PD James

I recently indulge myself into PD James. My dad has been recommending this writer to me for a long time. As an excuse, I only “had” time to read financial books, but not fiction.

PD James, a renowned writer in crime story genre, is certainly not the most prolific writer. But among the 19 books she has written, many were filmed as movies or TV series, as well as earning distinguished prizes.

Her experiences in both Police and Criminal Law departments allow her to pepper stories with believable details and sensible touch.

James only started writing in her late thirties.

Nostalgia of Ganganagar

A city in Chitwan, hundred fifty miles south of Kathmandu,
Lived those who constantly fight against blaze and downpour.
Monsoon washes away homes, living stocks and loved ones.
But you have to go on, Ke Gar Ne!

Unpredictable rhinos appear in the middle of field,
Chasing farmers and playing hide and seek.
Lions’ paws lingering and being relentless.
But you have to survive, Ke Gar Ne!

Wake up at five, have a Del Bat.
Work until my hands shiver, eat another Del Bat.
Hashish - Have A Smoke Happily In Snowy Himalayan!
For life is still great, Ke Gar Ne!


* Ke Gar Ne = "What else you can do" in Nepali

Ganganagar is the village I volunteered in 2003 with INFO Nepal, a non-profit organization.

Wedding Gift

We got them back from the Bay Registry – floor lamp, vases, flutes, glassware, bed sheets, games…. Unwrapping the gift one by one, we envisioned how these will fit into our home, our life, our new venture. Reading the words from our families and friends, we recalled the fond memories from the wedding.

We spent quite a bit time preparing the event, longer than what we thought, but shorter than many couples I know. It’s a special day that you become the center of the world, and everyone has to notice you.

But it’s just a start of the life-long journey!

What's after my writing class

We just finished the class “Creative Writing through Reading” at UoT. As I told my classmates, this was not the first writing class I took. But this was the first one I really did my homework every time. Peer pressure works well this case. Indeed, I learnt so much from all my classmates – all much disciplined, serious writers with excellent quality of works.

We were talking about forming a writing club to keep us writing.
Several of my classmates are on their path to novel and publishing. For me, I do have dream of doing it one day, hopefully soon!

Writing Challenges I wish to take on

I found these two on the web:
Tag You’re It, a place where stories were born in a collaboratively. It’s like the improvisation where one person starts the idea of the story and others contribute to develop the story. No one can predict how it grows and how it ends.

NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month. Participants start writing on November 1 with the goal to finish 175 pages of novel by midnight, November 30. 50,000 words in 30 days means 1667 words a day. Compared with my 100 words a day (with gaps), I need to ratchet up my efforts!

First Christmas in Canada

We bought my first X’mas tree the other day – small, Balsam Fir and now hanged with various ornaments and lights, circulated with colorful gifts. I thought there were only two types of Christmas trees – the real and the fake. Fact is there are at least ten types, lean versus sprawling, soft needles versus hard.

Christmas in Hong Kong is much different from here. There were parties, Lan Kwai Fong, manjong, karaoke, and large scale of Christmas lightings in Tsim Sha Tsui and Central areas. No place can be compared with Hong Kong in that regard.

Canada offers something different.

Discipline

Discipline is easier said than done. I am 2-3 days behind my 100-words-a-day and trying to catch up with random thoughts and cheesy book review. Well, late is better than never, cheesy writing is better than naught writing.

I remotely remember I used to be much more disciplinary - life was only composed of studying, eating and sleeping. When life gets better, it’s easy to become more relaxed. I knew someone, rich and successful, who always delay paying his credit card charges so that he could reminiscent the feeling of poverty when he got the calls from the banks. Irony!

Neverwhere subway adventure

Just finished Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, a fantasy thriller. The main character, Richard Mayhew, was punished by being a good Samarian. He saved a girl from the assassins, who killed her whole family. Strangely, Richard then ceased to exist in the world of London Above. To save his life, he had to join the girl to find out their destiny in the darkest and most dangerous par of the city, London Below.

If there is a story about the subway in Hong Kong, could it be a revolution of Robots who have been collecting profile of human through Octopus card?

Laugh Resort full of laughs

I went to the Laugh Resort to watch the comedy show. Laugh Resort prides itself “Shoot from the hip without aiming below the below the belt.” The show was super hilarious. I started to realize how much Toronto offers – breeding ground of many talented comedians, epicenter of musical and drama event including one of the world’s largest film festival, and top North America destination for Hong Kong singers to hold their overseas shows.

The other day, I heard my classmate complaining that Toronto lacks a unique character like New York has. As a minority, I certainly prefer it this way more than the "melting pot" USA.

Poem in Anger

Emotionless. He looks like those replicas in Madam Tuso.
Restless. He wrestles and hassles like a mouse in cage.
Time. Meaningless if there is no sense of importance and urgency.
Help. No one hear him. No one see him. Wonder himself, insignificant or unseen.
World. His own world. Isolated. Surreal. Dreamy. Uncertainties.
Anger. People think he is lucky. Only he knows the flames breath out and in.
His song. Nowhere man, doesn’t know what he is doing.
His plan for nobody. His point of view doesn’t exist.
Joy and peace. Maybe the early spring next year will give a hint.

Reminiscene of Beijing Winter

Today’s weather is quite strange. A mysterious haze crept from the lake, swallowing the CN Tower and diluting the sunny blaze. The haze reminded me of Beijing. But it was different. That was the smog from burning coal in some part of the town, where electricity was still a luxury. That was also the steam coming from the on-street hawkers selling dumplings, pancake, potatoes and stewed lamb. Walking along San Li Tuan (entertainment district), you will bump into several of these hawkers, who fight with DVD sellers to get your business. This is the hustle and bustle side of Beijing.

Second City Improvisation

Second week into this improvisation class by Second City. Quite daunted at first by some of my classmates – child actor, veteran comedy, daily show host… I was not funny even in my mother tongue, let alone a second language.

The instructor started the class with a comforting note: everyone can be funny, it’s about team work, not an individual show. And for the first two days of the classes, we didn’t need to talk, we just focus on actions. Now, whether I will end up doing anything in comedy, I don’t know. But I am sure I enjoy the class!

Hamlet

Hamlet was the Denmark prince who revenged for the murder of his King father, a tragedy by Shakespeare. You may criticize that Hamlet was too indecisive, struggling between taking actions and thinking to take actions. In fact, many of us are procrastinators ourselves, waiting for higher salary to do charity, waiting for a more promising job to do a better dad, waiting for that can’t-miss opportunity to shine our best…

What about the King, the spirit which had haunted and moved Hamlet to revenge. Is he a good spirit fighting for fairness, or an evil one messing up Hamlet’s life?