So I'm in Singapore.

And I'm going home today. Haha this post is so pointless.

But anyway I have been trying to blog for the past few days and could never finish a post because I would be busy or accidentally fall asleep. So there are about three unborn posts in the draft which I'll not publish because the moment has passed.

In short let's just say that I got homesick, got adjusted, met up with some friends in Singapore, got to know some new friends as well, and all my administrative errands have been done so it should be alright. And my supervisor seems to be a nice and knowledgeable guy as well. Yay!

Oh yeah. My book is out already, so there is a point to this post after all. I don't know where and when it will be distributed, but I have some in hand and if you want a copy you can buy from me =D RM25 per book.

My first book. =)

Well, more when I'm back. Cheers!

Wednesday Morning

Since I woke up this morning I have been reading this remarkably interesting self-help book, What do I do when I want to do Everything? by Barbara Sher. I think I may have found some explanation and help for my perpetual procrastination, perfectionism and indecisiveness! From this point on I am invincible!! I love the positive rush self-help books give me =D

There's one exercise within, called the "What have I done so far?" list. Here's my list, in no chronological order but loosely grouped by subject:

1. Signed up more than 100 people to join Greenpeace New Zealand. I should check out the exact number with Hannah.
   
2. Bungy jumped off Auckland Harbour Bridge (and coerced 7 other people to do it with me).
   
3. Hitchhiked around the South Island of NZ (about 1400kms).
4. Hitchhiked from Butterworth to KL and got home within 5 hours.
   
5. Got an article published in Forward (June 2008 issue) on my hitchhiking experience in NZ - AND THEY PUBLISHED IT UNDER "SHAMSUL YUSOF" - TOOK MY BABY FROM ME - in a mistake. I haven't got the cheque yet. The article is unmistakably mine - it has Val's name in it and my picture and my map. I was extremely incensed about it before, but now have relapsed into some sort of angsty indifference. They promised that they will republish the article - a shorter version of it (HAVE TO QUARTER MY BABY SOMEMORE) - but since Zul has left the magazine I don't know if they'll follow through.
   
6. Got a Bachelor's degree in Information Systems and a Master's degree in Public Policy and about to get a PhD in Communications and New Media.
   
7. Got an email interview by German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (yes Val I checked it's this paper indeed =D) and radio interview by online radio Radio Singapore International and some other media interest, all on my blog research.
8. Wrote a book, to be launched soon.
9. Helped with the constitution of All-Blogs, though things seem to have quieted down.
   
10. Fundraised and helped to organize a Christmas party for some underprivileged children and single mothers of the Indian community. Ended up going to an Indian gathering complete with dance and song performances =D
    
11. Have been (with family or work) to Indonesia (Bandung and Yogyakarta), Thailand (Phuket), China (Yunnan - Kunming, Dali, Lijiang), UK (London - when I was 3. So it doesn't count, except for statistical purposes like now.), Singapore.
    
12. Have backpacked (i.e. planned in shoestring budget, though LL and Asa planned for my debut Oz trip) in Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra), New Zealand (all over, too many to list), Thailand (Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Ayutthaya), Hong Kong, Taiwan (Taipei and Hua-lien), Malaysia (all over as well)
    
13. Have got Japanese Language Proficiency Test certification to Level 3 (two more levels to go), probably can survive in Japan, where I shall go in the future.
14. Speak smatterings of German. Mostly random words and phrases, greetings, insults, counting from one to ten. I should probably not starve in Germany. (Ich bin hungrig.) Or die of some forewarned accident. (Achtung!)
    
15. And while we're at languages well I do English, Malay, Mandarin, Cantonese and Hokkien reasonably well.
    
16. Told a guy that I like him. Which is kinda a big thing for me. Though he's probably not into me. Well, no regrets, I've done all I can and the only thing left is to flinch and then to heal.
    
17. Organized countless gatherings for our group of friends - so dependent they grew that they didn't see each other for the 6 months that I was in NZ.
    
18. Have overcome my fear of culinary disasters and will cook more in the future.
19. Built a website on Joomla! and PHP, but didn't launch it onto the web at the end stages. But it works locally haha.
    
20. Wrote a paper on the website (pt. 19) and presented it at a conference in Yogyakarta.
21. Learnt pottery for almost a year. Though I feel scammed by the art school, I am still kinda proud of some of the end products that came back.
    

Just got a call from Prof! He says the book is being printed now and probably will be out next week. I am jittery about the cover because it looked positively horrendous, the first version of it, I hope they have revised it to be better. The book won't be launched yet but it will be sold before the launching I guess.

Me an author!

*reverent silence*

I think I shall go dry the clothes before my mum kicks my ass.

Filler filler.

Currently working on proofreading the galley copy of the research book, which is right now at the final third stage (two more stages to go! wtf). I've gotta meet Prof W. tomorrow to discuss it, and I still have 70 pages to plow through.

No my book is not boring, reading it brings me great pleasure, do buy it at major bookstores when it is launched =D

Ahem. OK it is extremely a little boring. But buy it anyway for the love of me.

Sleepy lah. I do have two posts from Thailand which I really want to blog about, but resizing the pictures will be the death of me and I have to finish this proofreading thing before I can indulge in any non-academic activity.

Tomorrow will be a busy day as I will probably end up doing the proofreading for the better part of the morning, meet up with Prof to discuss it in the afternoon and go for a date in the evening. Val arrives the day after, and I shall be occupied for the following two weeks.

So. Erm. The two posts, I try my best la har. Hehe =P Or maybe compromise and not put pictures. Or put one picture. Just for you, Chindiana. ;)

I should probably return to the 70 freaking pages.