A writer's letter

JLN KUALA KRAI, July 2007

MY DEAR READERS-

After a long time and again, I must admit I simply cannot cease (and resist) writing as much as I would love to. Although my academic years has seen me struggling to generate a 50,000 words scientific thesis, I had lived most of my adolescent years scribbling on my notebooks – copying quotes from books and essays, creating my naïve, happily ever after love stories, and writing lengthy letters to families and friends. During the virtual era of my freshman and sophomore years, I had enjoyed writing about books for the little audience I received on my blog for a prosperous three years, and exchanging emails (and love letters) to the amazing friends I had accumulated throughout the five continents. Nevertheless, I do regret not being able to find my sweet friends I was acquainted with while in Jordan twelve years ago – sadly, we were far from the age of Friendster and Facebook at the time.

Now, I am beginning to believe the love of writing comes hand in hand with the love of reading. It is the marriage of two rituals where one cannot live without the other. I started, I suppose as any other hopeful writers, with reading. The early childhood reading of the Malay version of Enid Blyton’s series begun as my escape to find friendships and adventures beyond my quiet life of growing up as the only girl in the family. I turned to reading Malay literatures and fictions while I was in high school, following my rebellious streaks and youth angst. Towards the end of it, it was Adeline Yen Mah’s Chinese Cinderella (a book I remember only vaguely now, after losing it few years ago) which taught me a sense of expressing oneself through writing and how to put up a fight using it. If reading is my shield from the world, writing became my sword.

These days, often imagining myself as the philosopher and editor of the Review of Applied Ethics Isabel Dalhousie, my beloved character in the Sunday Philosophy Club series, I write rather leisurely. Interspersed with my unfinished readings, catching up with families, writing to old friends and living life; I begin my writing early in the morning with a cup of coffee by my side. So far, my element would be my own space where stacks of books surround me, and patches of essays and words on the wall greet me. Such days however, are sporadic, usually prompted after a long drive throughout the country or a passionate conversation with strangers. Although by nature I operate by structure and order, my creativity often seeks to unleash itself as it pleases, or perhaps, as it is inspired.

Therefore my beloved readers, as I affirmed to myself I need more adventures and unexpected turn of events (since my old sensible self is often too shy to let it roam free), I am now putting my creative attempts into a disciplined structure. Beginning with the letter, I will put together a portfolio of my essays narrating my life surrounding various topics; Self in Society, Nature and Environment, Culture Shock, Food for Thoughts, Film and Prints, and About Books. In between, my Reader’s Notebook will be filled with my notes and journals about books and essays I’ve read.

Thereupon I dearly hope you may expect a new essay every fortnight, with short notes and journals as the fillers. At any expense I expect your feedbacks and comments. For the present - I shall bid you adieu.

I am dear READERS,
You most obedient
humble Servant,
NURHIDAYATI ABD AZIZ