Holla, my friends!

This is getting easier. When Leowania, my editor, gave me the idea of starting a blog, I was at a loss on what to write about. Now that I have gotten the intro and talked about my inspiration, it’s getting easier to get the thoughts and memories flowing.

I suppose you can say that I have had a love affair with the English language. It’s so beautiful and powerful, the English language. With the right words set in the right tone, you can do wonders with it. You can evoke passion, tell stories ranging from epics to sagas, express love, tackle girls, provoke a fight, and incite a riot, ad infinitum

It all began for me at an early age when my mother would borrow books from some sort of rent-a-library place near her workplace. It was a lovely assortment of Enid Blyton's, and soon, I had read all the Famous Fives, knew all the secrets of Secret Seven, found out all about The Find-Outers and all about Mr. Meddle, Brer Rabbit and countless other characters.

Then as I grew older, I started reading The Bookworm Gang, truly an awesome series from Singapore. The stories were simple, intriguing and had many settings and lessons that were relevant to young children. After that came the Hardy Boys, written by Franklin W. Dixon. I read almost the entire series, and it took my understanding of English to a whole new level, because really, it was a linguistic leap from The Bookworm Gang. It had grittier plots, with more intense action and drama. Still, it paled in comparison to most of the adult novels today.

Nowadays, I do regret that I don’t read as much as I like to. Medical student life is tough. Yet, I have found time to read a few John Grisham’s, one or two Jeffrey Archer’s. But two other women have dominated my life. Agatha Christie, the Queen of Crime is one. She writes murder mysteries, classic whodunits that have clearly set her apart from her peers in the genre. She has innovated most of the plot devices we all read and know of today in books, television and cinema. Pick up one of her books, and you will be hooked.

I recommend The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Murder on the Orient Express and The ABC Murders. You will be pulled in by the wonderful character of Hercule Poirot, the elegant Belgian detective. You will not regret it.

Secondly, the other favourite female author is none other than JK Rowling. If you have not read Harry Potter, then it is my deep regret to inform you that there is no cure for early onset Alzheimer’s disease. JK Rowling is the absolute genius and master of the narrative. She has created a world so vivid, so realistic and yet so magical that she is truly one of the greats. It is my opinion she should be TIME magazine’s Person of the Year at least once. The way she describes a scene, a room, an incident is masterful that it really immerses you in the story, makes you feel as if you are right next to the characters. I don’t know about other fans, but through her books, I have like a set memory of Harry Potter’s world, almost like a photographic memory of my imagination. I know exactly how Hogwarts is laid out, what the common room is like, etc etc. And not just from the movies.

So that’s how it all began. And now, with the publication of my first ever book, perhaps I may wish silently that a new chapter would begin. Thank you all for being a part of it.

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