mysterious???

Here’s another disillusion. I was sure you will always find the words to back up any useless idiotic idea and make it sound 'smart'. What on earth is so mysterious about waxing?

Nice plant, in the left corner. ;)

This picture is, despite or even because of, the not cropping of it a very nice way of portraying 'concubinism'.

Regarding pictures: Did you choose to make Elite Plus red because of the colour, or because of the copyrights?

I meant Excellence, the picture of Excellence.

I'd like to inform you all that I'm reading Orhan Pamuk, since I am in Turkey, and one should read nobelprizewinners in their own country.

He puts My standard for a 'good work' a lot higher. I'm glad the delegation from the Nobelprize-organisation does a great job.
I'm astonished by the brilliance (I don't often use this word) of his writing. Although I'm wondering if his other books (I'm reading Snow, in English), are as good, and don't use the 'short story chapter' structure, It's a nice thing, that short story chapter structure, but he shouldn't use it for anything else.

Ilanit

A boorish person might find nothing mysterious in or around the act of waxing. But maybe it’s not the boorishness of this person, maybe it’s plain boredom.

Dens

Pamuk never convinced me, too postmodern and too conscious about it but I’ll try again. Where should I start. The picture of justice Thomas was already red when I found it on flickr.

Pamuk

Waxing is very mysterious as it is not a science. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. Some people know how to do it, others don't. On some people it works, on others it causes skin diseases.

@Dens
I finished Snow last week. I liked it although I thought the rythm was too slow towards the end. I think it is a very wise book about a complex situation. And it has humour. The ending is very special (I won't tell why). It is a real 'roman'. I started reading his book on Istanbul but never finished it as the poetic touch didn't work for me.

@Arnon
What did you read (or start reading) from Pamuk? What do you mean by too postmodern?

+ boring?!

So let me just sum up my week on this blog: I obviously suffer from low intelligence, I’m hateful, I live in a constant fear to misinterpret human behaviour, I'm slightly ignorant, a swinish eater, have no taste, no conversational skills. I’m a grumbler and a moaner, an naïve idealist, boorish and last but not least I’m boring. This have been not only a lovely conversation, I also learnt so much about myself...

@Lila. What is your definition of a 'roman' (novel)? Because honestly, it annoys me when normal, mortal people like you and I proclaim things like "I liked it, but it's not a novel". Or: "I liked it. So much a novel." It makes no sense to me whatsoever. It would be like looking at a movie and saying "I liked it, but it's not a movie." It's up to we the readers/audience to decide whether we enjoyed a story or not, and basta.

@Ilanit: get over it. And now please, just write the damn guest entry, or do you want us to beg you to do it?? !!

Noa

Get over what? And why on earth are you so interested in my guest entry?

'Get over it' = we know what Arnon's been calling you, so either deal with it or don't, but stop repeating it, please.
Why am I so interested in your guest entry? Because it's an opportunity to start a discussion about anything YOU want to start a discussion about. As a co-female-commentator I just hoped you'd jump at the opportunity and would kick some serious ass along the way. All the lamentations your putting up on this screen about whatever it is Arnon has called you are just really disappointing when you could be addressing interesting issues. To me, at least.

Noa

Okay, I understand your point. I did mean 'novel'. I will develop. I meant it is a real story with a beginning, a middle and an end. I should have specified this.

Ilanit, I think you lack awareness for the poetical dimension of his work. Three words: waxing , mysterious and concubine. I find this very evocative, erotical even without being vulgar. This in combination with the picture. I call this art.

Ilanit

You are a charming moaner, sometimes.

Lila L

Being conscious about the act of storytelling, being conscious about being conscious that you are telling a story, being conscious about the fact that it might be impossible to tell a story, being conscious about being conscious that telling a story has become a problematic act, decide that you have to be playful with yourself and you being conscious that story telling has become a problem.
Being conscious about being playful and being conscious that being playful is another problem.

Noa

Repeating what Arnon is calling me might work therapeutic as well. I am testing it.
I also tested my ‘swinish’ eating habits yesterday. Loads of sounds with open mouth etc. Drooling was a real challenge though, but I will continue working on it.
Another reason to repeat it is to prove a point I hope at least Arnon gets.
I understand YOUR motivation regarding my “Damn guest entry” as you repeatedly call it, but I’m afraid it cannot become mine. I don’t need to write a blog in order to kick ass.
What exactly do you want to talk about, and why do you feel you don’t get the possibility here? I am very sorry to have disappointed you but I truly don’t think that anything I have to say is that important that it should be guest hosted on this blog. Well, except for one issue of course- the alleged dinner.

Mieke

The poetical dimension of who’s work? The wax or Arnon’s?
And I guess you are right I don’t see the erotically, mysterious sense of waxing. Maybe because I’m not a real waxer myself. Maybe I should start, right after I get the drooling right. But maybe you would be so kind to explain? No one wants to explain the point. It’s like a joke everybody is laughing about and I simply don’t get…

@Ilanit

Of course I meant the poetical dimension of Arnon's work, although I think there is a very poetical dimension to the art of waxing too.
And consider Arnon's comments to be crucial to his charm.

Pamuk

Because I'm currently reading my first novel by Pamuk (Snow) I suggest that you read this one.
Each chapter is readable on its own, so If you don't like the first chapters, I recommend reading the chapter where a taperecorder recorded the conversation between the headmaster and his killer. I don't know what page it is exactly as the book is in my bedroom and going there is too time consuming, but it's written in a diffent font and/ like this/ kind of telegram-style/leaving out the/ he said/she said in a soothing voice/way. That's quite well,written, I think. And page 66, I remembered, I recommend to others if they only want a fragment.

Mieke

The art of waxing?! Since yesterday waxing became an art?
And yes, I agree- we can find the poetical side of probably everything on earth. toothaches included! And yet, I simply can not see how waxing can be considered mysterious. I can see how the wax itself can be considerd as such or the waxed object, but the act or art of waxing... pfff...
I don’t think Arnon’s comments are crucial to his charm. But I think he does.

Ilanit

You think you have nothing important to say and therefore you won’t be able to write a post or two, but at the same time you write comments like a maniac, so you should not be surprised if people think you are dishonest.
Also: the art of… is just an expression.
You can say the art of vacuum cleaning; others speak about the art of shoplifting, then there are people who discuss the art of waxing. I do hope that by the end of 2012 you will be able to stop blaming the world, the language and above all me for your own shortcomings. And get a wax at your earliest convenience, it’s on me.

Arnon,

I didn’t say I am not ABLE to write a post or two because I have nothing important to say, I said I don’t think that what I have to say is that important to be hosted on your blog. I wasn’t aware of me commenting in a manic way. I can assure you this won’t happen again.
I am curious though what my dishonesty holds? I have a lot to say but am afraid to? I have nothing to say but comment like a maniac so people think I do?
I am sorry you think I blame the world and above all you for my shortcomings. It’s such a ridiculous statement based on nothing. And as of the wax- why don’t you get one yourself?!

Ilanit

You are more than welcome to post as many comments on this site as you want. And if you don’t want to write a post just comment, fine. If you don’t want to get waxed, fine as well. (I got waxed by the way; why do you think I call the act of waxing mysterious?)
If you don’t blame the world for your shortcomings: good for you.
All I can say is if you need a scapegoat, here I am.
As your therapist, your best friend, your future dinner date and your favorite soul mate I advise you to stay calm. We all love you, all the other commentators love you more than they love their neighbors. Some of the other commentators admire you, some of the other commentators decided to name their kid Ilanit, others came to the conclusion that they need to marry an Ilanit.
As Sarah Silverman sang:
"I love you more than bears love honey/
I love you more than Jews love money"

And now please shut up. (For twelve hours.)

I definitely think there is an art side to waxing.

I definitely think the world of waxing is mysterious. Though that is mainly due to my naivete on the subject.

With respect to blaming the world for your own shortcomings: if we all just stopped doing that, we wouldn't be offended anymore by offensive comments. I think that is what Arnon is trying to teach us with some of his writings. Still, people keep responding by writing letters to magazines. Apparently, people like being offended.

Arnon

I see what you mean. Snow is not a postmodernist novel though Pamuk stages himself as a storyteller in his novel. He presents himself as a friend of the main character but not to give insights on story telling or novel writing or on being conscious of being conscious of writing a novel.

Lila

But why then?

Arnon

The teller of the story is a good friend of the main character and is like a detective that is reconstructing the trip that lead to the death of the main chararter. In the beginning of the novel the story teller is almost not present. Near the end of the novel his presence becomes clearer and slowly the novel takes the form of a detective story. The writer is looking for the truth he can't find. O MY, as I write this, I realise this is exactly what postmodernism is about.
The clearer it is that the writer/detective/friend will not find out the truth, the more the presence of the writer/detective/friend becomes clear.
You can put that in this way Pamuk tells the reader that a writer is a detective that reveals a story but cannot find out the truth. And now that I think of it, he does it rather playful at the end.