IGC: In Good Company

7/29/2019 IGC: In Good Company

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Contents :

Opening Quote 3

from the desk of ... an introduction 4

Opening Article - Feeling that same old 5

Inspirational Prose - The Lesson Of The Moth by Don Marquis 6About Don Marquis 7

Living Life - Expectations 8

Minding Your Career - Career or just another job 9

Minding Your Career - Is it working? 11

Minding Your Career - Whats The Idea Of Making Money? 13

Feature Short Story - The Lottery by Shirley Jackson 14

Who is Shirley Jackson? 21

Beauty & Health - Being Beautiful & All That Jazz 22

Beauty & Health - Eating Well 23Gardening for Desire - In the Garden of My Desire 24

Naturally Yours - The Magnicent Trees 26

Naturally Yours - The lonely Tree 28

The Ambiguous Artist - Starting with Charcoal 29

Journal Writing - Making your Personal Journal 32

Crafting from within - Making a very simple journal 33

Point & Shoot - Shutter bugs on a Shooting Spree 34

Artistic Humor - Apparently School by Shane Yee 36

Artistic Humor - Technology Technicalities by Edwin Kho 37Heart of a Child - Mac, be Free 38

Food for the Mind - Music to My Ears 40

At the Movies - Cinema Paradiso 42

At the Movies - Bread & Tulips 43

At the Movies - Casomai - if by chance 44

Right Readings - The Old Man Who Read Love Stories 45

Right Readings - Lord Of The Flies 46

Right Readings - Of Dales & Tales 47

Short Story Submission - Carolyn Charles Mayer 48Knowing the Know - Paperclips 53

Traveling Tales - What is Travel? 54

Traveling Tales - Taiping : City of Everlasting Peace 57

Making Space - Improving your home, improving your lifestyle 58

Closing Quote 59

2005 all contents written and designed by Julya Ooi unless otherwise stated or with byline


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fromthedeskof...love a good magazine in my hands. I love the thought of nding

something substantial and provoking in the material I read.

nd I love great photographs, artistic illustrations, witty

stories, inspirational poetry and prose and small doses of

reviews, recommendations and how tos. I couldnt nd them all in

one compilation so I did my own.

nd most of all I believe when you are in good company

everythings just wonderful in sunshine or in rain.

njoy IGC as much as I have enjoyed creating it whether alone

or with your family.

ust remember, this is a magazine for friends.


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Julya Ooi/IGC/5

What is restlessness? Why do we sometimes feel that way? We know we

want something and we know we need to do something but we cant for the life of us

understand or possibly know what it is. We could be feeling this in the ofce, at home

or in the company of others. It could also be anytime of the day whether it is early in

the morning, late at night or in the middle of the afternoon. Does this emotion come

only when we have absolutely nothing to do? Or a weekend when we had planned for

but not carried out, due to unexpected changes, unavoidable circumstances or may be

good old sloth? Or is it because we are buried too much in our work we just want out,

regardless of the consequence?

People who have gone through this weird distraction from life understand

very little of it and would rather ignore it if there was a choice. Once these feeling

surfaces from the depths unknown, we feel a little edgy, we look at magazines and

check the websites for something missing in our lives. Something that can ll this

void that lingers as and when it likes, robbing our precious sanity away and dumping

us in this pallid looking place with no light. Some of us try to join and participate in

societies and clubs and outdoor activities. Others transmogrify into couch potatoes and

computer cockroaches with television and games and online chat. And still for the rest

they avoid thinking or feeling this way by doing unimportant things that serves as a

temporary recreation.

However, sooner or later this unrelenting creature will come back with

more force, prodding us to acknowledge its existence or be engulfed by the sheer

magnitude of it. All in all the idea of restlessness is just not one of those days when

one has nothing better to do than to feel this way. It is more than a thoughtless

moment that we create out of boredom. Only some people, especially those who are

very sensitive about their individuality and those who take to trouble to know, can

nd answer to the riddle of reluctance and mood swings. If we were to think about

it seriously its actually a sign from life that wants us to be aware of something or

someone. It could be a guiding light that tells us to go where we are supposed to go,

to wake up from the hypnotic trance we are all in and not take the wrong way out. It

could be anything from a career to personal emotions to a larger scale of decision-

making, to something deep down inside that tells us to change route. And if it was astrong sensation, it could be sent from someone who is thinking of us affectionately

or a pain that needs to be healed or a communication to be reestablished. All these

matters need a solution and probably a fulllment that requires our attention. So if the

emptiness thaws out of the freezing point we may have to confront it and acknowledge

it with a denouement.

There are times when we feel lethargic we hardly know what to do. These

are the times we should spend time to identify so as not to have it coming round and

round again to haunt us when we are not ready for it. Its like taking care of a cut

before it festers into something we cant control.


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Julya Ooi/IGC/6the lesson of the moth

i was talking to a moth

the other evening

he was trying to break into

an electric light bulb

and fry himself on the wires

why do you fellows

pull this stunt i asked him

because it is the conventional

thing for moths or why

if that had been an uncovered

candle instead of an electric

light bulb you would

now be a small unsightly cinder

have you no sense

plenty of it he answered

but at times we get tired

of using it

we get bored with the routine

and crave beauty

and excitement

re is beautiful

and we know that if we get

too close it will kill us

but what does that matter

it is better to be happy

for a moment

and be burned up with beauty

than to live a long time

and be bored all the while

so we wad all our life up

into one little roll

and then we shoot the roll

that is what life is for

it is better to be a part of beauty

for one instant and then cease to

exist than to exist forever

and never be a part of beauty

our attitude toward life

is come easy go easy

we are like human beings

used to be before they became

too civilized to enjoy themselves

and before i could argue him

out of his philosophy

he went and immolated himself

on a patent cigar lighter

i do not agree with him

myself i would rather have

half the happiness and twice

the longevity

but at the same time i wish

there was something i wanted

as badly as he wanted to fry himself

archy

Don Marquis


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about don marquisDonald Robert Perry Marquis 1878-1937, was a newspaper columnist,

humorist, poet, playwright and author of about 35 books of which the

best known are books of humorous poetry about Archy the cockroach and

Mehitabel the cat. Dons work appeared regularly in the New York Sun and

the Saturday Evening Post, among other places.

Don still had enough fans in 1978 that several dozen people assembled

in Port Townsend, Washington, to celebrate his 100th birthday. Among

the celebrants were Frank Herbert, author of the Dune trilogy; William

McCollum, Jr., editor of The Don Marquis Letters (Northwoods Press) and

the now-defunct Don Marquis Newsletter; Bob Lyon of The Non-Prot Press

who published Dons play Everythings Jake in honor of the occasion; and

Jim Ennes, author of Assault on the Liberty (Random House). The group

shared cocktails, dinner, conversation, speeches, stories about Don, and

Baked Beans Ambrosia prepared exactly as Don says beans should be

prepared in The Almost Perfect State.

http://www.halcyon.com/jim/donmarquis


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Julya Ooi/IGC/8

Life is full of expectations. It starts from

a very early age when babies dont even

know the meaning of the word. Children are expected

to be intelligent, they are supposed to be child prodigies,

top scorers, all rounders, and the most likely to succeed in

everything for the sake of status. When children become

teenagers they are also expected to know everything there

is to know. Drummed into their pliable minds are the ideas

of making it big with assets to own, properties to invest in

and a great spouse that can help create a wonderful family.

Like cows to the slaughter everyone marches a silent death

to the throes they are about to experience but no one tells

them what its about; the real truth behind the mask of

being an adult.

Y

ou fall in love and you expect the

other partner to be kind, courteous,

generous, understanding, tolerant to your needs. Thats the

ideal person you want but

thats the kind of person

you are not. So you go

through life hopping from

bed to bed, hand to hand, searching the world for the right

one. Every time you think you got him/her he/she turns

out to be the wrong one. You hate compromising because

you sacriced so much and yet the other person didnt

offer as much, so this isnt fair. So you go around hunting

the bars, match making services, parties and crowded

rooms for that one person who will t into your lifestyle.

Before you know it, you wake up from a nightmare and

see the wrinkles on your face. Your friends are walking

down the aisle like there is no tomorrow and you get cold

sweat just thinking of it. Your friends and relatives look

at you from the corner of their eyes and you panic. You

decide now that its too late to begin all over again, you tell

yourself youth has abandoned you, so you go out and grab

that someone you need to fulll the standards of society.

You reassure yourself everything will work out in the end.

You get by the years of trials and tribulations; some give

up, some just blind themselves to other worldly things. You

complain about it to someone close to you and you wish

things were different in your life.

Now you know that money can be

made, status can be obtained but

some things will just be lost in the process of following the

guidebook of success. You will suddenly be faced with the

responsibility of being a parent, debts to settle, mouths to

feed, liabilities to maintain, careers to juggle and somehow

you have lost that youthful passion that once wrought

about you like a hand to a glove. And then you realize

you are not yourself anymore, but the person everyone

else wanted you to be. You nd yourself lost in the crowd,

bogged down in your work and tied to every delirious

outburst that comes your way. You begin to feel there is

something wrong with you and you head for depression or

a nervous breakdown. You had it made but you dont want

them anymore. People around you think you are crazy to

pass off a deal that will make you lthy rich or indescribably

famous but you say no. Youve had enough. Its not what

you want in life. You lost

the little things because you

were mesmerized by the big

picture for too long. You want

to start salvaging what you have lost but you dont want to

give up the glamorous life you lead.

Y

our house is full of purchased items

from sales and you dont even know

what to do with them. They are everywhere but you

keep on buying them because you can. Your living space

gets narrower and narrower and you are almost out of

breath. Your health starts diminishing and your mind

starts straying. There is no mission you want to undertake,

so you begin to join other communities for company

and direction. Yet, they bring you nothing but a false

perspective of life. Everything you see now is distorted and

you ask yourself how this could have happened to you.

You expect someone to understand but no one does, so

you seek for the truth everywhere you can nd. Sometimes

you feel like you are at the end of your ropes and you

feel like giving up. Then all of a sudden you realize you

have been expecting everything to work out the way you

want them to, but you also realize that if you dont expect

anything in life, theyll work out just the same.


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Julya Ooi/IGC/9

ow do we ever know how good we are

at what we do? One way is to open up

our eyes and see, listen to feedbacks (not necessary good

ones) and admit to all the mistakes weve done before

and prepare for change. They are just so many unhappy

people in the world doing what they hate. Someone (a

lot of someones actually) once told me that there is no

such thing as a job or career one enjoys. We just do what

we have to do and make the best of it. I was shocked

nevertheless, like someone coming out of the blues to tell

you theres no such thing as life after death, or something

similar to that notion. But when I bring up successes about

people who loves what they do in life everyone tells me its

only one in a million. In other words they are telling menot to dream. Their conclusion was only a selected few can

dream. I didnt like that idea one bit. I always thought God

was a fair and generous being. If he favoured some races to

the others I would be an aeitist in a second. Ever since that

day I have been searching for that dream where everyone

denies themselves because of the million excuses. Some

tell me they are born that way. Some claim to be in a

country where hope is beyond redemption. Some wants

to wake me up and save my soul back into reality. But I

refuse to be boxed up. If this kind of theory is acceptable I

can only identify three groups of people who makes up the

number of the population of the world.

he rst being the cynics who has tried and

failed and given up and accepted life as it

should be for them. There is no way out and there is no

way in. That happiness is watching TV, drinking with

buddies and gossiping about the world, the neighbours

and the whatchamacallit that they see walking down the

road. Their lives are centered on routine, tradition and

comfort. You dont do me, I dont do you sort of a motto.

n the other hand, there is the other group

that tries very hard. Too hard sometimes

to make things real. And because of that they suffer a

loss of memory of who they are and what they are after

in the rst place. Eventually they lose everything because

they gained everything. They too pursue life with routine,

tradition and comfort but from another plain. Their

believe of some things are so strong they never want to see

it any other way. They are the ones who see the big picture

and will step over mines and booby traps to get to their

destination.

inally another group of people are the

ones somewhere in between. They see the

big picture and they also strategise. They know whats

good for them and they take the journey wise sages take.

Theres a kind of balanced reality and make believe in

their lives, always searching, unlike lost souls, but reachingfor that something that will make life better one way or

the other. They leave very little room for complaints and

idle fantasies. Although they fall like everyone else they

pick themselves up try to walk again and again even if

they have to do it a thousand times over. No matter how

hard the journey, no matter how impossible the feat theres

always a light at the end of the tunnel to these people.

They change not because they have to but because they

know thats what life is all about.

ow that we know, where do you stand?

If we look around us we see a certain

kind of pattern of all sorts of people. Some indulge in

routine and yet loath them everyday of their lives but not

doing anything about it. Some crave routine because they

measure up very low in their defeated lifestyles. Others


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Julya Ooi/IGC/10attempt to improve on their routine to make them variable

and adaptable. A time will come when we question

ourselves about what we do in life. One of them is our

career. If we nd that we are stagnant in a job requirement

what do we do about it? Stay put, improve or try to look

for ways to make more money for retirement? One way

or the other the inevitable will swamp us one day. We

will try to balance the scale of success that we know and

still keep up with the lifestyle we intend on having. The

frightful word is change. We usually are so comfortable in

our world of fairy tales and fables we dont really want

to change because it took us this long to nd it. However

little do we know that change is good. It takes us to higher

planes of understanding and broader visions of truth and

reconstruct ideologies which may seem inconspicuous at

one point in life. The kind of change however varies with

each individual. It may be drastic and it can be minimal.

It can take the form of learning new things from night

classes, attending to ones personal needs of character

building, rediscovering people close to our hearts or maybe

a totally new career switch.

f we combine forces of our heart, soul and

mind we can conquer the world. But we may

ask ourselves Am I too old for a career change?, age

should never be a hindrance no matter what, not even

physical limitations, geographical locations, and other

mentally challenging bits of deciencies. If we can nd

an excuse for something, we can nd it for just about

everything. A career move should be wisely conducted and

not rushed into like seeing the big picture and charting

the journey. Of course theres always a short cut to

everything, but that kind is left to chance and fate. If you

want something you have to go get it yourself, preferably,

because if you send a representative it makes you sluggish,

disoriented and full of wishful thinking. So why wait for

fate to bring you a step closer to your dream career? No

opportunities? Make one. Easier said than done? Better

now than never! Denied? The world is full of it so why

worry? How? Seek. Survey. Research. Youll get there

someday, if not today.

irst of all gather up all your thoughts and

wishes and wants. Write them down and

eliminate the unnecessary, the mindless and the greedy.

Ask yourself what you would do if you had the chance

to start all over again? List out priorities and then the end

results. When you achieve that goal, what next? Once you

are quite sure of what to pursue, even if there is a list of

more than one, do your research. Find out more of where

that opportunity lies. Pick up a course that is related,

nd an apprenticeship, join clubs or societies that offer

such training or do it yourself with books and tutorials.

Be realistic when it comes to costs and payment. Where

will it come from? If you have commitments how do you

go around it without jeopardising the world that revolves

around you? Sort it out, how are you going to get where

you want to go? Be wise enough to know what you want

but not be ignorant about it. Whatever it is never lie to

yourself, youll be a sorry friend and condant/e if you

do. Once your aim or target or objective in life is clear, you

will be able to set a path towards it. One thing for sure,

everyone famous who started out did more or less the same

thing, they are no better and no worse than you. People

like Diane Warren, Stephen King, Mother Theresa, John

Grisham, Jewel, Mahatma Ghandi, Walt Disney, etc. Dont

know who they are? Its about time you found out.

lbeit there is no guarantee in anything

your heart desire that that will aid you

in your future, but I think thats the best part. Thats the

mysterious journey we should all take and not expect every

predictable turn of event like a bad novel that trudges

along page after page with no surprises. But in doing what

one most want to do that in itself is already reward enough

for a good time and small joys. These are the moments

that make life exciting and worth living. Always keep the

faith going and believe with all your heart and expect the

worst but do hope for the best. Because no matter what

good things will happen in its own time. Bon voyage!


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Julya Ooi/IGC/11

There are only a few reasons why we take

up jobs that sometimes become our careers and some-

times not. As we have all been taught at school and by

everyone around us working is an essential part of living

and we do it because it is tradition. By following this hard

and fast rule we also get what we want, very importantly

money and this in turn will get us everything else we

need in life. That was the old teaching and that is still

the teaching today in the many gray areas of life. Most

of us abide by this simple decree just to nd that there is

no gold at the end of the rainbow. Not the way we were

promised by the wealth that we seek anyway. And this

fallacy gets the better of us when the time comes where

we wake up one morning and ask ourselves the inevi-

table question, why. Why am I not happy with what I am

doing? What am I doing wrong? Why do I feel so out of

place and unproductive? Is there something more?

To all those questions, one simple answer

remains is the truth. What happens when the job or ca-

reer or occupation or livelihood is not right for us? If we

misplace our priorities in life everything else gets entan-

gled with it, leaving trails of dissatisfaction everywhere we

go. If you know that all that you are doing is not evoking

your full potential then there must be something disagree-

able here. When you know that you can do better and be

better than what you are now, there is only one legitimacy

that you should not ignore, but if you choose to then

this feeling of nothingness may linger on for the rest of

your life. Sadly, many of us rather cower up in a corner

amassed with cushions than to seek out what our rightful

calling is in life. Still, one day an awakening will come.

What do we do when it does?

For one, you can choose to disregard it.

But if you still want to pursue this endless vocation of

your life, then one of the rst few things to do is to ask

yourself what you want. If it were fame and fortune, then

you would have compromised your self worth for a price,

which will uctuate, as you grow older. But if you have

worthy intentions to develop and surpass beyond material

gains then your objective will be unmistakable. However,

one word of caution as you trudge down the road to

discovery. You can be egoistic or you can be altruistic.

Whatever you do in life if it is out of selessness, your

doing will not harm you even if it is unappreciated, con-

demned, overlooked or denounced because you believe in

what you do and you have faith to keep you doing it.

These all sound very fantastic and unreal,

and it truly does in a world where no one has the time for

anyone. To do what is right does not mean to be unhappy

as you struggle to make ends meet. A concept as dramatic

as this only exists if we want them to. While making our

dreams come true we dont have to be down and out and

depressed 24 hours a day. We do that only because we

want the attention from the world to empathize with us

and boost our egoistic morale so that theres something to

write about in our memoirs. Things may be bad but they

will never seem that bad after all when we know what we

do is out of passion.

isit

rkWo ing?


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Julya Ooi/IGC/12

The only way to nd out what we want

to do is to nd out what we dont want to do in the rst

place. To not be afraid and embarrass about working

in all kinds of job environment is the best lesson in life.

While we can do it for the experience, we can also do it

to see if that is the kind of career we want to have in the

future. Without even trying we will never know what we

genuinely like by standing outside the ofce doors and

admiring it from a distance. And this simple act of faith

will eventually take us to where we belong. To ardently

wait for the right job to come to us is unrealistic and na-

ive, because in every job there is a situation and in every

situation there is a lesson to learn. If we miss that chance

we may long for something that we have no interest in

from the very beginning. Just because the grass is greener

and the water is sweet on the other side we will never be

satised with what we have if its not what we want. So

to know for sure what we might like to call our career ul-

timately we rst have to taste and see what the other jobs

have to offer. And in the process of nding out we will be

better equipped with knowledge, skills and familiarity to

make what we want work for us.

The time for change will come if we listen

to our hearts. They will tell us when. But youre got to

rst believe you have a heart. When you are nally ready,

heres a list of things to think about before you take a

plunge into the unknown.

- what are you priorities? what comes rst?

- what are the goals you want to achieve before a certain

age?

- is this going to be a long-term haul or a short-term stall?

- what drives you to work most? are you the thinking

person or the action person?

- what are you good at? do you want to use this to form

the foundation of your career?

- which area of expertise have you always been eyeing on

but never really ventured in?

- what are you afraid of? are you ready for the challenge?

- when do you think is the right time for you?

- are you waiting for opportunities or are you going to

make one on your own?

To sum up the choice of your career there

are a few factors to look into that will make your decision

and direction more focused. They can be broken down

into jobs that require ideas and thought processing abili-

ties to solve problems, a hands on work with specically

acquired skills, a natural likeness for human interaction or

communication, a familiar routine with minimal apti-

tude, a personal and creative need for self manifestation

and nally something that is commercially viable that

captures the ideals of a man made world. Every kind of

job or work out there can be classied under one of these

categories and the demand varies in body, mind and soul.

The choice is up to us.

I always feel that work should be adventur-

ous and exciting most of its life span, however long that

takes. But if the routine gets you down and you feel like

youre in a rut, perhaps you could try manipulating it

optimistically for it to work. Yet, if all else fail, it could be

a sign to let you know that it is time to move on and go

for greater things.


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Julya Ooi/IGC/13

Whats the idea of making money?

Why do we want to make it in the rst place?

Who started this infernal ambition?

Is it wrong?

Is it right if we have too much of them stashed aside?

Is wanting it bad for the karma?

The soul?

The sanity?

Do we work for it or gamble for it?

Take risks to try and double and triple the amount?

When were done are we kings and queens or merely clowns?

How much is enough for a man to have before he is greedy?

How much should it be given away to be admirable?

Is it better to lose the soul and gain some money?

Or can we have both and still be charitable?

I dont want too much of it to make me cold.

I dont want to stick to it and grow too old.

Is it possible to strike a balance

instead of going off tangent to both extremes?

Does it all matter in the end

whether I did my best to make the million that I sought

or should I be duly contented

and live frugally until the day I dream of God.


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Julya Ooi/IGC/14

T

he morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with

the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the owers

were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green.

The people of the village began to gather in the square,

between the post ofce and the bank, around ten oclock;

in some towns there were so many people that the lottery

took two days and had to be started on June 20th. but in

this village, where there were only about three hundred

people, the whole lottery took less than two hours, so it

could begin at ten oclock in the morning and still be

through in time to allow the villagers to get home for

noon dinner.

The children assembled rst, of course. School was

recently over for the summer, and the feeling of liberty sat

uneasily on most of them; they tended to gather together

quietly for a while before they broke into boisterous

play. and their talk was still of the classroom and the

teacher, of books and reprimands. Bobby Martin had

already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other

boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest

and roundest stones; Bobby and Harry Jones and

Dickie Delacroix-- the villagers pronounced this name

Dellacroy--eventually made a great pile of stones in

one corner of the square and guarded it against the raids

of the other boys. The girls stood aside, talking among

themselves, looking over their shoulders at the boys. and

the very small children rolled in the dust or clung to the

hands of their older brothers or sisters.

Soon the men began to gather. surveying their own

children, speaking of planting and rain, tractors and

taxes. They stood together, away from the pile of stones

in the corner, and their jokes were quiet and they smiled

rather than laughed. The women, wearing faded house

dresses and sweaters, came shortly after their menfolk.

They greeted one another and exchanged bits of gossip

as they went to join their husbands. Soon the women,

standing by their husbands, began to call to their

children, and the children came reluctantly, having to be

called four or ve times. Bobby Martin ducked under his

mothers grasping hand and ran, laughing, back to the

pile of stones. His father spoke up sharply, and Bobby

came quickly and took his place between his father and

his oldest brother.

The lottery was conducted--as were the square dances,

the teen club, the Halloween program--by Mr. Summers.

who had time and energy to devote to civic activities.

He was a round-faced, jovial man and he ran the coal

business, and people were sorry for him. because he had

no children and his wife was a scold. When he arrived

in the square, carrying the black wooden box, there

was a murmur of conversation among the villagers,

and he waved and called. Little late today, folks. The

postmaster, Mr. Graves, followed him, carrying a three-

legged stool, and the stool was put in the center of the

TheLotte

ry


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Julya Ooi/IGC/15square and Mr. Summers set the black box down on it.

The villagers kept their distance, leaving a space between

themselves and the stool. and when Mr. Summers said,

Some of you fellows want to give me a hand? there was

a hesitation before two men. Mr. Martin and his oldest

son, Baxter. came forward to hold the box steady on the

stool while Mr. Summers stirred up the papers inside it.

The original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost

long ago, and the black box now resting on the stool

had been put into use even before Old Man Warner,

the oldest man in town, was born. Mr. Summers spoke

frequently to the villagers about making a new box,

but no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was

represented by the black box. There was a story that the

present box had been made with some pieces of the box

that had preceded it, the one that had been constructed

when the rst people settled down to make a village here.

Every year, after the lottery, Mr. Summers began talking

again about a new box, but every year the subject was

allowed to fade off without anythings being done. The

black box grew shabbier each year: by now it was no

longer completely black but splintered badly along one

side to show the original wood color, and in some places

faded or stained.

Mr. Martin and his oldest son, Baxter, held the black box

securely on the stool until Mr. Summers had stirred the

papers thoroughly with his hand. Because so much of

the ritual had been forgotten or discarded, Mr. Summers

had been successful in having slips of paper substituted

for the chips of wood that had been used for generations.

Chips of wood, Mr. Summers had argued. had been

all very well when the village was tiny, but now that the

population was more than three hundred and likely to

keep on growing, it was necessary to use something that

would t more easily into he black box. The night before

the lottery, Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves made up the

slips of paper and put them in the box, and it was then

taken to the safe of Mr. Summers coal company and

locked up until Mr. Summers was ready to take it to the

square next morning. The rest of the year, the box was

put way, sometimes one place, sometimes another; it had

spent one year in Mr. Gravess barn and another year

underfoot in the post ofce. and sometimes it was set on a

shelf in the Martin grocery and left there.

There was a great deal of fussing to be done before Mr.

Summers declared the lottery open. There were the lists

to make up--of heads of families. heads of households in

each family. members of each household in each family.

There was the proper swearing-in of Mr. Summers by

the postmaster, as the ofcial of the lottery; at one time,

some people remembered, there had been a recital of

some sort, performed by the ofcial of the lottery, a

perfunctory. tuneless chant that had been rattled off

duly each year; some people believed that the ofcial of

the lottery used to stand just so when he said or sang it,

others believed that he was supposed to walk among the

people, but years and years ago this p3rt of the ritual

had been allowed to lapse. There had been, also, a ritual

salute, which the ofcial of the lottery had had to use in

addressing each person who came up to draw from the

box, but this also had changed with time, until now it

was felt necessary only for the ofcial to speak to each

person approaching. Mr. Summers was very good at

all this; in his clean white shirt and blue jeans. with one

hand resting carelessly on the black box. he seemed very


16/59

Julya Ooi/IGC/16

proper and important as he talked interminably to Mr.

Graves and the Martins.

Just as Mr. Summers nally left off talking and turned

to the assembled villagers, Mrs. Hutchinson came

hurriedly along the path to the square, her sweater

thrown over her shoulders, and slid into place in the

back of the crowd. Clean forgot what day it was, she

said to Mrs. Delacroix, who stood next to her, and they

both laughed softly. Thought my old man was out back

stacking wood, Mrs. Hutchinson went on. and then I

looked out the window and the kids was gone, and then

I remembered it was the twenty-seventh and came a-

running. She dried her hands on her apron, and Mrs.

Delacroix said, Youre in time, though. Theyre still

talking away up there.

Mrs. Hutchinson craned her neck to see through the

crowd and found her husband and children standing

near the front. She tapped Mrs. Delacroix on the arm

as a farewell and began to make her way through the

crowd. The people separated good-humoredly to let

her through: two or three people said. in voices just

loud enough to be heard across the crowd, Here

comes your, Missus, Hutchinson, and Bill, she made

it after all. Mrs. Hutchinson reached her husband, and

Mr. Summers, who had been waiting, said cheerfully.

Thought we were going to have to get on without you,

Tessie. Mrs. Hutchinson said. grinning, Wouldnt have

me leave mdishes in the sink, now, would you. Joe?, and

soft laughter ran through the crowd as the people stirred

back into position after Mrs. Hutchinsons arrival.

Well, now. Mr. Summers said soberly, guess we better

get started, get this over with, sos we can go back to

work. Anybody aint here?

Dunbar. several people said. Dunbar. Dunbar.

Mr. Summers consulted his list. Clyde Dunbar. he

said. Thats right. Hes broke his leg, hasnt he? Whos

drawing for him?

Me. I guess, a woman said. and Mr. Summers turned to

look at her. Wife draws for her husband. Mr. Summers

said. Dont you have a grown boy to do it for you,

Janey? Although Mr. Summers and everyone else in the

village knew the answer perfectly well, it was the business

of the ofcial of the lottery to ask such questions formally.

Mr. Summers waited with an expression of polite interest

while Mrs. Dunbar answered.

Horaces not but sixteen vet. Mrs. Dunbar said

regretfully. Guess I gotta ll in for the old man this year.

Right. Sr. Summers said. He made a note on the list he

was holding. Then he asked, Watson boy drawing this

year?

A tall boy in the crowd raised his hand. Here, he said.

I m drawing for my mother and me. He blinked his

eyes nervously and ducked his head as several voices in

the crowd said thin#s like Good fellow, lack. and Glad

to see your mothers got a man to do it.

Well, Mr. Summers said, guess thats everyone. Old

Man Warner make it?


17/59

Julya Ooi/IGC/17

Here, a voice said. and Mr. Summers nodded.

A sudden hush fell on the crowd as Mr. Summers cleared

his throat and looked at the list. All ready? he called.

Now, Ill read the names--heads of families rst--and

the men come up and take a paper out of the box. Keep

the paper folded in your hand without looking at it until

everyone has had a turn. Everything clear?

The people had done it so many times that they only

half listened to the directions: most of them were

quiet. wetting their lips. not looking around. Then Mr.

Summers raised one hand high and said, Adams.

A man disengaged himself from the crowd and came

forward. Hi. Steve. Mr. Summers said. and Mr. Adams

said. Hi. Joe. They grinned at one another humorlessly

and nervously. Then Mr. Adams reached into the black

box and took out a folded paper. He held it rmly by one

corner as he turned and went hastily back to his place in

the crowd. where he stood a little apart from his family.

not looking down at his hand.

Allen. Mr. Summers said. Anderson.... Bentham.

Seems like theres no time at all between lotteries any

more. Mrs. Delacroix said to Mrs. Graves in the back

row.

Seems like we got through with the last one only last

week.

Time sure goes fast.-- Mrs. Graves said.

Clark.... Delacroix

There goes my old man. Mrs. Delacroix said. She held

her breath while her husband went forward.

Dunbar, Mr. Summers said, and Mrs. Dunbar went

steadily to the box while one of the women said. Go on.

Janey, and another said, There she goes.

Were next. Mrs. Graves said. She watched while Mr.

Graves came around from the side of the box, greeted

Mr. Summers gravely and selected a slip of paper from

the box. By now, all through the crowd there were men

holding the small folded papers in their large hand.

turning them over and over nervously Mrs. Dunbar and

her two sons stood together, Mrs. Dunbar holding the slip

of paper.

Harburt.... Hutchinson.

Get up there, Bill, Mrs. Hutchinson said. and the

people near her laughed.

Jones.

They do say, Mr. Adams said to Old Man Warner, who

stood next to him, that over in the north village theyre

talking of giving up the lottery.

Old Man Warner snorted. Pack of crazy fools, he said.

Listening to the young folks, nothings good enough for

them. Next thing you know, theyll be wanting to go back

to living in caves, nobody work any more, live hat way

for a while. Used to be a saying about Lottery in June,

corn be heavy soon. First thing you know, wed all be


18/59

Julya Ooi/IGC/18eating stewed chickweed and acorns. Theres always been

a lottery, he added petulantly. Bad enough to see young

Joe Summers up there joking with everybody.

Some places have already quit lotteries. Mrs. Adams

said.

Nothing but trouble in that, Old Man Warner said

stoutly. Pack of young fools.

Martin. And Bobby Martin watched his father go

forward. Overdyke.... Percy.

I wish theyd hurry, Mrs. Dunbar said to her older son.

I wish theyd hurry.

Theyre almost through, her son said.

You get ready to run tell Dad, Mrs. Dunbar said.

Mr. Summers called his own name and then stepped

forward precisely and selected a slip from the box. Then

he called, Warner.

Seventy-seventh year I been in the lottery, Old Man

Warner said as he went through the crowd. Seventy-

seventh time.

Watson The tall boy came awkwardly through the

crowd. Someone said, Dont be nervous, Jack, and Mr.

Summers said, Take your time, son.

Zanini.

After that, there was a long pause, a breathless pause,

until Mr. Summers. holding his slip of paper in the air,

said, All right, fellows. For a minute, no one moved,

and then all the slips of paper were opened. Suddenly, all

the women began to speak at once, saving. Who is it?,

Whos got it?, Is it the Dunbars?, Is it the Watsons?

Then the voices began to say, Its Hutchinson. Its Bill,

Bill Hutchinsons got it.

Go tell your father, Mrs. Dunbar said to her older son.

People began to look around to see the Hutchinsons. Bill

Hutchinson was standing quiet, staring down at the paper

in his hand. Suddenly. Tessie Hutchinson shouted to Mr.

Summers. You didnt give him time enough to take any

paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasnt fair!

Be a good sport, Tessie. Mrs. Delacroix called, and

Mrs. Graves said, All of us took the same chance.

Shut up, Tessie, Bill Hutchinson said.

Well, everyone, Mr. Summers said, that was done

pretty fast, and now weve got to be hurrying a little more

to get done in time. He consulted his next list. Bill, he

said, you draw for the Hutchinson family. You got any

other households in the Hutchinsons?

Theres Don and Eva, Mrs. Hutchinson yelled. Make

them take their chance!

Daughters draw with their husbands families, Tessie,

Mr. Summers said gently. You know that as well as

anyone else.


19/59

Julya Ooi/IGC/19

It wasnt fair, Tessie said.

I guess not, Joe. Bill Hutchinson said regretfully. My

daughter draws with her husbands family; thats only fair.

And Ive got no other family except the kids.

Then, as far as drawing for families is concerned, its

you, Mr. Summers said in explanation, and as far as

drawing for households is concerned, thats you, too.

Right?

Right, Bill Hutchinson said.

How many kids, Bill? Mr. Summers asked formally.

Three, Bill Hutchinson said.

Theres Bill, Jr., and Nancy, and little Dave. And Tessie

and me.

All right, then, Mr. Summers said. Harry, you got their

tickets back?

Mr. Graves nodded and held up the slips of paper. Put

them in the box, then, Mr. Summers directed. Take

Bills and put it in.

I think we ought to start over, Mrs. Hutchinson said, as

quietly as she could. I tell you it wasnt fair. You didnt

give him time enough to choose. Everybody saw that.

Mr. Graves had selected the ve slips and put them in the

box. and he dropped all the papers but those onto the

ground. where the breeze caught them and lifted them

off.

Listen, everybody, Mrs. Hutchinson was saying to the

people around her.

Ready, Bill? Mr. Summers asked. and Bill Hutchinson,

with one quick glance around at his wife and children.

nodded.

Remember, Mr. Summers said. take the slips and keep

them folded until each person has taken one. Harry, you

help little Dave. Mr. Graves took the hand of the littleboy, who came willingly with him up to the box. Take

a paper out of the box, Davy. Mr. Summers said. Davy

put his hand into the box and laughed. Take just one

paper. Mr. Summers said. Harry, you hold it for him.

Mr. Graves took the childs hand and removed the folded

paper from the tight st and held it while little Dave stood

next to him and looked up at him wonderingly.

Nancy next, Mr. Summers said. Nancy was twelve, and

her school friends breathed heavily as she went forward

switching her skirt, and took a slip daintily from the box

Bill, Jr., Mr. Summers said, and Billy, his face red and

his feet overlarge, near knocked the box over as he got a

paper out. Tessie, Mr. Summers said. She hesitated for

a minute, looking around deantly. and then set her lips

and went up to the box. She snatched a paper out and

held it behind her.

Bill, Mr. Summers said, and Bill Hutchinson reached

into the box and felt around, bringing his hand out at last

with the slip of paper in it.


20/59

Julya Ooi/IGC/20

The crowd was quiet. A girl whispered, I hope its not

Nancy, and the sound of the whisper reached the edges

of the crowd.

Its not the way it used to be. Old Man Warner said

clearly. People aint the way they used to be.

All right, Mr. Summers said. Open the papers. Harry,

you open little Daves.

Mr. Graves opened the slip of paper and there was a

general sigh through the crowd as he held it up and

everyone could see that it was blank. Nancy and Bill. Jr..

opened theirs at the same time. and both beamed and

laughed. turning around to the crowd and holding their

slips of paper above their heads.

Tessie, Mr. Summers said. There was a pause, and

then Mr. Summers looked at Bill Hutchinson, and Bill

unfolded his paper and showed it. It was blank.

Its Tessie, Mr. Summers said, and his voice was

hushed. Show us her paper. Bill.

Bill Hutchinson went over to his wife and forced the

slip of paper out of her hand. It had a black spot on it,

the black spot Mr. Summers had made the night before

with the heavy pencil in the coal company ofce. Bill

Hutchinson held it up, and there was a stir in the crowd.

All right, folks. Mr. Summers said. Lets nish

quickly.

Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost

the original black box, they still remembered to use

stones. The pile of stones the boys had made earlier was

ready; there were stones on the ground with the blowing

scraps of paper that had come out of the box Delacroix

selected a stone so large she had to pick it up with both

hands and turned to Mrs. Dunbar. Come on, she said.

Hurry up.

Mr. Dunbar had small stones in both hands, and she said.

gasping for breath. I cant run at all. Youll have to go

ahead and Ill catch up with you.

The children had stones already. And someone gave little

Davy Hutchinson few pebbles.

Tessie Hutchinson was in the center of a cleared space

by now, and she held her hands out desperately as the

villagers moved in on her. It isnt fair, she said. A stone

hit her on the side of the head. Old Man Warner was

saying, Come on, come on, everyone. Steve Adams was

in the front of the crowd of villagers, with Mrs. Graves

beside him.

It isnt fair, it isnt right, Mrs. Hutchinson screamed,

and then they were upon her.


21/59

Julya Ooi/IGC/21

Who is Shirley Jackson?

hirley Jackson (1919-1965) was born in San Francisco,

California, her mother a housewife and her father an

employee of a lithographing company. Most of her early life

was spent in Burlingame, California, which she later used as

the setting for her rst novel, The Road Through the Wall

(1948). As a child she was interested in writing; she won a

poetry prize at age twelve, and in high school she began

keeping a diary to record her writing progress. After high

school she briey attended the University of Rochester but

left because of an attack of the mental depression that was to

recur periodically in her later years. She recovered her health

by living quietly at home and writing, conscientiously turning

out a thousand works of prose a day.

n 1937 she entered Syracuse University, where she

published stories in the student literary magazine. There

she met Stanley Edgar Human, who was to become a

noted literary critic. They were married in 1940, the year

she received her degree. They had four children while both

continued active literary careers, settling to raise their family

in a large Victorian house in Vermont, where Hyman taught

literature at Bennington College.

acksons rst national publication was a humorous story

written after a job at a department store during the

Christmas rush: My Life with R. H. Macy appeared in The

New Republic in 1941. Her rst child was born the next year,

but she wrote every day on a disciplined schedule, selling her

stories to magazines and publishing three novels. Jacksons

best-known work, The Lottery, is often dramatized, and

televised.


22/59

Julya Ooi/IGC/22

Whether we like it or not, we are stuck with the

body we are born with. Not including the fact that we can

alter parts of it through surgery. Our main body frame;

stocky, lanky or round, make up the basic category for

distinguishing. Once we know the fundamental shape of

our body frames everything else that comes with it will be

better understood and appropriated. Men basically have

three main types which are ectomorphs (thin and wispy),

mesomorphs (athletic and muscular) and endomorphs

(rounded or stout). Women on the other hand has six

kinds of frames they belong to, namely, the A frame, the

V frame, the H frame, the ruler, the 8 frame and the oval

frame.

To even begin to understand how our body

works we need to rst understand what our body needs

and doesnt need. The basic food category and exercise

is what we need but what about the things we could do

without that doesnt help? Although everyone knows it,

very few want to do anything about it. Smoking, drink-

ing, overeating are just some of the bad habits that should

be avoided completely if one intends to build a temple

with strong foundations. To hang on to negative routines

for a moments pleasure is like fooling ourselves into

believing that we can bring youth back through plastic

surgery. Yet, how many people would actually forgo them

even before shaping up and laying down their ideals for

a healthy living? Though easier said than done, well ...

it still needs to be done, somehow. Anyone who harbors

habitual impulses to go to extremes should rethink life as

it were if they want to rejuvenate a youthful body. If we

understand why we do the things we do, perhaps it would

be easier for us to get rid of unproductive tendencies for

the unnecessary. One may call it addiction or denial or

ignorance, but a prolonged negative xation of anything

is unhealthy to say the least. We become freaks of our

own nature once we indulge lustfully into them without

thought or concern.

The habits we have accumulated through the

years of growing up must have had been acquired for a

reason. They could be inuences from friends, commer-

cials, pressure, stress, anger, frustration, boredom, and

weakness to resist. If you have come to the point where

enough is enough and are ready to ght back to get the

kind of life you deserve, the dependency has to go. What-

ever it is that keep us bogged down and sleepless with

worry has no place in our lives. But mind you, always

look for a solution that will sort out the mess and not

divert it to another, otherwise there will be never ending

excuses to destroy everything we once believed in.

The human body is very fragile and yet resil-

ient and adaptable at the same time. Whatever abuse we

inict on it will eventually be healed and the way it over-comes diseases and sicknesses is more than an amazing

miracle itself. If a body is well taken care of emotionally,

physically and psychologically, it will maintain its func-

tionality from birth to dirge. In a world full of chicanery

sometimes we dont even know whats good for us any-

more. The thin line drawn between bad habit and good

sense seem to have crossed borders with new ndings and

contradicting researchers. So the best advice is for us to

take everything in moderation, and use our natural judg-

ment to tell us what is and what isnt right. What should

be and what shouldnt be. What we need and what we

really dont. After all, we are survivors and deep down

inside we know what we know.


23/59

Julya Ooi/IGC/23

If youve never liked fruits and vegetables since you

were younger, theres no reason to still not like them

for all the wrong reasons. For health and beautys

sake, youve got to learn to appreciate them for their

properties, taste and even design. One way to open up your affection

to these great and subtle produce is to make a pilgrimage back to their

origins.

First of all let us look at their peculiarity in design. Vegetables and

fruits come in various designs in a form of leaves, bulbs, stems, seeds

and roots. Artists have found them magnicent for their still life to

study on the basics of shapes, colors and textures. Extracting from the

most common fruits like apples, oranges, pears and bananas, to the

more exotic, there is so much one can admire about their peculiarity.

If youve never noticed them before, probably it is high time you did.

Youll be astounded to see the artistry that is carved on their skin or

surface. Coverings with smooth silky nish to those that are coarse

and unpolished make very interesting objects to observe. And no two

fruits or vegetable are alike.

Some fruits and vegetables taste better than the others but then again

that is relatively speaking. It depends again on who is tasting it. Just

like a piece of art, taste is rather subjective, sometimes they just seem

to be naturally appealing, and sometimes they need to be acquired.

Age also plays an important role in determining what one likes and

dislikes. A raw tomato may taste horrible to you as a kid, but you may

like the juicy soft pulp and gelatinous seeds that make it what it is now.

A good way to start appreciating the marvelous gifts of nature is to

make salads which includes fruits and vegetables, and there are liter-

ally hundreds of recipes everywhere for them that will be able to give

you the kind of satisfaction suited to your taste. Light, heavy, fresh,

canned, sweet, sour, whatever the desire fruits and vegetables will

denitely help with your diet, health and beauty.


24/59

Julya Ooi/IGC/24

s gardening for everyone? It should be. It hasalways been a farmer and gardeners duty toproduce fodder from their toil with the earth and nature.

The obligation that comes with sowing and harvesting has

never been many peoples idea of fun or pass time. It in-

volves handling dirt, manure, worms, backbreaking chores

and a full body workout. However, with modern technol-

ogy and manipulation of plants in shapes, sizes and yield,

many people are able to create small gardens in their own

yard for pleasure and prot. But gardening these days is

more fullling than anything anyone can offer to indulge

in to kill time. Gardening is all about nurturing. The art

of caring for ora and fauna is simple and straightforward

but the creativity that it generates is much more than just

mere germinating seedlings from one end of the bed to

another. Trials and errors, like so many other pastimes, will

eventually open another world of possibilities for us who

dare to care.

he rst thing that one should do is to visit

a nursery to check out the plants that ap-

peals to them personally, if not, a walk through the forest

reserve, a saunter to the orist or the park may also help

determine which area of interest one prefers. The good

thing about gardening is that we can start very small or

go on a large scale, of course with both our hands ready

to get grime underneath our ngernails. For people with

little time to tend to gardens they can afford to look at

hardy plants that have high resistance to insects and dis-

eases. And for those who have too little space for a plot

of garden, the alternative would be potted ones, ranging

from size to bloom. There is also the choice of miniatures,

indoor, outdoor, soil-less, colorful, and a world of ideas to

sow the garden of our desire.

nce you get an idea of what kind of plantyou want situated in the home or its vicin-ity, the work to begin creating Eden commences. Necessary

and inexpensive tools can be bought and kept trustworthily

in a box or container or a place away from reach of chil-

dren and readily available when we need them. If cleaned

frequently and kept well the tools can last for a very long

time without having to repurchase them regularly and add

on discarded garbage to the world. Choosing the gears can

be a fun and rewarding experience what with the strange

and peculiar looking weapons to work with the natural en-

vironment. Smaller tools will be much easier to handle for

minimum gardening and larger ones for vice versa.

fter you have determine the spot in or out

of the house where your garden will grow,

the next thing to do is to think ahead of the design that

In the garden of my desire

I wish to plant all things


25/59

Julya Ooi/IGC/25you want to create. Books, magazines, displays and a visit

to the suggested places will give you an inkling of what

plants, shrubs or trees to purchase. The best thing to do

before you even plunge into the whole idea of perfecting a

corner of the house with greens is to start small. It would

be unwise to spend a fortune on pots, plants and acces-

sories just to nd later that theres too much clutter and

everything is a mismatch. As the desire to expand and rein-

vent the space into something more spectacular increases,

then perhaps more items can be brought in to propagate.

he most beautiful thing about gardening is

the care and responsibility that is needed

to tend to them before you can see the bloom. It teaches

us patience, creates relaxation and brings out the inner joy

that is usually very fullling. Gardening should not be tax-

ing and frustrating because it is not beyond our control. It

also helps us to be discipline and keep a constant workout,

be it heavy or light, and away from machines and technol-

ogies for a brief moment of time. Too much time is spent

hiding in homes and ofces in front of screens, and away

from the sun, unless of course its a blue collared job that

requires the opposite. But to many of us, being cooped up

in a conned place for at least eight hours or more a day

is a common occurrence and you can imagine what it will

do to us in the long run. On the average we gaze more at

idiots boxes, movie screens, game consoles and computers

than we realize in a day. Times that with the months and

years to come, we would have either wasted or lost a huge

quantity of our youth being distracted by technology. And

the saddest instant of our lives will be the eeting moment

when we wake up from the stupor of ignorance a second

too late.

he adventure of gardening should be

enjoyable and appealing, it neednt be

monotonous or laborious. Make it interesting. Recycle

containers that probably could be made into pots or plant

seedlings that you nd along the way home, teach children

especially to identify common plants that are within the

house compound or if you love cooking start by planting

your own frequently used spices. Plants also make the

most wonderful gifts for any occasions or we could always

prepare a plant for festivities that has somehow become

essential through commercialism. As we progress onto

bigger things, well appreciate the smaller ones. Whatever

your aspiration, just remember that you will reap what you

sow. Green the earth and purify your home.

beautiful, fruitful, wonderful &delightful


26/59

Julya Ooi/IGC/26


27/59

Julya Ooi/IGC/27

In 50 years one tree recycles more than $37,000 worth

of water, provides $31,000 worth of erosion control,

$62,000 worth of air pollution control, and produces

$37,000 worth of oxygen.

Two mature trees provide enough oxygen for a family of

four.

Trees help reduce the greenhouse effect by absorbing

CO2. One acre of trees removes 2.6 tons of CO2 per

year.

Forest planting is one of the most cost-effective ways of

reducing CO2. To remove 1 pound of CO2, planting

tree costs less than 1 cent, developing more energy

efcient appliances costs about 2 1/2 cents, and

developing more fuel-efcient cars costs about 10 cents.

By cooling the air and ground around them, the shade

from trees helps cool the Earths temperature.

Trees are good noise barriers, making a city and

neighborhood quieter.

Trees help prevent city ooding by catching raindrops

and offsetting runoff caused by buildings and parking

lots.

Hospital patients heal faster, require shorter stays and

less painkillers if room windows face trees.

A tree-line buffer between elds and streams helps

remove farming pollutants before they reach the water.

Well placed trees help cut energy costs and consumption

by decreasing air conditioning costs 10-50% & reducing

heating costs as much as 4-22%.

Trees are the longest living and largest living organisms

on Earth.

People who plant trees become healthier, better looking,

richer, and have more friends (well maybe thatsstretching it a bit) - plant a tree and nd out!

In deserts, leaves absorb moisture from the dew and frost

of the cool nights and release it to cool the air during the

warm days.

Trees enhance the aesthetics of our environment. Their

grandeur, tenacity, and beauty are probably the most

enjoyable aspect of trees.

Tree bark and fruit have many medicinal properties,

which are still being discovered. *In 50 years one tree

recycles more than $37,000 worth of water, provides

$31,000 worth of erosion control, $62,000 worth of air

pollution control, & produces $37,000 worth of oxygen.

Two mature trees provide enough oxygen for a family of

four.

Birds and animals use trees for their homes and shelter

and as a source of food.

One person causes about 10 tons of carbon dioxide

to be emitted a year. One tree removes about 1 ton of

CO2 per year. Planting 30 trees per person will remove

each that persons carbon debt for the year.

Trees increase property values by 5 to 20% due to their

landscaping value

http://www.treeinabox.com/Tree%20Facts.htm


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If I had no arms & legs

I gure Id be a lonely tree.

If I had a heart that skips in love

would that tree stump still be me?

If I wish away all my wealth & fame

in lieu of open plains & prairie.

Grow strong & bold & unashamed

will I still be as dreary?


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Charcoal sticks or charcoal pencils are as read-

ily available as most art materials in a reliable art or sta-

tionery shop. They come in various shapes and sizes and

work basically in the same manner. However, sticks that

are thick and compressed are usually harder to handle

in terms of expressive works. They tend to hold back too

much and create lines and tones that may be too stiff and

hard edged looking. On the other hand, thin and softer

sticks give you good splashy strokes but they break and

pulverize easily, sometimes leaving a trail of dust, which

could smear and mess up an art piece. Though charcoal

pencils are better choices, they have their limitations to art-

ists who may want to make use of the entire stick to cover

large areas with broad tonal works. To nd out what suits

you best is to make trials and errors of the mediums and

experiment with them in differing styles and techniques. It

could be anything from hatching, stippling, smudging or

smearing, eraser-drawing, shading and blending.

After making your choice on the medium, your

next experimentation should be on the papers themselves.

Basically there are two kinds of paper that is divided into

two categories. The textured and the smooth. Powdery

media goes well with the textured paper because it needs

the support of the grooves to hold its loose particles though

some of the lightly textured papers will work just as well.

The range of todays papers is quite unbelievable in terms

of variety. It is sometimes quite hard to tell whether a

certain paper quality will fair better than another without

rst having them tested out. The other consideration when

choosing paper is the cost. Not all papers are priced ac-

cordingly to give you good nish. So to begin a venture

with what charcoal sticks or pencils can do, economical

newsprint or art blocks will sufce. Beyond that an artist

will know whats best when the time comes.

Other drawing materials are putty erasers,

torchons (or paper stumps), craft knives or sharpeners, a

drawing board, crocodile clips and xative. Putty erasers

are soft and kneadable, and will provide you convenient

cleaning of mass areas to tiny amendments. The torchon

is simply rolled up paper for giving that extra blend that

ngers might not be able to produce. Some drawing books

suggest keeping away from nger smudges because they

tend to be oily and can cause an artwork to be unevenly

xed later on. Even so, many artists still prefer to use as

much of themselves as possible when it comes to making

their personal masterpieces. The alternative to this is also

soft white bread. Arguably not a very decent thing to do, it

offers quite the same effect as that of the putty eraser.

For sharpening the pencils, craft knives, avail-

able in all kinds of numerous forms, or a reliable pencil

sharpener ranging from an inexpensive one to that with

special features can be obtained. Charcoal pencils that

need no sharpening are also very convenient where the

outer lining can be uncoiled once the lead gets too short.


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A drawing boards function is mainly to support the paper

when only a single sheet is used. Anything smooth, light-

weight and solid would do the job to keep the paper from

getting crumpled or from ying off once they are fastened

with clips. Charcoal pieces can be quite a handful for prop-

er storage because of its loose powdery nature. If not care-

ful the entire work can be wiped off when it comes into

contact with just about anything. So for that sole purpose

of storing, a xative is advisable. A clear lacquer spray or a

simple hairspray to a branded xative can be used but they

each sometimes react to the paper and yellow them when

they dry. Given the fact that they do, this could create an

unexpected nostalgic look for what its worth.

To begin drawing one has to be observant.

Looking around for compositions, studying the shape of

things around us, absorbing their essence into our memo-

ries or feeling their three dimensional forms by touch will

help a lot more than just drawing for the sake of doing

it. Once the skills are there, sometimes artists draw out

images stored in their minds eye when certain angles or

unrecorded pictures of the objects are not within reach. By

understanding what we are about to draw, be it an object

or a subject, will also give us the extra edge we need to

make them unique; something that cannot be seen with

the naked eye, for example. But of course, these come with

experience. Through observation we also notice small in-

signicant aws that could make a big difference when we

draw them out. They are the characteristics of the object

combined with the media and paper and your artistic

inuence that makes it what it is. Look for geometrical

shapes in our everyday life from furniture to kitchen uten-

sils, to bathroom toiletries and things that capture your

imagination. Learn by moving your hand freely on the

paper. Large strokes, full expressive gestures and dramatic

bulks and magnitudes help by breaking fearful barriers

that keep us glued to our comfort zones. Once that has

burst out of our system then the concentration converges

into one single focus. And these, mind you, is the begin-

ning of a long lasting relationship.

The next step is to understand the lighting. Any

shape we have drawn is still two dimensional and at in all

aspects, no matter how good or accurate they may be. To

simply grasp the idea of form, only three kinds of basic

tones need to be gured out. The highlight, the midtone

and the shadow. Everything else falls in between. For

highlights what you can do is to leave it completely white

or off white (which should be the color of the paper) or

untouched. If you are unsure of whether to shade an area

with tones or not, it is better to leave it out completely rst

and return to it later than messing it up with something

that is harder to remove. The darkest area that is most ob-

vious should be from 70% to 90% black (a 100% black is

not possible, unless it is pitch black). The rest of the tones

can be judged by comparing shades and reections. One

of the better ways to study three-dimensional forms is to

place a lamp to illuminate the object, which then will cast

a stronger and more apparent shadow. If the object is not

spotlighted the stray lights that come from different sourc-

es and directions can be quite confusing. But of course a

good artist can make it out through sufcient experience.

With lots of practice that level of comprehension can be

achieved. Exercises from squinting your eyes to cupping

them with your hands to view unspecied lighting of your

object or subject is a good way to start.


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Now comes the technique that has been tried

and true to using media like charcoals or pencils. Hatching

is one of the most commonly used techniques where lines

are drawn quite systematically to emphasize tones. The

closer they are drawn the darker it would seem and vice

versa. When you think about how amazing simple things

can be sometimes, understanding them the way you do

can very well lead you to greater ideas. Hatching, as it is

called, work in a variety of ways. It can be drawn orderly

or higgledy-piggledy, criss-crossing one another, which is

known as cross hatching, or even in varying sizes for diver-

sity. Although the hard and fast rule about hatching is in

its terminology alone, there is no law on how to get it done

the right way. The fun part is always in the experimenting

and of course the greatest part is new discoveries. Another

technique, which is quite similar to that, is scribbling or

sometimes known as doodling but done with a little more

control. They are generally irregular lines that hatching

doesnt cover and is used for outlining shapes, forms and

contours. Instead of methodical lines, this kind of wavy

squiggly roughness has a very artistic and natural appeal

when used for shading. Stippling is the other approach you

might want to try which is making points or pointillism or

dots or very short strokes. This clever little spotting also

gives the object or subject form and texture. Depending on

how grainy you want the effect to be, they can be sparsely

arranged or very tightly compacted producing just as good

an effect as the other methods.

One of the most outstanding characteristics of

the charcoal stick or pencil is its feature that allows smudg-

ing or blending from the extreme to the moderate. Large

areas can be covered with larger sticks lengthwise or char-

coal powder and little sections can be touched up with the

sharpen ends of the sticks. Anything that can smear the

dusty quality of this media can be used. However, ngers

or torchons are the norm. Whatever else you may want to

use to smudge or smear or blend will soon have your art

pieces take form and breathe life as though they were real.

The amount of joy and expressiveness we can get out of

art is worth more than any pieces we manage to sell be-

cause it is about us and who we are. And if we can move

people through our personal visuals, though as subjective

as art may be, it is still a delight to be a part of it.

All art forms come to a common rendezvous

point where personal styles are a must to be developed.

This is what makes an artist, like a piece of snowake or a

leaf, one of a kind. It becomes their trademark or person-

ality and that is what makes art such a joy to see because

of the various appeals it bestows on its admirer. This is

what most artists, professionals and amateurs; strive for,

always trying to outdo themselves from their last known

approach. Art here becomes a form of therapy and self-

discovery because it evolves with time and change with the

artists. Even to begin drawing with the most simplistic me-

dium and idea, it is always good to keep every production

signed and dated so that we can see the progress. Though

charcoal sticks are quite a poor mans tools in comparison

with expensive oils and acrylics and watercolors, they serve

as much purpose as the latter. So dont underestimate the

values of a simple stick, which can take you a long long

way.


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ow important is a journal, and what is the

function of it in the rst place? A journal

could be anything you want it to be. A diary. A logbook.

A scrapbook. A book of ideas or records, experiences,

observations and dreams that are yet to be fullled. There

are no dimensions to this book where we agonize over for

want of chronicling. If one could capture and schedule

everything in a PDA or a laptop or camera, having a

book to lug around may seem unworthy and at the same

time be a nuisance. But lo and behold, the power of

simplicity sometimes is a reminder of what we are and

who we are for us to better grasp the beautiful things in

life. Moreover, the personal touch from pencil to paper

is always more intimate than from hand to advanced

technology.

rtists draw or sketch on their journals,

writers ll them up with words, inventors

jot down ideas, a stand up comic scribbles in a punch line

and a cook can paste in it a new found recipe. Journals a

thing to have when you are lled with questions you cant

answer, a curiosity you cant satisfy and a keen heart you

cant tame. There are just so many things that pass us by

everyday of our lives that go unnoticed. Everything is like

a eeting moment, and the thoughts that run unattended

will be lost in the blink of an eye.

hese books or journals can be bought at

any stationery shops or art supply stores,

some artistically made with very good quality paper to

those which are commercially affordable to everyone.

Although it is easier to pick one off the shelf, to be able

to make a simple journal would mean much more than

an expensive bound book. And this is where the journey

begins; to be able to make your own journal and have

your thoughts in it too.

nce you get the idea of journal entries, you

can begin to explore further the feel of the

right paper, cover design and other stylized makeover that

describes you. And there are no limitations or boundaries

to what you can create.


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Julya Ooi/IGC/33

Take a stack of A4 good quality paper, fold at least 5 pieces in

half and then staple in the center. If you dont have a stapler that can be

extended, try opening the base and punch in the middle of the crease.

Remember to have something on the back of the paper to hold the

staple together, like an eraser. Then turn the stack of paper around and

press down the protruded staple manually. Make between ten to fteen

stacks, depending on how thick you want it to be and then compile them

into a compact book. To make them stick together use a pva white glue,

and spread them on the spine of the little booklets. Paste them together

on a sheet of paper and hold them down until the pva white glue stays.

Once the book is held together cut the sides of the paper that is stuck

onto the spine closely. Leaving them clean and neat. Finally, the make the

cover, use the front and back page and stick them carefully on a hard card

or art block paper and leave them to dry. Cut off the extras from the sides.

Now you have a very simple journal to bring along everywhere you go.


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he rst thing about photography is to start

shooting. That may be the worst advise

anyone can give, but it is also the quickest way to learn,

which is point and shoot. Depending on what kind of a

camera you are using this impatient, spontaneous act doescost you time, effort and money. Using cameras with lms,

automatic or SLR will denitely cost your more than a dig-

ital camera would. For one thing you cant learn everything

there is about the camera by reading them up or using the

best fool proof ones with gadgets thatll do everything for

you. So to save you the headache of ignorance and its con-

sequences, rst of all you have to ask yourself what kind

of results you want and what will they be used for. Is it

exhibition, family album, softcopy images to be stored on

disks or sent through e-mails? Next, does the camera suit

your budget and personality? Serious enthusiast, hardcore

passionate shutterbug, amateur, or casual user? Whatever

the case, we all want good quality pictures that will last,

impress, and are convenient for keeps.

he demand for digital cameras is now the

norm since the price has become more af-

fordable and technology seem to have caught up with most

people. Although theres a whole range of cameras out

there to choose from it is still best to check on the updates

of each brand for their latest release. Some of the crite-

ria to look into can be budget, preferred brand, specic

functions and other specs that will describe to you what

the optimum performance of the camera can be. Your

preference can range from idiot-proof cameras (without

complicated dials and menus), to beauty of the slim look

or has a good grasp when the camera is held. What-

ever the pleasure the choice is enormous. One of the sad

things about technology is here today gone tomorrow, so

be ready to spend that kind of money for the camera you

want that can last you longer than an upgrade.

he digital age has however brought

something good to mankind which is

being cost effective, mobile and has instantaneous results.

Shooting with a digital camera not only allows you to

save and erase images that you want but they are small

in size and easily kept for further viewing in softwares

and CDs. Unlike SLR, more for professional use, you

have to develop the lm and get them printed in copies

which sometimes take up to a few days. Chemicals can

grow weaker by the hour and if your roll of lm is sent

at the wrong time of the day, your prints may be have its

optimum results. And keeping them unused in the camera

is just as bad as removing them and storing them in a cool

dark place. And on top of that from loading in the lms

to shooting to printing will cost you time, money and,

sometimes, heartaches. The pictures may not turn out to

be what you want in the rst place and chances of wrong

exposure is higher than seeing instant results that can be

corrected immediately.

here used to be only SLR (Single Re-

ex Lens), compact, instant or Polaroid

cameras in town before the digital age started booming.


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Since then the more popular cameras are the digital ones that has the instant result of a

Polaroid, convenience of a compact and quality of an SLR. Unless you are a professional

or very serious amateur photographer a SLR may be quiet inconvenient and expensive to

lug around. But for some reason if you intend to get a SLR, you will have to hunt them

down to compare prices, extra functions, ergonomic designs for better grip and hold, and

the exibility of interchangeable lenses and ashes. But today, the manual SLR has been

integrated with digital technology that gives it even a better control over shutter speed,

aperture and focus. With the new digital SLR you can also interchange lenses with vari-

able zoom range and differing focal length depending on your objective. One of the more

important accessories for photography is the tripod that provides stability when the shutter

speed has been lowered down to absorb as much light as possible for better results in low

lighting conditions. It also serves as a stand when everyone, including the photographer,

wants in on the picture. Although it may not seem like the most important item to have, it

does help make things more convenient rather than looking for books and tables to prop up

a camera. If the camera doesnt have a built in ash it is a good idea to get one too because

you will never know when you need the light for quick shots. A cable release shutter comes

in handy when you want to depress the button without having to hold the camera directly

for long exposures or standing at a distant from the subject. However, some cameras have

already solved this drawback with remote control releases. There are also other accesso-

ries like lters, lenses and waterproof

IGC: In Good Company

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