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:)

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Thank You for the Music

Michael Jackson’s music united the world.

Like so many others, I grew up with Michael’s songs. Several songs hold deeper meaning and significance.

• In my teenage years, I went through a time that caused confusion and anxiety. The song Ben was a big help. Everyday, after I finished my homework, I would sit in the porch and listen to the song. Somehow, it made me a little calmer and a little braver.

• Man in the Mirror reflects Michael’s social consciousness and his belief that each of us can do our part to make the world a better place. The video is stirring in its collage of different historical events and social  issues including poverty, racism, freedom and hope. The song was in tandem with my growing philosophy and consciousness that man and our civilization should always strive for high ideals.

• Even before the concepts of inclusiveness, diversity  and multiculturalism were widely used, Michael was championing these concepts through his  music, namely in the video and lyrics of Black or White. And again, when I saw the video for the first time, it was contemporaneous with my own vision and philosophy of life. The beauty and power of its message remains vital each time I view the video.

• In 1989, a gunman shot and wounded students in an elementary school in Stockton, California. The children were mostly refugees from South East Asia. Three weeks later, Michael made a surprise trip to visit the children in Stockton. At that time, he was at the height of his popularity. I saw a news clip of his visit to the hospital. He arrived  in his usual shy, unassuming way, and you could see the room lit up with excitement. I believe he was the only celebrity, or at least the first one, to visit the children. I felt that was very nice of him, and it made a lasting impression.

Musical genius, idealist, humanitarian…that’s how his fans will always remember Michael Jackson, the global king of pop.

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