Travellin' Penguin

LIFE…

….. is busy right now as we are heading to Asia soon and there is a bit to do before we go. The posts will continue in October. I hope to do some fun photography as it will be an entirely different culture to immerse ourselves in.

I’ll be posting phone photos on instagram so if you wish to follow along you can do so at Travellin_penguin.

READING…

I am at the end of the book The Deed that I mentioned last week. If you remember the four siblings have to come together and build a coffin for their recently deceased father in order to collect their inheritance which will be substantial. I don’t particularly like the characters as they are very self absorbed and the chaos of their activities makes me anxious. I just want them to get on with it. It is not high on my reading enjoyment list.

I did read the short story called The Cut Finger by little known British author Frances Bellerby, from the book A Different Sound: Stories by Mid-Century women writers edited by Lucy Scholes.

From ChatGPT (which I love)

Frances Bellerby (1899–1975) was an English poet, short story writer, and novelist known for her delicate and introspective explorations of themes such as nature, spirituality, illness, and the human condition. Her work often reflects her own experiences with physical illness and personal loss, which she endured throughout her life.

Early Life and Education

Born as Mary Eirene Frances Bellerby in Bristol, England, Bellerby was the daughter of a doctor and grew up in a cultured and intellectual environment. She attended school in Bristol and later worked as a teacher. Bellerby’s early life was marked by personal tragedies, including the death of her father in World War I and her own chronic health issues, which would later influence her writing.

Summary of “The Cut Finger”

The story revolves around a young girl who accidentally cuts her finger while preparing food. This seemingly minor incident triggers a series of memories and emotions, particularly concerning her relationship with her mother. The cut becomes a focal point for the girl’s reflections on her childhood, her feelings of guilt, and her sense of inadequacy.

As the story progresses, the cut on the finger takes on a symbolic significance, representing the emotional wounds the girl carries with her. The physical pain of the cut mirrors the psychological pain she experiences as she recalls moments of tension and misunderstanding with her mother. The girl’s memories reveal a deep-seated fear of disappointing her mother, and the cut serves as a reminder of the ways in which she feels she has failed.

Themes

1. Guilt and Responsibility: The story delves into the complex emotions of guilt and responsibility, particularly as they are experienced by children. The girl’s guilt over the cut reflects a broader sense of responsibility for things beyond her control, highlighting how children often internalize blame for events they don’t fully understand.

2. Memory and Trauma: Bellerby explores how past experiences, particularly traumatic ones, can continue to affect individuals long after the events have passed. The cut on the finger serves as a trigger for the girl’s painful memories, showing how seemingly small incidents can bring deeply buried emotions to the surface.

3. Mother-Daughter Relationship: The story also touches on the complexities of the mother-daughter relationship, particularly the expectations and pressures that can strain such bonds. The girl’s reflections on her relationship with her mother reveal her struggle to reconcile her love for her mother with her fear of failing to meet her expectations.

4. Symbolism of the Cut: The cut on the finger symbolizes the deeper emotional wounds that the girl carries. It represents both the physical manifestation of her pain and the psychological scars that result from her feelings of guilt and inadequacy.

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I find it incredible how a few pages of writing can squeeze so much into a story. When the young girl goes to show her mother her cut finger, her mother is in her room crying so she doesn’t enter the room. From then on this memory is imprinted and stays with her for life. She associates it with other events throughout her life. I’m sure most adults must have associative memories to events in their own childhood.

EVENTS OF THE WEEK

I attended two book launches at Fullers. One by a 90 yr old professor and medical doctor Norelle Lickiss that has compiled a very thick book of her experiences of practice that were far ranging since the 1970’s.

When she signed my book I told her I was a retired speech pathologist and she put her pen down, looked at me and said how important speech pathologists were in her career. I think you get that more working in health than you do in Education as I always felt more respected in health and disability work than I ever did in schools which was sad.

The other event was Sky Country published by Magabala Book, Western Australia by first nations author Aunty Patsy Cameron who grew up on Flinders Island. Lisa Kennedy’s illustrations are beautiful. It took her 3 yrs to finish the illustrations.

This book was launched by Tasmania’s governor, the Honourable Barbara Baker. Both events were sold out.

Finishing off with PET OF THE WEEK

I’m still skidding across the floor from last week’s activities. I keep thinking one of these weeks will slow down but not yet.

LOOKING AHEAD

We are preparing to spend most of September in Cambodia and Vietnam so organising household things, eating up food or toss it out, doing final preparations on boarding for two cats and two dogs and attending to normal social activities. The pets are all going to camp in wonderful places though we’ve not told them yet.

 BOOK

I had a wonderful conversation with a friend last week and of course the topics always veer around to books. I asked her what she is reading, and she mentioned the book “The Deed” by Australian writer and GP Susannah Begbie. I downloaded it and am also nearly finished with it.

 Tom Edwards is a cranky old landowner of 10,000 acres and has four adult children he doesn’t put much stock in. One daughter is flighty, travels and is quite vague. One son has a business he is obsessed with. Then another daughter has a family with teenagers and is busy taking them to all their after school events and the last daughter stays on the farm, seemingly being the only responsible one in his eyes of her father. Then Tom, the old man, suddenly dies.

 The deed is what is announced when the will is read. None of the children will inherit a cent unless the four of them come together and in four days build his coffin, from wood on the property, to his exact specifications. Of course, all four of them squabble all the time and barely see one another and now they must cope with this enormous task. And I remind you they only have four days.

 It is a very light hearted read that I find a tiny bit tedious at times. It is also quite predictable too. This is what I always refer to as a “fluffy” book. A “fluffy” book is one that you just read and enjoy. A bit of escapism from all one must do daily.

 LIFE IN GENERAL

 Last week saw a few medical appointments. Our annual skin check is always important. Australia has the highest rates of melanoma in the world. I came out clear, but Mr. P has a few things to attend to once we’re back from our trip.

Then a notice for the bi-annual mammogram appointment came but they won’t do it now as I’m going to be away and in case they need to call me in they want me in the country. So that has been deferred to October.

We had to get Visa photos and visas for Cambodia and Vietnam and that took all afternoon one day. The travel bureau was using new software to finalise the Visas and Australia Post wasn’t doing the right thing in transferring visa photos to us digitally so that had to be redone.

We also managed to squeeze a performance by Australian tv personality and comedian, Kitty Flanagan with some friends, at the Theatre Royal. She was very funny and just what we needed to finish a hectic week.

Friday had me at the optometrist as I’ve been noticing (or is it my imagination) my glasses I purchased last November don’t seem to be doing the job. Sure enough my dodgy eye (left) is still stable, meaning I can’t see much out of it but the right eye had very high pressure and has deteriorated just a bit. So another pair of specs have been ordered and a very decent pair of prescription sunglasses. They are supposed to arrive before we head off on our trip.

I went out to the lamp store and bought a very good medical reading lamp that almost lights up the whole neighbourhood when switched on. It has this great bulb that has three settings on it. Warm light, cool light and very high bright light. I’ll be able to read real books with this light instead of always depending on Big Font Kindle and Audible with the new glasses. Very excited about it.

I just picked up a lovely book at Fullers recently that was featured in their newsletter and I’m really looking forward to reading it.  In light of having mentioned I need to read more short stories and essays this book is entitled “A Different Sound:  Stories by Mid- Century Women Writers.” Selected by Lucy Scholes who I haven’t heard of.

As you can see from the Table of Contents there are some interesting writers here. Stay tuned for how I go with this.

THE WEATHER – 11 C ~ 51 F Drizzle

On the seasonal front I am happy to report that spring is definitely in the air, and I am really enjoying it. So are the dogs who are playing in the yard for longer periods of time checking out their neighbourhood outside of the fence.  The silver wattle trees are in full bloom. The temperatures though are still a bit of a roller coaster.

 The only thing on tv that has held my interest was the Amsterdam detective series of Van der Valk. I really like this show and the Amsterdam location. But now done with it and watching a lot of you tube videos on the Kamala Harris and Tim Walz rallies in the U. S. and the Democratic National Convention is this week.

Well, I think I’ve wrapped up the past 10 days and hopefully will get some time this week to read some of your posts you put up with a couple of comments. All the best.

Laugh of the day from funniest photographs competition. I don’t know who the photographer is.

 

 

The past couple of weeks have soared by yet I feel I have little to show for them. A few gym sessions, a morning tea with a Tassie travel organisation and playing with the dogs.

I also really enjoyed a book I finished this past week.

The book…

I first heard of this author via Intrepid Angeleno’s post of Paris in July.

She discussed a different book by David Lebovitz but I couldn’t find that one. However I did find this book l’appart:  The delights and disasters of making my Paris home.

David Lebovitz was living in San Francisco and decides he is going to begin living in Paris. It is something he has always wanted to do. So he bites the bullet and dives straight in, buying a fixer upper apartment in the 11^th arrondissement.

He takes us with him as he goes through the bureaucracy of actually working with the realtor and all the other bureaucrats he must deal with. What a palaver to actually finish the process. All of this happens between his visits to cafes.

Then he hires the contractor Claude. He decides to treat Claude as his friend makes friends as he thinks it will make things go smoother and faster. Everyone around him says, “Don’t do that. It will backfire. The Frence treat workers much differently. You must be their boss!!! “

However he does not listen, taking the contractor to lunch, making him pastries and ice cream. The more he does for this guy the worse it becomes. Incompetency, lateness, no shows begin happening and only get worse and worse. Every time Claude arrives with het another excuse, David must turn over more checks. I can’t believe how gullible and forgiving he was. These moments are laugh out loud one minute and cringeworthy the next.

The apartment is not hooked up to the water main at the street. As he is living in this apartment block there is a rule that in order to get his water hooked up to his flat there must be a formal city meeting with all the other tenants in the apartment complex and they all must vote on whether they will allow the water main to be connected.

Lebovitz is a chef. He begins baking all kinds of goodies and passing them out to the neighbours, trying to get them all on side. None of them seem very friendly to begin with but it works. The water is finally connected.

I might add the book is filled with wonderful French recipes. Do not read these if hungry. You’ll need a large pantry.

Once the renovations are completed an inspection takes place only to reveal a completely disastrous result.

The flooring is ridiculous. The plumbing deep in the underground of Paris tunnels is creepy.

You really need to read this book to believe how horrific it is. The reader can’t help but shake their head and there is a lot of tut, tut, tutting going on looking at these pages.

I thoroughly enjoyed shopping with David and Claude especially at Ikea. It is a nightmare experience and so unbelievable. The way one gets served is so bad you want to close the book and never think of going to an Ikea. The bureaucracy is just lunatically bizarre if there is such a phrase. I mean really crazy.  I thought America and Australia had bureaucracy but they are really a walk in the park.

Well, I think this gives you the gist of the book. I really enjoyed it.

Check out my other life post of the week if you haven’t already here https://travellinpenguin.com/2024/08/11/spring-is-getting-closer/.

Until next time…