A TIME TO READ

Yesterday I went to Betong with my wife and two children. We stayed at Betong Plaza Hotel for the night. We went to Betong to send my future daughter in-law, a teacher at St. Augustine Government Secondary School. It was an enjoyable trip although throughout the journey it was raining.
When I reached home today at 12.30 pm, I felt very tired and felt asleep. I woke up at around 5.00 pm, quickly washed my face and proceeded to Perpustakaan Negeri, the State Library of Sarawak, to return the 4 books that I have borrowed.
Since my retiremnt last September, I read heavily. Everyday is a reading day. I have so much time to spend now and I have long been long waiting for this period. The period where I can have time to do what I like most,reading, travelling, writing and photographing.
Last week I started reading a book by Rebecca McClanahan, " Word Painting " a guide to writing more descriptively. I find the book very helpful as it painted vividly the process of writing description. Looking at the back cover of the books, I read with exitement comments made by various figures on " Word Painting".
- Author of Walking Across Egypt, Clyde Edgerton said, " The advice in Word Painting is like Rebecca McClanahan's writing style: clear, concise, fresh, elegant."
-Fred Chappell, author of Farewqell I'm Bound to Leave You, More Shapes Than One and Brighten the Corner Where You Are, said, " Too many writers have considered description as being mere background for, or ornament to, their stories. McClanahan not only demonstrates its organic necessity but shows ways in which it can be made more vital, more exciting and simply more enjoyable than I have imagined possible." I hope to finish reading it before the end of this week.
At the same time , I have also started reading a novel by a Japanese writer, Fumiko Hayashi entitled Floating Clouds, a powerful story of tormented love and one women's struggle to navigate the cruel realities of postwar Japan. This is the third novel by japanese writers that a have read since the last three months.
Other books waiting to be read includes, ""Why I Write", by George Orwell, A Year in the Life -Journaling for Self Discovery, by Sheila Blender and " Writing Articles From The Heart', by Marjorie Holmes. I have glanced through the content and it looks intersting, informative and made my mood to read more exciting.
It is 12.10 am and I should stop writing now. I need to lie down and continue with my reading. By the way, what are you reading now, friends? Newspapers?, Oh ye..I know there's an interesting story to start the 2008 Journal...Malaysia's Minister of Health Sex story. Well if you ask me, that's not a good start for the 2008...not for the politicians.

2nd January 2008