An Unexpected Fan of Harry Potter

As has been established, I'm a geek. I love scifi, fantasy, science, gaming, reading, gadgets, and even (gasp!) math. (I used to do geometry proofs for fun, but that's not really the point . . . )

One of my fandoms is the Harry Potter universe, written by J.K. Rowlings. Now, I was a latecomer to this one. I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone years and years ago, but wasn't impressed. So I never read any further.

Then I met Roswenthe (as she's sometimes known online), and we quickly became close friends. Except she's a huge HP fan, and so are almost all our mutual friends, especially those on our forum, TechnoChicks! So after being left out of about a zillion conversations (online and offline) in anticipation of book seven, I gave in and decided to give Harry Potter another chance.

 I checked out book one and read it again; still just okay. Then I read book two, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and decided it was actually pretty good. So I read book three. Then book four. Book five. Book six . . . at least I didn't have to wait for Deathly Hallows! (I devoured it at light speed, though I hated to finish it.)

As you can no doubt guess, I had become invested in the story. I cared about the Rowling's characters; they are well-written, demonstrating real depth and complexity. The plot is well-developed, providing surprises while still meeting the need for a story you can follow.  I was infuriated by the injustices. I wanted good to triumph over evil.

And in the end, that's what got me. I am a sucker for the epic battle of good versus evil, righting injustices, making the world a better place. And on that score, J.K. Rowling delivers.

Lessons Learned in India

I returned yesterday from a trip to India. It was an eye-opener, to say the least! I learned several…interesting…lessons.

• The lines on the road are part of a pavement beautification project and should be ignored. 
• Water buffalo do not care how large your vehicle is, or how loud. 
• If you're from America, you probably know Obama. 
• Motorized vehicles have been modified so that they only operate if the horn is used every three minutes. 
• Motorcycles and bicycles can carry four or five people. 
• Toilet paper can be crisp.
• Ten passengers in a rickshaw is perfectly reasonable. 
• "No problem" can mean anything from "That's the best idea I've ever heard!" to "If we do that, the universe will implode." 

I also learned that the people of India are some of the most gracious and hospitable anywhere. We could learn a lot from them.

A Passion for Parasols

When I was a kid, my grandma gave me the coolest little parasol. It was green, and it doubled as an umbrella. She bought it from this wonderful lady in Dahlonega, Georgia, who would paint your name and fanciful little designs on your parasol. (As of two years ago, she was still doing them at Gold Rush Days.)

Years later, my class made a field trip to something called the "China Exhibit" at the High Museum of Art, and I bought myself a beautiful waterproofed paper parasol (green again, as it happens), and I toted that thing around until it eventually disappeared.

Well, I'm fair-skinned and burn easily. Make that really, really fair-skinned, and really, really prone to sunburn. Despite having a decided goth streak, I love the sun, and I love to be outside in it. (I've relegated my inner goth to a part of my soul that mainly gets to play with my wardrobe and Halloween.) For years I've relied on hats and sunscreen, but I hate sunscreen. I hate putting it on, and I don't trust most sunscreen after doing a bit of research.

Last year, I remembered my beloved parasols from my childhood. Why wasn't I using a parasol anymore? I've always loved how they look, and I see them all the time around where I work, carried by the Hispanic and Asian women who walk everywhere. And hey, it's certainly an environmentally friendly approach to sun protection!

So began my hunt for the perfect parasol. My first acquisition, after much research, came from Luna Bazaar, who have the most amazing assortment of paper parasols! (Their main clients are brides and event planners, so they have a rainbow of colors. There are even a few nylon parasols, and they've announced that they'll be adding lace parasols.) I settled on the henna design painted paper umbrella, one of only two waterproof parasols. It stands up to rain quite well, though I wouldn't use it in high winds. (That's only because I'm protective of it, not because I've had a single problem with it.)

As a result of my parasol hunt, I found several examples of belly dance routines with parasols. Since I have a bit of an addiction to props in belly dance, that's just up my alley! I also saw one example of a paper parasol breaking during a routine, so I knew I needed a regular parasol for dance.

I found it this year at the Georgia Renaissance Festival. It's a beautiful red lace parasol, with a sturdy black wood handle and metal ribs. (I found an identical one on sale online.) I had seen several black ones at various conventions, marketed to the steampunk set (yay steampunk!), but this was the first red one! I love that it's so unusual. I hope to have a dance solo worked up in time for my troupe's December show.

Now I'm buying a couple more paper parasols. I'm feeling the lure of the unusually shaped ones, so I've looked at the grass green scalloped parasol and the powder blue star parasol, both from Luna Bazaar. Then again, the gilded blue parasol is gorgeous... (That's also from Luna Bazaar. Have I mentioned how much I love them? And that most of their parasols use sustainably grown wood for the handles and finials?) Eventually I'm going to get the butterflies and flowers parasol or maiden oiled paper parasol, both very Asian designs from Asian Ideas. They also have a lovely square parasol, which is certainly distinctive.

Apparently the recent appreciation for multicultural designs has been having its effect. I've found some other sources, too.

Oiled paper parasols from Japanese Style
Very elegant fabric pagoda parasol-umbrellas from Bella Umbrella
Paper parasols from Asian Import Store
A wide range of distincive parasols from Pamela's Parasols
Asian-style parasols and umbrellas from Oriental Decor
Silk, nylon, lace, paper, and oiled paper parasols from Asian Ideas

Photo by Michael Connell on Flickr