Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Coincidence

Coincidence is, when one day your friend asked you: so, what are  you doing in Malaysia these days? and you replied: growing mushrooms. The very next day, there it is, an advertisement in the newspapers about a workshop on, literally, growing mushrooms.

I would have joined if I will be in Kuching during the time of the workshop. Pity.

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Coincidence is, when you went for a pharmacy interview with the Malaysian government, the only pharmacy related question they ask you was the only one you can answer with your eyes closed, because you were asked the same question in two consecutive pharmacy placements. Heck, I even put it as my favourite drug in my Yearbook. The question? What's the antidote for paracetamol overdose?

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I was at The Spring last week, looking on amusedly as my sis chooses some executive wears. For those of you in the dark, The Spring is the biggest and most 'uptown' shopping complex in Sarawak. I found the different types of people milling around there interesting, and hatched an idea for the setting of a story.

The very next day, I picked up a book on Chinese poems on a whim. I settled on a poem by the famous 李白 (white lee?) entitled 《渡荆门送别》(saying goodbye in some China place). I was intrigued by the words 海楼, which is the shortened version of 海市蜃楼. In English? Mirage. Nice word I thought. Eureka! Suddenly I linked two ideas together and wrote a story. What a coincidence!

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What am I babbling about coincidence you might ask? Fair question. Well, the answer is within the ramblings itself. I was trying to tell you that:

1. I'm now at home everyday, growing mushroom (meaning doing nothing). Actually not that true. I am writing short stories. I had finished three.

2. I was called up for an interview at last! It will be just be another 2 months before I start working as a Pharmacist Trainee. Shortage of pharmacist we have? What shortage?

3. I had just finished a short-story called Mirage, where the story revolved around unsuspecting characters in The Spring. I will post them up after I am finished with Leaving. Oh about Leaving, the next post will be the final chapter. It should be up tomorrow. I'm still making minor adjustments. Actually I am quite sad about finishing off the story. So let me have my way.

4. Oh yeah, I am relearning Chinese. Here's a short para I wrote:

最近读了李白的诗《渡荆门送别》, 诗中有一句:云生结海楼。后来才发现海楼是指海市蜃楼,英语翻译为mirage. 多有深藏意义的一个字!以纪念我发现这个中文词/英文字,我把mirage 成了我最新短文的主题,希望大家会喜欢。

That's all the updates about me for now!

2 comments:

Unknown said...
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Unknown said...

it is the year 开元十三年 (AC726), Tang dynasty was at its peak of cultural and economic success, li bai was 25, and this is the first time he leaves his family at Si Chuan and set of to tour the entire country - something he continued on for the large remainder of his life. he was intelligent, energetic, and setting off to fulfil his young ambitions. His political dream of creating social equity was however, a failure. Throughout his life, he saw the slow degradation and disintegration of the dynasty.

将进酒
君不见黄河之水天上来,奔流到海不复回。
君不见高堂明镜悲白发,朝如青丝暮成雪。
人生得意须尽欢,莫使金樽空对月。
天生我材必有用,千金散尽还复来。
烹羊宰牛且为乐,会须一饮三百杯。
岑夫子、丹丘生:将进酒,杯莫停。
与君歌一曲,请君为我侧耳听。
钟鼓馔玉不足贵,但愿长醉不愿醒。
古来圣贤皆寂寞,唯有饮者留其名。
陈王昔时宴平乐,斗酒十千恣欢谑。
主人何为言少钱,径须沽取对君酌。
五花马,千金裘,呼儿将出换美酒,
与尔同销万古愁。