The Lost Blogs: a year later

A year ago tomorrow, I participated in the weeklong grassroots blogging marketing campaign: Kevin's brainchild to promote Paul Davidson's then-soon-to-be-released book entitled: The Lost Blogs: From Jesus to Jim Morrison -- The Historically Inaccurate and Totally Fictitious Cyber Diaries of Everyone Worth Knowing (duh!).

My choice was Malaysia's first Prime Minister: Tunku Abdul Rahman. (You can see a convenient collection of links to my entries at the bottom of my sidebar, in that blue box,,, or here:

#1; #2a, #2b, #2c; #3a, #3b, #3c, #3d, #4; answer.

I didn't win or anything, but I had fun *while* educating myself on someone important in my country's history; someone who all those mind-numbing history lessons certainly didn't do justice to. And I'd like to think I helped remind participants of the existence of countries *other* than US, UK and the Western World, teeheehee!

Thanx to participating, I also expanded my blog reading circle, as bloggers I'd never have bumped into otherwise ended up on my radar screen. Some even got graduated from the Lost Bloggers blogroll into my *own* blogroll! And, *gasp!* this blog also got added by some of them other Lost Bloggers onto their *own* blogrolls! Whoohooo!

However, I realise that I've been neglecting that second list of Bloggers way down there on my sidebar... so in honor of this 1-year anniversary, over the next 24 hours or so, I'll be systematically visiting each and every one of ya. If I have something *more* to say than "hi, happy 1-year Lost Blog anniversary!" then I'll certainly drop a line in yr comments.

Yay, more surfing! :-)

p/s: I just realised, I never *did* get my hands on the book, LoL!

So, did you guess who I was?

Here are some of the clues I threw in: #1: Esperanto Schmesperanto "my brother the Regent" : royal blood went to England to study Law got into Cambridge #2a: Swampy Boonies playboy reputation while at Cambridge #2b: Heartsick in the Heartland "tragic misadventure" resulting in death of wife NOTE: I resisted putting in the wife's name, thought that would be too Googleable too soon. But I soon realised I was being *way* too obtuse, so I started adding in proper names. #2c: I'm feeling ... lived in Kuala Nerang (his son, born a month before his wife's death, was named Ahmad Nerang.) wife buried in the royal graveyard in Langgar, near Alor Star. So, he's royalty from the state of Kedah. #3a: Okay so it's gotta be like 3 in the morning... "my father, the Sultan" #3b: I think I know what it was all about... Reconfirming that my character is situated on the other (west) side of the Malay Peninsular, relatively close to Penang. If you didn't know about Alor Star being the capital of Kedah, then you'd wonder if his father is the Sultan of Perlis or Kedah. #3c: Daring to (act on a) Dream! the kidnapping of his father the Sultan moving of residents into longhouses #3d: I was right, you were wrong "seventh son and twentieth child" #4: To Do List: February 1957 Preparing for Malaya's independance from the British. There's only one name that comes to mind. For those with any exposure to Malaysian history lah :p So, who was I? Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra the first Prime Minister of Malay(si)a. Participating in this “marketing campaign” was definitely fun, but more importantly, it helped me learn a lot about the man we call Bapak Malaysia (the father of Malaysia). I knew “in theory” that he had contributed a lot to the nation, but, with history taught the way it was when I was in school, if there had been details about Tunku the man, well, unfortunately they went in one ear and out the other. But – no matter what – the archive footage of him at what would be later named Stadium Merdeka, raising his right hand, and in a voice filled with emotion, proclaiming “Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!” never fails to give me the shivers. Why did I choose to feature him? Actually I wanted to try out the Legend of Mahsuri angle, but I was advised that it was probably not the best of choices, seeing as we were supposed to have real people in mind, and legends were, well, kinda suspect. But while doing initial research for Mahsuri, I found out that it was Tunku, during his time as District Officer for Langkawi, who had sought and compiled the tales surrounding the legend, and that it was he who looked for her grave (I think having a grave means the stories are real!), and once discovered, upgraded it to the marble tomb one sees today. It got me wondering about what Tunku was doing before he helped push for independence from the British. And for the record, I really didn't mean to stump anyone! But at the same time I had my doubts if anyone out there would identify him, just because it's not like Malaysian history is studied by non-Malaysians, ya know? So I set out more to educate & share with readers on what had jumped out at ME while I had researched* the subject: the "tragic misadventure" with quinine; the sentence of "death by being shot in your office this afternoon" issued by his own brother: they all painted a picture that would NEVER be found in any history textbook! * researched, heheeheee: apart from a glance at the wikipedia entry, my source material was Tan Sri Dato’ Mubin Sheppard’s TUNKU A Pictorial Biography. Glad my mother had it in her collection! :-D To find out who everyone else was: check out this link (will update with "newer/proper" link once it's ready) Many thanx to everyone who dropped by, read, commented, etc over the past week. Y'all come on back now, ya hear? :-D Oh, and after all is said and done: please do check out The Lost Blogs *official* website; you can also place an order for the book there, or try amazon.com.

Guess Who #4

This is my final post for the Grassroots Blogger Book Marketing Campaign. Thanks for reading & leaving your comments/guesses! And please don't forget to visit the other Lost Bloggers out there (see sidebar)!

To Do List - February 1957 So much to do, so little time! We've secured our independence date: August 31st, 1957. So, in addition to all the "regular" political and constitutional stuff, I need to make sure these other things don't slip through the cracks: Desperately need to create the pomp & ceremony to be used when "installing" our "Paramount Ruler" on that day: sure, the choice of person will be made by the group of Rulers/Sultans, but once the choice has been made, what then? They will be expecting some sort of ceremony, something even more ceremonious than what they are accustomed to in their own home state. Related: will need to commission some Regalia to be used in the ceremony. The betel box is a must. Ditto for a keris or two. Maybe some ceremonial spears? War clubs? Will need to find an excellent silver/goldsmith for this job. And music. The nobat is the traditional music in Malay palaces. Will have to see if any survived abuse by the Portugiese, Dutch, Japanese, British... Tomorrow I must remember to call for a contest or something - we need our own National Anthem. We will proudly sing something of our own: no more God Save the Queen for Malaya! There's got to be a lot more that I'm forgetting right now. Nvm, that'll do for now. Planning a nation’s independence is hard work!

Wanna know what this is all about? Visit: The Lost Blogs *official* website; or where it all began.. Visit the other Lost Bloggers too!

Guess Who #3d

This is part of the Grassroots Blogger Book Marketing Campaign. Thanks for reading & leaving your comments/guesses! And please don't forget to visit the other Lost Bloggers out there (see sidebar)!

I was right, you were wrong 9th December 1942, 3:45pm: So I was at my desk, awaiting my executioner, or whatever it is that Allah had decreed to happen. Then guess who called, all scared and frightened? “The Japanese are raiding Penang! As soon as the air raid is over I will leave and join you. I shall telephone now to the Police Officers to cancel my previous order. I and my family will require accommodation tonight.” Sure, Mr Regent, brother dearest, your wish is my command. I'm not gloating. Being proven right does nothing except taste like ashes. My heart goes out to the innocents in Penang. How many lives are going to be lost in this attack? Even if I am just his seventh son and twentieth child, even if I haven't seen much of him since I came back from England oh so many years ago, he is still my father, and the Ruler of his people. I am thankful he has been spared both the stress of the unnecessary travelling *and* the exposure to the bombing of Penang. I’m glad I trusted the dream.

Wanna know what this is all about? Visit: The Lost Blogs *official* website; or where it all began.. Visit the other Lost Bloggers too!

Guess Who #3c

This is part of the Grassroots Blogger Book Marketing Campaign. Thanks for reading & leaving your comments/guesses! And please don't forget to visit the other Lost Bloggers out there (see sidebar)!

Daring to (act on a) Dream! 9th December 1942, 12 noon: “You have committed the worst of all crimes. You are a traitor to our Ruler. As Regent I have no choice: I sentence you to death, and I shall order that you be shot at four o’clock this afternoon. Wait in your office. Our order will be carried out then and there.” *sigh* I placed the phone receiver back in its cradle. I believe I have done the right thing. Am I wrong to put my trust in a dream? Am I wrong to have "kidnapped" our father? Frankly, even tho all he did was nod, I think he was happy with the change in plans. It was only when the entire convoy arrived at Butterworth that his absence was realized. They headed off to Penang anyway, from which the Regent called to see if anyone knew what was going on, only to be told that the Sultan was in fact with me. Hence that phone call, ordering me to bring the Sultan to Penang immediately. And since my reply was essentially “over my dead body!”, well, you know his response. *sigh* So be it. Let me spend the last few hours of my life making sure the Sultan will be taken care of properly. I am no traitor. God's will be done.

Wanna know what this is all about? Visit: The Lost Blogs *official* website; or where it all began.. Visit the other Lost Bloggers too!

Guess Who #3b

This is part of the Grassroots Blogger Book Marketing Campaign. Thanks for reading & leaving your comments/guesses! And please don't forget to visit the other Lost Bloggers out there (see sidebar)!

I think I know what it was all about... Communication may be cut off. Have to be brief. The Japanese have landed. Signora and Patani in Siam, and Kota Bahru in Kelantan have been overrun. They are on the march, and will reach us in a day or two. I've done what I can, within my authority, perhaps a bit beyond. Will move the folks into the longhouses. Then, just sit and wait. We'll have to see what the immediate future is going to bring. ... BUT ... My mind is reeling from the phone call I just got: my other brother, who is now the Regent, is planning to flee with our invalid father, the Sultan, to Penang, then on to Singapore. Penang, the British stronghold. Singapore, another British stronghold. Does he not see that these locations are highly likely to be the target of the Japanese's attention? ... THEN : *click* I know what the dream was all about. The Sultan should face this threat here with his people. He will be in grave danger if he were to flee. I need to make sure he stays here. They leave early tomorrow morning. I will have to act fast. Out. (*lynne*'s note: This was written on 8th December, 1941)

Wanna know what this is all about? Visit: The Lost Blogs *official* website; or where it all began.. Visit the other Lost Bloggers too!

Guess Who #3a

This is part of the Grassroots Blogger Book Marketing Campaign. Thanks for reading & leaving your comments/guesses! And please don't forget to visit the other Lost Bloggers out there (see sidebar)!

Okay so it's gotta be like 3 in the morning... ... and I can't sleep. Or rather, I *was* sleeping, then i had this vivid dream.... it was the Sultan, my father : he was calling out to me, asking me to help him. Then he disappeared. It was freaky. Was it "just" a dream? Or a premonition? Something to do with the fear of the Japanese invading anytime? Or was it that funny-smelling chicken curry I had for dinner? (*lynne*'s note: This was written in early December 1941)

Wanna know what this is all about? Visit: The Lost Blogs *official* website; or where it all began.. Visit the other Lost Bloggers too!

Guess Who #2c

This is part of the Grassroots Blogger Book Marketing Campaign. Thanks for reading & leaving your comments/guesses! And please don't forget to visit the other Lost Bloggers out there (see sidebar)!

I'm feeling ... I'm definitely feeling better than the last time I blogged. It helps that the swamps surrounding Kuala Nerang are currently being drained. Yes, I wrote again requesting the funds, and somehow this time it got approved. I'll not speculate on the change of heart, I'm just thankful I got what I asked for. I’m also feeling: exhausted. satisfied. and puzzled. Exhausted because supervising the draining works, in the eternally hot and humid conditions, is, err, quite draining, pardon the pun! Satisfied because while I may have failed to prevent my own wife's death, I am now helping prevent the death of hundreds of others' loved ones. And puzzled because this picture of my wife's gravestone in the royal graveyard in Langgar, near Alor Star, comes out looking slightly weathered, as if captured by a lens a few decades in the future. I wonder if it's something wrong with the camera? Anyways - time to hit the hay. Another draining day tomorrow. *grin!* (*lynne*'s note: This was written in the early 1930's)

Wanna know what this is all about? Visit: The Lost Blogs *official* website; or where it all began.. Visit the other Lost Bloggers too!

Guess Who #2b

This is part of the Grassroots Blogger Book Marketing Campaign. Thanks for reading & leaving your comments/guesses! And please don't forget to visit the other Lost Bloggers out there (see sidebar)!

Heartsick in the Heartland Devastated doesn’t even come CLOSE to describing me right now. Oh my sweet wife. Right in front of my eyes. You were gone. Sure, I could file charges against that doctor… but what would that accomplish? It would not bring my wife back, and it would further punish someone who already is obviously devastated at what she unintentionally did. I have been taught that everything that happens is Allah’s will, so I must accept that this all has occurred according to His mysterious plan. And what a convoluted plan it must have been: That doctor, she came all the way from Alor Star out of concern for me and my family, equipped with a hypodermic syringe and a phial of quinine, with the noble intention of helping my sweet wife overcome the malaria that was ravaging her. The doctor believed the quinine had already been diluted to safe levels and was ready for use. She surely didn’t inject pure quinine into you on purpose. Was it painful for you, my love? Did you feel *anything* at all? You were gone almost instantly; I could barely believe my eyes. We never got to say goodbye. ‘Twas not the doctor that killed you, my love, but the malaria. Ah, malaria, scourge of the tropics, killer of my wife! But, for every finger that points away, at least three point back at me... how can I be sure it wasn’t ME who killed my own wife? After all, it wasn't that long ago that I was all gung-ho about draining the swamps around here. But happened? I let the rejection of my request for funds mark the end of my effort. Why did I not press on? After all, I KNEW the importance of draining the swamps, did I not? Instead, I just let it go… and let the mosquitoes breed… and one of them brought malaria to my wife. I am going to have to live with the anguish of knowing that had I done what needed to be done, my sweet wife may just be alive with me today. Ya Allah, I am your humble servant, and I bow to your will. Is this the lesson I was supposed to learn? To endeavour, to strive, to do what I know to be the right thing, despite the obstacles thrown my way? The emotion is just too great - I have to stop and deal with the flood emotions. I am overcome. out. (*lynne*'s note: This was written in the early 1930's)

Wanna know what this is all about? Visit: The Lost Blogs *official* website; or where it all began.. Visit the other Lost Bloggers too!

Guess Who #2a

This is part of the Grassroots Blogger Book Marketing Campaign. Thanks for reading & leaving your comments/guesses! And please don't forget to visit the other Lost Bloggers out there (see sidebar)!

Swampy Boonies It's been a few years since my last post - glad this blogger thing doesn't expire after months of not logging on. Did you know, I totally lost so many emails in my hotmail account because I'd neglected to login regularly? Oh well... I *did* have other things on my mind - studies, of course. Dancing. Trips to Brighton. Just plain having fun. I seem to have earned a reputation of being quite the playboy - I don't understand, I'm just doing what everyone else does over here! Glad I had fun when I did.... especially now that I'm stuck in the boonies! My brother the Regent wasn't too happy that I didn't get the Law degree he'd told me to get. Neither did he appreciate my reasons why I elected to do a more general degree involving two years of Law and the final year of History. So in his books, I'm a disgrace. That's probably why I've been assigned to this post out in the boonies. Don't get me wrong, I like it here. So does the wife (oh yes, I'm married! Quite soon after I got back to Malaya, actually). I just have this concern about the swamps surrounding this town. That's a huge mosquito breeding ground! I've applied for funds from the State Government to drain them - it's going to cost quite a bundle, but I trust the State Secretariat can see beyond the immediate cost to the long-term benefits of eradicating mosquitoes, and therefore the carriers of diseases such as malaria and dengue! Hopefully, in a few months' time I'll have an entry moaning about getting all sunburnt while supervising the drainage works :-) (*lynne*'s note: This was written in the early 1930's)

Wanna know what this is all about? Visit: The Lost Blogs *official* website; or where it all began.. Visit the other Lost Bloggers too!

Guess Who #1

This is part of the Grassroots Blogger Book Marketing Campaign. Thanks for reading & leaving your comments/guesses! And please don't forget to visit the other Lost Bloggers out there (see sidebar)!

Esperanto Schmesperanto The exam results arrived in the mail today. It’s right there in front of me as I type. I hesitate tearing open the envelope. Will I head home in disgrace? Or will I actually be able to enter a university here in England, and study Law as instructed by my brother the Regent? Memories of the last year or so are whizzing thru my mind: My voyage to England via that cargo ship, most of the time on which I was beset by fevers no thanks to the malaria I’d contracted. My first year, living in a typical English village: getting to know the life here but not making much progress studies-wise Moving to Cambridge upon getting reassigned to another Tutor who finally managed to help me, getting me to study really hard. Sitting for the Littlego late last summer. Ah yes, what weird names these British people come up with. The Littlego - the examination that determines whether you gain entry into university here. The results of which are in that envelope, right in front of me. I still dare not open the envelope. Not when this conversation, which took place immediately after the English Essay paper, is still all too fresh in my head: Tutor: So, how did it go? Me: (grinning, confident) I think it went pretty well. Tutor: What topic did you choose? Cobbett’s Rural Rides *was* a choice, wasn’t it? That’s the safe choice I’d coached you on, after all… Me: Yes, yes, Rural Rides was one of the choices… but… Tutor: (sinking feeling) But what? Me: Well, this other topic caught my eye… and besides, I know Rural Rides almost by heart by now, it would have been boring for me to write about it. Tutor: (eyes wide and panicked) What other topic? What did you choose? Me: “An International Language” Tutor: (starting to hyperventilate) Pray tell, what do you know about Esperanto? Me: Esperanto? What’s that? I wrote about English lah! Tutor: Yes, Esperanto! That is the “international language” to which the examiners referred! Me: (feeling a bit sheepish) Well, I didn’t know anything about that, I’ve never head of it. To me, English is the international language. All you Mat Salleh’s speak it, don’t you? Tutor: You are *so* going to fail this paper! Me: (gulp!) And here I am, a few months later. Okay.... I'm reaching for the envelope. I tear open the envelope. I pull out the slip of paper. I open my eyes slowly . . . . Can I believe my eyes??? I PASSED! Whooohoooooo!!!! Wow, that was close! Looks like I’d obtained very high marks for all the OTHER papers, so I was allowed a Pass for the whole examination. Phew!!! Now to get a place in a good university…. (UPDATE: Have been accepted as an undergraduate in St Catherine’s College: one of the seventeen colleges that form the University of Cambridge! Wahooooooo!) (*lynne*'s note: This was written in 1922)

Wanna know what this is all about? Visit: The Lost Blogs *official* website; or where it all began.. Visit the other Lost Bloggers too!

(NOTE: posting this at 10pm on Monday 10th April 2006, which translates to Monday 9am US CST. Yes, that's a 13hr time difference. Just for the record :D)

Lost Blogs Part Deux

Okay so the assisted plagiarising for Rail, and the non-p0rn meme for SG all done :-)

Now for The Lost Blogs. I first typed about it here.

Then SG talked about... but HE got visited by someone promoting the book, and not me ... i blame it on blogger: they were having major problems then, so maybe Mr Apgar couldn't access my blog at that time?

Annnnyways... the main thing is this "Grassroots Blogger Book Marketing Campaign" being carried out to mark the release of The Lost Blogs.

The gist:

... blog every day for one week straight from Monday, April 10 to Friday, April 14, 2006, as your historical figure of choice, or as (a fictional) someone close to them... Do not directly reveal who the historical subject is in your blog entries ... need to avoid posting about historical figures that are already featured in the book...

The best part:

The top three bloggers throughout the course of the campaign will receive autographed, first-edition copies of the book. Entries will be judged by Paul Davidson himself.

The kiasu in me is jumping up and down at the thought of getting the prize... the slightly more rational part of me is advising caution, since I wonder if i know enough about *any* historical figure to produce at least 5 solid blogs' worth of this persons's thoughts??

Hmmm, I *do* have one person in mind... but would have to do immense amounts of research... I wonder, should I do this or not, especially when I should be working on that magazine article I got assigned 3 weeks ago? :p

Book update!

I don't have a target or anything, but I am keeping track of the books I read this year, and will post a summary of them all at the end of this year. A quick look at that draft shows that I've read 9 books in January 2006; 2 in February; but NONE SO FAR in March! Yikes!

Yea, somehow I'm not feeling the call of books right now: the new digs and the ikea-themed room are somehow not conducive, I guess :p But will need to at least log ONE book for March! Gonna look at all those partially-read / unread ones sitting in the cupboard / on the shelf....

In the meantime, here's a book I am definitely picking up; don't remember at whose blog I came across this: The Lost Blogs by Paul Davidson.

... what a great concept!! .... Here's the Book Description from Amazon: "There are over 13 million people in the world currently blogging, but what about the blogs written by the iconic men and women who (unfortunately) died before the Internet was even invented? In this witty and original take on the most important technological development since spam, THE LOST BLOGS offers hundreds of blogs from the most famous minds in history, detailing their hysterically personal (and impersonal) revelations, such as: John Lennon's thoughts after meeting a young woman named Yoko Ono (and her strange interest in the Beatles' publishing rights). Tips of the trade from Jesus Christ's carpentry blog, including how to build a combination water and wine rack. Shakespeare's treatment for a new play about two princes who misplace their horse and carriage and spend the entire play trying to locate it. How a stray hot dog nearly derailed Ghandi's hunger strike. Jim Morrison's original lyrics to Light My Fire (what does smell like a burning tire?). And the missing two cents from everyone else who matters, proving there's no such thing as "too much information."

... it's exactly my cup of tea, methinks!

... coming soon: May 2006.