Grrrr!!!

I am kind of mad with the people who talked at ear-splitting decibel.

It kills me at bullet-speed!

I wish I bring one of these books (which I hunted at the recent book fair) and read it in the washroom.

Quickies: leadership forum & book fair

Grrr!!!  Work, work, work is chasing me now.  But I must share with you these info:

• 49th & 50th IATSS Forum - Apply to the IATSS Forum (International Association of Traffic & Safety Sciences, an ASEAN young professional leadership forum started by Soichiro Honda, the founder of Honda.  I saw it in the NST Saturday edition - I seldom read NST but The Star was sold out when I went to the store & I just picked it to see updates on Japan's tsunami.
• Popular Book Fair - Nationwide - Perfect for budget-tight book-lover a.k.a ME!!!  By the way, I checked MPH and they have this 50% bin where all the not-so-perfect-but-still-can-read books go to.  I was not in the mood to look for one because the mall was very crowded with holidaying kids!  It made me so dizzy.

That's all for now.

Have a happy period! good Monday!

Book Review: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Price:
Bought at MPH at RM35.60.  Original price was RM37.50; but since the book was already sort of pre-loved (must be the bookworms who read it inside the store), I asked the salesperson if I can get a discount.  So I got a "5% budget corner" discount (that is what printed in the receipt).  Still pricey but I don't think I can get it from the uncle selling second hand books at the street anytime soon.

* * * * *

Alright, I am way behind the others.  But I am glad that I bought this right before the Chinese New Year break.  I was inseparable with the book during the 4 days long weekend (I'm exaggerating!).

She wrote it into 3 separate big chapters with another small numbered chapters in each chapter:

• ITALY Or 'Say It Like You Eat It.' Or Thirty-six Tales About the Pursuit of Pleasure
• INDIA Or 'Congratulations to Meet You.' Or Thirty-six Tales About the Pursuit of Devotion
• INDONESIA Or 'Even in My Underpants I Feel Different.' Or Thirty-six Tales About the Pursuit of Balance

But I think I read it too greedily.  But if I don't finish it now I'll be busy with work next week!  I was reading quite fast in ITALY; perhaps because all the pasta and gelato and pizza made me hungry, thus, need to get away from the chapter fast!  Seriously, the way she narrating her experience made me very eager to see the next thing.

But INDIA was tad boring one for me.  Perhaps the spiritual thing is not my favorite topic.  Ashram.  Yogi.  Richard from Texas.  Scrubbing the floor.  The poet from New Zealand (I can't remember!)...  None tingling my book-hunger bud.

Finally, INDONESIA.  Where she trustingly help a Balinese woman with a huge sum of money!  A woman who can heal a banana.   LOL!!!  You have to read it if you want to know what is this 'special' banana!    And of course Ketut Liyer.  He is a funny man to me.  Of course, how can I not mention Felipe, the Brazillian guy?!

I haven't watch the movie yet, not even the trailer, nor do I have intention to watch it.  Because I am always a book person; whatever translated into a movie always disappointing me i.e. Memoir of a Geisha, Girl with a Pearl Earring, Da Vinci Code, Angel & Demon...  Ooh, I can't say about HP or Hobbits because I didn't read any of it (help!  what were the titles???  I sort of loss memory here.)  Yes!  Lord of the Ring!

* * * * *

Side Dishes:

I stubbornly look for this original cover; not the other Julia Roberts cover!  As I mentioned above, the book was so loved by the previous readers that it wrinkled slightly, still, I took this one because it was the last one for that kind of cover.  Because I feel sure that I will read it again and again, I wrapped it nicely possible.  In fact, I have already put it into my working bag for tomorrow's reading.

I think I want to get 'Committed' soon!  The synopsis sounds delicious!

Checkout for her official website (I haven't go through it yet, shame!):

Elizabeth Gilbert - Eat, Pray, Love

Sunday, I like you!

One of my Sunday’s pleasures is rummaging the old books at the second-hand bookseller.  The first pick was Bound Feet & Western Dress by Natasha Pang-Mei Chan.  On the second visit, I bought Wild Swan (Jung Chang).

(I shall write reviews that are more detailed on the books when… when it is possible erm, when I want to!)

I love the atmosphere at the open-air street market.  The air.  The vibe.  The uncle who blares his amplifier – I have yet to check out his collection of piring hitam (LP).  The auntie who asked if I want to buy her flowers.  The shoppers haggling for a lower price.  The durian seller with his display of artsy durian-chopping skill.  I prefer to observe these while slowly making my way to the favorite bookstall.

Normally I don’t stay at the stall for too long, perhaps just a good 10, 20 minutes to pick a book before I head out to the wet market to get my breakfast and Sunday’s copy of papers.

Bound Feet & Western Dress is a little bit old by my standard.  The book was cockroach-infested; judging by the holes and the stains in some pages.  Nevertheless, I am always fascinated by the old Chinese bound-feet culture so I got it for one weekend reading bliss.

As for Wild Swan, I borrowed it from a library before.  However, I still want to read it for a second time (I read some books for a second, or third, or numerous times).  A valid reason to purchase it, eh?  This one is still in a good condition – not smelly, just a little dusty (I guess due to the storage), although the edge of the cover is torn.

Have you read any books recently?

Things I like: Books

Image taken from ffffound

Mommy & Papa are my earliest, positive influences to the reading habit.

I might not be an avid reader today if they'd never instill that habit into me.

All I want for a Saturday morning

snuggle till the sun is out

Image taken from whateveristhat.blogspot.com

read a book

Image taken from casienserio@flickr

drink coffee & more coffee

Image taken from inspiredbythisfeeling.tumblr.com

Midday laziness

Went for chicken rise rise rice for lunch with the girls.  I cannot finish the rice (as usual); but even so I still feel like something or someone is pulling down my eyelids.  Too sleepy until I wrongly spelled rice (rise) twice!  I thought of going for coffee at the canteen but it's still to early for it and I'll be as sleepy as before regardless how many cups of kopi I drink.

Now I'm starting to plan for tonight...

• Shops for Najmi's wedding gift
• Text/call mommyeryna so that I can pass the stuff to her
• Dinner!!!  What's for tonight's dinner?
• Return books to library (I'll be looking for another Sophie Kinsella's titles...  I just finish "The Undomestic Goddess" and found it quite nice actually.)
• Buy meaty meals for the boys  ^_____^

Ouch!  Why time passes so slow when I want it to be fast!?  I'm dying for a coffee now...

Bookeekend

After spending Friday & Saturday $h0pp1ng, $h0pp1ng and $h0pp1ng...  an idle Sunday is most welcome for my-wallet-suffered-from-a-3rd-degree-burn yours truly.  (What?!  Did you just said the font colors are hurting your eyes?  Oh oh...  But I guess it doesn't hurt as much as my wallet.)  My legs were also aching eventhough I remember wearing the most-feet-friendly loafers.  Well, two days...  So I guess Mr. Loafers reached his limit of supporting me around.  I guess I should withdraw from it and (calling Mommy Eryna & Co.) let's go online retails! Hahaha!!!

Finally, I finished the books (yes, plural, not singular):

Hmm...  I haven't read all of Meg Cabot's books.  But so far I like The Boy Next Door.  And since I love reading (but hate spending on books because I need to prioritize the money into something else - not neccesary better than buying reading materials, mind you), I got myself a membership at the public library.  Now I can borrow books!  How nice is that right?

Argh! A chic lit, nonetheless!

I cannot remember when was the last time I read a chic lit.  Maybe during my student days which is quite some time ago considering that I am now age more than a quarter of a century!  So when I saw Meg Cabot's The Guy Next Door on Mommy Eryna's desk last Friday, I borrowed it from her right away.  I finished it on the same night although I was initially planned to read it slowly on Saturday.  Greedy me!

The verdict:

I managed (no one forced me to read it so "managed" is not quite the word to describe my Friday's night bookorgasm) - found the word! - was so high that I bookorgasmly devoured its content in less than 3 hours!  What?!  3 hours is too long?!  Okie, okie.  I was distracted in between the reading because I go up and looked outside everytime Shorty was barking, or when LouLou meowed.

The actual verdict:

A nice book - just what I need for a light, relaxing night.  It is a page turner for sure, because whenever I stopped at a paragraph, I was so eager to know what will be the next thing.  But the story is getting more predictable towards the end...  Funny, bitchy, dark characters are all in it.  I guess I had too many Mills & Boons during my younger days to had guessed the ending.  Now, I am gearing up for another bookorgasm because I can't wait for Friday!