It took Victor Hugo 20 over years to complete his masterpiece, Les Miserable. With that in mind, I told myself back then when i picked up to buy the book in 1997 that perhaps he wouldn't mind if I took my time to finish reading it. And time I had, lots back then. 1997 was the year I started business. Times were bad, the Asian financial crisis had a crippling effect on my business. Jean Valjean, the protagnist, was my constant companion. Les Mis was constantly by my bed side.

After all this years, I could still feel how much Les Miserable still reverberate within me. I could feel the warmth of tears swelling in my eyes whenever I turned the pages of the book. How much I love Les Mis. How much I admire Jean Valjean. He turned despair into hope, from condemnation he achieved redemption and most importanly he finally found faith. I am in my own way battling to find faith. That I hope that there will come a time when I practice religion in full, not to pick and choose injunctions that serve me well.