Sophie Kinsella

Sophie Kinsella. Well you probably heard about her. Of course! You heard of Confessions of a Shopaholic right? The movie that was released recently this year?

Well, I love her books! Some may think is shallow but I do not agree with it. Cause she really sees the world as colourful. And just reading her books make my world colourful too!

I have to admit that I hate reading. Since young. Probably because of the Peter and Jane books we were made to read last time. I always had difficulties reading the books with more words. Moreover, it wasn't interesting at all. Like..Jane is reading a book. And stuff like that. I guess that was how I refrained from reading since then. And of course, my English took a plunge in Upper Primary, Secondary school and General Paper in JC. Each level seemed much more difficult to score, get a average result and eventually pass.

Wondering if I did pass my examinations? Yes I did. But when you are in school, you know that you have to study for maths, chinese, science and all..but when it comes to English, all my friends were like "no need to study!" And I didn't. I didn't know how to study English anyway. My Secondary school teacher just come in to class and talk non-stop about her life..which became my resting period, to relax, in order to focus for the later lessons. Unless, once in a blue moon, we were given Comprehension or Composition to do.

Come JC. Wah seh! I can seriously faint. I didn't know what to write. No more stories. At least in Sec School, I can let my imagination run wild and try my best to describe the story in my head. JC was all about points. Every paper was like a FAIL! Once in a while, I will pass. Well, they keep telling us to read. Read the news, read this and that. But I know for certain that it ain't gonna be fun reading...

UNTIL...my JC classmates were passing around a book, called.."Shopaholic Ties the Knot". I didn't know that there was a series of Shopaholic then. Hearing their comments, I decided to borrow the book from my classmate and get over the warning that was telling me not to read. Soon, I was half way through the book and I finished it! Probably my 1st book read from the beginning to the end..in AGES!

And I guess that was how I managed to pass my GP. From the library, I forced myself to read a book on Globalisation. The topic that I would definitely choose when I sit for my A'level GP examination. To be truthful, it was of extreme boredom to me. But I had no choice. I only had about a few weeks to complete the book on Globalisation on Business, which I eventually found out that it was not Globalisation in general. Wrote down notes, as if studying another subject. Head dizzy and all, writing points and examples which made no sense but would probably make sense to the examiner. And finally I finished. Went back..after days of re-reading, trying to make sense of what I write, and highlighting, memorising the points..and soon, the day before the GP paper came.

Truthfully, it was nerve wreaking. I was squeezing as much info as I can into my head, for the whole day and my back ache, unable to move that night. The thing going through my mind was..what if the topic on Globalisation did not come out? Then what am I gonna write?

And when the paper was given out, I remember, scrolling as fast as I can to find the topic I need. 13 questions I remember, and when I reach midway I was like..OH NO....keep calm. And there it was..The Question on Globalisation, at the bottom. THANK GOD! And started writing before I forget all my points and examples.

After my exams..I totally forget what I wrote, all examples and points deleted from my brain. Ready to squeeze in new information for my other subjects.

I was really taking a risk I must say. It was so much pressure. Probably due to poor choice made when I was JC1, taking up HISTORY! I think I'm crazy..HISTORY! Is not like I love History. I would very much take Geo instead of History. It was like double maths and chemistry and made a drastic change to art, history, econs and maths. I must be out of my mind then. Yup. And I struggled.

History examination was not as bad as GP but still bad. I had to study at least 4 topics to answer 4 questions. But I only studied 3 topics. I really couldn't make sense of the other topics and my mind just refuse to take in any more information. Thus, I went to my exam, with only 3 topics. I remember I kept messaging Isaac to pray for me. And he gave me verses for encouragement, so did JiaLin. And I managed to answer 4 questions. Because there was this last question that involved a mixture of 2 topics and so happenly was the 2 topics that I had studied.

Come to think of it, what if those questions were not in the exam. What could have happen? I never go back to think about it. It was too scary to even think about it. But now, years from then, thinking about it still makes me scared. I still do have nightmares about such exams stuff once in a blue blue blue moon. And had to convince myself that hey! I'm a graduate already LAH!

It must have been God's grace right? The grade BBC is a blessing. Yup. Can't imagine if I had to take A'levels again. When I got my results back, I was so nervous. I told myself that I cannot take the pressure of another A'level. I'd rather go poly instead. And thus, whatever course I can get in Uni, I went. Surprisingly..Theatre Studies Major. Fun. Enjoyable. If I did well and went to business, I don't think I would have enjoyed much more than I did in Theatre Studies. Anyway, I do secretly like acting. Still do.

In University, I've gotten over the fact that I just can't do as well as the others with a flick of a page nor pen. Reading readings was like torture. Even if I did read, I can't remember. Or even if I did, I can't explain well. Didn't like writing papers as well. The years of not reading when I was young did have much impact on my life. I can't read as fast as the rest. Can't retain what I have read in my head while the others can. Like BORN WITH IT!

Well, I know it is not true. The thing in common about them was that they read. They read books. And I simply don't.

Of course, I'm still changing my attitude of reading. After reading the books written by Sophie Kinsella, I think I may have just develop a passion for reading. And I think I do! I think I'm the reading kind of person. Do you know that there is the ballarina that spins round and round and ask on TV if she is turning clockwise or anti-clock..I can only see her turning anti-clock, no matter how hard I try to see her turn clock-wise. And they say that if you see her turning anti-clock, you like to read the news which is absurd for me because I only do read the fashion and gossip part which means I'm suppose to see her turning clock-wise! But I don't. I can't! Well, maybe my secret identity is that I'm a person who reads the news, just that I do not know it yet. Muahaha..Ok.

I'm writing rubbish am I? Well, I'm just writing as I go along. No organization. No planning. Which makes this blog post interesting. Cause both of us have no idea what I'm gonna write next. What I learnt in Theatre Studies is that stories are attention grabbing when people do not know what is gonna happen next and it makes it a fabulous story!

Back to Sophie Kinsella, I just read The Undomestic Goddess! Seriously, do listen to me. I do not think it is a shallow book. She got me reading. She made me see things that I wouldn't normally see in life.

And recently, I have been thinking about money money money. I guess that's what people think when they get to work. Like a system, we go through this process. At this age, this is what we are suppose to do and all. I know. It is not like I'm earning much. But I've been bothered about my job. I keep asking myself, if I had made a right decision. To be working like now, instead of getting a proper office job. And it hit me when the character Samantha said something about What do you mean..that working as a lawyer is a proper job and a house keeper is not? And Guy kept asking her to get back to reality and leave her fantasy world which will not last. Get back to reality. It hit me. Real hard. As a reader, I know full well that if I'm Samantha, I would rather be a house keeper. I would rather stay in my fantasy world then go back to the reality which demands no breaks. Surely I will not earn as much as I would but at least I have my own time, to spend it with someone I love. To take time and take a look around and appreciate my surroundings. And not to rush. I would have the time to do other things and not pay others to do the work for me. I would like to do different things and get the experience and find the different pleasures in them.

And I knew it. I wouldn't want to get the office job. And in time to come, I wouldn't wanna work for someone. I want to set up something that I can call my own. Just like Brandon did and set up his own Brandon Communications. (Shopaholic) That is the satisfaction I would love to have. Something small, yet admired. No expansion. It would be colourful. At the same time, a sense of being relax. (The kind of feeling I get when I go to Pasir Ris Park's little Offroad.)

I'm working on it. While working part-time. =) I mean, my whole life was already about being allocated a studying time and play time. And this time, I would like to allocate the things I'm gonna do myself.

A side note: I miss my friends at SWU. Wonder how they are doing now. I still feel bad for leaving SWU. Friendships that I could have continued building up. It really is funny. The thing about loyalty. I can only see myself being loyal to SWU than to SS. Opps. But! Loyal because there are friends there. At SS..I'm still trying to fit in.
The thing about companies is that they promise customers so many things but they do not have the system nor the manpower to ensure that things are being followed up. It gets a little irritating..LUCKY, my mum's company is not like that. So much difference! Mum's company has the system to back up. Others: dysfunctional system or system unable to support promise. Well, it happens because they keep thinking about doing so many things without realising that they do not have the man-power. Even worse. They do not have the man-power commitment. A new worker will only know so much.

Ok. Enough said. =) What a long post.