In Between Worlds

Finally some time to post an update.

I am still overwhelmed with work. The marking keeps on coming in. But it's part of teaching - and I can cope somewhat.

My garden is growing well, but someone tore out my big pot of Mollucan spinach (Duan Dewa). I suspect it was the cleaner - he ripped out the large stalks and stuffed them back in. I am still angry, because I grew this pot from the mother plant. I think I might write a nice letter to the town council.

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I think I will revive my flagging spirituality. I haven't done any ritual or drumming for a long time.

Writing is now reduced to night time and when I have time.

The marking continues. I really need to complete this STACK before the next round comes in by next week.

Meanwhile, read this. It is brilliant. But it is also very depressing. For people who are not involved in the publishing (be it trad/self), there is some discussion regarding the 0.99 pricing of ebooks. Some are for it. Some hate it like the plague and associated virii all rolled into one. I, myself, am...ambivalent, since I straddle both traditional and self publishing. I do agree though that writers need to eat too. We are not air plants subsisting on air. [Then again, I have a day job which does pay the bills... ]

Anyway, support your favorite writers/authors. Donate. Make fan-art. Signal-boost. Give feedback. Buy swag stuff. Tell them that they are doing something good. Writing isn't easy, guys. It is creative effort. It is hard work. We don't come up with stories, tales and worlds just like that. Perhaps, it looks like we create worlds with a snap of our fingers... but the real work, folks, is pretty much internal.

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I am still in the process of - well - processing my Sungei Buloh pictures. Going to photography... is a joyful experience. Like writing, like gardening, photography is creative. I call 'writing via pictures'. It is art. It is life.

My garden is growing once more. The Malabar spinach vines are sprouting! My duan dewa is still going strong.