Holidays. They are a paradoxical time. When you are in the midst of the academic year, you tell yourself- "I wanna/I'm gonna do a,b,c and z", " I can't wait for the holidays!" - and stuff like that. When the holidays actually arrive, how many do you actually do? One? Two? None? If it's the latter, it's not surprising. Then the usual - "I'm bored..." - comes about.

To keep myself from idling away, I've decided to create a list of sorts with realistic things to do in the holidays. That way, I'll have something constructive to do.

1) Revise unfamiliar topics
2) Read at least 5 proper novels - 2 down
3) Go running regularly - in the process
4) Start going to the gym
5) Go on a food trail, based on Life's 100 Best Dishes
6) Watch good movies

These will do for now.

I've just finished a novel by Ian McEwan - Atonement. I think it's one of the better novels I have read. He does not employ language that would require you to read with a dictionary in hand. He wields words simply, yet effectively. He can paint characters and scenery with great ease. I was captivated by his writing. That has not happened for some time. Well, I would recommend it.

As for television shows, I'm hooked onto this series called 'Pushing Daisies'. It's about this pie-maker who has a special gift - he can bring dead things back to life. But there are two rules to his gift. First - he can only touch the dead person/thing once. A second touch would kill. Second - he can only revive the thing/person for 60 seconds, any longer and a person nearby would die. He helps a PI to solve murder cases by reviving the dead, and tracking their killers down. There's more to this actually, and it would take me forever to say it all. You should give this a go, it's really quite touching and sweet. You'd have to watch to find out why.