Cloudless Sky

An excerpt from my upcoming work:

Yunus could tell that the young man admired his mother, June, for all she had done for her children.

Yunus’ admiration for her also grew each time he stopped at their home. He admired her not only for her determination, but for the fact that she did not become bitter and still took pleasure in injecting beauty into her humble, everyday life.

He feared that he was falling in love with June. He knew that it wrong for him to have those feelings as he was a married man. When he imagined the faces of his wife and children, he felt a jolt of guilt. He would try to dismiss the situation by telling himself: “I’m just being silly.”

And yet he could not deny himself this feeling. It was like waking up to a cloudless blue sky: it made him feel vital, happy and he looked forward to the start of each day.

He wondered if June suspected that he had these emotions. He knew that he often stared at her when they were talking, and once when they were sitting on the sofa, without realizing it, he had moved his hand close to hers. She did not move for a while, then she abruptly got up and excused herself to fetch some snacks from the kitchen.

Yunus wanted more from their friendship. He wanted to hold her in his arms. He wanted to buy her presents; he felt that it was time that she was pampered by someone, instead of being the selfless one all the time.

But he knew that those desires could only be in his imagination. It was dreadful to be between two worlds – the real world of his home and the dream world of this pulsating new love.

But that was all he was entitled to at that moment.

Read Full Post »

Book Launch in California

This amazing cake was made to replicate my book and my childhood home that was on the cover of my book (see sidebar).

I’m very lucky that my book “Kampung Memories, A Life’s Journey Revisited” has been able to “travel” and present itself on both sides of the Pacific; and more importantly, has enabled me to share memories and insights with diverse people and readers.

“Kampung” means village in Malay, and the book revolves around the urban villages in Singapore before they were demolished for redevelopment. I grow up in such a kampung, and in the book, I weaved my memories with that of the people who used to live there.

I launched my book in Singapore in June this year, and recently, the first book launch/event in the United States was held in Santa Clara, northern California, at the Kababs and Curry’s Restaurant.

It was the brainchild of my friend Khir Johari, who is considered by his many friends as a Renaissance man. He and members of the Singapore and Malay communities in the San Francisco Bay Area took care of all the details of the event: everything was done elegantly, and all I needed to do was to show up.

There was batik to decorate the tables, a spread of Malay dishes prepared by the talented ladies from the community, and wonderful chai from the restaurant. One of the highlights was a chocolate cake, made to replicate my kampung house that was on the cover of the book.

Faridah, who made this amazing cake, said she took a few days to complete it. She decorated it with coconut trees and little pots of flowering plants made with brightly colored fondant. There was even a tiny replica of a sepak raga (a traditional Malay ball made of bamboo and rattan).

So on that Sunday afternoon in fall, we sat down in that cosy room, sharing and listening to stories that follow a path to our heritage and roots. There were also other Americans of different ancestry in that room. I hope, and I suppose I imagine this, that the book brings to their minds a dusty road where their fathers or grandfathers used to cycle, or all the strong women of their childhood, the ones who nurtured and held the families in their seemingly simple, humble ways.

Thank you to everyone who helped organized and showed up for the launch.

The author Sharifah (left) with Khir, the event’s creator, listening to the stories and ideas shared by the guests.

A group photo. The banner, handmade by Salizah, was pretty impressive.

I’m carefully cutting the cake with Faridah, who made the extraordinary cake.

Mee siam, a specialty noodle dish of Singapore Malays.

Kuih keria, Malay doughnuts made with sweet potato.

Playing Malay heritage games (left) batu serembat or five stones, and the congkak, a board game.

Read Full Post »

Dishing out Ideas

“The best time for planning a book is while you’re doing the dishes.”

― Agatha Christie

Read Full Post »

It Takes a Village….

The road to publishing my book has been a fulfilling journey.

There is the often quoted African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child.”

I think it may also be quite true to say that it takes a village to self-publish a book. I have had so much help along the way to the publication of “Kampung Memories, A Life Journey, Revisited”, a book that is very important to me, that I will try to thank as many people as I can.

I would like to thank:

• Authors who have shared their experiences. Throughout the whole journey, I read many blog posts and books where self-published authors share their experiences and insight. This was valuable information for me, and I, in turn, would be happy to share with anyone whatever I have learnt.

• My family and friends who have helped and supported me in countless ways.

• Everyone who came to the book launch and the reading/discussion events.

• Everyone who has read my book, or any part of it. The reward and wish of every writer is that his work is read and shared. Feedback is also much appreciated. At one of the readings, a guest thanked me for writing the book as he grew up in the years after the kampungs (villages) were gone from Singapore’s landscape, and he has little idea of life in that time.

• Everyone who helped me with practical advice on marketing, especially Isrizal and Sharifah, an aspect which was a rather steep learning curve for me.

• Ibrahim of Wardah Books and Dan of Select Books for their belief in, and support of independent or indie writers.

The author, Sharifah (left) after signing a book at the launch. We are dressed in baju kurung, the traditional Malay costume.

Meet the author session at Select Books. Click on pic for more photos.

Links to:

Post in a heritage Singapore blog

Radio interview on “Kampung Memories”

Read Full Post »

Book Launch Invitation

Saturday,June 30 2012: If you are in Singapore, I would like to invite you the launch of my book Kampung Memories.

The venue is in the heart of the Malay district where you can explore an array of food and shopping places. Hope to see you there.

Read Full Post »

The Slender King of the Trees

In the tropics, the coconut tree has often been called “king of the trees”. The tree, known in Malay as pokok kelapa, not only provides shade, but also has different uses at different stages of its growth.

People of the tropics know that the juice of the young coconut makes a refreshing drink. It also has a medicinal use. When given to a child afflicted with chicken pox, it is  believed to lessen the ‘heatiness’ of the body.

When the coconut ripens, the flesh is grated, mixed with water, and squeezed to obtain its milk called santan in Malay. Santan is to the Malay cook what soy sauce is to his Chinese counterpart.  It is a base for cooking different types of curries and gravies, as well as for desserts, usually sweetened with palm sugar.

After the coconut gratings were squuezed for santan, we fed them to the family hens.

- excepted from my book Kampung Memories, a semi-memoir of childhood memories and Malay culture.

Read Full Post »

On the Road to My First Book

It’s been quite a learning curve.

I’ve been on the road to completing my manuscript during the last few months.  I’ve considered several options including self-publishing. Lots to learn, some challenges, but exciting and satisfying as well.  And one of the best things about the experience is the generosity of help and advice that I have received.

The book is  about  an aspect of everyday life in the earlier days of modern Singapore. So far, I’ve been lucky to get favorable reviews from folks who help out in reading the manuscript. Wish me luck:)

Read Full Post »

Let your DNA Motivate You

(chemistrypictures.org)

Have a desire to achieve something, but somehow just not motivated to strive for it?

Welcome to the club. At one time or other, we face this situation. There are many self-help books out there that claim to help us find, regenerate or sustain this motivation. In her book Get Motivated!, motivational speaker Tamara Lowe has an interesting theory: everyone has a unique achievement pattern or what she terms as Motivational DNA. Figure out what your Motivational DNA is, and you will know what makes you get up and go after your goals .

Lowe says that her theory is grounded in eight years of research with more than 10,000 people. In the same way that your genetic DNA determines your physical attributes, Motivational DNA is a part of who you are and dictates how you are best motivated. Factors that motivate your partner or your parent may not awaken your passion or your ambition. And she emphasizes that no one motivational type is better than any other.

Lowe points out that all the motivators that she discusses in her theory inspire everyone to one degree or another, but each of us has a definite preference or tendency:

D stands for drives, the internal forces that mobilize a person to act. One can have more of a Production drive or more of a Connection drive. Producers tend to be task-oriented whereas Connectors are people-oriented.

N stands for needs, core requirements that a person must have in order to feel fulfilled. People who prefer consistency and order have a Stability need, and those stimulated by new experiences have a Variety need.

Lowe...what motivates one person may not motivate another.

A stands for awards, the kind of material or psychological currency that people want to be paid for their performance or achievement. Individuals motivated by External awards feel validated by tangible benefits like bonuses and a nice, big office. Those motivated by Internal awards need to feel good about what they are doing, and feel validated by sincere appreciation.

In her book, she has a test that will help you decode your Motivational DNA. The test is also available at her website: www.GetMotivatedBook.com

I did the test and found that among the eight motivational styles, mine is a CSI: Connection-Stability-Internal.

I find this to be quite correct. I like learning about people from all walks of life.  Like most folks, I do like the idea of having lots of money, but I think personal fulfillment and believing in what I do are more important to me. I’m not sure about being the Stability type, though. It would be more accurate to say that, though it may sound paradoxical, I need both structure and new ideas.

The CSI type is motivated by factors such as facts and information, an inspiring work environment and a sense of accomplishment. De-motivators for this type include perceived inequity and hype.

On the whole, I would say that Lowe’s Get Motivated! (published in  2009) is quite a worthwhile read. If you do take her Motivational DNA test, I hope you would share the results and your thoughts about it here.

Read Full Post »

Of Taiwanese and American Mothers…

Katherine Jackson, mother of the late king of pop Michael Jackson, and Ai-tsao, the protagonist in the Taiwanese film Artemisia may be from worlds apart. And yet they are not so dissimilar.

Last week, I watched the film Artemisia on Link TV. (Watch it online at http://www.linktv.org). It is the first fictional film by young Taiwanese director Chiang Hsiu-chiung. The story centers around motherhood and changing values among different generations.

Ai-tsao is a woman who is trapped in the middle of her family dynamics. On the one hand, she has to handle her aged mother who has stereotyped and difficult attitudes towards people, especially those who are different from her. And on the other hand, she has to deal with the sexuality and life choices of her young adult children which are very alien to her.

The film "Artemisia" highlights the hidden strength of motherhood.

Taiwanese opera star and actress Pan Li Li is superb in the role of Ai-tsao. She creates a sympathetic, subtle character without resorting to histrionics. On the whole, Artemisia is a also a movie that is not glossed up. It is an unhurried film with a realistic feel and is quite a pleasure to watch.

In an interview screened after the movie, Chiang explains why she chose the title “Artemisia”. She explains that artemisia is a medicinal herb common to Taiwan, and in Latin, the word also has a maternal meaning. “The herb is very much like most traditional mothers in Taiwan. Ordinary yet very potent,” she says.

This description reminded me of Katherine Jackson, Many close to the family says that she was a rock in Michael Jackson’s life. If you followed the alleged molestation trial against Michael in 2005, you would see her arriving every day. On some days, she walked slowly, probably due to some problems with her leg. But there she was: this quiet, stoic woman, to offer support to her son.

Michael’s famous lawyer at the trial, Mesereau, talked about this in a report in the Los Angeles Times on June 30: “She would tell him that the truth would prevail, that God would help him. She just kept him strong,” defense lawyer Thomas A. Mesereau Jr. recalled. “She never missed a single day of testimony, and it was a five-month trial.”

In the wake of the tragic passing of her son, she had quietly stepped in again and took care of her grandchildren and her son’s estate. A Superior Court judge appointed her special administrator of her son’s estate, and also granted her temporary custody of Michael’s three children.

There is a scene towards the end of the film where Ai-tsao displays this kind of quiet, primal courage. And as a character in the film describes it: she’s like a wolf with a samurai sword.

Katherine Jackson was the rock in Michael Jackson's life. Pic shows her at the 2005 trial with son Jermaine.

Read Full Post »