Random Thoughts Of A Driftwood

I've recently moved onto a new phase in life. Apart from being in a relationship that's given me so much joy, I've also been given the opportunity to be a copywriter at an ad agency. It's been quite an experience so far. Writing for ads is a lot different than regular writing. While the purpose of writing remains the same; an art of communication, the approach and thought process is a lot different. More thought and time is given to the psychological effect of headlines and copy. The key points to watch out for: 1) What will the reader think? 2) Does it attract the reader? 3) How will they look at an ad? Ads have to be eye catching either by brilliant copy or amazing visuals or both(both preferably). Copywriters have to understand what catches the attention of a reader. What demands attention. What stands out from the crowd of mediocre ads that spout the same message. To always try to present your message in a new and exciting manner. To sell the product in its

Some big plans ahead for beginning new blogs. Which means this will remain as my personal blog. But what is going to happen is that write ups on books will go on a new book blog. There'll also be a blog on food stuff which is really interesting... I promise you, you have not read anything quite like it. Not your average food blog. The movie reviews will remain on my personal blog here. I don't have any intention to write about movies in detail just yet. What to expect from this blog? Just my personal rants, thoughts, emotional outbursts(okay maybe not this, I save it for others). Write ups on the state of politics, which I admit, haven't done much of lately. It's not in any real state that is worthy of a comment to be frank. Oh and write ups about things in life that annoy me... like my write up on marriage . Keep an eye out on my new blogs which I'll be creating soon. Until next time, don't let the lemurs fight.

The much awaited Ridley Scott return to the Alien franchise is finally out, and as a fan of the Aliens movies, I watched Prometheus with huge expectations. To say that there is a lot to live up to is an understatement of gargantuan proportions. And you know what they say about expectations, they eventually disappoint. Prometheus is director Ridley Scott's return to sci-fi films and the Alien franchise. Does Prometheus succeed or does it fail like the Titanic ? The year is 2089, and archaeologists Elizabeth Shaw and Charlie Holloway find a drawing on a wall of a cave in rural Scotland.It isn't just any drawing on a cave, but it's a star map, pointing out to a particular cluster of stars. They see this as an invitation and an opportunity to meet our makers. They dubbed them the 'engineers' and they have seeded life on earth. The same image were found all over the world validating their opinion that this isn't just a coincidence. Fast forward a little and the f

George Orwell’s most notable book is most definitely ‘ Nineteen Eighty-Four’ , a book that showcased Orwell’s deep seated hatred for Totalitarian regimes. The book was a what if rhetorical question; what if the west lost?; what if Stalinism persisted, and took over the world as we know it. Nineteen Eighty-Four is a peering look into the bleak world, split into three main continental powers… Oceania, Eurasia and East Asia. I read the first chapter and saw how Nineteen Eighty-Four is a rather influential book. The working class men going to work and going through his daily routine is now almost a cliché opening scene in storytelling. Perhaps cliché is too harsh a word… but it’s been used so often in all forms of media since the publishing of this book. The protagonist, Winston Smith, is an outer party worker working in the news department. In this world, no one writes any longer. Machines churn out pieces of fiction and even news(which is fiction themselves) and Winston modifies th

" Why lah ?" a friend inquired with complete terseness. The curt, simple and direct ' Why lah ' cut like a knife and  denotes a measure of bewilderment in the tone of it. I suppose a simpler 'Why?' would have sufficed, but the ' lah ' suffix adds more melodrama where there isn't any. Besides, the ' lah ' has been a staple of Malaysian language inflection for aeons, it is as immovable as a traffic congestion on the Federal Highway. It's not just a Manglish (or an English language) thing too... " Kenapa lah ?" shock, surprise, even a tinge of disappointment. The Malay language is not spared from the ' lah ' contagion. Often used as a suffix that accentuates the dramatic effect of a phrase, ' lah ' could be used in multiple ways: The classic ' Why lah ?' The added for conviction ' Come on lah !' The added for surprise and shock ' WTF lah! ' For added appeal or even being indignant  

In the day of social networks being the in thing, not quite taking over real social interaction, but undoubtedly creating a whole new grammar... there is a rather disconcerting development. The word ' Like ' has been hijacked by the ultimate 800 pound gorilla of social networks, Facebook. ' Like ' in of itself isn't so much of an epilepsy inducing word. It's rather pleasant. I use it all the time(when it fits of course). The matter of contention here however, is that there is nothing other than ' like '. Seriously? what about love? or hate? or even dislike? This 'dumbing down' of the language and social interaction is rather depressing. Just with a snap of the finger, or rather a click of a mouse, the multitude and diversity of expressions in the English language... exterminated by Facebook and it's denizens of  the ' like ' brigade. I wouldn't make such a fuss if there was a scale of how much you like d something or a sort of

The word moderation is often thrown about by politicians and the intelligentsia(it is often the politicians though that receive my ire). Malaysia a land of moderates. Moderate politics, moderate Muslims... moderate policies... moderate society. I find it utterly revolting I say. Before I cause you to cringe in confusion, let me first define the word moderation. From dictionary.com: the quality of being moderate; restraint; avoidance of extremes or excesses; temperance. That's all jolly and well. But the word in Malaysia has been twisted into a sick and perverted joke of itself. A vapid excuse for inaction and mediocrity. Let me say that again MEDIOCRITY. Moderation doesn't mean giving way to bullies in for the sake of not 'hurting' their oh so fragile feelings. And it certainly doesn't mean being complacent and satisfied with a placid lifestyle. I've often heard people say way too often and rather glibly that they are a moderate. Which essentially transl

I couldn't let off the chance of owning a P.G. Wodehouse book when I saw the book in a book store shelf. Yes... I'm quite the impulse purchaser of books. This is by no means a bad purchase though as the writing of PG Wodehouse came highly regarded among the English writing circle. I picked Carry on Jeeves... as the first Wodehouse books to own. Possibly his best known series. And by Jove is it a cracker! The Jeeves series follows the comedic exploit of one Bertie Wooster, a little lacking in the intellectual department and his valet(butler) Jeeves, making up for his master's lack of cranial matter. The book is a collection of Bertie and Jeeves stories, loosely connected with the each preceding one. It reads like a television comedy show, with each 'episode' relatively standalone in nature. There is no doubt that this series of books has had a huge influence on British comedy and comedy in general(we've had quite a few of comedy shows featuring a wise cracking

Homage to Catalonia is one of the best(if not the best) wartime accounts from on the the best writer of our times. Serving with the leftist POUM militia(Partido Obrero de Unificación Marxista), Homage to Catalonia captures the optimism and idealism of revolutionary Spain. It then explores the mundaneness of trench warfare, which was more like non warfare. The treachery, living in fear of being outed, street fighting in Barcelona all vividly expressed. Even in the humdrum nature of it all, George Orwell writes a captivating account that manages to share with its readers the horrors and poor conditions of those in the front line and the political backstabbing from those that are far away from the actual fighting. A turbulent history of Spanish history with a huge variety of political entities fighting against fascism and against themselves. Homage to Catalonia ends with the hauntingly prescient paragraph in which Orwell expresses his disdain for his fellow Englishmen... so removed f

First of all, a warning... do not read this if you plan on watching this movie. I'll try to avoid spoilers but it is unavoidable that I touch on instances in the movie to make a point. So be warned. Watch the movie first, then read this post. The Woman In Black is a movie directed by James Watkins and is based on the Susan Hill novel of the same title. The main protagonist(Arthur Kipps) is played by Daniel Radcliff aka Mr. Harry Potter. It's hard to watch this movie without going "Look ma! It's Harry Potter!". Like all novel to movie adaptations, it exhibits some adaptation syndrom symptoms. Let me explain... Like all movies that are rather limited when it comes to screen time, details are definitely cut out. Make no mistake, I haven't read The Woman In Black, but I noticed the lack of detail and explanations for the plot. That being said, The Woman In Black does not(at least to my knowledge) display any gaping plot holes. That's a good sign. The Woman I

George Orwell(1903-1950) famously known for his work 1984, was a master of the prose. I posit that the words he had written in the opening chapter of Homage to Catalonia stands as a vivid painting of the landscape of a Catalonia swept up by revolutionary fervour. I dare say his description is even more haunting and real than the video documentaries produced on the Spanish Civil War. Here's a short example: "The revolutionary posters were everywhere, flaming from the walls in clean reds and blue that made the few remaining advertisements look like daubs of mud. Down the Ramblas( NOTE : La Rambla is a street in Barcelona ), the wide central artery of town where crowds of people streamed constantly to and fro, the loudspeakers were bellowing revolutionary songs all day and far into the night. And it was the aspect of the crowds that was the queerest thing of all. In outward appearance it was a town in which the wealthy classes had practically ceased to exist." Hom

Horatio, Why so glum? The words seem to hum, But it augurs a despair... foreboding and dumb, An emotional moribund, Denial He became stuck in the ways of the smith, Oh how would he buck the blues, However best he tries to duck the truth, The man strives on with his flute, Loneliness The emptiness is a desolate desert, In which he plies his trade, The solitude a great partner, But it threatens to poison when in danger, Bitterness Turning and churning the bitter pill, Reality seems mocking... but still, The shocking brute of workmen life tills the mill, The man strives on with his drill, Sadness Sorrow fuses the pangs of depression, With the bitterness of the futility of escaping the flow, The feelings make strange bedfellows, But he is trapped in the billowing canvas of his work, Sanity Horatio, are you all right? The words linger a little longer this time, A sense of conciousness returns, like the scent of thyme, The man strives on with his poem... tryi

The debate that has been garnering quite a bit of anticipation over the weeks has finally happened. Lim Guan Eng from the DAP(current Chief Minister of Penang) took on MCA's President, Chua Soi Lek in a debate that was aired on Astro Awani earlier today. It was in Mandarin with translators translating the whole debate into Bahasa Malaysia(as best as they could). This is indeed a rather momentous occasion to have a political debate be aired on TV(granted it was Astro Awani, but it is still a significant moment nevertheless). Both of them agreed that they would like to see more of such debates happening. I would add that debates such as these expand the knowledge horizon of Malaysians and create awareness amongst the plebeians on the positions that our leaders take on key issues affecting the nation. It is rather unfortunate that I felt there was less of a focus on these key issues and a overblown insistence on putting the blame on the opposition(and by opposition I mean the other pa

One fine Sunday evening, Jean was traipsing along the ridge of this rugged hill(which was just near by his home). Alone he traipsed, as he had no friends, no one to traipse along with. He often wondered why company was hard to come by. He wasn't a mean or vile creature that scoffed at anyone who was friendly(in fact he scoffed at no one). All of a sudden, he caught the glint of light from the almost blindingly white and black striped tail of a lemur. It waltzes into view with a family of lemurs. A cohort of fellow furry creatures that tail it's leader with majestic agility that would put a word class ballerina to shame. "Who goes there friend?" Jean called out, not knowing exactly why he tried hailing a group of lemurs, as if he was expecting an answer. The family of lemurs halted their vivacious dance and stared at him. Out of this group, a boisterous little one popped out from the group in what seemed like an attempt at communicating with Jean. Instead, the c

I read with revulsion in the Sun Newspaper the other day that the election commission of Malaysia, in response to civil societies insistence on the need for overseas Malaysian citizens to be accorded the right to vote; is considering imposing the rule that voting rights only be given to those expatriates that pay tax to the Malaysian government. This is just wrong on so many levels... In a democracy, every adult citizen deserves the right to vote. This is a basic democratic right. No exceptions... no compromises. No discrimination regardless of gender, social status, wealth, political affiliation, sexual preference, religious or non religious... no exceptions whatsoever. Once you start having exceptions, you put a nail in the heart of democracy. Every concession, every compromise, every exception is a piercing strike at the beating heart of democracy and freedom( I don't think democracy is the ultimate form of government, but that is for another write up). This idea that those

Dear Love, I lament the over bearing fact of the loss, The dejection of one's lost self, The aimless wanderings of a raving mind, For my love guides me to my destination, It is my strength, my passion, my life, It is my waking hours, to my slumber, It is the blanket that I snugly hold on to, for my heart, The infinite and never ending vigour, I love your beauty, I love your presence, For it lifts my spirit, It is the fire that keeps burning, I love your enduring ardour, Your words that keep me company, In the loneliest nights when the stars do not shine, I adore you with all my heart, Yours Truly, Your Love Forever.

Today's topic is a little personal. Marriage... it's a mixed, twisted and perplexing affair if you live in an Indian family. If you've reach the age where your family and relatives start to pester you about marriage, then you know the mental torture that precedes it. If your parents are the pro active type and start looking for a bride or groom, then ironically, you'll be the last to know about it. Why do they do that? The most awkward and embarrassing situation is being in a family dinner(out with relatives) or visit and having one of your parents bring up the subject of marriage only to completely catch you off guard. You what? but why? The conversation then just falls silent and then someone courteously tries to offer some advice to you. I appreciate their concern but I'm quite happy the way I am. This may sound weird, but I have always found marriage to be a rather ludicrous precept(I know I'm about to cause some divisions here with my friends, but hey

The Nut Graph posted this little piece over here that is another indication of how the Malaysian government feels it needs to tell us, the honest people, how to live our lives. Just like the peaceful assembly act, just like the Universities and Colleges act, the Race Relations Act is yet another attempt of plugging in loopholes in our dysfunctional society. It's a stop gap measure that big brother uses all too often. Don't get me wrong, I find racism and discrimination of any sort repulsive. But the sheer audacity of the state to assume authority to control society is... quite contrary to the enlightenment, and egalitarian principles. It's sort of like repairing a damaged wooden village house. They take a plank and a hammer and hammer away to seal a gap, rather carelessly. Cracks and problems start to appear few years down the road as all manner of cretins manage to squeeze their way in through the impenetrable 'act'. The fact is, people will always find ways

Breaking News! Theshigen Navalingam hates Self Help books! I absolutely loathe self help books with a burning passion. Why the hate? The self help genre is like a parasite that feeds on the insecurities of the people and the feeble minded. It is an abomination of written words... words that don't actually tell you anything new, but people just seem addicted to it. I attribute it to the need, the desire, the hunger for positive self reinforcement. We all love being told how special we are(I have an issue with this, but I won't go on a rant about that in this blog post), how much god loves us, or how lovely we are, intelligent, smart, beautiful, talented, gifted and the verbiage assault goes on and on. You don't need a book to tell you this, just talk to a friend. Yeah, talk, communicate with others, don't expect magic solutions from these books. Because the only thing these books lack is a solution to anything. Suggestions are clichéd and you've probably heard th

Biggest news of the week... Anwar Ibrahim, President of Parti Keadilan Rakyat, has been acquitted in his Sodomy trial. Sodomy in Malaysia is a criminal offence, an ancient inherited law from the colonial era of its past. The trial has been, at times, a circus, to a parody of quite literally, a kangaroo court. I was sure many were sceptical a verdict any other than Anwar to be found guilty was impossible. So with this political show now over, so what now Malaysia? With the curtains closed on this particular chapter of Malaysian drama, the 13th Malaysian General Election draws ever closer. It is said that it will be held in March and with Anwar now vindicated from his Sodomy charge, Parti Keadilan Rakyat would feel that it has received a spark of life, a break from all the in fighting and negative press it has gotten over the years. Will the opposition move away from being just anti BN and into a legitimate party with workable policies. It has to a certain extent, tried to achieve this

"There isn't anything as wonderful as a fierce intellectual person" Arundhati Roy. For the truth to surface, it has always been maintained that a strong separation of intellect from our feelings is required. Any academic or intellectual work that is tainted with emotions or feelings is considered as biased and lack veracity. At least that's what the academics believe. There is some truth to this, and it is necessary to have this separation to push forth scientific work. But a writer's life is different. In life, art, and literature, emotions and passion cannot be separated from the intellectual rigmarole of the craft or art. It is the very essence of it. Separating emotion would not be a life worth living(and remember, artists consider their work as their life, not a piece of academic work to be analysed and held up as perfect). Give me passion, emotion, love, or give me death. Even an intellectual like Hitchens, Dawkins & Sagan were passionate about what

This simple proclamation, a statement of a certainty of the end... is part of Shakespeare's Antony & Cleopatra. Antony spoke to Cleopatra while in her arms, awaiting his certain death. He died tormented by the thought of separation from his lover and not dying gloriously in the traditional Roman way. Pretty epic, but not exactly the point of this post. While Mark Antony's death is an ultimate tale of love that was never meant to be, death is the topic for today. For death is a certainty and you can never be sure when it will seek you out. As morose as this might sound, death in itself, is nothing incredibly shocking or fearful. But it is the fear of dying in vain that has paralysed many(including myself) from this fate. What is worse than dying young, having discovered your passion, your love, only to die shortly after? Promises, talent, new found love, all disintegrate in  that short moment when a person breathes their last breath. How utterly tragic and woeful for such

To borrow a term from Arundhati Roy, politicians in India are exclusive members of the Rah Rah Club . The Rah Rah Club is a cheeky little way of saying there's a lot of blowing hot air. Indian politics is an interesting yet rather unsophisticated beast, divided amongst rather communal and caste lines. Just the other day, I watched this Indian politician stating as a rebuke to another politicians statement that they will bring India on par of Singapore. To this, this almost predictable politician said his party will make even Singaporeans question how great India has become(of course, under their rule) and they would want to emulate India. What a load of hogwash Rah Rah Yes We Can rubbish! India, the second most populous nation with 1.2 billion people within its borders has a huge wealth distribution problem. With an estimated 30% of 1.2 billion below the international poverty line(that's a paltry USD$1.25 a day). This is where I suspect the Marxists(Left Democratic Front with

This was said by Indian writer Arundhati Roy in an interview with N. Ram, published in the book The Shape of The Beast . It's a remarkable little line that sums up the live of a writer. Not glamorous but a passionate live, filled with words and poetry. It's something the best writers have always known, with the ability of writing vivid, beautiful verses that are moving and emotional. How do words do that? It's a bit like music, but with magnificent arrangement of words... words can achieve an almost melodic structure. It's not just poetry that is song like... but great writers like Arundhati and even the late Carl Sagan have ways with words that most people wouldn't even dream of stringing sentences so touching and so full of life. I'm not a fan of poetry simply because of its rules. Although I do admire those that write amazing poetry given the rules and restriction to them. What I write is what I'd call free form writing, a mix between poetry, just pla

Whenever people talk of unity, I become nervous. Politicians talk about political unity, nationalists talk about national unity, racial groups talk about racial unity. I've often wondered with much bemusement just what the hell they're basing their presumed position that unity is a good thing. Don't they know a thing or two about history? Hitler committed genocide in the name of Aryan German unity, Stalin massacred countless people in the name of unity among his generals and people, Saddam assassinated opponents in the name of political unity. Exactly what unity are people talking about when they claim what is needed is unity amongst the common folk? Besides unity is way overrated(been using this term too often these days). Human life is always wrought with conflict. It is a fact of life like evolution, the earth orbiting our sun, or the physical laws of our universe. Unity with conflict isn't much of a unity is it? Unless unity is forced upon us in an authoritative