#cooler lumpur

[maybethings]

For anyone asking ‘(eh) what happened to Maybethings (ar)?’

went to Cooler Lumpur, which (except for the salty speaker complaining about trigger warnings in universities, the Workshop That Really Wasn’t, and the panel that makes me want to hammer Thukul Cetak into the ground) was pretty good.

won a hostel stay (woo) for two (WOO!) for GTLF (woooooooooo), so that’s one expense less to worry about

got to hang out and de-salt with many lady friends

oh and Taiyo Fujii was lovely, y’all

oh right, I did a 5-minute spoken word set

shaky on the pauses, but VICTORY

Organiser forwarded a Very Nice Message from someone in the audience

...my boss showed up for the performance, which er. OK, didn’t expect that

ate waaay too many delicious mantu

wrote eight (EIGHT!!!) instant poems to raise funds for a cancer patient

watched The Hitman’s Bodyguard, which was surprisingly sweet

spending time with the boyfriend, who continues to be ridic cute (hi kadan)

working on a bunch more poetry subs before I focus on short fic for a bit

physio on the trick ankle is going ok -my last weekly session is today, then it’s down to twice a month

[maybethings]

Cooler Lumpur, Day 1

Protip for all the fuckers who lost my fare: If I say I'm willing to pay the meter fare, whatever it turns out to be, I am actually willing to pay the meter fare.

And to the fucker whose response to the above was to laugh and say "then you might as well walk" before driving off, just be glad I didn't catch your plate. I hope you have explosive diarrhea for the rest of the year.

But for the uncle who politely mentioned he wasn't going that far because he hadn't enough gas BUT he would drop me off at the nearest LRT station? You rock. I hope everyone tips the hell out of you.

Right, sorry, actual Cooler Lumpur...

Adult Storytelling workshop was only tangentially related to actual work stuff (it was storytelling as a performance skill > storytelling in writing), but the exercises were good and I got to ham it up a bit in front of an audience, so it was soul-cleansing.

Storytelling auntie who performed her piece about jellybeans was so cute

And the young lady who's starting up a communications academy thing for kids and young teens with her two friends, it sounded like an incredible thing

PLUS SOMEONE COMPLEMENTED MY QUN T-SHIRT AND THEN I TOLD HER ABOUT DA3 AND WE SQUEED i forgot to take her facebook

Graphic Novel Writing workshop was simple in structure, but for a complete beginner like me there was definitely a bunch of things to consider

Also unexpectedly met someone one year my junior at the workshop and we bitched a bit about Lit Nite. She's going to do her Masters soon! In Creative Writing!

Stopped at the Readings session for a hipster rootbeer. There was no hipster rootbeer because they sold it all over Father's Day. Free root beer floats for all the dads. Had not-hipster ginger ale instead.

Ordered churros. Got no churros. Thankfully, was not charged for churros. defira85 I WILL TRY AND GET SOME TOMORROW sobbu

Sneaked into the Fixi Book Launch where everyone knew everyone else and there I was, the impostor in the fandom T-shirt, Bata shoes and white footy socks

Cupcakes were good though

SF antho writer asked me if I wrote and I was like wellllll sort of? I'm a copywriter and I do fanfic but really I have nothing published yet--now Dragon Age but I used to write for Ultraman

And that's how I started talking to two strangers about Ultraman porn

And Chaiyogate

Bumped into Uma. Like, literally, he was running around with chairs and we bumped into each other.

Also seen but shy to approach: Sharon Bakar, Marc de Faoite, Mark Teh, that-dude-with-the-killer-moustache-always-play-Ultra-Melayu-on-That-Effing-Show-one

Speaking of Ultra Melayu eh bugger Ultraman was totally on the Cooler Lumpur backdrop along with Yasmin Ahmad, Yuna, P. Ramlee and gang and Pak Samad.

Ok tomorrow I'm going to be smart and ask to be dropped off at KL Sentral instead after the Sunday stuff and if you all still don't want so help me Jesus and Buddha I'll have your head/s

[maybewriting]

#MINIFic Compilation - week 3

The last week's theme of #MINIFiction was crime fiction. There were murderous puns, but mostly it was just plain murderous.

She was found standing over the brutalised corpse, grinning, her mouth dripping red. They called her Pinang1. It stuck.

"They've discovered poison on our victim." "By Jove, Holmes, in which parts?" "Alimentary, my dear Watson."

He'd always wanted to see an oarfish up close. One swam right above him, watching his concrete-footed descent into the deep. 

He broke into her home to watch her sleep. After two breaths, her naked gaze fell upon him. The tiger refused food that week.

Hope paused, ears straining for any sign of their target. She heard the gunshot, and its impact, from her partner's direction.

Tony woke up, rolled over and found a horse head on the other pillow. A mere trifle compared to the rove beetles in the covers. 

"On, my trusty Skybreaker, on!" Prince screamed, but his steed could not hear him over the din from the other speeding rempits.2

Inspector Adam glared at the carnage before him. The murderer clearly possessed copious amounts of rage, strength, or ketchup. 

That was the last time he would smoke in front of Kew. It was also the first time Kew smoked anyone; he was delicious.

1Areca nut.

2See: Mat Rempit.

[maybewriting]

#MINIFic Compilation - week 2

Week 2 of #MINIFiction was haikus.

He laid his head in my lap. I sang as I watched his doggy eyes close.

--

His breath left him like the rush of starlings in flight, Windpipe winter-bare

--

Curled in a sunbeam, The cat yawns, licks tabby chops. The thief bleeds alone.

--

Under this sod lies the bravest coward I knew. Death called. They charged forth.

--

Little brown songbird: Clear-eyed she faces the day and poops on my car.

--

Kiss me with your lips as hot as the tea you brewed for an office lunch

--

She dances so hard the earth cracks beneath her feet; Gaea approves, applauds

--

If I love, the fault is with the stars; my head is meteor-dented.

--

Piquant bean am I, humble nitrogen-fixer; Uproot at peril.

--

Chaos, destroyer of worlds, takes his rabies shots with uneasy grace

--

There is profundity In the sweat on a cold glass (Also its contents)

--

Leaves in a windstorm-- Chairs fly; our tables also. Beer banned on game nights.

--

You warmed your icy fingertips against my heart. Time froze; so did I.

--

She's weeping as he slips the ring on her bicep; Jane becomes Q9.

--

When she says jump, we jump to kiss her; that lithe tongue tastes of foam and surf

--

Lift your nose, hound-like; Atmosphere bears edge of war. The haze has come.

--

Hard was the battle, But your smile was worth the fight. The game credits rolled.

--

The traveller roams one thousand miles, yet cannot find one bowl of rice.

--

I taste the salt and honey on my lips; kumbang1, when do you come home?

--

Consensus was reached: The lake looked better with a bellyful of stars.

--

His eyes close. His breath is the wind dead in my sails. I carry him home.

--

You showed me bags, quipped "We makan 'atas'2 a bit." These clouds taste divine.

--

Take me, me alone! And give them my years, every last leaf from my tree!

--

He wakes from slumber; a voice from on high intones "Next station: Bangsar."

1 Bee(tle). 2 eat 'high'.

[set2zero]

MINIfiction story time

Here are stories I did the for MINIfiction hashtag on twitter for a local contest (which ends this week).

Fingers flying across keyboard, swaying with the bass, weaving a little drinking tune. If only all typing was so catchy.

"Babes, thine reckoning has come!" The doctor bellowed, her audience 22 newborn babies and 2 distressed nurses.

One must always be careful when dancing on glass feet: A misstep may shatter a life. Good thing she's an adrenaline junkie.

"Sing me the song of ancients, the dirge that unravels the coils of life entwining the world!" "After 1 more level, promise."

  He always wanted to be a star. See the bright light twinkling next to the Big Dipper? That's him.

  Leaning into his ear, she whispered the three little words he longed to hear: "Get out, asshole."

  Hundreds dead, thousands injured, millions missing, and a massive crater. The robot insisted it was only trying to help.

  Expected romantic-era thriller, got a thrilling romance. Never trusting movie trailers again.

  "Good night, see you when you get here." 10 years and I still haven't taken up her invite. I hope she's stopped waiting.

  She said "You don't punch Tom Hiddleston, it's just not done," so I went and did. 150,000 dislikes on Youtube and counting.

[set2zero]

MINIfiction Haiku Time

Here are some haiku stories I did the for MINIfiction hashtag on twitter for a local contest.

E3 starts this week Gamers all over rejoice Stories can wait, yo.

The point I realised presept plus chemical waste is very toxic. Step 1, enter room Step 2, look at hell demon Step 3, not sure yet. Denise & Esther, Is late over there, innit? Get to bed soon, k? Between TB tweets And #MINIfiction, am I at work? You tell me! Hardest part: Getting Sleeping Beauty back to bed. Round 1, fight it out! My legs ache; I work till 6 p.m. tomorrow. Imma gonna die. "No dreams for me, thanks; I'm already living it," he told the salesman. Hello, today I died; but I had some pizza and I got better!