Turtle Channel!!!

Recently I walked into a book store and and found a brand new, latest copy of a HARD COVER Jeffrey Archer book entitled "Prisoner of Birth" for half the price of the paperback! I figured the store must be hiring idiots who labelled it wrongly....anyhow I wasn't one to pass up such a good bargain, so I bought the book, tore off the wrapping immediately, intending to read it that same night. However, between parents, dinners, housework and Nodiatis, I forgot about it until last night.

Well, I couldn't sleep last night so I strolled over to my mini library and discovered that I had not read my new book. Thus I decided to read a couple of chapters until I was tired enough to rest for the night. And I spent the next 2 hours reading the book cover-to-cover.

Main Storyline: Danny Cartwright proposes to his childhood sweetheart, Beth Wilson and she subsequently accepts. They go to a bar to celebrate, where they meet up with her brother and Danny's best friend, Bennie. What isto be a happy engagement party starts to turn into a nightmare when Spencer Craig, a young solicitor, takes a fancy to her. Beth basically doesn't respond to his flirtatious stares and gestures, which pisses him off and having imbued a not-insignificant amount of alcohol plus having the backing of his friends Toby, Gerard and Lawrence, he decides to pick a fight with Bennie and Danny. And a fight it is, in the back alley, which ended up with Bennie dying.

Danny is charged with his best friend's murder, and despite Beth's testimony, he is found guilty. After all, how could a simple mechanic beat a solicitor, handsome and popular actor (Lawrence) and aristocrat (Gerard). From here, the real story starts, with Danny meeting interesting people in prison, his subsequently release and his revenge on the people who put him there.

The plot has too many similarities with "The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexander Dumas. In fact, Archer does make a couple of references to this book in his story.Call him a modern day Edmund Dantes if you like, but Archer's protogonist, Cartwright, is not as well formed in terms of character buildup compared Dantes. Well in Archer's defense, he used up only a quarter of the words that Dumas used to complete his work, thus one cannot expect to experience and empathise with Archer's characters compared to Dumas'

Archer's murder plot is covered up by the false witness testimony of Toby, Gerard and Lawrence, where Toby is the weakest link (a drug addict who became completely dependent on drugs by the time Cartwright was released), Spencer is a person of Law, Gerard is a pompous aristocrat and Lawrence is a charismatic and popular character.

In Dumas' book, the weakest link was Caderousse, a greedy merchant who became poor after Dantes was released, and the Lawyer was Villefort, the aristocrat was Danglers (who bought his title) and the likable man was the hero soldier, Comte de Morcerf. All of them were witnesses to the poor Dantes' accusation of treason, which meant he would be thrown into a dungeon for the rest of his life.

In both stories, the spark that ignited such an event was a fight over a girl. In Archer's book, it was a drunken folly of the solicitor, Spencer Craig, who, in one glance, decided he wanted to have a fling with Beth who is Cartwright's fiancee. He picks a fight, kills a man, and manages to get everyone to collude with him because they were part of "some secret society" called Musketeers. This is probably Archer's weakest plot in this story. I mean, HUH, u managed to convinced a bunch of friends to lie about murder because you are "All for one, and one for all" (i'm not kidding, this is quoted from the book). And as a friend, you would send an innocent man to prison because your pal is a jerk? Not bloody likely.

Dumas had a better plot: Comte de Morcerf, was then a poor fisherman who grew up in love with the beautiful Mercedez, and could not woo her from the arms of Edmund Dantes, her true love. Dantes was about to be made captain of a vessel, to the dismay of Danglers who was senior to Dantes. Morcerf, Danglers and Caderousse were having a drinks and discussing Dantes, and influenced by alcohol and anger, they wrote a letter accusing Dantes of treason. Villefort, the prosecutor, sent Dantes to prison despite knowing his innocence, because of a mild involvement with his own father, who was the real traitor!

Archer's story starts to deviate slightly when Cartwright goes to prison. The introduction of Nick (who is probably Dumas' Abbe Faria), is less convincing as a character compared to Faria. Nick is portrayed as a totally honest, straight-forward, kind and honourable soldier with an aristocratic background - and none of these traits are really common anymore to English soldiers nowadays. His interaction with Cartwright does not convince me that they can be so close to each other - to the point where Nick would leave Cartwright everything. After all, they were only sharing a cell for less than a year - with Nick being scheduled for release in a matter of months. it's not at all the way Dumas' Faria and Dantes forged a friendship - in a dungeon where they lived for several years in isolation, never meeting another human other than the jailer until Faria dug a hole to Dantes' cell by mistake. Both imprisoned for what would be a life sentence - both trying to dig their way out of an impregnable prison, both never hearing or seeing another human voice other than each other and the jailer...for YEARS - This is what real friendships are made of.

I do promise you, Archer's plot does improve after Cartwright was released (I won't tell you HOW he was released, you will need to buy the book for that). The subsequent revenge exacted and reunion with Beth was touching. I must admit that Dumas does overplay the revenge bit to the point where it becomes a bit cheesy. In this sense, Archer wins. However Dumas has much better surrounding characters compared to Archer, whose Sarah Davenport, Alex Redmayne and Fraser Munro were not given all too much attention and one barely feels in touch with those characters.

Nevertheless the book is quite interesting and would probably receive more favourable reviews had it not been a less than shining rendition of the Count of Monte Cristo. Prisoner of Birth, simply speaking, is not in the same class as the Count of Monte Cristo. I, personally, am a fan of Archer, and many of his books grace my mini library. However, his latest work is a poor copy of Dumas, and certainly not in the same level of distinction compared to to his earlier writings such as Honour among Thieves.

I have always liked to work on big projects slowly. It gives me time to plan, optimise my choices (Cost vs. Practicality vs. Aesthetics), decorate and ENJOY.

I never did like having balconies in the house because I am too lazy to clean anything outdoors. That would explain why my front porch is in a pathetic condition...I have not cleaned it since I moved in!!! Oh well, it can't be helped, we have a BIG porch. It's just too much trouble to clean! I figured I would start cleaning it once we get to decorating the porch. Anyway, having a balcony is a tropical country is not too wise because 90% of the time it is too damn hot to sit in the balcony during the day. And at nights if you sit there, the chances of getting bitten by a gazillion mosquitoes is 100%.

Hence, we transformed our balcony to a meditation/tea room. We call it the "Floating Room" simply because it "floats" over the garden.

Finally the Spring Festival aka Chinese New Year is over. We had 15 days of eating and eating, and now I really feel sick.

It's really no joke. I had big dinner and lunches almost everyday for 2 weeks...a far cry from my normal diet of tofu, cabbage, lettuce and 2 pieces of chicken. I can't even stand up any more. I have gained 3 pounds...

I'm so tired of eating. The worse one was the Feb 13-16 stretch. It was my Mother's birthday on Feb 13, and we took her out for western meal (since she wanted steak). We ended up eating really too much for our own good. Then Feb 14, we had a 4 course vegetarian Val's day meal: starting with fruit cocktail with honey lemon and berrys, multi-grain cream soup, vegetarian spagetti and mocha almond fudge with Hershey's syrup and FRESH cherries. I cooked, of course :) and the cherries were obsolutely delicious! It was my first time eating cherries and I relaly enjoyed them :) Can't wait for next season ^.^

Feb 15 was my niece's birthday, and we travelled to my sister-in-law's husband's house in Cheras for her 1st birthday. We were in Melbourne this time last year when She was born, and it was nice seeing her again after a year. Anyhow, we had another huge meal that gave me indigestion that night. Feb 16 was my Mother-in-law's birthday and she hosted an open house for her relatives. I spent the morning cooking and preparing some food for the evening. We ended up with a hugeamount of leftovers (some of which are still in my freezer).

Anyhow, we had eaten more than our fair share of food for more than 2 weeks. It will be hard going back to the normal diet, but I think it is a good thing. My tummy cannot keep up with my mouth, I am afraid...

Ahhh.....almost one year...it will be one full year of marriage this Sunday. On Friday, we're going for a dinner in Sheraton. Thank Goodness that will be paid for. Otherwise, we won't be able to afford an anniversary dinner ^.^

Actually, it's quite funny. We're totally hopeless at planning our finances because we do things completely differently from each other. It's only until now, when we are both having negative income (for two months now), that we realised somehow our individual methods are not working out quite like before. I know, I know...it's obvious to anyone who's reading this that finances should be discussed thoroughly...but it's not easy to discuss it thoroughly if you don't first experience it together!!! Anyway, it's quite refreshing to have a financial plan that we both can follow through with.

So on our actual Anniversary (Sunday), I guess I'll have to cook something and light a few candlelights...perhaps I can run a bath and light a few more candles in there too....AND, staying by the lake has its advantages since we can take an evening walk and watch the sun set at the lake before dinner...makes for a rather romantic environment.

Hmm...I guess I should have enough small change to buy some roses at the market to brighten up the place also! Huzzah!!!

The grasshopper lazed around all summer, hopping and singing. When winter came, he starved to death. The ant, on the other hand, worked all summer storing food. When winter came and food was scarce, he had plenty to survive on. Yet despite the cold and forlorn weather, he went out anyway in search of more food to store up.

His life seemed filled with excitement. On a good day, he may stumble upon a huge chunk of meat left behind by a young child who didn't want to finish dinner. During that time, he will rush from his nest to the meat, and back again...and again...and again...until the meat is completely stripped and all the food is safely stored. On a bad day, he will battle the cold while sniffing the air in search for some trace of food. He may hunt up to 20 miles from his nest, fighting the danger of being stomped by a passing human or being eaten up by one of his enemies, or even accidental drowning in a puddle of melted snow. Everyday, his life is full of excitement, until he has ceased to enjoy any of the excitement. It is all boring to him in the end, all lost in the pursue of more food.

The turtle sleeps comfortably in his shell, getting up only to search for some vegetation before going back into its shell. Occasionally, he searches for a warm spot of sun to sit under, or if the weather is warm, he searches for a shady tree to hide under. He learns to live in a bit of boredom, and when it is time to search for food or water, he will embrace the excitement for a while.

To be perpetually idle would make one too bored...and when one is too bored, one is prone to destrucive activities. After all, an idle mind is a devil's workshop. Yet, to be perpetually excited would make one numb to the adventure, which is a disease that seems to afflict modern society. One would need more and more excitement to stimulate oneself, and a bit of boredom or quiet seems unbearable. Yet, all the excitement will become boring in itself, and infest itself in an unendurable ennui for life which destroys the soul of youthfulness. By understanding the law of balance and accepting that boredom, like excitement is part of natural life, excitement can be enjoyed to the fullest.

Somedays I wonder if life passes me by too quickly. And somedays I wonder if life passes me by too slowly.

The day my self-conciousness fell, it became clear that the only person who notices my comings and goings is me. Like the gnat who lands on the bulls horn, one's own importance is only evident to oneself.

I started to see life passing by in different speeds. Sometimes when watching the ambitious man work, I see him working towards a goal that never seems to be attainable. Is he driven? Probably. But is he happy? Often the answer is negative. The drive that compels him to efficiency and effectiveness pushes him to greater heights, but he is too busy looking forward to fully enjoy the sights. He is rewarded for his efforts, but he punishes himself for his success with more work.

The one who appears to enjoy life fully lives in idleness. Day by day passes into another, slowly, like a dream that never ends. Leisure shopping one afternoon fades into a workout in the gym, coffee in a hotel lounge and entertainment in the local bar. The determination to enjoy life is so strong, that one barely enjoys it at all. A life that forces itself upon enjoyment will live only to seek more enjoyment, never to be truly satisfied with the current moment nor truly be happy in their own skin.

Yet, the pursuit of happiness is not for anyone else's pleasure but one's own. It is not to show others that one is happy. Calmness and happiness is not a decision nor a concious effort to hide the dissatisfaction and burst of unnatural energy. It is a state of mind.

The only person who notices my comings and goings, failures and successes is myself. No one else really cares. Hence, there lies my happiness.

Last Sunday, we buried my Ah Kong (pronounced as "gone-ng" not "goong"). He is my grandfather.

I never spoke to my Ah Kong. That's because he only spoke Hokkien, which I completely suck at. Instead, he made funny faces at me and used sign language to convey his meaning. His favourite question to me when I was young was "Chiak Liao Bo?" which translates to "Have you eaten?".

Ah Kong was a very nice man. A very easy man to love, in fact. He had no grudges, and never caused any trouble for anyone. He said "ho" (yes) to everything, had absolutely no demands and was pretty much accepting of anything that came his way. My grandmother would pretty much nag him all day long, but it had absolutely no effect on him. It goes into one ear, and literally comes out the other. He doesn't remember any scolding, any nagging or anything unpleasant. In fact, he was such an easy-going, nice fella that many people called him stupid. Of course, calling him stupid didn't upset him in any way. He would just say "ho" and go about his merry way.

His greatest pleasure in life was eating. He loved fried chicken, praticularly from KFC. Even when he had lost all his teeth, he would use his gums to chew the chicken. Eventually, due to all the unhealthy food, he suffered a stroke in the year 2000, which paralysed his left side.

I couldn't recognise the thin man as my granddad. In my mind, he was still chubby with a head full of hair. I never noticed that his hair was thinning and that he was losing a lot of weight. In the year 2002, he suffered another stroke that paralysed much of his right side. He could no longer eat any solid food, for he could not chew. When he spoke, no one could understand what he was saying except my grandmother.

He met my spouse in 2006. Since my spouse can speak Hokkien, they had a conversation about the lorry his used to drive when he was younger. The number plate of the lorry was 5105. I remember this well, because he struggled for over 10 minutes to tell my spouse the number plate, and no one could understand him. Finally, it became apparent that he was struggling to say "goh-ih-kong-goh" (5-1-0-5), which was not easy because he couldn't move his mouth muscles. He was trying to relate the stories from the time my grandmother and him were running a grocery shop in Penang, where he would carry huge rice sacks onto his lorry and deliver them to his customers. My grandmother ended up telling most of the stories and we had a good laugh.

He sat up to receive the customary tea during my wedding early this year. That was the last time he would sit up again. After that, Ah Kong deteriorated and became thinner. He could no longer get up. During his last week in this world, he could not even speak. He finally passed away on Friday 30 November 2007.

I got the SMS from Daddy in the afternoon, while taking care of my spouse in the hospital. Ah Kong, my Ah Kong, passed away.

I have not cried in a funeral quite like that before. I cried over everything. From the time I saw him in the coffin until the time we laid him into the ground. Normally I would just shed a few tears. This time, I could not stop crying. Ah Kong, gentle Ah Kong, was gone. In death, he still looked like he was about to say "ho". A nice guy to the end. The easiest person in the world to love. God will have mercy on him, for he deserves none other. Goodbye my Ah Kong. I will see you again someday.