DONE.

I'm done. Wow. Have you ever finished a task and you feel like giving yourself a pat at the back? I feel exactly like that now. I never imagined it would be that tough of a task.

Translating a book is not the same as translating songs or speeches or writing a book. This takes more understanding of the subject, terminology and oh, the difference in language. I mean, there's absolutely no way I can literally translate an English saying into Bahasa Malaysia! (it sounds funny and comical)
Yet, as tiring as it could get, I'm glad I took this challenge. It taught me a lot (and I personally think I was meant to read the book as well while translating).

All in all, I've basically read the whole book twice!
One for translating and another round of reading for editing.
Even editing is not easy . . .
But this book is very good! So good that I had to google about the author Jim Rohn. And his mentor.
And the people that were impacted by his mentor.
Although its a book for business success, there were moments while doing the translation I thought I was reading a Christian book. The principles in it are Biblical and sound.

Another thing I learned is  to appreciate books better.
As much as we are in the high-tech era now, old fashioned books are still the in-thing to read from!

Till then, adios~

Expresso

I love reading. But I hate writing. The memories of copying nearly whole book when I was in elementary school until my hand could take no more and my tears come out (Well, that's a bit exaggerated) comes to my mind when it comes to writing. Yet, something changed when I enter high school during my junior year. I began to love writing. Writing stories, to be frank. 

I was young and free. Not wild and an avid reader. So you kind of can picture me with book and thick glasses and two ponytails. Well, yeah, but except, I repeat, EXCEPT - the two ponytails. I've not a good sense of fashion at that time. But all is good. Sun is still shining down on me. Hahaha. Ok wait. That's not the point. Thing is - all the story books that I read and read and read prompt me to write, well, a story.

So I did. Using my school exercise book, I began writing a love story. (Hit the Tailored Swan song!)
I know. I can't believe it too. But that was my first genre of a story. I finished writing it and my friends started to read it. (They didn't know it was a story since it was a school exercise book.) In short, good comments. Moving on, to my next project of writing - again, a love story. Different characters and different plot. My cousin Debbie read it and she suggested that I make money out of it. I asked, "Err.. How?" And she said by promoting to people to read it by paying me first and lending them the book. Interesting! But no, I didn't have the gut to do it then. Ha... [Fast forward...] Unfortunately, the books disappeared when my friend, who had finished reading, passed it to her sister and misplaced it somewhere-no-one-knows.

After that, I never write a love story anymore. Too tired to think I guess. But years and years after that, after all the high school years, I started personal journaling. And then I realized - I felt so passionate whenever I write. Its like my brain in action. And then I realize something more - its a passion, its a gift!

Now I understand that I express best in writing & every person alive has a different way of expressing themselves. I found mine. How do you best expresso - I mean - express yourself? :)

Blessings,
Athena