My latest read

I realize now how eclectic my taste really is. From History to Religion to popular science to chick Lit to the classics to romance and many more. Jeffery Archer has always been a favourite, right along John Grisham, James Clavell as well as Ludlum and Dan Brown. I just finished reading A Prisoner of BIrth by Archer last night, or maybe early this morning to be more accurate. I couldn't put it down. I think Jeffery Archer is a master story teller, a real wordsmith. In this novel a young man, Danny Cartwright, is accused of murdering his best friend whose sister he is engaged to. In spite of his innocence and his girlfriend's testimony he was found guilty by the jury,just because he was from the working class and the 4 people who accused him were from the upper class. Danny was sentenced to 22 years in a maximum security prison - a place where no convict had ever excaped before. His cellmates are an army officer, Nick Moncrief, who had been courtmarshalled and his driver, Big Al. Where one is cultured, refined and a gentleman, the other is uncouth and crude. Big Al however is also kind, honest and loyal. In prison Danny vows revenge on the 4 men who had put him there - a barrister, a famous actor,an aristocrat and the youngest partner in an established firm.With Nick Moncrieff's help, Danny changed his image from a slum rat to that of an aristocrat. This part reminds me so much of My Fair Lady with Danny trying to speak without dropping his "H's".
The story is slick and fast paced, full of suspense and excitement. If the characters tend to be a bit idealistic and the coincidences too surreal to be believed, it is definitely still a great bedside book. For those who have never read Archer - I'd recommend this book.

Raya Preparations

Its already the 27th day of Ramadan. I'm still in Malacca with my maid and mother in law and this is the longest yet that I've stayed in Malacca. Well apart from that time when Sara had her attachment at GH. Its kind of nice - the pace is more relaxed yet the days are full. I love waking up early with mum and Yati for the Sahur, and stay up until the dawn prayers. Then its garden time with Chichi and Ginger. I'm always fascinated by the koi in the pond - just staring at the golden red and orange shapes swimming or gobbling food. Then its TLC time with my roses and talking of roses, I wish somebody out there would tell me what to do about those horrid little creatures in the earth (not earthworms) - they're whitish, fat and look like maggots. Perhaps they are? I don't know what they are and they're killing my roses from the inside out - through the roots.I've changed the soil, picked them out one by one and yet they are still there. The roses die a slow death - first the leaves will fall and even when there are buds, they wont open but just dry up and fall. What can I do to get rid of this problem? Mildew and blackspot I can overcome. Even bugs can be killed. These aliens seem to thrive on insecticide!

On Raya preparations - this year Raya will be at our house in BB so we're preparing a lot of food. WE have the buka puasa feast for Raya Eve for the whole gang (about 30 of us) and the 1st day raya feast too. I'm catering the raya day food but we're cooking all the rendang, sambal, urap kelapa, lodeh etc for the buka puasa feast. Just thinking of it gives me a headache but I'm lucky I have yati. She's quite efficient and works without complaints. THis year I gave her a gold chain for Raya - for helping me with my mum in law who can sometimes be a real trial.Not that I dont love her - she's the only mum I have after all.

A new book

Well several new books actually. I've recently got a book entitled "The Heirs of Prophet Muhammad" by Barnaby Rogerson. This book is about the cause of the split in the Ummah beginning with Ali, the Prophet's (Pbuh) cousin and son -in law and Aisha his beloved wife. Rogerson's account is interesting. It gives us an insight into the Sunni- Shia schism that is to split the Ummah not long after the Prophet(pbuh) passed away in AD632. Rogerson's account is full of verve and zeal, turning the history of Islam into an epic that is both real and engaging. It traces the time of the Prophet's death and the inherent differences that arose between two of his favourite people. He traces the beginnings of this deep enmity between the prophet's wife and his favourite companion as starting from the time of Aisha's late return from a trip in which she was left behind by the caravan. Being the good wife that she was she stayed where she was and waited to be rescued. Unfortunately nobody knew that she had been left behind and while waiting she fell asleep. She was discovered by Safwan, one of the Prophet's men. Worried that she might be molested or even kidnapped by desert tribes he politely told her he would accompany her back to Medina and so began the whispers behind her back that she and Safwan were in fact lovers. Things came to a head and the Prophet was asked to decide what to do. After prayers he asked the opinion of his followers and one by one gave their answers. Most vouched Aisha's innocence and Ali, even though he did not doubt that Aisha was innocent told the Prophet :"God hath not restrictd thee and there are many women besides her." This frank advice told Aisha how much he was jealous of her closeness with the prophet and she never forgave him for it even though later a revelation revealed her innocence.

According to the writer this was the beginning of the Sunni - Shia schism that afflicted Islam until today. Well written and shows a depth of knowledge about Islam's early history. Really worth reading and in fact so touching in places it literally reduced me to tears. Especially the part about Ali's assasination and the prophet's grandson, Husseins's martyrdom.

Other books I've been reading are 1421 by Gavin Menzies - another historical account but of the Chinese sea voyages of discovery. These occurred long before Columbus "discovered " America. Menzies accompanied the book with photos and other proofs that it was the Chinese actually who discovered the world, and not the Spanish or the Portuguese.