At last ...

... time to post an entry after nearly four months!

I now sit at a different keyboard, computer, desk, a whole different office at The Edge where I moved to on Sept 1 after a collective period of eight years at The Star.

I didn't have a break in between - my last day at The Star was on Merdeka Day, Aug 31 - as I liked the idea of jumping in straight away. For an arts writer, even a two week break can be disruptive. Either you return feeling numbed at the sight of presskits and invites piled on your desk, or a quarter of your "holiday" would've been spent taking noting down and plan coverage for events as the calls come in regardless.

At Options, the lifestyle pullout of The Edge, I'm still writing for the visual and performing arts, although there will be an emphasis on the latter akin to my time at Sunday Plus (the predecessor of StarMag, the previous publication I wrote for). So far, so good. Churned out three stories in my first week and a cover in my second week, during which I also covered Coach's 65th anniversary celebrations in Tokyo, Japan.

Most of my mini arts library has found it's nook on, in and under my new desk. A whole sack of accumulated presskits and reference info got thrown out in the moving process - good! One or two stacks are still in my study room at home.

I've also put up most of my office desk mementoes - a "geram" photo of my dog Bambino as a pink-tummied puppy on the home couch, a postcard dated Oct 15, 1995, from my old school friend Mulaika showing Monet's Sea Coast at Trouville (1881) from Boston's Museum of Fine Arts, a mini aboriginal canvas dot painting Minymaku Tjukurpa (Women's Story) by Widjawara - also from Mulaika, "bird of love" and pheasant clay sculptures and a wooden giraffe sculpture from my Cape Townian foster parents Armien Fayker and Aunty Zee, a bead bracelet from a Ndelembele craftswoman in South Africa, a mini bronze baby grand from my fellow soprano and neighbour Lisan, a mini replica of the Liberty Bell (of Philadelphia, the original commemorated the Charter of Privileges issued by US statesman William Penn in 1701), a "bottoms-up" paper clip holder and magnet from my godfather Unc Mervyn, Greek comboloy worry beads from my former colleague the famous film critic Allan Koay, a castle-inscribed coaster from Carcassone La Porte d'Aude from my former colleage and forever buddy (Star's Education desk chief reporter, no less!) Simrit Kaur!

It's certainly beginning to look like home here on my new desk! Hopefully, it won't be another four months to my next posting :)