Paths of Glory meets Da Vinci

" I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing enough is not enough; we must do. " - Leonardo Da Vinci

"You can never be too early, only too late. " - Paths of Glory, Jeffrey Archer

" I'm sitting in a tiny tent some 27 300 feet above sea level, and almost 5000 miles from my homeland, seeking the paths of glory. Even if i were to find them, it would be nothing as, if i am unable to share the moment with you. " - G.L. Mallory's last letter.

It has been quite a while since i last updated my blog. But don't worry, it's not going to be dead; and writing has always been one of my passion. So, you'll expect that the year 2010 will be another year with lots and lots more writing.

At times, i wonder which direction should my blog take. Am i in the right path?


I have just completed reading Paths of Glory by Jeffrey Archer and i can tell you that i am much spellbound by his story-telling capability. It was my first time reading Archer and this had surely set me rolling onto his other books! What impressed me in this book is, it's not any ordinary fictitious story, but a story that inspires. The spotlight was on George Mallory throughout the story and as the story continues on, i felt myself being in the shoes of the respectable main character.

When the time came, he was caught between fulfilling his lifelong dream and to stay with the family he loved entirely.

This story opens my eyes to the life of a mountaineer. It gives vivid details of the ascend and descend of their expedition. George Mallory was reckoned as the best mountain climber at that time and he was finally given the chance to be the first man to step on the summit of Mount Everest. When the story unfolds, we will know what happened in the end. George Mallory's body was found in 1999, buried in the mountain, but there was no photograph of his wife, Ruth.

Towards the end of the story, we will know that George Mallory promises to place the photograph of his wife on Mount's summit. Here lies the big question, did he manage to reach the summit and place the photograph on top of the world? You have to read to believe.

Apart from his climbing enthusiasm, this story upholds many other elements. We can feel the friendship shared between George and Guy, and his other climbing members. His passion towards teaching and the importance of education, and the rights for females to education. His sacrifice for a friend in danger that had caused him to lose out the chance to be the man who reaches the highest level a man has ever achieved. His leadership skill while taking the role as a climbing leader. Despite all, it was his loyalty to his wife and the love to his family that touches the most. George Mallory loved his wife tremendously and to him, she was his 'waking morning and setting sun'. He writes to her whenever he goes on an expedition, leaving Ruth, two daughters and a son behind for about six months. It was the last letter that he sent before he died in the climb that really made me fall for this book.

In fact, the epilogue was so good that it summed up everything and leaves with a note that will be nailed to the memory. To be honest, the last letter displayed Archer's excellent potential to be a writer of love, head to head with Nicholas Sparks!



Leonardo Da Vinci is one of the man i truly admire. He was more than an architect, he's an engineer; more than a painter, he's a visionary. The National Science Centre held an exhibition about him and i took this opportunity to discover and learn more about him. I mean, who can ever be bored with the Mona Lisa?

They even had a gallery just focusing on the Mona Lisa, and i had learnt more than i expected.

As we entered, there was a short documentary about the Mona Lisa and that had elevated my interest. We were shown his life journey, his contribution to the aviary world, his sketches on the human body- unfortunately there wasn't the Vitruvian Man, his contribution during the war times and his inquisitive mind that pioneered much design for today.


It was RM 20 for a child, quite pricey, but the tour around the exhibition sure is worth the price! We spent nearly two hours around the National Science Centre before leaving for home.

Because of my visit to the Da Vinci exhibition, i had left out my chance to see the partial solar eclipse. But, no regrets!

wc10 is seeking for his path of glory and, as far-fetched as it sounds, to be like Da Vinci!


P.S.: My results for Season 3 had just released and i am ecstatic to say that it scored 4 stars!