Presentation Day

I have a presentation tomorrow morning. This is the first time in a while when the presentation doesn’t seem all that intimidating. It’s not because it’s not important. It’s just that I have my mind on a variety of other things, and I’m also just simply trying not to worry about it. To that end, I have simply been asking, What should I wear for the presentation?

Today, I had dim sum with my parents. Got new clothes. Also did something incredibly stupid. I was looking for a CD, and I was at ION. I thought first that I would head over to Gramophone at Ngee Ann City. They had some ugly edition of it that I didn’t want. Then I realised that all the music shops had been closing in the vicinity. So I walked to 313, where HMV was. Except the album wasn’t available there. That surprised me because it was a fairly recent album and it was also fairly popular.

So I hurried back because my parents were waiting back at ION. I thought I might raid Borders, until I remembered that there was a music store in the basement of ION, and I checked there. And there it was. Three or four copies I think. Brilliant. Not so clever on my part, though. Anyway, just glad to have it.

Right now, before I go to sleep, I need to print my notes, prepare for the presentation, pick a book to read, and, uh, what was that again? Oh yes, choose what to wear for tomorrow. Certainly not my new clothes because one is too formal and the other is too casual.

Oh I’m getting back my Literature test tomorrow too. Hope I didn’t goof up too horribly.

Right then, fairly busy night. I’m going to settle those things now.

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Oh so busy.

I went shopping today. I also had a meeting in the morning.

The outcome of the meeting was that we have some work to do.

Shopping, on the other hand, was surprisingly productive. I got a couple of presents, some cards to send out and Mass Effect 2, which was almost as much as I could’ve hoped for. My friend was I think equally as successful as I was. Except that we’re both the poorer for it.

I thought about quite a few things along the way. I think I know how I want my current project to feel, for instance, a thing that was eluding me for quite a bit of time. I also have to sort out a couple of things in my life, and though it’s only got more confusing, I think we have to attack the confusion for any semblance of truth to emerge.

I have not had enough sleep, thus explaining why I sound like a drunkard.

I have so many things to do this week. I have readings, mainly. Many readings. I have a project to sort out. And I have a number of other chores. How will I write? I suppose this is where I get tested. And perhaps it would be fair to say that I’d expected this challenge to come a little bit earlier. Nevertheless, hello, pleased to meet you, Challenge. Let us try to overcome one another. I will win. Just saying. Play fair.

Tomorrow’s a pretty long day. But I’m less concerned about that and more concerned about the things outside of the lessons. The work’s really not in the lessons themselves, is it?

Time to get prepped for tomorrow.

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Things We Bought Today

Disappointing

I went a little late to collect my tickets for the Neil Gaiman events at the Singapore Writers Festival. I missed out by five people.

Buying Things

I bought many things after the disappointing morning excursion. For instance, I bought two T-shirts featuring the work of Tan Swie Hian from the museum shops. The first is this one with a poem that he wrote.

The other one has a giant Lu Xun on it.

Also from a museum shop, a bookmark with calligraphy by Pan Shou.

Then there’s these things from the museum shop too. Well, actually only the books is mine, and the hanger came along with it. Sam the Samsui Woman is there because she is cute, but I was helping my sister to get it.

The book is actually a book about a local wayang troupe. Has lots of photos. I suppose it’s something of a photography book. It comes in nice binding and is a limited edition of 500. It’s number 210.

Inside the book:

Apart from the museum shops, I also bought two second-hand George Eliot books. Silas Marner and The Mill On The Floss.

Next up… I didn’t buy these today, but they came in through the mail to complete my day. It’s the Mythical Creatures stamp set from the Royal Mail, with art by Dave McKean and text by Neil Gaiman. I have four of these, but I’m only keeping one. Again, I was helping people to get them too.

But the actual last stop of the day was BooksActually, where I got these.

The pencils are inscribed with the names of writers. I have two James Joyce ones because I’m going to use one.

And yes, those are retro bus tickets on the sketchbook cover. I’m so happy I got it.

Also, Hamlet

Hamlet featuring David Tennant will be released on DVD after Christmas. [via RSC Shop Online]

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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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