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Thursday, December 27, 2012

2012 - The Memoir of A Novelist's Life in the Middle

That's just a pompous way to say "Memori May - Ogos"....

May 2012 - My Bestfriend's Wedding



Tim got married in May. Tim, who was with me through thick and thin since we were just seven, finally found her soul mate (in a rapid courtship) and we were there to celebrate her day with her. Nad bought a green fabric to be made into a scarf and we spent quite a while in Jakel doing so. That was on the 25th. On 26th, we went to find some last minute stuff for the wedding on 27th.

To tell you the truth, as much as we were extremely happy for her, we were still very conscious about an important thing - the fact that the next day, on 28 May, we were to attend our court trial. I mean, Mun was part eating, part studying her witness statement. The trial went for two days instead of three since the judge felt that more witnesses were not needed (as the case was very clear). Tim went to trial, despite being married for only a day. How many people can say that their very first two married days were spent in court?

But Alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah. Everything went well at the time.

Oh, and May was the month that a kitten came to our house. I was extremely surprised because from the back, I thought it was Phibun, back from the dead, like in Stephen King's "Pet Sematary". At first, the kitten just came and went as he pleased, but little by little, he kinda turned our house into his own. With his stupid expression and weird things he does (like playing fetch), mum called him "Koyon" - short for Mangkuk Ayun. Yeah... trust mum to give embarrassing names.

June 2012 - Death and Roller Coasters


I had a short vacay in June - went to Genting Highlands with Mas and Jue, whom I haven't seen since IIUM, I think. It was part fun part scary trip. The scary part was that we were an intelligent being (*read sarcastically*). Instead of a safe return when it was still day, we decided to return after dark. The whole of Genting was filled with fog, Julia can't see anything while driving. We relied solely on the brake lights coming from the car in front of us. The only car in front of us.

To say that I was scared, not so much. I had the same experience back in 2010 while I was on a trip with Tim and Nurul in Kundasang. Same situation, same fog, but smaller and steeper road, no lights whatsoever. I had to put my head out and squint my eyes to make sure we didn't fall down the cliff. At one point, Tim's car was exactly at the edge of the cliff. THAT was shit. But in Genting, I had a different reason to fear. I mean, it was Genting. I don't want to die and have my story to be "dead. fell down the cliff back from Genting, the gambling city of Malaysia".

Realising that, I think I am not going there any time soon. My death story should be something like, "Died during sujud" or "Died after trying to save children from war-mongers".

July 2012 - The Prints, The Victory and the Deejay


I got my first agent in July. Yay! Met Abang Long at Pesta Buku Selangor and I was extremely thankful that he was there to help me. I mean, it's really hard for readers to find my old books in stores, and making it harder still is the fact that even nowadays you can't find it during book fairs. I mean, it's not even in Karangkraf Mall's list at one time. It's like playing "Where's Waldo" with my book, especially PLAIN JANE. With Abang Long and his website Arrazi.my, buying it online was made easier.

In July, I also had an interview with Berita Harian. It's actually for my good friend, Chaq's column. Every time people congratulate me for the article, I felt like I wronged them a little even if I explained it later because it was of course, Chaq's. But to tell you the truth, I LOVE being interviewed by own friend. It kinda made me feel so mature, not in the sense of being interviewed. More like, "Oh, look at us. You're a journalist and you are interviewing me, a novelist. We have actual jobs! Yay!"



Then I had my first interview on radio. It was not my year resolution or anything, but I finally done them all - TV, paper, magz, online TV, radio. If not for the fact that ibadah aku masih kurang, I can now die in peace. It was another type of experience. I mean, I have went to a radio conti before, back in IIUM. I accompanied a friend for UIA deejay audition and while waiting, I was like, what the heck, let's just try for the sake of it. Of course we were not picked. I sounded like a squirrel, and still do. That's not radio-friendly. But to be interviewed on radio is quite weird. You hear songs and your own voice combined in perfect (and squirelly) harmony.

And it was hard to keep focus when the deejay looks like someone I know. Oh, and sempat pergi lunch with Hani MJ, my junior in SMKAKS.

Oh and the best part of July was the last day, when Miss Shireen called us and said we won the case. After all the pain and suffering for the last three years, it was the best feeling in the world. I hope that we can feel that again this January after the appeal. Amin.

August 2012 - Ramadhan's Happiness and Syawal's Tragic Comedy


Ramadhan and Syawwal came in the same month. Mun and I was stuck in a bad traffic on 8th August while trying to get to IIUM. Why? Because I wanted to break my fast in IIUM and Mun once said that "If we win, I want to do tarawih at IIUM mosque." We went out at five, arrived around 8.30pm. No breaking the fast for me, but Mun resolved her nazar.

Then she left her water bottle. Never a day goes by whereby Mun remembered to take her water bottle home.

Lots and lots of iftar.... okay, I lied. I was busy in August, so we just had one iftar with Dinie, Mun and Deqnor. Wanted to try the Arabian cuisine but end up eating at Pak Long Steamboat. Nah, it's fine.

On Hari Raya, my lil cousin Ejal fell into the septic tank. Or, in layman's term, tangki taik. All deep in faeces, after the tank's cover broke. It was lucky that he fell into the shallow part of the tank and not the middle part. That would be a tragedy. But since it was not a tragedy, he grabbed the top spot in "Haji Wahab's Wall of Shame", and would be for a long time. I mean, how can anybody defeat the boy who fell into a pool of shit, aye?

To be continued on September's love, October's expenses, November's reunion and December's summation...

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