Decisions, decisions

It's been quite a while since I returned here. The blog was created as a uni requirement, in order to have us students, studying Professional Writing, to have somewhere to write every day and try to become disciplined in our quest for our futures as authors of something... anything.

It seems I was waylayed somewhere. While I did attain my uni degree, somewhere along the line I ended up as an editor for an investment bank, and now, rather than writing, I'm reading what other people are writing and proof it and tidy it up (you know, make it read a bit better and also ensure that it's not subject to litigation!).

So... I have decided that I must try to get back to practising my writing a bit more. I really like it but as everyone knows, there never seems to be enough time in a day to do everything.

I have decided to combine my love of reading and need of writing practise and will turn this blog into a book review site...

... but alas, not tonight.

Favourite books that come to mind for reviews are The Chosen One, by Kathleen McGowan. Actually, if this comes off, you'll probably see a fair bit of Da Vinci Code type book reviews and I am well known in my family for devouring books about Knights Templar. There's also Traci Harding, a great Australian author who writes wonderful sci-fi trilogies (c'mon Traci, we're dying for the third book in the Isis series, and The Masters of Reality series was divine - really miss reading about Tori and her family!)

Also, I don't mind a good biography every now and then. Latest autobio that I read was Jacqueline Pascarl's story about her fight to regain custody of her children from her ex husband, a Malaysian prince. The story evolved from her writing a diary for her children after they were kidnapped so they would have some sense of her life and her quest to regain contact with her children, and the sequel, in the end a happy outcome when her children (through the Internet) were able to contact her. The story is told from the heart - it is not written at all in a way that anyone would think Ms Pascarl was trying to elicit sympathy from the pubic - far from it. One thing that struck me about Ms Pascarl is that the only member of her entire family as a child who was Asian was her father. Apart from that her family was First Fleet, Aussie to the core. But because of her appearance, everyone looked upon her as Asian. Brings to mind something about not judging a book by its cover. Then there is her time with CARE Australia - truly an inspirational read.

One other, is Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin. This was a Christmas present to myself (yes, I always wrap myself several books under the tree!). I was mesmerised by the story of a young Chinese boy chosen to dance for Madam Mao's ballet troupe who turned out to be one of the most talented dancers to come from China and his story of defecting from the country and his new life in the US and Australia. I got through the book in about three days. Towards the end of the book I had the strangest thought - what would I do if I ever met the man in the reception of my workplace - remember, an investment bank. I turned the page to find out that upon his retirement from the Australian Ballet Company he studied financial markets (the same course I am doing) and is now working on the Asian Sales Desk for a bank here in Melbourne. It was astounding. What was more astounding is that he was invited as a speaker to the calisthenics body that I belong to! Such an amazing speaker... and the speaking came about because his wife (a beautiful dancer also with the Australian ballet) decided that after Li telling his story over and over again to friends at dinner tables, that the story needed to be written down for everyone to know - I think Li said that his wife was sick of him telling his life story to anyone who would listen and please just write it down. Thank you Mrs Cunxin! Needless to say I was first in line with my copy of the book to have it signed by him... And at the calisthenics meeting I told him that I worked for an investment bank and that I was doing the same studies he had done... and then he asked me "What are you doing here?". That old love of calisthenics came through to the fore... I have a life but deep down this calisthenics stuff keeps you coming back - but that's another story...

So, let's see what transpires here and whether I actually manaage to post some book reviews.

I have a feeling I will... stay tuned...