The Erudite, Bookish Reader

Three Important Poets

2011-11-26T21:44:00.001+08:00

Well, at least for me. My love for poetry was almost an afterthought. Poetry for me back then was lines and lines of incomprehensible sentences strung together, and to make them look and sound pretty, they have rhyming words at each line. A fine example is this: And chiefly Thou O Spirit, that dost prefer Before all Temples th' upright heart and pure, Instruct me, for Thou know'st; Thou from

Three Chinese Poets

2011-07-18T17:12:00.001+08:00

Spring View / Spring Prospect AKA Spring in Time of War - Du Fu the country lay broken, but nature still persists a city in springtime where grass and trees may flourish the sight of springflowers leaves me in tears; disheartened by isolation, passing birds startle me while a beacon continues burning for months of three. A letter from home is worth ten thousand taels and,

Happy Teachers' Day!

2011-05-16T23:00:00.000+08:00

Just a quick wish to all the teachers in Malaysia!

Sickening, Shocking and Sad

2011-03-03T21:08:00.002+08:00

I have grown quite jaded with technology these days, I avoid using all the social networks. I rarely stay online longer than three hours a day because I simply have no time for it. When my colleagues ask for my facebook account, I would stall them as long as possible, because the human element is missing, for me at least. But today I saw a different kind of resurgence in technology. It lends a

Present Entanglement: Brent Weeks

2010-12-05T16:21:00.000+08:00

I solemnly do swear that next time I buy a book (or books), I shall be very, very careful in picking. The reason? Every book I pick off the shelf in a shopping whim (yes, I do shop in a whim, but more of that later) I find myself uncannily stuck inside it. The first book was Gail Carriger's Soulless. The main attraction was the rather unmissable title and the model on the cover. Both encouraged

Review: Blameless - Book the 3rd of the Parasol Protectorate

2010-10-16T14:56:00.000+08:00

Good stories make me love good books. That’s the long and short of it when it comes to reading for most people, and I am part of most people. I rarely stick around with serial books, simply because they lose their pull after the second or third book. So what’s with Gail Carriger’s third instalment in the Parasol Protectorate Series that’s making me wanting more? Besides a scandalously pregnant,

Let Me Tell You About: Gail Carriger's Changeless

2010-05-15T17:16:00.001+08:00

Late last week, I finally got my copy of Gail Carriger's second book of The Parasol Protectorate Series. I denied myself the pleasure of devouring the book until yesterday, when I finally plunged right in, with a tall glass of cool iced lemon tea and some peanuts. How un-British. I am happy to say that the wit I often associate with the classics of the English literature is still there, if not

Let me tell you about: Richard Preston's The Cobra Event

2010-03-14T17:37:00.001+08:00

Are you kidding? 1998? That was a lifetime ago. I could not even remember where in the world I bought the book. Maybe, it seemed my affair with books began in a secondhand bookstore. This was no exception. This book was published in 1998, and it caused quite a stir in White House back then. A lone terrorist could unleash terror upon the unsuspecting world, it seemed, and within the pages of

Let me tell you about: James Rollins's The Doomsday Key

2010-03-13T20:59:00.001+08:00

For a yarn that often polarises old and obscure wisdom upon the height of scientific discoveries of modern age, James Rollins’s SIGMA Force series has never lost its momentum. From the first book to the sixth, action and history never looked so good together. His latest offering, The Doomsday Key, is no exception. Slightly breaking away from his norm, the story began in the spring of 1086, in

Let me tell you about: The Name of the Rose

2010-03-01T01:05:00.000+08:00

I have heard of this book for some time. When Mr Brown's The da Vinci Code came out, most of the reviewers compared him with Umberto Eco's later novel, Foucault's Pendulum. I however chose to read this book first. As I've mentioned earlier, I was in luck to find a secondhand book with this title. What surprised me at first was the fact that the book was actually written in Italian. William

My Panacea to Erudite Readership

2010-02-28T23:05:00.001+08:00

I must confess, my affair with Mr Rollins began in an unpromising manner. I bought a secondhand copy of Map of Bones in a Pay Less bookstore. I think one reason I grabbed the book was because it was mistakenly placed next to Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose, and that day the bookstore had a Two for Ten promotion. So, I bought it and read Eco's novel first (that review will come next) and

World Drug Campaign

2010-02-27T17:44:00.001+08:00

Something for the mind, body and soul. Go to the World Drug Day page here. We have suffered enough without drugs, why let it control our daily lives? Fight temptation and embrace life.

Have Myself a Very Holmes Christmas

2009-12-26T00:14:00.000+08:00

Sherlock Holmes. The mere mention of that name eclipses its maker, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Considered by some as the pivotal character in sleuth history of literature, even the twentieth-century greats such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy L Sayers had quoted him as an inspiration. His creator had never pictured Holmes in a rather flattering light - he abused substances, mingled with the lesser

Steampunk: Reclaiming Tech for the Masses

2009-12-09T17:57:00.000+08:00

Steampunk: Reclaiming Tech for the MassesI just love the hat. Thanks to @gailcarriger!

Whitney and Toni

2009-12-08T08:52:00.000+08:00

Mood: I really love these two women. Their voices are unique and do I have to mention the power? The first time I heard of Whitney was of course from the world-famous soundtrack The Bodyguard 'I Will Always Love You'. How she sang that long note was anybody's guess (And I--------------- Will Always Love You------!). As for Toni Braxton, it was her first album with the wonderful 'Another Sad

Let me tell you about: Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express

2009-12-07T13:52:00.000+08:00

Cover courtesy of Wikipedia When I told friends that English was not my strongest subjects, let alone speak it properly during my schooldays, they stared back at me in disbelief. I really hated English, not because I am not a native speaker of the language, but rather because of the teacher. Bad experiences during my primary years led me to despise the language and subject altogether,

A Most Wrenching Piece of Music

2009-11-27T16:40:00.001+08:00

While I was climbing my way up the higher-learning stairs, I stumbled upon the fact that I might not be able to graduate. Thus, like any other students, I panicked. Ran around like a lunatic with no friend to turn to except for my computer. There I began to nurture my writing skills. I found release in them, by re-interpreting the incidences in my student life to within my stories, and making

Let me tell you about: Gail Carriger's Soulless

2009-11-19T21:26:00.000+08:00

A few months ago I saw a shocking pink title on a book spine. It had an octopus on it and the title SOULLESS on it. That got me wondering - was it another book that should remain out of my life or a keeper? It should have remained out of my life, because I can't get enough of it! And it's not everyday for me to stumble on a story that was unfolding in the most interesting way. Let me tell you

Celebration

2009-11-19T00:53:00.000+08:00

Yep. I'm talking about Madonna, that ageless mutton. I should be very lucky if I had her level of stamina when I hit 50!My first encounter with Madonna was when I was still a young, impressionable teenager of 13. A friend bought a cassette and I happened to see the cover. It was a heavily made-up woman wearing very skimpy negligee. I thought nothing of it and played the cassette. I didn't like

Life in Narration

2009-11-14T02:06:00.001+08:00

I always felt a need to write since I was very young. Maybe because I did not talk a lot back then. I was an introvert (still am) and always had my attention somewhere else. My very first output was a poem, of all things. The memory was sketchy at best, but all I could remember was how very surprised I was at that piece of work. Surprised, because I was a very bad English student. I loathed the

Oh My --- Gawd.

2009-02-04T22:39:00.000+08:00

It's official - I'm on the path of becoming a teacher.Run and hide, parents.I just hope that nothing else would come in my way - myself included. I really, really want this. Not only because it is a noble profession, you also get to travel around, meet and live with people you don't know and become friends.We went through the unavoidable orientation (1 week) and met lots of colourful characters.

Ah, new look!

2006-11-12T13:52:00.000+08:00

Just found out that this is the new beta. Looking around...

Stupid Girls, Lonely President...

2006-07-08T18:52:00.000+08:00

No, I am not referring to the previous president, but that will have to come later. I'm referring to Pink's latest album that has these two songs, and they rubbed me raw both ways: sad and comic.Stupid Girls is rather shocking to watch the first time around, especially with the scene in the bathroom with the toothbrush. But when I got through it, it became evident to me that this was a very funny

2006-02-09T16:54:00.000+08:00

Some random words...You've got the star in your hands, darlingYou've got the star in your handsBut squeeze it not so hard, darlingCoz you might not see them again.The star is in your hands, darlingOpen your palms up and liftLet it

Life as a Trainee

2006-02-09T16:19:00.000+08:00

It's rather fun here. There are a lot of great guys here and all of us are enjoying it. Kind of.Right now, next to me is Shah, who looks quite tired and is now ready to sleep. Then there's Hasyimah who is surfing the net and talking simultaneously. Further down the table is a group of three sisters (not sisters in real life, but they became just as close when they first met) and the final three,