Reading Month

As Yvonne's skilled hands efficiently wrapped my books with protective book covers, I couldn't help but to be awed. A few quick snippets, the plastic wrappers were sized accordingly. Then she folded the ends in, secure with cellophane tapes here and there. And Ta-da! Nicely wrapped books ready to be flipped from cover to cover, withstand multiple times of reading, anytime, anywhere! I like my books to be wrapped before I walk into the content of them :)

In the past week, I've visited a book fair in KLCC (Book Fest) almost everyday, even if it's raining cats and dogs after work. I need a new book shelf - that is how broke I am (how much I've spent) after the trips there.

Books which I have bought from KLCC Book Fest:

1) Prisoner of Birth - Jeffrey Archer (RM19.90)

2) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling (RM49.90)

3) Microtrend - Mark J. Penn (RM19.90)

4) The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in A New World - Alan Greenspan (RM42.40)

5) Guide to Smart Insurance Planning: Are You Really Covered? - Lee Yow Chuan (RM23.90)

6) Ultimate WordSearch Puzzles (x2 - one for me, one for Fea, hence the price is not to be revealed)

7) Wordsearch: Pocket Puzzles (RM3.00)

8) a purple Bros aluminium water bottle (Kevin's super advance birthday present *grin*)

Total entrance fee I've paid: RM10.00

It's a reading month :-)

Paper Work

Friends know that I'm always crazy over books, and I get excited to have new books to read, or just merely owning it :) Hence during my convo, Jerry and others bought me two books by Candace Bushnell. According to Wikipedia, the books which this American author and columnist based in New York City has written are: Sex and the City (1997), Four Blondes (2001), Trading Up (2003), Lipstick Jungle (2005) and One Fifth Avenue (2007). Trading Up and Lipstick Jungle are the two books on my bookshelf now.

Sometimes I still cannot help but to judge a book by its cover - especially when it comes to new author for me. When it passes the first level, I'd briefly flip through the book to scan the contents and more importantly, the writing style of the author. I always believe there are many ways to present an idea. But creativity sets excellent authors apart from the rest. I want to indulge in a book that will make me continue reading it.

Here is the very first paragraph from Trading Up:

It was the beginning of the summer in the year 2000, and in New York City, where the streets seemed to sparkle with the gold dust filtered down from a billion trades in a boomtown economy, it was business as usual. The world had passes into the new millennium peacefully, the president had again avoided impeachment, and Y2K had fizzled like an ancient bottle of French champagne. The city shone in all its magnificient, vulgar, and ruthless glory.

I.totally.love.it.

Thanks, people! =)

Gifting

Sometimes a gift does not just cost as much as it is stated on the price tag. Though very likely the latter would have been removed (with Jun Hoe's superb well-trained-for-a-million-years skills), one may still be able to guess its shelf price.

But, the recipient may never know what one had gone through to get those gifts. It could mean walking in the rain. It could mean letting go the once in a life time good chance to buy something for ownself, to save enough money for the gift. It could mean decidophobe-ing over the choices one has, taking risk of what if the friend doesn't need/like the gift and etc. It could mean being squeezed like sardin in LRT after work. It could mean staying up thinking of ways to wrap and present the gift. It could mean passing by display windows and one can only smile at the desired items before walking off, with joy in heart that her money was spent more meaningfully.

And it definitely means precious time was spent thinking about the recipient during the entire process.

I enjoy receiving gifts. And giving gift to friends is a happy deed, too!

But no, Kevin Tan, I would like to have my sharpener back, please ;p

I want you to trust me, that I have your best interests in heart, that I mean no evil nor harm to you. I need you to know that I love you, love you so much that I never feel my love depletes for you, that it is always enough to cover the aches and wipe off the tears. I wonder if you understand that I still care a lot for you, that I want to hang on a little longer, just to make sure you guys are doing fine. I want to be the person you guys have faith in and turn to, when things happen.

I have taken risk being hurt again, without insurance coverage before hand. I want to believe the risk is over, and it bears good fruit. Because that's all I've got, and that's how long my shelf life is. It is short, but at least the final few breaths that I've had, were the sweetest scent too luxurious for my humble lungs to consume.

I don't have to give you the benefit of doubts, because I'd love you anyway. It's just making loving you unconditionally less silly from other's eyes.

You don't have to love me in return, but I long to know if you want to...

Departure of my love

I miss the time it hugged my body, tight yet with elasticity, to cover me yet gave me enough freedom to move around. The advantages it gives me to reduce friction, to satisfy my hunger for speed; the quiet moments for myself to swim all my night away, to clear my thoughts, to express my love for life, to miss someone secretly, to release anger and pressure, or just to do some maths by concentrating on counting laps and nothing more. It's so close to me like my second skin. Lian King once complimented my new goggle:

"Woa, it's blue colour! It matches your swimming suit!"

Well, not anymore, for the goggle has lost its matching partner. As for me, I've lost my loved one, my swimming licence - I can't swim naked OK?!

Sigh, I have to quickly buy a new one. My skin itches whenever I see the pool!!

love and hate affair

How's it feel like to fall for the same guy again? That you thought you can forget about him and move on, and suddenly, you met him again - the same old him, right in front of you. Hence, all the heart-aches, longings, and memories, flooded your mind, and you fell again, helplessly.

This time, I got his name right, and I even asked for his number ;-) He's exactly whom I need:

Name: LeSportsac

Number: RM190 (after discount is RM152)

Race: Elegantly black and white, handbag which texture is soft to the touch

Size does matter: Just nice to fit in a Jodi Picoult's novel, and purse and hp and key and tissue and maybe some make-ups. Perfect!

So, I brought him back. Hope nobody protests about us getting together ;-)

Until the next pay check comes in, the thought which will be repeated in my mind as I pass by any bookstores with SALES banner is:

DON'T.GO.IN.

R-U-N!!

that it matters

1. To spontaneously give others the benefit of doubt is a skill, which you can master by practising it more often. Eventually, you'll do it out of nature. It is not always a good way to deal with things with this method. But at least it slows down the necrotic judgement you may have on others.

2. If you already had judgement on me, please don't ask for my opinion. For everything I say, you'll judge my intention, too. I don't play mind games. And I dislike it the most when I'm accused for doing so.

3. When running on heels doesn't ache anymore, maybe because some other parts of the body are aching more severely. Like the heart. When it is too painful for the heart to feel for other things, it doesn't matter if a cute guy smile at me. For I've lost 1001 reasons to smile back, when a friendship dies.

4. Yet the best part, is to still having the best ear to spill out to. How irony that despite having the best model to learn from, and having myself gone through the same experience, I still can never be one good listener with empathy and compassion.

When can I actually move on with a peace in my mind? I don't blame God making me an emotional person. But, really, there's never a right time, is there?