I'm Not Asleep, My Eyes Are Just Closed

Books 1. I Am Muslim - DINA ZAMAN . No, don't go running off at the title because Dina Zaman's latest isn't going to preach/proselytise/ to you or urge you to leave your 'sinning ways' and repent. As Dina herself said, this isn't a book about religion, it's about a person who happens to be a Muslim trying to make sense and find her way amidst perilous Kuala Lumpur life. Sometimes, she's not even writing from a Muslim point of view (whatever that is) but from a thirty-something newly single woman just experiencing life and poking fun at it. It's rather a relief to me, that even someone like Dina, whose column Dina's Dalca I used to read as a teenager in the New Straits Times, is still searching and is still trying to find some semblance of order and meaning in today's world. Dina's humour is never nasty, nor despairing and the warmth of her anecdotes of the people she meets, no matter how bizarre, demonstrates her willingness to learn an...

In conjunction with the end of Supernatural Season 2, I will be doing a (nearly) blow by blow account of the two part finale, All Hell Breaks Loose , to exorcise its demonic hold on my higher brain functions. For the same price, I’ll throw in my razor-sharp analysis of the episodes so that all of you readers can ooh and aah at my insight and biting wit. Here we go. All Hell Breaks Loose Part One opens with a “Previously, on…….” montage, titled The Road So Far , complete with classic rock courtesy of Boston , and Bobby’s gravelly voice warning the Winchester boys, “Storm’s coming. And you boys, are smack in the middle of it.” As if they didn’t know. Although I do know what has been happening, the spooky, urgent strains of the opening music sent chills down my spine as we furiously flit by reminders of the psychic children, the Yellow-Eyed Demon’s plans for them, the impending war and finally Dean’s scared confession, “Dammit Sam, this whole thing is spinning out of control!” Ah, Dean,...

Saying sorry is a funny business. Sometimes you don't even have to vocalise the words but you know you are forgiven. And vice versa. The funniest apology happened between me and Flatmate. We are opposites in nature and from time to time we have our little tiffs. Most of the time it ends good-naturedly but on this one occasion, the argument blew up and we both stormed off to our separate rooms. I don't even remember what the fight was about - only that it was one of those stupid remeh-temeh fights that only people living in the same house can have. So there I was, sitting at my desk by the window stewing with self-righteous anger at the injustices visited upon me by Flatmate. After about 15 minutes of taking vicious pleasure in being angry, my mobile phone beeped with a text message. It was from Flatmate, in the room next door, apologising for the fight we just had. A puff of laughter escaped from my lips and all residual anger evaporated. Silly goose, I texted back, why are y...

Aaah, after having to do so long without the Winchesters, it eased my heart to see the Now part of Episode 20 What Is and What Should Never Be concentrated on the lovely brothers instead of some extra nobody cares about who will die in the next two minutes. Any heart easing went down the drain soon after because this is an episode of Manly Winchester Angst designed to make crazy fan girls feel even more sorry for our suffering heroes, specifically our old man Dean. Now let me tell you that our man Dean looks less pasty and puffy here than he has in most of the episodes in Season 2. And it looks like the make-up artist has been bundling them off to the tanning salon again, judging by the fact both boys are getting a bit of colour on them. Sam also looks surprisingly..... preppy, what with the pastel coloured shirt and carefully blow-dried hair. Anyway, a djinn is the monster of the week and Dean falls into his evil clutches when the djinn grants Dean’s unspoken wish and transports hi...

Forgive my being overdramatic when I say that I have been in paroxysms of agony for the past week because I have gone Supernatural cold turkey. I have missed TWO episodes of Supernatural (the really exciting end of season ones) and I did not even have old episodes to tide me over because my laptop has been in the shop all this time. I have not even dared to go to an internet cafe in case I am tempted to look at spoilers. Sitting morosely in front of the television, I eventually resorted to the bored and lost's cure: The Bold and The Beautiful . Only half an hour of it, and I was snapped out of my reverie. My God, that show is sick! There's this woman who marries the patriach of this family, then she divorces him and marries her stepson, divorces the stepson and steals not only one husband from her own daughter but two husbands, the second husband who is actually her stepson's half brother, then gets rid of this guy and goes back to the stepson!! And the family, for som...

WAAAAAAARRGGHHH!!!! Having just watched the promo for Supernatural Episode 21 All Hell Breaks Loose Part 1 , I have not only bitten off my fingernails, I have gnawed my fingers down to my knuckles. Sam getting skewered like a kebab! Dean howling in agony! Manly tears all around! (clutches blanket) Will the finale be like Season 1 where we are left to ponder whether any of the Winchester men will still be alive? NOOOOO, this is too cruel, too cruel Eric Kripke, you heartless man you!

The Mother likes to moan at my choice in novels - fantastical, overblown dramas - but when she's looking for something to read, she comes to me to feed her addiction to books. The Mother does not like to admit it, but she is as much of a bookworm as I am. The Father knows this and has sneakily employed this knowledge in the past. He gives her a book when he has done something wrong so The Mother will be distracted for a day or two and forget to yell at him. When she was hassling me to hurry up and come home from England, she scoffed when I said I needed time to sort and pack my belongings. I have nine and a half years worth of stuff and I had collected a lot of books in the meantime. ( Books are partly the reason why I have so little savings). "Why don't you sell or give away your books?" she said. "WHAT?!? Sell my precious books? I have autographed copies and special editions." "Surely you're not going to read them all again." Yes, I would, ye...

Dad has finished that Playboy article he had been writing and has e-mailed it to his children for comment. When he says 'comment' he actually means 'praise' because it doesn't matter what you say, my dad never listens to advice. All the changes I recommended he make, he basically ignored, except for one sentence. One. Sure, he put in my recommendations while I was standing over his shoulder but he's erased nearly all of it. When I was correcting his essay, I pointed out several areas where he should break down his points into shorter sentences and use simpler and fewer words. Dad grumbled and said that he can't do that, and that I don't understand that this is a technical essay and I don't understand technical stuff. Fine, I don't understand anything about fossil fuels and pollution indices but it does not matter because it is the grammar and clarity of your article that I am trying to mend. "Look," I say, "you are not writing f...

It's back to regular ghost hunting again as Sam and Dean purposely get themselves thrown into prison to investigate the mysterious killings of guards and inmates in episode 19, Folsom Prison Blues . What? Are they crazy? They are already on the run from the law for identity fraud and murder, among other charges, and they willingly put themselves into a position where they likely will never get themselves out of? Crazy's in town, indeed. Though that doesn't stop Dean from turning on the charm, even on Special Agent Henriksen, who is spitting venom at having to chase them from one end of the country to the other. Ooooh, he thinks he's got them now! Henriksen doesn't take to Dean's wisecracks and hisses, "You think you're funny?" to which Dean replies with a wink and a smile, "I think I'm adorable." And a whole bunch of fanboys and fangirls sigh yes to that. The boys get a lady lawyer to defend them, and Dean just about stops himself fro...