Books and ships

Youngest's basketball game? AMAZING...they were on fire. Who'd have thought I could enjoy kids playing sports so much. They lost by one shot in overtime...playing against a team that w.i.p.e.d. the floor with them last time....Youngest got a basket too!!!

She's playing center and seems to be a throw in specialist as well. Don't have the foggiest idea why.

BCN's Marine museum...fantastic place...has an exhibit on:

Zheng He...now there was an amazing man, well, eunuch.

He was the admiral of a huge fleet of enormous ships sailing out of China in the early Ming dynasty. Tremendous voyages....amazing ships.

We had to pick up another book for Eldest for school. They have to read 7 books for Catalan class this year, and they are picking great ones. Eldest is (I am thrilled to report) now reading Catalan well enough that this is a manageable task...indeed, today we picked up another book that she wanted to read IN CATALAN!!!!!!WOO HOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

One of the optional books for next term is the The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, which I have been wanting to read, so now I am having a go in Catalan, and it is going well so far. Slow, but well. Have you read it? Is it good?

I am also reading another Catalan novel in Catalan about a Catalan man from Barcelona who goes to England to study English for three weeks. Glutton for punishment I am...busman's holiday, no?

I have given up on "Tirant Lo Blanc" the first Catalan novel. Think Don Quixote. Too little editing, man can they ever go ON. Knights, babes, battles...though there is a great deal more sex in the Catalan version that in the Arthurian tales or Quixote, indeed everyone is sleeping with everyone, these are some hot-blooded women...kind of like a Bond flick without the cool special effects and gadgets. Battle a bit, hang with the women, battle some more, deal with the evil types, get laid again...but it goes on far too long. I have given up. Maybe another time I'll finish it. I'm done.

Watched Hello Dolly tonight, the musical version...have you seen it? There is another film that goes on TOOOO long. Good, but tooooo long.

Seems to be a theme.