J-emine's reflexionando

Okay, I’ll cut out the excuses as to why the reading is at snail speed and share the latest reads.

Book # 7 – Last Tang Standing by Lauren Ho. Easy weekend read – think of an Asian a la Bridgette Jones. Coincidentally , I started the book the weekend we had an intense discussion at home over marriage, filial piety and societal conformations (can you see the connections?). The read was a nice little respite from the intensity brewing at home. Phew, glad we’ve moved on from this topic(s) – not entirely out of the wood, but we found an equilibrium for the time being.

Book # 8 – Writers and Lovers by Lily King – I savoured this novel over a few evenings after work and in between the internal struggle of lying flat down with netflix. The story centres on writing and love; a beautiful agony as King depicts the life of a struggling writer – Casey Peabody – who has been labouring over a novel for the past 6 years, whilst dealing with the loss of her Mom, failed relationships and facing the brutality of the real world – trying to make ends meet (i.e. roof over her head), student debts, healthcare etc. Despite, how seemingly brittle Casey may seem – one thing she knows for sure and holds a staunch clarity towards is her need to write. Casey writes not “because I think I have something to say. I write because if I don’t, everything feels even worse”. The juxtaposition of emotions from choices one makes when choosing a road less travelled, it’s a tough wager for a struggling artist, but isn’t it always worth a shot, like many other things in life?

Re-writing my (simple) reflection on this novel had me recalling a recent Ted talk that I listened to – ‘ Does Schools Kill Creativity’ https://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_do_schools_kill_creativity/transcript?language=en.

Book # 9 – Before the Coffee gets cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi; English translation by Geoffrey Trousselot. A time-travel melodrama novel set in an old cafe in Tokyo which has been serving coffee for the past 100 years and offering patrons an unique experience to travel back in time. The special power (to be precise, a chair) within the cafe, allows you to do so with few rules in place – and firmly etched to all patrons’ mind – you can’t change the present.

A series of 4 short stories with interlinks of characters and subtle immersion of characters into each stories, whilst allowing the cafe to take on a live of its own as we began to warm up to the main characters and their stories. The story explores the age old questions of what will you change if you can turn back the clock, who will you meet and what will you say. For all the characters that have sat in that special chair, they know the present won’t change – but what will, is a changed of heart that allows them to accept the outcome; and for us readers – recognising that we’re all our own protagonist in the story of our life, and others around us are simply the baristas (you choose which cafe) – supporting us on this crazy journey. I love how Kawaguchi-san has unapologetically preserve the awkwardness and sometimes staleness – (I have turned up my R&B playlist at some point) with a build-up of characters and their relationships. He’s filled it with soul and left my heart contented.

But Kazu still goes on believing that, no matter what difficulties people face, they will always have the strength to overcome them. It just takes heart. And if the chair can change someone’s heart, it clearly has the its purpose.

But with her cool expression, she will just say, ‘Drink the coffee before it gets cold’.