I was so grateful to my friends and fellow Nano-ers for turning up and being prepared to taking part. Chet planned the session with me and spoke about how the Nanowrimo had evolved from being a mere twinkle in Chris Baty's eyes to the biggest (and surely friendliest) writing competition in the world. See Ming talked about the Nano's rather shorter history in Malaysia (the first year - 2002 - the event was given a lot of support by the New Straits Times and 8 of the 14 participants finished!) Then several of us (Chet, See Ming, Sim, Leah, Mercy, Will, Saras) talked with evangelical enthusiasm about our experiences of taking part. Our audience looked a little ... bazoogled. (As well they might! We've turned their nice comfortable lives upside down.) It's really not hard at all to write a crap novel in a month, we told them, and if we can do it, so can you!
(Thanks for the photo Nizam! For those of you interested in the sartorial details, I'm wearing Nanowrimo t-shirt and my lucky earrings with the peacock feathers.)
Perhaps the biggest boost the competition got was when See Ming told us that she had met Sim through the Nanowrimo - she'd fallen in love with his words and the rest, as they say, is history!
Met champion blogger Yvonne Foong for the first time and gave this brave young lady a hug. I think I know what she will be doing in November!
Renee of MPH told me afterwards that we can hold Nanowrimo meet-ups in store and that the bookshop will publicise the event. That is a huge step forward - we need organisations to cheer the participants on and raise awareness.
Lunch was of course at Delicious and we got to hear all about SeeMing and Sim's honeymoon in Iceland complete with shaggy ponies and midnight sun.
In the evening I slipped into Silverfish to say hi to Raman and shake hands with the Belgian poet. Met the new Irish ambassador and his wife too. But there was hardly anyone there for his reading, so I felt a bit guilty as I slipped away for a dose of poetry of a very different kind - Australia vs. South Africa on a big screen at Ronnie Q's with Abu and the rugger buggers. It takes too much commitment to be a full-time arty-farty-literati!
10 comments:
Sayang, the Malaysian NaNo started in 2002, not 1992. Typo!
Oooopth! Corrected. That's what you get for blogging when you don't have sufficient caffeine in your bloostream. (Or perhaps enough blood in your caffeine stream.)
had to work. missed it. where can i get more info?
Hi Oshun. You can go to the website and just read. Sign up is on 1st October and then the forum boards will start buzzing again. Just make sure you set your local affiliation to Malaysia.
I've posted a few photos (and will be posting some more)I took at the event :)
Here's the permalink:
http://gambar.blogspot.com/2005_08_21_gambar_archive.html#112467612538197138
Regards,
Nizam Zakaria
Thanks a lot, Nizam. I have stolen one and am so grateful for it.
In the last picture on Nizam's blog, you look like you're conducting an orchestra.
Bit controversial here, but do you think bravery can be forced on someone ? is it bravery if you have no choice but to be brave ?
Chet - and the song goes "Nanananananan ..."
Porty - You've a good point there. But I guess it is all too easy for someone who is sick to sink into apathy and say to hell with the world ... I think it is bravery when you are sick but still push yourself to achieve as much as you possibly can. Hmmm ... unless you'd like to suggest a different word?
How about "condescension" ? :) seriously I'm tired of people being defined by their disabilities. It's just as easy for someone who is well to sink into apathy and say to hell with the world. So I think there's no real distinction between anyone who is "sick" and someone who is well in that regard. I think you do what you have to do (within the law) to survive. If someone who is well pushes himself (or herself) to achieve as much as he or she possibly can, would this be considered bravery ? my father is a sexagenarian (I love that word) and suffers from several illnesses. But he can beat several 20-year-olds at some sports. That's not bravery, it's skill. You play the cards that fate deals you. There's no real distinction. So I don't think there's a word needed. Life is hard on everyone. We all have to survive one way or another. We are all brave, or we are all cowards. That is what I think.
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