On hiatus -- romance getAway with Miss INteGRITi...

Today's lazy sunday desiderata-english takes a lesson from one of my EsteemedStudents and so Desi plays role reversal and learns quickly from Sifu-Sabrina all the way from New Zzzzland who normally I know would have treated Desi with a CON BF cum HotChocs the wits-taker brand for my li'l CONtribution to MISS inTEgritI.

Why does Sab suddenly acquite this high accolade of Sifu when I normally acknowledge Max Ehrmann as TheOne? See the RAT-tionale in the following:


"*******October with Spring
Filed under: Life

I am taking a short walk away from the Integrity series. Thought that I should write something less serious.
Being able to play host to the integrity series allows me to be on semi hiatus..all I needed to do was copy and paste and think of the authors’ profiles and topics.
(wondering why editors make so much money..hehe..)

Semi/Full hiatus are always good. Allows you to just take a step back and just look at the surrounding beside you.
Which comes to my mind that ’tis October. Spring. My favourite season.
The season where flowers bloom, where romances grow..
ONe of my good blog friends, Kyels was talking about romances as well, lately…
Relationships and Uni…I am sure my esteemed readers would have a lot to say about that ever-s0-hot issue. So, feel free to flood my comment box!
Moi digress…*******"



"***September 30, 2005

Be yourself, especially do not feign affection
Filed under: Uncategorized

This post is not written by “desiderata himself”but Desi-cum-sabrinatan, as whether one likes it or not, a writer is influenced in style and thought processing by people he interacts frequently with. This theme was initiated by a regular Blogger fRiend, hence it’s my privilege and pleasure to take part. As I said, there is AlWays a First Time to make it an Xception to the rule just writing for what Desi stands for alone. Because following on the heels of my FirstLuv revelation (Desi thinks it’s a sort of revolution-revelation2…), the mGf Sabrina posed some challenges that made it truly A Hard Day’s Night, first Challengia that just ended on Sunday last, then Integrity Essay Invite to Guest Bloggers, finally the latest TAG!


She not only gave me Choc as an inducement for failing Challengia, she piled on another TAG after Desi had done SE7EN batoned by Primrose, had to think fast on his feet on recalling FirstLuv (still ongoing…) but I think I’m overwhelmed, so since I’m skipping the Tag, I’ll do penance with INtegrity.

So here are my 3sen thoughts on Integrity, in blog-writing specifically. But not 100% as a writer pursuing a vocation because in Blogosphere, one’s writng has other elements like Enjoyment, Comradeship and most important of all, like Tagging, spinning THREADS OF OUR LIVES, Desi&Co I’d term it.

Desi by himself writing as an I-LAND inhabitant alone will write without restraint. But writing in blogosphere as one of many I-LANDERS including all mGf, then I’m impacted, most times unconsciously, by my Blog mates. which span not just across Malaysia, but also further afield to Oz and NZ.

So INtegrity at Blog writing takes into consideration how one’views “inter-act” with fellow bloggers. It is very dynamic, it changes with feedback, but most important of all, it’s educational, to others and to oneself — Me, Desi, the Writer. It’s a humbling Xperience because suddenly one may be confronted by truly CONTRARIAN VIEWS, and one sits up, listens, nay, even nods one’s head with the light bulb above lighting up like “seeing the light” in the other viewpoint.

And that’s one step better than solitary writing — like for a newspaper article or for a book, for that goes into publication, and the room for quick and sufficient time and resource to entertain the reactions and viewpoints from the readers is limited.

One eye-opening lesson I quote here was when I started one post with the quote “I think, therefore I am”, wrongly attributing it to Socrates, A reader who happened by just within the half-hour commented that the quote belonged to RENE DESCARTES, yes, from the other side of the globe by one LUKE of the US of America, to whom I’m indebted.

And to demonstrate integrity, I left the “original error” on the website, but followed with an ERRATA to set to record straight, and acknowledging LUKE’s alert and swift contribution. Thanks again, Luke, if you’re reading this at Sab’s Place!

So in Blogswrold there is not just one’s INtegrity on display — one’s honesty and accuracy is put under microscopic scrutiny. Which is very challenging and healthy, in my opinion.

So one learns to respect one’s Readers, whom I often address as Esteemed, because I believe they are discerning ones, as knowledgeable or more so in certain fields where Desi is inadequately informed, or just not up to date. There is no room for carelessness, and it places the onus on the writer with dignity TO THINK, THEREFORE HE SHOWS, his presence or lack of it in his immediate THOUGHTS on display once posted up in blogosphere.

So what has that got to do with A Hard Day’s Night?

A lot, mGf Sabrina — because you tagged me and I begged to decline, to show my Integrity to a fellow Blogger who has been so cooperative and responsive to my initiatives, I must reciprocate in the same spirit, musn’t I? INTEGRITY NOT JUST IN EXPRESSION, BUT IN ACTION & DEED AS WELL, always has been Desi’s belief.

Sabrina reminds me of many of my buddies who had migrated to Oz and NZ, or Europe and even the US of America … leAving lONEly me here on forgettable …ah, ne’er mind, it’s steal Our Country.

But I admire those Malaysians abroad who still feel for Our Country, show enough their concern to journal-ise their thoughts and ideas and laments even — but they react with INtegrity, And that defines what a Malaysian should be — whether at home or abroad — wearing the Malaysian badge proudly because we care and share, across many barriers and physical boundaries, But in a globalised environment, INtegrity binds us in a common journey to grow, discover and endeavour. And that sustains our writings at Blogsworld, truly a global and integrated village.

Before I sign off, I’ll share a thought on integrity not related to blog-writing, but generally in the profession of Writing, as a Journalist, copy-editor, or fiction creator, whatever, to earn Bread&Butter, maybe some “kaya” too.

This writing as a profession can prove to be a very lonely journey. If you YoungOnes - not so insignificant or ignorant — think you can survive as a Freelancer, please take it from Desi – think thrice, otherwise BE PREPARED, if not a scout be, then a Church Mouse!

Getting back to Serious and Reality mode, the writer’s quest can be the closest to what I deem a Calling. Just as I admire those who dedicate themselves to Service Above Self like Mother Teresa, Priests and Nuns worldwide, writers must come quite close to the men of the white cloth — Lord’s Chosen Few — to forego a social life quite a lot. The ChosenOnes forsake social life completely, maybe the writer some 80percent? One really need to find the time for Reflection. Rumination. It’s definitely not the Other R&R, for that you must seek the company of US Marines.

For the writer with Integrity, often you are subjected to Temptation. To compromise to get to the marketplace. You want to write following your heArt’s desire (DESIDERATA, remember?) or you wish to Go after the Almighty $ first? Becoming a billionaire by 27? That’s when your integrity is put under TEST&TEMPTATION.

So I end with just something to ponder:

Walking the Straight and …

People pass you by
Hardly giving you a second glance
Some may laugh at you in the face
Or even call you a nut-case

Why do you torture yourself so
For walking the straight and narrow?
“Join us on our bandwagon,
For a smooth and easy ride!”

You continue the lonesome jouney
In pursuit of Truth, or maybe
Even happiness as a bonus
But even the bravest traveller sometimes
Does wonder and sigh

Self-doubt and fatigue can paralyse
Tempests and stumbles your spirits can deny
Is this journey worth the while?
Guess I’ll never know the answer
Until I make the final call
And make that quantum leap of awakening
To touch Infinity at the end of the fall?

© YL Chong

11.17PM, MSIAN TIME
WedNurseDay 28 Sept 2005, still
“Try to Remember….”
The kind of September …….
PS: I reelly need sum nursing for suffering Writer’s Wounds…

*************

Author’s profile:

Desiderata @ YLCHONG is the administrator of http://desiderata2000.blogspot.com, for which he attributed his blog name to his favourite poem– Desiderata by Max Erhmann. He is a freelance journalist/writer and prides himself as an established poet.
Desi, as often fondly addressed, can be found sipping away his beloved teh tarik at his favourite Haridas Mamak in Seremban/KL.
He is the mentor of Sabrina Tan and also to many other Ignorant Cows at ignorantcows.blogspot.com.
He sets up his weekly column of desiderata.english and hopes to instile some good “English” values among the young bloggers, making them aware of the importance of Queen’s English. ****"

ACKNOWLEDGMENT BY DESIDEARATA:

My Boog writing is influenced by ALL my fellow travellers in sum ways -- big or small, does not matter, they are significant. To Sabrina, the privilege&pleasure to be a Guest-Blogger at thy place is all mine. For the record, I pride myself as a Poet-Aspirant, not an established, though a published, poet. Now I know I must stop chasing Sabrina into that NorthOfSydneysian Haze, Desi's misplace'.