What a Reunion!

Catching up with your former schoolmates is invigorating for the soul, I learnt today.

I remember the first email I received from Dr Noral, now at the Institute of Medical Research (IMR). She used to sit just in front of me in class. "Do you remember me?" she wrote via Facebook. Of course I do! You don't forget people you grow up with that easily.

That sparked off a search for other schoolmates and over the course of just several days, things swirled into a frenzy. Emails flew from as far as Canada and criss-crossed the globe and before we knew it, the date was set ... 31st January in Putrajaya! How lovely it was to see June, Mani, Baya, Rosnah, Masita, Masjuniyati, and Nora, to mention a few. Never mind widening waistlines. The bright smiles and toothy grins brought back fond memories among bosom buddies in a flash, though it wasn't quite total recall for some.

It's a kind of closure, after all these years of wondering what had happened to everyone ... and NOBODY could care less about how many titles or degrees others had. Such a simple reunion; potluck for that matter, yet I had a blast. And to think all this while I thought I was the only nostalgic person around ... Boy (errr ... I mean, girl), am I glad I was wrong!

Several of the girls brought pictures of our schooldays ... it was a good walk down memory lane. Still, it's sad to learn that a few had passed on due to natural illnesses and other causes. I, on the other hand, did not have any pictures to share; I must have misplaced them as I have moved so many times after secondary school. It's also good to know that everyone is doing well. A few are keeping real busy with family (like me), others are medical specialists, lawyers, teachers and businesswomen ... I feel so proud of ALL of them!

Just before we left for Putrajaya, Fakhri said, "Why don't you bring some of your books?" I was aghast at the thought. Bring my books? This isn't a business meeting! "Honestly," he said, "I think they would love to see it."

Well, I did put some in the car boot ... and forgot all about it, until someone asked me. "Didn't you bring any?" she asked.

In the end, there wasn't enough to go around and I promised to send the books by snail mail.

Last I heard before I left, another reunion is in the cards.

Next Book on TEEN Boys ... Out in May 2009!

Just heard from my publisher today that they're keen to publish my next book.

Targeted date of completion: Mid 2009, God willing. Anytime sooner is a bonus.

It's kind of a sequel to my first book, COOL MUM SUPER DAD, but this time I'm focusing on TEEN BOYS.

The book is an ideal read if you have a tween (10 plus to 12) or a teen (12 plus to 19) son.

Can't wait to see the book in print and hold it in my hand ... Have been working on it for sooo long. Put my heart and soul into writing it.

To everyone who has been enquiring and wondering ... thank you for all your support and prayers.

Second Book Coming Up!

Phew! Finally, I'm almost finished with revising the draft for my second book ... yet again. Just have one more section to complete. This time, after I got feedback from an editor. I have lost count how many times I have revised the copy. I don't know about other authors. For me, it's a l-o-n-g process of writing, putting it into the cold, followed by rewriting. Many times, that is. Sometimes I go to bed at night wondering if the book will ever get published. Yet I will wake up each morning convinced that it will!

As Paulo Coelho said, "When a person truly desires something, the whole universe conspires to help that person realise his dream."

Wishful thinking in difficult times like this? I think not. Good times or bad times, it's always those who have faith in themselves who succeed.

Anyway, a tip for aspiring writers:

Some time ago I stumbled upon a book by Sol Stein entitled "Stein on Writing". It's a lovely read and worth your time. Doesn't matter if you do fiction or non-fiction. Stein has done both. In fact, one thing I learnt from him was that you could do both equally well. I used to think if you're into non-fiction, you can't shine in fiction and vice-versa. Glad to discover I was wrong!

AmBank Toastmasters

Last Thursday evening, Ahmad Fakhri and I fulfilled a commitment we made some months ago to support AmBank Toastmasters Club. Great to catch up with Mah Foong Hoh, Jean Soong and Kala among others. As Chinese New Year (non-religious celebration) was just round the corner, the Sargeant-at-Arms had the whole place donned accordingly. Everything was red (a Chinese friend once remarked "The redder the better") and everyone received an orange as a door gift. How sweet! Miss President (Jean) even taught us some Mandarin and Cantonese greetings ... "SAN LAI FAI LOCK" and "SIN LIEN KWAI LUR". I do hope I got that right...

As the Grammarian, I asked the audience if they had watched Mulan. Some did. There was a particular scene I remember in the movie, in which the Emperor of China said, "A single grain of rice can tip the scale". What has this got to do with Toastmastering? Just as a single grain of rice can tip the scale, so does a single word can make or break your speech. This is not an exaggeration. Think about it. When you string words together, you get a sentence. Join these sentences, you get a paragraph ... and eventually, a speech. It's the quality of each word you use that makes all the difference.

Having said that, grammar is just one part of giving a speech. If you're not confident of your grammar skills, not to worry too much. The more you are anxious about getting it right, the more you stumble on the words. But if you are willing to take the risk of making mistakes in front of others (provided you're prepared), you have nothing to fear. Everyone can and will go as far as he or she is willing to work for!