Insomnia

 Music: Pulang by Insomniack

7 years. It's been a while.

I couldn't sleep. Randomly typed the word insomnia in Spotify's search bar. Found this cool band, and their most famous song is Pulang. How apt. I'm back, I guess. 

The last time I posted, I was battling severe depression. Or more accurately, high-functioning depression. It had gone on for 2 years. But I'm more than better now. Looking back, I've done so much since, and at the worst time of my life I thought I'd rather die than go on living, but I guess I managed to snap out of it with the sheer will to get better, I wanted my life back. It's difficult to explain and justify depression if you've never experienced it. Its not sadness. It's way more than that. Something totally different. Nobody outside of those who's had it can understand it, no matter how much they claim to. Empathize maybe. Its not something that you can switch off, "just do happy things, don't be sad". To anyone who knows me, and knows me very well, they actually don't know me at all. I hid it very successfully, from friends and family. I mastered the act of faking, acting like everything is normal. It's not that hard tbh. I lost so much weight but people thought I was just being fit and healthy. My performance at work did not suffer. Hence, "high-functioning". I was embarrassed that I had mental health issues. Me? How? Why? Am I so weak? 

Anyway, long story short, the pandemic happened. 1 year stuck at home. Then I got into volunteering as a Covid frontliner throughout 2021. Quit my job from burnout at the end of it, went on a backpacking trip that lasted 3 years, covered 5 continents, 40 countries (grand total 86 to date, but that's not even 50% of all the countries in the world). In between, I continued with more volunteer work, for Turkiye and Syria (earthquake 2023), and for Gaza (one day I'll talk at length about these experiences, but I summed it up in my linkedin profile) and also worked a short stint for the government on a nuclear power pre-feasibility study (I was head hunted, and the money was too good to decline). 

But today, I am back in the grind (a consultant of all things, not a bad thing, just surprised that anyone would hire me, impostor syndrome and all that jazz), It's been slightly over a year since. The most important thing though, I finally went for Hajj this year. 1447H. It's always something I wanted to do (when you spend so much time and money traveling the world instead of fulfilling your obligation, the guilt is there), but there had been restrictions on age for people with no mahrams to go with, it used to be 45 years old, so that was my target. I have no idea when this rule was lifted, and God really works in mysterious ways. This year I turn 44, but technically still 43 during the actual Hajj, and I think it was the right time for me, mentally, spiritually, physically. Allah knows best. 

I plan to write again, here. There's so much to tell. I want to try document my 3-years worth of backpacking travel stories, as much as I can remember them. I've been using AI so much to write (all for work), I need to find my own words again. 

Other current updates, I just started reading the Dark Materials books. Hope to finish all 3 books in a week. Watching the old Scrubs. Listening to a lot of current Jpop music (its evolved since 20 years ago). And training for the PNB 118 tower race (I feel regret for registering lolz).

On another different note, it's World Cup, I'm all for Morocco and Norway! Lets goooooo. Yallahh!

Happy to be back.

Sickly Busy

Music: Come Away With Me by Norah Jones

Book review
Work Rules! by Laszlo Bock

This guy is the Head of People Operations at Google. Its just a fancy title for what is essentially the HR boss in any company. But Google is not just 'any company'. The methods and activities he described in the book are really interesting, and i like the fact that most of their actions, decisions, policies are strongly data driven and backed by analytics, big data stuff. Data speaks to me. I guess that's why I became an engineer. But maybe its precisely because i was trained as an engineer that i learn to love data. Well, that's a discussion for another day. Anyway, TNB has a long way to go when it comes to effective and quality HR. I have a very strong desire to give this book to a top HR boss in TNB. But I also think it'll be a waste of time, as I see no leaders that I truly respect that would be open to different ideas and way of doing things in our HR division. Oh this entry is not really a book review isn't it. I guess i would have enjoyed the book more if im in the HR line. But it did give me some ideas and advice on how to become a good and effective manager. Applying it is another story, but i hope i am able to in some way or another. Not that I aspire to be a big boss (I'm lazy like that), but I do feel some kind of responsibility to develop the few subordinates that I have. It takes a lot of consciousness to pause, take a step back, look and think, then move forward again with better actions and ideas (as opposed to doing things as usual and automatically, until the change becomes a habit). and the cycle is repeated and its a way to continuously improve ourselves.

-----
The past one month has been rather hectic. Started with the week-long training in Penang, weekend in Singapore for the Foo Fighters concert, then a week in Melbourne (which was one of the most enjoyable trips ever), dived in straight to work after, nenek at the hospital, dodgeball practices and tournament, lepak sessions with friends and family, weekend hikes, evening runs and strength training.. and all these has culminated into me falling sick, right now. Fever and headache, cold and cough, avoiding my bronchitis attack just barely. 

Of Books and Bliss

Music: Terpesona by Glenn Fredly

The past 2 weeks has been bliss.. sleeping in my own bed.. eating home food instead of korean and some other weird fusion food that they make.. and i finished reading 5 books since i came back.. while meeting up with some friends and families.

Its all been great except for the burning hot weather.. however the rain that comes after becomes sweeter and more appreciated.. enduring the blazing sun and humidity was all worth it.. hmm never thought of it this way before..

As ever, Vietnam remains a conundrum to me. I read Catfish and Mandala, written by a viet-kieu, the term used for ppl who fled the country after the fall of Saigon (aka Americans in South Vn, to put it crudely). The confusion comes from the fact that i have some really good Vnese friends. It also stems from the fact that most books on Vn are written by foreigners, American-vnese, most whom only have bad things to say about the country. But my relationships with these few vnese friends that i have only shown me compassionate people who love their country and father (Ho Chi Minh) despite the.. misgivings.. for lack of  a better word. In fact, vnese are the most poetic people ive met, not in the sense that they write poetry... but their characters are poetic.. bordering romantic.. towards their country, their people, their daily life, their culture, their history.. and especially their history.. a thousand years of war.. Chinese, French, Japanese, Americans.. i cannot explain it... but i see it in the songs they write and sing, how they talk about their war-torn country, their rituals and cultural beliefs.. and yet when i read about vietnam, the general tone is that.. its bad, ravaged, lost souls.. you get the drift. Its hard to fathom really.. there are many sides to a story. but then again, my interest in this confusion that is vietnam may have actually started from something else entirely... which i rather not divulge.

Next i finally finished the reading the Chronicles of Narnia.. the final 3 books.. and a few moments ago, i finished Dan Brown's new book, Inferno.. im contemplating to read another, now that my Prof seemed to be okay about me not having done anything during this break.. he replied my email at 2 am this morning.. i dont feel guilty anymore.. but i did promise to work twice as hard when i go back.. not sure whether this is wise.. but oh well..

terpaksa la aku jadi nerd kuasa 8 juta for the next 5 months..

sometimes i wished i was a historian rather blowing my head with reactor physics.. what the hell was i thinking, taking the most difficult subject for my thesis?! smart-ass. anyway, there's no turning back.. all systems go! starting next week that is.

now.. what book should i read next... 

50 Shades of Fucked Up Shit

I finished reading 50 Shades of Grey a couple of days ago. I found all the 3 books of the EL James series in the library, which is rather surprising. Don't they know what the book is all about? Who ordered it? Anyway, so i borrowed it.. There's been so much fuss and talk about it.. Mostly rave reviews.. I should get on the band wagon..

I HATED IT.

So, curiosity fulfilled. My IQ level has also significantly been reduced after reading 500 odd pages of sheer dumb writing and storyline. And i also realized that im soooooo over romance novels. Its been a while since i read one, and as i've mentioned a few times before, Judith McNaught is the best living romance novel author out there. And its a good thing that i read her books during my high school years when i was still naive, inexperienced, and full of wonderful ideas about life.

To my current state of mind, after 30 years of living..

LOVE IS DEAD TO ME.

Haha.

Africa by Accident

Music: Mot Ngay Ban Va Toi by Nguyen Duc Cuong

I finished reading The Black Nile about 2 weeks ago.

P/s: so far i've read 16 books this year, which is far from the target of 30 i've set back in January. But then again, at the time i didnt know i would be doing my masters.

When i bought the book earlier this year (yes i brought this book, and a few more from home), i wanted to read a book on Egypt. But the title turned out to be misleading. I made the mistake of assuming the Nile and Egypt are synonymous, how ignorant of me. The author of the book is a journalist who travelled from Uganda, through Sudan..and ended up in Egypt, on the Nile where possible, and keeping as close as possible to the mighty river whenever he had to travel by land. I also found out there's actually the Blue Nile and the White Nile, which finally merges into the Nile that we all know.

In the first part of the book i was disappointed, mainly because it wasnt a story that i expected, and he was talking about the traveling mostly. But later on, when he started talking more about the conflict and civil war in Sudan, the things he saw, the people he met and the stories he heard along the way, it became interesting.

I rarely read about politics and war in Africa, most were new to me, having only been interested in reading about the middle east. Therefore all this new information was quite revealing. Oh the things we dont know. I also always assume that Egypt is in middle east, which is obviously not true. Anyway, the only familiar issue to me was when the author made some references about Joseph Kony.

So i ended up really liking the book, and finally understood why the author titled it The Black Nile. I was also suprised and disappointed at the same time to know that Malaysia, i.e. Petronas is indirectly (or directly even) related to the war in Sudan.. The travel was done a few years before Sudan and South Sudan became independent countries last year (this i knew, but not the history of how or why it happened).

Unsurprisingly, its another war story triggered by the fight for oil resources. Its just appalling to realize that millions of people have died around the world because of oil, and i am a part of it by virtue of being a consumer, and i most definitely cant live without it. What a sick world we live in. Here are some excerpts from the book that mentioned Malaysia.

Live from Jordan

I thought a one hour run on the treadmill could give some needed endorphins to lift my spirits up, but that didnt happen. This sort of confirms an article i read recently that the fact that ppl feel better after exercising is possibly not all that true. Based on the research done, it concluded that its the idea of exercising rather than the act itself that gives the feel good factor. Although i do still believe that endorphins does actually make one feel better. I guess it depends on the kind of emotion and state of mind during the exercise that determines the level of feel good hormones that you produce. Now that is my own theory, dont quote me on that. But i digress. I want to talk about this great book i just finished actually.

So i did accomplish something today. I finished a book titled Live from Jordan by Benjamin Orbach, one of the 7 books i ordered through our school library. The book was everything o expected and much more. Written by an American Jewish that have a commendable working knowledge on middle east issues and its history who went to Jordan University to further his arabic language studies, a Michigan alumni (undergrad), masters from John Hopkins, a stint of summer studies at Hebrew University and another uni in Cairo.. He gave a wonderful narrative of the lives and thoughts of arabs that became his friends while he stayed in Amman and Cairo, and travelled to Syria, Palestine, and Turkey, mostly regarding politics, America's foreign policy, the Palestinian issue, anti-americanism.. Etc. ok that sounded boring but in actual fact it was damn good read. All those time i spent reading the news and opinion pieces about the middle east on every reputable news website imaginable (al jazeera, ny times, times, economist and many more) was not for naught. The author gave me a clearer understanding on some issues, while putting his unbiased and objective thoughts and observations (for the most part).. And i also got some quick and concise history lessons as well.

A highly recommended book. It brings the current book im reading (yes ive already started on a second book today) to shame. Im reading it so fast just to get it over with. Haha.

So thats already two posts today. I should get a life. Till then.

Free Books For The Bookworm

Music: A Thousand Years by Christina Perri

One cool thing about my school's library is that we can place orders for books that we want, and they will buy for us upon approval by the prof in charged. A few weeks back i requested for 7 books, all non fiction. 4 books have arrived and the remaining 3 have been ordered. This is pretty cool for someone who loves bookstores like a kid loves candy stores (aku la), coz english books are super expensive here. Moreover, the selection of english books here are dismal!! Granted i wont own the books, but its not big a deal coz i rarely read any book twice..in fact, the only books ive ever read more than once are those by Judith McNaught.. Hahahha.. And that was 10 years ago. Oh yeah.. And Harry Potter..

So far i've managed to read 6 books since august. All but 1 were borrowed from the library. Mostly based on real life stories written in a autobiographical but fiction with also some non fiction elements sort of way.. whoa does that even make sense? lol. I've written about some of them previously, but just to summarize..

1) Playing Cards in Cairo - Hugh Miles
This book goes into the personal lives of a few select women in Egypt.. Although i wouldnt generalize the stories and stereotype Egyptian women, it did give a glimpse of the culture there.. And some parts were quite shocking too. For Muslim women that is.

2) The Bang Bang Club - Greg Marinovich
The life of 4 photo journalists covering the situation in South Africa just short of being deemed a civil war starting from the release of Nelson Mandela to the first ever democratic election, is being recounted. Let me just say that this job can really fuck you up, if you're contemplating to be a war-covering journalist or correspondent. I guess thats inevitable when you have to witness brutal murders everyday, take pics, and cant do anything to help the victims.. Shit.

3) Battle Hymn of The Tiger Mother - Amy Chua
Personal story by author, married to a Jew, who decided to bring up her 2 daughters the so called Chinese way in America.

4) Fever Pitch - Nick Hornby
I only picked up this book coz of the author. Funny guy. I never knew that the English obsession for their football scene can be to that extent, and Hornby even claimed that he's not that crazy. Coz others are worse, or better.. Depends on how u look at it.

5) We Can Have Peace in The Holy Land - Jimmy Carter
Here the ex Mr. President talks more bulls about the peace process for Palestine. He sounds holy and sincere and all but..mehhhh. Cant believe any US president in this already more than half a century crisis.

6) Lttle Princes - Conor Grennan
An American who had a stint of volunteering in an orphanage in Nepal, only to find out that the kids are not actually orphans, but victims of child trafficking. He set out on a mission to reconnect these childrens with their parents who live in the most remote areas of Nepal (particularly the Humla region). Noble work. The story was personalized to what author felt and thought and experienced yada yada.. I really liked it though. Cried a few timrs too.. But i've learned to read these type of books with a pinch of salt after discovering the half truths if Greg Mortenson's Three Cup of Tea.. There's probably some embellishments here and there.. But nevertheless Grennan sounded more real and honest compared to Mortenson.

Ok, now i must aim to read those 7 books i ordered in a span of 2 months.. cant wait!! Text books can take a backseat hahaha.

No Tiger Mama for Me

Music: Bong Hong Thuy Tinh by Buc Tuong

I managed to finish another book today. I've always wanted to read Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother since it came out last year..so i borrowed the book from the library. Well actually a few months back there was a book fair sort of and we got to choose a lot of books for the library to buy, so this is one of the books i chose, i think i chose close like 30 books hahaha.

Anyway, its another easy book to read, simple language, simple story.. finished it in a little over 3 hours.

I guess every parent have their own way of raising their kids.. my parents are nothing like the Tiger Mother, and I wouldn't want to be raised that way. In fact, I wouldn't want to be raised any other way, because I enjoyed, and still enjoy, the freedom of choice that my parents gave me all these years. Some of you can vouch for me having one of the coolest and most laid back mother on earth.. my father is a different story, but it is a good balance :)

That being said, it never crossed my mind once that the Amy Chua was too harsh on her kids.. what she wrote is not the full story.. it would be impossible to clearly describe the dynamics of her family, her relationship with her daughters and husband, in only 200+ pages. She has many critics.. but she also has many admirers. For me, it was just another amusing story.

Definitely a good leisure read.

Won't have time to read anymore books for the next few weeks. Classes resumed today, and it looks like its gonna be another month of hell ride. On a bright note, my group for this semester looks promising :). Which reminds me, I need to come with ideas for a group name! Last semester I named our group Chillax Ltd. hahahh..

Night y'all.

p/s: I just googled and my mom was born in the Year of the Tiger!! hahaha.. she totally does not fit the description of Tiger personality. 

Bang Bang!

Music: Beo Dat May Troi by Anh Khang & Quang Thang

I just finished reading The Bang Bang Club by Grey Marinovich & Joao Silva.. this book tells the real life story of 4 white photographers based in South Africa who covered the faction war between the ANC supporters (Nelson Mandela's political party) and Inkhatha (Zulu majority).

I picked up this book from the school library, because the title caught my eye. It turned out to be a really great read. You get a glimpse of how the situation really on the ground, the fights and killings that broke out, the nature of the apartheid government, in the 4 years leading to the first democratic election in the country in 1994. It also tells the state of mind of these war-photographers who risked their lives to capture the pictures that we see in the news, that we take for granted, of wars, them being in the line of fire and all that. They see people die everyday and helpless to do anything about it, except taking pictures. I also now know the real story of the famous picture of the small Sudanese girl, all skin and bones due to the famine and war, bent down on the desert ground, alone, with a vulture lurking behind. I'm sure everyone has seen before in many UN posters and various magazines and ads for African-based relief agencies.

The book doesn't tell the whole story of apartheid course, but now I have an idea. Makes me wanna read more about it. Previously when I read Gandhi's autobiography, it was the onset of apartheid in SA, so i guess i have some background there.

Anyway I'm not in the best state of mind to write what I really feel now after reading the book since its already 4am in the morning here and I am so damned sleepy too. But I totally recommend this book, which is really an easy read, and short. I'm gonna watch the movie next.

Its the first non-academic related book that I've managed to read since I came here. It feels good to be able to finish a book after 5 months of not reading any. Tomorrow I have to get back to work, i.e. doing presentation slides for the next semester for my Prof, part of my TA job. So lazy! but I get paid so its ok hehe.

Time to sleep! 

Can't Stop Reading.. Yet

Music: Hideaway by The Weepies

Still in the reading mode.. I have finished 6 books this month hahaha.. Reading books related to Middle East now. Which reminds me (I don't know how or why), I owe this blog a travel post on my Machu Picchu leg.. the only one worth writing about really... others have paled in comparison in this short term memory of mine. Will get that done soon enough, I hope. 

The Other Fairy Tale

Music: Breaking Down by Florence and The Machines

To say that I've already 3 books in 2012 seems like a fairy tale itself, but nonetheless I assure you that it is not. A Lion Among Men, Confessions of An Ugly Stepsister and Mirror Mirror, all written by the gregarious linguist, Gregory Maguire. A few months ago I found out that he is gay, and then it all makes sense. The way he writes is like nothing that I've ever encountered before, but one gets the hang of it after a few chapters in. But may I warn that not everybody may like his style, sometimes it can be difficult to read. Fortunately, I do. His sarcastic humor is really golden, and I lightly smile when I read his witty writings and conversations, but never laugh out loud, for sarcasm and humor doesn't warrant anything more than a mere chuckle to appreciate the cleverness of it.

For those who need an introduction, Gregory Maguire wrote Wicked, about the Wicked Witch of the West from the Land of Oz. An alternate story from the Dorothy and her red slippers that we know. A Lion Among Men is the 3rd book in the Wicked Years series, Son of A Witch being the second. As the title suggests, Confessions of An Ugly Stepsister and Mirror Mirror tells the alternate story of, well, you guessed it, Cinderella and Snow White, respectively. I used to watch these Disney movies every week when I was very young, and Sleeping Beauty of course (oh god I'm such a girl!). So when I found out about Maguire's books I was naturally intrigued.

I really can't comprehend this sudden compulsion to read all his books at once, but I guess the reading mood that took over me at the end of last year (its only last week), had gained more momentum that I could ever have predicted. I will now start my quest to finish Out of Oz, the 4th and last instalment of the Wicked Years. I say quest because its a huge book likely to be mistaken as a physics text book, and only 20 pages shy from reaching 600.

Oh btw, I went to watch Wicked The Musical in Singapore a few weeks back, and it was.. well, superbly awesomely and gloriously Wicked!! 

Closing the Year with Che

Music: Zambita by Gustavo Santaolalla

Che: A Memoir by Fidel Castro is not actually a book written by Fidel, but rather, a collection of the speeches he made, interviews answered and introductions he wrote about Che after his death. Starting from the news of Che's death in Bolivia in 1967, to the time when Che's remains were discovered and returned to Cuba in 1997. It is very clear that Che is a very, very dear person to Fidel. They are the epitome of absolute brothers, they highly respect, trust, understand and would practically do anything for each other. In other words, they are what I would call, "real bros".

His speeches etc are full of reverence of the most famous and recognized revolutionary and guerilla fighter in the world, even if it is only his face that the masses recognize. The famous sillhouette of Che is plastered all over tshirts and posters and buttons. Every action towards a just cause is associated with Che. What most people don't know, is the fact that he is an Argentinian, a doctor by profession, a self-learned economist, a communist, and a damn good writer.

This book can only be read if one has some background on the life and struggles of Che, and I think I accidentally had it right by reading books of Che in the order that I read it. If not, one would not be able to appreciate all that Fidel has to say, because one does not understand why he said it all. The first was The Motorcycle Diaries, a book that I bought when I was in New Delhi, for only RM20. It was about how he travelled throughout Latin America and how he came to develop his ideas and thinking that would later influence his whole life. I also find pleasure in the fact that my itinerary when I went South America is somewhat similar to Che's then. The second book was the Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War and the third was the Bolivian Diary, titles are self-explanatory. I almost bought an autobiography of Che by Jon Lee Anderson but I was more interested in what Fidel had to say. Plus the book was too thick and huge. Apart from that, I also watched the movie versions of all the three books mentioned.

I don't support Che in his political ideologies, but rather I admire his attributes. If I were to choose just one word to describe Che, it would be, selfless.

If I hadn't been to South America, I wouldn't have been interested in reading about Che in the first place. (Like if I hadn't been to India, I wouldn't have read the autobiography of Gandhi, which I bought in New Delhi, also, for only RM20, bah so cheap!). It was my first trip of the year and it was the best trip that I've been on so far. And not only after I finished reading this book, that I realized, what a perfect book to end the year with.

So with that, Happy New Year to all! 

Travel Bible

Music: Paradise by Coldplay

Aptly titled, The Tao of Travel is everything you need to know about great travel writers and their experiences, according to Paul Theroux. From Ibn Batutta to the more recent like Jon Krakauer. There are many great quotes and excerpts from various books that have ever been written, some of it I think are so wonderful because it explains things that I myself can't put into words, whenever I try to describe my own feelings. It touches on the nuances, the solitude and loneliness, the highs and lows, the unexpected experiences, the feelings of liberation and freedom, the exotic (or barbaric) food encounters, the harshness and happiness, the nothingness and extremities; of travelling. A wonderful read.

A quick google image search of Theroux and a quick read on wikipedia, gave me the impression that he has that slightly high and mighty attitude, but not in the way he writes, for he appears humble and appreciative in his writings about others. I would love to get my hands on Paul Theroux other travel books.

My third book in 5 days. I guess its really easy to be on a roll when the mood comes.

"Travel is a state of mind. It has nothing to do with existence or the exotic. It is almost entirely an inner experience."
-Paul Theroux, Fresh Air Fiend (2000).

An Accidentally Travel-themed Day

Music: Staring At The Sun by U2

This is a picture of a cloudy morning on Broga Hill, which I went hiking this morning.

I woke up around 6.20am (after 10 minutes of snooze of course), and decided to hike Broga Hill. I've lost count of how many times I've hiked here alone. I never go on weekends because the place resembles a pasar malam, without the stalls. That leaves weekdays, and I usually go in the evening, because, well, I have a love affair with my bed in the morning. So nice and comfy... But the daily evening rain has hampered my plans almost always nowadays, so yeah, once in a while, why not right? To not sleep in, I mean.

I headed out at 7.00am. Started hiking at 7.30am, climbed very slowly, and reached the the first peak at 8.00am, and settled at a little clearing where there was a lonely rock, away from the path of other hikers, somewhere at the 3rd peak, and took out the book that I was planning to finish reading by today.

So there I sat, on the rock, undisturbed, only white noise of other hikers passing by, with sounds birds chirping and the sun hiding behind the clouds, for a little over an hour. Even by 9.30am, it wasn't hot at all, and there was actually no wind, or very little of it.

I was reading To a Mountain in Tibet by Colin Thubron (how apt!), and I must say that he is an excellent travel writer. He managed to make me feel like I was there with him, crossing over from Nepal to Tibet, hiking towards Mt. Kailas. The descriptions of what he saw and felt were vivid, infused with history and stories on a personal level, these were seamlessly intertwined. Mt. Kailas is a sacred place for followers of four religions, namely Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and Bon (a religion that pre dates Buddhism in Tibet). Thousands of pilgrims circle the peak each year, but the peak itself has never been scaled, although attempts were made. I was not really interested in the explanations of the religions, it was too much info and can be confusing at times, because there are so many versions of their Gods and Bodhisattvas, the stories in Bhagavad Gita etc even within the same religion. But nevertheless, Thubron really did them justice, with his explanations and what not. I took a class on Asian Religion before which focused on mainly Buddhism and Hinduism so it was all not that foreign to me.

As Thubron was explaining about Amithaba, I am reminded of the many times I see the car stickers of it around KL. I thought, how come I've never heard of Mt. Kailas before? How come there are never articles about it in the newspaper? Do Buddhists or Hindus in Malaysia don't know about it? A few pages later my questions were answered, for Thubron mentioned of a Hindu he met while circling Mt. Kailas (32km), that was from Malaysia. Isn't that cool!

Although I loved the hiking parts of the story telling, I thought there was too much info on the religion that I could only  muster a small amount of interest (no offence to the religions mentioned of course). But his writing is beautiful, and I'll be damned if I don't start reading all his previous travel books.

On the way down, I was accompanied by a group of people, and I couldn't seem to figure out the language they were using. The looked Chinese but they were definitely not speaking Chinese, or Thai, or Tagalog or whatever. I couldn't stand not knowing any longer, so I waited till they caught up with me and I just had to ask. They are from Kazakhstan! I was not that shocked because I had a clue, the only girl in the group was wearing a blue/red jersey with the words Kazakhstan written at the back. But I do admit that I was shocked with their appearance, because I never imagined them to look how they look. The guy that I was talking to had a porcelain-like skin, very fair, with large eyes. The girl wearing jersey was beautiful she could've passed off as a model. From our brief interaction, I found out that they are international students at U of Nottingham (which is just less than 5 minutes drive from the foot of Broga Hill), it costs about 1000 USD for a 7-hour direct flight from KL to Almaty (or was it Astana?), return, on Etihad. For cheaper flight tickets, one can opt for a 10-hour stopover in Abu Dhabi. It is safe to travel in Kazakhstan, as they see many foreigners travel alone there, hiking the mountains even during winter (Do you know how cold Kazakhstan is??!! I've googled this information before). They said Malaysia's ok, except for the fact that its too hot. Haha, surprise surprise. I wanted to give them a lift to their Uni but it was a party of five adults, they all couldn't possibly fit into my small car.

I was home about a quarter to 11, had breakfast, bathed, and decided to watch Eat, Pray, Love, only because it was on Astro and I had nothing to do anyway. It was one of the most boring movie I've ever watched. I almost fell asleep, so I had to take breaks, I went to sidai baju and siram pokok. Ita a good thing I was never sucked into the whole Eat Pray Love obsession, I wasn't compelled to read the book when it was the craze back then. But I do like the phrase, "the sweetness of doing nothing".

So now here I am typing away, and I've decided to keep the spirit of this accidentally travel themed day by picking up another travel related book to read, while watching TLC, still 3 and a half days to go before the year ends!

Or maybe I'll just fall asleep and let the tv watch me instead.

2011 Reading List

Music: You Got What I Need by Joshua Radin

Books that I've read this year: *added later

1) A Doctor in the House: The Memoirs of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad by Mahathir Mohamad
2) A Year in the Merde by Stephen Clarke
3) Merde Actually by Stephen Clarke
4) An Autobiography: The Stories of My Experiments with Truth by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
5) Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh
6) The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto Guevara
7) Half The Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunities for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
8) One Day by David Nicholls
9) Merde Happens by Stephen Clarke
10) How To Be Single by Liz Tuccillo
11) Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson
12) Slam by Nick Hornby
13) The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
14) The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell
15) The Malay Dilemma by Mahathir Mohamad
16) Ma'na Kebahagiaan Dan Pengalamannya Dalam Islam by Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas
17) Three Cups of Deceit: How Greg Mortenson, Humanitarian Hero, Lost His Way by Jon Krakauer
18) Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid by Jimmy Carter
19) Bossy Pants by Tina Fey
20) A History of Modern Palestine: One Land, Two Peoples by Ilan Pappe
21) Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War by Che Guevara
22) Bolivian Diary by Che Guevara
23) Blink by Malcom Gladwell
24) Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
25) I Am Muslim by Dina Zaman
*26) To a Mountain in Tibet by Colin Thubron
*27) The Tao of Travel: Enlightenments from Lives on the Road by Paul Theroux
*28) Che: A Memoir by Fidel Castro

haha.. I don't think I've ever read this many books in a year before. Its clear that non-fiction outweighed fiction, which is something unimaginable a year ago. Thinking of adding another one to the list. There's 4 more days before the year ends. 

Weekend Update

Bossypants is a hilarious, one of a kind autobiography by none other than one of my favorite SNL writers/cast, Tina Fey. When the book was launched earlier this year, it received a mixed review, i think. Its an unconventional kind of autobiography. According to the reviews, Tina Fey was not really open and honest in what is supposed to be an autobiography, because she writes her stories (that is significant to telling her life story) with that sarcastic humor of hers, indicating some sort of barrier between her real self and her readers/fans/critics etc, like she was still in character, trying hard to be a comedian when she doesn't have to be. However, I thought the book was brilliant. Maybe that's how she is in real life, that prevailing sense of humor. I literally LOLed all the way and enjoyed it immensely. So her autobiography is different from the usual kind, but so what? Its a good different. It was a quick easy fast read, to take a break from the serious books that I've been reading lately.

I Miss SNL.

I Love 30 Rock.

Amy Poehler and Tina Fey are truly best friends.

I'm on night shift and i'm super sleepy. Also a little tired from my activity earlier in the day. Carried a whole lotta stuff up the stairs to a second story office shop lot.  But it was actually a good exercise come to think of it.. I've been idle since puasa started, and my body has started to feel a little rusty and sore from being sedentary for almost a month. Now my muscles feel loose again. I really need to get in some laps in the pool. Its been a while.

Thanks for dropping by. Good night!

Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid

I'm such a bookworm for the past 2 weeks. 

I just finished this part memoir, part history and part roadmap book by Jimmy Carter (the 39th President of USA). Its a good start for anyone who wants to equip themselves with a brief history of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Jimmy Carter presented it in the most neutral way imaginable, providing facts, describing personal accounts in his capacity as a prominent American politician for the past 40 years. I personally think he's too nice with his words, although I give him credit for the minimal sugar-coating of the issue, knowing how the US and Israel are "best friends". 

The atrocities of Israel's actions towards the Palestinians in the occupied territories cannot be denied. Stories can be found on many independent media, can't rely on mainstream media. Its incredible that there are hundreds, if not thousands of NGOs and groups and also governments in this world that explicitly condemns the Zionists. But its also as unbelievable that with US support primarily through billions of dollars in military aid, and using its veto power in the UN to block any resolutions that directly impedes Israel's activities, they can do whatever the hell they want. If it were other states the ones to break international laws or not comply with the UN's Security Council resolutions, they would've been slapped with the consequences and subjected to trials already. I admit I don't know much about the conflict to say much about it, I still have much to learn, especially the history of how and why it happened, which is important in understanding the conflict more deeply and thoroughly. However I think its never too late to open our eyes to the realities and horrors of the occupation that is happening right now and do whatever we can to help, even if its only in the form of doa and prayers. Two important things to note is that 1) Its imperative to distinguish between the Jews and the Zionists, and 2) its not just Palestinian Muslims that are suffering, but also Palestinian Christians. This occupation and conflict is not a religious agenda, but a moral, human rights issue.

I would like to quote two parts from the book. 

First is a quote by Dr. Hanan Ashrawi (a Palestinian Christian), primarily known as the chief spokesperson for the Palestinians. She said:

"So far, they [Israel] have succeeded in holding the peace process hostage to this mentality on the one hand. And on the other hand they have provoked tremendous violence by acts of incitement like shelling, bombing, house demolition, uprooting trees, destroying crops, assassinating political leaders, placing all Palestinians under closure in a state of total immobility-a prison. And then they wonder why some Palestinians are acting violently! And then they want to have the right to exercise violence against the captive population. Then they like to make non-violence on the part of the Palestinians a precondition for the Palestinians to qualify for talks, let alone for statehood".

Secondly, Jimmy Carter said:

"Today the growth of Islamic extremism and the unprecedented hostility toward America in the Islamic world is directly related to the continuing bloodshed between Israelis and Palestinians. To think otherwise is foolish and dangerous".

Happiness is the Love for Allah

Ma'na Kebahagiaan dan Pengalamannya Dalam Islam by Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas.

(translated by Dr Muhammad Zainiy Uthman)

A superb book to read, totally different from any kind of book I've ever read before.

Although it was quite a challenge for me who has not read a book written in Malay for almost 20 years at least 15 years now (excluding text books in high school).

Less than a 100 pages and it took me 4 days to finish.

I have to read it again, to gain a better understanding on the subject matter, and will also try to get hold of the English version (original).

For Every Woman

Half The Sky, an empowering book written by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, should be read by every educated girl/woman in this world.

When you are done, ask the men in your life to read it too.

It all starts with knowledge and awareness, the rest is up to you.

And what you do with the information, immediately or later in life, is your choice.

Road Trippin'

Music: Aqui Te Traigo Una Rosa by Victor Jara

Yesterday I was in PD to attend a 1-day workshop, and in the morning I drove 79km (on the highway) for 50 minutes, paid toll RM8.30 in total.

On the way back, I decided to take the old kampung road instead. At first I was just planning to drive until Seremban and then continue on the highway. Upon reaching Seremban, I decided lets go a little further before I proceed on the highway, just to check out the city that was my home for 5 years (eventhough I rarely go to town back then but oh well). As it turned out, I decided to 'go a little further' everytime after I reach a small town. There were many opportunities to rejoin the highway, many exits towards the PLUS and LEKAS Highway.

So in the end, I drove all the way from PD to Bangi on the old road, passing through Lukut, Seremban, Mantin, Nilai, Beranang, Semenyih, Dengkil. It took me 2 hours and no toll. But the relaxing drive and surrounding view through the 'countryside' was what I was looking for. I thought about why this is so throughout the journey. I came to the conclusion that I must be unconsciously still missing the atmosphere in Siem Reap, I just got back last weekend for a 4 day trip. The laid back town life, the drives through the paddy fields and rural villages.

Its really not characteristic of me to want to drive on old kampung roads which will extend the duration of a journey, usually I'd want to reach a place ASAP (when in Malaysia). Its just that I surprise myself a little, sometimes, with my decisions.

I just finished reading The Motorcycle Diaries, written by Ernesto Guevara in Spanish, translated into English of course.  Che Guevara, as he is better known world wide, recounts his stories and adventures traveling throughout Latin America with his good friend, Alberto Granado. One can see his formative years, his way of thinking and can imagine how he finally became a fighter for revolution. Seeing things and meeting people outside what you are used to, in other worlds, traveling, really does change how you view the world. But it also depends on what you decide to see, believe and accept. Che's travels definitely stirred some strong feelings that in some ways or other, in part, eventually lead him to become the person that he was.

So anyway, it was surreal to read the parts where he wrote about his visits to the places that I had myself visited earlier this year. Standing at probably the same spot, basking in the same view, experiencing almost the same thing... Obviously I did not go to the small towns that he went to, the overlapping places were Cuzco, Ollantaytambo, Macchu and Huayna Picchu, Lima, Santiago..

Guevara and Alberto travelled on their bike monikered as La Poderosa II - The Mighty One, which broke down beyond repair by the time they entered Chile, and then continued hitch hiking on trucks. Reading the descriptions during these part of his journey, I felt like something was missing. There is a way to make this experience (reading) more complete. Thinking hard, I figured it out finally, Victor Jara!! He's a singer from Chile assassinated by Augusto Pinochet and sang about revolutions etc and was famous back then especially amongst the miners. The taxi driver who drove us to Colorado, a small skiing town on Andes nearby Santiago, was listening to Victor Jara and somehow I started to enjoy the tune, mainly because of the acoustic guitar in most of his songs, or maybe because the surrounding and feeling at the time, its undescribable really (masa tu still can't believe I was there). Long story short, taxi driver told us all about Victor Jara and seeing me and TH enjoying the music so much, he gave us his cd before we parted.

So anyway, I continued reading Motorcycle Diaries until finish with Victor Jara playing on my iTunes. Baru lah in-the-zone and feel sikit bila baca. Hahahaha. I'm still listening to the album now, a collection of his hits.

I'm gonna watch Motorcycle Diaries the movie now, downloaded it last night.