Godot Finished

Just finished reading "Waiting For Godot" - it was very deep . Elements of absurdist philosophy and existentialism occur throughout the play lending to comedy and pathos at the same time. About half way, you start to wonder if Vladimir and Estragon are not really sane at all! Very brilliant writing!

Review of Godspell

The Sunnyvale Community Players presented the musical "Godspell" which takes the gospel of St. Matthew to look at modern-day life. With songs by Stephen Schwartz, the evening was quite uplifting, and the performances were pretty good! My favorites were "Day by Day", "Prepare Ye (The Way Of The Lord), and "Learn Your Lessons Well". Godspell also depicts the life of Jesus through his teachings and parables as they pertain to contemporary issues. The Bible comes alive with an evening of Godspell! The show runs through Nov. 21 at the Sunnyvale Theater.

Thailand Vacation

Just got back from Thailand - a great country and friendly people

• visited ancient ruins and temples at sukhothai, ayutthaya and lampang - got a good history of Buddhism, his life and his teachings
• loved the reclining budha at wat pho, golden budha at wat traimit and emerald budha at wat phra kaew Royal Grand Palace
• great resorts, restaurants and enjoyed lots of spicy thai food
• visited the villages of Long Neck Karen tribe and watched dances by the hillside tribes Akha
• visited the royal palace Doi Tung at Chiang Rai
• Visited orchid farm, butterfly farm, and took elephant ride at meateman
• visited White Temple (Wat Rong Khun) and rice plantations
• enjoyed Khantok dinner and visited Doi Suthep
• visited Golden Triangle (where Thailand, Laos, Burma, and Vietnam meet at confluence of Mekong and Ruak Rivers)
• lots of shopping at floating market at damnoen saduak, thai silk factory, lacquerware, and jade factory
• visited the real Bridge on the River Kwai
• the plane ride was so long that I finished reading "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert and recommend it for an interested spiritual traveler!

Some tips for travellers: 

• drink only bottled water (one tourist got sick from drinking tap water),
• bring mosquito repellent (smaller towns have higher concentration of mosquitos near rivers)
• bring extra memory sticks for taking lots of pictures
• bring cash which is what most shops accept - and you will shop at big stores as well as the little ones
• embrace the culture - thai people are friendly and want you to enjoy their country

Theatrical Performances

Attended "Superior Donuts" by Pulitzer Prize winning Tracy Letts

- a Polish donut shop owner who meets various immigrant, vagrant, Irish, and black American characters in Uptown Chicago. Their pains and lives unfold as you will understand the various divides that have come to define Letts' America.

- now interested in reading other works by Letts

Books Currently Reading

Despite my travel plans, I do intend to finish these by the end of November if not December at the least:

1) Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

- hard to put this one down; her "New Yorky" point of view about life is very interesting

2) Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett

- very beautifully writing; deep and thought-provoking; characters of Lucky and Pozzo do trouble the conscience

3) Other Short Stories by Franz Kafka

- The Judgment, The Stoker, Penal Colony, Country Doctor, Old Leaf, Hunger Artist, The Mouse People, and Before the Law

Some Silly Books:

1) The Morganville Vampires and Dracula (got inspired by Twilight Eclipse)

2) The Social Climber by Pamela Morsi (this was a little bit dull reading)

Books I Finished

The last few months have been busy , but I did get to complete some of the books on my reading list:

1) King Lear by Shakespeare

- interesting tragedy; interesting how Lear's madness leads him to question the loyalty of his faithful vassals, his daughters, and eventually leads to their downfall

2) A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

- i've seen this on stage and now that I read it in entirety, it's even more passionate! (it being his writing of course and the tension between Blanche and Stan Kowalski intensifies more on the pages)

3) Beasts by Joyce Carol Oats

- this is quite a horror novel (or novella rather) but I liked the New England "Parochial" school setting and atmosphere she creates, as well as the character of Dorcus

4) The Metamopphosis by Franz Kafka

- very intense writing; portrayal of Gregor Samsa , the salesman as a dung beetle is quite mesmerizing

Cool Links

Thai Restaurants