Marsha Maung: I write. I love. I live

Bad Endings I recently wrote a short story as testing. I emailed it to a couple of people and my cousin was one of the first few to respond. He said the storyline was fine but the ending was potong steam. I am assuming that because there was so much conflict throughout but the ending was....erm, totally not in tandem with the rest of the story. If I had killed off a character, it would have been better, right? Hero Killed I am writing a screenplay for a client, he/she dictates the storyline while I pan it out for him/her. Around the middle, he/she wrote 'XXX kills off YYYY' and I went NNNNOOOOOOOO!!!!!! I can't write that . Just writing the screenplay for him/her gives me heart palpitations as it is because it is sort of like a sci-fi thing and if you know me well enough, you'll know that I'm the sort of person who hides under the blanket when the tension builds up. What makes it worse is that he/she gives it to me in bits and pieces. That means he/she keeps ...

OK, I'll admit this. I am desperate to get published! No-lah, not me being published but all those stories that I have in my head, all those half-written stuff that I abandoned. Some of them are good, some suck to high heaven. I want to get them one by one, published. I recently published a short-short story via amazon's self-publishing engine and I gotta say that although it's bloody expensive to order a proof of the book, the quality is pretty good. And it's just too neat to see your name in print....only thing is that I signed it off as 'marshamaung' (as in my username) instead of my name, albeit Marsha Maung. If you're looking to publish something for your own enjoyment or stroke your own ego, you can go this way. So, here I am, addicted . I have this one book that I managed to drag to about 77,000 words now, right? So, I am thinking that this should be something that I finish because 77,000 words is not easy to come by, you know!! So, I start sendi...

Don't play a fool with our mother. She tells us so many times to do something about it and yet, we've fooled around with her and never obey her. We go about doing our own things, chase our own pursuits and dreams. Whenever she cries, she ask 'are you OK?' and then we move on while she bravely and painfully endures the beatings we deliver her. But Mother is really mad now. She's reached her threshold for pain and is hitting back now. Maybe she's thinking that she would do what she did to Noah....just kill everything and everyone off at one go, like the dinosaurs and stuff....and then build another type of species here. Who knows? Are we too late to say sorry, Mother? Please forgive us. We promise to stand up together and stop fighting each other long enough to heal you. If only you would give us one last chance. Mother, stop crying. I know it hurts. We're sorry. Really sorry. Please don't be mad anymore....

Come on lah....beautifying parks is the least of the Government's concern if they really want to help ' save the environs' . How about starting with recycling, hah? It's easy mah. Instead of spending millions giving contractors and what-nots to 'beautify' parks, why not start with giving the people a lot more outlets for recycling. I've collected cans, newspapers, magazines, bottles and empty plastic bottles, clothes, books, beer cans for ages and all of them collected in my wet kitchen for ages while I hunted for a recycling center...no, wait...more like, a recycling bin would be enough lor! I buy cloth bags from Jusco and plastic ones from IKEA so that I can use it for shopping and I actually use it quite religiously (only when I forget to bring them out, I don't) all the time. But where do I put the used stuff? Start with the basics lah, para-para Datuks-Datuks, Menteris sekalian. You say people not committed, people don't know how and wher...

Went to watch Kungfu Panda with the kids yesterday in 1 Utama and in one word, I would describe the show as.... FRIGGIN' BRILLIANT ! Oh. That's two words. Ah well. I don't remember the last time I laughed out loud so many times at a kiddy movie, frankly but the fact that many other adults were laughing along with their kids in the theatre made me feel less awkward. To me, whatever the surgical-magical-technical technology they used to make the movie seem totally irrelevant because for once, the digital technology, to me, paled in comparison to the script. The script was brilliant. Totally genius as it manages to cover humor, culture, moral and everything else in between. The last time I laughed at a kid movie was Chicken Little singing 'we are the champions' off tune. And I think it was more like chuckle. But this time, I completely gave myself up to laughter when the Panda was training with his Sifu and fighting over the last 'pow' (dumpling). And ...

OK OK, the day before, I was so gung-ho asking everyone to go out and party, right? To go have fun and smile lots, right? Then why is that I am working today????? See ah....I tell you..... For some strange reason, there's lots of work to do, can't begin to sort out which to do first but for another strange reason, my bank account is shrinking wan? Something is desperately wrong here, don't you think. Oh, maybe it's got to do with the fact things like these. Amethyst Prenite About the end of last year, a good friend introduced me to the various use of crystals. I am skeptical and sometimes still am but I have fallen in love the sheer beauty of them. Funny since I am not big on jewelry or gold. In fact, I don't like gold very much. Instead, I'm into batu-batan pulak. Anyway, I know I've MIA ed on some of you (work matters) but let me assure you that I am trying my best to catch up with work. Dunno what the hell went wrong with my scheduling lah, don...

We don't stop playing because we're old. We grow old because we stop playing. It's FRIDAY, it's time to play kow-kow (all out), people!!!! Let me hear the cheer! Tomorrow badminton, Yoga for the kids and I finally get some time to add to the final chapter of my book. I tell you something, if people think climbing Mount Everest is hard, they've not tried to get a book published before! The mountains and mountains of obstacles appears almost insurmountable. But here's a another quote that will put that into perspective. The moment we stop dreaming, we die. We have a lot of dead people walking in and out of our lives everyday. - Chicken Soup for the Soul Yes, I am big on dreams and this, I assure you, is what I will instill in my kids. My legacy....so to speak lah. I don't have lots of property or big chunks of cash in bank accounts and all that....so, I leave my kids with lessons on how to live life properly. Dreams make the soul. Without the soul, the...

Call it midlife crisis, call it depression but I know of a forty-something man who hit it, wallowed in it and considered suicide as a means to an end many times over. Each time the thought entered his head, he entertained the idea, mulled over each detail carefully, planned out each stage carefully and practiced it. And each time the time came for him to carry out his plan, his plans were disrupted. Most of the time, an unplanned event intervened. Sometimes it was a friend. One time, it was a car accident that shook him out of his disheartening plan. When I spoke to Kevin, this friend my mine, about life, his version of things was nothing less than gloomy. Sometimes he would speak to me about his ideas and plans. Whenever I started to get enthusiastic or excited about his plans, he would say, “Nah…it’s too early to be dreaming. I’m not eighteen anymore. You don’t start something at forty-something. Most of the people my age are already enjoying whatever they have started in their twe...

Been up to my neck and hair-tips with work and running low on battery. By the time the click chimes 7.30pm, I'm dead beat. But in a lot of ways, I've learned how to manage the time issue I have with a lot of pre-planning so that there are no surprises. Motherhood is as such. The surprising thing is that some people actually think that being a stay-at-home mom is an easy job. But it's actually not. Lemme just assure you, no, GUARANTEE you that being a WORK-at-home-mom is even worse. That is why I always try to find support and understanding from others. Oh, there are many online resources for that. I use the telephone a lot these days too (ack, the phone bills!) but sometimes, it's important for me to remain, you know....a little bit anonymous. Try this new website out and see how it can help you. It's called TheMotherhood . Oh, and yes. Joshua told me that he told his English teacher that his mother is a writer. This relates to the time I received the proof of my...

Being a mother and a business owner at the same time often means that time is of essence to me. Every single second counts - I don't have a lot of time to prepare the kids' meals but even that, I don't think it's healthy (or cost-effective) to kow-tow to McDonald's delivery or Dominos too much. This means that I have to get creative in the kitchen. I am not Martha Stewart and let me qualify myself by saying that most of the stuff I cook are done using the agak-agak (guessing) method. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. See how my luck goes lah. But I think the way I cook the quick meals during the weekdays would benefit people like my sister who recently took up an interest in cooking meals during the weekends. So, here I am. I decided to post some of my cheat sheets. You can probably find or come up with your own cheat sheets because, like I said, I am master at the keyboard (piano or PC also can) but not in the kitchen. But this is called share-shar...

Woo-Hoo, Wa-Haaa!!! This is the way, man! I would love to be at the office before nine and leave at 10pm if this is the kind of 'water' they provide! :-) Grape can eliminate horniness wan meh? Why not use Chilli? I am sure there's more 'heat' in chillies than in grapes. Oh. Maybe they were talking about flavor or aroma. Smell like grape, feel like prune...maybe that's the concept.

I have a new nephew, all of one month old! We celebrated his full moon on Saturday where all the relatives from the in-laws’ side attended. I’ve forgotten how it felt like to hold a tiny baby, how amusingly yet touchingly small their feet, hands, fingers and toes are. The smell of baby fine hair aroused long-forgotten feelings of joy of being a new mother. I look at my two almost-grown kids and can’t help but feel the feeling of joy being evoked. I keep telling my single or married but childless friends that they won’t know the feeling of being a parent and why we are willing to sacrifice so much for them until they have their own. The overwhelming wave of emotions is indescribable. There are no words on earth that could put those feelings into words. I am convinced about that. Even as a writer, I can’t adequately put the emotions down on paper….well, not in words that would do the emotions justice. The kids were majorly overjoyed with the new addition and I have a feeling this new a...

What and when? We use the word ‘the real McCoy’ to describe something original or genuine. Like you hold a genuine Prada bag and show it off to your friends. Your friends say ‘Eh, that one chiplak one, izzit?’ (Is that a fake?) and you reply them with a “Marder, this is the real McCoy, ok?” Why? The reason why we use the term ‘the real McCoy’ is because of a story. Yes, a story that no one can confirm. You see, long long long long long long long llloooonnnngggg time ago, there was a very famous boxer. A prize-winning boxer. His name was McCoy. He was at a bar one night enjoying his drink when there’s this drunkard who didn’t like his face (for some reason) and kept annoying him. McCoy was patient and continued on with his drinking. The drunkard was even more annoyed that he was being ignored. He became a total jerk and wanted to fight McCoy. But the people around him told him, “He’s McCoy! You don’t want to fight with him, dude” but the drunkard was beyond reasoning. Fed-up, McCoy...

Today is Friday the Thirteenth. Can you hear the leaves shuffling against each other as the subtle wind blows? Can you hear the whisper on the back of your neck? Can you feel the silvery touch flutter and crawl against your skin? Eh, hellow!!!! You don’t have to wait until Friday the 13th for things to happen. Bad things happen all the time ! For instance, for the past eight months or so, I’ve made close contact and revealed my soul to the kind of people I disliked the most. Hate, even. Not that I hate them but I disliked their personalities…what kind? The arrogant, self-absorbed, boastful type who are so full of themselves they can’t see what’s ahead of them or don’t care. They think the world revolves around them and would constantly remind you of that. I believe in humility . This is how I like it. But honestly, bad things often happen for a reason . That’s what I believe in, I don’t know about you. Whether it’s Friday the thirteenth or Tuesday the tenth, when things happen, the...

I thought I type quite blardie fast but apparently, not as fast as 128,221 others. 75 words Speed test Try the test and see whether you type fast enough or not.

Two weeks of hell...two weeks of heaven. Can't decide which is which. But no matter....it's all come to an end. Two weeks of hell because the kids have been around me all day long for fourteen days twenty-four seven. Between laughing and giggling, there was a lot of squabbling going on as well. I feel guilty for feeling good that they're back in school and I have that couple of hours to work COMPLETELY in peace! Two weeks of hell because it's back to the same-ole same-ole again. Waking up bug-eyed at six in the morning again and getting tired the moment the clock strikes 1.30pm. It's odd but it's always the same time. And then I perk up around 3pm, then head downhill again around 7-ish. Two weeks of heaven because who'd complain of having to wake up at 10.30am? Who'd complain about not having to drive out into the horrendous traffic jam every morning? Who'd complain about having to be Ah-Mat (driver) to the kids...in out, in out, in out. The house...

Recently embarked on a couple of money-making partnerships and it's suddenly dawned on me that it's more tiring and draining to be making decisions than to follow instructions. All our lives, all MY life, I've followed the instructions of others. "I want it like this". "Yes, sir!" "I want it like that". "No problem, sir!" And suddenly, I find myself doubtful and uncertain when asked, "So how?" Like...duh? And then the what-ifs and what-nots starts popping up and you realize that if something is to be effed up, your ass is on the line. It's not fun but it's darn exciting. But if there's damage, a decision-maker has to be firm and have to have all facts and figures to back her/him up. This is a learning curve for me as well so, at this moment, don't ask me to make any more decisions. I am up to my head trying to decide between A and B and Z and H. With all that said, I promise not to learn from this sin...

Dear La-Lah Suk, Actually, I am a very normal person only. I don’t spend a lot, I got no title after my name. I live a very ordinary life. But I think ah, even if I am not important person like you, I also have to say that I very tulan these days lor. I mean, I think you play the game not very fair lah, you know. I never say anything wan, when not required. People talk politics, I talk about logos. People talk about Parliament debate, I talk about Internet Marketing. I mind my own biz lah, right? You want to sleep, sleep. You want to spweak on International interview like dunno how to spweak England ( Malaysian's way of saying English), never mind. But this time ah, I think SUD-DEN-LY say ‘ Wokay, you have six hours to save on petrol. Ready? Get Set, go lidat, not very fair lor ’. Eh, you live in luxury house swollen with cash, not my biz lah. I never ask you to share-share your money with me mah. I make my own money mah. But when you suddenly tell us that we have to pay more ...

Even if you tell me that Justin Timberlake has come to 1 Utama, I don't think it would cause the kind of chaos we saw yesterday. I don't know about elsewhere in the country but the Klang Valley and Kuala Lumpur was thrown into chaos yesterday, particularly as we creep into evenings. To top it off, we've been suffering of rabid thunderstorms the past couple of days causing flashfloods and messing up traffic lights. As I am writing this, the rolling thunder outside is reminding me that there might be more jam outside today if there are flashfloods or messed up traffic lights or accidents. Yesterday, our dear beloved much-adored Prime Minister released the news that there will be DRA.MA.TIC increase in the price of fuel. Wahlau-eh, the effect damn geng-chow (out of this world) as SMS messages started circulating, emails sent, phone calls made. By a stroke of luck, I filled my little Waja up the night before not knowing about the price hike today. Somebody loves me. But t...

I’m no stranger to the Jamie Bulger case because I frequently visit the www.crimelibrary.com website for insights into the criminal mind. There’s something intriguing and terribly appalling about the working of a human mind and sometimes, it takes a moment of impulse to change the course of one’s life. Sometimes, attention-seeking behaviors twist and bend out of shape and turn into deplorable acts against humanity. What more against someone so small and innocent, like Jamie Bulger. I don’t care much for adult offenders who knowingly act with the full capacity of a thinking human being. They deserve to rot where they are, deserving of no second chance. They can plead alcoholism, family desperation and they can plead that their lives depended on it. But the moment they act inhumanely in any manner possible, then there’s really no second chance for them. They have thought about it, premeditate the whole thing, planned it and carried it out in a wild cold-blooded burst of violence. B...

Finally! Finally, someone's made the right move, struck the right deal and is now giving illegal DVDs and VCDs players a run for their money! Being a series addict, I was once-upon-a-time also a fan of illegal stuff SIMPLY BECAUSE the legal stuff were so darn expensive! And we're a bunch of addict quite like a drug addict. If we cannot get the real stuff for low pricing, we get the illegal stuff because we're addicted. And when you dangle a fat carrot in front of a hungry horse, it's natural for the hungry horse to eat lah, right? Normal, man. Despite my talks about supporting creativity and fight illegal downloading or illegal DVDs and stuff like that, I'll admit that I have borrowed and bought some of the illegal ones as well. I hope I am not getting into trouble for that. To my own credit, I bought whenever the series really captivated me or when I got desperate. I also borrow most of the time because not all of them are 'keepers'. Finally some sma...

I just couldn't resist this. At this moment, I am sipping on my can of Tiger beer reading the blog posts of my favorite blogs and checking my emails. My aunt sent me this some time back and because of time constraints, I didn't have the time to read. But I should've. I enjoyed it and laughed like an idiot over it. Hope it will give you the same kind of *hic* joy. :-) Beer contains female hormones Last month, National University of Lesotho scientists released the results of a recent analysis that revealed the presence of female hormones in beer. Men should take a concerned look at their beer consumption. The theory is that beer contains female hormones (hops contain phytoestrogens) and that by drinking enough beer, men turn into women . To test the theory, 100 men drank 8 pints of beer each within a 1 hour period. It was then observed that 100% of the test subjects : 1) Argued over nothing. 2) Refused to apologize when obviously wr...