Lise's Lens: December 5, 2024
This week I am reading a novel by Tahar Ben Jelloun, watching the trailer for One Hundred Years of Solitude, and thinking about the concept of time.
WHAT I’M READING
- I recently finished the book Les raisins de la galère by Tahar Ben Jelloun. It tells the story of a French immigrant family, originally from Algeria, through the eyes of the children who are caught in the “l’entre deux” (between two) the victories and disillusions of the first generation. I thought it was beautifully written, with descriptions that creep into your soul. It was a very poignant, stirring read.
WHAT I’M THINKING/TALKING ABOUT
- I have been thinking a lot recently about the concept of time. As I begin my travels through Asia to meet with international families and alumni, I have been getting a taste of what it feels like for many of our families and community members to be (in many cases) 12+ hours ahead of CSW. As I communicate with colleagues back home I am constantly trying to do the calculation in my head to figure out precisely where they are in time, compared to me, and it’s been a really eye-opening exercise. Time is such a precious, but also complicated, concept that so many of us rarely stop and think about. It can make your head spin.
WHAT I'M WATCHING/LISTENING TO
- Have you watched the trailer for One Hundred Years of Solitude (Cien años de soledad)? Netflix has adapted Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s masterpiece novel; the series premieres on December 11. Anyone interested in Latin American literature has no doubt come across this novel, or one of Marquez’s other works, during their studies. According to The New York Times, since it was published in 1967, the book has sold an estimated 50 million copies and has been translated into 46 languages. I was really glad to see that much of the series was filmed in Colombia, Marquez’s birthplace, and that it will be entirely in Spanish, as Marquez is known to have wanted.
WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE
We made it to Hong Kong! Here are Gary and I with Vincent, father of Michelle '27. It has been so lovely meeting some of our international parents and guardians, who have been so incredibly welcoming. I am so touched by their hospitality.
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