I told myself since I came back from France that I'm going to find some time to really sit down and write about stuff. I guess in a way I wanted to do this and reflect on things just because. Not that I think it's so important, or maybe it was, or is, but I think that at the very least, maybe if I begin to reflect a bit, I'd provide myself with some clarity.

It's getting really hard for me to actually write down my real thoughts here. One obvious reason being that this blog really isn't that private any more. The second reason being that my thoughts to write about something seemingly disappear when I reach home. I have plenty of ideas driving around town. I somehow wish there was a machine that records your thoughts verbatim and transmits them to the blog. Then maybe you'll see more frequent updates and less general topics about my obsessions (food and gym). I find that the only time where I can really sit down and put words together is at work. But I hardly want to spend time at work blogging now since there's tons to do or because I feel bad doing non-work related stuff.

Still, I think it's important that I sit down and write for my own sake. Maybe I'll find some time soon.

The Story of the Pencil

Every year, Global Campaign for Education organizes Global Action Week in order to raise awareness of the right to education for all. The theme chosen for this year is "Youth and Adult Literacy and Lifelong Learning." This year, Global Action Week takes place from April 20-26th.

Global Action Week involves you reading a story from the Big Read, a compilation of short stories about those who are denied the chance to learn, which were written by TV celebrities, education advocates, famous authors and other influential figures from around the world. By reading a story from the Big Read, you can write your name at the end. The names will be collected at the end and then delivered to governments during Global Action Week for them to take action to make sure that everyone has education. You can read your own stories of course.

This is my favorite story from the Big Read, written by Paulo Coelho (author of The Alchemist).

The Story of the Pencil

The little boy was watching his grandfather writing a letter. At a certain point he asked:

"Are you writing a story that happened to us? And is it by any chance a story about me?"

The grandfather stopped writing, smiled and said to his grandson:

"I'm writing about you, that's true. But the pencil I am using is more important than the words I am writing. I hope you are like it when you grow up."

The boy looked at the pencil with curiosity, but did not see anything special about it.

"But it's just like all the other pencils I have ever seen in my life!"

"It all depends on how you look at things. There are five qualities in it that if you can manage to keep in yourself will make you a person always at peace with the world."

The first quality: you can do great things but you must never forget that there is a hand that guides our steps. This hand we call God, and He must always guide it according to His will.

The second quality: from time to time I need to stop what I am writing and use a sharpener. This makes the pencil suffer a little, but in the end it becomes sharper. So, learn how to bear some pains, because they will make you a better person.

The third quality: the pencil always lets you use an eraser to rub out what was wrong. Understand that correcting something that we have done is not necessarily bad, but rather something important to keep us on the path of justice.

The fourth quality: what really matters in the pencil is not the wood or its outer shape but rather the lead that is inside it. So, always take care of what happens inside you.

Last, the pencil's fifth quality: it always leaves a mark. In the same way, know that everything you do in life will leave traces, and try to be aware of each and every action.

A Short Story

I’ve decided to write a short story. The working title is called The Butterfly from within the Promised Place. I’ve kind of got the characters, setting and basic plot all written out already so will try to finish it in a month. Hope I don’t get distracted.

LifestyleBK

Just received a call from Nakul this afternoon saying that the editors in Hong Kong gave a nod to me writing freelance for LifestyleBK, an online magazine. I'll probably be writing articles for the Health and Beauty section, and maybe Culture.

I don't really know how well the online magazine is doing in Hong Kong in terms of popularity and hits but first impression-wise, I thought the articles were pretty informative and the design very urban and chic. There's an online version for Hongkies and a few other Asian cities as well. Now that they're expanding to Bangkok, it should be pretty exciting to watch whether the readership will soar or not.

Anyway, I think it'll be a good source of information for Bangkokians to rely on, apart from the weekly Guru and BK Magazines. Even better, the articles are updated on a daily basis. It also has a Members Only area where readers can interact with one another, exchanging information about various events, reviews, night clubs, restaurants, photos, etc.

Right now the content about Bangkok is still pretty limited since they only started, but once it starts gathering more articles it should be a good site to bookmark in your favorites.

A Nameless Inscription

It wasn’t until recently that when I glance out the window
The eyes that reflected back were dark, indifferent and mellow
Your words were emptiness
Without a tinge of regret you utter, not thinking of the mess
And built to perfection, the frailty of words, I lie
Thinking of nothing but thoughts of desolate dolls that cry

I hit the glass, the shattered reflection
I keep you in mind, those feelings that fall
Is a cut that buries that marked imperfection
Of scribbled words on skin and endless walls

It’s a crowded room swept away by a tidal wave
Of dying lights that flicker among the silhouetted angels
Unchanging, the black warmth casts shadows within my grave
Beckoning, the depths of another place calls, in lulls

Escape From Ghost Island Article

Toey's article is in the Bangkok Post today. I try not to be bias when it comes to his articles and I always try to give my honest opinion about whether I think it's a crappy or a great article, but honestly speaking, I really love his style of writing.

I think that because he's never been to journalism school, his style has not been chipped and worn away by the limitations of writing in news format. His voice is always strong in the story and his words are always descriptive. I always told him that his stories have personality.

Anyway, he knows he's a good writer. Although it's too bad, according to him, that his calling was never to write.

Here's an excerpt of his article:

"Sometimes it's just not meant to be.

If life were a postcard the forecast would always be for clear skies, and every holiday you took would be all about sun, sea and sand. But the truth is that sometimes you're damn lucky to get two out of three.

After a seven-hour drive from Bangkok I stand on the tiny pier, looking out across the water. In the near distance is Ko Pithak, a small fishing community in Chumphon's Lang Suan district and my destination. I pictured myself enjoying the next couple of days, mingling with the fisherman, catching squid and easing myself gently into the tempo of island life. But on the horizon the skies are ominously dark. A thunderstorm is approaching with heavy winds and crashing waves to wash all those aforementioned images, along with a few tents and roofs, straight into the sea."