She's reading the books Lining up in a long rack. Scratching head and nose--
a corner that i like seeing but almost never pick the books from there – most of the books seem good but i prefer browsing around and picking those clicking with me
today i picked some to start my 2025’s reading challenge in goodreads.com
my Japanese is not getting better but reading about Japanese culture is still interesting to me
i followed the writer in Instagram two days ago and really want to see what his books are like
illustrated book is always interesting to me
am i into stoicism? not really but i see the book cover and pages are all glossy and that’s enough reason to read it
I did read pages of books Seen in my favourite bookstore, Met in MRT, the mall, the restaurant and on my way. They all were read by me that life is either difficult or light, easy or heavy, Yet none wanted to leave among the disarray.
Do they love their life? Maybe yes, maybe no But they were willing to stay, Living in their own way To finish writing their stories With a Happy ending.
How should I write my book? I plan a Happy ending When only love matters. In the writing I use my own letters.
the 3 on top must be completed by end of Oct then i will read other thinner books; otherwise i can’t achieve 2024’s reading target — i am competing with myself to achieve better than myself last year
this year 4 of the books i read are based on recommendation; thanks for recommending the good books — i skip some recommended though with some reason
among all books i’ve read some have changed the way i perceive life: Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and The Sea, Jack London’s The Call of The Wild, Quraish Shihab’s Jilbab, Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist, Bhagavad Gita, and several others — all those writers are collaborating to teach me how i should dismantle my rigid thought about life and so i’ve been gradually set free as a human being
when i like a book, i will read it again and again; fyi, i seldom scribble on my books, so i put post-it or book-markers or just a piece of paper between interesting pages — many of my books are dog-eared but mostly clean
every reader has one’s own habit to love one’s points of reading
Choice of words are leaves Falling, dancing by contexts. Seasons of meanings--
this is one of beautiful books i’ve ever read
need to re-read as after reading both there is different impression and insight i got from those two versions of translation
translation is not merely choice of words, it contains the context where the translators’ mind has been built — context can come from educational background, life experience incl trauma, ideology, etc even up to the translators’ independency towards certain topics
translation is not an accurate tool to transfer knowledge yet it is the best option for learners who need to learn something from different culture through books while they don’t master the language
but too much interference of translators’ contexts will make the translation an interpretation which will unnecessarilypollute the learners’ thinking process
the best option for independent learners is learning the language — i wish i could….
today is about books and paper — reading and throwing away all unnecessary paper
What can a gift do? Dance in the heart of friendship, Rest in the friends’ soul—
—
Kinokuniya has much bigger collection than the bookstore in Changi airport; yet the books I buy for my friends are all from this airport. Is it because my search of books wanted by friends is always ready here? Or is it impulse buying? 😂
It doesn’t matter which one as long as it is for a good friend.
Reading, Beloved Deciphering messages Sent by soul that shines—
—
Sending my warm regards to all readers in the world. Hope we’re all blessed with wisdom and fun from reading and what is read.
Salaam…. 🙏🏼
‘ve always wanted to read this book but never happens; maybe my 5 people are not those in his book 😎 skipped (maybe forever)this writer has fascinated me with his crazy ideas about children’s life; wish I could write that way 😍 paid!sorry, Keanu; many not even in my kindness list 😘 you’re not my guide, just a man that has charmed me with your kindness & bearded face 😂 finished reading in the bookstore
Kinokuniya SG – calm Saturday afternoon after Japanese class with Honda Sensei
Does it suffocate Or release? Up to the sky Or stuck in the black? Meet the wind. Fly to the far. Let the chimney nobly stand.
————————————————————-
Chimney is a symbol of industrial era like church for religiosity, tower for secularity and all kinds of stars of spirituality.
Yet I found different interpretation of mine on chimney through Japanese books reading (very very elementary, all hiragana and katakana, I can only remember 15 kanji so far, hell yeah!). Chimney can be a symbol of fairy tales, dreams, ideas and creativity emerging from the dark, beautiful stories. What else? Ya, just use imagination to find what clicks in mind until the word “chimney” meets its lighter connotation against the one in paragraph 1.
Reading the books, I can’t deny some people really get blessed with extraordinary imaginary world and ability to materialise what’s in it by intertwining the intangible blessings with the tangible ones. Like the writer whose books I’ve read.
God bless you, Akihiro Nishino (should be with ~san). Thanks for the books you’ve written.
Read. Read. Read.
Read the letters. Read the lessons. Read between the lines.
🏭
find the Chimney Town in you 🏭dark but glowing – isn’t that paradoxically beautiful?
Listen to the rants
Of those needing some ears. Who?
Maybe your own self—
I need fresh air and different taste today! Pretty hot day and my bike really needs long rest. So I decided to book a taxi to Bussorah Street. Why not MRT? Today the automatic-smile-to-people apps of mine broke down and my ears needed some entertainment from random drivers who -if you are lucky or unlucky depending on how you perceive it- will tell a lot of stories about the Gov, the people, etc.
And Universe answered! The driver was perfectly being upset with a passenger that scolded at him because the passenger thought he made a longer journey and so the passenger had to pay $16 instead of $9.
“Walao! He think such distance can ah with only $9? If he live in Sentausa, he sure got money whaaaaat?! And if always take taxi, he sure know it is at least $15!”
“He think because he is foreigner he ok do what he like haaaaaah?!”
“You know he said “f***ing ***hole” to me ! He think he got right say that to driver! This is first time I complain to my office about my passenger you know. Usually I don’t care la people bitter or not smile or not talk but this guy ah scolding ah you think ok ah?”
Oops! If that was really the words said to the driver, that was rude!
He ranted more…. actually the whole trip I was all ears for him. Thanks God for my patience today.
“You probably need some coffee, Sir,” said I.
“Ya la. I so angry! I didn’t take passenger after him, straight to coffee shop to have coffee then took your order la. Still angry you know! My company already took my complaint. Maybe also need blacklisted passenger you know. People should not behave rude to drivers blah blah blah”.”
“You need to walk to the street. Cannot enter, not allowed one, you know right?”
“Oh, no worry, Sir. I know this area quite well. Let me walk. This is the fare, please take the change, for your noon coffee.”
“Thank you. Thank you. Have a nice day!”
I walked down the street to go to a small bookstore which sells books that I won’t find in Kinokuniya. This hidden gem among all those nice restaurants feels much more special in this pandemic. There are still many people but probably only 30% of normal days when tourists are swarming like alate around the light.
This was a nice day! I brought home some reading and good food!
Mission accomplished!
Time to listen to the Self!
Salaam
reading is like listening to self, you decipher your own intelligence through other’s writing
rike jokanan 
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