brainylady

Today I had the great good fortune to stumble across the Web site of the very smart and funny Mimi Smartypants:

Sometimes even though The New Yorker is being so quaintly, ridiculously New Yorker, you kind of have to appreciate it for what it is, the way you would forgive an elderly gay uncle for over-the-top affectations like an ascot or a monocle.

Here's the thing: since coming to Taipei almost 14 months ago, I feel that I've become less and less brainy of a lady. We decided to come here, and I put grad school on hold for the interim, but it turns out that I've actually put my intellect on hold as well. This became crystal clear when I visited my friend Christine in Vancouver last week because of the thrill I got from discussing cultural studies/pop culture stuff with her. So, with the fear of entering grad school in 2004 amid stage whispers of "She's a darn good knitter, but a bit dull upstairs," I resolve to sharpen up.

Clearly I've been unsure of what to do here with my little corner of the Webosphere. So here's what's going to happen. (1) I'm going to take the opportunity to rant a little bit. There's nothing like living in a foreign culture to let loose a person's frustrations; plus, my work environment leaves much to be desired. Look out; I'm going to tell you about it. (2) I'm going to come out as a knitter. There is a big, rich Web ring of knitblogs out there, and I'm going to join up. And then people are going to come and visit this little blog spot who aren't related to me -- eek! (3) As promised, I'm going to put up photo galleries. There will be knitting; oh, will there be knitting. And there will be other things that I deem good enough to share. (4) I'm going to develop theme pages on a semi-regular basis. Coming soon: sushi. You'll see.

There are many, many blogs that I read on a regular basis. Until I create a links page, I'll tell you what my favorites are over the next few days, beginning with the exquisitely crafty Not Martha.

As for me, I'm currently knitting socks from a pattern called Baba's Bed Socks. They are turning out rather stiff and thick, more like slippers than socks. I'm using two strands of a purple worsted-weight acrylic that I bought for $1.50 at the Summerland Thrift Store.