Friday, March 22

reading 1, 2, 3

In January, I read one book.

A Spy In The House Of Love, by Anais Nin, made me wanna slap the heroine. Wake up! Stop making excuses for yourself for being a slutty two-timer!

In February, I read two books.

No Easy Day by Mark Owen was about the top-secret mission to get Osama bin Laden. Gripping read, but so little personal details and emotions were revealed -- even the author's name was changed -- that I found it hard to root for the Navy Seals team.

In the same vein, I read Lone Survivor, by Marcus Luttrell, which was about the author's mission in Afghanistan which went horribly wrong. The book title said it all, so there were no surprises there when everyone except the author perished. The narrator was full of annoying macho shit, but the story of how he survived was so amazing that I raced through the final chapters.

In March, I read three books -- see a pattern here? Though I highly doubt I will be able to read 12 books in December.

I read a few chapters -- each being a couple of pages long -- of It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want To Be, by ad guru Paul Arden, in the bookstore before I picked it as a Christmas gift. Naturally, I borrowed it after Christmas. The one take-home I got from it was about presenting your work to bosses/clients in a rough draft form, as opposed to a finished product. This allows them to participate in the process, instead of looking for little things to nitpick at the final stage.

On my twin's excellent recommendation, I read The Help, by Kathryn Stockett. About black housekeepers in Mississippi in the 1960s, it had a cast of strong likeable women characters, who took turns to narrate.

But the best book of March was Tiny Beautiful Things, by Chery Strayed. In fact, even though it's early days still, I might just proclaim it the best book of 2013. It's a compilation of advice columns called Dear Sugar, written with so much honesty and heart that I teared up at almost every column, despite being at the hairdresser's, enduring a three-hour perm job.

So. That's six books for 2013 so far. On a side note, George W. Bush read 95 books in 2006, while simultaneously fighting a war in Iraq and holding the title of Leader of the Free World.

And on another tangent, the former president has taken up painting. I must say his self-portraits have a certain refreshing vulnerability and naivete to them.

Thursday, March 7

and i wonder why i have chronic shoulder aches


My twin and I have been wanting to do this blog post for quite a while now -- we are procrastinators of the first degree -- and we have finally got off our asses to do it.

Presenting my version of Urban's Bag Page:
1. Giant tote from Madewell, lipstick scarf from H&M
2. Rabbit-shaped grocery bag
3. Another grocery bag
4. Yet another grocery bag (don't ask me why I need so many)
5. Crumpled receipt (only showing you one of many)
6. Print-out of recipe for green tea muffins I want to make this weekend, red Moleskine notebook, mints and mini colourful markers from Muji
7. Pouch to contain all the items in #6
8. Carrot to contain earbuds
9. iPhone with Doraemon charm
10. Keys with giraffe keychain
11. Wallet with dino print from Asos
12. Card case from Tila March
13. Donut to do my giant bun
14. Brolly from H&M and ziplock for when it's wet
15. Shades from Muji
16. Make-up pouch

Other back-breaking items I sometimes carry (not pictured): lunchbox, yoga clothes, iPad, a particularly un-put-down-able book, slippers or flats, cardigan or scarf.