Ancient indian yogic text

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It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else’s life with perfection.

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- Bhagavad Gita

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Literary blogging traditionally

Some weeks ago, I individually told Michelle and Niki about a project I wanted to innovate from the South America trip. Both pointed out the obvious, which wasn’t to me. One said that I have to read alot. The other said, besides format, it also needs a theme.

Sharon offered me to browse through her (probably endless) collection, but of late I’m not keen on borrowing books. Good ones are for keep, and you won’t know till you have it.

I found Che Guevara’s Motorcycle Diaries rather, err. To give him the benefit of doubt, he didn’t write it in view of having it publish, nor as a story book. I’ve not watched the movie yet. Perhaps that might give some light to this man’s Notes On A Latin American Journey.

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On Saturday night Jennie cooked another good home made dinner. I mentioned the idea and she suggested Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I bought it the following evening. And this Rapid Spanish audio language trainer.

Last night, after a long time, I spent some considerable minutes of reading before I went to bed. (A bedtime custom that eroded with self-discipline). Longer than expected because it’s that good.

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In 2003, my friend Hashley told me about his uncle who write the date, time, location, and sometimes a note, at the beginning of each book he read. I took the idea to myself and found it rewarding later in time after a few books.

Naturally you would agree what I wrote above is average nothing mundane stuff. But for two notes. Usually it would be slightly more elaborate like a skinny on what’s going on in my life or around me, but there are some things I am not prepared to share here. Secondly, even if it’s as simple as this, to come across in a year from now can be quite a thing. What more five, or ten years down. I started in 2003, and it’s been gratifying so far.

Zain HD 1.51am 17/9/08 Wed. Mid Ramadhan. Bought book on Sunday at Kino KLCC upon recommendation of Jennie Yang. Also purchased Rapid Spanish Vol. 1 CD.

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The pen dance

Last week I made the decision to cultivate my time, into something new that was out of my comfort zone. Writing. Barely seven days later, I get a phone call from another online mag asking me to write. I asked if they knew about me approaching the other two mags last week. Nay. Super. All three entities mentioned

Last week I made the decision to cultivate my time, into something new that was out of my comfort zone. Writing.

Beyond the blogging parametres and that of work related to RA. I emailed two online magazines (if I could call them that), and received prompt receptive replies requesting me to send in samples of my previous ‘work’. I thought, how blessed this is.

Barely seven days later, I get a phone call from another online mag asking me to write. Partly because their issue has something to do with a project I was involved in, and partly because they felt I should write. I asked if they knew about me approaching the other two mags last week. Nay.

Super.

All three entities mentioned above are of people I (at least) think well of. My worry now is that I’ve always found it difficult writing something that I was told to write about. The one time I did, I came up with this cough on the steps piece on the Skinny Model Ban.

While in university, I noted that Mass Comm was not one of the faculty’s many people think ‘high’ off. You could say a ton about that paradigm. Both sides of the coin.

But I must say, lately meeting more and more of their kind, I take more than of my hat off to brilliant journalists out there.

July 2003 – Sept 2008

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Clocking 56660 kilometres, over six tarmac mishaps, never washed.

Bye-bye my topless, and spotless Sayang.

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Curious residency

My friend Juria, co-wrote the upcoming 8 Ways To Lighten The Schoolbag with Cameronian Arts Award-nominee Mark Beau De Silva, who is also directing this production. In support for it, I am writing this post in point form. Although 8 random points, they flow and connect one after the other. It would’ve been nice to not mention, but just in case. For value sake, to lighten your load. :)

*Its invitation page on Facebook

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1. When a silly boy understands the lesson he’s learned, he is a man. Until then, in bliss, that man burns.

If you live in the past, you live in the past. So I finished by reading a few very old emails, and walked a few very new steps.

A man that once in his life, had avoided a woman’s phone call, is one without foresight.

With now allocating some money aside, I confess I’ve started reading a little on investments.

Someone overheard, someone (I think somewhat highly of) telling someone else, that I’m “a brilliant chap, but he thinks he can do everything and he’s doing it.” I note the ‘but’ to connote the 50% compliment, 50% not, statement. The best compliment though, is to note oneself making concrete changes, to change.

Last week, Wednesday, I had a mild fever. I had refused to inform almost anyone for not wanting sympathy or a series of routine questions, as touching that might be. Perhaps that is why I had it till Saturday night.

I thought it was a-not-so-serious fever. But I did lose significant appetite, and gain a few hyphens.

8. The most important lesson this man had learned is, to not reap what you sew. Instead sew more.

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Support RA’s pro bono projects by donning a t-shirt. Click here to know more.

Revelation

It’s amazing how blessings come in disguise.

I’ve a conviction to be closer within grips of what’s important to me. :)

Pictures: rwp wellington, eindhoven, kuala lumpur, melbourne, singapore

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In Civic Square, Wellington. Photo by Alastair Smith

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Read while Waiting Project

“To think that it was just an idea you had some 3 months ago to where it is now. You’ve done so much, am proud of you.”
- Miss Not Ascertainable

RWP first crossed my mind in early May 2008. While I was pushing my bike on the highway after it ran out of petrol. It was one of the best times of my life.

I’ve been a law graduate since December 2007, and could be earning perhaps RM2000 a month for an employer silly enough to pay me that kind of money. But I’m not.

Instead I’m a self-employed unpaid pseudo activist doing what I feel like doing and persuading as many people as I can reach, convincing them why they should listen to this madman.

Whether you commend or criticise the Read while Waiting Project, but henceforth at some point in your life, it has (even) subconsciously moved you to read as oppose to not doing anything productive with that time, I then, have achieved what I set out to do.

*All pictures you see here are also available on Facebook.

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Melbourne

“I just left the place. Although tak ramai, I’m really happy with it. Ada dalam 6, 7 orang, and they are all totally strangers, grouped together to read books. Best douh. Thanks a lot bro. You taught me something there and I felt it.”
- Izhar Moslim

To promote the participation and awareness of RWP, RA has done 3 things (1st video, 2nd video & 23rd August flashmob) and have 1 more remaining. That is, the BookCrossing gathering.

It is where people, strangers and friends, would meet up to either loan or give away books. This gathering will be done in a few months time.

Below are pictures from Melbourne. It was coordinated by Izhar Moslim, who arranged for 400 RWP Pay It Forward Bookmarks to be delivered to Melbourne at the last minute via Afiah Hafiz.

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Eindhoven

“P.S. = it was .. niceeee !!!”
- Chiara Mafucci

RWP has 2 main objectives
1. To see more people reading (any form of literature) whenever they wait
2. To make people more conscious of whenever they are about to go somewhere and know that some waiting will be involved, then bring something to read

Below are pictures from Eindhoven. It was coordinated by Chiara Mafucci. Chiara is from the south of Italy and works in Eindhoven. Zain HD had dinner with her in when he was in Eindhoven for one night (November 2007).

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Singapore

“Hmmm..it’s raining here.”
- Sofiah Jamil

The reason why RA picked the ‘waiting’ element is because of the baby steps approach.

Don’t try to get someone who does not even read to start the habit, buying literature and/or set an over optimistic goal.

Below are pictures from Singapore. It was coordinated by Sofiah Jamil. She is researcher at the NTU Rajaratnam School of International Studies and co-founder of Itchy Traveller.

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Kuala Lumpur

“Zain, great fun meeting you yesterday. Enjoyed the RWP. Let’s think of something fun for World AIDS Day please!”
- Marina Mahathir

The idea was to get a person comfortable with the idea of reading in the first place, and then what that person does subsequently, is up to them.

And the simplest way to do it, is to get them to not allocate a time of the day specially for reading, but to fill it in between things they already are doing.

Below are pictures from Kuala Lumpur (taken by Joshua Ong). It was coordinated by Zain HD of RA. He needs a break.

RWP also got picked up in New Zealand by two influential bloggers. Social commentator Paul Reynolds and former managing director & publisher of Penguin NZ, Graham Beattie. With the help from Paul, RWP was promoted on the Christchurch City Council Library Official Blog and the National Radio of New Zealand.

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RWP is one of RA’s pro bono projects. Support our projects by donning these t-shirts.

Melancholy relations

A friend of mine once said, it is a melancholy truth that even great men have their poor relations.

I suppose if you’re not even the former, then you’re really screwed.

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