coffee.break

 Windmills Of The Gods by Sidney Sheldon. Good thrillers usually make all the evidences point to a person, but that person would not be the bad guy at the end. So I started the story, expecting the obvious one is not the bad guy. About a quarter towards the end, the most likely person, the one with evidences pointed at him, turned out to be the violator! “Oh maybe this thriller is different. Maybe I am not supposed to suspect the unexpected,”  so I thought. Then a few twists began.

More than a decade I didn’t touch Sheldon’s books, and this first one had just whetted my appetite to read his books. Now already trotting halfway through Sands of Time.

I just realised yesterday that throughout year 2006, I didn’t spend a single money in clothes! Not even for 2006 Chinese New Year and also for the current one. The only category, besides food and other necessities which are under needs and not wants, that I spent on is books and magazines. If I ever become bankrupt, it would be because of books.

When I get a little money, I buy books;
and if any is left, I buy food and clothes.
 ~ Desiderius Erasmus 1466-1536 ~

This afternoon, I visited a church-mate in the hospital. She is in her 80s and is very fragile now. Injured her backbones, fractured. The specialist has only 2 options for her. Either she takes painkiller (for the rest of her life, i presumed) or she undergoes an operation, which is not a guarantee to relieve her pain. At the moment, she decided not to go for the operation, and will continue to take the painkiller, though it doesn’t help much, but at least reduces the pain. Sooner or later, the hospital will ask her to leave since nothing else can be done. But she has no home to go to. She has a house but nobody to take care of her. So it is absolutely not advisable to stay alone in the house.

She has two daughters, but they are working and I believe, they have their own families in UK. She doesn’t want to trouble them, and she wishes that the Lord will take her home soonest possible. I am not here to judge her daughters. I know they are worrying a lot about her. They do have plans to come back as often as possible to be with her. I don’t know why she is not with them in UK, maybe they have tried to persuade her, but we know that senior citizens are quite stubborn. Hehe, no offense!

So now she is planning to go to a home. But she worries about the cost. Not that her daughters would not pay for her, but she is a very thrifty person. Maybe is her upbringing or her poor childhood. I don’t know, but I pity her. Old, sick and lonely. Lonely in terms of no family members around. No matter what, friends would not be able to replace that relationship. That is what I think, I really don’t know.

The visit makes me think about my grandma, my parents and myself. I will leave the part about the elders. So let’s just talk about me, I and myself! Assuming that I live till old age, sincerely think that it is better not the case, what if I don’t have a family of my own at that age? Even if I have, I don’t have a desire to have kids. Ok, don’t get me wrong. I like children, and I am not like some who opt for their stupid hourglass-figures than to get pregnant. I just feel that raising kids is a super big responsibility. Now with the kind of society that we live in, and the cost of living which is rocketing while I am babbling away, are making life difficult, aren’t they? Salute to all parents and guardians!

So back to what I was saying, old age huh? Oh I hate to imagine me in old age. I hope that will not happen to me. = P

Just finished the 2-in-1 book of Roald Dahl, Completely Unexpected Tales, which consists of Tales of the Unexpected and More Tales of the Unexpected.

I could almost imagine Dahl’s grin when he wrote the stories. I love some of the stories, not all. Maybe I have expected the unexpected ends, so I have guessed some correctly. No matter what, he was good in building up the suspense, but some of them ended up so abruptly that I wish that he could have elaborated more. Well, that was his style anyway.

 1st project.       3rd project.    

 4th project.      5th project.

 6th project – a bookmark.      7th project.

I have not been reading much for the past 2 months. Have been working hard on a few cross stitch projects. Completed 4 charts, and the last 2 are from Looney Tunes characters. Now working on the 5th chart. All will be given out to friends. 

No doubt each project takes away my time from reading (a stack of new books are crying out for my attention) and deteriorates my eyesight, but the satisfaction comes from looking at the finished products is amazing.

I am also trying to find out more about hardanger and blackwork embroidery. Not so famous over here. So far have not seen any of those magazines, not like cross stitch which are available in major bookstores i.e. MPH and Borders.

Maybe after the 5th project, I will try out hardanger! The free charts and instructions from the internet look daunting but the outcomes are so beautiful. So must try!

I remember that I asked an acquaintance about 3 years ago. How she felt when she crossed that line? She said that life as usual, nothing happened.

So, today is my turn. And let me tell you, and sadly, yeah, nothing happened. No fireworks, no earthquake…nothing. Ha. Anyway, what am I expecting? Or what are people expecting for such day? But still, we hope that something special would happen, just that we don’t know what!

People usually ask or say these, “Anything happened?”, “Did you do anything special?”, ”Reward yourself or do something crazy.”… and especially this line that you are crossing over. So mark the day.

Funny but very often, I also asked or said the same lines to others. And so far, I didn’t receive any reply which is significant or memorable enough. Usual answer, “Nothing.” Or maybe that answer is the easiest way out rather than to explain the special event?

Ok, what have I done today? Besides receiving messages and calls from friends and family, basically nothing happened. Went to work as usual. Then tried to make it special by getting myself a loafer but couldn’t find it. Of all the days, this is the day that I couldn’t find what I want. Great eh?

So with 10 min left to midnight, what shall I do? Hhmm….played with Google. Found out that John Grisham, my favourite author, has the same birth-date! Imagine if we have the same fortune! = P Oh another one. The gas chamber was used for the first time as a method of execution in the United States on 8th Feb 1924.

Yeah, basically that is it for the day! Happy birthday to me! *Yawn* Time to sleep…zzz

January 07 – 3 books. ONLY! Ok, I have to catch up with lots of reading, if I want to achieve my goal. Um….I haven’t set up any goal. Right. Read a blog somewhere that there is a challenge going on – 12 books per year. Someone else set 30 books per year.  Book reading is supposed to be enjoyed leisurely, eh? But if I don’t give myself a goal, there is no sense of achievement, eh? There is so much pressure going around already, do I need to give myself another one? Anyway….ok, ok, then let’s make it at 12-30 books per year. Shouldn’t be hard to achieve. Maybe towards the end of the year, I can read short fictions to make up the number? Ha. Who am I trying to cheat?

The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella. This is the first chit lit book that I read for this year. After a few pages, I thought of giving it up. Have been reading so much of science fictions, fantasies, memoirs and thrillers, books like this doesn’t seems to attract me anymore. Just like those Danielle Steel’s and Judith McNaught’s novels that I have given up since secondary school.

But I continued reading, as you may have guessed. It might not be that bad, since 2 friends have enjoyed it. And they usually read deep, detailed, super-English stuff, mind you. Ok, so I finished it. Happy ending. Expectable. Ironically, I enjoyed it.

Guess every lady, maybe men too, has a desire buried deep inside us to leave everything we have now, shut ourselves from everyone that we know, get to somewhere where not a single soul knows us, start a new life, find love and live happily ever after. That is running away from pressure, from responsibilities, from reality, you say. Or maybe we just want to be adventurous, like many characters in the books and movies, but too much concerns that we dare not take a single step into the unknown. Whatever reasons, we sure have our secret dreams. Good for those who have dared and achieved them. Courage to those who are still considering. Right. What am I babbling here?!

Ok, back to the book. I have forgotten the on-cloud-9 feeling that I had till I read this book. It has been a long time. The feeling is …um…nice. Hahaha. No wonder it was a bestseller. If I have time, I may pick up all those love novels again. Let me finish my thrillers and others first.

(Original posted on Oct 3, 06 @ other site)

With bright yellow scarf
Attractive sexily tall
- Blooming in the field.

Up, down, left and right
Tossed by heartless tornado
- I am still alive!

Charming slim lady
Whistled, envied on the street
- Girl, wake up, don’t dream!

A lovely evening
Chit-chat chit-chat in the air
- Noisy parakeets.

Hot, tremble, erupt
Any season of the year
- Pimples popping out.

Cooling autumn wind
Cycling over fallen leaves
- Korean love scene on TV.

I received a SMS on 1st Feb ‘07. The following is exactly what appeared on my small screen of lau beh (Hokkien for outdated) Motorola C350. Imagine me scrolling down the message line by line, and the little puzzled face that I had. Bear in mind that my lau beh, but faithful mobile (have to give a little credit to my dear ol’ mobile in case it goes kaput after I publish this) only shows the sender at the end.

Was with Joel
Backman til   (“Who is Joel Backman?”)
6am. Personally saw
him handing over
JAM’s 4 diskettes to
d Senator in   (“Senator? US kah ni?”)  
exchange for a
Canadian &
Australian passport,   (“This must be a spam!”) 
gave an exclusive
interview, a teary
farewell to Neal &
finally headin to
Philadelphia (to   (“Gilanya…”) 
throw d scent off
his trail). In reality         
it’s d great return
to Bologna! Well, he
is a dead man if not   (“Dead man?” My heart was racing a little faster by now.) 
for Neal : ) U must   (I couldn’t wait anymore….I scrolled down to see who was the sender. Then, relaxed and returned to where I stopped.)
read Doomsday
Conspiracy. Sth like
tis storyline & sure
to keep u up :- )

I am sure I am not the only crackpot around!

P.S. She was referring to The Broker, by John Grisham, which I lent to her the day before.