I must have been expecting too much from his writing. It started off quite good with the Claymore (a Eurasian who dabbled with black magic) but it got pretty bland after that. Maybe because I was looking for originality as I see it in Amir Hafizi's Susuk.

It started out in Malaya, post Independence where there is a shaman and his nephew who is working for the government. Women started disappearing and Alihudin, the shaman, was summoned by Clive who was looking for Jessica. Clive believes that Claymore has to do with Jessica's disappearance.

From this point onwards, readers were transferred to Australia to meet the characters over there. Despite the fact that it's great to see some fusion, I ended being in confusion. The Ouija boards, the summoning and all, it somehow got me lost somewhere.

IMHO, the punch was not there. The story was too everywhere. Where Claymore dabbled in dark magic was not revealed (which for me is a very important source). And it became pretty cartoony in the end, which is so uncool. It must be me but somehow I think it's losing something.

Tunku Halim writes the book using very nice vocabulary and all and it is, I have to say, very descriptive. The way he described how Claymore killed the victims are very gory and yeah, I have flashes of the images in my mind (and still having it now). But I got lost somewhere and some parts were not even supposed to be there (can't spoil it for anyone).

It started very good and towards the very end, I don't really feel it ended up very well. But hey, who am I to criticise him right?

If I have bought it for lesser, it might have been worth. And I can't upload the picture sorry.

On another note:

'Why do you write about love so much?'
Quipped a voice
In the middle of an owl's hoot.

Because it's universal
It can be about a cat
A caterpillar
A country
Or even a hat.

'Why is it important?'

Because it's here
It's there
It's everywhere.

She imagined him
With those eyes with pure cheekines
To still be staring
Still questioning.

Love is not all about
'I like you,
You like me,
Let's wrap this up and be married'
It's..

'But I like that one
I want to just wrap it all up'

Huh?

You and me
Just be married and happy.

And she blushed again
With a strangely, sicky kind of grin.

'He has the reputation of A Player,' said A during lunch.
'But he's serioulsy wants to to know you,' B said, in full concentration of stabbing her piece of tofu.
'and you believed that?' A's squinted her brown eyes. When B nodded, A bellowed with laughter.
'Shh!' B hissed, clearly panicking to be seen with a demented woman.

As it happens, when one has the reputation of being a player/ casanova and what not, it seems almost impossible to get a sensible person to date them. The title seems to be stamped on their forehead and will continue to be for very, very long unless they are able to cover their track history.

Although it is quite interesting (and fun to know that someone actually likes you), keeping them hanging around is not good for them. We are only feeding our ego on that in knowing that someone will always be there for you.

But what happens when you got interested in someone then? You were seen everyday going out with another guy, sitting and chatting like a couple or seen carrying shopping bags and handbags for girls. The time arrives for you to know someone that apparently you like so much. You spend your nights thinking of them, talking nothing but them and then it's time to test the water. Then, failure strikes.

'I don't trust you. You date different guys/ girls every single day. You can't expect me to believe you right?' This translates to disaster. Gone were the investment of phone calls, SMSes and MMSes. Gone were the hopes that once burned in your chest.

You may have the number for every girl in the town but still you are unhappy. Although one may want to be choosing for their perfect one happily, it seems that the practice of 'I'm open to dating with anyone' can turn to be a disaster. Maybe many hearts were broken along the way and then it's our to time to be broken-hearted.

There's a difference of having many friends and having many special friends. I mean, if you start talking on the phone like there's no tomorrow, talking in a voice that people standing beside you can't hear (ni kes ckp meleweh) and smiling like a mad person, that's the tone of talking to a special someone. So take note if the guy or girl that you know does this to every single person they called. I mean, it's just logic right? If you were talking to a friend, normal friend, why la ckp mcm lembut gigi dr lidah right?

And I believe normal guy friends won't help to carry your one plastic bag when you buy a sandal in Vincci. Unless you have purchased the whole Isetan in KLCC, then they will help you (after much grumbling and complaints and grunts). Look out for this sign also.

Sometimes we did all this without noticing. Sometimes we get too close to a person because we are very comfortable with them (Like In Over Her Dead Body). Sometimes we just get carried away. But the proud bearer of the Player or Casanova title might have to watch their back. Imagine losing a cool, hot and intelligent chick. Or a decent, sweet and thoughtful chap. Wow, that can be a blow.

To A, I salute you. You've truly become a matured woman.

From me, I want to say sorry if I happen to do all those things (but I'm not seeing anyone right now so .. application is open. ehem!)

And while I leave you with this empty rambling, I'm going to continue to listen to the prediction over Czech Republic's fate in Euro 2008. Waaaa!!!! Why did you guys lose? Why why?

Abah.. next month wil be your first year of moving to a new place. We sorely miss you, we really do. But none of us except Mak has the courage to open our mouths to talk about you.

There's hardly a day passed without me thinking about you. Although I don't live with you, it doesn't me that I don't love you. I'm your daughter, your one and only daughter and of course I'll miss you. I am missing you right now.

As you move on, we have to move on too. Being the only girl in the family, brought the spotlight right up to my face. Mak wants to see me strong, as a source of her strength and I need to be strong to drive the guilt of not having to stay under the same roof as you.

If I have found out that you are going to go twoweeks being before my graduation, I'd begged for Grandma to stay with you.

If I'd known that I wouldn't be seeing you after your birthday, I'd do anything to rush back to your side. But I didn't, nobody did.

I tried to laugh, to stay strong and just carry on. But when the night comes and emptiness fill the space, there will always be a gaping whole in my heart. And I stand in front of the mirror to see your smile, on my face.We have the same smile. And a very comfortable feeling settled in my heart.

But yesterday, someone pulled the trigger about the man that I look up to and love. A lump formed in my throat and tears welled into my eyes. My name and your name was there smack on the screen. And words failed me. But I know I couldn't and shouldn't shed a tear in this place. But still, the lump stayed.

Of all the days that I tried to be the strongest, I became the weakest yesterday. Tears flowed but surely invisible ones. My heart bled, still I tried to smile. I played with Wan and tried to shoo that hot liquid. And I know you'll be proud because I managed to do it.

And then came the time when not a soul was seen on the street. Lights were supplied by bulbs, powered by artificial source of energy. I tried thinking of our happy thoughts and reminisced on the days. The magic of memory; it will never fail us. One by one scene filled my brain, up until the moment my lips kissed your cold cheeks. Still, your gentle voice filled the air.

Gathering my strength, I walked up to the mirror to see your smile. But it was crooked, disturbed and unproportioned as a pool of hot fluid filled my eyes.