The Nanny

She has 6 children of her own but still she babysits her nephews and niece.  When her third brother’s wife left him, she took in his three young children and cared for them till they are grown.

Honk! Honk! Winner Announcement

Thank you very much to all contest participants.  I’ve enjoyed reading the mini-reviews and comments.  Each time I read one, I tell myself, “this entry deserves to win.”  Unfortunately, I can’t award a prize to everyone, so I have to select the one that I like the most.  To the bloggers who have put links on their blog, thank you for helping me spread the word.

The winners are :

Yawn… stories

Conversation with no. 3 this week.

Son : Mummy, tell me a story.  I cannot sleep.

Me : Why you need a bedtime story to sleep meh?

Son : Yes.

Me : Is mummy’s story so boring it puts you to sleep?

Son : Mmmm… yes.

Pop! goes the ego. But then again, he always requests for The Three Pigs and Goldilocks.  Thankfully I’ve still got No. 4 who thinks mummy’s stories are so nice.

——————

A reminder : I’ll be at Borders at The Curve this Sunday 28 January from 3.00 to 4.00 p.m.  If you’re there, please drop by and say hello.  Better still buy a copy of Honk! and get me to sign it, haha.

A quick one

Just a reminder : Honk! contest is closing tomorrow.  If you haven’t written your mini-review or linked to my blog, please do so quickly.

Can’t write more. At my sister’s office as my telephone line has been down since Monday afternoon.  Telekom is taking its own sweet time to repair the line. 

We’ve been taught to smile when we speak on the phone as the smile will show in our voice.  Well, when we frown, the displeasure will show in the voice too.  I’ve been giving the Telekom operators a hard time, but please, please, 3 days is waaaaayyy too long to rectify a fault.  I’ve been calling and calling to complain and each time the answer is the same, “our technicians are still checking.” 

That’s why I haven’t been responding to my emails, if some of you are wondering why I haven’t been answering your mail.  Patience, ok?  Now breathe in, and out ….

Another TV interview

This time it’s at NTV7′s The Breakfast Show. It’s this Thursday, 25 January 2007. If you’re near a TV between 9.10 to 9.40 am, please tune in to catch me on air.

Meanwhile, to share with you something not related to Honk! During dinner yesterday, no. 4 asked, “Mummy, did you cook banana leaf?” Guess what’s the vegetable I cooked with taukwa? Answer in the comment box later.

Weekend events

Saturday, 20 January 2007

11-1pm
Booker Room, MPH One-Utama
KL Writer’s Circle

Topic: Blogging for writers
Meet several experienced writers-cum-bloggers while they share how blogging benefits the by developing their writing skills further; serves as a platform for exchanging ideas about writing and publishing and for the general public to view their work. This session is moderated by David Byke, author of the book It’s A Long Way To The Floor.

Sharon Bakar, Ted Mahsun, Nizam Zakaria and I will be in the forum.

Don’t forget to catch me on Nona, TV3 this Sunday, 21 January between 2.00 to 3.00 pm (most likely 2.30 pm).

Welcome to TraXX Fm listeners

To TraXX Fm listeners who come here after Jezza’s interview with me today, welcome. If you’d like to win an autographed copy of Honk! If You’re Malaysian and other book prizes, please click on the entry titled Honk! Honk! Contest. Instructions are there.

There are three more copies of Honk! to be won at TraXX Fm 100.1 (in the Klang Valley). Tune in tomorrow till Friday from 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. for a chance to win.

I’ve updated my media gallery with pix of today’s radio interview.

No. 1

Okay, I cannot tahan already. I was going to wait for Victor to email me the pix he took with his camera phone but he hasn’t done so yet. So I’ll just go ahead and shout out to the world :

Honk! If You’re Malaysian is the No. 1 best-seller among local books at MPH MidValley!

Guide to Rude Gestures

I was chuckling at this article about rude French signs. If you happen to be in Paris and want to express your displeasure at the French, do any of this :

1. The Gallic shrug – You stick out your lower lip, raise your eyebrows and shoulders simultaneously and emit a nonchalant “Bof”.

Self-absorbed writer-bloggers

Lately I’ve been posting a lot about my new book Honk! If You’re Malaysian. On the one hand, I feel bad that I’m inundating this blog with self-promotion but on the other hand, I’m trying to do all I can to help sell the book. An author’s work doesn’t end with the publication of the book. If she wants her baby to do well in the market, she must do her fair share of PR work. Yvonne Lee can tell you that.  (Speaking of PR,  I’ve put in an APPEARANCES page under the blog header so I don’t have to keep posting up events here.)

Glenda Larke, a fantasy writer, blogged about her daughter who doesn’t like to read writer blogs/websites.

Review of Snapshots

 

Reading is not a priority to many. It is an activity that can be postponed till the twelfth of never in busy lives. If you are keen to start the year on the right page, why don’t you try a collection of short stories which you can dip into at spare moments without losing the narrative flow.

 

I read Snapshots in a week, in between snatches of idle time spent waiting for the kids to knock off from school. The short stories which range from 5 to 16 pages each are easy to read and understand. The book is rich with local flavour and gives a familiar feeling, as if we’re reading of friends or neighbours.

Of photos and such

Encounter at MPH

I was at MPH One-Utama checking out my books when I noticed a young Malay couple at the Malaysian Interest shelf.  I hoped they’d pick up my book but I didn’t want to appear rude by staring at them, so I walked over to another shelf.  No. 1 walked over to tell me, “Mum, they’re checking out your book.”

I casually sauntered back and saw the man holding Life’s Like That. I put on my thickest hide and said, “Hi, I’m the writer of these two books,” pointing to the book and Honk! If You’re Malaysian. “If you buy the book now I can autograph it for you.”