Bek's Reads | Book Review #3 | Blind Faith by Ben Elton

Elton presents a dystopia which might become a reality if we are not careful with how we live. It is a captivating story which engages the reader and can hook you every step of the way. The way he writes the descriptions in the narrative almost leaves no room for your own imagination. But rightly so as he tries to paint a specific kind of society in the reader's mind. The book not only serves as entertainment but also causes the reader to think about how we are running the world in this current day and age. It serves as a warning of what we might become.

It's hard to not give away any spoilers, so I'm writing just a short review. All I can say is that by the end of the book, I'm wishing there was a sequel to this book because I want to know what happens next! I had bought it during a time when I had lots of spare time and wanted to get into reading fiction again, but in the end had it sitting on my bookshelf for a few years before actually reading it this year. I wish I had read it earlier because it was such an enjoyable book.

Note: This book is not suitable for young readers.

Photo challenge #6 | Collection

Funny that the restaurant that I went to had this already arranged in this manner. It was simple and nice.

I've always wanted to learn another language properly. Not one that I HAVE to because it's part of the school curriculum or because society demands it, but out of interest. Unfortunately, I have this love-hate relationship with languages. I often get judged by what languages I know and don't know, and it absolutely annoys me to the core. One unfortunate thing is I have found that I am not good with languages ☹️ I have tried different ways of learning languages, but somehow I progress very slowly. I need a lot - and I mean A LOT - of encouragement to help improve. Not many people are willing to give it.

Please be kind friends. Just like you, I'm learning something new everyday. We all learn at different paces, so be gentle 🙃

What is a language you would like to learn?

Photo Challenge #5 | Remember

¹⁹ And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁰ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood
Luke 22:19-20 (ESV)

Bek's Reads | Book Review #2 | INGREDIENT by Ali Bouzari

The tagline of the book is certainly an apt one!
(Photo of actual cover of my copy be me)

Where do I begin? I love everything about this book. I love it so much, I'm quite speechless! It caught my eye on the bookshelf in the bookstore. Opening up the sample, I knew that I would enjoy reading it. Being a bit of a foodie myself, and always inquisitive about how stuff works, I was thrilled to learn about the science behind the food that we eat, the methods of cooking that we use everyday and for special occasions. How I wish textbooks at uni were this fun!

The author is a brilliant food scientist who has a gift for translating technical language into everyday language. Even though I knew the scientific terms of what he was trying to explain, reading about those terms in simple, plain, everyday language was really helpful. It helped to reinforce what I had already learned before.

You don't have to be an expert in food at all to read this book. You just need a curiosity for how it all works. Ali explains how each essential ingredient in our food works, like how food gets its taste, its structure, its aroma, etc. I'd be giving too much away if I say much more!

To reinforce each concept, there are beautifully illustrated examples of the respective concepts, followed by really professionally captured photographs of food to reiterate the concepts. They're so prettttyyyyyy!!!! 😍😍😍 A lot of the examples are used in the home. You can even put some of the things you have learned into practice and experiment with the food you have in your fridge and/or pantry!

This book has certainly added to my knowledge of how food works. I say well done to the team behind Ali who worked really hard on the book. They have done an excellent job on presenting a topic that can be quite complex in a simple manner.

If you have the chance to pick the book up from a physical or online bookstore, I highly recommend it!

Photo Challenge #4 | Yellow

After a long dry spell, I finally got a subject that fits the prompt of the day again. Today's prompt was the colour yellow.

I was fortunate enough to be able to go for one of the exhibits organised for Georgetown Festival (GTF). GTF is an annual affair that celebrates the rich culture and heritage that Penang was in years past, and is today.

Hopefully it remains as an exhibit and doesn't become a reality

Sure, the yellow is not the main star of this photo. But I thought it was really good with my intention of making these things thought provoking. (By the way, I don't go round looking for things that are thought provoking before using it as my subject. My brain just has a way of looking at things from a very different perspective to many others. I thought it would be nice to have something to write about besides just sharing pictures).

This particular photo (if I remember the explanation accurately) is symbolising humans' activity of attaching all sorts of things to trees and using it at our disposal with no thought of consequences. I took it from an angle which captured the shadow of the real, live plants, which symbolised the fact that real trees might just be a distant memory if we don't change our ways.

The exhibit was called "A Real Fake Forest". It highlighted what the future might look like if we (humans) didn't control the way we used our resources. The trees were made of cardboard, the leaves on the floor were dead leaves, shadowing what the future might look like - dead trees, fake trees. There were other things stuck on the other "trees" too. The walls and walkways were covered with plastic and wind was blowing them to create the illusion of being in a forest, if the patron covered their eyes. The irony of using the plastic sheets was to show our usage of plastic that might one day cover the whole planet if we don't reduce our usage of single-use plastics, and we may have to resort to synthetic forests to enjoy what once was.

We, humans, were put on this earth to subdue it - not in the manner of exploiting the resources given to us by God, but by being good stewards and looking after the other parts of God's creation. If it's hard for you to understand that concept, think about this: what if you entrusted your money to the bank to help you safekeep it, invest it, help it grow, but all they did was use up your money and betray your trust? That is sort of how it is with us exploiting natural resources, and not caring for the earth.

As a Christian, I am convicted to care for this earth, as it is part of God's creation, and that is our responsibility as humans. I therefore try my very best to reduce the need to buy things unnecessarily. If you know me well, I am very good at restraining from buying stuff on impulse. It takes me a long time to consider the necessity of it and the impact it will have on the environment before I choose to purchase something. There are many small ways for everyone to help. We need to take baby steps first, before moving on to bigger steps. When we all chip in a little, we all benefit.

The six R's of sustainability: reinvent/rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse/repair, recycle, replace/rebuy.

Which of the six R's do you already practice?

Photo challenge #3 | Messy

Prompt: Messy

Used

You're probably wondering, "what in the world is that?" Or maybe you aren't. But that's my bed quilt covers.

The prompt reminded me of it my mum always says I need to "straighten it out". To her, this is messy.

To me, it used to be messy as well. Not really as much anymore. I've learned to embrace the mess. Not everything needs to be perfect.

Mess is often seen in a negative light. While I acknowledge that mess can hold a negative connotation, I think we often undermine the beauty of the mess. Many a time, we find ourselves in a messy situation which could be interpreted as a bad thing. But if we were to pause for a second and think about why this was a mess in the first place, we would be able to even see the beauty of it.

This could be a follow-up from my previous post. In the journey of life, it's not always a smooth sailing time. We will sometimes encounter messes. Messes are needed to help us think through our decisions. They can be useful in redirecting us. Or it can be a time when we need to be grateful with how much stuff we are able to posses. We're making use of something. We're learning. We're exploring. All these are good things. Often it's really hard to achieve these things without encountering mess.

You could be in a really bad place now. That's another kind of mess. But no matter what your mess is, how it got to that state or what the mess is about, you don't have to clean up everything right now. Take your time to figure out how to organise the mess. Sometimes it takes just a second to straighten the sheets out, sometimes it takes a bit (or a lot!) longer. Find people who will help you walk through and sort through the mess, without judgement.

For me personally, I am really appreciative of those who share their life mess with me. These are the people whom I know I can be real with, who I can journey with. If your life is spick and span, I'm sorry to say that you haven't lived. Get a little messy, have a little fun. Join someone in their mess. Invite someone to join you in your mess.

How are you dealing with your mess?

p.s. Please seek professional help if you are unable to handle your life mess. It is not shameful to speak to a counsellor, psychologist/psychiatrist.

Photo challenge #2 | Look Up

I must admit that I hoped I could get a very different picture than the one I currently have. I only managed to take one today. I thought of giving up and passing for the day, but I decided against that. I want to commit to it and not do it halfheartedly. So here it is. Today's picture.

Prompt: Look Up

Climbing

Something that pushed me to continue with this photo was the fact that climbing up a stairs is like life. In life, there are destinations that we need to get to. Some journeys are worth it, some are not. Just like when someone calls you from the top of the stairs just to tell you that they'd forgotten what they called you up for. But some are totally worth it. Like perhaps a cheesecake. It doesn't matter how big or small the destination is. Lots of obstacles might get in your way, or there might even be phases of the journey before the final destination. But at the end, with perseverance and persistence, you'll reach your destination. Some times, it may look daunting, but at the end of it, you'll be proud of yourself to know how far you've come. Having good support networks is essential. They are the people who will encourage you and guide you along the way, some who make the journey a worthwhile one, and even some who journey alongside you.

Sometimes it's necessary to abandon the journey. Do so carefully, so that you don't tumble down the stairs. Use it instead as a step in another direction and build upon what you gained from it.
Sometimes it's necessary for a pause to reroute or rejuvenate and that's okay too.

Keep climbing. I'm rooting for you.

How are you doing with the stairs of life?

Photo Challenge #1 | Empty

I'm trying something new. I like photography of still objects, nature, landscapes, food, and occasionally people. I really do want to improve my manual photography skills. This is sort of like a project for me. I found this challenge on this website. Basically, a prompt is given for each day of the year, and we are supposed to use our creativity to interpret what the prompt is and find something that corresponds to it. Since I'm not moving around much/doing lots of different things, I am quite limited in what I can take. So I know I won't be able to have a photo everyday of the year (although I'd very much love to have a photo everyday), but I thought it would be a fun challenge and project to do for the rest of the year.

But here's what I managed to capture for today's prompt.

Prompt: EMPTY

 

 

This was my favourite of the two that I took today.

Delicious

 

But here's the other one. I liked the effect of being able to take a subject up close and have the background blurred off a bit (is there a technical name for it??), but after I took it I realised that this restaurant's glass was really dirty and it didn't really give the photo a nice look. But I still kept it anyway. 

Anyway, if you know a thing or two about manual photography and all the different settings of the camera, I would love to hear your feedback and learn a thing or two about how I can improve my photography. As I'm really an amateur at this, I don't really know how to ask for any specific feedback, so any feedback is good! But please be kind :) 

Being the philosophical me, I have to leave this question. After all, there's a reason why I've named my blog as such! ;) These are empty, but my stomach was full. When something's empty, something else is full. 

What's empty and what's full in your life?

Bek's Reads | Book Review #1 | THE AMATEURS by Sara Shepard

I'm an avid fan of mysteries. I grew up reading Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Famous Five, Five Find Outers and a few less common titles. I hadn't picked up a mystery novel in a long time. However, this one caught my eye when I visited a bookshop recently. I picked it up and read the synopsis. It sounded intriguing which made me want to open it up and read it. Unfortunately, it was wrapped. So I took the chance and bought it.

Once I pick up a book, it's hard for me to put it down. But amidst the weekend shenanigans, I managed to finish it over a weekend. I'm sure if I read it straight through without stopping, I would have finished it in less than a day. Well, for one, I am quite a fast reader. But also, it was only three-hundred plus pages long. Not too long for a story book.

I didn't have too many expectations for this book as this was the first young adult mystery book I've ever read (yeah, I know... like WHAT!? I stopped reading fiction books for awhile, okay?). I'm very pleased to say that I have been pleasantly surprised by the level of my enjoyment of the story. I'll try not to spoil anything, in case you would like to read it yourself.

The story adopts a multiple point-of-view concept, where each chapter is from the perspective of a different character in the story. The chapters are rotated among the main characters of the story. Although it's not mentioned who is speaking in the chapter, the reader will quickly find out whose perspective they are reading from within the first few sentences. I had my doubts at first, because switching between so many characters can become very confusing for the reader if not written well. However, the author's adept writing skills showed through the readability throughout the novel and my doubts quickly dissipated.

The story is told in quite a realistic manner. I very much enjoyed the pace of the story. Where you would expect the events to roll by quickly, it did. And when it was supposed to be slow - meaning more detail expected - it was very much so. The story carries the reader along with it, and you get to play detective as well, trying to figure out whodunit. I appreciate that it was well thought out, unlike some other stories where the beginning starts out way too slow, and then everything seems to happen way too quickly after that, as if the author was running out of word quota or pages to write on. Information of the case is given out as if it were playing out in real time and it makes the reader feel very much as if they were part of that story as well. Feelings of characters seemed realistic as well, and I could personally feel connected to each of them as they were allowed to tell a bit of their stories during their respective chapters. In my opinion, this story was so realistically written that it could probably pass as a real-live event. Characters don't go through "happily ever afters" that we see in the movies. Events happen as in real life - some end happy, some end otherwise. Emotions are expertly expressed through the writing. I found myself often time throughout the time I was reading it wanting to comfort the distraught characters, celebrate with their wins and mourn their losses.

In a world full of unpredictability, it's always nice to have some predictability, especially in a fictional story. But I was pleasantly surprised that I did not get that at the end. I loved the fact that I did not really see the end coming (or is it my dwindling detective skills??), instead it left with a cliffhanger, leaving the reader longing for more. Thank God this is a series and there are two more books to this series, as I later found out. I would very much like to get the second and the third book to see how each character develops across time. Oh yes, that's another plus. The character development is excellently expressed. Each character has their own unique personality which develops in different directions across time. No one ends up in the same place. Everyone is still trying to find themselves, just like in real life - I love it.

Despite some explicit language and sensual descriptions of romantic encounters (as most young adult novels have anyway), I very much enjoyed myself reading this novel throughout. Great job to the author who has me hungry for more of the story and wanting to get to know the characters a lot better.

I give the book a rating of DEFINITELY RECOMMEND for those mystery novel enthusiasts out there. The book is available on Book Depository's website (accessed May 2019) and they deliver worldwide.

Prayer When I'm Hurt

Lord I have many wounds,
please heal them.
For by your wounds, I am healed.

Lord I have many scars,
please heal them.
Through your scars I have confidence in your promises.

Lord I feel betrayed,
please show my your love.
You know what it feels like to be betrayed, yet you still love me.

Lord I feel unloved,
please pour out your love on me.
Help me to trust in your love for me as I remember daily the act of salvation because you loved us.

Lord I feel overwhelmed by the cares of this world,
please help me cast my cares on you and let me trade my burden with yours.
For you have said that your yoke is light.

Lord I feel distracted,
please keep me focused on you.
Jesus at the centre of it all!

Lord guide my steps.
Help me to trust in your perfect will.

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.

He cares for those who trust in him.

Nahum 1:7

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23

I lift up my eyes to the mountains - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:1-2

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.

Psalm 55:22

I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

Psalm 91:2