Kindle vs Books

Today I was waltzing about my favourite shop, Exclusive Books, and as my sister and I were considering which Sherlock Holmes volume to purchase, when a man came up to us and suggested that we download the free eBooks. I told him eBooks hurt my eyes, and he suggested we buy a Kindle, an eBook reader. I've seen a Kindle before, and I love the fact that it has a 'dull' screen so it's easy on the eyes, but at the same token, it doesn't have a book smell or feel. But in any case I figured it wouldn't hurt to research it and see whether it is worth saving up for.

Pros:
- eBooks are quick to download
- Gentle on the eyes
- It's light
- You can carry your library around with you (reading fiction during lecture made easy)
- You don't pay extra for hardback books
- You can adjust the screen format to suit your needs (bigger font, etc)

Cons:
- There's no book smell
- There's no turning of pages
- There's no 'hardback' version, so no spine labels on my books
- Chances are, my mother will see the electronic device as a distraction from my studies and confiscate it as a form of punishment. She's done this with my books before, but it's easier to hide a Kindle than it is to hide a thousand paged book. Also, the Kindle would have all my books, which means all my books would be confiscated.
- Because technology comes with unaccommodating prices, we'd probably only get one. So my sister and I would fight over it, thus increasing her argument about me being her 'arch enemy' (See, she's going through this Sherlock phase and refuses to call me anything but Mycroft and responds to nothing but Sherlock - She even changed our names on my mother's cellphone address-book. She's sixteen years old.)
- Lack of physical books means I won't have enough reason to build a secret library with a secret passage in my future home.

The Kindle is about R 1 600 if I'm not mistaken. Currently, the A Song of Ice and Fire box set is just under R 1 000 at Exclusive Books. I'm sorry Kindle, but that box set comes with a map of Westeros and the Seven Free Cities, which already has a spot on my wall. Maybe next year.

Ice and Fire

I've not yet blogged about my recent obsession, mostly because I haven't had time to blog in the last few months, however I'm both pleased and petrified to announce that I have a new, growing obsession which is showing clear signs of becoming almost as time consuming as Harry Potter is for me. 

I started watching Game of Thrones about two months ago and, with some time on my hands, I've started the books. Books are better, just saying. Although the TV series is pretty good. 

Instead of bombarding my blog with ASoIaF posts, I figured it would be better if I just fangirled on Tumblr - which is why I've created a new blog from my Tumblr account. 

Oh, and I LOVE Arya Stark.

Nelson Mandela - Simplicity of Intention and Action.

The common Absurdist belief follows that the only two things that mankind can be certain of is life and death. It is the same for every man and woman, regardless of their status or wealth.

I think that’s something everyone should consider when we make decisions and take actions. We have a limited period on this earth, and we don’t even know the length of it. What matters is not the start of our life or our death, but the time in between. 

Nelson Mandela is someone who used his time effectively and is proof that sometimes simplicity in actions and intentions can create the biggest societal impact.

There appears to be no ‘idle time’ in his history. Even his twenty seven years on Robben Island wasn’t simply spent in isolation - his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom was drafted on scraps of toilet paper during his imprisonment and hidden in the garden outside his prison cell. 

Twenty-seven years of imprisonment is still difficult for me to understand because I’m only twenty. It seems practically nightmarish and untrue. But this is because I was born into a time when democracy was being introduced in South Africa, so I have no true understanding of the struggle the older generations of our country faced. The scary part is that I could have easily been born into a time of civil war in South Africa. But Nelson Mandela chose forgiveness over revenge, and I am able to enjoy rights, facilities and a life my parents and grandparents were not allowed to, able to choose my friends without the restriction of racial prejudice. 

Today marks the beginning of national mourning for the late president. But the best way to honour someone is to understand their legacy and do our best to ensure it’s never forgotten. For me, it will be his simplicity of his choices that will always stand out. Forgiveness saved South Africa from civil war. Wearing a t-shirt to show his support for those living with HIV and Aids created an awareness, eliminated any notion that is was taboo and gave hope to those affected by the illness. His support for the Springboks in the 1995 Rugby World Cup, in the wake of democracy, helped unite South Africans,

He was never excessive and over-dramatic, just simple and poignant. And this is something we could all implement in the uncertainty between life and death.

Thank you, Nelson Mandela, for your simplicity, your compassion and your determination. May your legacy remain deeply rooted in African soil and help our country flourish.