Things that perplex me...

Why does it take going into the fasting month for someone to start apologizing for past mistakes?

Why does it take going into the month of Ramadan, for one to start contacting all their old friends (the ones they don't bother saying hi to or messaging before that), just to apologize....Does it make one feel like one is part of the larger group, apologizing because everyone else is doing it?

Why does it take Ramadan, to make one suddenly grow compassion and love? Whatever happened to the other days in the year?

Is it justifiable for us to act nonchalant and uncaring in other times, because we can make up for it during Ramadan anyway? If you're saying it's a holy, blessed month (which is true), it's the same as saying, hey I can screw up for the rest of the year, do good things for one month, and get back to screwing around after that.

Because in all honestly, that's what happens...Most of the time.

Sounds....hypocritical...don't you think? I mean my grasp of religion is BAD, but this is just plain...wrong. Don't even get me started on all the good deeds and religious acts....

It perplexes me. Truly.

To quote a friend and fellow blogger. Same thing happens with Valentines Day (I'm not comparing. Don't flame me with comparing Valentine's day with Ramadan, I'm NOT. I'm just painting a picture to make it clearer)... It's a day when people take the opportunity to SELL love, when love should be celebrated everyday.

Quick Update

Hi!

I'm back from Malacca.

I have pictures! Will upload those soon.

The weather was mad on the days while I was there. One day I was drenched from the rain. The next day I was drenched in sweat. I look like a lobster.

Sunburned.

Sekrit project is going GREAT! :) *winks*

Short Story: Moving up to the climax....I FINALLY figured out how to end it without any cliches! (Muchos gracias me brothers!) Can't elaborate on that. I'm 3000 words behind and I only have...10 days to complete everything and ship the story out...ARgh!

Received mail from beloved mentor this morning. Totally made my day. Plans to see her next year...still ON! Ideas for POA are pouring in! I really can't wait to get back to that.

Tasted the best teh tarik ever today ~ Istana Hotel.Bye!

So...where are we?

Confound it! I hate moments such as this.

I'm staring at the 8th scene for the short story, where the entire story has been building up to. And now, with the climax imminent...I'm stuck.

After churning out 500 words each night, I thought I was on a role. I mean, come on! I'm only three scenes away from being DONE!

Ra'kir: This is the part where she goes a little crazy folks.

Arrgh, how the hell do you writers do this??

On an unrelated note, it's wonderful to see new, young writers making it big on the scene. I have been dazzled by Scott Lynch's Gentleman Bastards sequence and Patrick Rothfuss' Name of the Wind. They're both an inspiration, truly, even more so because their stories are different. More importantly they don't revolve around the cliches of great fantasy epics like elves, dwarves, magical rings, the all-popular "prophecy" and so and so forth.

I can't wait to read the works of other young writers.

On another topic. One of Leonardo daVinci's seven principles in becoming a genius is the
sensazione - The continual refinement of the senses, especially sight, as a means to enliven experience.

This is such a paradoxical trait to have, for migraine sufferers especially, because whenever one's senses become refined and tuned enough in order to experience situations in a more heightened, enlivened way, it can only mean one thing - A migraine attack. Egad! What a scary thought.

Ra'kir: Get back to the story, woman! You're rambling!

Me: Alright already!

On being healthy - Fat or Fit?

On some occassions, you might find yourselves in a conversation where someone who is of a suitable size, weight and fitness, comments about how much she is eating. This more often than not happens at the lunch/dinner table. And of course, as all predictable storylines go, the next line which pops up of said girl's mouth would be:

"I'm so fat. I need to lose weight."

Now, depending on my relationship with said girl, I would either offer some consoling words OR roll my eyes and let the conversation slide without me. Why? Because if I did pitch in, half of the time I would get that annoyed, "what-do-you-know?" stare. Half of the women on the table would, for a few moments, simultaneously insist on how lucky I am being THIS thin.

If you count having an overactive metabolism a blessing from god, then we are in serious trouble here folks. On such occassions I usually shrug, revert back to the world inside my head and start plotting the stories I have to write. Hey, at least the people in my stories don't ask me, "does this dress make me look fat?"

Anyway, here's why we're in trouble.

We can't tell the difference between being health-conscious and being fat-conscious. We can't tell the difference between what's healthy for us, and what's detrimental for our bodies.

Whining about your weight because your primary concern is how such weight will lead to a whole catalogue of health problems is a far more justifiable way to act than worrying about weight because "that other girl is so much skinnier than me!"

Understanding the fact that our primary concern should be the status of our HEALTH is the first step to actually making weight-monitoring a permanent lifestyle. Understanding that working out, having a healthy habit IS a lifestyle and not something you do for just a couple of months, is another way of making it permanent. That's another topic altogether, so I'll touch more on that in another entry soon.

If you're starving and killing yourself even when you're already at an appropriate weight, chances are you'll NEVER be satisfied.

Those who are fat-conscious and are constantly checking the width of their thighs will most likely drive themselves crazy at the gym, reducing their weights to an anorexical status. It boils down to the point where even a "little" bit of meat on the bones is considered a plague to society. Those who spurn comfort food like ice-cream , and the punish themselves after that is just plain silly.

"Yes, one small cup of haagen daaz ice cream will turn you into a fat bear. Yup, that's the way the body works, ladies. Kudos!" In the words of a friend from another blog:

"does it make you feel attractive after not eating for 40 days, having bouts of anorexia and "going on a diet". cmon, don't bullshit yourself.

Thank you. Good night.

Crit Groups

Currently listening to: Bach... again.

Here's the problem with living in Malaysia for a fantasy writer.

When it boils down to finding beta readers and a proper crit group...it's difficult. Not impossible, just difficult.

There are no workshops, no conventions, no writer's group that could actually provide that much needed boost when things get tough. I have wonderful friends who keep me afloat when the rejections pour in, I am thankful for that...but still...

There are technical details in writing that only fellow writers could point out...Attending conventions and meeting the right people would definitely help with keeping one up-to-date with what's hot in the market, what works, what doesn't.

I've often considered moving there...Considering it again now.

Imaginary Writing

This video just cracks me up. LOL!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQ_-TOJhXXk

Work in progress: The first draft for the short story is days away from being done. 3500 words to go! I can't believe it's the 15th of August already.

Explaining WOTF

So here's the deal on the short story.

It's still 4000 words. I had to backtrack to get the mortuary scene RIGHT and do a little bit more research on roman/baroque architecture. And...for those of you who asked, WOTF stands for Writers of the Future lol! I highly recommend this competition for any of you who's trying to find your footing in the unforgiving, cragged cliff that is the publishing industry.

Writerly update

And the current wordcount for TKAK is:

4,031 / 8,000 (50.4%)

Halfway through!

And here we are again...

After much consideration (one which took only a couple of minutes, really), I have decided to get myself a proper blog here.

It's primarily because people can't seem to find the one in my facebook...So here it is! Hope this lasts. I've lost count to the number of blogs I've terminated in the last 5 years.

Corny name for a blog, I know. I've run out of creative juices. It'll change soon, when my imagination starts kicking in.

Okay, here's this morning's entry, which I wrote in facebook:

Currently listening to: Bach's Concerto for 3 Harpsichords.

First off, it’s tradition for me and Julie to do this each year – Our birthday wishlist. Don’t get us wrong. We don’t expect anything…This is purely for fun :D And it’s basically a reminder for me as to what I want and need to get as well, since I have such a bad…recollection of things.

Ra’kir: My, aren’t we full of it today XD

Me: Shush! Hey, you’re up early.

Ra’kir: *points to short story* You have to get back to that, missy.

Me: Okay, in a bit!

Anyway, wish list:
1.Janny Wurts’ Stormed Fortress
2.Patrick Rothfuss’ Wise Man’s Fear (not out yet. Coming soon though)
3.Any volume of L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future anthologies. (It’s so hard to find these books here!)
4.A simple dinner with friends. That’ll be the icing on the cake.

That’s all I can think of. See? I’m a woman with simple needs XD Despite Julie’s and Jocelyn’s insistence that I require a new set of clothes, dresses, shoes, and all the paraphernalia that makes a woman a woman, I’m a happy camper as long as I get new material to read every month or so. That…would explain why the slab of wood that’s hanging over my head is overflowing with books….

Ra’kir: And junk…

Me: Growls.

I have a bad recollection of things. I mentioned that earlier, but this is getting serious. The other day a junior of mine (junior in uni) stopped me at McDonalds to say hi. My normal reaction is normally to stare at these people blankly, trying desperately to recall who he/she is. This isn’t the first time this has happened. So far I’ve counted 3 such encounters in Media Prima…Juniors who apparently know so much about me….But I have no recollection of them. (I’m so sorry guys!)

You’ll have to forgive me. I…tend to wander through life meeting a LOT of people…and well, it’s hard to sort faces out in the spur of the moment….Harder still for me to dig through my memory bank to somehow recall how I was connected to these people.

It sounds cruel, but trust me, it just slips my mind. I blame the migraine medicines I had to take when I was younger. As a result of those wrongly-prescribed pills, I couldn’t even remember much of my high school years – to the frustration of Jules of course, because at times she’d say “hey, remember that one time in school…” then she’d stop herself, watch as my face break out into that silly, sheepish, I-don’t-know-what-you’re-talking-about grin, roll her eyes and say “cheh, nevermind la” If you think that sounds bad, I can’t even remember half of my relatives. *sheepish grin*

On the short story: 3800 words so far. I might make it to 4000 today. *dances*

The competition looks extremely tough.