Posted on 10 November 2008 @ 00:08 in Writing
Venue
Starbucks AmCorp Mall
Time
10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Attendees
Erna
Calvin
Will
Chet
Catalina
Patricia
Andreas
Andreas’ friend*
Kathleen
(did I leave anyone out?)
*sorry, don’t know how to spell his name (or pronounce it)
I’d missed the kick-off party the previous Saturday because of a vicious migraine brought on by sitting in the car in the hot sun the day before. So I made sure to keep myself well so I could attend the first write-in on Saturday.
Last year, I attended one write-in. I came away from that with the conclusion that I don’t do well in write-ins because I tend to want to chat, not write, if there are other familiar faces nearby. Also, I think it was because I attended the write-in already ahead with my word count so I didn’t really need to write while there.
Well, same thing yesterday regarding the word count. But Erna, our ML, was determined to keep everyone focused on the write-in and to help those behind in their word count to try and write their daily 1,667 words. Hey, she even shot down some of our suggestions to bring Monopoly, Scrabble and Taboo along, and also not very subtly suggested that “Once you finish your wordcount, the ones who are finished can go have a nice writerly game of Boggle in the corner or something. ;)”
First of all, everyone was so happy to see everyone else (me especially since I missed the kick-up party … oh, I’m repeating myself) so we were chatting away. Finally, Erna put a stop to it and insisted on 30 minutes of quiet writing time. Oo .. that really helped! And I’m not being sarcastic here.
When Calvin got up to stretch his legs about 30 minutes later (actually he went over to see what Patricia was up to), it signalled the quiet time was over and everyone started chatting again. Some even started sharing videos online. It looked like the write-in was over until someone suggested a second round of 30-minute quiet writing time. This time, Patricia set the timer on her handphone. And the place fell quiet again (except for Calvin who quietly asked if anyone remembered the last line he wrote which he’d read to everyone cuz his laptop crashed before he could save the file, and a few replied to help him reconstruct that last sentence).
I’d just finished what I was writing when Patricia announced that the timer had gone off.
All in, I wrote 1,700-odd words during the two rounds of 30-minute quiet writing time (even though I didn’t need to). So it’s not true I don’t do well in write-ins. All it takes is a little discipline, not just individual, but group discipline.
The next write-in is same time same place next Saturday, 15 November 2008.
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Posted on 6 November 2008 @ 12:06 in Writing
Yes, yes, yes, I am taking part in NaNoWriMo again.
I seem to have got things backwards this year. I posted my word count meter and forgot about my NaNoWriMo participant badge. Well, it’s up now, above the word count meter.
My personal daily target is 2,000 words, which means as of yesterday, the 5th day, I should’ve written 10,000 words. Unfortunately, I started nano-ing late yesterday - very late! - and fell short of the 10K mark by 700-odd words. And what do you know? I haven’t started writing today, either.
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Posted on 30 October 2008 @ 10:02 in The Working Life
Lyn: hey chet gotta go finish up some work
me: ok, nice chatting with you
Lyn: planning to leave offce by 530
me: I’m already home 
Lyn: rub it in…
me: no traffic jam
Lyn: 
yah yah
me: well, there are disadvantages, too. tell you another time
Disadvantages??
Some days, I’m the only human I see. Which is not good. And working from home means the comforts of home are nearby, and very tempting sometimes!
But mostly, the advantages out-weigh the disadvantages.
And when I get tired of my own company, I grab my things and go somewhere where there are people, lots of people. Somewhere like the IKEA Cafe, or Starbucks …
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Posted on 22 October 2008 @ 16:17 in Stress Busters
It’s exactly a week since Mei Mei, the adult female giant panda at Adventure World in Japan, passed away. Her death was mourned by panda lovers all over the world; many were shocked by what they felt was an untimely death, as she was only 14 (the equivalent of 56 human years).
Only a month before her death, panda lovers celebrated the birth of her grandcubbies by her daughter, Rauhin, who also lives in Adventure World.
Mei Mei herself had 10 cubs in her short 14 years. Besides Rauhin, there were 2 older cubs born in Chengdu, China before moving to Japan. Rauhin, the eldest of her Japan born cubs, was followed by 7 others, including her last pair born in December 2006.
Many of our cherished images of Mei Mei show her playing with her cubs. Among all panda mothers, she holds a special position for being the only one who could look after both cubs in all her twin births without the help of her keepers.
Birth and death - the circle of life that we humans experience, too. Panda lives may not mean much to most people beyond the “oo’s” and “aa’s” when they see a picture of a cute cubbie, but they mean the world to those of us who have chosen to let these black and white furballs into our hearts. Their circle of life often parallel ours and impact us in the same way. We celebrate their births and mourn their deaths as if they are beloved members of our own families. Which, in a way, they are.
Earlier this year in July, we mourned the death of Shi Shi, a venerable old gentleman bear who’d fathered Hua Mei. Shi Shi was in his 30s and was retired and living out his twilight years in Guangzhou Zoo, China. His time had come and we said goodbye to him.
It was different in Mei Mei’s case. Many of us felt she died too soon. As we were to learn, she had been ill, and although she was thought to have recovered, she had a relapse from which she did not survive.
We mourn Mei Mei, but we also thank her for having left us 10 beautiful cubs.
Mei Mei (giant panda)
31 August 1994 - 15 October 2008 |
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External Link:
Panda Family, Adventure World, Japan
(edited on Friday, 24 October 2008 at 17:07 to add the following)
We’ve also mourned the untimely loss of Mao Mao in the May 12 earthquake, which I completely forgot in my original post.
While Shi Shi died from old age and Mei Mei through ill health, Mao Mao’s death was untimely. Three beloved bears, three different ways they left us.
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Posted on 20 October 2008 @ 01:34 in Personal
I’ve been lazy about updating my blog. It’s not that I haven’t found anything of interest or intrigue to write about. Actually, there’ve been lots, maybe too much going on in my head, that I can’t begin to sort myself out. Also, I still have a nasty habit of thinking and not doing (or writing).
It’s an exciting week ahead, especially next Saturday, when Preeta Samarasan will be appearing in two events - the MPH Breakfast Club in the morning, and Readings @ Seksan’s in the afternoon. It will be exactly a year since she last read at Seksan’s. I’m looking forward to seeing her, and asking her to sign my copy of her book.
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