The book of this month is 'Cold Mountain', a 1997 historical fiction by Charles Frazier. It was Charles Frazier's first novel and a major bestseller, selling roughly three million copies worldwide. The novel won the 1997 National Book Award. It also won the W.D. Weatherford Award that year.



It tells the story of W. P. Inman, a wounded deserter from the Confederate army near the end of the American Civil War who walks for months to return to Ada Monroe, the love of his life. The narrative alternates back and forth every chapter between the story of Inman and that of Ada Monroe, a minister's daughter recently relocated from Charleston to a farm in the rural mountain community called Cold Mountain from which Inman hails. Though they only knew each other for a brief time before Inman departed for the war, it is largely the hope of seeing Ada again that drives Inman to desert the army and make the dangerous journey back to Cold Mountain.

At Cold Mountain, Ada's father soon dies, and the farm that the genteel city-bred Ada lives on, named Black Cove, is soon reduced to a state of disrepair. A young woman named Ruby, homeless but a stronger worker than Ada and resourceful, soon moves in and, through hard labor, helps Ada clean the place up and return it to productivity as well as change as a person from being a learned girl, knowing nothing that could help her live, to a woman who can fend for herself.

Inman's journey is rough. It was his love to Ada that kept him alive to find his way home. He faces hunger, an attempted armed robbery at a rural tavern, and occasionally is given shelter by civilians who want nothing to do with the war. Through cunning ingenuity he helps one of them track and recover a hog, her only possession and source of food for the winter, which had just been seized from her by Union soldiers. He is also helped by a woman who owns goats, who gives him advice and medicines to finally heal his wounds.

In the end, he manages to find his way back to Black Cove which was empty and so he sets out to find Ada on the mountain and he unexpectedly encounters Ada in britches and shooting wild turkeys. However, both have changed so greatly in their appearance and demeanor since they parted that it is some moments before they recognize one another. They were really happy. As the party begins the trek back to the farm, they encounter the Home Guard. A shootout commences in which Inman kills or chases off all the members of the Guard except for a seventeen year old boy who flees into the thicket and is cornered against a rock ledge. Inman, reluctant to shoot him down in cold blood, tries to convince him to lay down his arms and leave, but is shot and fatally wounded by the boy when he approaches. He soon dies.

Ada eventually gives birth to three children and raise them at Black Cove, where she lives with Stobrod and the now married Ruby and Georgia boy and their children. She remembers Inman deep in her heart.

The reason that I like this book is...
I saw this wonderful debut novel by Charles Frazier on my grandparents' bedside table. They usually read books before going to bed. I guess I inherited their habits because I do that almost every time before I go to bed. When I have briefly finished the synopsis at the back of the cover, I decided to have a read. Within minutes, I was totally drawn into the interaction of the characters and at the same time my jaw was dropped open because the prose style was so wonderful. The story of the three characters (Ada, Ruby and Inman) is woven so skillfully that I found it almost impossible to put the book down. I also love American history because their histories were so interesting. It also gives its readers a fresh new way to look at the Civil War. Many of the scenes made me flinch, but it also deepened my understanding of this very important period in history. This is the best novel I have read in years.

Adapted into film...
This novel was also adapted into an award-winning film of the same name. It was directed by the late Anthony Minghella, and stars Jude Law as Inman, Nicole Kidman as Ada Monroe and Renée Zellweger as Ruby. The film received a nomination for Best Motion Picture Drama at the Golden Globes. Despite not being nominated for the Best Picture award, the film did pick up seven Oscar nominations, and one win for Renée Zellweger as Best Supporting Actress.


Ada Monroe and Inman portrayed by Nicole Kidman and Jude Law in the film' Cold Mountain'.


Ruby portrayed by Renée Zellweger.


Well, today is Sunday and I had to wake up around 6:15 in the morning. Yikes!!! This is first time in the history that I woke up this early. I usually wake up around 10 a.m. Freaking late, right? My room was still very cold. I had to force myself to wake up to join the driving course with my good mates - Ho Yan Yee, Evangeline and Melissa:) We had so much laugh and fun. And Evangeline is very proud of her driving text book.



Nice book, mate!!!!

We had to waste nearly half of the day to listen to the instructors to talk about the driving rules, driving rules and driving rules. We stayed in the room from 7:30 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. Fortunately, we had some breaks among those hours. The first instructor was kind of funny, he used toy cars to show us examples. Besides, he has a very shiny head:)

From 12:00 to 12:30 p.m., we had our lunch in the canteen. I spent RM 3.50 on some rice, two not-crunchy-at-all fried dumplings and some super spicy toufus. We had to eat because there were three more hours that we need to stay there. When we were eating our lunch, some nearby 'ma lai lou' were puffing all the way. Didn't they realise there was a non smoking sign there? They are as blind as a bat. Darn them!

After that, we went back to the rooms again to prepare for the second session. So boring!! This time, the instructor was a boring one. He didn't crack any hilarious jokes. He just keep on talking and talking. When the instructor was babbling, we were fooling around at the back. And I saw something that shines very MUCH under the light. I mean it. These are things we wrote during class.



Around three p.m., we were finally released from 'jail', all four of us got our 'sijil kehadiran'. Hurray!!!



My 'Sijil Kehadiran'

Besides, we also took some memorable pictures. Here is one of the lovely pictures.



We were so thrilled after releasing from 'jail'

All four of us had to squeeze into the back of the car. Thank goodness, it was not a 'Kancil' car. Or else....you all know!!! I took some pictures of Ho Yan Yee but she deleted them. But she did not delete one of it. Enjoy the pictures!!!!



I can't see your face!!



I see you now!!!!

Well, that's all folks!!!


I was very bored and decided to watch some classic cartoons in YouTube. The classic cartoons sure bring back a lot of my childhood memories. Ahhh, the sweet old childhood memories... I sure miss them a lot. There was nothing to worry about when I was a kid. I can do whatever I want to like playing video games whenever I want, watching T.V. the whole day, playing with friends in nearby park... Well, here are some of the pictures of cartoons I watch when I was a kid.



Disney's "Paul Bunyan" (1958)
This short film is about a retelling of the classic Canadian / American tall tale of the enormous lumberjack and his loyal companion, an equally huge blue ox. I also love the song "The Ballad of Paul Bunyan" performed by The Mellowmen. Lovely song.



Disney's "Trick or Treat" (1952)
This is my all time favourite Halloween cartoon. Huey, Dewey and Louie visit Donald's house for Halloween but Donald turns the tricks on them. Seeing them rebuffed, Witch Hazel decides to help out with their revenge on Donald. I love the song "Trick or Treat" also performed by The Mellowmen. I just simply love the catchy, high spirited Halloween song.



Warner's "The Singing Kid" (1936)
A very jazzy song "I Love to Singa" performed by Owl Johlson who was born to sing jazz music. Unfortunately, his parents are into classical music even his siblings!! Eventually, he was kicked out of the family. While wandering around, he comes across a radio amateur contest, hosted by "Jack Bunny", wins the contest, but not before his father has finally seen his son's potential and allowed him to freely sing jazz.

Well, there are still more brilliant calssical cartoons to be introduced. Stay tune, folks!!!



HEADS UP, PEOPLE!!! HERE COMES 007!!!

My favourite uncle and aunt brought me to watch Marc Foster's newest film "Quantum of Solace" last night. My uncle and I still like the old Bond films which has Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan in it. My favourite Bond is played by Sir Thomas Sean Connery. I think Sean Connery set and defined James Bond's character perfectly. He played it extraordinary with that role. He played it smart, sexy, bad and stylish.




"Quantum of Solace" is a sequel to "Casino Royale". If I did not watch "Casino Royale", I would be very blur throughout the movie. The theme song for this film is "Another Way to Die". It is sung by Jack White of the White Stripes and Alicia Keys. This is the first duet in Bond music history!! WOW!!! I think the song is nice and catchy.

Daniel Craig who plays James Bond in "Quantum of Solace" suffered a gash when kicked in his face that required eight stitches and a fingertip was sliced off. Oh my god, I would be screaming my heart out when my fingertip is sliced off!!! Well, who cares when you are about to receive £4.5M for that role!!! £4.5 Million is equal to approximately RM 31.5 Million!!!! That is a freaking big sum of money!!! If I have that huge sum of money, I would quit school to get out of stress and enjoy my life. I am sick of my school.

Well, tata for now....


Finally, my piano teacher has given me all four pieces of the piano pieces. Here is the list of piano pieces for ANZCA Grade 7 piano examination.
i. Prelude XV and Fugue XV by Johann S. Bach
ii.Sonata No.3 in E flat major by Joseph F. Haydn
iii. Butterfly (Op.43 No.1) by E. Grieg
iv. Mikrokosmos Vol. 6 No.149 by B. Bartok
Well, these are the pieces that I am going to play for my G7 piano exam.




I am getting much better. But my nose is very red. I look like Ruldolph the Red Nose Reindeer!!! Great news! I just received my Nintendo DS Lite from my Mum. She keeps my NDS temporarily and gives it back to me after school terms. Since the examination is over, she gives it back. Actually, this is my idea because once I play NDS, I'm hooked!!! I can play from morning till night!!! Well, that's all. Mum told me we are going for steamboat porridge tonight somewhwere in Batu 7. The steamboat there is simply delicious!!! I think it is better than the one in Bukit Bendera. I have no idea why is it that many people go there and have their steamboat. It's much more expensive and not delicious at all. Weird taste buds.....


31 October 2008..........Halloween!!!!and........the first time I blog!!!! Thanks Cherry!!! Without your guidance, I wouldn't have done it. Darn it, I am having sore throat and running nose. Freaking irritating and annoying!!! I can't speak because of the pain and I need to blow my nose every 10 seconds. It's true!!! The flu keeps on coming. I have just finished using 2 rolls of tissues this morning. Yikes!!!
My bro is watching a horror movie in chnl 412. Gotta go....