posted the first half of this playlist so long ago now! Time gets away from me. Well then. Here's part two. The first song is another song for Jiminy, Em's brother in prison, by the band Mattafix. You know how I discovered Mattafix: through watching skateboarding videos. I love the Internet--so many connections to make. We're all pen pals here.

Mattafix: “Freeman”

Solitary soldier
I’m candid, I told you
It landed me humbled and reprimanded
I man demanded my last phone call
Without much success at...

101 gas points

A dialogue between the cashier, a twenty-something young man with an impressive pale brown beard, and Asakiyume. Events portrayed are purely nonfictional. Any similarity to a real cashier and a real Asakiyume are intentional.

Cashier (handing over receipt): You have 101 gas points.

Asakiyume: Oh, good. Now I can buy gas.

Cashier: Or trade them in for dalmatians.

Asakiyume: And get them to pull my car! You know, like a chariot.

Cashier: I think you'd have to have a fire engine.

Asakiyume: I could p...

probably a thought that occurs to many who pass this sign, but...

What toll must you pay to enter the promised land?

Cat on a cold asphalt roof

There's a shabby house near where my father lives. When I was walking by it, I was looking at the boarded-window way up high, and the other, open window (not a good sign when a house has an open window in the cold), and then out of the open window popped a cat!

Is the house abandoned? And now home to feral cats? I wondered.

And then a child stuck his head out the window and was talking with the cat. Not abandoned, then, and not a feral cat. I felt so lucky to have seen this scene; I felt like a...

a bit more on Wadjda

The movie was so much fun--Wadjda is so canny and yet so good-hearted--and so are most of the people in the film, which is part of what I loved about it. Her pal Abdullah has an uncle who's running for public office, and at the start of the film they're both joking about his powerful-looking mustache. Abdullah lends her his bike so she can learn to ride, and even offers to give it to her at one point, but she refuses: "If I have your bike, then how would we race?" When two older girls are nea...

A wonderful movie

Thanks everyone, for your kind words and thoughts. I shared them with my father, who was very touched.

I'm back home now, and I have just seen the most amazing movie, thanks to a recommendation from osprey_archer . It's Wadjda, a Saudi Arabian film from a female director. Wow, wow, wow, just lovely. The titular character, Wadjda, is a tomboyish girl who makes friendship bracelets in the colors of Saudi Arabia's national soccer team, as well as mix tapes with pop songs on them. She's got a young...

why I'm somewhat radio silent

My dad's not well and I'm at his place looking after him. There's a computer, but everything about it is old, and the browser crashes if I have more than two windows open. So... that's why I'm not commenting or posting much. (That, and I'm trying to finish some work I owe people . . . )

Waving from a distance, and hoping to be back soon . . .