Inkblots

Well, I finally went to Kamakura today. I was going to go to Sanuki (which apparently in tourist terms means Takamatsu and NOT Sanuki itself... because Sanuki is the old Japan name for the city and Takamatsu is the New Japan prefectural system that was once part of Sanuki along with Sanuki city itself...

Anyway, I got lost in the sleepy sleepy town of Sanuki, (In which case, I STILL have no idea what to write for the Nabiki arc, which is entirely set in Sanuki/Takamatsu... I have ideas, but not enough research and not enough plot for it to work) which had nothing in it but... things I can't read because no one speaks a lick of English, and I wasted four whold hours in that trip becuase I kept falling asleep in the train and missing my stops....

After Sanuki I went to Kamakura, which from most people who read Rendezvous, was the town in Sagami that I set the entire fanfic in.

I got off at Kamakura station and got tourist maps and tourist information off the information counter (a must for any tourist, right?)... then I walked around 700m (around a 30 minute walk for me) from the station towards Sagami Bay, which again, from most people who read my fic know that that's where I placed Rose Brier... after which I walked BACK towards the stations, taking smaller roads to the Zeniarai Benten Shrine (The money washing shrine) where Nodoka was supposed to meet up with Ranma and Nabiki when she was visiting for the New Year. The Zeniarai Benzaiten Shrine was SPECTACULAR, and Unique... however if long treks up steep slopes turn you away, there might be difficulty reaching it. (I have pictures... will upload it when I have time... when I get back to the Philippines).

I then walked all the way from Zeniarai Bentzaiten through Genjiyama Park towards Kuzuharaokaininja Shrine. (Which is not part of rend, but seeing I walked through it anyway, is part of this...) And I also took a picture of Hino Toshimoto's grave, also not a part of Rend, but was included in today's walking list... thus is written down. After that ... and I do not suggest doing this just before the sun sets or if you have terrible directions, and if you are alone (as it is a hiking trip through treess), and marginally, if you don't know Japanese (I was lucky, I asked directions from someone who knew English pretty well, and we were both going towards the same direction anyway)... I walked towards Tokeiji temple, which unfortunately closes as 5, and I arrived there at 5:30PM ( had I reversed this entire trek... started at Kitakamakura walked through Genjiyama passed Zeniarai Benten and walked towards Sagami Bay, I would have been able to see everything before five, and the walk would have all been down hill... alas, it was not meant to be... especially since all the tourist maps and all tourist information centers are in Kamakura station and not in Kitakamakura station in the first place.

Finally, (as I said) my last stop was the Tokeiji temple, which was where Ifuku took refuge along with Omokage. I have realized that the walking in my fic was all a bit off. It took me roughly two and a half hours (by walking) to get from Sagami Bay towards Tokeiji Temple, which was brisk walking, but also slow going since I was doing touristy things (like dipping all of my yen in the spring water and taking lots of obscure pictures so I can upload it)

SO honestly, I think the entire trek from Sagami to Tokeiji would have taken one hour and a half to two hours by brisk walking. And in Ranma 1/2 speed, probably half the time it took me to get there. Pictures will be uploaded soon ;p (I have to let you guys see the Zeniarai benten shrine)

Anyway... anyone know ANYBODY in Sanuki? Takamatsu? ANy tourist guides in Takamatsu and Sanuki that you guys know?

OH MY GOD. There's a Ranma and Akane festival in Japan on October 11, 2009. I found the flyer at a shop in Shibuya (which I can't read because I left my sister at home who serves as my level 1 translator) anwyay... I'll post a picture when I get home to my scanner, but the website page is at:

http://ranafes.web.fc2.com/

Quincey Morris, another paranormal investigation book with the basic premise that Quincey, a great-great-great (with lots of many greats in between) grandson of one of the hunters of Dracula is continuing practicing hunting around in the supernatural community for more than just vampires.

As a story, Black Woman is rich in everything, witches, loup-garous, voodoo and Salem. The first book revolves around the principle of descendants (long lines of them). As I mentioned, Quncey is a descendant of one of the hunters, the main antagonist came from a long line of black witches from the Salem Witch Trials and the victim, another long line of witches from the Salem witch trials.

Unlike most other paranormal investigations, it's not told in the first person, which took some time for me to get used to. There was more than one vein in the story, and more than one protagonist that I was looking the case over. You even read all the gory details of what's happening in the other side, because the story is not reader blind, with a hint(and yes the second book is already out) of who we will be contending with on the next book. Sometimes, not the thing you want to look for when reading a mystery.... because then the book is mostly a cops and robber book, how Quincy, Libby and the other characters (like the FBI who deserves a seat in the starring role too) fight the bad guys, and mostly the occult, how they work... and not trying to find out who exactly the criminal is. A paranormal cops and robbers type of book. Unusual for my type of reading material.

It is a relief that there are some characters in books nowadays that can be just friends on paper like Libby and Morris. Mostly, characters end up just being head-over-heels each other after the first few books. Then again, there han't been a 'first-few-books' yet, but it seemed clear that Libby and Quincy were strictly working on a friendship basis. (Although I'm not sure if Libby will be appearing in any more books... but... the next villain would probably warrant Morris consulting her.)

Well anyway, I'm going to give myself some time before I get the next book.

When I started reading the series, I seriously suspected it was going to sound like some quasi-futuristic book, what with the mirror phoning and the handprint scanning through the doors. The author does explain most of this as magic but though it's explained that way, I still have trouble imagining that any magical race would read such a scientific thing as a handprint rather than a magical aura... but that's just the nitpicker in me.

The Chronicles of Elantara settle around the story of the Chosen, Kaylin, it mostly revolves around three things 1) storytelling, 2) children 3) and a past most often bitterly revisited and quite frustratingly shady. I was teary eyed with book 3 because it had so much emotion in it, but I think that was what the author wanted to get across in the first place.

What is FRUSTRATING about this series is, although there is good worldbuilding (yes, I am ignoring my nitpicking over scientific handprints and magic reading handprints... it's two different branches of ... thought I tell you), I find myself having the most difficult of times reading this book. Mostly, it might be because Kaylin, the lead of the series, has such FLIGHTY thoughts, that she keeps interrupting when people are speaking that I don't even know what's the complete sentence until after I re-read the sentence. Sometimes, I don't even know who's talking (and yes, this happens to all the characters). And sometimes, because Severn knows Kaylin so well, they keep talking in glances which I can't read. There are more than a dozen instances in the book where Severn knows what Kaylin is thinking and she ends a sentence, before I understand it because Severn already does. Or because they understand each other, they don't need to explain to the rest of of the world. Then there are the times that the worldbuilding gets ahead of me and people explain the five races (because obviously I only understand human) and I have to re-read the paragraph because though the explanation makes sense to the characters, it doesn't make sense to me. Then there are the sentences that are otherwise readable but have small side comments (by the speaker himself) in the middle. Hence, there are times that I read a paragraph or a sentence more than three times to make sure I understood. Not to mention the fact that the girl side of me is utterly frustrated with the pace set for the entire Severn-Kaylin story. Sometimes, I even think there are more Nightshade than there is Severn.

Otherwise, the story is moving and finding out more about the races and the investigations that are handed to Kaylin is intriguing enough (which is the reason why I'm torturing myself with waiting for more books). All in all, I've read better books, but adore this none the less.

I finally landed a copy of the Dresden files and found out that it was precisely to my taste. Witty banter nerdy if somewhat lost wizard and a skull companion. And because I was sooo giddy about the book and I got semi-depressed on the ending of book 3, I went and found myself a copy of the series. Ugh. This is where making a series/movie is never as good as reading a book. Bob doesn't ever look like that, but then we have to ahve some corporeal body else the talking skull would be freaky most times, so okay. Susan was completely cut out of the picture probably due to money saving matters. And Harry Dresden looks more like the womanizing, brooding and rough wizard, which he isn't. He sounds more like an introverted, albiet clever, wizard. Bob lost all of his weird and sex crazed mind, and Harry got loads of girlfriends. And they didn't even get the diner right. *hmph* Serves me right to get excited over a series based on a book.

Which means, maybe Anita might be toned down in her TV series version... hmmmm. ;p

Anyway I'm off to read the fourth book.

I finally found myself a copy of season 1 of the series of firefly and marathoned it for three days in between fifteen minute monitoring. It was one of the old series of sci-fi, meaning a lot of good graphics, fair world building and semi-decent actors, so I was really surprised that firefly turned out more than I expected it to be.

No offense to fans, but I initially thought it might just be another overbudget series which never went into ending becuase it was prolonging the inevitable. Not so. I think, yes, just like Star Trek and earlier TV series that are off world based, it was mostly character centric and a lot less action that what would normally quakify right now, and there isn't enough mystery in the series there for it to be popular with the modern trend of CSI, Bones (which I liked a lot LESS than firefly) and even the dramas like uh... Gossip girl or one tree hil. Basically Firefly is for all Star Trek fans looking for another ship to board. And my best loved characters are the doctor and River. I really need to see the movie Serenity again.

Any chance that firefly went into season two?

I read the first chapter of Swallowing Darkness through the author's website... Although I am looking forward to reading the book, Chapter one was an entire summary of what happened in Books 1-6 the type of thing that I would have skipped through if I were reading the book itself. Although it would be useful to new readers, I doubt that a lot of new readers would have picked up book 7 of a series right off the bat. It was a bit repetitive especially since most of the six books had a tendency to recap that much. I liked the start of Book 6 much better, it was an attention grabber.

Although I am still looking forward to it becuase a lot of plot movement has been promised here. Here's hoping that I don't get turned off over the medicine in the book.

A new book cover of swallowing darkness was released recently. I just knew that if they were picking a solid color for Doyle it was either going to be purple or blue. Since Frost was already blue (since you can't really color him white in the cover) Doyle ends up being blue. Wanna bet the scene is the coronation scene? The Swallowing Darkness book is an even match for the Lick of Frost book (in terms of cover) and Ms. Hamilton promises a plot heavy book this time around. Not only can I not wait for November since by November I'd be over my hell in internal medicine, I am squirming in my seat to read the book. Hopefully, she will reveal more of Doyle, but at the same time, I am hoping that like most fans of the series she does not do a Richard for Doyle. I could not bear it if she does something like that for his character.







The two covers of Swallowing Darkness ;p

One of the main reasons why I picked up the book was because the main character is a lady doctor, which I could relate to. I realized later that the closer you are to reading inside your profession the closer it is you criticize something. I wonder just how sadistic they were that their dissection cadaver was filled with puncture wounds on the last day of gross anatomy. Here, although we dissect the cadavers, we never make any cut that isn't of learning value because we are taught to respect the human and bury the dead. Or maybe it was sarcasm that was lost on me. Of course it could have been hyperbole, but I really doubted it.

And yes, sometimes people bathed in blood do actually end up alive. It's one of the things I learned while I was rotating in one of the trauma centers here in the Philippines. A cut terminal extension of the external carotid, if the patient is extremely lucky, will bathe the patient in blood, but with quick vascular reconstruction, packing and cautery, can make a person lived. One of my cases here was like that. Miracles do happen. I have seen stab wounds live and die. So yes, something like multiple stab wounds (especially in the middle of dawn, on a darned Sunday drinking spree going to Monday) really do live.

What does run parallel with the profession is, that after a while in med school, after a while of treating impossible patients, even the nice ones, doctors, interns, they get dehumanized. Death is a toll way that we either hold our patients from or send them through. And the coldly impersonal touch sometimes one gets after treating patient after patient (especially the impossible ones) are depicted so well here. People don't go into the profession because of noble reasons. Hardly. Most people go because of their legacy, in this case, they go becuase of the moneY. Or maybe because of both.

AND, why the HECK do they boil BLOOD in KETTLES? Haven't they heard that warming it to body temp through body heat is better... although yes they don't have temperatures, but yeah, maybe water between blood would have been better... but direct to kettle? And that it probably denatures the RBCs hence it's not blood anymore but iron and lots of clumps? Heck, I should introduce them to dinuguan (a Filipino dish made with chicken blood mixed with vinegar and your choice of chicken or pork... don't write it off until you try it... and cooked blood with vinegar is BLACK not RED)


AND when you do CPR, you don't check for pulses at the wrist, you check for it at the carotid. Barring that, if the pulse is so weak, you check at the femoral. Any first aid lecture book would know the carotid at least.

The bad thing about the series again, is Carrie's and Nathan's personal issues with their fledgling relationship and their boyfriend girlfriend relationship. As with every other paranormal that includes romance in it, they always seem to make it a point that when one person is ready for commitment the other party isn't. Or that there are a load full of baggage in one person's side. Thankfully, it isn't the girl's side this time. You can't "hear" the guilt completely.

What I do appreciate about it is, that they did try with a doctor (an ER doctor at that, which I have experienced and definitely relate to especially since I've been to a trauma center.), that the author wasn't scared of touching sensitive details, and that the author stopped at five books. She knew when she was pushing it with three relationships, 3/4 of the story in first person view and the rest in 3rd person view, and the repetitiveness of the entire issue. (Ok, how many times can you resurrect the dead and how powerful the lead can become pushes close to Mary Sueish, but what can I say?).

As I said, I appreciate it that they finished it in time. Although I wasn't spared the repetitiveness and the melodrama, Ms. Armintrout finished it with a good and palatable ending.