a funny review from Kirkus Reviews

While browsing Chandler Burr's website (thanks katiedid!), I found this excerpt from a Nov 15, 2002 review by Kirkus Reviews (review only available to subscribers):

Raised in France, Luca Turin is happy to admit that "the idea that things should be slightly dirty, overripe, slightly fecal is everywhere in France." Given a stinky cheese, says he, Americans think, "Good God!"; Japanese think, "I must now commit suicide"; and the French think, "Where's the bread?"

Perfumes

katiedid has a lovely list of summer fragrances. I want to try them all! But in 下北沢 there is a lovely little store called Art et Parfum that lets you buy small amounts of whatever fragrance they carry. They also make their own blends. I bought 2 types last time. One very sweet Salvatore Ferragamo scent, and one freesia scent apparently produced by an American flower shop. They're both quite nice, but I can't tell how they smell on me. :D Fragrances are a very funny thing. Anyway, it's really fun to try different perfumes.

By the way, perfume is 香水（こうすい kousui）in Japanese.

I also think it's amusing that Ferragamo features three languages on their site. Italian, English, and... Japanese! Who do you think their biggest customers are? Heh.

hobbies

Hobbies are an interesting thing.

I have tons of interests, but they aren't all important. Certain interests can become important in specific situations.

Take my fondness for volleyball. At the moment, I don't play any volleyball, so this interest is not particularly important. But 3 years ago, it was pretty much all I did all week every week.

It's really hard to sit up straight for long periods of time. Say, longer than a minute.

for the record, I don't particularly like Harry Potter

Just had to say that. And raise my banner for Diana Wynne Jones.

hungry by 4pm

I wanna go buy a snack, but that would mean leaving my desk.