`JOnathan~~

Saturday, December 13, 2008

It has been about 12 days since I returned from my adventure in Laos.

For those who didn't know, I went there with a group of 28 Victorians and 3 teachers to do community work in a village in Luang Prabang Province. We made cash donations (for the library and a water pump system) and helped with the construction of the school library. We also taught the children English, through creative games and songs. We raised some money in Singapore and used the money to buy books to stock up the library, as well as some educational charts, stationery sets for every kid and necessities (along with some old clothes from a collection drive) for some of the poorer households in the village. Reading the entries in my journal, I could remember the days spent living with the villagers and the moments spent with other OCIPers stranded outside Singapore, not knowing when we can reach home after PAD forced Bangkok Int. Airport to close down. I thank God for answering my prayer in an unexpected manner, extending the 10-day trip to a 15-day trip, which actually brought us closer as a team and allowed us to experience more of the world outside our comfy Singapore homes. I dun have the patience to sit down in front of this illuminating box, typing out all my feelings and whatever I have been through over the 14 days but you can ask me about it. I will be more than willing to share.
Currently I have been reading a novel by Keith Donohue, The Stolen Child and it has kept me thinking about the story...who is the stolen child? Why did Speck leave Aniday? How is the fairy world different from our world?

Well, it has been a long time since I picked up a novel and I am hungry for more:

Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveler's Wife

Andrew Sean Greer, The Confessions of Max Tivoli

Susanna Clarke, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell

Kevin Brockmeier, The Brief History of the Dead

Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Mikhail Bulgakov, The Master and Margarita

Flann O'Brien, At Swim-Two-Birds

Haruki Murakami, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

Gabriel García Márquez One Hundred Years of Solitude

Louise Erdrich, The Antelope Wife

There doesn't seem to be enough time for me to spend when I am in Singapore, or perhaps I have spent too much time handling other agendas (or worrying about them).

Jonathan posted at 6:08 PM

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