BE SURROUNDED BY GOOD PEOPLE ALWAYS AS
THEY WILL BRING OUT THE GOOD IN YOU.
THEY FOCUS ON WHAT THEY APPRECIATE ABOUT YOU.
THESE FRIENDSHIPS ARE KEEPERS.
~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
FRIENDSHIP KEEPERS
Swimming
JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU CAN’T, YOU CAN
DETERMINATION IS WHAT WILL SEE YOU THOUGH
ALL BARRIERS.
ONLY YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
YOU JUST HAVE TO KEEP BELIEVING… AND KEEP GOING.
YOU WILL SOON LEARN THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO KEEP ON GOING LONG AFTER YOU THINK YOU CAN’T.
~~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
HABIT, DISCIPLINE, SUCCESS
YOU WORK HARD TOWARDS YOUR SUCCESS…AND ACHIEVE IT.
SUCCESS IS A HABIT.
YOU HAVE TO STAY DISCIPLINED TO MAINTAIN SUCCESS.
I WILL BE CONSISTENT.
ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
EVERY DAY IS A GOOD DAY
LIFE IS NOT ALWAYS PERFECT.
HOWEVER, EVERY DAY IS A GOOD DAY.
IT IS UP TO YOU TO MAKE IT A GOOD DAY.
IF YOU KNOW YOU CAN DO BETTER; THEN DO BETTER.
~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
JUST DO
SOMETHING I LEARNED ABOUT PEOPLE AND LIFE….
JUST DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU.
IF YOU CAN DO IT ONCE, YOU CAN DO IT AGAIN.
IT BECOMES SO MUCH SIMPLER WHYEN YOU DON’T FIND THE NEED TO EXPLAIN YOURSELF TO PEOPLE.
~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
RED SHOES REARING TO GO
All the 5 lights have turned green…. It’s a go!
Come find out.
Address:
Amcorp Shopping Mall,
Booth 23, Ground Floor, ,
8, Jalan, Persiaran Barat, Seksyen 52 Petaling Jaya, 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: May 3rd – May 4th, 2025
Time: 10.00am to 5.30pm (can be extended to 8.00pm)
THE EXTRA MILE
VALUE TIME, EVEN IF IT IS A MOMENT.
STOP GIVING AWAY YOUR TIME AND TALENTS.
VALUE WHAT YOU KNOW AND START CHARGING FOR IT.
HOWEVER GO THE EXTRA MILE WITH YOUR TALENTS WHEN YOU DO START CHARGING.
ALWAYS MAKE A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO PAY ATTENTION IN ALL THAT YOU DO AS EVERYTHING IS YOUR TEACHER.
~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
VIBRANCY, COLOURS, STORIES AND BATIK; THE WEEKEND THAT WAS
I had written in my recent article, “Seize The Moment With Batik and Sparks Of Joy” (1) how fast each week goes by, that I am more convinced that the weeks have been shortened to just Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Now, it looks like the weekends are getting shorter too, may be shaving off some seconds here, and minutes there. Just as fast it comes, it seems to go faster.
It is for that reason why I talk about “moments” (2). To me, I believe a moment is way faster than 1 second. I also believe that we should not take time for granted, that we have to use it wisely. I will save the topic of “Moment” for another essay.
Jeannie, the Batik Influencer; and I, the Hatted Writer; had another good weekend at Amcorp Mall. The Batik Influencer had multiple pieces of her Batik Cape Creations under her label, JEANNIE’S OWN; “acquired” by existing and new friends. The Batik Influencer was in her element as usual.
I, too; had my fair share of meeting with existing (notice how I didn’t use the word, “old”. It could end up in the same sensitive vein as “hotdog”😂) and new friends, readers of http://www.leatherpotato.com and owners of their SPARKS OF JOY – SEIZE THE MOMENT copies.
David Fernandez texted me a couple of times earlier in the week, making plans to meet at Amcorp Mall for coffee. He was the first one to get his personalised copy of my book. He knew I could not leave my “work station” for long to grab an enjoyable time for coffee, so he included an extra amount for a great cup of coffee. Thanks for the coffee, David. Looking forward to meeting with you over a real mugga (for coffee as in “cuppa” for tea).
The Batik Influencer is always spritely when talking about her Batik Cape Creations to just about everybody. The patterns, the colours, the whys, whos, hows and the list goes on.
It was a slightly quieter weekend due to the long holiday. People would travel outstation, while people from outstation would come over. It was fun, all the same.
We, Jeannie, the Batik Influencer; and I, the Hatted Writer, will be at Amcorp Mall to meet all you wonderful people. There were many who contacted us, saying they want to meet with us. We will be in the same place this weekend, at F1.08; 1st Floor. The Batik Influencer has some great new pieces on offer, especially with new muted colour designs. Very, very limited number of pieces. Come early to ensure you get your very own JEANNIE’S OWN Batik Cape Creation.
I will be at hand, to personalise your acquired copy of SPARKS OF JOY – SEIZE THE MOMENT.
We are expecting this weekend to be another amazing weekend.
Address:
Amcorp Shopping Mall,
Booth 1.08, 1st Floor, ,
8, Jalan, Persiaran Barat, Seksyen 52 Petaling Jaya, 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: April 5th – April 6th, 2025
Time: 10.00am to 5.30pm (can be extended to 7.00pm)
NOTES:
1. https://leatherpotato.com/2025/03/29/seize-the-moment-with-batik-and-sparks-of-joy/
2. Historically, a “moment” (as a unit of time) was roughly equivalent to 90 seconds, while a second is, of course, a second. Therefore, a moment was significantly longer than a second. However, the phrase “a moment” is often used in a more general, a slang, if it may; subjective way to mean a very short period of time, which can be shorter than a second.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown:
Example: If someone says “I’ll be there in a moment,” it doesn’t necessarily mean 90 seconds, but rather a very short amount of time, potentially just seconds, or even less.
Historical “Moment”: In medieval timekeeping, a “moment” (or momentum) was a unit of time, with 40 moments in a solar hour, which was a twelfth of the period between sunrise and sunset. On average, this equated to about 90 seconds.
Modern “Moment”: While the term “moment” still exists in the context of time, it’s now more commonly used to refer to a very short period of time, often shorter than a minute, and potentially shorter than a second.
Subjective Perception of Time: Our perception of time can be subjective and influenced by factors like boredom or excitement, making “a moment” feel longer or shorter depending on the situation.
SEIZE THE MOMENT WITH SPARKS OF JOY AND BATIK CAPES THIS WEEKEND
What a fun time it was for the Batik Influencer, Jeannie (who oso [the word “also” pronounced this way by some people here😁] happens to be my wife); and myself, recognised by more and more people as the “Hatted Writer” (This recognition is gaining traction), at our stint at Amcorp Shopping Mall last weekend. It was fun from the word “Go” when we set up our booth until we packed up to leave.
People started streaming in, browsing all the things that were displayed on the tables. Soon enough, others started checking the various Batik Cape Creations under the JEANNIE’S OWN label. Before long, the buying started. JEANNIE’S OWN Batik Cape Creations were very limited in stock, making it exclusive to those who purchased one or more of them.
Off and on, Jeannie and I managed to get short rests here and there during the day. I have to admit, I managed 40 winks…ok ok…it was 57…I counted😉😂. That super short power snooze was a great help as I had about a couple of hours sleep before getting up to come to the mall. The reason for the short sleep (or lack of it) during the night was because I had a couple of essays I had to work on, while the ideas were still fresh in my mind.
Over the weekend, multiple numbers of the book were snapped up. I had a lady who was an avid reader stop by. After reading the back cover, she got a book. I was happy to personalise it for her.
Another book acquirer was Derek Fernandez. He is one of the senior guys at MCMC, heading a very major portfolio. He showed me an app that he and his team had developed, one that is going to put “Speedtest” an excellent app itself, until now, in the bin. With this new app, you can test the broadband speeds from wherever you are. When testing the speed in an area, even if in a shopping complex as such, and the speeds fall below its approved level, it will send the speed result to the broadband provider and at the same time, to MCMC to take whatever action necessary.
Several people who had purchased the book earlier / previously, also turned up, just to chit- chat. Many were curious as to how I came up with this book, and discussed the various articles and chapters. They are eager for me to write my next book. Wow! That is motivation.
As the saying goes, “How time flies when we are having fun”, holds true. Before long, the weekend came to a close.
Now, this weekend, which begins today; is at hand. Both, Jeannie the Batik Influencer, and I, the Hatted Writer; invite all you beautiful people, to come by. “You come by now, you hear!”, a line taken from the very famous tv show, The Beverley Hillibilles of the 1970s / 1980s.
Address:
Amcorp Shopping Mall,
Booth 1.08, 1st Floor, ,
8, Jalan, Persiaran Barat, Seksyen 52 Petaling Jaya, 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: March 15th – March 16th, 2025
Time: 10.00am to 5.30pm (can be extended to 7.00pm)
A FUN WEEKEND SEIZING THE MOMENTS WITH BATIK CAPE CREATIONS AND SPARKS OF JOY
The weekend that was.
What an exciting time last weekend was at our F1.08 booth at Amcorp Mall.
Saturday started with a slow sort of idyllic morning. I guess people were soaking in / absorbing the first morning of the weekend. Many would have been quite reluctant to get out of bed, I guess. Except the Batik Influencer, me, and a whole lot of people in the country. We were up and out of bed at our usual time, like always.
The first thing we do when we get up each morning, is to make our beds. It gives us a sense of accomplishment – one task completed, starting off the day on a right footing.
We loaded the vehicle with all the barang – barang (things that we were going to put up for sale). We were at our booth in Amcorp Mall at half nine in the morning. Got the booth set up in no time at all. Before long, visitors starting streaming in to visit us.
The Batik Influencer, who also happens to be the wife of the Hatted Writer (me); almost immediately was strutting her stuff. Batik was like second nature to her. Both, men and women; were equally interested and impressed. Her Batik Cape Creations under the “JEANNIE’S OWN” LABEL; was fast snapped up.
By the end of the weekend, the Batik Influencer had many new friends. And, many of the Batik capes; had been acquired by new owners.
Andersen Lee, a property investor; was the first to get his copy of my book, SPARKS OF JOY – SEIZE THE MOMENT. He was thrilled to have his copy personalised by me with a message.
Soon, there was a steady flow of people enquiring about the book, and other things we had on display. I had the opportunity of meeting many, many (I wanted to use the word “multiple” but [not however] – more ooomph in expression) followers / readers of http://www.leatherpotato.com over the two days at the booth. In the process, many people purchased a copy of my book. All wanted the book personalised with a message from me.
It was another great weekend where we had the opportunity of meeting people and making new friends in the process.
This weekend, we will be at the same booth, F1.08 (First Floor). We are expecting a whole new crowd of people, plus our existing friends.
There are new pieces of JEANNIE’S OWN Batik Cape Creations, however, these are limited. There are always unique and are limited edition in their own right. Come and become owners of one or several pieces. They make amazing gifts, too.
SPARKS OF JOY – SEIZE THE MOMENT: The book, through the many stories it holds and tells, is a keepsake for people of all ages, both young and older. When you turn each page, the feeling of paper, the scent of ink with words printed in it on each paper, stories that pop up and take you to the scenes like the time when the exhaust pipe fell off the car – a hilarious scene; or when we, as parents, spent 15 hours in a day at the pool just for a 35 second race – the commitment the athletes put into that 35 seconds. These are stories that can be read many times as each time can put the reader in a different scene.
Among those who obtained their copy were Stefanie; Vanesha; Laura’s (our daughter) sister-in-law, Zoe; Mr Law Yaw Bang and Nur Azalina. Zoe, who will be turning 12 years old; is my youngest reader / customer.
Come, and bring your whole family, and share your experiences, too. Jeannie and I look forward to seeing all of you. See you there.
Address:
Amcorp Shopping Mall,
Booth 1.08, 1st Floor, ,
8, Jalan, Persiaran Barat, Seksyen 52 Petaling Jaya, 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: March 8th – March 9th, 2025
Time: 10.00am to 5.30pm (can be extended to 7.00pm)