I recently returned home from Japan. I was telling a few people that Japan has ruined travelling for me. I say that because I have a nagging suspicion that nowhere else will quite match up. I hope to be proven wrong. Japanese people are impressive because they take pride in all that they do and in being graceful. Perhaps inevitably,as a result they also come across as overly formal and restrained ( emotionally) at times. But it is not for me to place a value judgement on others based on limited observations.

In other news, I am back at work now. I am editing a short story that I wrote some time ago based on Lav's comments. I have met some really cool people at my internship. They are cool because they don't pretend to be people they are not and that is so rare.

I finished reading Oranges are not the only fruit by Jeanette Winterson this week. Jeanette makes many assertions about life that I've already thought of. It's really quite beautfiul because of 1) relatability 2) I feel like if I worked hard enough I could write ( somewhat) as well as her. I think this is in essence the appeal of Winterson's work.

I am currently reading Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar. I had to take a break soon after reading the opening pages because the pages are dripping with heaviness and depression. It's too much, and that's why I want more. It's the same way I felt when watching Blue is the Warmest Colour. It took me two sessions to watch the movie because it was so emotionally draining.

I don't look at myself in the mirror a lot. I glance at the mirror but I don't really stop to look at myself properly. The other day I did though, after looking long and hard I decided that I am okay with the way I look. I decided that a few strechmarks is a price I'm willing to pay to eat whatever I want. I feel the need to talk about the superficial because I cannot avoid it in my life. I am ( not so) secretly obsessed with looking pretty and fashionable. But I realised that being pretty is quite irrelevant to my life. I don't want to be a model or actress. I will in all likelihood work with books for a good part of my life and books only care about how well your understand them, not the shoes you're wearing. I don't doubt that there will be days when I doubt what I've said above, but hopefully on most days I won't.

I hope you have a good day!

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