it.could.be.a.good.excuse

Of hobbies and pretty things

learn and relearn

/ livingseri / Leave a comment

i think i can do a lot of things.

  • sewing
  • scrapbook – guestbooks/bookmarks/cards
  • blogging
  • write articles
  • creative writing

and i want to do or learn more things.

  • photography
  • photoshop
  • designing
  • cooking/baking
  • calligraphy
  • flower arrangements
  • journaling
  • book reviewing
  • tahfiz Qur’an
  • crafts
  • brooch making

i used to know/do

  • crochet
  • play the guitar
  • origami
  • beads jewelry

i have tried making

  • felt bookmarks
  • pin cushioned frames

now that i think about it, i am surprised and grateful that my parents allow me to do or learn all these crafts and i enjoyed doing them. i don’t know why i stop. especially crochet.

there are so many potential and interesting hobbies i could do and pursue, even relearn some of them.

and i must not say that i don’t have the time. i must make time. but i also need to make sure the skills i learnt are made to good use. beneficial at least to other people. tangible useful stuffs.

need some serious mind exercise and effort to really do this.

the taste of ink

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IMG_8473 i love blogging. no doubt about it. nowadays though, i find writing makes more impact. and i mean, physically manually writing with pen and paper.

i am back to writing journals. i feel its a legacy almost. i also just realised, without me consciously doing it, i have journals for different specific purpose. travel journal, cooking/recipes notebook, and just recently, the desire to write about my life my family. even though if my life is not even half as exciting as other people could be, every family has their own story and i feel someone should write it down.

and what do i know, my father requested that i checked the store and eventually found a whole big box of stuffs from my past, and yes, including some diaries from my teenage years. i thought i threw away those books already?! took one out and laughed my heart out reading what i wrote back in 1997.

and then i picked up Ruth Ozeki’s A Tale for The Time Being for this long weekend read. coincidentally, it also revolves about writing and diaries and journals. on a side note, i am loving this book to the core. maybe i have a thing about japanese authors.

i think writing thoughts and words down may make me more creative. i used to love writing stories and poems back them in my school exercise books. i have no idea where those ideas come from but i did. and i enjoyed writing them.

yes, i am excited to write again.

finally..complete

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from the shoes perspective. haha.

i finally bought myself dr martens shoes. two pairs. as my birthday gift for myself. I’m sorry if this is going to sound materialistic but i have waited for so long to own dr martens. like seriously long.

the last time i owned a dr mart boots was during my uni years. my royal blue dr mart boots.i think i had another one before that, a maroon pair of boots.

so finally last tuesday, i was decided on dr marts. went out to orchard central, to initially just have a look and see/feel if i still have love for dr marts. turned out i feel like a girl ‘reunited’ with her most favourite thing, i couldn’t stop smiling looking at all the boots and shoes.

surprisingly though, i didn’t bought the boots. i was contemplating long and hard. i took out some faves, and tried them on. i finally decided on two which was love at first try. what happened to the boots? somehow i felt that wearing boots are a beautiful remnants of my teenage and younger days. honouring my lost maroon and blue boots. maybe simply not yet. perhaps, for now, maybe a bit of change to reflect the me now. the two pairs screams me too.

i guess, i will always be a dr marts girl.

IMG_8472

we are all completely

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beside ourselves!

i am surprised that i am enjoying reading this book by karen joy fowler. i have seen this book featured a few times on book sites and instagram pics of it, and i have been contemplating to purchase it for so many times. i hold it i touched it and then i put it back on the shelf. i finally bought it, ironically, online from book depository.

i have been having a book hangover since it finished angelology and angelopolis. i took Sisterland, which i bought all the way from santorini but sadly, i am not meant to read it now. i couldn’t continue after the first few chapters. as much as i love reading about twins, this twin sisters couldn’t hook me at the moment.

i picked up purification of heart, which is academically spiritual and it is a book which is not to be read at one go but read and paused, digested, understood and applied. so its going to take a much longer time for me to finish it because it is not just reading, it is about self improvement mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

somehow, i just took We are all completely beside ourselves, and after reading its prologue, i am hooked and it brings me back to those periods where you just can’t stop reading it. it gives me that desire to just sit at home and read the whole book. i couldn’t put it down.

just totally me to rant about books and reading.

reading realisation

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I realised something about myself today.

I realised that reading for me, is not just a form of hobby or ‘just reading’

it’s almost like a ritual or some spiritual thing that links back to what my brain or body needs. whether it’s emotional or intellectual.

I am currently reading Forty rules of Love, it should be a good book and I have been anticipating so much in reading it, but somehow it doesn’t grip my attention as much as I thought it would be. there is no real desire to read and find out more about the story, it doesn’t make me feel like I cannot stop reading, it doesn’t make me dream about reading it. it could be because of the theme of the story which revolves around a woman who is going through a midlife crisis, so it could be that I could not relate to the story so much. but I was looking forward to the sufi themes of the story, but somehow, it doesn’t gives me that inspiration so much.

I am at 36% reading through it but I decided I need to stop. I don’t enjoy reading it at this moment and I know it could be a book I want to love but right now, I cannot continue because it is not something I need. I need to move on and take a book and enjoy reading.

and somehow, I am dreaming of reading Purification of the Heart. this is another thing I just realised as well. I have had this book for so long and had not yet had a desire to read it but somehow, now, I yearn to read it. it must have something to do with my unconscious mind, or simply, my SELF. this inner self or something. like I would rush home right now just to read that book. it could also be that I have, earlier sometime ago,  put the intention to read it and this is the right time to read.

in any case, this pretty much how it is when it comes to reading. I have many books at home to read, but there will always be a ‘right time’ to read each and every one of them. from the feel of it, touching the cover and its pages, the smell of it, the sound of reading it, it all plays into the joy of reading. I just didn’t realise before that ‘time’ could be a factor as well.

just like Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84, I had it for since two years ago? but I only picked it up last year and was so engrossed in reading it I couldn’t stop. even a trip to Santorini couldn’t make me stop from reading it.

purification of the heart it is. starting tonight.

let there be books

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I am on a borrowing spree from my local library, which surprisingly are stocked up with new books and writers, so that is how I chanced upon Ben Aaronovitch’s because I had been contemplating for so long on whether to purchase his books or skip them altogether, or perhaps buy them as eBooks.

so when I suddenly found myself walking into the library for after so long, I went out with close to 16 books (two library cards:mine and my sister’s) within two days. if I had a book binge at the bookstore, I am currently on a binge now from the library.

Managed to borrow Ministry of Moral Panic which I have been seeing instagrams and reviews from local blogs, a Singaporean writer’s collection of short stories. I thought, why not try out reading local. so I took three of the seemingly latest collections. I guess I am still trying to ‘love’ local writers but I don’t do short stories. especially stories which are left hanging and you are ‘supposed’ to kind of imagine how the ending should be. and they are usually dark and disturbing stories, with many homo loves themes, and except for the momentary delights of seeing local words, and places mentioned in the stories, I have yet to appreciate short stories. although Ministry of moral panic seems to be catching on. so far, im just on the third story anyway.

I was also pleasantly surprised that there’s 2 of Aaronovitch’s books (Broken Homes & Foxglove Summer, which are pretty much new titles) and finally took up ‘courage’ to read Jhumpa Lahiri’s Namesake. and proud to say they are all borrowed :))

so looks like I am staying true to my 2015 resolution to borrow more rather than buy, but I also need to know that there are about 50 books on the shelves which are on the reading list. that…you gotta deal with, Seri.

and oh yeah, I am so elated to find out Mercedes Lackey’s fantasy novels are available as eBooks! both at amazon and kobo! perhaps not all, but I hope all of hers soon! perhaps, these are old news but having just found out about them, is exciting for me! just that it is not easy to find her physical books nowadays. there used to be those Sunny bookshops which had them in all of their glorious series and yes the libraries had them but it will be rare amazing moments to have the series all in nicely at the same time. and I have this ocd thing of wanting to read her valdemar series accordingly following her timeline so I have not had that chance since, well, forever. and now! because they are eBooks, I could finally, finally own them and read them one era at a time. i cannot wait to start on them already! but patience, patience. finish up whatevers on the book plate first yea. 😉

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addendum:
i also found out david eddings’ series in eBooks!!! yey! can own them and reread them!!
so crazy ocd-ied me who just had to read serial novels chronologically realised Peter Grant series are of 5 books and the two i borrowed were actually the latest five. so went to nlb catalogue online, bingoed the first three available at serangoon library, so why not, i return my mercedes lackey’s books and borrowed these three then? and once i got my heart and mind on something, i search high and low for it and i did just those in less than an hour.
-go home, took the mercedes lackey’s borrowed books
-go library at Nex, return the books
-entered the library and straight on go to A of the fiction section and saw them three aaronovitch’s books grab them and walla, i was smiling all the way back home….

gila.

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please take note:
the valdemar series – mercedes lackey (and the whole timeline)
the belgariad series – david eddings (and there are other series)
regina’s song – david eddings

best of reading 2014

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I was checking out my goodreads challenge in which I aimed to read 30 books by the end of the year. I managed to read only 24 books. although, I have to be honest, there are at least 3 books which I stopped halfway and couldn’t carry on reading them because they don’t capture my interest.

my best reads of 2014 have to be these:

1. Susan Cain’s Quiet.

It is the bible for the introverts. i understood myself better and kind of found enlightenment of my behaviour through those painful teenage years. and in a sense, found a more confident person in me.  just by embracing who i really am gives me a sense of faith and strength and…well..just be me.

2. Jeannette Walls’ The Silver Star

i had waited for her for so long. enough said. i love the book.

3. Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84

i know. i bought the books much much earlier but i only got to read them during my trip to Greece and Rome and i never regretted that they were my travelling companion throughout. reading this book reignites my love to murakami’s writings.

4. Jodi Picoult’s Leaving Time

The only book i read ‘on time’, heh, because it was published this year and bought it the first thing without hesitation when they became available at the local bookstores. i knew i loved it just from reading the synopsis. the terms ‘elephants’ and ‘psychic’ grabbed my attention without a doubt.

i am looking forward to a great reading year in 2015. and perhaps, maybe this time, i could read 30 books… with a reading room and a nice armchair.. swoons… ❤

madbook.

/ livingseri / Leave a comment

So wow. i have breezed through the week totally focused at work and i have not shopped (retail nor online) for a whole five days! although i have been receiving packages(!!!) by the days! haha.

i went crazy over books because i found out about book depository and books actually online and having heartbreaks at wardah online because i need to stop or i will go hell over the budget. so patience seri. patience. and then there’s bookfest! ok ok sabar seri sabar. 😛 so, you can be pretty sure my packages are all books. and my bookshelves are heaving heavy with them. just last year we bought two bookshelves, and its just filled up about half, but today, its full to the brim (and that!! after i gave away some books already quite recent!!).

have i mentioned before, i have many ‘kegilaan’ but kegilaan on books is just stupendous! i think i need to improve my books phototaking. thus far, they have been ugly amateur photos. erkk.

i braved the work load and go ahead and took a week’s leave. because i think i needed to step back from moving too fast and i know i will probably still be working from home because the adrenaline is still there, the mind is just actively energetic with ideas and accomplishments to, well, accomplished. despite everything, i am actually excited. haha.

but i am also taking this week’s leave because i want to train myself and my body clock because i am trying to make some positive change here. and probably, finally, having some proper time to do a bit of research. and most importantly, i look forward to spending time with my parents. the big idea is to go, say, KL for some jalan2, but hubby was not able to take leave (because they are all crazy at work, such as mine) so, i have to make do with Singapore although, im thinking going JB would be nice too, what’s with the ringgit worth going on at this time. and yea, im having thoughts of ‘i could buy more books from Badan!’ tsk.

ok, back to what i was saying. i hope i can make my week’s leave well worth it.

reading regained

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i do not know what happened to my reading mojo the past few weeks. i may have been too busy or too sick to be reading. but thankfully, i think i have regained that mojo. hehe.

although currently reading a malay book. surprise surprise! but not a novel though. something useful and beneficial hopefully and i think i can pretty much finish reading it in a few days.

perhaps the hype of the book festival at KL and having some friends bought for me books from there since i couldnt go. and the book inventory i am currently in the process of doing and those which i may give away. and oh, maybe its the new box i bought for my bookmark collections and possibly i just miss reading. i truly do.

so glad to enjoy reading again.

bookmark holder

bookhoarder=/bookseller

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managed to do some bookkeeping, literally, some sort of book inventory, just checking through the mounds of books i have. so i kind of put aside books which i bought out of impulse, books which i thought i liked, books which i didnt have time to read at all and books i regret buying haha. and not forgetting books which i somehow have more than one copies(!!) just because i forgot i already bought a copy of the same book in the first place.

there’s a lot!

i am contemplating of whether to give it away (to who or where i dont know) or perhaps recover some losses by re-selling them. well, some are still brand new. and luckily i was never the type to write my name on the books as soon as i bought them. so it’s pretty clean. i seem to be more tempted of selling them. but i honestly don’t know how. either i go to any of the websites that serves this very purpose or i can just use this space to sell….

decisions decisions. i’m actually excited about this! i could even throw in a bookmark for that.