introducing the djinni Bartimaeus

it's the last day of the month.

ARGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

it's amazing, but 4 precious months have already flown past and i still feel like i haven't done much at all.

on the literary front, i've embarked on another children's fantasy fiction trilogy - The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud.

as usual, i'm intrigued by the magic, spells, demons, and the wise-cracking djinni Bartimaeus...the first book of the trilogy is The Amulet of Samarkand. (i'm at page 149 now) and the other two are still in the drawer, unwrapped.

so if all goes well, i should be able to start on The Golem's Eye in a week and complete Ptolemy's Gate in june.

*sigh*

in my hey-day (read: life as a literature student more than a decade ago), i could devour 1 book in 1-2 days, depending on how many hours i sleep.

fortunately, tomorrow's labour day, a public holiday and i can afford to wake up a little later than usual...

*yay*

so tonight, after i'm done reading a couple of dr seuss bedtime stories to the girls, i'll be able to to the continue my own intriguing adventure with Bartimaeus.

i'm keeping my fingers crossed.

any other good books to recommend once i'm done?

women @ work

i blooooooooooody hate working with women!

i know this sounds terribly sexist, and heck, i belong to the female species too.

but really. women are awfully petty and overly sensitive in the workplace. it takes very little to trigger a massive blowout, with others joining in and taking sides, topped of with a childish "you're either in or you're out!" attitude. this is especially so when the office is predominantly made up of women.

fortunately for me, i've got a great female supervisor and my room culture promotes individualism. this works fine for me as i treasure my private space and i'm never coerced or pressured to partake in any social activity against my will. i detest the herd instinct mentality, which is very evident in other offices where cliques dominate and automatically outcast folks who don't conform. we're all grown-up, educated adults, not immature whiners who constantly need reassurances and hide behind a false sense of security generated by sheer numbers of the wolf-pack.

i guess i've never cared much about belonging to the "in" crowd, which is why i never understand the necessity to feel accepted by the popular folks. i choose my own breakfast/lunch/tea buddies (who aren't necessarily my subject colleagues) and sometimes if there's a clash in our timetables, i would merrily pack food to my cubicle or staff lounge and enjoy my meal alone. there really is no need to be upset if you can't find a lunch partner! and i won't mosey over to join a group of strangers at a table for a meal just because i want someone to keep me company.

it's not about being anti-social. it's about personal choices. and yes, perhaps i sometimes i choose to be anti-social. ;P

1st day back @ school

the first day of the new academic year is *almost* over.

every single student was early for lesson and waiting patiently for me outside the tutorial rooms (i'd 2 classes today), and greeted me with wild, rip-roaring enthusiasm.

i savoured the moment, knowing full well that this excited bunch would soon be trudging in later and later for classes, when reality knocks them out. that is, when school goes into full swing and project deadlines loom near and hound them mercilessly.

for my ex-students who've escaped my tyranny this term (and those who regularly read this blog): welcome back to school kids!

ah, the life of a student. seems more appealing than a full-fledged working adult's. :P

clumsy klutzy mumsy

as a kid, i tumbled about quite a bit and usually emerged with cuts, bruises, scratches, grazed knee caps and elbows etc.

as an adult i am still quite accident-prone and receive my usual share of cuts, bruises, scratches, etc, very much like mr. bump.

i guess somethings will never change.

after a late lunch on sunday afternoon at heartland mall, wen got rather cranky (it was past her usual nap time) and no amount of coaxing could placate my grumble bum who insisted on running about on her own. both hub and i tried to carry her but she wriggled and screamed out of our grasp so i hoisted her on my left shoulder to pacify her. i suppose it was a new experience, a "new view" for her and so she stopped fussing.

on the way to the carpark, the hub carried the groceries and walked in front with xian while i balanced wen on my shoulder. then i suddenly slipped and fell forward and landed on my knees. miraculously, wen was still sitting upright on my shoulder as both my hands had reached up to steady her. for about 5 seconds i remained on my knees and shouted to the hub for assistance. he carried wen away and when i stood up, saw that i'd scraped my left kneecap and there was blood trickling down. i retrieved an old cloth towel from my bag to dab away the blood and when we reached the car, poured some water to wash away the blood and cleaned the wound.

thankfully, i'd slipped on the titled pavement and not the road.

xian was quite concerned and "scolded" her sister whom she blamed for my little fall. she grabbed tissues for me and peered cautiously at my bruised and abraised knee. later when we got home and my mum called, xian grabbed the phone and related the incident all over: "grandmee, you know right, shuwen made mummy fall! she so naughty you know, cry and cry, then mummy must carry her on top of the shoulder, then mummy fall. all shuwen's fault you know!" xian insisted on talking to my dad and proceeded to repeat the story. this despite the fact that i'd already told her it wasn't wen's fault and that i was just careless.

if the hub was feeling sympathetic (he was a little i'm sure), he didn't show it. instead he laughed and shook his head at my clumsiness. to him, it was nothing new. since i'd known him, i'd tripped countless times, fallen, twisted my ankle (while running for a bus), broke my heels and ripped my pants in the process, tumbled from the steps of the bus (ruined another pair of pants), missed a step at the staircase and fell when i was in my 8th month of pregnancy with xian, bumped my knees a trillion times on the corner of bed/sofa/lounge chair/insert other furniture, slipped while running on the floor (still wet after i'd mopped it)...and oh-so-many other incidents i can't recall.

yes, i truly deserve to be called a clumsy klutzy mumsy.

***

in my search for mr. bump images, i discovered a new character called little miss whoops! haven't read the book but from the looks of the it, she's the female version of mr bump. click here for more on the mr men and little miss series created by Charles Roger Hargreaves.

for old times' sake

reality bites. it's my last day of relaxation before the hustle and bustle of school (and the kids) get into my system.

today i met my care group for the first time and as an ice-breaker, asked them to guess my age. it ranged from 29 (not bad, i can still get a below-30 answer) to 44 (gasp!) , though one hit the nail on the jackpot. (i'll be 33 in 2 months.) the smart alec-ky guy who shouted "44" probably did so to unnerve me and watch my reaction. it didn't unfaze me of course. i'm a lot tougher than they think. but i've taken note of his name and will keep an eye on him closely to ensure he toes the line. so if it was his intention to catch my attention, he got it.

as an aside, signs of smugness on the first day you meet your tutor/boss should never be encouraged.

anyway, i am suddenly feeling very old, with nostalgia seeping in my veins...anyone remember the old cartoons of the 80s? thundercats, he-man, she-ra and transformers were my favourites (in that order)...

"Thunder, thunder, thunder THUNDERCATS...!"


"By the power of Grayskull...I have the power!"


"For the honor of Grayskull... I am She-Ra!"


"Transformers...Robots in Disguise"


great stuff. they don't make cartoons like those in the 80s no more.

what women mean

the new academic term starts next week.

*groan*.

anyway, was clearing up my over-limit mailbox and decided to chuck out or archive some of the important emails when i chanced upon one from pooh:

What Women Say

1. "Fine" - This is a word women use to end an argument when they're right and you need to shut up!

2. "5 minutes" - If she's getting dressed, this means half an hour. It is 5 mins if you have just been given 5 more mins to watch the game before helping around the house.

3. "Nothing" - This is the calm before the storm. This means 'something' and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with 'nothing' usually end in 'fine'.

4. "Go head" - This is a dare, not permission. Don't do it.

5. Loud sigh - This is not actually a word, but a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by man. A loud sigh means she thinks you're an idiot and wonders why she's wasting her time standing here and arguing with you over 'nothing'.

6. "That's okay" - This is one of the most dangerous statements that a woman can make to a man. "That's OK" means that she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

7. "Thanks" - A woman is thanking you. Do not question it or faint. Just say you're welcome.

8. "Whatever" - It's a woman's way of saying "%!#* you!"

Author unknown
1 July 2006

i couldn't help but laugh. how very, very, very true - especially nos. 3,5,8. for me, at least. :P

then i saw another email entitled "If woman controlled the world!..." (courtesy of pooh again) which featured really, uh, absurd and sarcastic but realistic photos depicting special arrangements and inventions for women only:

there were loads more light-hearted emails which i'd to sadly delete to clear my mailbox. but this little finger exercise is exactly what i need. a little "pick-me-up moment" is necessary, especially after last week's events.

an emotionally traumatising week

last week must have been one of my most traumatic in recent years.

after fanny's death on monday, i had to prepare myself emotionally for another round of anxiety. my dad was admitted into mount elizabeth hospital on tuesday to undergo a biopsy for prostrate cancer. a couple of weeks back he encountered some difficulty urinating. after a check-up, test results indicated a spike in the cancer markers so as a precautionary measure, arrangements were made for a biopsy.

i was still trying to recover from the emptiness of losing fanny, and the thought that dad would be next to leave me was too much to bear. perhaps it was fortunate that i'd signed up for 3 full-day workshops during the week to keep me preoccupied and free my mind from wandering. then it happened. it was towards the end of the day and i'd been bottling up my feelings for too long. i actually broke down in front my boss, madame A (who was a little shocked at my emotional display) who'd casually asked how things were. but i did feel a lot better after the tears fell though i related only my concern for dad, leaving fanny's death out of the picture.

after work, i made my way to the hospital via a direct bus 518. i alighted just outside TANGS to buy some japanese redbean snacks and kueh tutu for dad (he loves redbean and peanuts though i wasn't sure if he was able to eat them) and some sushi for my mum (quite sure she hadn't eaten) when i approached the hospital ward and bed, i saw that the curtains had been drawn around dad's bed. the doctor, nurse and mum was there, and mum told me not to come over.

so i stood outside, peering in every 5 minutes of so as the doctor and nurse busied themselves. it didn't occur to me that anything was wrong until i noticed that the doc was wearing a frown, and then realised that i'd been standing outside for more than half and hour and i was still not allowed to see my dad. by that time, the hub had arrived and asked how was my dad. i couldn't give an update myself, since i was equally ignorant, having been excluded from the action. after about 45 minutes, the doctor walked out, saw us and explained that there's been a complication - urine wasn't able to flow out even with the assistance of a catheter - and that dad would have to be wheeled back into the operating theatre immediately.

i panicked for a moment, as i had no idea what was going on, and whether it was life-threatening or just a procedure. when the hub and i finally wen to see dad, i was quite taken aback to see how frail and weak my father looked. suddenly, dad didn't resemble the man who practices tai-ji thrice a week, qi-gong daily and golfs once a week. neither did he look like the dotting grandfather whom wen the grumble bum scurries over to be carried. in other words, the man who lay on the hospital bed appeared to be a different person altogether, a mere wisp of a shadow of my father.

because mum didn't seem too disturbed, i took that as a positive sign. she hurriedly stepped out to eat the sushi that i bought and left us in the room with dad as he related how he was in excruciating pain when the bladder was full, how he broke out in cold sweat and how his blood pressure shot up to nearly 200: "thank gooness mum was round. she kept holding onto my hand." the doctor only appeared about half-an-hour later and tried to manually pump out the liquids but suggested immediate operation to solve the problem.

by the time dad was wheeled out of the operating theatre, it was past 10 o'clock. the doc explained that my father was unlucky as a blood vessel broke, which resulted in the clot. but all was well now. we were all instantly relieved. it was truly one of the worst tuesday nights of my life.

for the next few days, i rushed down to the hospital everyday after work even though dad insisted that he was well enough and that we didn't have to visit him. (i'm sure it was just lip service). i wasn't able to bring the girls down but made sure i called xian from the hospital so that she could talk to my father. yes, that cheered him up considerably. after tuesday's ordeal my father was back to his normal, chatty, cynical and critical (of the ruling party) self. although the colour returned to his cheeks and he looked less sickly, a clout of worry still dampened the air as we waited impatiently for the result of the biopsy. on friday afternoon at 4.26pm, i finally received an sms from mum: "Good news. Biopsy ok."

that was the brightest spark that peaked through the dark clouds all week. dad was discharged on saturday and we spent the whole day at my parents where the girls ran about to bring some cheer around. the doctor advised that he lays off exercising and rest well. a herculean task for my hyperactive dad and i think i'd better check on him as often as i can.

this experience has made me reflect deeper on my existence, and what life means to me. i never had a very close knit relationship with my parents even though i'm an only child. shameful though it is, i'm guilty of not being very filial, and all too often take them for granted. but after this episode, i have to re-examine my priorities and start to appreciate them much more. so if someone tells me now that i have only 3 months left to live, the answer is crystal clear: i want to be surrounded by my loved ones (especially my girls and the hub) and spend the remaining days with them, to bask in their love and cherish these precious moments for as long as possible.

the end of a dog's life

i've deliberately refrained from posting anything for the last couple of days. there's so much to write but in my current emotionally unstable state, i decided the best thing to do was to just wait out till i'm capable of stringing a few sentences together without breaking down. i don't need to short-circuit my computer with a floodgate of tears.

the easter break was marred by a call on sunday afternoon. the MIL told the hub that fanny, our 14-year-old alsatian, had been whining and howling the whole day. when hub related the incident, we both knew that we had to face the fact that fanny was in real pain, and we couldn't prolong her agony any longer.

fanny's aged over the years. although she seemed quite healthy for her age, her hind legs were too weak to walk. she'd started to get cataracts in her eyes as well, turning those soft brown eyes to a grayish-blue tinge. the hub had to shave her fur a few times as her skin condition had worsened. during the last few weeks, she wasn't able to move around without help and on sunday, she refused to eat. when we returned that night, she was whimpering pitifully and i just stood rooted in front of her, with a sleeping wen in my arms, and started to cry. my heart went out to her and at that moment, i was couldn't deceive myself into thinking that she would recover.

after i took the girls upstairs and prepared them for bed, i crept downstairs to see the hub taking pictures of fanny. we took turns to pose with fanny for what we both knew would be the last time. i massaged and patted fanny on her head and neck, and she rolled on her side and allowed me to tickle her before i had to watch the kids. hub spent another hour outside with her, forlornly stroking her and talking to her. i was awakened at 4am to her continuous howling, and i kept crying into the pillow - undoubtedly it was her final night with us.

i've been praying for the last few months that fanny would leave this world naturally in peace because i steadfastly refused to have her put down. ian had sent me a copy of The Extraordinary Aspiration of the Practice of Samantabhadra (The King of Prayers) which i tried to recite whenever possible. once i even sat outside in the car porch and recited the prayer to fanny.

on monday morning, hub surfed the web and found Pets Cremation Centre. we made the call and arrangements to pick fanny up at noon. as i had to take wen for her inoculation, i said my last goodbye to fanny in the morning and snapped a few more photos from my N73 before the hub dropped us off at the clinic. in the car, i recited The King of Prayers in between sobs. xian turned to look at me and she started sniffing as tears rolled down her face. (in a way, it was a blessing that i wasn't around when the van came to carry fanny away. think i'd have bawled my eyes out.)

i was still at the clinic with wen and xian when i got a text message at about 12.23pm from the hub that read: "Fanny had left us peacefully. Don't worry she is fine." and another at 12.25 which read "They took her, will be done in 30mins." even though i was at the clinic in full view of strangers with their children, i couldn't contain my grief and the tears just sprang readily.

it's been 4 days since fanny left this world. hub resolutely refused to keep her ashes (think it's too painful for him). whenever i think of fanny, the lump in my throat appears out of nowhere and my vision becomes blurred. just 2 days ago, my voice cracked when we talked about fanny. hub gave me an incredulous look and exclaimed "she's not even your dog. you didn't really spend a lot of time with her." to which i whipped about and retorted "i've known her for about 12 years! she may not have been my own dog but i also bathed her and took her out to walks!"

of course i knew what he was trying to say. as fanny's owner and master, he's definitely heartbroken and misses her more than anyone else. but unlike me, he's clearly not wearing his heart on his sleeves. the hub mourns silently though i know there are little triggers which set him off. for example, he called me about half an hour ago and told me that he was eating prata for breakfast at the coffee shop when a huge truck belonging to a security company stopped in front of him. and in the truck were about 10 fully grown male german shepherds. hub joked that he lost his appetite upon seeing "all the cute fanny-dogs starring at me! ARGHHHHH!"

at this moment, we're not even thinking about getting another dog. the thought of loving and caring for another beloved canine only to possibly outlive him/her is too devastating. fanny's not "just a dog" - she was part of the family. she'd witness all 3 marriages (hub's brothers and ours) and seen the birth of all the 6 children in the house, including xian and wen. there were many close shaves when she fell miserably ill and we thought she wouldn't be able to make it but we sent her to the vet for treatment and she recovered. the hub was generous with fanny - top grade organic, holistic, healthy dog food, meats and various vitamins. he never denied her anything.

after the girls were born, i didn't spend as much time as i used to with fanny. and looking back, i wished i had. we got off to a rocky start in our relationship as she didn't really take to me immediately. i guess she was protective of sum and a little jealous when i entered his life. she'd bark ferociously every time i visited and it took me a year to befriend her! of course there was no turning back after she accepted me. on sundays, i'd help bathe and groom her, and bring her for walks. those were good times.

i still can't accept the fact that fanny's gone from us. when i left for work this morning, i side-stepped her designated "pee-poo" area, half expecting to find some faeces lying around. the night before, i had to do a double-take as i thought i saw her curled up against the iron gates, her usual spot where she'd sit, guarding MIL's front door and waiting for us to return from work. but it was just the shadow playing tricks on my already bleary, puffy eyes. i guess it would take some time for all of us to get over this sad episode.

to our faithful fanny, we truly love you and we hope that you're at peace now. and we pray that you will have a good rebirth. this is for you.

Fanny

in loving memory of our beloved, loyal and faithful german shepherd, fanny, who passed away on 9 april 2007, monday. my words don't do justice to her at all, and the more i write, the harder it is for me to dry my eyes. although she's hub's dog and he's closest to her, her death's a very painful thing so i can imagine he's feeling much worse than i am.

Fanny

The first time we met
That was back in late 1995
We got off on a wrong footing
Fanny and I
I’d already heard much about her
Seen beautiful photographs too
She’d been Sum’s priority
She’d loved him unconditionally
She’d been the apple of his eye
She was always there

Then I appeared
Whenever I showed up
She’d bare her teeth
Growl throatily and deeply to scare
Crouch down low ready to spring
She was a real bitch
She didn’t like my scent on him
She didn’t like me one bit
She didn’t want to share
She was always there

It took us a year to work things out
I learnt her bark’s worse than her bite
And once we clicked we got on like fire
On weekends when I visited
I’d bath her, even brush her teeth
I’d comb her thick short coat of fur
I’d take her for walks
Though she'd tug forcefully at her leash
Strong limbs threatened to tear my arms
She was always there

Marriage and babies arrived
Regretfully I spent less time with her
She grew older as did we
Her legs bulked under her weight
She couldn’t eat much
She couldn’t stand up much
She couldn’t enjoy her walks much
Film formed in her soft brown eyes
Streaks of grey peppered her thick coat
But she was always there

Over the long years
She could walk no more
And she got around with a crawl
Her hind legs rendered immobile
Her appetite virtually destroyed
Her raw wounds and exposed skin hurt
But she faithfully greeted us
Every now and then
With a sniff and feeble raised head
Yet she was always there

On Easter Sunday
She whimpered all day in pain
Howled mournfully through the night
Glistening tears filled her once-bright eyes
Streamed freely down her forlorn face
My pillow was drenched that night
I'd resisted but I knew in my heart
It was finally time to let her go
Although I wished and prayed
She was always there

Next morn we made the dreadful call
One that would end it all
Her suffering
Her agonising pain
Her life of 14 years
Now she no longer exists
She lays no more outside the door
To greet us when we are home
But etched in our mourning hearts
She will always be there

Teo Yuan Ching
10 April 2007

Copyright © 2007 Teo Yuan Ching

here's madeline

here's another of the kids' favourite TV programmes. Madeline is shown directly after Bear in the Big Blue House. and yes, we love singing to the "I'm Madeline" song too.

MADELINE:

If you believe you must be big

In order to be tough

Then you should get to know me

I'll teach you all the stuff!

MADELINE:

I'm Madeline! I'm Madeline!

I may be very small

I'm Madeline! I'm Madeline!

But inside, I'm tall

GIRLS:

She may be teeny tiny

Diminutive, petite

But that would never stop her

From being really fit

GIRLS:

Dum dee dum dee dum

Dum dee dum dee dum

Madeline! Madeline!

GIRLS:
She's Madeline! She's Madeline!

We hope you have it straight

MADELINE:
I'm Madeline! I'm Madeline!

And inside I'm Great!

LOTR a la French and Saunders

it's good friday tomorrow and i'm in no mood whatsoever to do any serious work. besides, i've applied for leave in the afternoon which explains my restlessness.

so i've been goofing around and entertaining myself with clips from youtube when i chanced upon a spoof of the Lord of the Rings done by the brit supercomedy duo of Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.

the 30 minutes video is loaded with countless innuendos and potshots - you've gotta know the story to appreciate the jokes - that got me cracking up. enjoy:

Beary Bonding Fun

talk about reliving my childhood...



my girls look forward to Bear in the Big Blue House every night at 9.30pm on Playhouse Disney Channel. it's a feel-good muppet-puppet TV show for young kids produced by the Jim Henson company.

i do actually sit down with them to watch the programme. i find it's great bonding time with the kids as i explain the adventures of bear and his woodland valley friends to xian (wen's still a little too young to comprehend but she loves the songs and bear himself).

wen, who's learning how to talk and can speak a few words, would point to the TV in the evenings and ask me, "mimi, where bear?" (yeeeeeees...she calls me "mimi").

xian loves the Shadow segment and the Goodbye song which we all sing together at the end of the show. and when i brush their teeth, and when they bathe and, oh, you get the idea. :)

and with the wonders of the internet, i can look up the lyrics which go like this -

Bear: Hey this was really fun
Luna: We hope you liked it too.
Bear: Seems like we've just begun
Both: When suddenly we're through.
Bear: Goodbye, Goodbye, good friends, Goodbye.
Both: For now it's time to go.
Bear: But hey! I say, "well that's OK!"
Luna: Cos we'll see you very soon, I know!
Bear: Very soon I know!
Both: Goodbye, Goodbye, good friends, Goodbye!
Luna: Goodbye!
Bear: For tomorrow, just like
Both: Today! The moon, the Bear and the Big Blue House will be waiting for you to come and play. To come and play. To come and play.
Bear: (Spoken to Luna) Goodbye now!

once the hub clucked his tongue and commented, "i wonder who's the one interested to catch the show? the mummy or the kids?"

heh, the hub reads me like a book. he's right. i don't think i'm ever going to stop watching kids' TV shows.

the braggadocio

if there's one thing i absolutely detest, it's a braggart.

unfortunately, i've been paired to work with one and every single sentence is punctuated with "in the industry we do this...", "as an ex-XXX i've done this...", "as you know, my experience..."

such a dreary windbag.

maybe if i'm a 21-year-old freshie from school i'd be awe-struck with wide eye wonder when the trumpeter starts to wax lyrical about glorified work experiences. sorry to disappoint, but i'm the wrong audience and these vainglorious attempts to impress me fail miserably. i've been in the work force for 11 years - spent in various industries before switching to education of which i'm now in my 6th year.

so i'm not a newbie in teaching either. i may not know everything and i never proclaim to be an expert, but the training wheels have been removed a long time ago.

still, i’m the most junior member of the team and i know where my place is. which is why I merely smile and carry out my duties faithfully.

so it’s a laugh when the rookie spotted some glaringly errors made by the so-called language virtuoso – not that the latter would be thankful that i'd quickly amended the mistakes. on the contrary, the maestro might even be upset with me for exposing a *little* weakness.

ah well. i’ve dealt with worse crap than a this gascon. i'll survive.

what's Harry's fate?

i can't wait to get my hands on the new Harry Potter book: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows which won't be out till 21 july 2007, Saturday.

but no, i won't be queing up overnight outside the bookstores or placing a pre-order since i only intend to get the softcover of the book (which will only be published in 2008). so i guess i'll just have to rely on spoilers when the book's released. i'm not exactly the greatest Harry Potter fan anyway.

heh.

but july's still a long way ahead and of course i do want to know what happens to Harry and his friends. Most importantly, does he live? does Voldemort die? who else will be quashed? who will survive? what happens? this will be the 7th and last book of the hugely successful series and i'm very sure J.K. Rowling's outdone herself for the final installment.

so when i discovered that http://www.mugglenet.com/ has published What Will Happen in Harry Potter 7 i rushed to kinokuniya to grab a copy. all the possible theories, endings and speculations. these fans REALLY know their Harry Potter facts. after reading through the book, i realised that i miss out many many clues which J.K. Rowling had been scattering all over the 6 previous books.

it's a thin, easy-to-read book co-written by the website's founding members. they're obviously trying to milk it for what it's worth, since there's a shroud of secrecy revolving the characters in the book. it's even more expensive than a softcover original Harry Potter book! but i must say it's perfect timing, well marketed and cleverly targeted at restless fans who want clues to possible outcomes of their favourite wizard/witch.

so i've done the predictable - pulled out my Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix from the shelf. i'm going to re-read the novel, then move on to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince where i'll be able to make my own assumptions about the what finally happens.