Friday, October 13, 2006

Book Review: The King of Ayodha - Book Six of The Ramayana




THE RAMAYANA BY ASHOK K BANKER
Book 1 - Prince of Ayodhya
Book 2 - Seige of Mithila
Book 3 - Demons of Chitrakut
Book 4 - Armies of Hanuman
Book 5 - Bridge of Rama
Book 6 - King of Ayodhya

I have always been facinated with stories of the Ramayana and Mahabarata. Tales of Devas and Asuras. The eternal fight between the forces of good and the forces of evil making use of the bodies of different types of beings to wage their battles.

Mostly these tales are "trapped" within the pages of religious texts that may often prove dry and hard to get through. Sometimes we see them emerge as wonderfully executed filmwork - The Clash Of The Titans, Journey To The West and so on. Sometimes we see them serialised as comic books sic Amar Chirta Katha.

And sometimes, if we are very lucky, they come to us the way they have in Ashok K Bankers series of novels. I am a big fan of fantasy and let me tell you it takes a master of language to be able not just to weave plots but to be able to conjure up the kind of imagery that fires the imagination and makes the book far more powerful than the cinema screen.

Most of us are familiar with the story of the Ramayana even though we may not realise it. You know Deepavali - it's coming soon - the story of light over evil? Well that's the Ramayana. The tale of the fight to uphold Dharma, a web spun where the players are many but predominated by Rama, exiled prince of Ayodhya, his brother Lakshaman, is princess wife Sita of Mithila, and Ravana (He Who Makes The Universe Scream) the Asura/Demon Lord of Lanka.

King of Ayodha is 6th in a series of books that begins with the return of Rama from the life of a Bramahcharya to the royal household of Ayodhya, moves through to his slaying of Asuras in the invasion of Mithila, his exile and continuous struggle against the demons that plague the forests of Chitrakut, the abduction of Sita, his appeal to the Vanyars for help and the development of his relationship with Hanuman and ends with his saying of Ravana after bringing to being an impossible bridge spanning the Indian sub-continent and the volcanic island of Lanka.

Under Banker's deft hand, the story comes to life so vivid you can almost see the colours, hear the sounds and smell the smells that pervade this mythic tale of epic proportions. The fight scenes so real they could have been the work of the people responsible for directing the action of The Matrix and Hero. The alien scenes so real they could have been the work of people working on Lord of The Rings.

So whether its Conan you are a fan of, or Rand Al Thor, Belgarion, Raistlin, Richard Rahl, or Arthur or any number of larger than life heroes that have made their way into popular literature and film, take some time out to examine the world created by this wonderful writer and be greatly entertained in the process.

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Yahoo's Literati

I have just been introduced to the wonderful world of Yahoo Scrabble AKA Literati.

Once you get used to the on-screen board and how the way to go about manipulating and moving your alphabets and placing them, it really is pretty much like the real game - except for the real life presence of players and sounds etc. There is a chat window of course.

I had two games last night - one one and lost one - and will be playing again tonight.

But if anyone wants a real game, well, my Scrabble set is always at the back seat of the car and ready to head out to the nearest coffee shop at short notice!

Monday, October 09, 2006

La Chaim

La Chaim - To Life!

I haven't posted anything in quite a while so you will forgive me (that wasn't a request by the way), if I ramble, go off topic, or inadvertently murder the English language in my eager-beaver attempt at ... I was going to say put pen to paper but that seems a bit silly since I am using a keyboard and this will appear on a monitor... See what I mean about rambling?

Being unemployed has been interesting. I am not sure I want to freelance over the long term but the projects have been varied and interesting. I've also had more time to... well... actually, I have had more time that I know what to do with. I've taken to helping out friends with all sorts of stuff like their webpages and today I even did a bit of logo designing. Apparently it was needed like right away. And I thought I'd only be involved in the planning and strategy, reccomend a good designer and that would be that. All this time has given me loads and loads of time and space for meditation, reflection, thinking and being there to listen to others and lend them a shoulder when they need one. I don't suppose I've ever felt closer to myself and GOD than I do at this time :)

For all I've been blessed with in this life,
there was an emptiness in me.
I was imprisoned by the power of gold.
With one honest touch, you set me free.

Let the world stop turning,
let the sun stop burning.
Let them tell me love's not worth going through.
If it all falls apart, I will know deep in my heart
the only dream that matters has come true;
in this life, I was loved by you.

For every mountain I have climbed,
every raging river crossed,
you were the treasure that I longed to find.
Without your love I would be lost.

Let the world stop turning,
let the sun stop burning,
let them tell me love's not worth going through.
If it all falls apart, I will know deep in my heart,
the only dream that mattered had come true;
in this life i was loved by you.

In this life, I was loved by you.

Life has been good. There have been ups and there have been downs and sometimes it seems to me that it depends entirely how I look at things that determines whether in fact there have been more ups than downs or whether it is the other way around.

I have come to realise that I actually need very little of anything. I have also come to realise that, should I so choose, I can actually rely totally on myself for everything that I do need. Now, that's something to think about. Enlightening. Empowering. Scary.

There are, of course, things that we can only do so much about. The haze for example - I was going to say blasted haze and this isn't the first time I was going to use that kind of adjective either but I have caught myself now and will be on a lookout for such literary misdemeanours. Yes, the haze. Well, it's back again, isn't it? Almost like clockwork. So out come the surgical face-masks and on goes the ionizer air filter. It rained. Yes, indeed it did. But did it do much good. Well, perhaps it did do some good but not so much that you could tell from looking at it.

Nothing happening on the relationship side but that isn't disappointing or anything. If anything, truth to tell, I am beginning to get a phobia that anything that starts is going to end (as all things must) but far sooner that I expect or want them to. So, having been bitten on more than once occasion, on the ankles, arms, neck and other parts of my bruised and battered self, perhaps it is best to let the sleeping relationship dog lie. And besides, it is getting harder and harder to trust. I am minded of a song...

The games people play now
Every night and every day now
Never meaning what they say
And they don't say what they mean

First you wind away your hours
In your concrete towers
Soon you'll be covered up in flowers
In the back of a black limousine

Though we make one another cry
Break our hearts when we say goodbye
Cross our hearts and we'll hope to die
Said the other was to blame

Neither one will ever give in
Though we gaze on an eight by ten
Thinking 'bout the things that might have been
And it's a dirty rotten shame

People walking up to you
Singing glory halleluia
Then they try to sock it to you
In the name of lord

Then they teach you how to meditate
Read your horoscope and change your fate
And further more to hell with hate
Come on and give me some more

Look around tell me what you see
What's happening to you and me
God grant me the serenity
To remember who I am

Cause you've given up your sanity
All your pride and your vanity
Turn your back on humanity
And you don't give a damn

I have brandishing my Scrabble set around trying to get a game and I have actually managed to get one game. Wasn't the best I have played but it was fun. There have not been any since. Most people I've asked respond with, "Scrabble? What's Scrabble?" and those that don't beg off with excuses of poor vocabulary etc. despite reassurances from yours truly that they will be allowed access to my Oxford, Webster, Collins and Scrabble dictionaries should they deign to game with me. The Scrabble brand people really need to look at making the game popular again!

Decided to gather together my researches and post them on wikipedia. Those of you who know me well, know that I am a closet genealogist and that I have been researching my family tree since 1998. This is helped by the fact that British census data is online and also the fact that some of my ancestors have been people of note. Anyway, here are some of my entries:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chung_Thye_Phin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chung_Keng_Quee
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seow_poh_leng
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seow_Sieu_Jin

Yesterday was a very interesting day for me - I spent the whole day out of the home and almost entirely in shopping malls. Went to Mid Valley in the morning and was there till mid afternoon then went to Tmn Desa to pick up a friend and head over to The Curve. When we were done with that we headed over to Ikano and Ikea then went to Cineleisure and watched The Devil Wears Prada - it REALLY is a very good movie but does not need the big screen - then headed out to SS2 for dinner before I sent him home.

Woke up to aches and pains. My calves. My thighs. My back. I confess I've been vegetating at home far too long and yesterday was more exercise than I've had in months.

And with that I shall end abruptly and go on and do something else when I have figured out what it is. Ta ta! ^_____^

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

I Can

I Can

If my life could make a difference, and my dreams come true
If I could do only things that matter and if I could matter to you
If I could risk my life everyday, bring out all the love that's inside
Then maybe I will have made a difference when I've died

If I could bring out love in those around me, and make that love last
If I could dream a better tomorrow and finally let go of my past
If I could start each day with a purpose, sleep knowing that I tried
Then maybe my life will have made a difference when I've died

If I could make everyone count with me and make no one count too much
If I could hold to all of my promises but not use them as a crutch
If the laughs I've laughed mean as much to me as tears I have cried
Then maybe my life will be making a difference before I've died

What man do I want to be so this may come to pass?
Someone strong and free to walk naked without a mask
Protector to those who are weak a father, a lover, a friend
leader to those who are meek, living life with open hands

I'm making my life make a difference, making all my dreams come true
I'm doing only things that matter and I know I matter to you
I'm risking my life everyday, bringing out all the love that's inside
I'm already making a difference now because I am alive

Jeffery ShinLiang Seow

Copyright ©2006 Jeffery ShinLiang Seow

Sunday, April 02, 2006

Saturday April 1st 2006 - Pot Luck Get Together

Saturday April 1st 2006 - Pot Luck Get Together

I made spaghetti bolognaise. Jacqueline made Chicken Quesadillas. Sherrie made Garlic Bread. And Robin made Tong Yuen (called Kueh Ee in Hockien).

We had dinner.

We talked.

We watched a video (Underworld 2 - Evolution) and watched television (an Al Pacino movie - I forget the title).

I overate.

Sent everyone home.

Like that lor.

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Kissing Purity Test

Your Kissing Purity Score: 46% Pure

You're not one to kiss and tell...

But word is, you kiss pretty well.