nowplaying: Strange Things Will Happen - The Radio Department
Before the existence of technology (i.e smartphones, laptops, computers, you get the gist),
I was a bookworm.
Yes, I enjoy reading. Although these days my reading materials consists of my favourite bloggers,
occasionally columnist on newspapers (although I rarely do that nowadays),
random articles that I find interesting on Twitter (Thought Catalog mostly, lol)
and sometimes, online newspapers.
See how the technology reduced my reading materials?
Not to mention, it has reduced my attention span on reading.
Explains why my grades eventually dropped when I enter university haha.
I have the attention span of a goldfish.
I was always a person with the attention span of a goldfish,
can't stand doing the same thing for a long time.
But yes, like I've mentioned earlier, I was a bookworm.
The smell of books makes me high (not in the wrong way).
I started reading at a very young age.
I believe I was four, or was it five, when I started reading my first book.
Perks of being a teacher's daughter, I guess (language teachers some more).
And even though I entered kindergarten later than most people (due to transportation problems back then),
I was actually one of the brightest (I think), in my class.
I mean, why else would I have a certificate saying that I am the best student award? Haha.
I was even a member of the then DBKU City Library which was situated behind Hopoh,
(I don't even know where the current DBKU library is situated -_-")
along with my parents.
Once every fortnight, Papa would bring me to the library and he will let me borrow as many books as I want, even using the quotas entitled under his name as well as mummy's.
I will always look forward to the visits to library, for I know,
every visit to the library means I get to read new books.
When I was younger, I enjoy reading BM books, mostly about investigations, where the investigator is a girl of a very young age.
I guess that's how I pick up my curiosity on things/life haha.
As I grew older, I like different kinds of books.
Although I can't remember what kind of books I read, but what I do remember is that I enjoy BM novels.
Romance ones especially.
I remember once upon a time, I can actually read a BM romance novel in just one day over the school holidays.
That's how much a bookworm I was until........
I discovered, THE INTERNET.
I was sixteen when Papa decided to installed Streamyx at home.
I can't remember why he installed it, but I remember how happy I was when he did, that I actually told my friends about it.
And then, one day, my friend suggested that I should get into this social networking website, called,
FRIENDSTER.
To kids of this age, in the case of you do not know what is this thing called Friendster,
it was the Facebook during my time.
If you have a Friendster back then, you were considered the "cool kids". Yerr.. Lol
An example of a Friendster page. Lol. Photo courtesy of Google Images. |
And I can safely say, books are not my best friend anymore.
The closest thing I have to reading is by reading textbooks, or literature books for exam purposes.
Oh, not forgetting my Cleo magazines.
I've been a loyal reader of Cleo magazine since I was seventeen, thanks to my school's effort of making each class to have a reading corner.
The cool kids were always the ones who donates books, magazines and such, and among the magazines that they donate is Cleo.
Because I don't have the money to buy such magazines back then,
the only time I get to read Cleo was in school, from our reading corner. Haha.
But as I turn eighteen, I usually use my own salary to buy Cleo; sometimes I had my then boyfriend to pay the magazine.
Yes, I was the kind of girl who makes her boyfriend pays for the smallest thing, even a magazine.
Although, I am not one anymore.
Anyhoo, back to my book stories.
Let's just conclude that after the age of eighteen, I stopped reading storybooks altogether (the last book I read was, the Jackie Kennedy autobiography, at one of the school's available reading corner. And mind you, it was a very, thick book, especially for a seventeen-year-old who is going to sit for her SPM).
And this persists even up to my university days.
Although I do find myself reading some self help books every now and then
(cue in Chicken Soup for the Soul here),
I am like most typical Malaysians, who reads only two books or less throughout one year.
However, suddenly, this year, I picked up my reading hobby again
because I found myself having the time of my life.
You know, by being unemployed (except for the seven weeks I became a relief teacher) and all.
And so far, I have read three books,
1. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
This self help book was introduced to me by Aunty Eileen, the manager during my internship. It is about the "law of attraction", and how you can use it to your benefits.
I had always believed in the law of attraction, and I was looking to know more about it.
So I asked Papa to get the book for me, and he did.
Although...... I have yet to finish reading the book haha.
Attention span of a goldfish, remember?
2. He's Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo
The best friend is kind enough to let me borrow this book because she realized that I keep finding myself falling for guys who are "emotionally" unavailable for me, when I am willing to give so much for them.
It was really an eye opener for me.
I mean, I had waited for almost two years for something to happen when clearly,
this dude had moved on waaaaay ahead than I was.
And this book, just proves that Iam was stupid for waiting for such a long time for someone to be emotionally available for me.
It was really an eye opener for me.
I mean, I had waited for almost two years for something to happen when clearly,
this dude had moved on waaaaay ahead than I was.
And this book, just proves that I
"He's just not that into you if he's disappeared on you." - need I say more?
After reading this, I realized that I need to have this book in my collection.
Oh job, where art thou? I need money to buy books lol.
3. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
I actually get to know about this book as they make it to motion pictures of the same title,
as I saw the snippets of the movie in Instagram (spoiler alert, for those who don't read this book but intend to watch the movie, one of the characters died in the end).
I was intrigued by what I saw, Google-d about it (curiosity, remember?), and realize that it will be at the nearest cinema soon!
My initial thoughts was to watch the movie and get over it (considering I am a lover of anything romance).
But a chat over Twitter with a senior of mine made me drove to The Spring, to MPH,
just to get a copy of this book.
Yup, that's my exited face after circling the fiction section area for almost ten times (wondering why the book is NOT THERE OMFG!) until I decided to go to the counter and asked where the book is situated. Lol.
And I actually jumped and shrieked upon finding it.
Even Elly knew cz she saw me jumping haha.
I've gotta say, I'm loving what I've read so far.
Imagine, it had managed to make me happy, sad, and angry
(at the Peter Van Houten dude, a writer of Hazel Grace's favourite book, An Imperial Affliction),
all while reading the book.
And I have yet to get to the part where.......
Ooops... It will be a spoiler if I revealed it here. Haha.
Anyways, this book also have great quotes in it.
So many great quotes.
Among my favourite is this:
Makes me believe that one does not need to fall in love with outer beauty,
to fall and be in love.
And then, there's another about the concept of "forever"
In a way, Hazel Grace is true.
For nothing lasts forever.
We eventually die; it's just a matter of when.
But between now and that time, I believe that we should live our life to the fullest,
as cliche' as it might sound.
This, is by far, my favourite.
Because I find that, liking someone based on their personality (perfections and flaws, cue in All of Me by John Legend here) is so much better than liking someone based on their superficial beauty.
For the one with superficial beauty may not be the nicest person on earth,
and in the end of the day,
beauty fades.
But personality, that stays with you forever.
Call me crazy, but when Augustus Waters said this to Hazel Grace,
I somehow can hear he (as in Augustus Waters) said that to me.
Well, I'm still waiting for my Augustus Waters to appear in my life to say that to me haha.
Can't wait to watch this movie at the cinema.
I'll watch it alone if I must.
That's how desperately I want to watch it.
In all honesty, reading is a good hobby.
It enhances your vocabulary, it makes you think in so many ways you cannot imagine.
It also increases you intelligent part of your brain.
Who doesn't want an intelligent partner, no?
I know I do.
Plus, being in your own bubble when reading, is the best part.
You have your own interpretation on how you want the character to sound like,
how they look like, in your mind.
There is not right or wrong in this.
It can be an expensive hobby, especially if you are jobless like I am right now.
But now that I have rediscovered the joys of reading again, I vow that once I have a job,
I shall buy one book a month.
And make sure that I will eventually finish reading it
(I still have a few unfinished books okay? Plus, there's this Life of Pi book that I bought two years ago, and is still inside the box full of my second year books, UNREAD. Maybe I should start on those first, huh?).
Maybe I should start doing this, and revive my old hobby, huh? :)
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