Pardon me for using the title of a story in my collection Spellbound In Chiangmai, but Prologue at ION is closing down and Borders is going to reopen.
Good news? I’m not sure yet. The bigger question for me is, will they sell my books? Judging from the comments online, many people are pessimistic about the survival of the new Borders or even bookstores at large. The problem is not really with online book retailers and e-book sellers. The biggest enemy of the book industry, is the gaming industry.
Meanwhile, I’ve pretty much lost faith in our bookstores and I’ve rented lockers in toy shops to sell my books. You’ll find both of my titles at:
Check them out. I’d rather sell my books in these toy shops than in “proper” bookshops. Over here, I control the display and rental is fixed. I don’t have to give them a huge percentage like what the bookshops demand. I’m keeping my fingers crossed and look forward to your support.
Though I’m quite convinced that unlike film cameras which will never make a comeback, books will. I just hope it happens within my lifetime. Meanwhile, I’ve already registered the ISBN for my next book. It will be my most expensive project to date and I have high hopes of it becoming a bestseller.
And talking about film cameras, there is something I’d like to share. I know exactly where I’ve kept negatives of pictures I took 20 years ago. I’ve only gone digital like 6 years ago and guess what? I’m pretty sure the digital files of the photos I took 5 years ago are somewhere. I just produce them on short notice. Give me a week and I may find the disk/folder or whatever.
If not being forced to change, I’d go for old school stuff any day.
On the education front, controversy clouds another speech made by a student during NTU’s graduation ceremony. Sorry, I won’t translate word for word, but the English words in the following excerpt should sum things up nicely.
一句“中文系毕业生可能听不懂英语”引起轩然大波，南大生毕业典礼上失言惹众怒，被轰愚蠢与傲慢，赶紧上面簿道歉灭火！
昨天上午在南大礼堂举行的毕业典礼节外生枝，代表学生上台发表告别演说的一名毕业生，以英语发表演说，讲到父母如何用心栽培孩子时，即兴加入一句“the Chinese majors who probably have not gotten anything I said in English”（大意是：主修华文的毕业生可能完全听不懂我的英语演说），引发全场哗然。
失言的毕业生是邬瀚辉（Darren Woo Hon Fai，25岁），来自社会学系。
在大约5分钟的演说里，邬瀚辉大部分用英语演讲。他娓娓道出4年求学生涯的苦与乐，还引经据典，最后提醒毕业生不要忘记父母的苦心栽培。然而，就在他赞扬父母为孩子的无私付出时，却语出惊人，说了上述一段话。
用中文认错：我没有看不起他们；中文系教授要学生 学习原谅；毕业生上网炮轰。完整报道，请翻阅27.07.2013《联合晚报》。
Yes, some people were offended and one of them is my dear friend Mr Lim who felt that Darren Woo had insulted Chinese-educated people in general. I think Mr Lim was mistaken. Check out our Facebook exchange. Again, I won’t translate.
I have nothing against Darren’s remarks. He is probably too young to realise that NTU was a Chinese university and he may hit a raw nerve with many Chinese-educated Singaporeans by saying such insensitive things. Let it be.
New Book!
