Just Dance

Finally had the time to do some leisure reading this Christmas, amongst them, Haruki Murakami's Dance Dance Dance. This, contrary to widely acclaimed Norwegian Woods, garnered quite a number of bad reviews and bestfren knowing how abhorred I was by his overgenerous (I feel) sex scenes of the protagonist with just about every character in the book, has also taken pains to warn me of how warped this book is.

So I was pleasantly surprised that I actually enjoyed the book.
Perhaps because expectations were lowered. Partly, due to the sheer enjoyment of reading at my own time and pace, without the need to study/regurgitate/memorise the content. A fiction book nonetheless! Recapturing the joys of savouring each flip through the crisp pages, the mild sadness nearing the end of the book. Lovely:)

This time round, I suspect I've also become more acceptable of the incredulity of how he strings his plot/characters together. Was able to overlook that to appreciate his deep burrowing into the characters and sensitive nuanced portrayal of his characters. Stripped of the public sheen, glamour that we are so used to and familiar with. No in your face descriptions, no extreme emotions, just lots of sussing out of quirks, flaws, skeletons, convolutions and tricks of the mind and /or the heart that paints a far more realistic and surreal picture. (Guess credit should also go to translator Alfred Birnbaum for that)

"You gotta dance. Dance. As long as the music plays."
- Excerpt from Haruki Murakami, Dance, Dance,Dance

Takeaway from the book - no illusions. It's back to the grind of work real soon. Yelps!

Rush, rush, rush

The eleventh hour rush
3 days before Christmas
10 days before a new year

It's the time of the year where all around, people are rushing,

For the last train, last bus or booked cab
Zipping from the office to the shopping malls
Dashing to the supermarket en route home
Grabbing Christmas presents and stocking up on festive goodies
Clearing up work and attempting to hit quotas before the start of the Xmas hols
Getting a new dress for the party , a spanking new haircut to kickstart the new year
Running errands and squeezing in catchup time with friends and family
Bulldozing this year's accumulation to make room for yet another year's mess
Giving one last shot to get items on the 07 resolution list checked
Feeling the urgency to reflect, summarise and record one's own take of the months that have whizzed past

The rush to complete performance reviews and achievement setting.
A new diary calendar for old dates and past memories

Some wishes - be it personal or professional, extrospective or introspective - never change.
Like hoping to end well (2007) and start fresh (2008).

Have a blessed Christmas, one and all - in each of your own special ways!