Saturday, December 10, 2005
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Malaysia's Grub Street and Book Reviewers
I am almost a veteran of the field, despite my still relatively young years, at a time when you can live to more than 80, if you are neither accident prone nor disease-ridden. Almost. Maybe a young veteran, if such an oxymoron is acceptable. The field I refer to is book reviewing. Started when I was in my last year of my undergraduate days, which was sometime near the beginning of this century. Had been inconsistent in recent years. But I've attempted to earn a living as a freelance journalist/writer/reviewer (if such a vocation is possible). Basically, a freelance hack. Not to any great success, seeing the number of times I've crawled back to the parental fold, begging for some cash to tie me over for the next month, before I finally buckled down to a proper job 2 years back (plus a series of freelance/part-time work, not to mention that MA which I had so impulsively signed up for). Or perhaps the naive, infantile-like dependency that characterise my early twenties had been the cause of my failure in earning anything that is remotely a living?
Enough of intimate details.
I was reading the "New Grub Street" by George Gissing, which I finally completed (though I cheated a little in doing so, but will not reveal how here) at past 2 am on a Sat night, when other people are out socialising or getting pissed drunk. Maybe I am a masochistic, but I got myself through a really depressive read. Gissing isn't really a happy guy, in his novels at least. Try his "odd Women" if you don't believe me. In some ways, he reminds me of Orwell, in his "Clergymen's Daughter". I guess you know now that I haven't really been reading much in terms of modern fiction (Orwell is modern enough though), though I did start on Kerouac's "Desolation Angels". I am trying to squeeze in as much fiction reading as I can before my university library access expires come this Dec 30th. Would then take on a subscription with the BC Library I suppose. I've unpaid fines of over RM60 due to having returned two books pretty late, one of which was the remarked upon as the one by Orwell. And their collection has not tempted me enough to pay the fine and to resume my access. Another friend borrowed a book from them and I daresay, he's still keeping that book, not having bothered to return it, though it's been a year. And since KL Memorial Library has taken on some of BC's old books (and I love old books more than contemporary ones, where fiction is concerned, though I do read modern fiction and enjoy them), I'll also get myself a subscription there. But I better not forget that I will also have to start reading books which are neither in English, Malaysian Malay or Indonesian, beginning at the latest, Jan 2006. (:
Here, for your perusal, is an article by Orwell about his book reviewing days and his tips for young-wannabes (might be outdated, since newspapers and magazines have changed remarkably since his day. I know because I, a young-wannabe of unknown quantity, applied to review books for English and American pubs, and had failed miserably in that endeavour, save for one American webzine). But worth a read, as anything by Orwell is (call it blind worship by yours truly) and here is a more general article on the Grub Street. Read this if you have ever been a hack, or are now attempting to be a hack. Try Malaysian publications first. It's a lot easier and you don't need as much an impeccable command of the language (whatever the language you want to write in, except maybe French, German, Spanish, etc).
I didn't go out much this weekend, except to run errands and attend tap class. Meant to go for Yoga, but was too squeezed for time during the period when the classes are on, so did not in the end.
And my current addiction to novels are not help in my regaining any form of a healthy social life. But then, I've never been much of a socialiate. Not posh enough, it seems. (:
Enough of intimate details.
I was reading the "New Grub Street" by George Gissing, which I finally completed (though I cheated a little in doing so, but will not reveal how here) at past 2 am on a Sat night, when other people are out socialising or getting pissed drunk. Maybe I am a masochistic, but I got myself through a really depressive read. Gissing isn't really a happy guy, in his novels at least. Try his "odd Women" if you don't believe me. In some ways, he reminds me of Orwell, in his "Clergymen's Daughter". I guess you know now that I haven't really been reading much in terms of modern fiction (Orwell is modern enough though), though I did start on Kerouac's "Desolation Angels". I am trying to squeeze in as much fiction reading as I can before my university library access expires come this Dec 30th. Would then take on a subscription with the BC Library I suppose. I've unpaid fines of over RM60 due to having returned two books pretty late, one of which was the remarked upon as the one by Orwell. And their collection has not tempted me enough to pay the fine and to resume my access. Another friend borrowed a book from them and I daresay, he's still keeping that book, not having bothered to return it, though it's been a year. And since KL Memorial Library has taken on some of BC's old books (and I love old books more than contemporary ones, where fiction is concerned, though I do read modern fiction and enjoy them), I'll also get myself a subscription there. But I better not forget that I will also have to start reading books which are neither in English, Malaysian Malay or Indonesian, beginning at the latest, Jan 2006. (:
Here, for your perusal, is an article by Orwell about his book reviewing days and his tips for young-wannabes (might be outdated, since newspapers and magazines have changed remarkably since his day. I know because I, a young-wannabe of unknown quantity, applied to review books for English and American pubs, and had failed miserably in that endeavour, save for one American webzine). But worth a read, as anything by Orwell is (call it blind worship by yours truly) and here is a more general article on the Grub Street. Read this if you have ever been a hack, or are now attempting to be a hack. Try Malaysian publications first. It's a lot easier and you don't need as much an impeccable command of the language (whatever the language you want to write in, except maybe French, German, Spanish, etc).
I didn't go out much this weekend, except to run errands and attend tap class. Meant to go for Yoga, but was too squeezed for time during the period when the classes are on, so did not in the end.
And my current addiction to novels are not help in my regaining any form of a healthy social life. But then, I've never been much of a socialiate. Not posh enough, it seems. (:
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Public Service Announcements
This is a public service announcement. Keep this hotline number in your mobiles or filodex and if you come across any open burning, or lots of smoke coming out from nowhere for more than a few minutes (would be good if you can ascertain where it is coming from to help the enforcers), call this number at 03 88891972. It is the DOE. I called on a Sat evening after seeing suspicious white smoke floating through the air in a mearby housing estate, from my vantage point of 9 storeys high, and there really is someone at the phone. I can't confirm if anyone did come over to check (and the smoke seems to be slowly dissipating -I left it too long when I called :() since I am not that near enough to see.
On a different note, Singapore has a unit in charge of catching smoking vehicles. Too bad we do not have such a said operation in Malaysia, from the fact that so many heavy vehicles and motorbikes spouting generous amounts of black smoke ARE STILL on the roads.
Check out the News Updates next weekend as I launch the Freedom of Information principles on my website, with a view towards fighting for the right to know.
I've been reallly bad at the way I've been disposing batteries. We need more collection centres.
On a different note, Singapore has a unit in charge of catching smoking vehicles. Too bad we do not have such a said operation in Malaysia, from the fact that so many heavy vehicles and motorbikes spouting generous amounts of black smoke ARE STILL on the roads.
Check out the News Updates next weekend as I launch the Freedom of Information principles on my website, with a view towards fighting for the right to know.
I've been reallly bad at the way I've been disposing batteries. We need more collection centres.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Dilema of the transgendered
I feel sorry for Jessie Chung and her husband. The implication of their non-legal marriage status prohibits them from enjoying the benefits that married couples have. I daresay they would not even be able to adopt children legally, should they wish to do so. See the rest of the story here
On a different note, here is a letter published on the problem faced by a transgendered person. Published in Malay, in Utusan Melayu. I am sure the mostly Malay readers of the transgendered community would be heartened to take note. I would be most interested to know what furore might arise from the other segments of the community, who might not be so opened to the idea. Especially the very conservative Islamic groups. I know that it would be a controversy with the religious group I came from.
Whenever I want to do something that the 'elders' of any religious group prohibits (though in this case, I am referring to the one I was from), I am always given this non-choice, "You should put God first above all else". So would that mean, in the eyes of pious, that what Jessie Chung did (and she's a Christian at that) mean that she has given in to the temptation of the flesh would now be damned eternally? We have read what the Old Testament says in the Pentateuch (Leviticus especially) and it has been held as Gospel truth. So let me take the conservative approach and therefore says that Jessie (and others like her) are damned unless they repent of their sin. But, if you are a blue-blooded Christian, you would read the New Testament too, which is the one that did away with many of the out-moded and cumbersome traditions of the Old Testament, when Jesus asked the first person without sin to cast the first stone at the adulterous woman. So, if Jesus would not judge, who are you, o professors of the faith, to do so? You might not agree with what they do. I too am faced with a moral dilemma whenever I come across this question. My religious learnings have leaned me more towards conservatism than liberalism (and I am still at the stage of much thinking, soul-searching and reading). But these people are grownup and know the implication of what they are doing. As the often asked question, why should they subject themselves to unnecessary social sanctions and the glare of an unfriendly society unless they feel strongly of what they do. This is the same for anyone who stands up for any unpopular belief.
In a populist culture, there is always a tendency to reinforce the dominant call of the day. In some parts of community, it is even considered embarassing to still be a virgin by your mid-twenties, nevermind that you are single or unmarried. All these 'old' virgins are either labelled as uptight, social outcasts or 'pig-ugly'.
So at the end of the day, it's all about peer pressure, isn't it? To keep up the appearances, regardless of how unhappy you might be for not being true to yourself. Or maybe because of our fall from Eden, we are doomed to a lifetime of unhappiness?
On a different note, here is a letter published on the problem faced by a transgendered person. Published in Malay, in Utusan Melayu. I am sure the mostly Malay readers of the transgendered community would be heartened to take note. I would be most interested to know what furore might arise from the other segments of the community, who might not be so opened to the idea. Especially the very conservative Islamic groups. I know that it would be a controversy with the religious group I came from.
Whenever I want to do something that the 'elders' of any religious group prohibits (though in this case, I am referring to the one I was from), I am always given this non-choice, "You should put God first above all else". So would that mean, in the eyes of pious, that what Jessie Chung did (and she's a Christian at that) mean that she has given in to the temptation of the flesh would now be damned eternally? We have read what the Old Testament says in the Pentateuch (Leviticus especially) and it has been held as Gospel truth. So let me take the conservative approach and therefore says that Jessie (and others like her) are damned unless they repent of their sin. But, if you are a blue-blooded Christian, you would read the New Testament too, which is the one that did away with many of the out-moded and cumbersome traditions of the Old Testament, when Jesus asked the first person without sin to cast the first stone at the adulterous woman. So, if Jesus would not judge, who are you, o professors of the faith, to do so? You might not agree with what they do. I too am faced with a moral dilemma whenever I come across this question. My religious learnings have leaned me more towards conservatism than liberalism (and I am still at the stage of much thinking, soul-searching and reading). But these people are grownup and know the implication of what they are doing. As the often asked question, why should they subject themselves to unnecessary social sanctions and the glare of an unfriendly society unless they feel strongly of what they do. This is the same for anyone who stands up for any unpopular belief.
In a populist culture, there is always a tendency to reinforce the dominant call of the day. In some parts of community, it is even considered embarassing to still be a virgin by your mid-twenties, nevermind that you are single or unmarried. All these 'old' virgins are either labelled as uptight, social outcasts or 'pig-ugly'.
So at the end of the day, it's all about peer pressure, isn't it? To keep up the appearances, regardless of how unhappy you might be for not being true to yourself. Or maybe because of our fall from Eden, we are doomed to a lifetime of unhappiness?
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