2 days left, till my birthday, well actually, I just have to make it through tomoorw, the 2nd day that is left is the birthday. What in the name of all things green am I talking about? Well, how kind of you to ask . . . Wednesday, January 19th, is my 21st birthday! *YAY* The bad news is, well, the weatherman is calling for bad weather, we (as in my friends and I) haven't figured out what we're doing if we do anything, and it's not like I can go out and drink anyway, Thursdays are totally awful for me and I so cannot afford to have any type of hangover, however small, on a Thursday. I'm not saying that I'm a light weight or anything, but I so cannot simply go out and drink, not the way these people here think of drinking. I can however have at least one . . . if the weather cooperates. So yeah, a little frustrating . . . but this isn't the real reason . . . the stupid, retarded, redundant, take-home test is, well, stupid, retarded, and redundant. The test is comprised of 9 questions, all essay format. WTF? And on top of that, for the same class mind you, there is a 2-3 page essay on pretty much the same material that is on the test . . . I repeat, REDUNDANT! *grrr* Oh well, at least I have until my birthday to complete it all and turn it in.>:-(  . . . geez . . .

On a much happier note, I will be turning 21 , and I am still loving this book Empress Orchid, even though it is being assigned and is assigned by the same professor who gave me said redundant take-home test and essay assignment. But anyways, I just wanted to share some lines or passages or whatever you want to call them, because, yeah it's my blog and I'll blog what I want to . . .

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"What is freedom when there has been no honor?"

"'The wind shows its body through the trembling leaves.'"

"'There is always one who doesn't understand that others will consider him a ringdove doing a somersault--showing his fancy behind.'"

"I couldn't escape who I was, a woman who sensed that she lived to love."

"I dared not wish for my good fortune to last forever. I tried hard not to expect anything. But deep down I desired to keep what I had sprouted."

"'Dying is cheap and living is noble.'"

"They shouted patriotic slogans like schoolchildren.'"

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my favorite scene, so far, from the book, as I have not yet finished it . . .

p.76-77

. . . After I got out of bed I went to a room to use the chamber pot. I was followed by six maids. It was no use that I demanded to be left alone. These people were trained by Chief Eunuch Shim to be deaf and mute in situations like this . . . I was in a hurry but I couldn't let myself go. There was no window to let out the odor. The maids stood around me, staring. I told them again and again to leave me alone, but they refused. They begged me to let them serve . . .

"Leave your stuff in the floor," I said. "You are dismissed."

Everyone murmured "Yes, my lady," but no one moved.

I raised my voice. "I am going to stink."

"No, you don't stink, " they replied in unison.

"Do me a favor!" I shouted. "Out!"

"We don't mind. We love your stink."

"An-te-hai!" her first eunuch and servant

An-te-hai rushed in. "Yes, my lady."

"Call Chief Eunuch Shim immediately and tell him that my servants are not obeying me."

"It won't work, my lady." . . . "I am afraid Chief Eunuch Shim wouldn't do anything about this."

"Why?"

"It is the rule that the Emperor's wives be served this way."

"Whoever invented the rule must be an idiot."

"Oh, no, my lady, don't ever say that!" . . . "It was Her Majesty the Grand Empress who invented the rules!"

  I pictured the Grand Empress (Orchid's MIL) sitting on her chamber pot, attended by a roomful of maids. "She must think that her shit is diamonds and her farts perfume. Does her Majesty have rules about the size, shape, length, color and odor of stools?" (lmao)

"Please, my lady." An-te-hai became nervous. "You want to bring no trouble to yourself and me."

"Trouble? All I want is to be able to shit by myself!"

"It is not about shitting, my lady," An-te-hai murmured, as if his mouth was stuffed with food.

"What is it about, then?"

"It is about grace, my lady."

"Grace? How can anyone shit gracefully?" (hahahahaha)

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and my most favorite line in the book, so far . . .

"'You see, my lady, I am a squirrel with a dragon's ambition.'" said to Orchid by An-te-hai

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Well, I hope you enjoyed these little tidbits, and of course, they aren't really in context, except for the long passage there, and you really should read the book. There's quite a bit of history implanted in it too, but it reads so fast, you can't tell you're learn anything . . . alright, RAW is on, and I'm supposed to be in a hall meeting/program thing . . . and I really ought to start that redundant test and essy . . . *sigh* . . . bbl, hope you all are having a wonderful day . . . did I mention that test and essay were redundant?