I was supposed to post the entire following entry yesterday but the internet connection in my house was down due to some problem with TM Net Streamyx. So, I'm in college right now with the notebook blogging away and surfing the web like any respectable college/uni goer. I feel so "adult" in a teenage kind of way. It's so cliche since the scene looks almost exactly like those movie scenes where you observe college students tinkering away with their notebooks looking serious and carefree at the same time. The only difference between them and me is that I'm sitting in the corridor of the main block of HELP UC while people pass me by apathetically and not on green rolling lawns with the background of magnificent looking and ancient worldly buildings.
On to the main topic of the day. Or yesterday, actually. Thought provoking and sometimes insightful. Touching and sentimental. At least most of the time it was like that. I think I thoroughly enjoyed it enough to dedicate a post to review it in all its splendour. However, if you don't want to be spared with spoilers you should go read something else or someone else's blog.
The title of the book can be quite misleading to some. If you're expecting a book vastly and mainly on apple cider or apple pie or anything closely related to baking, cooking or eating apples, then you're totally off and should go look for a cookbook instead. The setting is this cider house and an apple orchard but that's about it. The rules are something of a metaphor I suppose. That's what I think the rules are in any case. Anyways, it took me a considerably shorter time to finish it as I thought that it'll be a boring book till the very end. And boring books usually take me longer to finish them. I was quite wrong. It was an interesting and fairly controversial yet discerning read, I have to say. The characters were quite engaging and notable enough for me to ponder about and think about them. Though there were some parts that were left feeling a bit ambiguous to me so I couldn't really tell if he or she was really like that. But it was that ambiguity part that made me feel slightly more intrigued. The story just made me see certain things in a different light now. I suppose the main topic of the entire book was about the legality and questionable ethics of abortion. Should it be legal? Why shouldn't it be legalised? Why should it? And if it is, is the doctor playing God willingly or not? As for me, my stand about it is still vague and sort of in the middle. But I won't go into a long debate about whether abortion should be legalised or not now. I'll leave that for the school debating teams, conservative religious figures and political activists to figure out and decide for themselves. There are some rather graphic and explicit descriptions about the um, female anatomy and its more discreet parts. I would not recommend this book for children ages 13 below though. Definitely. They just would not understand it and probably will find it boring after the first few chapters. If you're squeamish and feel slightly embarrassed about discussing or reading about things like "vaginal speculum", "curette", "cervix", and "metal dilators", then don't go near this book. There's not really a whole chapter dedicated to describing the whole process of abortion, but these little things will pop out casually throughout the book. At first, I found it quite shocking that everything about the female's genital anatomy was described so placidly and nonchalantly like everyday subjects. It was like the readers had to be totally indifferent and familiar with all these terms to appreciate the book better. But after a few chapters of it, I didn't even feel intimidated or startled by it anymore. If someone was to describe the process of scraping the walls of the uterus to me, I wouldn't feel taken aback or embarrassed about it.
A small quiz here: Who would use a prophylactic? Just a little test for curious people out there.
There were some funny parts and incidents in the story too but not laugh-out-loud funny. Just generally witty and cute scenes. Somehow, I'm having trouble trying to explain or describe some of them now. Well, they're not really that important so I shall not dwell in it any longer.
Overall, it was a good read. Worthwhile your reading pleasure. I think I'd like to watch the movie adaptation of it now. Just to make comparisons as to whether the cinematic treatment did justice to the book. The screenplay was by the author too. So Hollywood shouldn't have butchered the story too much.
On another note, that Levi's black jeans that I've been harping and desiring about for months now has probably been bought out in every store in Malaysia. Everywhere I go, it's either sold out or there're only the white and gold ones left. There was one last pair in the Mid Valley store one but it was too big for me. Damn it. Why must everyone have the same taste as me? I think I'm going to have to scout for some other black slacks or jeans now. Le sigh. On the other hand, I did get a knee-length white Roxy pants at half price. I'm feeling so happy about that bargain. It isn't the board-shorts-type-of-pants-material that I really wanted but it's still nice nonetheless. So comfortable! I should look out for more clearance sales like that. It's the only time I will ever be able to afford anything Roxy. It's the perfect fit and just casual enough to wear to college in. Whee!
I'll be starting on the "Vampire Armand" by Anne Rice now. I need to read something supernatural or dark after such a grounded story.
I'm craving for stir fry chili spinach and steamed or fried chili asparagus now. I sound like a pregnant woman, craving for weird food at different and odd times of the day. I'm kind of on a veggie craving spree now. Anything leafy and crunchy and green sounds delicious to me currently. Maybe my body's telling me something. I'm probably veggie-deficient since I only really began eating my veggies just a few years ago. It's probably making up for all those years of non-vegetables in my diet.
Edit: Note to self: Bring a jacket or sweater to college when you're planning to surf in the corridor or you'll just let yourself freeze over. Toes, fingers and all.
Edit#2: A random, out-of-the-blue thought just came to me. Is it wrong to use a toilet or park in a handicap/disabled spot if there aren't any disabled people around or you there's not going to be any? I'm feeling slightly guilty now.
Edit#3: I'm doing lots of editing today, aren't I? What I'm doing while waiting for Microeconomics lecture to begin at 12pm.
