07 October 2011 ,04:27 Instant Noodles

I’ve been editing a story about a writer’s love affair with instant noodles for our October issue and I have discovered something – Reader’s Digest is the perfect size magazine to put on top a cup noodle to ensure the cup is sealed while your noodles are cooking. I just love RD!!!!!

Something else I love – instant noodles. This story I’m editing goes all the way back to my university days. You know, the 2 o’clock in the morning I’m crashing to finish my 5000-word essay on the application of existentialism in 21st century society due in 7 hours and I’m only on page two cursing Nietzsche for causing my slow and torturous death by starvation because I’ve missed both lunch and dinner taking copious notes in the library and trying to fashion them into a cohesive narrative. And then, I see the light.

Cup noodles and rd magazine

In response to my loud wails of hunger and intellectual despair, my next-door dorm roomie Christina has come over with a cup noodle and a pair of disposable chopsticks. Ahhhhhhhhhh sweet relief. And that’s when it happens, the comment: “Someone should write a story about instant noodles!”

And so here I am, years later, editing a story on the guilty pleasures of instant noodles. Yes, I know that they don’t have much nutritious value. And yes, I’m aware of the sodium content and yes, I realise that there’s wax in the cup (it’s edible wax). But, and here it comes. I Don’t Care.

Let me repeat that. I Do Not Care. I love my instant noodles and no matter how good broccoli is for me, it is in no way as satisfying as Myojo Mee. Or an Old Chang Kee. So, I will do the exercise, drink lots of water and go for all my pilates classes, just don’t lecture me on the evils of instant noodles. You do that and you’ll get a tongue lashing on your addiction to oh say Korean drama serials (you’re killing your brain cells!!!), smoking (what are you doing to your lungs?), drinking (seriously, how much alcohol do you intend to pour into your system?) and your predilection to motorcycles and comic books (they’re called donorcycles for a reason!)

While I’m writing this, my colleagues are violently protesting my use of the magazine as a pot cover. “It’s disrespectful!” David, the design director says.

Oh you people just don’t understand. I’m taking two things that I passionately love and putting them to good use... Read More...

28 January 2011 ,09:59 Unscrambling Rabbits

This week has been bountiful. My inbox has been flooded with rabbits and Scrabble fans. When I put in the Scrabble anagram into the Editor's Letter for February, I thought it would be a bit of Lunar New Year fun. And also, it made the geek in me gleeful. I love Scrabble. My mother introduced the game to me when I was six and I've been playing ever since.

It's heartening to hear that so many people out there love Scrabble too, albeit in different forms. I gather that most people playing Scrabble on their iPhones and computers. I haven't played a real board game of Scrabble myself in over two years. It's good to see that people are enjoying the game and Reader's Digest.

Scrabble

Bahtiar writes, "Dear Dora, just got my copy today. I am just having fun . . . the word is "RABBITS".

Bahtiar, I'm having fun too! Every morning I wonder how many bunnies will be waiting for me in my inbox. This morning there were 83 rabbits and the day before, a total of 107. I'm amazed at how many have hopped over through email and I feel all warm and fuzzy knowing that people are actually reading and paying attention to my ed note.

Two things have come out of this. First, I am trying to send a personal response to each reader that sent me a rabbit. It's a pile of bunnies I'm getting through, but I think I'll get there in the end. Second, I'm think that Reader's Digest should definitely hold some sort of Scrabble competition in the near future. It would be great fun don't you think?! I'd love to hear your thoughts on a Scrabble contest. Drop me a line at rdaeditor@readersdigest.com. And you're most welcome to keep sending me rabbits. Afterall, it's good luck for the new year!

Try some of our online games and have fun!



Click on the bunny
08 November 2010 ,09:52 Education
On a day off recently, I took my 11-month-old son to town for some shopping. I've accepted the fact that going out with him comes with lots of baggage and a 'four wheel drive' stroller so I won't need to lug all 10 kilos of him on me.
 
I was doing fine, pushing him in and out of shops, negotiating the escalator up and down, etc. Then after a nice long stretch of shops, we came to an abrupt stop. In front of us - a short flight of stairs. It's funny how you don't think much about staircases - seeing people going up and down in a constant stream - that is until you're pushing a stroller with a chubby boy in it and bags hanging from every handle. I looked around for the handicap ramp as that was exactly how I felt - handicapped! But there was none. I had no choice but to push my son down those stairs as carefully as I could. As I started down, I was hoping someone would stop to help us and that perhaps I should have stopped someone for help, but it was too late, I was already heading down those steps with my boy tightly strapped in. Then two young men coming up my way met my gaze and I was so sure they were going to help this crazy mother going down the steps with the large baby-in-stroller. Before I could open my mouth, they looked at me and walked right past me! I finally got to the last step and thought, thank god this is not the Great Wall of China! I just couldn't believe that no one helped us even as I struggled. I was deeply saddened. 
 
Which is why, I couldn't agree more with Adrian Tan, who wrote this month's Voice - "Really Useful Schooling". I strongly recommend anyone, especially parents to read it. The important lessons he pointed out that should be taught in schools cannot be said better. 
 
Courtesy - the world will be a better place if our kids learn this early on. It's not just about minding your Ps and Qs, it's about having consideration and being mindful of people around you. As Adrian Tan says of being part of Society, "that all of us are part of something bigger. We have rights and responsibilities." 
 
Of course it would mean that as parents, we'd have to lead by example and demonstrate basic courtesy and consideration for others. Our kids are watching when we do not give up our seats on the train... Read More...
07 September 2010 ,10:58 The Theory of (Humour) Relativity
This issue marks the fourth Humour Special that I've worked on for Reader's Digest Asia. I put together the first three as Humour Editor and although I may have hung my hat up (Associate Editor Joyce Sim takes care of your favourite humour departments in the magazine now), I couldn't resist putting together this special section for September. The truth is, it’s a lot of fun. I have to trawl through lots of funny articles from around the world to choose the right ones for the magazine. What’s not to like?

The main article – the one where celebrities from around the region share their favourite jokes* – was also a blast to do. I have a confession though – I didn’t find every joke they shared funny. I suppose that drives home the point that humour, like time, is relative.

I remember this particular incident. I was at the cinema watching Mean Girls, the teen comedy Tina Fey wrote that she also co-starred in with recently released jailbird Lindsay Lohan. I loved that movie, and I laughed so hard that at some points – and I can’t believe I’m revealing this – there was definite snorting. On one instance, I also almost choked because I was guffawing so hard. Unfortunately, because it wasn’t a very full theatre, the lack of mad laughter from the other members of the audience was quite apparent. Thank god for the dark.

Incident number two – another movie – this time Judd Apatow’s The 40-Year-Old Virgin starring Steve Carell. I went with a friend. Again, I loved the movie and I laughed so hard, I had stitches. My friend? Not a peep. In fact the only thing she found amusing was my hysterical laughing. Later, we ran into a mutual friend who had also just been to the same screening. She too didn’t find the movie funny. I guess it’s quite clear the point I’m trying to make – I need new friends.

But seriously, if there’s anything I’ve learned during my years as Humour Editor, it’s that there’s no ‘one joke fits all’ policy. So please enjoy our 7th Annual Humour Special and don’t worry if you don’t find everything in there funny. You’re just illustrating the theory of (humour) relativity.

* Disclaimer: No animals were harmed during the shooting of the photos.
Read More...

About this Blog

The Editor's Blog is the little soap box  where  the editors of Reader's Digest Asia and their occasional guest, talk about stories and issues in the magazine that they find thought provoking. Readers are more than welcomed to add their opinions.  In fact, we want you to express them.  So here's to the start of many a good conversation. Read on MacDuff!

 

Recent Blog Posts

October 7, 2011, 4:27 am
Instant Noodles
I’ve been editing a story about a writer’s love affair with instant noodles for our October issue and I have discovered something – Reader’s Digest is the perfect size magazine to put on top a cup noodle to ensure the cup is sealed while your noodles are cooking. I just love RD!!!!!Read More...
January 28, 2011, 9:59 am
Unscrambling Rabbits
This week has been bountiful. My inbox has been flooded with rabbits and Scrabble fans.Read More...
November 8, 2010, 9:52 am
Education
On a day off recently, I took my 11-month-old son to town for some shopping. I've accepted the fact that going out with him comes with lots of baggage and a 'four wheel drive' stroller so I won't need to lug all 10 kilos of him on me.Read More...

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