I start writing when I have no friends around and the peaceful silence all around me - Tash Aw, the author of The Harmony Silk Factory.
But HE is always around us - Zain Bhikha (South African singer) and Dawud Wharnsby Ali (Canadian singer)
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
From Brazil
The author of The Alchemist, The Pilgrimage, and The Zahir sent me his words all across the Pacific Ocean from Brazil.
Dear Sharazad,
I hope that this message finds you in high spirits, as I was when I received yours. I thank you for your kind words and inspiration.
The Warrior of light concentrates on the small miracles of daily life
Paulo Coelho
As Andre Gide said, "To read a writer is for me not merely to get an idea of what he says, but to go off with him and travel in his company"
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Silva Rerum
My blog has been linked to a blog written by Iain Rowan, an author who lives in the north-east of England, near the sea... but what perplexed me is 'it is not near enough' according to him ;p.
Thank you Iain.
Like the great Polish journalist and author; Ryszard Kapuscinski who passed away last few weeks, I agree with him that the world is silva rerum: 'the forest of things' - and he believed that "to capture it you have to penetrate it as completely as possible".
The forest of things.
To capture and penetrate it as completely as possible.
Below are the info about Iain Rowan's website (www.iainrowan.com)
Not forgetting, the TWO MUST-SEE VIDEOS posted on his website; THINGS I LIKE TODAY and DRUMTASTIC.
I write novels and short stories. My short stories have been published in a variety of magazines and anthologies. My novel ‘One of Us’ was shortlisted for the 2006 Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger. You can read the first chapter here. I’m represented by the literary agents Gregory and Company, and am working on revisions to ‘One of Us’ with them.
The novel is based on a short story of the same name, which was first published in Alfred Hitchcock’s, and will be reprinted in the anthology Best New Noir. I’ve also written a young adult novel, ‘Sea Change’, but have put that on hold for the time being while I concentrate on crime fiction.
Since the end of 2001 I’ve had over thirty short stories published in various anthologies and magazines, including Alfred Hitchcock’s, Ellery Queen’s, Postscripts, Polyphony, Black Gate, and the Thackery T. Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric & Discredited Diseases. Full details are in the bibliography to the right.
I’ve not written much short fiction in 2006, but ‘Here Comes The New Way’ has been taken by Postscripts, and ‘Welcome to the Underworld’ and ‘From the Heart of the Earth to the Peaks of the Sky’ have been taken by Black Gate.
If you want to read any of my short fiction, some of it is available online, and can be found via the bibliography. One of my stories, “The Remains Of My Estate” was originally published in Handheld Crime, which is no longer a going concern, so I have republished it here. Here are quick links to some other stories: Chairman of the Bored, One Step Closer, The Moth, and Game On
I’ve also put some of the flash fiction that I’ve written online here.
‘One of Us’ will be reprinted in Best New Noir, and ‘Lilies’ was shortlisted for the British Fantasy Society’s Best Short Story of 2004, and was chosen for reprinting in the ‘Best New Horror 16’ anthology. ‘Driving In Circles’ was shortlisted for the BFS 2006 awards, and ‘One Step Closer’ won the 2005 Derringer Award (Best short story, mid-length).
Non-fiction: I’ve written book reviews for Infinity Plus and Project Pulp. I interviewed Mike Ashley, researcher, anthologist and Algernon Blackwood’s biographer for Infinity Plus. I’ve edited the Fall 2005 issue of the noir/hardboiled crime zine Hardluck Stories. I’m also currently contributing fiction and non-fiction articles to a literacy project for grade 3-9 children in the US.
Thank you Iain.
Like the great Polish journalist and author; Ryszard Kapuscinski who passed away last few weeks, I agree with him that the world is silva rerum: 'the forest of things' - and he believed that "to capture it you have to penetrate it as completely as possible".
The forest of things.
To capture and penetrate it as completely as possible.
Below are the info about Iain Rowan's website (www.iainrowan.com)
Not forgetting, the TWO MUST-SEE VIDEOS posted on his website; THINGS I LIKE TODAY and DRUMTASTIC.
I write novels and short stories. My short stories have been published in a variety of magazines and anthologies. My novel ‘One of Us’ was shortlisted for the 2006 Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger. You can read the first chapter here. I’m represented by the literary agents Gregory and Company, and am working on revisions to ‘One of Us’ with them.
The novel is based on a short story of the same name, which was first published in Alfred Hitchcock’s, and will be reprinted in the anthology Best New Noir. I’ve also written a young adult novel, ‘Sea Change’, but have put that on hold for the time being while I concentrate on crime fiction.
Since the end of 2001 I’ve had over thirty short stories published in various anthologies and magazines, including Alfred Hitchcock’s, Ellery Queen’s, Postscripts, Polyphony, Black Gate, and the Thackery T. Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric & Discredited Diseases. Full details are in the bibliography to the right.
I’ve not written much short fiction in 2006, but ‘Here Comes The New Way’ has been taken by Postscripts, and ‘Welcome to the Underworld’ and ‘From the Heart of the Earth to the Peaks of the Sky’ have been taken by Black Gate.
If you want to read any of my short fiction, some of it is available online, and can be found via the bibliography. One of my stories, “The Remains Of My Estate” was originally published in Handheld Crime, which is no longer a going concern, so I have republished it here. Here are quick links to some other stories: Chairman of the Bored, One Step Closer, The Moth, and Game On
I’ve also put some of the flash fiction that I’ve written online here.
‘One of Us’ will be reprinted in Best New Noir, and ‘Lilies’ was shortlisted for the British Fantasy Society’s Best Short Story of 2004, and was chosen for reprinting in the ‘Best New Horror 16’ anthology. ‘Driving In Circles’ was shortlisted for the BFS 2006 awards, and ‘One Step Closer’ won the 2005 Derringer Award (Best short story, mid-length).
Non-fiction: I’ve written book reviews for Infinity Plus and Project Pulp. I interviewed Mike Ashley, researcher, anthologist and Algernon Blackwood’s biographer for Infinity Plus. I’ve edited the Fall 2005 issue of the noir/hardboiled crime zine Hardluck Stories. I’m also currently contributing fiction and non-fiction articles to a literacy project for grade 3-9 children in the US.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
BABEL
You don't raise heroes; you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they'll turn out to be heroes, even if it's just in your own eyes - Walter Schirra Sr.
It was a sunny Saturday. The ray of lights that formed the silver lining across my room was just a smokescreen for a fool mind to believe that it was warm outside. The temperature was averaging about 5 degrees celcius and the chill of the wind caught my breath as I stepped outside. My destination was Cornerhouse in the city center of Nottingham, every second was counted as I could hardly resist the temptation to watch a promising movie which has been awarded for few awards during the Cannes Film Festival in France. BABEL, the movie on my mind.
My mind, mixed thoughts of happiness and sadness, and imagining myself as a shadow in the movie, took me to Japan, Morocco, San Diego, and Mexico in the same vein of real-life drama and tragedy. It took no surprise for the achievements of the movie recently as I watched with deep attention for almost three hours. It is not an ordinary movie, it is the most unique movie I ever seen that touches the insightful aspect of our lives, of the most appreciated gifts that human beings could ever get; children.
I shall say no more.
I doubt this movie will be approved by the board of censorship in my country Malaysia, thus I recommend those who would like to open their eyes about the real world find by any means to watch it; the blindness of the oppressor, the trap of confusions that surrounds the innocence, the importance of why God has created various nationalities in this world, and the most important thing the gifts that most of us fail to see the reasons behind them; as Walter Schirra Sr quoted above.
Carpe diem, and let your mind does the watching; the brilliant performance by Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael Garcia Bernal, Koji Yakusho, Adriana Barraza, and Rinko Kikuchi.
Kudos to Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, wishful wishes upon your children.
BABEL - in the remote sands of the Moroccan desert, a rifle shot rings out - detonating a chain of events that will link an American tourist couple’s frantic struggle to survive, two Moroccan boys involved in an accidental crime, a nanny illegally crossing into Mexico with two American children and a Japanese teen rebel whose father is sought by the police in Tokyo.
http://www.paramountvantage.com/babel/
It was a sunny Saturday. The ray of lights that formed the silver lining across my room was just a smokescreen for a fool mind to believe that it was warm outside. The temperature was averaging about 5 degrees celcius and the chill of the wind caught my breath as I stepped outside. My destination was Cornerhouse in the city center of Nottingham, every second was counted as I could hardly resist the temptation to watch a promising movie which has been awarded for few awards during the Cannes Film Festival in France. BABEL, the movie on my mind.
My mind, mixed thoughts of happiness and sadness, and imagining myself as a shadow in the movie, took me to Japan, Morocco, San Diego, and Mexico in the same vein of real-life drama and tragedy. It took no surprise for the achievements of the movie recently as I watched with deep attention for almost three hours. It is not an ordinary movie, it is the most unique movie I ever seen that touches the insightful aspect of our lives, of the most appreciated gifts that human beings could ever get; children.
I shall say no more.
I doubt this movie will be approved by the board of censorship in my country Malaysia, thus I recommend those who would like to open their eyes about the real world find by any means to watch it; the blindness of the oppressor, the trap of confusions that surrounds the innocence, the importance of why God has created various nationalities in this world, and the most important thing the gifts that most of us fail to see the reasons behind them; as Walter Schirra Sr quoted above.
Carpe diem, and let your mind does the watching; the brilliant performance by Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael Garcia Bernal, Koji Yakusho, Adriana Barraza, and Rinko Kikuchi.
Kudos to Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, wishful wishes upon your children.
BABEL - in the remote sands of the Moroccan desert, a rifle shot rings out - detonating a chain of events that will link an American tourist couple’s frantic struggle to survive, two Moroccan boys involved in an accidental crime, a nanny illegally crossing into Mexico with two American children and a Japanese teen rebel whose father is sought by the police in Tokyo.
http://www.paramountvantage.com/babel/
Monday, January 15, 2007
Auld Lang Syne
If poetry were a man,
Words would be a woman,
As the wind ruffles,
I wonder,
The faded aura of the poetry,
With the absence of,
Words from a woman,
Like the falling leaves,
As the winter fails,
To mesmerise the earth,
How melodic it would be,
The heavenly words,
Rise from the very heart,
Of an intriguing woman,
As if the soothing chords,
Of Clayderman’s touch,
She brings,
Oh how with the deep,
Insightful eyes,
She reflects the innocence,
Of the rainbows,
Abated the rains in me,
If poetry were a man,
Words must be a woman,
The words are born,
In the solace of silence,
In the angelic of solitary,
How distant the words,
They fly,
Fly the poet,
Crossing arms,
To the moon,
While Venus blinks,
The very words of auld lang syne - Sharazad 3am
Inspired by Kenny G and Richard Clayderman ;)
Below is a story of life received from a friend of mine, for all readers. Bless our life -
At this hectic time of the year, here's
a very useful piece of advice to put all
things into perspective.
When things in your life seem almost too
much to handle, when 24 hours in a day
are not enough, remember the mayonnaise
jar... and the coffee...
A professor stood before his philosophy
class and had some items in front of
him. When the class began, wordlessly,
he picked up a very large and empty
mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it
with golf balls. He then asked the
students if the jar was full. They
agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of
pebbles and poured them into the jar. He
shook the jar lightly. The pebbles
rolled into the open areas between the
golf balls. He then asked the students
again if the jar was full. They agreed
it was.
The professor next picked up a box of
sand and poured it into the jar. Of
course, the sand filled up everything
else. He asked once more if the jar was
full. The students responded with an
infamous "yes."
The professor then produced two cups of
coffee from under the table and poured
the entire contents into the jar,
effectively filling the empty space
between sand. The students laughed.
Now, said the professor, as the
laughter subsided, I want you to
recognize that this jar represents your
life. The golf balls are the important
things. Your family, your children, your
faith, your health, your friends and
your favorite passions. Things, that if
everything else was lost and only they
remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that
matter. Your job, your house and your
car. The sand is everything else. The
small stuff. "If you put the sand into
the jar first," he continued, "there is
no room for the pebbles or the golf
balls. The same goes for life. If you
spend all your time and energy on the
small stuff, you will never have room
for the things that are important to
you. Pay attention to the things that
are critical to your happiness. Play
with your children. Take time to get
medical checkups. Take your partner out
to dinner. Play another 18. There will
always be time to clean the house and
fix the disposal. Take care of the golf
balls first, the things that really
matter. Set your priorities. The rest is
just sand." One of the students raised her hand and
inquired what the coffee represented.
The professor smiled. "I'm glad you
asked. It just goes to show you that no
matter how full your life may seem,
there's always room for a couple of
cups of coffee with a friend."
Words would be a woman,
As the wind ruffles,
I wonder,
The faded aura of the poetry,
With the absence of,
Words from a woman,
Like the falling leaves,
As the winter fails,
To mesmerise the earth,
How melodic it would be,
The heavenly words,
Rise from the very heart,
Of an intriguing woman,
As if the soothing chords,
Of Clayderman’s touch,
She brings,
Oh how with the deep,
Insightful eyes,
She reflects the innocence,
Of the rainbows,
Abated the rains in me,
If poetry were a man,
Words must be a woman,
The words are born,
In the solace of silence,
In the angelic of solitary,
How distant the words,
They fly,
Fly the poet,
Crossing arms,
To the moon,
While Venus blinks,
The very words of auld lang syne - Sharazad 3am
Inspired by Kenny G and Richard Clayderman ;)
Below is a story of life received from a friend of mine, for all readers. Bless our life -
At this hectic time of the year, here's
a very useful piece of advice to put all
things into perspective.
When things in your life seem almost too
much to handle, when 24 hours in a day
are not enough, remember the mayonnaise
jar... and the coffee...
A professor stood before his philosophy
class and had some items in front of
him. When the class began, wordlessly,
he picked up a very large and empty
mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it
with golf balls. He then asked the
students if the jar was full. They
agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of
pebbles and poured them into the jar. He
shook the jar lightly. The pebbles
rolled into the open areas between the
golf balls. He then asked the students
again if the jar was full. They agreed
it was.
The professor next picked up a box of
sand and poured it into the jar. Of
course, the sand filled up everything
else. He asked once more if the jar was
full. The students responded with an
infamous "yes."
The professor then produced two cups of
coffee from under the table and poured
the entire contents into the jar,
effectively filling the empty space
between sand. The students laughed.
Now, said the professor, as the
laughter subsided, I want you to
recognize that this jar represents your
life. The golf balls are the important
things. Your family, your children, your
faith, your health, your friends and
your favorite passions. Things, that if
everything else was lost and only they
remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that
matter. Your job, your house and your
car. The sand is everything else. The
small stuff. "If you put the sand into
the jar first," he continued, "there is
no room for the pebbles or the golf
balls. The same goes for life. If you
spend all your time and energy on the
small stuff, you will never have room
for the things that are important to
you. Pay attention to the things that
are critical to your happiness. Play
with your children. Take time to get
medical checkups. Take your partner out
to dinner. Play another 18. There will
always be time to clean the house and
fix the disposal. Take care of the golf
balls first, the things that really
matter. Set your priorities. The rest is
just sand." One of the students raised her hand and
inquired what the coffee represented.
The professor smiled. "I'm glad you
asked. It just goes to show you that no
matter how full your life may seem,
there's always room for a couple of
cups of coffee with a friend."
Monday, January 08, 2007
First Taste of Salt
On this Elizabethan soil I stand,
The North Sea wind caress my hand,
On the spinning globe a lone wayfarer I be,
Wilful wisdom worldly-wit I shall see,
What a man I am a man today,
The moments of childhood seem to be just yesterday,
My train of thoughts seems to be moving,
Like a child holding a kite, running,
The awe of my first blinking eyes,
As if this baby was born into a paradise,
The never ending tenderness by the two,
Like a beacon in the vast sea I hold on to,
The words are like Euphrates to the people,
The doors to fathom the unfathomable,
Who am I without you two,
A dark, hollow void I lost into,
They taught me to greet the sun,
And paint the moon, son,
Passion and flowing water of love, they blew,
Like a star falls from the sky out of the blue,
The touch of Midas I have been turning to,
The smile of Teresa makes me over the blue,
They taught me how to friend among friends,
Like the guidelines of Columbus, I sang,
Just as I was about to smell the roses,
They whispered life is not a bed of roses,
They torched the blindness in me,
As the puppiest of love creeps into me,
They still kiss me when I am a man,
As they know there is a baby in this man,
The truth of life knows no age,
To taste the sweet and bitter in edge,
The voices are like a lyre to the ears,
Sweep away the invisible tears,
These words are just one in billions,
After twenty two years I have been breathing millions,
Tell them that you love them,
They say,
As this life is temporary,
God say,
I love both of them eternally,
As I may,
Shall enter the gate of Babylon,
I pray,
As long as this pen,
Penned their true fairytale,
This is the bliss,
Of stories I could tell.
;)
Saya sayang ibu bapa saya,
Kerna genap 12 Januari saya dua puluh dua tahun,
Di kehidupan dunia.
Kepada teman-teman,
Ku ambil ulangtahun kelahiran ini,
Untuk meminta maaf sepanjang kehidupan,
Dan penghargaanku mengenali teman-teman,
Hidup ini indah,
Teruskan perjuangan,
Dengan hati seindah sutera.
Terima kasih.
The ink never fades,
Sharazad 12 Januari 1985 -
Friday, January 05, 2007
White Chocolate Mocha
Another books been bought at Waterstone Nottingham, after a glass of Nero's white chocolate mocha and a short companion by the waiter whose hometown is Lisbon.
The Map of Love by Ahdaf Soueif
and
Persuasion by Jane Austen
As Sunday Express put it on the former: "wittily observed ... There is much here to delight armchair travellers and Egyptophiles alike".
Voila!
The Map of Love by Ahdaf Soueif
and
Persuasion by Jane Austen
As Sunday Express put it on the former: "wittily observed ... There is much here to delight armchair travellers and Egyptophiles alike".
Voila!
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Seductive Paris
In the adjoining Cour Carree, a flautist is playing Vivaldi. It's a cliche, of course, but then Paris is full of them. The familiar notes ring sweetly through the silence. Less ornate than the main Louvre courtyard, the square has a sparseness that is rendered almost luminous by night, when thousands of tiny spotlights make the friezes float in an amber aurora. Somehow it calls for calm and couples whisper on the stone benches, a dad tells his children to keep quiet.
The main, western wing is the most elaborately sculpted of the facades, abundant with tangled vines and bursting buds, lions' heads, wise philosophers, and angels. Cherubs gambol, their playful bottoms rendered in round relief, entwined with flowers and fruit and swooping swallows. It is a homage to nature and power, to royalty and religion, to literature and grand ideas. There is Homer playing a lyre, and next to him Virgil, pen in hand, a scroll of poetry falling over his knee. A majestic Moses brandishes the tablet of God's law.
It doesn't matter how many times we do this walk: without fail I'm struck by the heart-stopping beauty of Paris. You'd think the shock would wear off, that seeing it would no longer have the power to leave you wordless. But every sighting feels like the first. Frederic is as captivated as I am.
I used to marvel at Sydney Harbour too, whenever I saw it. Sparkling blue carves the city with covers and inlets; it's a wonder of nature. But somehow in Paris the feeling of being awe-struck is even stronger. Perhaps because it is still relatively new to me or perhaps because it somehow seems preposterous that such beauty could be created by people. The city is a testament to civilisation. Of course, I know from the last year that living in a gorgeous environment isn't enough to make you happy. But breathtaking beauty of any kind is moving. It makes tourists of us all. It anchors your heart to a place. Just like Sydney Harbour, the wonderful sights of Paris inspire emotion, yes, even love - Almost French novel by Sarah Turnbull
30 DEC 2006
English Time
0745 - The coach departs from Ye Olde Salutation Inn in Nottingham
1000 - 10 minutes rest at Stevenege
1045 - Journey continues down the south via A25/A1081
1330 - Arrives in Dover
(At the Dover Passport Inspection going into France, we did not have to step out of the coach for the individual inspection by the officer. Relieved happily, as all the passengers did not have to go through the hassle which is norm when dealing with immigration officers. Then, the jocose coach driver told us that there is a new kind of inspection which requires all of us to place our passport photo page on the window. Like children obeying their parents' order, we did as what he said only to be spared with laughters after realising the foolishness of it ;p)
French Time (1 hour ahead)
1700 - On board Pride of Calais cruise ship, crossing the English Channel
- Proceed via A1 highway passing by Aire de Souchez
- On coach entertainment; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang directed by Ian Fleming
2100 - The sight of State de France marks the journey into Paris
2200 - Rest in repose at Campanile Hotel in St. Quentin, a business area in Paris
31 DEC 2006
The walk started from Place De La Concorde - walked through Jardin Des Tuileriesa; vast, long walkway surrounded by naked trees among millions of people from different countries, stretching out along side the Seine, the Tuileries Gardens were created in 1564 by Queen Catherine de Medicis - detailed observation of the Louvre pyramid; the work of architect Ieoh Ming Pei - crossed the Seine towards Institut De France - street stalls of classing French paintings and books formed part of the street - arrived at Place Dolphine which situated across the Seine; a land that holds Saint Chapelle and the myth of the hunchback of who once upon a time rang the bell at Notre Dame - arrived at Pantheon, the major patriotic monumentin Paris, since 1885 when Victor Hugo’s funeral procession carried him to this burial spot, it has become the prestigious tomb of the most distinguished women and men of France, those whose works and spirit raised the Republic and honored humanity: Emile Zola, Marie Curie, Jean Moulin, and Alexander Dumas who wrote the novel entitled 'The Count of Monte Cristo' - arrived at Jardin Du Luxembourg; had a few minutes rest by sitting in the rest chair in the middle of l'observatoire while listening to the chirpings of the birds - walked along Boulevard St. Germain and had a wonderful French dessert at Latin Quarter - met a new French, Cameroonian-born friend; Christian - his eager intention to learn english slowly formed the rapport between us - as the night arrived; strolled along Avenue Des Champs Elysees (went into one of the shops and curiously appreciating the touch of Peugeout) a place of high end street shoppings towards Arc De Triomphe; a popular location for patriotic events and home to an unknown soldier - had dinner in Montparnasse - by midnight, stood beside a couple from Italy; among thousands of people waited for the new year's celebration in Palais De Chaillot; Eiffel Tower stood with sparkling elegance showering gold all over Parisien.
1 JAN 2007
Disneyland Paris - The child in this man jumped in joy, in a world of children accompanied by parents only the purity of innocence, I felt. My train of memories brought back my childhood inclinations; Snow White's dwarves, Pinocchio's nose, Beast's beauty, Star Wars' R2D2, Indiana Jones, Legends of the Wild West, Aladdin, Phantom Manor; they explained it all. The song 'It's A Small World' conveyed a message to the visitors that regardless from where we come from, it is our duty to make this planet a lovely and harmony place to live; only with the innocence of children in everyone's heart leads to such achievement.
2 JAN 2007
Journey back to the UK - had a half an hour stop at the duty free zone near Calais - reached Folkstone via Euro Tunnel - again, this mind opened up and I learned new perspectives from the Gallic land; and travel and observe are not a dichotomy, they are one worth of wisdom that must blends well.
The French are elegant, good self-appearance is imbued since birth, the love of arts and museums is nurtured since childhood, perfectionists in culinary, well known as cafe connoisseurs.
Discretion.
Seduction.
Elegance.
ps: Merci beacoup to Zhaf, Afny, and Christian for the French-words assistance and the joy shared in the romantic air of Paris, et Emir for giving me the second thoughts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
