dolorosa_12 | With frost at her fingertips

I feel as if every day has been a slow act of semi-hibernation. We're heading towards the chilly heart of winter: short days, icy nights, frost-covered hedgerows. This morning, the mist covered the land, and it hasn't lifted all day. Now the sun's gone down, but the mist still fills the sky. I'm hoping it will linger tomorrow.

I had so many plans: to finish off my second Yuletide treat (the assignment itself is done, as is one treat, and this second treat is about half-finished), to start reading a new book, and so on — but they all fell by the wayside. Instead, I wore soft clothing, snuggled up indoors, and rested.

Matthias and I did watch one film: Vampires versus The Bronx. The title pretty much tells you exactly what you're getting: a group of Plucky Teenagers™ realise that the gentrifying capitalist vampires who have moved into their neighbourhood are literal vampires. Although it lacked any standout actors with the charisma of John Boyega, it reminded me very much of Attack the Block, and I enjoyed it a lot.

I also read Malinda Lo's novel A Line in the Dark: a contemporary YA thriller which reminded me in some ways of Pretty Little Liars (tense group of teenage girls in a claustrophobic small town, lots of dangerous secrets, someone gets murdered and everyone appears culpable). Other than this book, I've not had much luck with reading this month: it's as if my brain is frozen. I may attempt a reread of the Winternight trilogy, which at least feels seasonally appropriate.

I did, however, manage to engage my brain to the extent that I listened to this (free) recording of a panel on speculative fiction by Filipino authors. The panellists were Vida Cruz, Victor Fernando R. Ocampo, Eliza Victoria, and Isabel Yap.

I've got two more weeks of work to go before I go on leave, and I'm really ready for a break. I feel like my Christmas lights: shining resolutely against the darkness.