Ponder

TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY WITH THE BOOK WRITER AND THE BATIK INFLUENCER

/ Alan Atkinson / Leave a comment

🎵It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas🎄, everywhere we go🎶… and you know how the rest of the song goes. Join in the festivities.

Jeannie (The Batik Influencer) and I (also known by many as the Hatted Writer), together with my cousin and friends; have been on a tour of sorts, or pilgrimage if you may; of some of the major shopping centres in Kuala Lumpur (1) or Kay El (K.L.) and Petaling Jaya or Pee Jay; checking our the level of christmassness each of them had to offer. It was more of the company and building the drama towards the big day and then, being filled with the reason of Christmas.

Though we have not planned, nor it is our intention to cover each and every of the many (there are multiple x many in Subang Jaya, Kay El and Pee Jay) shopping centres or malls, I dare say we have visited quite a few over the last few days.

Our first “official Christmas visit” was Sunway Pyramid, obviously due to it being amongst the closest of all the malls to our house.

Our next was to Bangsar New Village, then Bangsar Shopping Centre, TRX, Pavillion, KLCC and Nu Sentral.

At KLCC, I decided to visit one of Malaysia’s most well known and premier bookstores – Kinokuniya. My book, SPARKS OF JOY – SEIZE THE MOMENT is available at their store. You can get your copy of the book at Kinokuniya.

Or, you can get it directly from me, whichever best suits your convenience.

I will be at Amcorp Mall, Petaling Jaya or Pee Jay P.J.), together with the Batik Influencer, my wife, Jeannie; tomorrow (Saturday – December 13th) and Sunday, December 14th. I will be very happy to specially personalise your copy of the book. I am looking forward to meeting all of you.

The Batik Influencer has a whole new range of her JEANNIE’S OWN Batik Cape Creation with her this weekend. They are, very, very limited number of pieces. Come on over as early as possible to get one, two or more of JEANNIE’S OWN Batik Cape Creations.

Christmas is just a wee number of days away. So, if you want to bring your guitars, violins, keyboards, trumpets, tubas, triangles to play and sing Christmas carols, the Batik Influencer and I will definitely join in the fun. Tis the season to be jolly, fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la🎵🎶

It is also getting to be the time when we have to prepare our goals, directions, dreams and aspirations, if we have not done so already (for some of us). I, for one; am grateful for each moment that has not presented itself yet, for the “now” moment and for the one that has just left. I had a traumatic (can I say that?) experienced which began about 48 hours ago and lasted for about a day, until the clearance that all was ok was confirmed. This experience is for another essay, maybe soon.

Now, let the weekend began. Oh, it has already.

Address:
Amcorp Shopping Mall,
Booth 1.08, 1st Floor, ,
8, Jalan, Persiaran Barat, Seksyen 52 Petaling Jaya, 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: December 13th – December 14th, 2025
Time: 10.00am to 5.30pm(can be extended to 7.00pm)

MUCHAS GRACIAS

/ Alan Atkinson / Leave a comment

Arriba, arriba! (meaning up, up! Come on, come on! Let’s get going! in Mexican), associated with that famed Speedy Gonzales.

We thought – Mexican food, no walls, probably some Mexican music, Christmas decorations.

Sombrero-clad, we had a quiet, but not-so-quiet (There was a gathering of muchacho and muchacha amigos at a table nearby us who were having a noisily good time) dinner at Las Carretas. It looks like this is the come-to restaurant for our wedding anniversaries – we have had several wedding anniversary dinners here, in the past, already.

It was a great day – filled with multiple, countless numbers of well / wedding anniversary wishes and blessings from family and friends – it has been an amazing day which we know has given our next 30 years that extra happiness.

Jeannie and I thank you all dearly. God Bless.🙏🏻

IN STORMS OF LIFE

/ Alan Atkinson / Leave a comment

LIFE NEVER PROMISED THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE EASY.
IN STORMS OF LIFE, STAND FIRM. STAY THE COURSE.

EVERYTHING IS DIFFICULT, AT FIRST; BEFORE IT GETS EASY.
YOU NEED TO LEARN. GIVE YOURSELF TIME AND SPACE.
STRENGTH GROWS FROM ALL THAT CHALLENGE US.

~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller


A STORY WORTH SHARING

/ Alan Atkinson / Leave a comment

EVERY SUNRISE BRINGS YOU A DAY CLOSER
TO YOUR DREAMS. ISN’T THAT AMAZING?

YOU MAY GO THROUGH STRUGGLES TO GET THERE BUT NEVER NEVER QUIT.

HAVE FAITH.
GREATNESS COMES FROM OVERCOMING ADVERSITY.

TAKE NOTE OF YOUR JOURNEY TO SUCCESS. IT IS A STORY WORTH SHARING WITH OTHERS WHO,
LIKE YOU,
ASPIRE TO ACHIEVE THEIR DREAMS.
THAT IS THE PRIZE.

~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller

~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller

~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller

THE OOMPH REQUIRED

/ Alan Atkinson / Leave a comment

“EXTRA” IS THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN ORDINARY AND EXTRAORDINARY.

DO YOU HAVE THE OOMPH TO PUT YOU IN THE EXTRAORDINARY?

NEVER GIVE UP, NO MATTER WHAT.

EVERYONE HAS TOUGH, CHALLENGING DAYS.
IF YOU ARE GOING THROUGH ONE OF THESE DAYS,
PICK YOURSELF UP AND KEEP GOING.
IT’S THE OOMPH REQUIRED
TO PUT YOU IN THE EXTRAORDINARY.

~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller

THE BEGINNING AND THE END

/ Alan Atkinson / Leave a comment

THE SPACE BETWEEN
OUR BIRTH (THE BEGINNING) AND DEATH (THE END) IS CALLED LIFE.
WHAT WE DO IN BETWEEN IS CALLED LIVING.

IF SOME PEOPLE ACT LIKE THEY CAN LIVE WITHOUT YOU, HELP THEM DO IT.
NO MATTER WHAT’S GOING ON,
DON’T LET THIS DRAG YOU DOWN.
~ A DECISION YOU HAVE TO MAKE.

KEEP YOUR ENERGY HIGH.
BE THE POSITIVITY FOR OTHERS TO LATCH ON TO.

~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller