Current update - 30/11/05

Why do I do this?

Read: Imajica, Abarat & Abarat 2 by Clive Barker
Reading: Nicholas Nickelby by Charles Dickens, The Dumas Club by Arturo Perez-Reverte
CD: None
Favorite song: Dare by Gorillaz
Playing: Luxor (MSN)
Watching: Desperate Housewives, Amazing Race: Family Edition, The Drew Carey Show, Monk

*No. of times asked if I have a boyfriend: 6
*No. of times asked when I will get married: 19
*No. of times asked when I will have kids: 2
Note: * Since I started this blog of course. I've been getting these questions lots of times before but you can't honestly believe I would count them, right? I just thought of this lately. It's interesting to know the average number of times a single girl at a marriageable age get that million dollar question. I hope other single bloggers would do the same. Maybe we can write a thesis on it! I also change "ppl" to "times" since one person can ask all three questions.

Other news:
1) Joined NaNoWriMo with no success
2) Started my part-time work as a tv show translator
3) Bought a digicam (more on this in later post)

Dah pancit dah

If eyeris stated this as the reason for him not finishing his Nano, my reason would be this...


I had to place an order for the bookstore to bring this in, I don't know why. It is such a precious book, nice story filled with illustrations done by the man himself. Great artworks in my opinion.

I've waited for one year for the book to come into paperback and when I finally got my hands on it I was in the midst of trying to write my own 'precious' book. After 2 weeks of trying, I couldn't resist the temptation. Why bend your back creating your own crap when you can read other people's gems right? I just had to pick it up and start reading it.

However, it was postponed because I realized that, apart from the fact that the main character came from Chickentown and ended up in Abarat, I couldn't remember anything else from the first book. So I read the first book again before jumping into this one. So there goes my Nano.

I'm still blown away by Clive Barker's great artistry. I just cannot comprehend how these could come out from one person's head.




I wanted to scan my favourite illustration out of the two books but I can't decide which one I like the most, I love them all. So I gave you the most beautiful and the most gruesome and something in between, which describe the range of subjects in his art.

I can't explain why I like his paintings. But then it's not like you can always explain why you like some things and not others. They just struck a chord in me, that's all I can say. I just want to look at it again and again. He himself may have sold his soul to the devil, I don't know but I'm sure enjoying his sacrifices.

So imagine my delight when I found out he recently put out a book showcasing more than 400 of his drawings and oil paintings.
I've placed an order for it last week. The price is a bit steep but like they say, it's a must-have for all fans and that's certainly what I am. Can't wait for it's arrival. Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War is the second book out of a quartet. I can't wait for those too.

Now, if only he would think of making a graphic novel with his own drawings. Those that are already in the market are done by other artists and they just don't quite cut it for me. They include his other novel for children, The Thief of Always, the Hellraiser series featuring short stories inspired by The Hellbound Heart, and Tapping the Vein, a visualization of some of the stories featured in his Books of Blood. I might consider getting this one because some of the stories are so unbelievable I have to see it to accept it. Especially for In the Hill, the Cities. You just have to read the story to understand me on this one.

Anyway, I just want to make it official that I've given up on trying to finish my Nano. No regrets. I finished 3 good books this month and in the middle of another great one, The Dumas Club.

Will I ever do it again? Sure why not. Recently I opened my Nano again, albeit reluctantly (I was just too ashamed to face my own substandard work ). The experience was not that bad. In fact I think I will work on it again whenever the mood comes, just for my own personal pleasure.

The flesh is not willing

Raya this time was uneventful like always. The only difference was instead of having nasi himpit and kuah kacang for breakfast, lunch and dinner, I didn't have any. I don't know why. Maybe I knew that this year's kuah kacang was tasteless. It turned out that the kacang tumbuk my mum bought to make things easier was spoiled. So there goes a pot of kuah kacang down the drain. Thankfully my sister brought some and the future in-laws gave us some as well. So I did get to eat nasi himpit and kuah kacang, just that one time. I prefer ketupat actually. But I compensate my breakfast lunch and dinner with lemang because this year my mum make rendang tok... very nice .

This year I also seem to have a hightened appetite for kuih raya. I didn't get to make any this year. I always make at least on type of kuih raya every year, except this one. I don't know why. Could be the new job or maybe it's because I'm blogging this year .

Kids coming over are a bit lesser. I don't know if it was because they've learn the value of being decorous or I wasn't around when they came. I went to work one fine Saturday morning, the third day of raya thank you very much . I don't know if it's just me, because I'm such an anti-social, but I find it annoying when kids from God-knows-where just knock on your door. I'm sure that they don't know who you are anyway and just came over for the money. I've even had some who came in with shabby clothes, sweating like a pig. I was wondering if they gathered for their normal playmeet and when they get tired they just thought,
"Wei, jom gi raya. Boleh makan lepas tu dapat duit lagi."
[Let's go visiting. Can eat and even get money after that]

So far I've only been to one house for raya, no open houses yet. But I'm sure the invitations will come any day now but then I probably would not be able to come because of the shift work. On the other hand, working here, I get to taste so many kuih raya ... even kuih Deepavali also got.

Other news...
To date I'm down to 11,446 word for my Nano... so far to go! And my spirit has suddenly dwindled. I felt like there's so many other stuff to do like finish the books that I started a long time ago, go out with friends with feeling guilty, watch more tv or take more naps. I kind of feel that no matter how hard I try, even if I write everyday, I won't be able to reach the target. But I also think that what if I got so close like getting to 45,000 words on the 29th? I know that I will bang my head for skipping a day of writing. If only they can extend the dateline ...

It's so hard to change your habit. All those years of doing academic writing has taught me to keep the sentences short and simple. That certainly will not work for Nano. My sentences don't make sense, my paragraphs are full of crap and discrepancies appear everywhere. Like would you talk a walk in the middle of the afternon summertime in New York?

Writing this post makes me realize.. I miss blogging.

Happy Holidays!

The house is relatively clean, the rendang and nasi himpit has been cooked, the cookies are laid out on the table. Clothes are ironed, the takbir has been heard, money packed into small green packets and my nano is shelved for the time being.

I just want to wish everyone who ever visited me at this little corner of cyberspace a Selamat Hari Raya or Eid Ul-Fitr. If I have ever said anything that might offend anybody, I sincerely apologize. A girl do need to vent out sometimes.

Jobot says Selamat Hari Raya!