I can't write -- I'm stuck

I hit a mental block recently and found myself unable to produce a decent post. As you can see my last piece was published on May 3, this year.

A conversation with a good friend, who is also a journalist, compelled me to rethink my situation. Until our discussion on the times when we were unable to produce original work, I was quite happy to let 2012 pass without writing anything for this blog.

But Suzanna Pillay would not allow me to dwell on my current lack of enthusiasm for writing. She goaded me into action and here I am. Thank you SP!

The best place to start is to read about other people's experiences in overcoming mental blocks. I chanced upon these two websites (see below) which offer tips to those who often find themselves stuck.

1. 10 ways to overcome mental blocks and boost creativity

2. Do you recognise these 10 mental blocks to creative thinking?

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Buah Tarap: A chance encounter

You learn something new everyday. My friend Alina is very fond of repeating this. And I agree with her. Today I tasted the Buah Tarap (Tarap Fruit) which is said to be unique to Sabah/Borneo. My colleagues and I arrived in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah this afternoon; we are here for the RHB New Straits Times Spell-It-Right Challenge which will take place at the Suria Mall over the weekend. After checking into the Beverly Hotel we walked to a nearby eatery for a spot of tea. It was then that I chanced upon the Buah Tarap and began snapping away. My colleague, who had eaten the fruit in Bandung, Indonesia, was excited to see it. He bought one for us to try. The stall vendor split the fruit into two and we bit into its flesh. Everyone liked it but describing its flavour remains a challenge. The fruit, which looks like nangka (jackfruit) or chempedak, has an unusual combination of tastes: it is sweet but not as sweet as the jackfruit nor as chunky. Words fail me. It feels so lig...

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Why Shamsul Amri dislikes Facebook

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a fleeting stay ...

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