Saturday, November 7, 2009

Books! Books!

I read at the age of five when my first batch of reading materials available at home were Utusan Malaysia and I love to look at the pictures. Somehow they didn’t fit in my world so my brother simply feeding me with Doremon, lots and lots of it. I read from the first episode until 100++, I didn’t remember the exact copies that I have. But I have regrets – for letting my friends borrowed them (they never have the manners to return the books to me) and allow my nephews to read it as they always came back with torn pages, markers doodling and sometimes with the greases and the food stains all over the pages.


Then I have Kawan too, a good comic with a lot of educational information. I also grew up with Gila-Gila which is very popular in the 90’s. I loved all the comics in there such as Tiga Dara Pingitan by Cabai, Atuk by Nud’s, Budak U byDe’ Usop 5050, Shah Shawati, Jaki Jipang and all of them! I also learning English through Once Upon a Time, 80’s Something and 2’s Company..



I still remember during my 10th birthday, abang once again gave me a book for present. This time he gave me Atlas Kajian Tempatan which I found very interesting as they answered quite a few of my questions about the geography. I knew my brother was relief too caused I didn’t badger him about the countries nor the continents or the seas, for the time being.


As I grew older, in secondary school, I started to love Malay novel. Abang bought me some – Diari Seorang Guru by S. Hawa, Buih-Buih by Azizi Hj Abdullah and many more. But at one point he did say he felt it just a waste cause I would finish the novel in 3 hours and less. Then I discovered that my neighbor, a tailor who also like to read, so I just borrowed from her.


I didn’t borrow from the school library because it only has 80’s collections, with yellowing paper, molding cover and an inch of dust. I didn’t sure anybody who will be tempted by those. Hermm, historians maybe. I also borrowed many novels from my sister who lived in other town whenever I went to her house. She has amazing collection of Alaf 21’s novels. Here, I read all of them. And I discovered myself transformed..


I grew weary of the plot, a handsome man meet with a beautiful woman, fell in love, have crisis, reconcile and everyone live happily ever after. Yes, I prefer the happy ending, but I want to read about normal people, the ugly, the commoners etc. Though I was lucky to read one. It was in Gila-gila, one of the humorous novel series but I can’t remember the title but I sure it was from Zuraidah Othman. It was a pity, I didn’t follow until the end, because my brother has stop buying the magazine.


Then in university, I had a much better equipped library though they only provided 6 shelves of fictions out of 5 floors of building. And the shelves were near the toilet. I wonder what they think. But I didn’t stop me to go there once in every three days so that I could peruse any new novel that back on the rack. I learned to fall in love with modern English fictions and got enthralled. I loved Paulo Colhoe, Jude Deveruyx, John Grisham and many more. I thought I read more novel than my textbooks and my course books added together (hey, I still got above 3 pointers, mind you!).





In my third year at campus, my college roommate, Aishah, introduced me to a new world. HARRY POTTER.. Harry Potter and The Order of Pheonix just hot from the rack and she bought it. I was wondering why she laughed most of the time while reading it and close the book with satisfied smile. I cannot resisted and after I started reading it, I can’t put it down until I finish. (which were 3 days later cause I did stop just to fulfill the basic human needs and pray - lucky it was during the holiday). Then I realized that I already missed four of the previous book. My library let me down, they didn’t have any of the Harry Potter novel, could you believe it? Hey, it could be a text book you know. I would like to propose to KPM. So I started to save some money and I proudly present that I’ve completed the series.. I think I have memorize all of them as I have read them over and over again.


Right now, with a job, I found another interest. I found Sophie Kinsella and quickly fell in love.. Kinsella’s review ? Next time…

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