Wednesday, January 27, 2010

A Good Fall


Done with reading Ha Jin. As I kept reading I couldnt help drawing similarities between Chinese immigrants and Mongolians who struggle to settle in the U.S. The author demonstrates amazing knowledge of details and peculiarities of everyday life that the immigrants face in the new land. Also, because it's a collection of short stories each featuring diverse lives of different couples, individuals, and families, the book is easily read and very entertaining. There are all types of immigrants' lives; a graduate student who is struggling with his survival in New York, lonely composer who has to sustain his living through paid tutoring, a caregiver without any perspective for pension because of lack of English, a professor of English who is worried that his ethnic background might affect his tenure, a visiting scholar who turns illegal because his salary back home cannot sustain his wife's health cost and etc.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Creative writing. test one two, one two. test one two one two

Yesterday experimented for the first time in my life with creative writing style. There is this website where you can get inspired as they give you hints to start writing. The site either provides starting sentence, topic or a situation. Feel free to experiment.

Here's what I wrote on prompt 303 which provided starting sentence:

Catching the signal from one of her friends, Angela, brushed her skirt, took a deep breath and walked towards where he was sitting. As her mind feverishly checked against smallest details of the operation she tried to settle her pace and assume natural stride in her walk.
Angela: “Mr. McGovern! What a pleasant surprise! I’m not sure whether you remember me but we had an opportunity to discuss fundraising options several years from now at the annual donor’s initiatives meeting in Washington DC.”
McGovern rests his coffee mug and looks up to the young woman. After resting his eyes on her for split of second he nods yet he appears hesitant.
“Eee. Miss?....”
Angela: “Jess. It’s Turbin. I was among support staff who handled the channeling of the funds raised in DC and although I was not directly accountable to you, I was in your team. Anyways, it is nice to see you again. How are things back at the organization? I remember when I decided to move on into different organization our team was involved in one of the major projects involving the development restructuring in Haiti following the catastrophe.”
McGovern still indecisive and while scanning inventory of all the individuals he reckons it would not hurt to just find out who is Jess Turbin. After all she appears to have formidable knowledge of his organization’s activity that might only insiders know like the one in Haiti.
McGovern: “Yes, I remember the project. It never really fully took off. It resulted in almost default state due to local agencies’ bureaucracy and redundant credit line the bank failed to oversee.”
Angela: “What a bummer. I remember how much energy and time we input into launching of that project. All those sleepless night at the office in Port-au-Prince trying to put down together restructuring costs, coordinating between respective governments. Is David Burns still with the organization or he’s not anymore?”
The last sentence echoed in McGovern’s mind and drew myriad of thoughts right away. Tired of speculating about the woman who now settled across the table with her cup of coffee he finally decided to bid away and looked at his wrist watch, old Zenith. The minute head and second timer showed noon but he cared less about the time now that he was retired. It was just a token to Angela that he had some other business to tend to somewhere than discussing mysterious disappearance of some architect of secondary value to the organization. His throat assumed slight itch and he noticed that it occurred ever since the day in his elementary school when he stood in front of a teacher and recited poem.
McGovern: “I believe Mr. Burns is not with the organization anymore. The Haiti project was a peak of his career I think and when it failed he resigned. Though I am not sure if it was full resignation or he was asked to leave. The organization has now much more young and energetic engineering crew. Well, Miss Turbin it was pleasure chatting with you. I have to be somewhere by one” He looks into his watch. Keep in touch. Drop by the office and feel free to roam and meet your old colleagues.”
Angela quickly aligns herself to McGovern as he rises up. She quickly draws her business card from her leather purse and hands it professionally to him.
Angela: “Pleasure is mine Mr. McGovern. I always cherish the days I used to work with the organization. I can almost say the memories are of sentimental value since it was my first ever job since I graduated from college. I now work for the non-performing credit department at Banka Commerziale’s New York headquarter. Really, Mr. McGovern if you need extra helping hand with balancing and credit line I would be more than happy to freelance. Here’s my business card and I will definitely stop by the office before I leave for New York.”
McGovern: “I will see you then Ms. Turbin. Good bye.”
McGovern quickly swipes his fedora hat from the table and leaves the café with paced steps. For a man of sixty he was incredibly nimble in his walk. Angela quickly zips her purse and walks out of the darkened coffee shop into an afternoon bright sun. Her body was soaking up the sun hoarding off the chill caused by an overly air conditioned coffee shop. However, she was not sure the chill down her spine will be leaving her anytime soon. The cold unassuming McGovern was both intimidating but the lack of any form of remorse felt when she asked about Burns, inspired instantaneous repugnant feeling. After the conversation she felt confident more than ever about the involvement of the organization in the disappearance of several civil engineers in Haiti. That man across the table just does not give a damn about human life. Next week as planned she decided to stop by the office and roam around. Perhaps something will yield.