Books/Manga/Films/Anime that I really love

• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
• The Boy in the World by Niall Williams
• The Boy with the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
• Nodame Cantabile by Ninomiya Tomoko
• Seirei no Moribito by Uehashi Nahoko (both the anime and the book)
• Whisper of the Heart (Studio Ghibli production)
• Howl's Moving Castle (Another Studio Ghibli production) (love the film more than the book...)
• The Third Eye by Lois Duncan
• Seraphina by Rachel Hartman 
• When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
• First Light by Rebecca Stead
• Shuukatsu! Kimi ni Naitei by Yoshino Aki
• Hakuji by Morie Satoshi
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett
• Lord Calthorpe's Promise by Sylvia Andrew (Harlequin manga version)
• The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen
• Immortal Rain by Kaori Ozaki
• Fullmetal Alchemist by Arakawa Hiromu
• The Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
• When I Was a Kid by Boey
• 20th Century Boys by Urasawa Naoki
• Monster by Urasawa Naoki
• Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

LITANY

I WANT TO BREAK AWAY FROM MY MONOTONOUS LIFE!

WHAT SHOULD I DO?

I don't know. Don't know.

One world wiser

After I filled the script, I turned around to see my senior counselling a small boy. He was probably about 10 or 11 years old, only a head taller than the dispensing counter. The boy was listening intently, occasionally interrupting my senior to clarify things. Then, he turned his body slightly to face his mother and started gesturing.

It finally dawned on me. His mother was deaf/mute. I looked on, as he translated everything that was said. His movements were fluid but firm. It was at that moment that I realised that he had a stern gaze in his eyes. He was probably a very mature kid, I thought to myself. I also couldn't help pitying him. Because he had to straddle two different worlds, he had to grow up more quickly than other children. At the same time, I also envied him for the ability to 'speak' another language.