Why Would I Write

Category: Random

  • Tringkap means window

    So, it’s been a while since my last getaway. When was that? I don’t even remember. If you’ve been following me on Instagram (shameless plug), you would’ve noticed that I’m not in KL anymore. I’m still in the country, just currently located in some place where strawberries grow. Yes, that’s right, I’m in Cameron Highlands.

    What in the world are you doing there, George? Beats me. I wanted to get away from civilization so I could focus on some of my hobbies I haven’t been able to spend time on – namely writing and music. A couple of weeks ago, I decided that I should head to somewhere quiet, away from distractions at home. I remembered that Alvin had a place available in Cameron Highlands, so I asked him for the keys. He gladly obliged (thanks dude), so here I am.

    The drive took slightly over 3 hours today, mostly uneventful – I passed by one accident on the highway but that’s about it. It rained lightly, but I was traveling in daylight so it wasn’t a problem. I didn’t speed at all – going as fast as 110km/h, which was the speed limit for one of the highways. The roads going up were winding and some paths were terribly bumpy. But for my first time driving up here, I think it wasn’t too hard.

    When I arrived in Cameron Highlands, it took me a while to locate the apartment (I think it’s been ten years since I was here last). I had to ask for directions to find the unit. Came in, unpacked my shit, cooked some dinner (had enough of driving for the day), setup the ‘studio’ and started noodling on the guitar.

    I would say I had a semi-productive day – I managed to come up with one song based on some old lyrics I had written. It’s not something I’d call a finished product, but hey – at least I didn’t waste any time coming up here.

    On the drive up, I noticed quite a lot of stores, but most of them were closed. I’m not sure because it was considered late, or they aren’t open on weekdays. Anyway, I shall do some exploring during the day to find out more. Hopefully they aren’t weekend-only places.

    I haven’t got a strict time-table set up for my time here – heck, I don’t even have a rough schedule of what I want to do. Not sure if it’s a good idea to be this organized – I’ll just try this out for now. If necessary, I can make plans for my next retreat. Also, it’ll probably be somewhere closer like Genting.

    The weather is pretty good at this hour, though it was hotter than I liked when I arrived. I brought my hoodies for a reason! Come on, weather, get chilly for me ( ?° ?? ?°)

    Anyway, this was a pointless blog entry, just wanted to write something for the sake of writing. I haven’t gotten back into the writing habit yet. Hopefully this getaway shall revive that part of my life. I brought my drawing tablet too. Maybe I’ll participate in Inktober – I’ve only got 4 days to catch up on.

    You know, I’m kinda surprised that there’s 4G connectivity here, considering how many times my phone showed ‘Emergency Calls Only’ on the drive up. Unfortunately I don’t have a lot of data left until it renews next week, so I’ll have to use it sparingly. In the meantime, I’ll focus on being productive.

    Tilian’s Patient EP is the perfect soundtrack for this place.

  • The Internet

    The internet is a wonderful tool. Because of the internet, I can work from anywhere. From the office, from home or from my favorite cafe. In a car, bus or plane – the internet allows me to get my work done. I just get online and I’ll be able to download the files I need to work with. I can send out emails on the go, all I need to do is get online by connecting to my phone’s hotspot or a public wifi network. It’s wonderful – when you realize that you need to make some changes to a document while on the commute to your next meeting, or while taking a shit in the toilet. The internet makes all this possible.

    No more expensive phone calls when you need to speak to colleagues or clients who aren’t in the same country. If you want videos or photographs to make the message clearer, that works too. Just launch your camera and hit send. The internet makes it all possible. I can work from anywhere.

    The internet is a wonderful tool. Because of the internet, I am expected to work everywhere. Even while I’m on holiday a thousand miles away from the office. If there’s a deadline, it doesn’t matter what time zone I’m in. The recipient will be able to read what I send them immediately because they’ll have access to the internet on their phones too. In a car, bus or plane – the internet requires me to get my work done. I’ll get online and send them the files I’ve been working on, no excuses. If there’s no internet connection where I am or I don’t have access to a local SIM card, there’s a thousand free wifi hotspots I can access to make sure my work gets sent out on time. It’s wonderful – when you realize in the middle of a nice dinner that you’ve forgotten to make some changes to the last revision you sent out. You can easily change it and send it out again. The internet makes all this possible.

    No more expensive phone calls means that colleagues or clients will want to get in touch with you, even when you aren’t in the country. And there’s no reason to miss a call because you’re always connected. You also have videos and photographs to make your message clearer. The internet makes all this possible. I am expected to work everywhere.

  • The Little Prince – an imaginary person or undead space traveler?

    Note: this post contains spoilers for the book The Little Prince.

    So today I finished reading The Little Prince for the very first time. It was an enjoyable read, filled with words of wisdom throughout its pages. Also, like Adventure Time and Spongebob Squarepants – it has something for everyone.

    I loved how the writer managed to invoke the feelings of childlike wonder with his choice of words and writing style. The cute illustrations accompanying the text are also a treat to look at. I will never view a drawing of a hat the same way again. However, the end of the book raised some questions for me.

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