Search for Temeraire - update

I thought of going to Kinokuniya to get book one, two and four but my friend suggested I try an online shopping site that her brother once used to purchase books before. I went to the site and discovered that they had all three books! I straightaway ordered the books. Delivery time is apparently between 5 to 16 days (I hope it only takes 5 days).

On another note, I also found out on Friday that there's book number seven! Its titled Crucible of Gold and it was only published in the US in March this year. I could hardly contain my excitement. I'm happy that the author is still writing books for this series :D Now I don't know which book I want to read first. Initially, I couldn't wait to read book two, but after reading book five and thus having discovered what happened in book four, I really want to read book four. Now that I know there's a seventh book, I'm quite keen on reading that one. I'm currently rereading book six, Tongues of Serpents. After reading books one, three, and five, I understand more of what happens in the sixth book.

Everybody Has a Dark Side - Kelly Clarkson

Cat Commentary - Bow's Kittens

I finally got a good shot of all four of Bow’s kittens together. They’re two months old now. How fast they grow! Time to come up with names, I think.

And here's Bow, their lovely mother.

SKET Dance

It’s always fun to find a good, new anime. SKET Dance is about a trio of high school students who make up the campus support club (aka SKET Club). Just what is a “campus support club”? Apparently, it is a club that exists to help students (or teachers) whenever they’re in a pinch. The values of the club are support, kindness, encouragement and troubleshoot; thus, the SKET acronym. I’ve only watched two episodes so far and both were hilarious. The many interesting characters contribute to lots of LOL moments. I can’t wait to watch more episodes :D

Note: In UM, SKET stands for Section for Co-Curricular Courses, External Faculty Electives and TITAS.

Search for Temeraire

Thanks to my colleague who introduced me to Naomi Novik's His Majesty's Dragon, I am now hooked to the alternate history/fantasy novel about the war between the British and French in the early 19th century. The book realistically portrays what the war would have been like if both sides employed the use of dragons in their military expeditions.

The first of the Temeraire series, His Majesty’s Dragon, tells the tale from the viewpoint of Laurence, a naval captain serving the British empire. His ship captures a smaller French ship, upon which his crew then discover a dragon’s egg. Since they had captured the ship, naturally whatever they find on board now belongs to them. Dragons are employed by the aerial Corps so at first Laurence is at a loss on how to handle the egg. It is clear they need to bring it to the Corps as soon as they can but according to the physician on board, who has some basic knowledge on dragons, the egg shows signs of hatching soon. Once the egg hatches, someone would have to harness the dragon or they will lose any chance of making the dragon work for the British empire. Sounds pretty straightforward except that no one on the ship wants to harness the dragon. It turns out that aviators, the term they use to call those who successfully harnesses a dragon and serve the aerial Corps, do not have a favourable reputation. It would also be akin to a life sentence; once a dragon attaches itself to you, you would have to care for the dragon the rest of your life and would have to live in a secluded area. To make it fair to everyone, Laurence proposes that they draw lots (including himself). When one of Laurence’s crew drew the lot, there was a general sigh of relief from the rest. Once the egg hatched, he tried to harness it but the dragon refused him by plainly saying so. It turns out that dragons can talk as soon as they have hatched. The dragon then asked Laurence to harness him. Since it was his duty to ensure that the dragon gets put into the harness, Laurence sees no other choice. They were already in the midst of war with Napolean Bonaparte and every dragon they could have on their side was valuable. He harnesses the dragon and then the dragon asks for a name. Laurence names him Temeraire. The story takes off from there as Laurence learns how to deal with a dragon as well as become an aviator which is quite a huge transition for a seasoned naval officer.

There are many things I like about this book. The first is the weaving in of fantasy elements into a historical setting. Talk of military tactics can be tiresome at times but it is quite refreshing when it involves dragons and the numerous manouvers used by dragons to defend and attack. The second is the fact that dragons can talk and, like people, have different personalities and levels of intelligence. Temeraire turns out to be quite clever and comes off as a confident intellectual who occasionally gives witty remarks. Thirdly, the main protagonist, Laurence, is a typical English gentleman who follows protocols and easily gets offended by those who don’t observe proper manners. He’s not the typical hero but its funny reading his thoughts on the many startling things he discovers upon joining the aerial Corps.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the first book, I want to read the rest of the series. Unfortunately, my colleague only has the first book. So I ventured to MPH a week ago and only found book six, Tongues of Serpents. I bought it anyways and read it. I figured that even though I know what happens in the later part of the series, I still don’t know HOW it happened and would still want to read the earlier books. I just finished Tongues of Serpents a few days ago. Yesterday, I went to Borders at the Curve and managed to find book five, Victory of Eagles. Arrghh! Looks like after reading the first book, I’ll be reading the series backwards. I then had to go to Uptown to buy lunch and remembered a book store called “First Editions” there. I went there and found book three! Yay! I’m a bit closer. I now have books three, five and six. I just need to get books one, two and four. I like the series so much I would even want book one even though I’ve read it :P

Quotable Quotes (again!)

"I certainly will be taking care when I am out walking my dog - I don't fancy meeting a lion on a dusky summer's evening."

- Mandy Thomson, 42, after the sighting of a lion by residents and holidaymakers sparked alarm in the Essex Village of St Osyth on 27th of August 2012.

Neil Armstrong: 1930-2012

Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon during the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, has died, following complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures. He was 82.

Armstrong's words, "That is one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind," spoken on July 20, 1969, as he became the first person ever to step onto another planetary body, instantly became a part of history.

Those few words from the Sea of Tranquillity were the climactic fulfillment of the efforts and hopes of millions of people and the expenditure of billions of dollars. A plaque on one of the lander's legs that concluded "We came in peace for all mankind," further emphasized that Armstrong and fellow astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin were there as representatives of all humans.

Armstrong is survived by his wife, two sons, a stepson, a stepdaughter, 10 grandchildren, and a brother and sister.

"Neil Armstrong was a hero not just of his time, but of all time," President Barack Obama said via Twitter. "Thank you, Neil, for showing us the power of one small step."

Statement from his family:

"For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request. Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink.”

Image and story credit: NASA