I woke up to the crowing of an overzealous rooster, and with the sweet musky odor of Catharina in my nostrils, I opened my eyes, only to find Catharina staring at me with a sensuous smile, supporting her head on her elbow, her legs entangled with mine. The evening before we spent in what the Italians would call “an evening with the family”, but to me it was an affecting event, as I wasn’t brought up in such a warm and emotional [...]
Chapter 8 Staying Human(e) Trisha I waved goodbye to Tyng. I felt very exhausted and the towel never seem to absorb my sweat. The irony of it all was that I’m becoming a vampire (if I believe what Dr. Carlisle said) and it is winter. Winter can be quite boring and this irritates me a lot because I need to be out and about. I wonder how do the people here can stand the snow. “We better get back home,” Edmund said. “So who [...]
Self esteem…what does the term mean to you? Most people define it as the opinion they have of themselves. They usually base it on their attitude towards a number of factors like the way they look, the work they do, their achievements, what they believe others think of them, their purpose in life, their potential for success, their strengths and weaknesses, their social status, their ability to be independent and so on and so forth… For [...]
CHAPTER I HISTORICAL criticism nowhere occurs as an isolated fact in the civilisation or literature of any people. It is part of that complex working towards freedom which may be described as the revolt against authority. It is merely one facet of that speculative spirit of an innovation, which in the sphere of action produces democracy and revolution, and in that of thought is the parent of philosophy and physical science; and [...]
Chapter 7 Looking Back Edmund A month passed by in a flash but it felt like it was yesterday. It appears Trisha and her friends still have the virus in their bloodstream. The virus that caused the fever. Sounds like a sci-fi movie. Tyng didn’t find it funny. She knows something. Caleb knows too but he isn’t speaking. “We can’t still be infected!” Ling shouted in disbelief. She held her arms outstretched. “We are well. No [...]
I’ve been a wanderer all my life… I travel round the world to forget people I meet every day. I dream of meeting someone who will remain in my memory. It hasn’t happened yet. Tonight I stop in a remote village, at the house of an old woman. She lays the table for me. I look at her wrinkled face and empty green eyes. There is a wooden bed in one corner of the simple kitchen. Somebody, covered with a blanket, stirs on it. “Who [...]
What’s anger? Anger is an automatic emotional response to a real or perceived threat. It generates energy as well as motivation to eliminate that threat. The greater the threat, the higher the level of arousal and greater motivation to eliminate it. So the 3 key aspects of anger include: Threat Energy Motivation This shows that anger is a useful and positive emotion. Then why is it viewed negatively by most? We would need [...]
Good little girls ought not to make mouths at their teachers for every trifling offense. This retaliation should only be resorted to under peculiarly aggravated circumstances. If you have nothing but a rag-doll stuffed with sawdust, while one of your more fortunate little playmates has a costly China one, you should treat her with a show of kindness nevertheless. And you ought not to attempt to make a forcible swap with her unless [...]
“My friends never hear me out”, “I can never get people to appreciate my ideas”, “No one seems to care about what I think”, “Everyone bosses over me and takes me for granted”… Have you ever felt this way? Have you ever wished you could change this? So how do you influence people? How can you bring them closer to you and value your ideas and opinions more? Here’s a start. 1. Show respect for their ideas. Even when you do not agree [...]
When I was a little girl… I loved playing with paper dolls, making mud pies and playing dress up with my Mother’s clothes. I would sit for hours underneath the dining room table playing with the paper dolls that I cut out from the catalogs my Grandmother kept in a box underneath the phone table. The requirements for making the “cut” were precise. They had to be complete, meaning nothing or no one could be blocking any part of their [...]
