a web of my own doing;-) :a monologue

TIMEZONE:ONE YEAR AGO

Two years in cyberspace is a long time.Like a kampung boy(no relation to Lat)who roams the city,I saw,heard  and experienced foreign landscape and culture.If not for my previous exposure to foreign culture during my younger days,I would be shocked to death by the writings,images and other multimedia digerati of the WEB.The contents of the WEB is about 80% from  USA with less than 5% from Asia.The Internet may be global,but the culture is very American!No wonder the patriotic French people are reluctant to join the Internet revolution.They are very complacent with their very own Minitel.I can't argue with them... they won the World Cup98!

The WEB enables ordinary people  like me  to write and publish our own writings.Previously,one needs to be an accomplished writer in order to get one's writing to be published.Now,the WEB enables people to write and publish at almost no cost.My 'browsing' of  other people personal homepages prompted me to create my own homepage.It is called the WaterWorld.It is about water and my personal interests including a link to my business webpages.Later, I add weekly_NOTEBOOK  and  Cerita Kedai Kopi to make it fresh and more lively every week.Waterworld was the first,then Bachok Online was the second website.My interest in books urged me to set another homepage called Malaysian Bookshop.After that,I compiled all my writing work into the latest homepage called @the:PERIGI.Bachok Online has failed to grow due to the  lack of support from my kampung mates.It was meant to be a joint efforts by those who hailed from Bachok,the second poorest district in Malaysia.I plan to develop Malaysian Bookshop after a few months break.

Being in KL for more than ten years does not  mean that I know the city well.I still lost my way in PJ,especially at night.To know the place well,I need to travel a lot. Similarly,it is with cyberspace.If one just use email and browse a few news websites only,then the experience is very limited.Sometimes,we have to be more adventurous even to walk through the back lanes and the dark alleys.You are welcome to read my short journey there.Until to-day,I have yet to fully understand what is cyberspace.Not many people really understand what cyberspace means.;I am one of those who think I know but actually I do not know what is the difference between the physical space and cyberspace?By now,I do understand a little bit more after being there for more than 150 hours a month for the past three years.For my friends who only use email and the web for browsing,I recommend you to explore other components of the Internet.Reading others's experience in the cyberspace is just like reading travel stories.It is nothing compared  being there yourself.

Just one week before Merdeka Day last year(1997) I have made a decision to write a column  in my homepage.Writing is not my cup of tea.I hate it and I have tried to avoid at all cost for the past 20 years.Why would I write now?.What bothers me most is what to write?Who are going to read what I write?How many weeks can I last,two weeks or two months?What if after a few weeks,I will have nothing to write and everyone will laugh at me?It would be the best joke of my life,which I don't need at this age.Or is it a mid-lfe crisis? With all the odds against me,I decided to write.Let's see how long I will last.Now I think I know why only a few people managed to write. Most of the people think(or rather excuse) they don't have the time. Actually,all of us can find the time to write,but not many can find the courage.

TIMEZONE:MID AUGUST,1998

Alhamdullilah,I almost did it.As they used to say,the rest is history.By 29th of August,1998 I will have accomplished ONE YEAR of writing on the web(insyaAllah).Most of what I wrote are from my personal experience, observation and after thoughts.The going do get tough sometimes-the time when I did not have the faintest idea of what to write or when I was in no mood at all to write.This is what they call the writer's block.After all,we all are human.My mistake was to call my writing a weekly notebook.That means I had to write every week.What I should have done was to call it just a notebook,then I can write at random.However,the mistake had taught me some discipline.Now,I do have a dateline to write something every week.With a few encouraging comments from my fellow  readers(you know who you are-my thanks to you all),I thrive until to-day.However, everthing that has a beginning will have an ending.I plan to end my weekly_NOTEBOOK by 29th August,1998-a full one year.My first was on 30th August,1997 about our 40th MERDEKA DAY.My last will be on 29th August,1998.It is also about MERDEKA,not as a nation but as an individual.

I hope it is a bad news to those who enjoy reading my writings,and good news to those who don't;-.Life is like that.I am still in primary school as far as writing is concerned-still learning every step of the way.Learning is a culture by itself.Most people lived,but never learn.It applies to both individuals as well as nations.Anyway I owe the readers an explaination on why I am going to stop writing.I am just like everybody else.We all need a break-may be I can continue next year with fresh ideas.However,I will stop only writing weekly_NOTEBOOK. Actually,I am not going to stop writing.It is just like someone who just learn to ride a bike and enjoy cycling.He will look forward to cycling unless he lost his bike and got nowhere to go.What I am going to do next is to compile at least 123 stories about life in JKR.It is a very big task indeed.With the support from my friends  and the blessing from the top management of JKR,I hope to accomplish this noble undertaking by the middle of 1999.It is my small contribution to JKR-the organisation that is close to my heart and to my stomach.Once again,all the odds are against me;for until to-date,less than five persons had responded to my repeated requests for a story.Oh God,please help me...

What on earth has given me the idea to do this JKR Story?Actually, a few moons back I read a magazine called "Story" in Singapore.Sad to say,this literary magazine is not available yet in Malaysia.It is printed every quarter.As the name suggests,it is full of stories.When I am back home in KL,I happened to read a magazine called Utne Reader-a magazine for alternative media.It has one article entitled "Why we always need a good story".It explains the significant and the power that goes with a story.In fact,everyone  has a story to tell.Also,every community has a few stories to tell.JKR is a community by itself.I believe it has thousand of stories that reflect the life of the organisation and the individuals there.Hence,the idea to compile the JKR STORY.

Writing on the web has taught me some invaluable lessons.I list below a few for others to read.However,not all can be explained by words.Just like hunger,only hungry people will really understand.And the poor people will only know the real  meaning of poverty.Similarly,the joys and agonies of writing are experienced only by those who write:
 

• Appreciate writers more than before.
• It is easier to read than to write.
• The writer is the architech/engineer/contractor of his writing.There is a lot of creative juice and joy in planning,designing and constructing his/her writings.
• The satisfaction of works well done or vice versa.
• The art to communicate an idea to others.
• The joy of getting compliments and feedbacks.
• Improvements in  writing craftmanship.
• Encourage me to read more............

All are invited to join me in for a breakfast celebration of my one year of writing on the web.It will be held at 9:30 am on 29th August,1998 at JKR  canteen Blok C.Please email me if you can attend or call me03-9845227.