I overheard the cats was written in a hurry and I think the tone shows. Originally there was an opening para explaining why the narrator had to tell the story in a hurry, but it was quite out of place - in that it didn't give to the story - so I had it removed. Now I wonder if the rest of the story is out of place.
Wanted at first to write a Frankenstein kind of story about a mad scientist who was out to remove people's testicles and implant them into their eye sockets. But it's a bit sick and cruel and a bit too violent, so i thought to make it happen to some kind of animals instead, so that it's at least a bit cartoonish.
hm... I wrote the story in 30 minutes. I aimed to write it in 15 minutes but I think with a little bit of editing it took longer than that. Why in a hurry? I was tired it was late but thought I should try to write something anyway, so I had to spit something out.
I used to usually take 2-3 hours (sometimes much longer) to come out with a piece, with story edits... and used to revisit the stories and edit them and edit them back and everything... very very often. But recently, i think in this year, I haven't done much editing. My average timing is maybe about 1 hour to write a story. and I don't think it's because I'm more confident of my writing (actually it makes me a lot less confident), but I do feel like I can always go back and edit them somemore, when i have more time, but when i have more time, I would rather spend it on writing something new.
The jobless period has been quite fruitful and productive for me - in terms of pieces/month... and then frankly, I've forgotten a lot of what I've written... which surprises me, because I usually know my stories quite well.
So what do you do as your pastime? I used to watch the fan twist itself silly.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Part 3 of ? - Relieve
Relieve is based on my recent flu season. I've been having the sniffles every other week. In between, I'd be feeling weak from recovery.
Everytime I check on sneak, i would realise and be appalled at how long ago the last post was. I realise what keeps me from wanting to write about my writings is the linking here and there the pages that I have to do. So, I think i should just keep up the writing a bit, and then, one day when I have the mood, then I'll do a massive linking exercise.
This Relieve is one of part 3 of a death series (i dunno how many more to come), but apparently i must be feeling rather morbid lately. After a straw poll, seems that Relieve is the favourite, though it might not be my personal favourite, which might be "Would write". But relieve is the funniest of course. And when I was telling it to 2 of my good friends on Sunday, I shed tears from laughing so hard.
I actually don't believe that one would feel like choking from a piece of pee sai. but it's just a story. I'm especially proud to suddenly thought of how the body would excrete all the sai after death because the muscle relax and all that. Actually having done a brief research, not all deaths would cause the bowels to be released. Only due to some causes.
2 points.
1) on the title. Called it relieve, relieve being a sense of relieve and relieve of shit. I wanted to come up with a less act cool name, but i couldn't, and I was sleepy. Relieve also as in the relieve of the plane, ie something like gradient. So, watch the girl's neurotism escalate as we read on the story.
2) on the meaning. Choose such a stark and dirty ending, to remind us that death is absolute and dirty, but simple and unavoidable. No matter how you would try to keep your nose shit, after you die, the shit will be exploded all over the floor. Thus, the moral is to enjoy life, and just dig your nose lor, if you want.
I'm falling asleep at the computer as I'm typing this, so I'm gonna end here. take care and i do hope to write sooner.
Everytime I check on sneak, i would realise and be appalled at how long ago the last post was. I realise what keeps me from wanting to write about my writings is the linking here and there the pages that I have to do. So, I think i should just keep up the writing a bit, and then, one day when I have the mood, then I'll do a massive linking exercise.
This Relieve is one of part 3 of a death series (i dunno how many more to come), but apparently i must be feeling rather morbid lately. After a straw poll, seems that Relieve is the favourite, though it might not be my personal favourite, which might be "Would write". But relieve is the funniest of course. And when I was telling it to 2 of my good friends on Sunday, I shed tears from laughing so hard.
I actually don't believe that one would feel like choking from a piece of pee sai. but it's just a story. I'm especially proud to suddenly thought of how the body would excrete all the sai after death because the muscle relax and all that. Actually having done a brief research, not all deaths would cause the bowels to be released. Only due to some causes.
2 points.
1) on the title. Called it relieve, relieve being a sense of relieve and relieve of shit. I wanted to come up with a less act cool name, but i couldn't, and I was sleepy. Relieve also as in the relieve of the plane, ie something like gradient. So, watch the girl's neurotism escalate as we read on the story.
2) on the meaning. Choose such a stark and dirty ending, to remind us that death is absolute and dirty, but simple and unavoidable. No matter how you would try to keep your nose shit, after you die, the shit will be exploded all over the floor. Thus, the moral is to enjoy life, and just dig your nose lor, if you want.
I'm falling asleep at the computer as I'm typing this, so I'm gonna end here. take care and i do hope to write sooner.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
To those who bought/buying/will buy the book
Just a note to inform you, in case you'd like to know, that $5 of the proceeds went to comm chest. Thanks.
Coach - She always carries a book in her handbag
She always carries a book in her handbag... actually inspired by a train ride home. I suppose I was listening to some light-hearted music and had no place to sit so i just people watched the office ladies (OLs) in the train... wondering if I'm just like them. counting the number of branded handbags in the train - wondering why would so many people spend so much money on just a bag - will I ever understand? Wondering if there's something wrong with the world when thousand dollar bags are so prevalent...
anyway, personally, I very often carry a book or 2 in my handbag that I don't read cos I'm more likely to try to write into a notebook - but the books are there in case I don't feel like writing then I would like to have something that I feel like reading to read.
The trivial here is the "but i still like coach leh". Coach may mean:
anyway, personally, I very often carry a book or 2 in my handbag that I don't read cos I'm more likely to try to write into a notebook - but the books are there in case I don't feel like writing then I would like to have something that I feel like reading to read.
The trivial here is the "but i still like coach leh". Coach may mean:
So, its like cute lar.1.a. A motorbus.b. A railroad passenger car.c. A closed automobile, usually with two doors.d. A large, closed, four-wheeled carriage with an elevated exterior seat for the driver; a stagecoach.2. An economical class of passenger accommodations on a commercial airplane or a train.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
if it had a taste - emotional blackmail
Emotional blackmail was written from seeding an analogy that i used in an email to a friend - on someone being strangled by some umbilical cord - and it had something to do with emotional blackmail.
On the relevant note - would like to explicate more on the taste of abstract constructs. You see, i think if emotional blackmail had a taste it would taste like bad - watery blueberry cheesecake - that had been left outside of the fridge for too long.
Pride would taste like steel. Like the first swig from a newly opened bottle of beer that had been left on the shelf for too long such that the bottle cap has a strong taste or influence on the mouth of the bottle so it tastes like steel.
Jealousy might taste like wine - plum wine, red wine, whatever wine - that's left to air too much like it tastes a little vinegar-ish. Much truth in the chinese way of describing jealousy as eating-vinegar.
Having blisters on the feet tastes like apple cider vinegar.
Having too much work to do, and too little sleep, tastes like vomit. Vomit of someone who drank too much milo.
I like the description of the little emotional blackmail monster. freaks me out. but i think that's quite what the little emotional blackmail cherub would look like. innocent, in nature, but deformed and ...murderous?
On the relevant note - would like to explicate more on the taste of abstract constructs. You see, i think if emotional blackmail had a taste it would taste like bad - watery blueberry cheesecake - that had been left outside of the fridge for too long.
Pride would taste like steel. Like the first swig from a newly opened bottle of beer that had been left on the shelf for too long such that the bottle cap has a strong taste or influence on the mouth of the bottle so it tastes like steel.
Jealousy might taste like wine - plum wine, red wine, whatever wine - that's left to air too much like it tastes a little vinegar-ish. Much truth in the chinese way of describing jealousy as eating-vinegar.
Having blisters on the feet tastes like apple cider vinegar.
Having too much work to do, and too little sleep, tastes like vomit. Vomit of someone who drank too much milo.
I like the description of the little emotional blackmail monster. freaks me out. but i think that's quite what the little emotional blackmail cherub would look like. innocent, in nature, but deformed and ...murderous?
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Grandmother series
Grandmother series... a new grandmother series because thought i'd better record down the wisdom of my grandmother while they're still fresh in my memory.
Can't believe I haven't posted anything here for more than 1 month!
Can't believe I haven't posted anything here for more than 1 month!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Brown Nose - Tom, Dick, & Harry
Tom, Dick, & Harry was based... on a conversation.
That's such an explicit way of putting it... but it's for the benefit of those who don't understand what's brown-nosing and may therefore... appreciate my forthcoming manner rather than pretending to be a mermaid dancing around a cowboy's fire.
"Do you think it's like how I forget that if I've brushed my teeth, then I have to go and feel if my toothbrush is damp?"I think this was referring to my own experience.
"Oh, right... I can see how the suspicion is completely valid... Seeing how you usually completely forget to wipe your nose when you come out of meetings with the bosses."This is a reference to brown nosing. Which means, ass-kissing, which means disgusting flattery (usually of bosses), until one's nose is browned- due to the shit that's hanging around the ass.
That's such an explicit way of putting it... but it's for the benefit of those who don't understand what's brown-nosing and may therefore... appreciate my forthcoming manner rather than pretending to be a mermaid dancing around a cowboy's fire.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
In a bimbimbap - Mary
Mary was written after my last minute trip to korea. I decided to make a dash for it before I started work. Yes, I found work. But let's not talk about work.
So, in korea, i was shitting and thought that my shit smelled very funny, or different. Then I wonder if it was because of the kimchi. Yah, that's a gross detail, but let's just admit it, please: It's more important to your life and your personal state of being to know the smell of your own shit than the name of some president half way around the world. I don't even know how to elaborate on it, becuase it's so apparent. It's like, okay, if you have kids, it's important to know the colour/smell of your baby's shit so that you'll be ganjiong when it's abnormal right? yah. so, the same for your own shit.
Then, Mary was deliberately written in the way that she sounds rather familiar/typical in the beginning portion. These details... were deliberately painting her to be seemingly normal and have the typical executive dream, though it has hints of quirkiness, so that the twist can be abrupt and shocking. One of the points I wanted to communicate here is that even though there are those who are very arrogant or look very high class, they may really be doing it for some shit reasons.
In a bimbimbap - sounds like - in a flash - with korea influences.
A trivial - i'm dozing off as I'm in front of the computer typing this.
Mary was written in about 4-5 hours.
So, in korea, i was shitting and thought that my shit smelled very funny, or different. Then I wonder if it was because of the kimchi. Yah, that's a gross detail, but let's just admit it, please: It's more important to your life and your personal state of being to know the smell of your own shit than the name of some president half way around the world. I don't even know how to elaborate on it, becuase it's so apparent. It's like, okay, if you have kids, it's important to know the colour/smell of your baby's shit so that you'll be ganjiong when it's abnormal right? yah. so, the same for your own shit.
Then, Mary was deliberately written in the way that she sounds rather familiar/typical in the beginning portion. These details... were deliberately painting her to be seemingly normal and have the typical executive dream, though it has hints of quirkiness, so that the twist can be abrupt and shocking. One of the points I wanted to communicate here is that even though there are those who are very arrogant or look very high class, they may really be doing it for some shit reasons.
In a bimbimbap - sounds like - in a flash - with korea influences.
A trivial - i'm dozing off as I'm in front of the computer typing this.
Mary was written in about 4-5 hours.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
李白 <<山中问答>> - no link (yet)
Haven't written an entry for sneak in sometime. So happy lunar new year to everyone and hope that everyone will be happy.
Came across this nice poem from Li Bai to share with you here.
<<山中问答>>
问余何意栖碧山，wen4 yu2 he2 yi4 qi1 bi4 shan1
笑而不答心自闲。xiao4 er2 bu4 da2 xin1 zi4 xian2
桃花流水窅然去， tiao2 hua1 liu2 shui3 yao2 ran2 qu4
别有天地非人间。bie2 you3 tian1 di4 fei1 ren2 jian1
Line by line rough explain:
1- someone asks (me) why I go live in the mountain
2- smile/laugh but don't answer. (my) heart is relax.
3- cherry blossoms fall into the flowing water and gets carried away (until I cannot see)
4- this place has a different sky and water, and is not earth, ie. like the heaven.
Personally, and egocentrically, I feel that it explains why I would want to quit my job and spend afternoons looking at the clouds or how the north wind blows everything here and there. I don't see cherry blossoms on flowing water, but say, watching the chameleon lizard run around and climb trees, and finding it again after hearing a fall or tumbling through the tree, and then see that it has caught an insect between its jaw, and distinctly hearing the sound of the crunch crunch crunch...
it's almost the same sound of fried grasshoppers between the jaws of my friends sitting next to me when we were hanging out in Thailand some years ago. I also ate grasshopper. But back then was concentrating on how disgusting it was. But now to the think of it, should have ate it and imagine that that's how a frog or lizard feels like everyday. Next time when I should meet them in dreams, then I will be able to relate to them in that different level...
What a long simile and side-track. Anyway, but to have experience the peace and delight of my heart still enough to hear the sound of the crunch of the prey of the garden lizard... is something that can really relax me on those dull-jobless-wtf-Recruit-is-3-page-long-again??-days. Like remembering the lizard at interviews will make me feel like standing up and saying, "aiyah, life is too short to be working for you la."
If people ask me why I quit my job to go and do these bo liao things, I also dun know how to answer. Tell them, "because i'm a bit siao" or "because...for the heck of it" or "to write a book", or "to take a break"? Well, all the above is true, but all the above can't accurately describe how all in all it's a good thing, so i also want to "smile and don't answer, ownself feel shiok", but because I don't want to be rude, I will say something simple, and then try to change topic.
So Li Bai's poem puts it well. I do relate to his protagonist here. If people ask me why I quit my job and go and do these bo liao things, my sincerest answer is to quote <<山中问答>> and walk away (or smile and walk away). But if I were to really do that, I'll just feel gek sey and rude also. So, you know, some things can be talked about, and never done, and left better at that. Just as how some times can't be talked about, and left better at that.
Perhaps before this experience and I read the poem or idling things liek that, I'll be like thinking, ah, very charming idyllic picture thing. but after this experience I'll feel, that it can be lived, even for a while. I hope when you're reading me waxing lyrical here about zo bo-ing, you'll feel less distance, at least i'm not from the tang dynasty.
A very important note to take if you're thinking of taking a break from work: Weather is a very important consideration for timing. eg. If you don't like rain, then don't quit during the rainy season, because you'll just be very pekchek. May is the month of great heat. December-January has good northwind. Personally, I'd recommend Dec-Jan, but xmas and newyears takes up a lot of social time. That said, do remember being jobless can also suck big time. so ya. That's life. Do whatever you want.
祝大家 笑口常开 无优无虑.
Came across this nice poem from Li Bai to share with you here.
<<山中问答>>
问余何意栖碧山，wen4 yu2 he2 yi4 qi1 bi4 shan1
笑而不答心自闲。xiao4 er2 bu4 da2 xin1 zi4 xian2
桃花流水窅然去， tiao2 hua1 liu2 shui3 yao2 ran2 qu4
别有天地非人间。bie2 you3 tian1 di4 fei1 ren2 jian1
Line by line rough explain:
1- someone asks (me) why I go live in the mountain
2- smile/laugh but don't answer. (my) heart is relax.
3- cherry blossoms fall into the flowing water and gets carried away (until I cannot see)
4- this place has a different sky and water, and is not earth, ie. like the heaven.
Personally, and egocentrically, I feel that it explains why I would want to quit my job and spend afternoons looking at the clouds or how the north wind blows everything here and there. I don't see cherry blossoms on flowing water, but say, watching the chameleon lizard run around and climb trees, and finding it again after hearing a fall or tumbling through the tree, and then see that it has caught an insect between its jaw, and distinctly hearing the sound of the crunch crunch crunch...
it's almost the same sound of fried grasshoppers between the jaws of my friends sitting next to me when we were hanging out in Thailand some years ago. I also ate grasshopper. But back then was concentrating on how disgusting it was. But now to the think of it, should have ate it and imagine that that's how a frog or lizard feels like everyday. Next time when I should meet them in dreams, then I will be able to relate to them in that different level...
What a long simile and side-track. Anyway, but to have experience the peace and delight of my heart still enough to hear the sound of the crunch of the prey of the garden lizard... is something that can really relax me on those dull-jobless-wtf-Recruit-is-3-page-long-again??-days. Like remembering the lizard at interviews will make me feel like standing up and saying, "aiyah, life is too short to be working for you la."
If people ask me why I quit my job to go and do these bo liao things, I also dun know how to answer. Tell them, "because i'm a bit siao" or "because...for the heck of it" or "to write a book", or "to take a break"? Well, all the above is true, but all the above can't accurately describe how all in all it's a good thing, so i also want to "smile and don't answer, ownself feel shiok", but because I don't want to be rude, I will say something simple, and then try to change topic.
So Li Bai's poem puts it well. I do relate to his protagonist here. If people ask me why I quit my job and go and do these bo liao things, my sincerest answer is to quote <<山中问答>> and walk away (or smile and walk away). But if I were to really do that, I'll just feel gek sey and rude also. So, you know, some things can be talked about, and never done, and left better at that. Just as how some times can't be talked about, and left better at that.
Perhaps before this experience and I read the poem or idling things liek that, I'll be like thinking, ah, very charming idyllic picture thing. but after this experience I'll feel, that it can be lived, even for a while. I hope when you're reading me waxing lyrical here about zo bo-ing, you'll feel less distance, at least i'm not from the tang dynasty.
A very important note to take if you're thinking of taking a break from work: Weather is a very important consideration for timing. eg. If you don't like rain, then don't quit during the rainy season, because you'll just be very pekchek. May is the month of great heat. December-January has good northwind. Personally, I'd recommend Dec-Jan, but xmas and newyears takes up a lot of social time. That said, do remember being jobless can also suck big time. so ya. That's life. Do whatever you want.
祝大家 笑口常开 无优无虑.
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