What my well-intentioned friend did not know is that I inherited my love for books from my mom. As I expected, my mom did not enjoy the book much. As she said, when you know the book was translated from English, you can't help but re-translate the sentences to make sense of what it is implying.

Needless to say, when my friend finally made acquaintance with my mom, she was embarrassed. Ah well.

I love reading. I remember rather vividly sometime when I was Primary 3, I was bored and decided to finally check out all those dusty old books that was kept in one of the cupboards in my old room.

It was a Hardy Boys novel. It changed my life.

That book led to others of the series. Then, to satisfy my new-found hunger for further entertainment in the world of literature, I ventured forth into the other books in that cupboard.. and then to libraries.. and borrowed books from friends.. and even bought some of my own.

Yet there were still some books in that collection I did not even bother opening. As a Primary 3 kid, I was intimidated by some for their thickness and complex use of language, and put off by some of the cheesy old covers of these books that pre-dated.. erm.. me.

Recently I went through the books hidden for so long in my cupboard in my room (I've since moved to Chai Chee) to sort out which to keep and which to throw or give away. I rediscovered my Hardy Boys books, and others.

And then there were the Isaac Asimov books. The books that my mom told me to never discard. So I picked up one.. and wondered why I did not do it earlier?! The man is a master! He will lead you on ever so attentively, only to give you such an unexpected twist that kept me reflecting back and wonder how I missed the clues he laid so subtly??

Anyways, one of the series he wrote, and Ibu has, is the Foundation saga. Summarily, in a future where Man has colonised much of the Galaxy and established Empires, a brilliant scientist developed a scientific and mathematical field called psycho-history; it dealt not with an individual but with populations numbering billions across the Galaxy. This science could plot the future development of Mankind and he forecast an imminent fall of civilisation towards barbarism. He then laid down the Plan which were to reduce the time of the fall to the rise of the new Empire to a single thousand years, instead of the 30,000 years he predicted.

The saga covered on the several prominent crises and events that occurred revolving around the Plan and the two Foundations this scientist established.

The reason I brought up this series is I can't help but realise just how much Gundam 00 is similar to this saga wrote a long time ago!

Think about it! Celestial Beings Vs Foundations. Both portrayed to be highly advanced and secretly developed and expanded. Aeolia Schenberg and Hari Seldon. Scientists who somehow could predict and prepare for the future.