I had to take it slowly just to make the good parts last

My French has either deteriorated, or it was never as good as I believed it to be. (I suspect more the latter than the former, to be honest. Since I never did succeed in reading a whole French novel in school.)

Which makes reading Tran-Nhut's Le temple de la grue écarlate rather more difficult than I'd hoped. Still, with the aid of pencil, dictionary, and notebook, I believe I will succeed: the first page has already charmed me. (And honestly, being as limited as I am in my other languages is embarrassing. I need to at least try to put a bit more effort in.)

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I had been thinking seriously about trying to get to the States next July - but for the same amount as I'd pay for return flights there and back, I can get a month's accommodation on the island of Naxos (in a large apartment, albeit at the cheap end - anyone want to come?), and transpo there, between late May and late June. Which would be great for a spot of writing-up time, and quiet fun.

Pity I'm such an anxious traveller.

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A bright November morning, colours vivid - if tending to yellowing brown in the fields.

Exercise log: climbing

Two 6As (orange, grey). Half another, interesting 6A (blue), which I may be able to finish next time, if my right wrist is less twitchy. A 5, which I flew up feeling powerful to finish.

Still not where I want to be, but improvements. Improvements!

Links for the long long day

Should We Be Worried About the End of Boys?

Mesle’s connection between manhood and power is disturbing from a feminist perspective. Should the girls in these books love men who accept social power, regardless of the cost? Probably not. That’s a pretty terrible way of choosing a boyfriend.

Greece is ripe for radical change:

The new cuts in salaries and pensions come on top of the 40% reductions already in place. Greece has experienced a 24% GDP contraction over five years, with unemployment at 25.5 % and youth unemployment at 55%, the highest in Europe. A humanitarian crisis has followed, with homelessness, mental illness and suicide at unprecedented levels. Hospitals cannot work for lack of basic medicines, schools have no textbooks or fuel for heating, people scour rubbish bins for food. The various lists of potential tax evaders, many of them supporters of the mainstream parties, disappear in the drawers of the elites. Politicians and rich tax evaders enjoy permanent immunity, while journalists who reveal them are prosecuted.

Victor Orbán's grip on government is suffocating democracy in Hungary:

Since December 2011, former state TV union leaders and NGOs have been holding protests in front of state TV headquarters against biased reporting. On 23 October, when hundreds of thousands marched on the streets of Budapest, state news preferred to cover a pro-Orbán march for seven minutes on the evening news. A similarly large opposition protest received barely a minute in coverage.

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I spent the day reading Aretaeus. And collecting references to bad smells. The medical writers are a touch on the squicky side.