Sunday, February 21, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Of books and philosophy
I have a (bad) habit of picking up a new book to read when I have four or five others stacked on my bedside waiting to be finished. But last night I was glad to do just that because I picked Ayn Rand's Anthem (which I got for a steal at the Bargain Corner in One Utama) and finished it in just one sitting. The last time I did that it was with Amir Muhammad's Yasmin Ahmad's Films.
Soon after I started, I found that its theme is similar to George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) and I immediately knew that I would like this story.
In the world Ayn Rand depicts in Anthem, individuals have no identity of their own. They exist only for the sake of the community. There is no "I" (the word literally doesn't exist), but only "the great WE." Anything that might allow individuals to develop their own identity – whether it be a name, a mirror, or the first-person singular – is suppressed. The story's plot follows the main character, Equality 7-2521 (what a name, huh?) , as he slowly discovers his own identity as an individual. Gradually he moves away from thinking himself as a member of the "we" to thinking of himself as an "I" and valuing his own uniqueness. (source: shmoop.com)
In short, it is a work of dystopian literature that depicts an oppressive society you'd never want to live in. But what intrigued me more is the philosophy behind Ayn Rand's writing. Besides being a celebrated author, Ayn Rand is also a philosopher in her own right. Her subject of philosophy called 'Objectivism' holds that the proper moral purpose of one's life is the pursuit of one's own happiness or rational self-interest; that the only social system consistent with this morality is full respect for individual rights. (source: wikipedia)
Often times, I have been snubbed for placing my own priorities on top of everyone else. I've been called selfish and insensitive to the point where I was said to be educated but at the sacrifice of my own heart. It hurt to hear people say that about you. It hurts even more when you feel guilt seeping through your body. I've always thought that it was unfair to feel guilty when I am living and fighting for my own happiness, above all. And then came Ayn Rand.
I first heard of Ayn Rand from a much loved and good friend, who kept telling me to read Atlas Shrugged, another work from Ayn Rand when I told about my complete fascination for Russia (the country, people, politics, cultures, literature, arts etc.). Ayn Rand is a Russian-born American, by the way. I was, of course, intrigued but had to put the thought on hold as I had other books to read.
But then I found a 50th Anniversary Edition of Atlas Shrugged at Kinokuniya and at a bargain price! I got it and it is now in one my 'now reading' list. The thing about Atlas Shrugged is, it is one of those books that would take you a lifetime to finish. Mine is a really thick copy with the fonts printed like you need a magnifier to read them. Another example: Leo Tolstoy's War & Peace. I swore to myself that I would finish that book one day because God only knows how much I love Tolstoy having read several of his (readable) stories but this, this one I give up. The next time you go to a bookstore, check it out and you'll know what I mean.
I'm really lucky with Ayn Rand since I also got Anthem at a steal (RM 7!). I guess she isn't that popular in this part of the world. Having read Anthem has also made me want to finish George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. I guess I could just tell people that there was a time when I was into the dystopian literature. Having said this, this is now my 'to read' list:
This reminds me of the time when I was into books about God, Satan, Hell and Paradise. I even went as far as buying books online so I could get a hold of books that had these characters as the protagonist.These include Dante Alighieri's Inferno and John Milton's Paradise Lost. As you can see, the list for Dante's Divine Comedy is still wanting. I shall need to get Purgatorio and Paradiso soon to complete my collection.
My favourite quote for today shall be, "A house without books is not a home".
Happy Lunar New Year everyone!
Soon after I started, I found that its theme is similar to George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) and I immediately knew that I would like this story.
In the world Ayn Rand depicts in Anthem, individuals have no identity of their own. They exist only for the sake of the community. There is no "I" (the word literally doesn't exist), but only "the great WE." Anything that might allow individuals to develop their own identity – whether it be a name, a mirror, or the first-person singular – is suppressed. The story's plot follows the main character, Equality 7-2521 (what a name, huh?) , as he slowly discovers his own identity as an individual. Gradually he moves away from thinking himself as a member of the "we" to thinking of himself as an "I" and valuing his own uniqueness. (source: shmoop.com)
In short, it is a work of dystopian literature that depicts an oppressive society you'd never want to live in. But what intrigued me more is the philosophy behind Ayn Rand's writing. Besides being a celebrated author, Ayn Rand is also a philosopher in her own right. Her subject of philosophy called 'Objectivism' holds that the proper moral purpose of one's life is the pursuit of one's own happiness or rational self-interest; that the only social system consistent with this morality is full respect for individual rights. (source: wikipedia)
Often times, I have been snubbed for placing my own priorities on top of everyone else. I've been called selfish and insensitive to the point where I was said to be educated but at the sacrifice of my own heart. It hurt to hear people say that about you. It hurts even more when you feel guilt seeping through your body. I've always thought that it was unfair to feel guilty when I am living and fighting for my own happiness, above all. And then came Ayn Rand.
I first heard of Ayn Rand from a much loved and good friend, who kept telling me to read Atlas Shrugged, another work from Ayn Rand when I told about my complete fascination for Russia (the country, people, politics, cultures, literature, arts etc.). Ayn Rand is a Russian-born American, by the way. I was, of course, intrigued but had to put the thought on hold as I had other books to read.
But then I found a 50th Anniversary Edition of Atlas Shrugged at Kinokuniya and at a bargain price! I got it and it is now in one my 'now reading' list. The thing about Atlas Shrugged is, it is one of those books that would take you a lifetime to finish. Mine is a really thick copy with the fonts printed like you need a magnifier to read them. Another example: Leo Tolstoy's War & Peace. I swore to myself that I would finish that book one day because God only knows how much I love Tolstoy having read several of his (readable) stories but this, this one I give up. The next time you go to a bookstore, check it out and you'll know what I mean.
I'm really lucky with Ayn Rand since I also got Anthem at a steal (RM 7!). I guess she isn't that popular in this part of the world. Having read Anthem has also made me want to finish George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. I guess I could just tell people that there was a time when I was into the dystopian literature. Having said this, this is now my 'to read' list:
- George Orwell's 1984 (actually this one is more aptly for the 'to finish reading' list)
- Franz Kafka's The Trial
- Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged (see comment in no.1)
- George Orwell's Animal Farm
- Dorris Lessing's Memoirs of a Survivor
This reminds me of the time when I was into books about God, Satan, Hell and Paradise. I even went as far as buying books online so I could get a hold of books that had these characters as the protagonist.These include Dante Alighieri's Inferno and John Milton's Paradise Lost. As you can see, the list for Dante's Divine Comedy is still wanting. I shall need to get Purgatorio and Paradiso soon to complete my collection.
My favourite quote for today shall be, "A house without books is not a home".
Happy Lunar New Year everyone!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Apple is stupid
I got my IPod touch back from Apple and apparently they say that there's nothing wrong with it after having done a thorough check on it on top of restoring and resetting the device. I'm wondering though how they checked the device - especially when after restoring it for all the music will be gone from it. How do you check if it isn't suddenly playing music on its own when there aren't any music files in the device? I, for one, haven't gotten the chance to confirm that the 'ghost IPod' occurence hasn't happen again as I have yet to upload any music on to the IPod on the account that my office PC can't download the ITunes software. That's another stupid Apple policy - you can only upload stuff onto your IPod via ITunes on your computer. What a load of sh*t, if you ask me. So, tonight I'm going straight back to my mom's place to download all my music via ITunes on my PC and I sure hope to God that the device is repaired. Or else, you know I'm gonna make a big fuss and hassle out of this, Apple Malaysia would wish that I was never their customer in the first place !
A whole lot of Bo(o)sh!
I am looking for a new recipe for my sandwiches. I figured I can't be eating the same chicken sandwich for lunch every single day. I'm sure to get sick of it and wouldn't want that to happen because by then I'd probably swear of chicken sandwiches for the rest of my life! Although I do have a habit of eating the same food everyday if I happen to like it. I remember when I was studying I was crazy about this Yong Tau Foo shop located in Ampang. At that time, I was staying with friends in Kajang but that didn't deter me from having dinner in that shop every night! Can you imagine driving from Kajang to Ampang (that's about a 40-minute drive) and back just to eat the same food. But I did it anyway, coz' I'm crazy. Then after about 2 months or so, I got sick of it I stayed away from that place for about 2 years. I don't want that to happen this time coz' i kinda like eating sandwiches for my lunches on the account that they're easy to prepare and quite cheap. Not to forget, they're quite healthy too. Well, at least healthier than most normal food I consume (i.e; nasi lemak, nasi campur).
On another note, I've been very forgetful lately. I'm wondering is it because of the drastic change in my working environment? It used to be that I'd enter the office and would be seated at my desk for the whole day just trying to clear off my work (which kept piling up more and more). Now with my new job, it is totally different. My work load is bearable, I even have time to surf the net (i.e.; Facebook, Gmail, this blog). Sigh, life is good now.Ngee.
Now what did I want to write about earlier? Oh yes, me being forgetful. (See?). So yesterday evening I went to the gym after work and after changing and running on the treadmill, I decided to call it an early night and just head back home. Just as I was climbing the stairs to head for the changing room, I realised that I didn't have my locker key with me. Gasp!! My first thought was, "My IPod and my handphone and my wallet are all in the bag in the locker!" I sped to the changing room and saw the locker, which I thought was mine, was locked. Immediately, I went down and searched high and low for my key, retracing the steps I took earlier. I was also trying to recall if I did pin it to my track suit (which I usually do) or at least put it in my pocket but I couldn't remember a thing. Then I realised, maybe I didn't take the key out of the locker at all. That is an even worse scenario! But of course, that's just what happened. Apparently, after chucking all my stuff into the locker, I forgot to lock it with the key dangling from the locker. Yes, what the hell was I thinking??! Luckily, I didn't lose anything, phewwww... Sheesh, I gotta get a hold of myself or I'll start losing my valuables. I'm pretty sure that this isn't the first time for this week that I forgot something but like I said earlier, I'm forgetful now, so I really can't remember the other incidences.
Oh it's lunchtime now, gonna eat my chicken sandwich!
On another note, I've been very forgetful lately. I'm wondering is it because of the drastic change in my working environment? It used to be that I'd enter the office and would be seated at my desk for the whole day just trying to clear off my work (which kept piling up more and more). Now with my new job, it is totally different. My work load is bearable, I even have time to surf the net (i.e.; Facebook, Gmail, this blog). Sigh, life is good now.Ngee.
Now what did I want to write about earlier? Oh yes, me being forgetful. (See?). So yesterday evening I went to the gym after work and after changing and running on the treadmill, I decided to call it an early night and just head back home. Just as I was climbing the stairs to head for the changing room, I realised that I didn't have my locker key with me. Gasp!! My first thought was, "My IPod and my handphone and my wallet are all in the bag in the locker!" I sped to the changing room and saw the locker, which I thought was mine, was locked. Immediately, I went down and searched high and low for my key, retracing the steps I took earlier. I was also trying to recall if I did pin it to my track suit (which I usually do) or at least put it in my pocket but I couldn't remember a thing. Then I realised, maybe I didn't take the key out of the locker at all. That is an even worse scenario! But of course, that's just what happened. Apparently, after chucking all my stuff into the locker, I forgot to lock it with the key dangling from the locker. Yes, what the hell was I thinking??! Luckily, I didn't lose anything, phewwww... Sheesh, I gotta get a hold of myself or I'll start losing my valuables. I'm pretty sure that this isn't the first time for this week that I forgot something but like I said earlier, I'm forgetful now, so I really can't remember the other incidences.
Oh it's lunchtime now, gonna eat my chicken sandwich!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Two hours can get you to Melaka
I left for work this morning from my mom's house in Shah Alam and it was still dark. The one thing I hate about my commute to work every morning (especially from my mom's place) is the horrendous traffic! This morning it took me 2 hours to reach my office. That's just ridicilous. Absurd. Utterly crazy! Can I just live in the office?
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