Of My Moleskine Notebook

Well not really stir fried newspapers and Vladimir Putin in a plate. Or anything like it.

If you are wondering about what I’ve been doing for the past week, or if you were waiting for a disastrously hilarious and amusing post about all the interesting things I’ve come across this week, then you’d be quite disappointed to know that my week had consisted of two main activities.

Reading the weekend paper. And eating.

Well not really. I did go to the gym on tuesday, watch four dvds, go out with my sister’s boyfriend to buy him a laptop, go out for dim sum, walk around Soho, perform experimental cooking and experimental tempera paint making (it’s a long story), and erh, as I have a crappy hazy memory on holidays, nothing much.

Right at this moment, I am also watching Top Gear (yes, very much a Lad show) but I am also thinking about Simone de Beauvoir’s The Mandarins (very much a feminist that woman). I am thinking about a part in the story where Henri, a journalist who owns a newspaper called L’Espoir, and how he at first wants to keep a neutral front on the paper. Meaning how he didn’t want to have any political preference, which was quite the thing for papers at that time, (as much as it is a preference now) as the book is set in war-time Paris.

Now this came out of random really, as I was reading the papers and wondered why my siblings prefered The Times to The Guardian. I usually buy The Guardian, but it has come to my realisation that my family does buy more of The Times, when they can actually be arsed to buy the paper. I remember asking my brother about this a few weeks ago on which political front The Times represents, and he probably answered something that didn’t really etch into my memory, something something centre, (wouldn’t be different if he said front-back-left-right-centre).

Truth is, I can’t find it out myself, as I’m hardly overseas long enough to observe the paper and the local news here, and also because my father is against me wanting to get a subscription to the New Scientist, let alone The Sunday Times. And well anyway, back to the point, it made me realise the fact that when in most countries, even when there are no impending wars or big political ongoings, papers always take sides, may it be left, right, or neutral, subtly but still something there; yet the papers in Malaysia however, blatantly sound the same.

I remember the time when the whole Mahathir/Anwar case was going on and how The Sun (pre-it’s reincarnation into an advertisement infested circular) were anti-Mahathir and therefore did some things unsatisfactory to said politician. Most of the reporters in The Sun were then fired and well, it went completely down hill until it’s new revamp into the circular it is now. Its rise from its fall was admirable, but I can’t help but feel sorry for the insatisfactory being of a paper it is now, a polarised difference from the adamant, passionate free speech reporting it once had. So yeah, that’s meddling with politics for you.

I like the newspapers here, regardless of publisher. Though I must admit, maybe the Guardian’s new layout has made me more attracted to it, but unlike the notion my brother accuses me of; I’M NOT ATTRACTED TO THE SIZE. Having a tabloid size isn’t really a problem to me but the reporting. Though I must admit, The New Straits Times looks like a tabloid now, with it’s size, it’s new logo, AND it’s reporting. So maybe the layout does play a part on how you look at it. Hell yeah.

Another observation with the “DO-NOT-MESS-WITH-POLITICIANS” rule is one I was reading about these entrepeuners in Russia and how when they start to mess with Vladimir Putin they end up in jail or getting exiled. Which is funny. In a sad way.

Now, you may have realised that the title of my post wasn’t refering to stir fried newspapers and a russian politician all at one time as a dish, but more like a train of thought I have right now. The only missing part is the Fry, which is another thing on my mind right now, Stephen Fry. I was watching his movie Bright Young Things the other day and the thought that came to mind was “this movie is awesome.”. After watching the extra features: “this director is awesome”. Why this guy crossed my mind again is because I was just looking around Borders on Friday and I realised a row of books written by him.

I was tempted, believe me, but for that price I would rather buy something I wouldn’t get at home and a hardcover for the price difference. But I didn’t buy a book in the end. Because I bought a Jeff Noon book at Waterstone’s about half an hour before knowing we were going to Borders. But for one thing I know I can’t get that Jeff Noon book in Malaysia.

Then I went to Borders again on Saturday, as this time George wanted to get himself a book (he got Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World as recomended by yours truly), and we were passing by the Gabriel Marquez section which is beside Stephen Fry section and he noticed this book I didn’t really give much thought to until he pointed it out. Moab is My Washpot is the title. I read a bit of it, and it’s good. But it’s an autobiography and I wanted something more substantial. And light. I’m going home on Economy Class with only 20kgs.

So I got Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. And it’s a nice novel and all. But I am STILL tempted to get Moab is my Washpot. But I’m scared I’ll go over the 20kg limit.

Then I realised why his name is so familiar, as I remember watching him get an honorable degree from my brother’s alma matter when attending my brother’s graduation last July. And the fact that he has a show on tv called QI. And that he’s actually more influential around here than I thought.

The book? I’m tempted.