Thursday Photo: this is a babirusa

Belated Bloomsday

Hmm, I missed Bloomsday, which doesn’t happen very often. So, here’s wishing you a happy belated Bloomsday!

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Friend Boost

Card

I think it must have arrived the day before, but yesterday, my dad checked the mailbox and there was a postcard for me. It was from Chee Gake, who is in the States now. For some reason, looking at the elks on the postcard and the scribbles behind it just made my day. I put it neatly in a corner of the bookshelf where it sits beside an assortment of other things. Thank you, Chee Gake!

And A Bit More

Apart from the postcard, I also heard from Tammy and Gao Jie, which too made it all a very happy day, particularly in replying to them. I think because I’m just too chatty by nature.

And on a day-to-day basis, particularly because the holidays this time have been somewhat lonely, talking to Jolie has been great too.

So, yeah, what would you do without friends, you know?

2K

I did slightly over 2000 words yesterday, which is rare when I’m not upset about anything. I suppose it was just one of those unusually productive days. I’m sure today won’t be anywhere near as productive. Still, good to get 2000 down. I’m thinking it’ll be approximately 60,000, though there’s not actual target to reach.

Google Chrome Bento

Anna the Red, if you know, makes very pretty bento boxes. Apparently, someone from Google contacted her to do a Chrome logo bento, so… that’s what she did. And like most of her other stuff, it looks really spiffy.

[via Josh Spear]

Back to work.

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Tuesday Photo: yawning otter

Holiday Half-Time

Last Week

Was a great week. All things considered, it was a pretty good week, with the first submission going out, a nice trip to the zoo, a visit to the museum, and an excellent shopping trip that was only slightly marred by the amount I spent and the fact that I didn’t find everything I wanted to find.

Oh Shopping

Speaking of which, I got quite a few things, including a notebook and some presents, but I had also planned to get about three books for about 50 bucks. I fulfilled that, and this is what I got:

1. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
2. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
3. We Never Talk About My Brother by Peter S. Beagle

The Peter S. Beagle book I bought under the recommendation of someone. The Bell Jar is the new edition for the 80th anniversary of Faber & Faber, and I got it because I thought it was really pretty and I didn’t have any Plath on my shelf anyway. And I’ve been wanting to read Blood Meridian for a very long time.

I know I said something about adding Faulkner to my shelf, but there just wasn’t anything I wanted at the bookstore that day. Some other day, then.

The thing is, though, I saw this Hiroshi Sugimoto book that I just had to have.

So I got it.

That set me back a hundred dollars. I wasn’t expecting it. A complete ambush. It didn’t bankrupt me or anything, but I really wasn’t expecting to spend that bit.

Duty Calls

And now, I’m afraid, this week must be a week of work, and the next week too. And the one after that. I’ve more or less exhausted my holiday budget with that shopping trip. That means no more books, no more games, no more anything. Actually, that should be okay. I get by quite easily without any of these things. I do owe Jolie a present, so I’ll stick with that.

But we’re only halfway into the holidays, and I suppose I will do best distracting myself with work.

It’s just as well that Bukit Merah is halfway as well. I’m hoping to get down a first draft by the end of the holidays, although that looks a tad unlikely. I’ll try, though. That said, it’s become a bit difficult to write. I’ve started to revert to my old style of filling in pockets where I can, because it’s not exactly been the point A-to-point B thing that I was managing for the first half (where I basically just wrote in a linear fashion, proceeding page by page). I think it has to do with being in a different stage of it, and also being more certain about the things I need to see at specific junctures.

Although I imagine the biggest reason is probably fatigue, but I think the experience of writing The River will probably serve me well as I head into the second half of this.

So, back to work, then, as I’m sure is the case for many of you.

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Saturday Photo: this is a macaw

Outing Week

Zoo

Yesterday, I went to the zoo. I took many photos, although I imagine that by the time I’m through with them I’ll be left with a small fraction only. (Think 600 reduced to 100 or so.) It all really fun though. But, if you happen to be going to the zoo at this time, remember to bring plenty of water because you’re likely to sweat a lot. An umbrella will be useful for some of the sunnier sections, or unless it rains. Also bring a towel if you sweat a lot. If you are medically dependent on beer, then bring your own barrel because a can of beer in the place will cost you seven dollars. If you are on a budget, bring a sandwich.

Yeah, all pretty general zoo advice, but just make sure before you set off for the place.

I was actually quite surprised that we managed to do practically all the animals primarily missing the elephants, which isn’t something I normally manage. I think it’s because we started fairly early. Didn’t manage to catch everything, of course. Some were hiding from the heat. (Sun bears too like to hide from the sun. ): )And others were just… nowhere to be seen. But we did almost everything. Even caught half a show, albeit by standing in the sun. All in all a reasonably complete zoo experience.

And Today…

I’m going to the Asian Civilisations Museum. And I should say that I was there only recently, but today I’ll be there with my grandma. I was very thorough the first time, so I’m not sure what I’ll feel going through the same exhibits another time. I’m pretty sure it’ll be fine.

I was a little disappointed with the top level exhibits the last time. They felt kind of bare, like the museum just stuffed a few things up there to fill up the space. Not sure if I’ll feel the same way this time. We’ll find out.

Then Tomorrow…

I think I’m going shopping. I need to get quite a few things, including a couple of bags for myself. Presents take up about half of my shopping list. Apart from that I’m looking for the Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood concert video, a couple of books and a few odds and ends.

And That’s…

That’s mainly what this week has been about, I think, just going out and getting things done. A nice change of pace, I suppose.

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Thursday Photo: tessellations

Ten Years

Thing Is…

I had a whole long post written about the same thing, but in far more detail, a sort of retrospective of the last decade or so, trying to explain why I feel kind of happy now. It was over 2500 words long and I’m pretty sure you don’t want to read that.

So instead, you get this much shorter post. And I’m really only dropping by to share my joy.

On Monday, about noon, I made my first submission, which you already know. I tried to treat it as a normal thing, as part of the job, so that I wouldn’t make too much out of it and could start thinking focussing on the next thing as soon as possible. Didn’t work. In the evening, I told myself, Hey, I made a submission, and I got very happy while I was on the bus, probably with a ridiculous smile on my face that ensured that no one took the seat beside mine.

See, it’s not a book deal. I’m not getting published (yet). I don’t have any reason to believe I have any significant chance at publication either. It’s just the act of making that first submission. It’s the thing I’ve wanted to do for, say, the last ten years. Project after project, all embarrasssing (which is what I tried to talk about in the original long post), and it was really not looking good. To finally figure out what I was doing wrong and to put out a reasonably okay draft of The River in three months last year should probably have told me that I had made improvement that I could be happy about, but it didn’t, and it was only until that submission that I managed to feel that way.

It’s a nice feeling, really, especially to realise what I’ve managed to do and learn, even if it’s nothing great and it took ten years.  So I just wanted to share my joy with you here, because that’s what they say you should share. Now, let’s celebrate for twenty minutes.

Okay, time’s up. Time to get back to work and get started on the next ten years.

Tuesday Photo: two years on