"YO, I MADE IT!": A Rocky Journey to Meeting Stallone

Alright, gather 'round, my fellow dream-chasers and adventure-seekers! I've got a tale for you that's juicier than a burger at a Hollywood premiere after-party. Picture this: me, an aspiring writer with a book burning a hole in my heart, on a quest to meet none other than Sylvester Stallone himself. Buckle up, because this is the story of how I turned a seemingly "mission impossible" into a "mission accomplished."

So there I was, with my unpublished masterpiece about Sylvester Stallone's epic journey from "Rocky" to "Rocky V." You see, this book wasn't just any book – it was a motivational goldmine based on the themes of his iconic films. I'm talking about that triumphant feeling you get when you finally conquer the snooze button on a Monday morning. Yeah, that kind of inspiration.

But wait, rewind a bit. Let's set the scene – the grand opening of Planet Hollywood Singapore, a star-studded extravaganza that had even the paparazzi drooling. Stallone, Bruce Willis, Cindy Crawford, and more A-listers than a red carpet could handle – it was a sight to behold. And guess who snuck their way into the party? Yours truly.

Now, this wasn't your average party crash. I had a mission, a purpose – I was on a Stallone-seeking mission. I had my book, aptly titled "In The Eye Of The Tiger," and a heart full of determination. Oh, and let's not forget the nerves. Picture a penguin trying to salsa dance – that was me, attempting to play it cool in the presence of Hollywood legends.

But before I go any further, let me take you back in time – to a cozy November in '88. That's when the idea for my book was born. Fast forward almost a decade, and I found myself facing more obstacles than a character in a Stallone movie. Doubts, hurdles, and oh, the dreaded writer's block. It was like Rocky Balboa taking on an army of naysayers.

So there I was, juggling rewrites, edits, and more coffee cups than a caffeine addict's collection. The finish line was in sight – the grand opening of Planet Hollywood Singapore. This was my shot, my chance to hand Stallone a piece of my heart (or at least a printed copy of my book).

The D-day arrived, and the tension was thicker than Stallone's biceps. Security was tighter than a jar of pickles, and the crowd was buzzing like bees around honey. I'm telling you, it was harder to get close to Stallone than it is to get that last dollop of ketchup out of the bottle.

I won't lie – I had a close call. I got within arm's reach of Stallone, but alas, security had other plans. It was like trying to catch a cab in the rain – always just out of reach. But hey, remember what they say in the movies – "never give up." So, I regrouped, strategized, and waited for my golden opportunity.

And then, it happened – a moment that felt straight out of a blockbuster script. Stallone, Crawford, and entourage strolled right past me. My heart raced faster than Rocky chasing a chicken. But this time, I had a secret weapon – Syed Yusof Syed Nasir, the guy who brought Michael Jackson to Kuala Lumpur. Talk about having a superstar ally!

With Syed Yusof by my side, I felt like I had a ticket to the VIP party. He walked right up to Stallone, my book in hand, and introduced me as the writer who poured their heart and soul into capturing Stallone's cinematic journey. And there it was – the moment I had been dreaming of – Stallone smiling, shaking my hand, and even posing for a snapshot.

If that's not a knockout victory, I don't know what is! But let me tell you, dear reader, the journey was far from easy. It was like climbing the steps of triumph just like Rocky did, one agonizing step at a time. The doubts, the setbacks, the anxiety – they were all part of the narrative.

So, what's the takeaway from my adventure? It's simple: don't be afraid to chase your dreams, even if they seem as elusive as Stallone's next big hit. Life's a lot like a Stallone movie – full of challenges, setbacks, and dramatic moments. But remember, just like Rocky, you can go the distance. The path may be tough, but the reward is oh-so-sweet.

So go ahead, pen your own story of triumph. Whether you're chasing a dream, conquering a goal, or just trying to survive Monday mornings, know that the journey is worth it. Who knows, maybe one day you'll find yourself face to face with your own "Stallone moment," ready to seize the opportunity and make your dreams a reality.

And when that happens, my friend, you can proudly say, "YO, I MADE IT!

GOING THE DISTANCE WITH ROCKY

PLANET HOLLYWOOD

Publication :MM-WTM
Edition :
Date :03/02/1997
Page Number :01
Headline :Going the distance with Rocky
Words :1663
Byline :By Gerald Chuah
Text :

YO, I MADE IT!

The day when my (unpublished) book on Sylvester Stallone reaches him personally is the day when I have gone the distance, after a journey which took me nine years! My dream came true at 11.30 pm last Jan 22 during the grand opening of Planet Hollywood Singapore, at Liat Towers in Orchard Road, where superstars Stallone, Bruce Willis, Cindy Crawford, Wesley Snipes, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Jackie Chan graced the ceremony.

They turned the evening into a star-gazing experience for about 8,000 people who showed up for the event, which was covered 'live' by Singapore TV. My 'mission impossible' was to meet Stallone and hand him "In The Eye Of The Tiger," a motivational book based on themes from his movies - from "Rocky" in 1976 to "Rocky V" in 1990 - which I first wrote in November 1988.

This almost decade-long journey was as exciting as any seat-gripping adventure movie. There were so many hurdles and doubts along the way that it was a miracle that I ever got to meet Stallone and hand him the book at all. But as a line in the latest Stallone movie "Daylight" puts it - "Don't look back!" - I never gave up hope and pursued my goal right to the end.

The challenge was a two-part process: to complete the final version of the book within two months, and then to meet Stallone. When I heard that Stallone was coming to Singapore to open Planet Hollywood in January 1997, I knew this was a heaven-sent opportunity. I took a month's leave in November 1996 to rewrite my book.

On Nov 20, I began re-writing from scratch and managed to complete it by Jan 20, just two days before the opening of Planet Hollywood Singapore. It was a tough process which involved research, editing, page-by-page layout, followed by designing the book cover and binding the computer-printed pages.

I made four 'original' copies at a cost of about RM50 each. Every day was a grueling battle, not unlike a boxing match where, at times, I felt knocked out, but I stood up again and again as I wrote for about six hours daily. The pressure mounted as the 'deadline' got nearer. Towards the end, I took my lunch at 7 pm!

During the entire process, the only evidence of my book were the text on the computer screen. When the book finally came into being at 10.30 pm on Jan 20, I didn't even have time to browse through it. In fact, I didn't have time to walk. I had to run from one point to another and was finally off to Singapore by bus at midnight.

On Jan 21, I was told by Directions, the PR company for Planet Hollywood Singapore, that they were unable to entertain my request to hand the book to Stallone personally, although I had faxed them a letter and a synopsis of my book two days earlier. Fortunately, I got the green light on the evening of Jan 21.

But my nightmare was far from over. On the big day itself, as early as 2 pm, security personnel started barricading a 120-metre stretch with 10-foot high blackboards, from Planet Hollywood Singapore to the Singapore Hilton. There was a red carpet along the stretch where the stars were supposed to walk from the hotel to the restaurant.

By 6 pm, the whole area was sardine-packed with guests who received special passes to attend the ceremony. The security was very tight. About 50 security personnel stood guard at various points of the barricade to ensure maximum crowd control. Even journalists were not spared. They had to squeeze through a narrow space between the blackboards and a waist-high iron fence.

A photographer and a member of the public who breached the rules were dragged out of the compound without any hesitation. The show finally started about 7.30 pm with emcees Diana Ser and James Lye going on stage. The event warmed up with the arrival of guests before the superstars turned up from about 9.30 pm. Wesley Snipes came first, followed by Cindy Crawford, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Jackie Chan, and then two of the main shareholders of Planet Hollywood, Stallone and Bruce Willis, made their entrance to the accompaniment of the theme song from Rocky.

The crowd was ecstatic to see the stars in person right before their eyes. Many reached out to shake hands with them, and those with cameras clicked away. There was hardly any chance for anyone to get an autograph from the stars. Even at that point, I still didn't have a clue as to how I was going to pass my book to Stallone.

When he walked past me for the first time, I only managed to shake his hand. Then he stopped about five feet away for an interview with the MTV channel. I was in a dilemma. For three minutes, I struggled with myself to decide whether I should pass the book to him "now or later."

At the time, Stallone was surrounded by his escorts, and security personnel were everywhere, and if I were to make a silly move, my book would be snatched away, and I'd probably meet the same fate as the photographer who was dragged out of the compound. I decided not to make any rash move.

After the interview, Stallone went up on stage and greeted the Singaporean fans. My chance had passed me by. When all the stars entered the restaurant, most people shifted their position. I climbed over the fence and went right up to the front of the stage to meet a colleague and also to have a better view. Bruce Willis took the stage shortly with his band The Accelerators.

Halfway through the show, the VIPS started leaving, and some stood at the staircase leading to the restaurant to watch the concert. Suddenly the crowd went wild again. Stallone and his escorts, as well as Cindy Crawford, walked out of the restaurant and came near the stage where I was standing. He was so close that another reporter managed to get his autograph, but when I tried to pass the book to him, a security guard stopped me. From then on, I was "marked," and I knew I had missed a chance for the second time.

About 10 minutes later, Stallone walked away from the spot and went up to the restaurant again. "I'm doomed. Now my hope is really slim," I said to myself. The concert finally came to an end, and the crowd started leaving at about 11.10 pm. At the time, the focus of the security personnel was turned towards Jackie Chan and Wesley Snipes, who were mingling with the crowd. I sensed a golden opportunity. It's now or never, and I inched my way towards the entrance of Planet Hollywood, gradually made my way up the staircase, and was soon inside the building!

My first reaction was to find out where Stallone was. When I was told he was upstairs, I went up discreetly, bypassing all the security personnel and waiters. The room upstairs was packed with VIPS and super VIPS. On my way up, I saw Jackie Chan leaving the premises. Then I spotted Stallone sitting beside Cindy Crawford at a table in a far-end corner of the room.

My heart beat rapidly as I realized I was within the threshold of my dreams. As I proceeded nearer, I saw Syed Yusof Syed Nasir, the director of Sovereign Enterprise - the man who brought Michael Jackson to Kuala Lumpur for two concerts last October - standing at the periphery of the dining hall. (Earlier the same day, I had met Syed Yusof at about 4 pm along Orchard Road, and I said I'd like to meet him again that night to interview him about the forthcoming opening of Planet Hollywood Kuala Lumpur, to which he agreed.)

Without wasting any time, I told Syed Yusof my intentions and asked for his help to introduce me to Stallone so I could pass him my book. Syed Yusof was surprised to see the book, and without hesitation, said: "Come, follow me." He walked straight up to Stallone, while I followed him from behind.

He stood beside Stallone and Crawford as they were talking, with my book in his hands. Just as Stallone finished talking, Syed Yusof handed him the book and told him that a journalist from The Malay Mail had written a book about him. Stallone was pleased and surprised to see the book. He then stood up and walked towards me, smiled and shook my hand.

My heart nearly dropped into my stomach. I managed to utter a few lines about how he has been a great motivation to me, and how it took me nine years to write the book. Stallone came towards me, said "Thank you," and allowed me to pose for a photo with him. Syed Yusof took out his Olympus compact camera from his jacket and snapped a single shot. The moment seemed to last an eternity.

As we parted ways, I wished Stallone on the 20th anniversary of his first Rocky movie, and he said "Thank you" again. He walked back to his seat and started browsing through the book. I could hear him asking Cindy Crawford: "How do you respond to this?" There was a great sense of relief as I left the premises, knowing that I'd fulfilled an incredible dream which I'd been pursuing for a third of my life.

It was definitely the most unforgettable night of my life! Before I left the premises, I thanked Syed Yusof again for his help, and he said he will do a "follow-up" on the book. He said Stallone liked it. That was the sweetest piece of news to my ears, as I now await the next step: for my book to be published! (END)

US FILM BOOK PUBLISHER GIVES THUMBS UP FOR ROCKY BOOK

MICHAEL WIESE, an America filmmaker and publisher who was in Kuala Lumpur recently congrajulated Gerald Chuah's on his Rocky book, and has offered to publish it through his company Michael Wiese Books http://www.mwp.com/ with links to major book distributors throughout the United States.

Praising the book as an original effort, Wiese said: "Fantastic. this is very interesting, a mixed genre which has never been done before..."

He later presented the book during his afternoon class, explaining why this self-help-meets-fan-book is unique, and caters to two different markets including the movie and self-help section of the bookstores.

 
Weise who has over 35 years experience in film, television, pay TV and home video.
also spoke about the importance of pitching one's idea during the class.

 
He said as a producer, he used to receive about 3000 scripts a year, of which he finally selected only three. With such high standards and the fact he rated Chuah's book highly, shows the book has got big potential.

And with the recent success of the Rocky and Rambo movies, indeed, it proves it is an idea whose time has come.

Currently Michael Wiese productions (www.mwp.com) publishes a line of over 100 professional film and video books used in major motion picture studios, and 600 film schools throughout the world.

Wiese who currently lives in England is famous for his spoof on Starwars, "The Hardware Wars" which have made more than US$1 million.” Presently he is preparing to direct a feature film based on his 1995 novel in Bali.

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO RECORDING
http://www.stallonism.com/ImpactWebAudio-Project1.html


READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE:

WIESE TO CHUAH:
Fantastic, I think you've got a very successful book. I think the book is brilliant and because of the franchise of the movie I think a lot of people will be really interested in it.
I mean it's sort of like someone should do the same kind of book on the Karate Kid the kid's principles of the Karate Kid. So your concept is fantastic. I think it is a fan book, and it's an inspirational guide, a new genre… that's very interesting what you have done, creatively…

BOOK CONCEPT DISCUSSION WITH  FILM STUDENTS AT FINAS
“It is very interesting what Gerald has done creatively… his book talks about Stallone’s movies and synthesizes principles which you can apply and use in your life,

 
For example: It's Gonna Take All I've Got, The World Meets Nobody Halfway, Paint Your Windows Black, In The Eye of the Tiger, Stay Hungry Stay Natural (isn’t that a good one).

But these are all the things you can apply in your life and it is all drawn from the Rocky movies so he weaves. It is sort of a self-help meet fan book.

It is really interesting, it is a mixed genre. Not a book about the Rocky movie, not purely a book about how to be happy in your life. It is a combination. It’s really interesting.

And if this wasn’t about Rocky, and if it was just his idea… Gerald's idea about how to live a great life… I think well, Gerald, ah, so what? 

But the fact that he has wrapped around Rocky, the Rocky movies which we all choose and all understand… terrific he sold 1000 copies since last year just in Malaysia, and I think he can make all the other publishers interested.

A real mixed genre, never seen anything quite like it. Well that’s interesting because if this is in the bookshelf in the movie section.

Well that’s a book about Rocky that's cool, now wait a minute the Survival Principles, what about these? 

These are all the things I can do to be successful like Rocky or whatever I go around pursuing in my life; or if this is in the self help section and somebody says: Self help book this rocky book may be useful in my life and he comes at it other way.

So he has got two markets working quite well combination.

NEWSREPORT

Welcome to...

STALLONISM IN THE NEWS

Hi, Welcome to Stallonism Media Centre

I have posted a series of articles and reviews that have recently been published in the local media, including newspapers, magazine and the internet about the book 

IN THE EYE OF THE TIGER: Survival Principles from Sylvester Stallone's Life & Films.

For press releases, excerpts from the book, backcover blurbs, testimonials, and contact details please refer to the links below.

This blog will be updated with more information from time to time, so stay tuned.

(To be updated)

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Testimonial by Richard Linning

IF there is a lesson in this book is that the World Doesn't Owe You. The rewards in life have to be earned, often the hard way as Sylvester Stallone himself once said... that means overcoming every bump and pothole on the way. Gerald Chuah's book of Sylvester Stallone's Survival Principles is a good guide navigating that road.

* Richard Linning runs strategic public affairs advice business The Stable House Partnership. He is an IPRA Board Member and recently took over as moderator of the IPRA e-group.

Gerald Stallone

I ALWAYS like to take a different perspective to things. With the press conference looming, I thought, why not put some of the spotlight on the journalists who will interview me? After all, we hardly ever give them a second thought, and we always take our news for granted, always forgetting the medium in which our news are disseminated to us.

Recently I was interviewed by New Strait Times journalist, Gerald Chuah. As it turns out, Gerald is quite an individual himself. He wrote a book called ‘ In The Eye of The Tiger : Survival Principles from Sylvester Stallone’s Life and Films’.

Catchy title eh?

According to Gerald, this has been an experiment of sorts, which culminated in him launching the book with the help of Sylvester’s mom herself! He says that after daring to try writing this book, he has achieved what he previously never dreamt of. He met people he otherwise wouldn’t have, and even snagged a job as an NST journalist!

Describing Rocky as the man of a thousand skills, he says Sylvester’s films truly inspires him. For future plans, Gerald hopes to land a deal with a major US publisher.

Hats off to Gerald!


Jason Leong
Author of The Twisted Stethoscope

THE BOOK THAT MUST BE READ... IS FINALLY WRITTEN!

IN THE EYE OF THE TIGER: SURVIVAL PRINCIPLES FROM SYLVESTER STALLONE’S LIFE & FILMS

AUTHOR Gerald Chuah spent two decades pursuing his dream. Finally before the final bell is rung, he kept the faith and went the distance to fulfill a dream of a lifetime, proving the Rocky philosophy is true and the words of Stallone are real, transcending time and boundaries to empower individuals to achieve their wildest dreams and uncover their true potential.

If Rocky's life was a million-to-one-shot, Chuah is one-in-a-million fan whose achievement is a living proof and testimony that the Rocky spirit exists and lives on in our hearts.

Like a living secret, his Rocky experiment proves that no road is too long and no journey too far for those who believe and are willing to take the next step forward to reach their highest goals and intentions.

His lifetime of research and writings are now distilled into an amazing book which reveals for the first time the Survival Principles from Sylvester Stallone's Life & Films, which offer a complete life guide on all aspects of living from love, faith, courage, dream, determination, wisdom and spirituality.

Extensively researched with hundreds of quotes and excerpts from books, magazines, newspaper archives, rare documentaries and the internet, IN THE EYE OF THE TIGER is the first in the world to expound the life lessons and inspirational themes from Sylvester Stallone's Life & Films since the 70s.

Like East meets West, the red cover book with Chinese motifs and character of a tiger, juxtaposed against the black-and-white illustration of Rocky, proves the legacy of Stallone has transcended culture and boundaries, as he comes full circle with the last outing of two of his famous characters Rocky and Rambo.

The book was launched by Jacqueline Stallone (Sylvester's mom) at Borders Times Square in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on January 22 last year in conjunction with the screening of Rocky Balboa (the last installment in the series).

The book is endorsed by Bob Proctor, Jack Canfield, Robert G. Allen, and Blair Singer (Rich Dad's advisor to Robert Kiyosaki) amongst others.

"These are very unusual quotes... they are all original Sylvester Stallone's quotes. It is a miracle how Gerald was able to gather all these quotes and put them together in a book. And I think everyone who wants to be successful, rich, and famous should read these quotes and practise them." -JACQUELINE STALLONE

One Man’s Passion

NOTES FROM VENUS
Tuesday, 22 Jan 2008.
By Membuaya

While I know I may not be waiting in line front and centre to watch Rambo 4, I do know of one person who will be, and that guy is Greald Chuah – probably Sylvester Stallone’s greatest fan, here in Malaysia and likely the world.

Gerald is a really nice guy, a journalist whom I’ve had the pleasure of working with in the past, and the reason I bring him up is because his story is one that can be admired. We all knew Gerald was mad about Rocky, Rambo and all things Sylvester, but as we all went about our daily lives, little did we (or possibly me, since I am considered very blur) realise that Gerald was working on a book that culminates his passion into a positive undertaking.

Gerald wrote an inspirational book entitled based on Sylvester’s life and films!Who would have ever imagined that a self-help book would take inspiration from a movie?
A quote on the backcover of the book entitled In The Eye of the Tiger: Survival Principles from Sylvester Stallone’s Life & Films sums up the philosophy and concept of the book:

“I want to give the audience positive symbols, heroines and heroes who pull themselves up from the depths of despair. As they claw and finally attain their goals, viewers can realize `My God, I can do that,’ or `That’s the kind of person I want to be.” – Sylvester Stallone.

As the tagline of the latest Rocky movie says: “It ain’t over till it’s over!” Gerald who started writing this book many years ago was determined to get his book off the ground as a final tribute to the underdog fighter in conjunction with the last installment of the Rocky series.

His challenge was three-fold – to complete and publish his book, to have Jackie Stallone launch his book, and to make it on time for the premiere of Rocky Balboa (last year) within the space of one month. And, he achieved it!

Like a Hollywood ending to a life affirming story Gerald finally went the distance achieved his goal, proving that nothing is impossible to a willing heart.

When Gerald launched his book after a special screening of Rocky Balboa at GSC Times Square, Jackie was there to celebrate with Gerald. Jackie was on a Far East tour with her husband Dr. Stephen M. Levine and she made the special trip to KL to meet Gerald especially for the event.

During the book launch on Jan 22 2007, Jackie, who first saw the book two years earlier was impressed by the accuracy of the facts, and its relevance of the inspirational quotes to Stallone’s real life struggles.

She said, “I am very proud of your book! I read the book and every word is true. The whole family live by these rules.”

“It is a miracle how Gerald was able to gather all these quotes and put them together in a book. I think everyone who wants to be successful, rich, and famous should read these quotes and practice them,” she added.

Driven by a mission to impart these powerful secrets to the world, Chuah religiously documented each and every point to inspire readers to get back on their feet and onto the heart of action, proving that our greatest strength lies within and is inspired from above.

He defines The Eye of the Tiger as a feeling, an awareness and a belief that there is something greater for us to achieve in life than what we seemingly are in this present reality, it is a call of duty that we must heed and a voice from our conscience that compels us to reach the destiny of our restless souls.

Now how’s that for a good story?

Written by membuaya | | Posted in VenusReads
http://www.notesfromvenus.com/blog/?p=2364

In The Eye of the Tiger: Survival Principles From Sylvester Stallone's Films And Life By Gerald Chuah

The Greatest Treasure On Earth
By Fillip Lim (NST Life&Times)

Gerald is an old friend of mine and an office colleague. For a better part of 18 years, he has laboured on his pet project. There were times when he must have felt like giving up because he wasn't sure if the book he was working on will eventually seen the light of day.

I recall the times through the years when he came to me to express the doubts and the frustrations he has had over this book. In many ways, I understood, sympathised as well as empathised with what he was going through.

For one thing, finding a publisher for a book with that kind of title is never easy. Then there are the copyright laws and other legalities that make publication seemed like an uphill battle at times.

Gerald underwent all that and more. Finally one day about a year or two ago, he again engaged in a conversation with me over "In the Eye of the Tiger". Out of a sense of frustration with Gerald's consistent hesitations and procrastinations, I blurted out:
"You are not getting any younger. You have walked this path longer than most normal writers. It's time for you to do what you must. If you have any satisfaction or reward that you think you deserve for slogging on this project of yours, now is the time to do it. Spend your own money.

Forget about cornering or signing that book deal with a faceless publisher. That may never come. Once it's done, at least you know you have done it.

"Decades from now, Gerald, when all is said and done, at least you can boast to your grandchildren that their grandpappy has one book to his name. And nobody can take that away from you."

Before I know it, Gerald went on an overdrive and got his book published at last - all at his own expense. I thought that was the best testimony of what he has expounded in his book, In the Eye of the Tiger.

Figuratively, he jumped on the tiger and rode it.

Now that that mission has been accomplished, I am pleased to say that the book is undoubtedly a good read.

Any reader would realise quite quickly all the passion that has been invested in the book. Gerald lives his life along the principles he so believes. A man can have any hobby in the world, my friend Gerald has seen it fit to absorb the principles embodied in all of Sylvester Stallone's movies, especially The Rocky series.

I am glad this book has brought much joy to an old chum. It is not often that a person can truly feel happy with his own achievements. To have a book with such a title on the book shelves of major bookstores is truly something to be proud of.

Initially, there were doubts among a number of people, among them Gerald's friends, that whether this journalist can see it all through. But praise the Lord, Gerald stuck to his guns and romped home a winner.

The principles expounded in the book and the anecdotes that accompany most of the guideposts make a book of such nature quite palatable. Even if you are not an admirer or a fan of Stallone, you would appreciate the trouble that the writer had gone through to amass the mini-mountains of facts to put his points across.

In the Eye of the Tiger is recommended for those who are seeking answers to their lives. It doesn't matter if you are young or old, Gerald's book will shine a path in the darkened corners of your mind, and hopefully lead you to higher ground.

I have read a draft of this book before it was published and I have just digested the finished product. The writer has gone through numerous revisions of the manuscript before it saw print.

It has taken thousands of hours and much mental energy on the part of Gerald to finally sculpted it to its final form. The end product will make any writer proud.

Gerald Chuah has done a fine job. The important thing is he believes in himself. It has been a long and interesting journey. I am sure there were times when he probably question whether it was worth it.

Thank goodness, those moments were fleeting. Those painful moments are now history. The door is thrown wide open. Gerald can now hold his head up high and walk with a steady gait.

He has done well and he knows it. Congratulations, Gerald. You have earned it all. Now go and reap the rewards of your literary labour.

THE GREATEST TREASURE ON EARTH

This blog is all about books which have fascinated or caught my interest over the decades. The wonderful thing is there's no limit to finding nuggets of information in the written word.

ABOUT ME

fillip - A journeyman in the world of communications, still learning, but always enjoying what each day has to offer. Personal credo: Make the most out of every minute of every hour every single day of my life.

Posted by fillip at 2:33 AM December 2007
http://fantasticbooks.blogspot.com/2007_10_01_archive.html

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

NST (Friday, Sept 28, 2007)
by Rehman Rashid

In the Eye of the Tiger: Survival Principles from Sylvester Stallone's Life & Films
Gerald Chuah
Gerald Chuah; Kuala
Lumpur, 2007; 226pp;

SYLVESTER Stallone and his mother were astounded by this book.
When the actor was in Singapore for the opening of Planet Hollywood in 1997, Gerald Chuah managed to pass him an early draft of his manuscript.

As Stallone returned to his seat next to Cindy Crawford, Chuah heard him mutter to her: "How do you respond to this?" Exactly the right response, no doubt.

It took another 10 years for Chuah to complete and publish his book. It's impossible to categorise. It could find a place in a bookstore's sections on movies, biography, popular culture, self-help, motivation, New Age esoterica and comparative mythology, for heaven's sake.

Back in 1986, a teenage Malaysian watched John Rambo in First Blood for the first time and experienced an epiphany worthy of the road to Arizona. Over the next 18 years, Gerald Chuah dulang-washed Stallone's life and work for nuggets of universal truth.

The result is a remarkable assemblage of reflections, aphorisms and homilies built around quotes and outtakes from Stallone's films. It is the uber-fanzine; the product of an obsession that might be certifiable were it not channelled and refined into this ageless document.

Chuah remains a reporter, however, and his frequent transitions from reflection to reportage in comprehensively cataloguing Sylvester Stallone's career add to the boundary-busting, genre-defying nature of this book.

Utterly innocent of cynicism, In the Eye of the Tiger stands unique among local publications. Heck, all publications. It can be confidently asserted that nothing remotely like this has ever been done before.

But in sifting these pearls of insight from the mountainous midden of American pop culture, Chuah somehow redeems it, turning it into the compost for a strange and wonderful blossoming.

To put it another way: He's penetrated the vacuity of Hollywood to tap the heart within. It's surely poetic that this should have happened with Stallone's work, for it was just such honest-to-goodness naivete that created John Rambo, Rocky Balboa, Marion Cobretti, Kit Latura, Lincoln Hawke and all his other superhumanunderdog anti-hero avatars.

With a limited print run, despite its startling originality, it's fingers-crossed on whether Chuah's book will get enough attention to merit a second edition in paperback (hopefully at a third of the cover price).

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/Columns/20070928093656/Article/index_html

Eight Pages of Booknews!

bibliobibuli
Sunday, March 25, 2007

By Sharon Bakar

Wah! The Readsmonthly supplement in StarMag has doubled in size this month. What a great Sunday treat for the book addicted! (Next month we demand 12 pages.)

There's a story by Daphne Lee about a remarkable young man called Gerald Chuah who wrote a book about his favourite actor and films when he was feeling down and depressed in his early '20's. In the Eye of the Tiger: Survival Principles from Sylvester Stallone's Life and Films has finally been self-published by Chuah to coincide with the release of Rocky Balboa, the sixth film in the Rocky series.

The article tells how Chuah managed to pass the manuscript to Stallone when he was in Singapore, and how Jackie Stallone (Sylvester's mum) supported the project, even appearing at the launch with Chuah. And now famous motivational speaker and author Bob Proctor has offered to publish the book internationally.

Among the other reviews: Dina Zaman's I Am Muslim is reviewed by Farish Noor, Amirul B. Ruslan reviews Only Revolutions by Mark Z. Danielewski (and whilst I don't think the book sounds like my cup of tea, am impressed with the 17 year old reviewer!
Keep writing, kid!);

Ooi Si Min reviews No Dram of Mercy - Sybil Kathigesu's memoir detailing how she gave medical aid to both civilians and members of the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army; and (surprise surprise!) Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil talks about her reading, reveals herself to be a Hanif Kureishi fan (me too!) and reviews very nicely Sweetness in the Belly by Camilla Gibb. My dear friend Kaykay seems now to be writing under his real name as Krishna Kumar, and reviews Hannibal Rising.

And there's much much more!

*(The book is also included in Faces of Courage which was until recently a "restricted" book).

posted by bibliobibuli at 9:13 AM |

Inspiration: Going The Distance With Rocky

ONION SPIRIT

Mark Khoo aka Markk is the author of the Onion Spirit blog, who knew Gerald Chuah before the book launch, and continues to give his full support. Check out his inspirational blog Onion Spirit at http://onionspirit.com, filled with unusual ideas and rare insights on the inner workings of the mind and the internet.


INSPIRATION can be drawn from many sources if you know where to look, and sometimes it comes from the most unexpected source you wouldn’t have thought of in the first place.

A book written by award-winning Malaysian journalist Gerald Chuah has surprisingly revealed powerful inspirational life lessons from movies that featured action movie star Sylvester Stallone.

If you’re a fan of Stallone, you’ll know that his films draw on the tradition of the underdog, the downtrodden man who comes out on top.

How is that so?
According to renowned philosopher, author and coach Bob Proctor, Chuah’s book, entitled “In The Eye Of The Tiger: Survival Principles From Sylvester Stallone’s Life & Films,” has captured the inspirational nuances of “The Secret,” a best-selling book authored by Rhonda Byrne and which has been turned into a movie.

Chuah has compiled all the life lessons and inspirational quotes from Stallone’s Life and Films since the 70s, and for the first time - 30 years after - he has published the book of which you can download the first chapter for free here to get a taste of what Proctor describes as “a phenomenal book.”

The book was launched by Sylvester’s mother, Jacqueline Stallone, in Kuala Lumpur early this year in conjunction with the last episode in the Rocky series, “Rocky Balboa.”

“It’s absolutely incredible,” says Proctor. “Chuah went against all odds to deliver the book. He had asked himself: ‘What would Stallone do? What would Rocky Balboa do?’ “

From all Stallone’s movies, the man always go the extra round. So did Chuah to get the book out.

Verdict: A motivational book that reminds us that only losers give up without a fight.

Read the rest of the article at http://onionspirit.com.


Jacqueline Stallone and Gerald Chuah at
the launch of his book in Kuala Lumpur


P.S. If you’re interested in the book, please contact Gerald Chuah at gchuah@gmail.com.

THE STAR: Doing Rocky Proud

THE STAR
By Daphne Lee

Like a certain Mr Balboa, a Malaysian writer perseveres – for almost two decades – and finally gets his book published.

IT all started 18 years ago. Gerald Chuah, then in his early 20s, was feeling dejected and depressed. He was in college but felt that he had no future. Many of his friends were furthering their studies abroad and he was disappointed that he didn't have the same opportunities as they did.

"I wondered how I could change my life," recalls Chuah. "I was sitting on my bed, staring into space and then I suddenly focused on the Sylvester Stallone poster on the wall. And there and then I decided to do what I loved best. I decided to write a book about being inspired by the actor and his films."

Chuah says that writing this book became an obsession for him.
"I was very excited at the thought of doing it. At the same time, I did not know one thing about writing a book or how to publish one. I spent my whole semester break writing. In seven weeks I wrote 250 pages. That was my first draft of the book that has finally been published now."

Gerald Chuah got to meet his idol, Sylvester Stallone, at the opening of Planet Hollywood in Singapore in 1997. Yes, that's Chuah's book Sly is holding, with an earlier version of the cover.

In the Eye of the Tiger: Survival Principles from Sylvester Stallone's Life & Films is Chuah's book, self-published at considerable cost, to coincide with the recent Malaysian premier of Rocky Balboa, the sixth and final instalment of Stallone's Rocky series.

"For the last 18 years, I never forgot about my dream to publish the book. I did procrastinate a lot, though," says Chuah. "After I wrote the first draft, I sent an excerpt to Stallone's agent, but it came back, with thanks."

His life, however, was already changing thanks to the book. "I found that spending time writing it gave me confidence to apply for a job as a journalist."
Chuah is still a reporter and his job has, in fact, been instrumental in allowing him to make his ultimate dream come true: to meet his hero. In 1997, Stallone was in Singapore for the opening of Planet Hollywood. It was at this event that Chuah managed to hand a copy of the book – a first draft – to his idol.

Chuah managed to arrange to attend the opening thanks to contacts he had made as a reporter.
"It was all very hit-or-miss, though," says Chuah. "Right on the night, when I was there, I still didn't know if I was going to get the chance to meet Stallone as security was very tight."
Luckily, another contact was kind enough to introduce fan to idol.
Chuah was thrilled when Stallone's other, Jacqueline, agreed to launch his book in Kuala Lumpur.

"I felt really proud and really happy when I shook hands with Stallone and gave him the book," says Chuah who remembers how pleased and surprised the actor looked when he found out that he had inspired someone to write a book based on his life and films.

"It's never been done," says Chuah, "but to me it seems like something obvious to do, to take inspirational quotes from Stallone's movies and compile them."
To Chuah, the main message is, "going the distance".

"It's about finishing, not winning," he says. "That's why the book is not called Success Principles, it's called Survival Principles."
Chuah feels the book needed to be written because he wants others to be as inspired as he is by the quotes and lessons from Stallone's films.

"I learnt a lot from them," he says, adding that he is impressed at how Stallone's philosophy of being positive and giving everything you've got has remained consistent throughout his films.

"The book is solid proof that you must not give up on your dreams," says Chuah who launched Eye of the Tiger on Jan 22 with none other than Jacqueline Stallone, the mother of his hero, in attendance at the Borders bookstore in Berjaya Times Square, Kuala Lumpur.

"My book was given to Jackie by Bob Sands, an Australian businessman whom I'd met at a seminar. I shared my book with him and he was impressed. Next thing I knew, he'd presented it to Jackie and she sent me an e-mail."
The back cover of Eye of the Tiger has a quote from Jackie: "I read this book and every word is true. The whole family lives by these rules and these are quotes that Sylvester was raised on."


If Jackie's support alone has not had Chuah reeling with delight and amazement, this would have done it: he was recently contacted by Bob Proctor, motivational speaker and author of You Were Born Rich. Proctor has offered to publish Eye of the Tiger internationally through his company, Life Success Publishing, and wants to get Jack Canfield of Chicken Soup for the Soul fame to help sell and promote it.

Presumably, if Proctor and Canfield do indeed take on the book, it will be re-edited. Chuah himself admits that the book was not even proof read and, thus, contains many grammatical and spelling errors, as well as typos galore!

"I'm upset that there are many mistakes in the book," says Chuah. "The book was produced in a rush. It was just important to get it out and waste no time. Many people say to themselves ‘I'm not ready' but if you wait too long, the time may never come.

"Getting the book published was my Rocky experience. It wasn't about being perfect. It was about going the distance. It was a now or never moment.

"This book," he adds, "is not meant to impress. It's meant to make one reflect."
According to Chuah, Proctor has likened Eye of the Tiger to Rhonda Byrne's The Secret, the best-selling book and DVD about the laws of attraction. Does this mean that Chuah will soon hit pay dirt, just as Byrne has?

Chuah doesn't rule out commercial success. He has seen so many of his dreams come true that he prefers to continue to think positive.

If he does make it big, "I want to create a Real Rocky foundation to inspire people to go the distance with their dreams and I want to highlight their stories in my upcoming books, documentaries, and websites.

"I want to inspire people to believe in themselves and climb the mountain they dream of.
"I want my book, or my seminars in the future, to raise people above the obstacles that are stopping them, so they are able to move ahead. And through their successes they will inspire others. And make the world a better place for everyone."
Rocky would be proud.

For more information about ‘In the Eye of the Tiger: Survival Principles from Sylvester Stallone's Life & Films', visit the official website at stallonism. com. Author Gerald Chuah also has a blog called The Real Rocky Challenge at
therealrockychallenge.wordpress.comwhere he hopes others will share their own Real Rocky stories.

Related Stories:
http://clovetwo.com/articles/story.asp?file=/2007/3/25/peoplepersons/17218677&sec=peoplepersons

BUKTI GERALD

JARUM EMAS (Harian Metro, May 3, 2007)

By Adam Salleh

Kehadiran Jacqueline (Jackie) Stallone, 86, ibu aktor hebat Hollywood yang terkenal dengan watak lasaknya, Rambo, bukan mencari 91heroin’ kita untuk dipadankan dengan ‘anak jantannya’, tetapi mencari seorang wartawan tempatan bagi melancarkan bukunya In The Eye Of The Tiger. Turut menemani Jacqueline ialah suami barunya, Dr Stephen Levine.

Nak diikutkan, wartawan itu, Gerald Chuah, bukan penulis buku tersohor. Malah, buku In The Eye Of The Tiger dalah karya sulungya sesudah lebih 15 tahun menjadi wartawan.

Namun kesungguhannya menghimpun pelbagai kata-kata hikmah dan falsafah dalam setiap filem lakonan Stallone membuka ‘pintu hati’ aktor itu untuk mengenalinya dengan lebih rapat.

Antara filem Stallone yang menjadi pilihan Gerald bermula daripada Rocky (1976) hingga ke First Blood (1982), Cobra (1986), Over The Top (1987) dan Lockup (1989).

Namun sekuel Rocky hingga ke Rocky II (1979), Rocky III (1982), Rocky IV (1985), Rocky V (1990) dan terbaru Rocky Balboa menjadi pilihan istimewa Gerald.

Saya tanya Gerald, apa ‘specialnya’ filem lakonan Stallone hinggakan setiap dialog dalam filemnya mahu dipetik sebagai kata-kata hikmah, seterusnya dibukukan.

Saya fikir orang seperti Gerald lebih sesuai buat buku riwayat hidup Jackie Chan atau Jet Li. Namun Gerald yang sepejabat dengan saya melihat kekentalan jiwa serta semangat yang ada dalam Rocky boleh menyuntik keyakinan untuk generasi baru kita.

Dia mula berhujah, katanya semangat peninju seperti Rocky yang tidak mudah mengaku kalah sesuai diterapkan buat generasi baru menghadapi cabaran. Baginya, Rocky sering menjadi `underdog’, malah setiap pusingan ditempuhi pastinya berserta azam untuk memburu kejayaan.

Walaupun dibelasah teruk oleh lawan hingga tinggal nyawa-nyawa ikan, peninju cekal seperti Rocky pasti akan berbisik di dalam hati: “I have to go one more round.”

Apa yang saya kaitkan bukan nak promosikan sangat buku itu. Cuma kita ambil yang positif, bagaimana seorang wartawan yang banyak habiskan masa di Jalan Riong, Bangsar, tiba-tiba boleh terjalin hubungan dengan aktor itu, seterusnya keluarga Stallone melalui ibunya bersedia pula hadir ke Kuala Lumpur dengan perbelanjaan sendiri.

Siapakah antara penerbit filem atau pemimpin persatuan filem kita oleh ‘lembutkan hati’ pihak dari Hollywood untuk datang dalam program seperti itu?

Kita tahu bukan mudah. Selain terpaksa melalui birokrasi agensi mereka, kos perbelanjaan tinggi terpaksa dilaburkan, tetapi inilah hikmah yang ditentukan Tuhan untuk Gerald menikmatinya.

Saya katakan begini kerana ketika bersembang dengan Gerald, dia mengaku mana ada duit banyak untuk bawa Stallone atau ahli keluarganya bagi melancarkan bukunya.

Namun sebagaimana dicatatkan pada buku itu sebagai cenderamata kepada saya, “Adam, nothing is impossible if u believe,” Begitulah hakikatnya yang berjaya dibuktikan Gerald.

Dua tahun lalu, Gerald luahkan hasrat pada seorang ahli perniagaan Amerika Syarikat untuk bertemu Stallone. Ini kerana kajiannya terhadap filem aktor itu 90 peratus siap. Penghujung 2006, baru Gerald dapat melayarkan e-mel pada Jacqueline.

Melalui balasan e-mel itu, Jacqueline memang mencari Gerald. Bila mengetahui buku itu siap, Jacqueline yang mahu bercuti di Thailand, bersedia singgah ke Kuala Lumpur.

Gerald seperti teruja dengan ketentuan Tuhan. apakan tidak, pada 22 Januari 1997 dia bertemu Stallone di Planet Hollywood Singapura.

Melalui kunjungan singkat itu Gerald sempat bergambar dan memberi lakaran falsafah filem Rocky yang akan diabadikan dalam bentuk buku. Pertemuan itu berakhir di situ tanpa susulan.

Namun siapa sangka sesudah 10 tahun, dalam kekalutan memikirkan siapakah VIP untuk merasmikan pelancaran buku tu, takdirnya Jacqueline iaitu ibu Stallone bersedia melancarkan buku berkenaan pada tarikh 22 dan bulan sama, cuma tahun berbeza, 2007

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The presence of Jacqueline (Jackie) Stallone, 86, the mother of the iconic Hollywood actor known for his rugged character, Rambo, wasn't seeking our "hero" to match with her "son," but rather searching for a local journalist to launch her book, "In The Eye Of The Tiger." Accompanying Jacqueline was her new husband, Dr. Stephen Levine.

Interestingly, the journalist chosen, Gerald Chuah, isn't a renowned author. In fact, "In The Eye Of The Tiger" is his debut work after over 15 years of being a journalist.

However, his dedication to gathering various words of wisdom and philosophies from each of Stallone's films opened the "heart door" of the actor to get to know him more closely.

Among Stallone's films selected by Gerald were from "Rocky" (1976) to "First Blood" (1982), "Cobra" (1986), "Over The Top" (1987), and "Lockup" (1989).

But the sequels to Rocky, from "Rocky II" (1979) to "Rocky III" (1982), "Rocky IV" (1985), "Rocky V" (1990), and the latest "Rocky Balboa," held a special place for Gerald.

I asked Gerald what makes Stallone's films so special that every dialogue in them could be quoted as words of wisdom and then compiled into a book.

In my opinion, someone like Gerald might be better suited for writing the life story of Jackie Chan or Jet Li. However, Gerald, who works closely with me, saw the depth of spirit and determination in Rocky that could instill confidence in our new generation.

He began to argue, stating that the fighting spirit of someone like Rocky, who never easily admits defeat, is suitable to be passed on to the new generation facing challenges. To him, Rocky often embodies the "underdog," and each round he endures is filled with determination to chase success.

Even though beaten severely by opponents to the brink of defeat, resilient fighters like Rocky would whisper to themselves, "I have to go one more round."

What I'm connecting here isn't to overly promote the book. We're simply taking the positive aspect—how a journalist who spent a lot of time on Jalan Riong, Bangsar, could suddenly build a connection with the actor and even have the Stallone family ready to come to Kuala Lumpur at their own expense.

Who among our film producers or film association leaders could "soften the hearts" of Hollywood's representatives to participate in such programs?

We know it's not easy. Besides navigating through their agencies' bureaucracy, substantial expenses need to be invested. Yet, this is the wisdom determined by God for Gerald to experience.

I say this because when chatting with Gerald, he admitted that there wasn't a lot of money available to bring Stallone or his family to launch the book.

However, as noted in the book as a souvenir to me, "Adam, nothing is impossible if u believe." That's the reality that Gerald successfully demonstrated.

Two years ago, Gerald expressed his desire to meet Stallone to an American businessman. This was because his study of the actor's films was 90 percent complete. Towards the end of 2006, Gerald managed to send an email to Jacqueline.

Through that email exchange, Jacqueline was indeed seeking Gerald. Upon learning that the book was ready, Jacqueline, who was planning a vacation in Thailand, was willing to stop by Kuala Lumpur.

Gerald was excited by God's arrangement. Why not, on January 22, 1997, he met Stallone at Planet Hollywood Singapore.

During that brief encounter, Gerald had the opportunity to take a photo and provide an outline of the philosophy of the Rocky films that would be immortalized in book form. The meeting ended there without further follow-up.

However, who could have guessed that after 10 years, amidst the confusion of determining which VIP would inaugurate the book launch, fate had it that Jacqueline, Stallone's mother, was ready to launch the book on the same date of January 22, but a different year, 2007.

Down and out for 20 years- But goes the Distance to Live Dream

THE SECRET NOTES
Monday, March 19th, 2007

By David Siddall

A burn out journalist gave up on his life long dream spanning 20 years only to see all the pieces of the jigsaw miraculously fit together in the space of 2 weeks due to some weird coincidences- maybe it was FATE, maybe it was the Law of Attraction at work.

Gerald Chuah thought his book on ‘The Eye of the Tiger’ would take off after meeting Sylvester Stallone in 1997. However this wasn’t the case, so he gave up hope and was down on his luck. 10 days before the final installment of the Rocky series- Rocky Balboa- he decided to act and be it strange coincidences, luck, destiny or fate his dream is set to take off.

START OF HIS PASSION
When Gerald was 16 years old he first discovered his passion for Stallone that would eventually change his life… though he didn’t know it. It all started when he saw First Blood, being glued to the screen and engulfed by the enormous sense of inspiration, spirit and determination of one man.

He then saw Rocky III- I’m sure we all remember the brute of a man Rocky is up against- Mr T. aka Clubber Lang. At the same time the hit song ‘Eye of the Tiger’ by Survivor was sweeping the charts. From this point onwards Gerald’s passion for Sylvester Stallone and the truly inspirational lessons behind his characters and movies was becoming an obsession.

In his early 20s Gerald was at an all time low and had no vision for what his future would hold. One day lying on his bed it suddenly came he had a Eureka moment and staring at the Stallone quotes on the posters on his wall set about writing a book of his passion. 7 weeks later the first draft was written.

The life affirming story of Gerald living his dream almost has as many sequels as the Rocky movies themselves:
Despite all the effort in trying to get the book published his dream was dead in the water. With only 10 days to go to the premiere of the final installment of the Rocky series time was running out. . .

DESPERATION

This was the last chance saloon and in a moment of desperation Gerald emailed Jackie Stallone (Sylvester’s Mum) having been in contact with her 2 years beforehand. Incredibly he got an instant reply, and Jackie had in fact been looking for him. She happened to be in Bangkok and got a flight straight to Kuala Lumpur to see Gerald and launch his book. Surely the shock of his life!

Left: Jackie Stallone and Gerald Chuah at the book launch on Jan 22 2007
A strange coincidence was that the book launch took place on the same date that Gerald met Stallone, Jan 22, exactly 10 years later.

“Indeed, it was a miracle considering both events happened exactly 10 years apart. It is strange but true.”- Gerald

MEETING BOB PROCTOR AND GETTING A PUBLISHING DEAL

By chance Gerald got to attend an event hosted by Bob Proctor, the motivational speaker and main philosopher that introduces the life changing movie The Secret. His colleague was meant to attend the event but was forced to drop out; Gerald stepped into the breach and presented the book to Bob Proctor.
He was so impressed that Gerald walked away with a publishing deal and an endorsement from one of the most highly respected gurus around today.
Left: Bob Proctor- main philosopher featured in the awe inspiring movie The Secret

UNCANNY COINCIDENCE ONCE MORE

One day Gerald was scheduled to conduct a routine interview for his paper with an top internet marketer but the day went down a very different path.
The internet marketer the previous night had seen the Rocky movie for the first time in his life (Who hasn’t seen the Rocky films?!),and there was Gerald sharing his book with him. He felt so passionate about the book that he would help to promote it.

LIFE AFFIRMING STORY-
Gerald’s Journey The Laws of Attraction at Work

All these coincidences and strange occurrences have proved to Gerald that the laws of the universe are working in his favor. From being down and out he has had an uprising to get endorsement from Jackie Stallone, Bob Proctor and a leading internet marketer and his dream is set to take off.

Gerald’s incredible story mirrors the story from Rocky almost perfectly- he, like Rocky was an underdog who has risen up from nowhere to live his dream.

SYLVESTER STALLONE’S STORY:

“Rocky turned out to be the kind of metaphor for everyone’s struggle. It wasn’t about me, Sylvester Stallone and money. It was about wanting to fail on your own terms, Rocky never thought he’d succeed. But like him, I just wanted to try. Little did I know that 20 years later, that philosophy would end up being respected.”

GERALD CHUAH’S STORY:

“I will always remember what Rocky means to me, the silhouette of a man triumphant with his arms held high, which symbolizes hope for all who persevere and are willing to go the distance.”

You can buy this incredible book by visiting the Gerald Chuah website>>
Get inside his mind on the Gerald Chuah blog>>
Has the Law of Attraction been working for you lately? Do you also have an incredible story to share?

http://thesecretnotes.com/category/bob-proctor/page/2/

REVIEW

REVIEW from http://forum.play.com.my
By demonHunter (The Professional)

I was at Borders today, wanted to check out Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki's Why We Want You To Be Rich.

But ended up reading parts of Gerald Chuah's In The Eye of The Tiger.

I'm a fan of Rocky Balboa and Slyvester Stallone.
Rocky Balboa and Rambo are the most iconic characters Stallone ever portrayed on films. But more remarkably, Rocky Balboa was his own creation and the award winning franchise movie was written by Stallone.

A quick search on Amazon.com doesn't show the book.

But here's the rundown of the book:

It's a good book to look into parts of Stallone's personal life, and the characters he created and portrayed.

The charm of Rocky Balboa is that it tells the story of a man who never gave up. A man who was not willing to lose, but would only agree to lose on his own terms. A story about perseverance, determination, hard work, triumphing against impossible odds and come out a winner.

This theme has a powerful attraction across all stratas of society.

Most of us can be drawn to it and identify with it.

Gerald Chuah started writing In The Eye of The Tiger in 1988.

 
It was on one day when he felt down in his life, and in the quiet time inside his room, facing posters of Sylvester Stallone, his hero, on the walls, he thought about Stallone, his life, his characters, and the teachings taught through those movies. That's how he started.

9 years later, he would be introduced through a Tan Sri to Slyvester Stallone himself at Planet Hollywood in 1997.

Another 10 years later, he official launched the book at TimesSquare Borders with Jacqualine Stallone; mother of Sylvester Stallone.

It was said that when Jackie Stallone was showed the book to Sylvester, he remarked: "How did this kid know so much about me?"

It is easy to read. Some chapters are larger than others.
The book uses many quotes from Stallone movies. Mostly Rocky series. With each quote, there is a theme to discuss. Such as rising to the challenge, overcoming despair, something like that.

On the sides, there are also a collection of famous quotes from historical rulers, poets, and other famous people in regards to the theme being discussed. Here and there, parts of Stallone's personal life are injected into it. You will find out why Stallone's Rocky movie had a part where he said: "My dad used to tell me that you ain't got much of a brain, you gotta develop your body". This quote was said by Stallone's real life father when he was younger, and that's how he put that in the script of the movie.

This is a good book to get some reminders on fighting on, moving on, and always taking the challenge. Win on your own terms, but never give up. A good motivational book. It may also shed some light into Stallone's progressive years, younger years as parts of his personal life are peppered through out the book.

One interesting part that the book talked about was called the Bum's Club. Taken from the Rocky movies. There's no such club in the movie. But it talked about how some people are just mediocre and just lazing about. They're not fighting like Rocky. Just bums letting life past them by, being content about where they are, or making excuses, and hooking up with other bums in the club.

I find this very true. Some people act like bums, few of us are like Rocky Balboa, going the distance even though he may not win. Always fighting.

But, I think positive. Gerald Chuah is currently a journalist with the New Straits Times. By analyzing Stallone and his characters through his movies, he wrote the book in two months. It takes a man who believes in the thing he was writing and patience to keep his dream alive until 2007 to get it published. Chuah showed the Rocky Spirit!

Note: Don't read this book if you're afraid of spoilers, lots of movie scenes are described in the book, from Rocky I, II, III, IV, V and others. So, you get to know what happened,why and how to illustrate the points discussed.

"No one can hit as hard as life. But the key is to keep going, and keep going forward even after getting hit!" -paraphrase from the Rocky movies.

Head here for the webpage on this book
http://www.stallonism.com/

http://forum.play.com.my/viewtopic.php?p=180108&sid=ce97fbb556168b0807b32a8837ff95f2

Gerald Chuah, Dua Dekad Mengejar Mimpi

Oleh Soraya Jamal

KUALA LUMPUR, 18 Jun (Bernama) -- Mimpi bisa jadi kenyataan, asalkan kita bangun dan mengejarnya. Bagi Gerald Chuah, penulis buku "In the Eye of the Tiger", proses mengejar mimpinya mengambil masa hampir dua dekad.

Anak kelahiran Pulau Pinang ini dibesarkan dalam keluarga sederhana. Ketika di kolej, Chuah sudah mula bekerja kerana ibu bapanya tidak mampu membiayai kos pengajiannya.

Minatnya menonton filem pernah mencetuskan keinginan untuk menjadi pembuat filem, namun kekurangan dana memaksa Chuah melupakan cita-citanya itu.

Chuah merupakan seorang wartawan dengan Kumpulan New Straits Times dan beliau kini adalah penulis di bahagian `Life and Times'.

Filem kegemaran Chuah ialah "Rambo" lakonan Sylvester Stallone kerana beliau kagum dengan semangat watak Rambo yang berani, mempunyai keazaman serta jati diri yang ampuh. Kebanyakan orang menonton filem untuk berhibur tetapi Chuah mendapati banyak sekali nilai murni dalam filem itu.

"Saya sering berfikir tentang masa depan. Tentang apa yang perlu saya lakukan dan bagaimana untuk menambahbaik kehidupan. Stallone dan filem-filemnya memberi inspirasi kepada saya meneruskan hidup pada waktu itu," katanya kepada Bernama.

Perjalanan Stallone untuk terkenal di Hollywood sendiri adalah sesuatu yang luar biasa. Stallone dilahirkan dengan pelbagai kekurangan fizikal dan yang paling ketara sekali adalah masalah pertuturan. Kerana itu Stallone bagus dengan kata-kata singkat dan menggunakan tubuhnya untuk berkomunikasi. Atas sebab yang sama juga Stallone lebih banyak beraksi dari berdialog di dalam filem-filemnya.

Rocky, legenda tinju dan Rambo, veteran Perang Vietnam yang bermasalah adalah dua watak ikon Stallone tentang mereka yang tertindas berjuang untuk mengubah nasib masing-masing.

ILHAM MENULIS BUKU

Satu hari ketika mengenang liku-liku hidup yang telah dilaluinya, Chuah bertanya pada dirinya: "Kenapa tidak saya tulis sebuah buku tentang perkara yang saya tahu dan suka iaitu falsafah dan pengajaran hidup daripada kehidupan dan filem Stallone? Mungkin ia dapat membuka peluang bagi saya untuk berjaya dan berjumpa Stallone.

Ia hanya sebuah idea yang tercetus dalam fikiran tetapi Chuah yakin sekiranya inginkan sesuatu dan percaya dengannya, ia akan berhasil.

"Tetapi waktu itu saya tidak tahu bagaimana hendak menulis (buku), saya tidak tahu bagaimana untuk menerbitkannya, saya tidak pernah berjumpa dengan Stallone, saya tidak kenal sesiapa...senang cerita segalanya kosong," jelasnya.

Chuah membuat kajian utama daripada filem-filem Stallone yang membawa mesej kuat. Bahan-bahan rujukan lain seperti dokumentari, buku, majalah dan arkib suratkhabar turut menjadi sumber sampingan.

"Saya menulis daripada hati. Saya sudah tahu apa pengajaran yang saya dapat dari filem-filemnya jadi ketika menulis saya menyusun semula kesemua isi yang membuatkan saya terinspirasi.

"Bila saya dengar temu ramah dengan Stallone, dia seolah berkata sesuatu yang saya sendiri juga akan katakan. Saya rasa seolah-olah fikiran kami menyambung," kata Chuah dengan penuh yakin.

RESTU STALLONE

"Namun seperti kebanyakan orang, saya suka berlengah," cerita Chuah.

Sungguhpun sedar projek ini adalah sesuatu yang telah beliau usahakan bertahun-tahun, ia belum lagi beliau kembangkan menjadi sebuah penerbitan, malah sempat juga terfikir untuk menjadikan naskhah ini sebagai e-buku sahaja.

Semangat Chuah untuk menyiapkan buku itu kembali membara akhir tahun lepas. Ketika itu filem Rocky Balboa bakal ditayangkan dan Chuah pada mula memberi masa sebulan kepada diri sendiri untuk menyiapkan buku itu dan menggelarkannya `Cabaran Rocky'.

"Pada 12 Dis, saya kirim e-mel kepada ibu stallone, Jackie, meminta agar saya dapat menghadiri tayangan perdana Rocky Balboa tetapi tidak mengharapkan sebarang balasan. Bagaimanapun saya mendapat respons serta merta mengatakan "Gerald, saya sudah mencari anda berminggu-minggu! Saya akan datang ke Malaysia!," kata Chuah.

Chuah ketika itu sudah mengenali ibu Stallone selama dua tahun selepas diperkenalkan oleh seorang ahli perniagaan Amerika yang ditemui ketika melaksanakan tugasan.

Lantas saya ambil cuti panjang dan Jackie merasmikan buku itu pada 22 Jan, hari terakhir cuti saya, ujar Chuah sambil tersenyum puas.

Dan tiada nikmat yang paling berharga buat Chuah bila Jackie berkata setiap perkataan dalam bukunya adalah benar belaka dan inilah prinsip hidup mereka anak-beranak.

Jackie menambah Stallone turut teruja dan terkejut bagaimana Chuah yang hanya sekali ditemuinya ketika perasmian Planet Hollywood Singapura pada tahun 1997 boleh mengingati segala-galanya tentang dirinya.

"Saya rasa seperti di awangan ketika Stallone merestui dan suka dengan buku saya. Selama ini orang ingat saya gila. Mereka tidak mengerti dan fikir saya seorang yang pelik," katanya.

BUKAN AUTOBIOGRAFI

Pasti ramai yang menyangka buku ini adalah autobiografi Stallone tetapi ia sebenarnya adalah buku motivasi pertama di dunia yang mengumpulkan pengajaran yang terdapat dalam filem-filem Stallone.

Walaupun filem pertama Rocky muncul lebih 30 tahun lepas, pengajarannya masih relevan hingga kini. Ramai pakar dan penulis motivasi antarabangsa menggunakan petikan daripada filem Rocky dalam ceramah dan buku mereka seperti Anthony Robbins, Jack Canfield dan Robert G. Allen, ujar Chuah.

Menurut Chuah kebanyakan buku motivasi membicarakan formula untuk berjaya, tetapi ia jarang membawa pembaca melalui perjalanan menuju kejayaan seperti apa difikiran seseorang itu ketika sedang berjuang untuk hidup, bagaimana sikapnya, apa kepercayaan serta pendiriannya.

Mesej yang mendasari filem Rocky dan yang dipegang Chuah selama ini ialah dia sanggup mencuba dan berusaha mendorong dirinya sejauh mana yang termampu.

Tambahnya, Rocky juga berhadapan dengan persoalan yang serupa tetapi dia mencabar dirinya sendiri untuk melihat sejauh mana dia mampu mara dalam hidup.

Bagi Chuah mesej ini penting untuk semua kerana ia membuatkan kita sedar dengan kekuatan diri dan menyakini diri sendiri.

Projek Chuah seterusnya ialah mendokumentasi "Rocky" sebenar dalam hidup - mereka yang berjaya menempuh halangan dan keperitan untuk berjaya.

Chuah sedang mencari penerbit buku untuk pasaran antarabangsa menjelang tayangan filem Rambo 4 kemungkinan besar Mei tahun depan.

Bab pertama "In the Eye of the Tiger" boleh dimuat turun secara percuma di laman web www.stallonism.com.

Cita-cita Chuah telah membawanya mengembara daripada sebuah filem yang telah mencetuskan inspirasi, bertukar menjadi angan-angan, berkembang menjadi cita-cita dan akhirnya menjadi kenyataan.

"Kalau saya boleh buat, sesiapa juga pasti mampu, berilah peluang pada diri sendiri untuk menggapai mimpi," katanya. -- BERNAMA

http://web6.bernama.com/bernama/v3/bm/news.php?id=267988

Gerald Chuah's Admiration For Sylvester Stallone

By Soraya Jamal

KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 (Bernama) -- Dreams can turn into reality, as long one remains committed and work for it. As for lifestyle writer Gerald Chuah, the writer of the book "In the Eye of the Tiger", he has been literally chasing after his dreams for nearly two decades.

The Penang born journalist grew up in a middle class family. While in college, Chuah had to work to fend for himself, as the parents couldn't afford his education.

As he was interested in films, he harboured ambitions of becoming a film producer but the lack of monetary resources forced Chuah to abandon his dreams.

Chuah has been a journalist with the New Straits Times Group since 1990 and at present is a writer for the Life and Times section.

Chuah was mesmerised by the Rambo sequels all acted by Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone. Chuah was smitten by Rambo's fearlessness, determination and self resilience. Most people watched the Rambo movies for entertainment but Chuah went deeper scrutinising the good values portrayed by the hero and his own shortcomings in real life.

Though Stallone has carved his name in the Hollywood's hall of fame, it was against all odds. Stallone was born with a number of physical disabilities and among the distinct one is his speech impediment. Due to this he became good in one-liners and used his body to do the talking. And this is why there are more action in his movies than dialogues.

Rocky, a boxing legend, and Rambo, a troubled Vietnam War veteran, are two of Stallone's iconic characters where a typical underdog goes the distance to prove himself.

INSPIRATION TO WRITE A BOOK

"I always thought of the future. On what I always wanted to do and how I can improve my life. Stallone and his films provided inspiration for me to get on with life then," he told Bernama.

One day while reminiscing his life, Chuah asked himself: "Why not I write a book on something that I know and like, the philosophy and the lessons of life from Stallone's films? Maybe it's a window of opportunity for me to succeed in life and meet Stallone.

"But at that time I neither knew how to write nor publish a book, I've never met Stallone either...," he explained.

Chuah then began studying Stallone's films that projected a strong message. He also perused documentaries, books, magazine and newspaper archives.

"I wrote from my heart. I've learned the lessons from his films that provided me inspiration to compile a book.

"When I listened to the interviews with Stallone, he was telling what I probably would have said. I felt that our brains are connected," noted Chuah with full confidence.

STALLONE'S BLESSINGS

"But I have been procrastinating," explained Chuah.

Though Chuah realised he has been working on the project for years, it was yet to evolve into a publication, he even thought of stopping short at an e-book.

But last year, Chuah's interest rekindled and he worked hard to finish the book. At that time the Rocky Balboa movie was about to be released and Chuah initially gave himself a month to finish the book in an attempt what he described as `Rocky's Challenge'

"On Dec 12, I sent an e-mail to Stallone's mom, Jackie, inquiring whether I can attend the Rocky Balboa premiere. I did not expect a reply. Much to my surprise, I received an immediate reply saying "Gerald, I have been looking for you for weeks! I will be coming to Malaysia!," said Chuah.

Chuah got to know Stallone's mother two years earlier after being introduced by an American businessman while on assignment.

"I took long leave to finalise the book and Jackie inaugurated the book on last 22 Jan," the last day of my leave, said Chuah obviously satisfied.

Chuah was elated when Jackie confirmed that the contents of the book aptly described the principles her family adhered too.

Jackie related that Stallone was excited, even surprised, how Chuah who he only met once during the launching of Planet Hollywood in Singapore in 1997 could recall everything about him.

"I felt like being in a dreamland when Stallone gave the nod for my book. All this while they thought I'm mad. No one understood and realised I'm a unique person," he said.

NOT AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY

It is the first book in the world to compile the lessons to be learnt from Stallone's films and it's not an autobiography of Stallone.

The first Rocky movie was screened about 30 years ago, but the virtues are relevant till today. Many experts and international motivational writers like Anthony Robbins, Jack Canfield and Robert G. Allen have picked quotes from Rocky movies in their talks and books.

According to Chuah, most motivational books dwell on the success formula and hardly bring readers through the road to success like what is in the mind of a person struggling to survive, what is his/her attitude and stand.

The underlying messages in Stallone's films and firmly held to by Chuah all this while is that he is willing try and work his way forward as far as he could.

In the movies, the characters played by Stallone too face the same predicament but he challenged himself to see how far he can go in life.

As for Chuah the message is important for all as it makes us aware on our own strengths and self-confidence.

Chuah's next undertaking will be documenting the real life "Rocky" - those who successfully overcame the hurdles in life. He is now looking for international publishers for his book before Rambo 4 premiers sometime next May.

The first part of "In the Eye of the Tiger" can be downloaded for free at web www.stallonism.com.

Like Rocky, Chuah too gave a try and is working his way forward.

"If I can do it, anybody can do it, give yourself a try to turn dreams into reality," he said.

-- BERNAMA We provide (subscription-based)
news coverage in our Newslink service.

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news.php?id=267980

ROCKY INSPIRATIONS

CLOVE TWO (THE STAR)
Friday January 26, 2007
By ELIZABETH NG

So what does Sylvester Stallone have to do with a Penangite writer's first book? The answer: everything, as the soon-to-be released book is a collection of the Hollywood actor's "life values". The philosophies are not only gleaned from Stallone's life but are also mined from his most popular film character – the underdog pugilist Rocky.

The principles of persevering despite the odds and how winning isn't the only thing that matters are found in Gerald Chuah's inaugural book entitled In the Eye of the Tiger: Survival Principles from Sylvester Stallone's Life & Films.

"The book offers fundamental principles on how to be successful in life," said the slightly overwhelmed and nervous author during the book's soft launch at Borders, Berjaya Times Square, Kuala Lumpur on Jan 22. "My first draft was written in 1990."

Jacqueline Stallone (right) -- mother of the Hollywood actor -- launches Chuah's book. -- Picture by ELIZABETH NG.

Chuah has come a long way since then, rewriting the book countless times before finally deciding to complete it to coincide with the release of Stallone's Rocky Balboa, the sixth and final movie of the Rocky franchise.

Of course, part of Chuah's "final boost" came in the form of Jacqueline, Stallone's mother, who wholeheartedly endorses Chuah's dream project-turned-reality.

"I met Gerald through e-mail 10 years ago and when I saw the book about two years ago, I thought it was wonderful. I showed it to Sylvester and he said every bit of what is written is actually true," said Jacqueline, a noted celebrity astrologer, who was also present at the launch.

According to Jacqueline, the principles in the book were what Stallone was raised on and her son had a really difficult time while growing up.

"His face was half-paralysed and his body half-crippled because he was injured at birth. He didn't have many friends growing up and he couldn't get along with the other kids -- they were mean."

Chuah's book (above) will be available in Borders bookstores in February.
Stallone was also thrown out of 17 schools and didn't excel in any subject, even physical education! So when Jacqueline turned to her astrological charts to see what the future had in store for him, she discovered something surprising.

"His chart said that he would be a writer so I told him about it and he got angry. Didn't want to talk to me, but see now…" she said of Stallone, who penned all the Rocky movies.

Of Chuah's book, Jacqueline hopes that readers will like the quotations and gain something from the insights as they aren't dispensed by geniuses or experts, but a regular guy who has had experience fighting for what he believes in and achieving goals that others deemed impossible.

It looks like the zen-like principles do pay off. Just ask Chuah, who continued to pursue his dream even when he couldn't see an end in sight. Holding on to the very values he was writing about, the New Straits Times journalist worked on his labour of love without knowing whether a book would ever be published.

"I didn't know that today would ever come. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine my book would one day be endorsed and launched by Jackie. This is indeed a great honour, and a high point in my life.

"I want the legacy of the Rocky spirit to continue and if I can do it (publish a book), anybody can do it," added Chuah, who has yet to actually speak to Stallone.
With materials sourced from newspaper archives, books, magazines, rare documentaries and the Internet, Chuah's collection of Stallone-esque principles touches on various aspects in life such as love, faith, courage and spirituality.

Apart from the inspiring insights into reaching one's goals, the book also contains 36 hand-drawn illustrations of Stallone's popular film characters.
Now that that's done, what will Chuah attempt next?

"I would like to write a book on people who've gone through hardships and make it in real life. Stories of how people can be the best they can be. It would be about real ‘Rocky' stories."

In the Eye of the Tiger: Survival Principles from Sylvester Stallone's Life & Films will be available in all Borders bookstores in February. Those who would like to pre-order the book can do so at www.stallonism.com.

Rocky Balboa is scheduled to open in cinemas on Feb 22.

http://clovetwo.com/articles/story.asp?file=/2007/1/26/peoplepersons/20070126095635&sec=peoplepersons