how quickly things change

I was looking through my uni notes for inspiration. Found some of the papers I wrote during my PS/SEA days and I was happy that I did make good grades. I marveled at some of my work because it has been so long and I am not so sure I can do the same kind of work I did before. It seemed like a lifetime ago and yet uni life was very enlightening and intellectually enriching. I even found my Honours thesis. I still am not proud with what I did. A 12,000 word full of crap. I shoved it back into the cupboard with disgust. I found an assignment I did with 2 other people for module Change and Diaspora in SEA. We did on the changing rituals of Malay weddings. That is one cool assignment. And I am amused when I read the insciption we put for our lecturer. "Laksa is not served at Malay weddings. Maybe food served at weddings will revolutionise in the future." Upon reading it, it struck me that Laksa IS now served at Malay weddings. The food served HAS revolutionised. That project was done 6 years ago. I still remember how much I had learnt during that project. So much I did not know and I still do not know. The thought of this project and how much has changed in such a short space of time and the fact that time just flew by was mind boggling. All I could think about was "WOW". Amazing. By the way, we got an A grade for it. :)

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Tears rolled continously while reading this book. Picture this, Anna, a 13 year old girl asking for medical emancipation from her parents because she refused to donate one of her kidneys to her 16 year old sister. Kate, who is dying of leukemia. Anna, has been her sister's donor since she was born. In fact, she is a designer baby. A baby created especially to match her sister so that she can give blood, bone marrow and platelets to her sister. It seems a clear cut case of a child who yearns for attention because her parents are caught up with Kate's never ending ailments. Yet, it is not so. As the book is written from the perspectives of every main character in the story you get insights into their thoughts and feelings. And from Anna's perspective, there is some great mystery and big secret that she bears. When all is revealed in the court, the truth is so much more sad than speculation and assumptions. It is easier to be angry than to see and accept the truth and letting a loved one go. The ending is cliched, but because of the emotional roller coaster one gets from reading the book, it is totally unexpected. Questions on what Anna would do in the end is answered in one fall sweep of fate.

This is my first Jodi Picoult's book ever and she is a good author. Her style is simple, yet her words brings about emotions of empathy and sympathy. She manages to get you involved as the character and feel their emotions. In this book she sketches simply the lives of children and teenagers who suffer from terminal diseases. A place where the healthy would never thread, much less think about. The world of disease is sad enough but when it happens to innocent young lives, it is tragic. What do children with such a fate do, think and feel? What about their families? If you want to find out and get a glimpse, read the book. It is not a tear jerker kind of book because it is sad....The words make you cry only if you can identify with the emotions they convey.

End of the hols soon

Soon, Christmas will come and my holidays will end. Right after Christmas it is back to work. No rest for the weary. I have not taken any real hols as yet, apart from KL which was more of a discovery and sleep in car session than a holiday. But it was memorable. First time I did such a thing. My parents do not know the truth. Heheh. And those of you who know...Shhh. hee heh.

Ok, greedy me have read and bought at least 20 books this hols. It is like a pay back session for not doing enough reading the rest of the year. I have all the 13 books of the Series of Unfortunate Events and have read all. An intriguing series. Certainly not meant for kids. I have enjoyed The Kite Runner, The Time Traveller's Wife and I am going to devour For One More Day next. After that book, I will take a rest from reading. It is such a luxury to sit and read. It really is. I love Time Traveller's Wife. It is such a sweet and romantic book, full of happiness and sadness and it is such an easy read. The Kite Runner is also an interesting read although it had a one sided version of the Taliban and the atrocities they do. Otherwise, the themes of racism, war, chaos, brotherhood, rites of passage, father and son relationship and elitism are explored and conveyed in ways that a reader could truly emphatise. I do recommend these 2 books. My sister from the sisterhood made me read IT by Stephen King. That is one scary novel. Don't read if you are a scaredy cat. And I am a scaredy cat.

Even though I did not go away at all this hols. This is the best hols I have had. I hope it would remain so. I am happy.