Lehlioman's Music Blog

Flashback: You Must Love Me - Madonna

2012-01-18T01:53:00.000+08:00

It all started with me checking out the winners of the Golden Globe Awards and discovering that Madonna has won Best Original Song for her new song Masterpiece, a song that I did not even know existed.

I was not quite enchanted by the song on the first few listens but I was glad it brought back Madonna in ballad mode, which reminded listeners that she actually had a lovely singing voice (while Britney Spears does not and she really should refrain from doing any more mid-tempo ballads such as Criminal).

Through Masterpiece, I revisited Madonna's impressive discography and less respectable filmography on Wikipedia and found a glorious spot where they once converged - Evita.

Released in 1997, the movie gave Madonna her only Best Actress award to date. I remembered dozing off in the cinema while watching the movie (not because the movie was bad but because I was tired that day). I did not have much recollection of the movie, but the song You Must Love Me, which was also the Best Original Song at the Oscars that year, remained one of my all-time favourites from Madonna.

The song was written exclusively for the movie and was featured towards the end where Eva Peron has fallen sick and is pleading for her husband's love. It is heartbreaking and elegant, and watching the scene from the movie never fails to bring tears to my eye. Accompanied by only a cello and a piano, Madonna gave one of her strongest vocal performances ever.

I can't wait to hear what she is going to deliver in her new album M.D.N.A, scheduled to be released next month.

Ameizing World Tour: My Favourite Moments

2012-01-08T12:41:00.003+08:00

It's my 2nd A-Mei concert in 3 years. The first one was her Star Tour in 2008. I caught it in Hong Kong where Jacky Cheung was the guest artiste and that was a hell of a concert. She was a natural performer who really knew how to work the crowd and her stamina and energy never slipped throughout the concert.

3 years on and its the Ameizing World Tour. The mood at the Indoor Stadium was simply, for the lack of a better word, amazing. Her showmanship and vocals were still top notched, and this time round, she even looked gorgeous (except one strange outfit that consisted of gigantic red ribbons).

One problem for A-Mei during tours is to decide which songs to sing, out of her 200 plus song catalogue. For this concert, she included a few songs that were more obscure and sang only snippets of the well-known songs. Being a fan of her ballads, notable omissions for me were 人质 and 我无所谓.

Still, AmeiZing was an exhilarating experience from start to finish. My 3 favourite moments were:

哭砂 - Veteran 黄莺莺, seated in the front row, was invited onto the stage and sang a duet with A-Mei, in a seemingly impromptu segment. It is probably a kiasu Singaporean thing but it was quite satisfying to hear A-Mei announce that this is the only concert in the entire series where a guest artiste went on stage to sing.

我最亲爱的 - My favourite song in the new album was the finale song of the 40 min ballad segment consisting of her most loved hits. A-mei made the audience repeat the chorus a couple of times at the end of the song, and the collective voices went louder and louder (partly thanks to me). That was the first high of the concert for me.

三天三夜 - The song is actually quite annoying on my iPod, but it explodes during concerts. This song was suitably chosen to be the final song of the encore and the crowd went wild, along with everyone on stage. I was up on my feet and jumping up and down like the hardcore fans in the front row. It ended the concert with a bang.

I have a feeling this will not be my last A-Mei concert..

My Heart Takes Over and Songs to Kickstart the New Year

2012-01-03T09:07:00.005+08:00

The first work day of the week can be tough, and the first work day of the year, especially after a long weekend, can often bring morale to rock bottom.

To help cure the blues arising from this difficult period, here are some songs that will brighten the day and get you out of the comfy bed on lazy mornings.

My Heart Takes Over - The Saturdays
If Bleeding Love is updated for 2012, it will probably sound like this. The Saturdays is one of those UK girl groups where fans aside, the members are indistinguishable and not many will notice if one girl is swapped with someone from Girls Aloud. This thumping power ballad is on frequent rotation now on Channel V and is more memorable than the electro-dance music that they have been known for. This will wake you up like a cup of expresso.

1000 Ships - Rachel Platten
An uplifting, delightful song from up and coming American singer-songwriter. I posted another of her song on my facebook but this is the minor hit she scored in the US. This will puts a smile on your face.

Hit The Lights - Selena Gomez and The Scene
Not as striking as Love You Like A Love Song, but still a serviceable dance-pop track that gets you going. This will make you come alive, as the song goes.

Dedication To The Ex - Lloyd Feat Andre 3000 and Lil Wayne
A cheeky song about breakups in the likes of Forget You from 2 years back. Check out the dirty version and you may think that the song is about cats. If you are getting over a girl that has done you wrong, this song will speed up the recovery process.

Brighter Than The Sun - Colbie Caillat
If all else fails, there is always Colbie Caillat, who has consistently brought more joy to the world with these easy listening songs that is full of sunshine. She is like the human singer version of a carebear.

I wish everyone a great year ahead!!

Super Bass and 7 Other Favourites of 2011

2012-01-01T11:23:00.004+08:00

Happy New Year!!

As the new year begins, it is time to look back at the 12 months that have passed and reflect on one's encounters, achievements and missed opportunities.

Converting my 10 year-old blog into a music blog in June proved to be a great decision for me. Even though my writing is not very polished and I often face difficulties finding adjectives other than "good" or "nice" to describe the music I like, I immensely enjoyed the process of writing about music. Within 6 months, my blog found 11 followers, which I interpreted as a sign that I am doing something good here.

So, similar to most other music blogs, here are my favourite songs of 2011, in no particular order of preference:

1. Super Bass - Nicky Minaj
One of the two songs on this list that I have never mentioned in the blog before, and apparently, the song became a big hit after Taylor Swift spontaneously performed the rap over a radio interview. This song is super catchy and super infectious. A star-making song for Nicky Minaj.

2. I Wanna Go - Britney Spears
3. Indestructible - Robyn
In order to qualify for the favourite of 2011, a song must be able to withstand repeated listening over several months. These 2 songs, discovered during the first half of the year, have been wonderful companions for the past months. I just do not get sick of them.

4. Love You Like A Love Song - Selena Gomez and The Scene
This is likely to be the only song here that is also on the list of favourite songs for many primary school kids. Even though not the big success I have predicted it to be, the song is still on Billboard Top 40 after half a year, proving that there is a lot of love out there for this song.

5. Papi/On The Floor - Jennifer Lopez
The 2 dance anthems become quite indistinguishable after awhile. Not that the songs sound alike, but the songs give me the same happy feeling and get me in the mood to exercise.

6. 仰望 - 杨丞琳
7. 那些年 - 胡夏
No favourite Chinese songs in 2010 but I started paying some attention to Chinese pop music again in 2011, where I bought Chinese music CDs and decided that 那些年，我們一起追的女孩 is my favourite movie of the year.

8. Titanium - David Guetta (Feat. Sia)
The other song which I have never talked about. I am not a fan of David Guetta but I do enjoy some of the music he makes, especially when it features singers with arresting voices. This song grabs me from the opening few bars and builds slowly to a "wave your hands in the air and jump up and down" climax. When the song ends, I just want to play it again.

My Life Would Suck Without You and Other Great Songs for Running

2011-12-16T01:10:00.006+08:00

This week I learnt something new about music, and I solved an exercise problem I had for many years.

The problem was finding songs that are the same speed as my running pace. For a long time, I will play dance or electronic music whenever I do cardio at the gym, but most of the time, I found these songs to be slower than my running pace and I often had to look at my phone and forward to the next song in the midst of the run, which was firstly not very safe, and secondly also not good for momentum.

The solution came in the form of this iPhone app called BPM which allows you to determine the speed of the song simply by tapping the screen to the beat of the song. With this app, I spent a whole night updating BPM information on itunes and searching online for songs that were great for running.

I was quite surprised to find out that what we conventionally deem as a fast song, is not really that fast in terms of BPM. A typical pop/dance song ranges about 120 BPM - 140 BPM (e.g. Raise Your Glass: 123 BPM, Bad Romance: 120 BPM) but generally a person's running pace is faster than that. Through testing with different music speeds, I found out my running pace was quite close to 150 BPM, which explained why running left me breathless while taking a dance class usually did not. (In case you did not get it, Dance class - popular music - speed from 120 BPM to 140 BPM - heart doesnt have to beat so fast - Not breathless.)

So after experimenting for a few runs and downloading several new songs at that BPM , I am proud to present Lehlioman's 跑步听 (my running playlist):

1. My Life Would Suck Without You - Kelly Clarkson (~144 BPM)
I find the guitar rifts at the front a great way to get perked up and kickstart a run.

2. That's Not My Name - The Ting Tings (~144 BPM)
I usually will run and mime the chorus with accompanying hand clapping. Quite fun.

3. Marry You - Bruno Mars (~146 BPM)
The pounding beat is always helpful to keep me in pace.

4. Animal - Neon Trees (~148 BPM) / All The Small Things - Blink 182 (~149 BPM)
While most pop/dance songs are too slow to run to, many rock songs are just nice and these are two of them.

5. Alright - Supergrass (~149 BPM)
Happy song. Great for outdoor running in a sunny day.

6. Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely) - Pink (~150 BPM)

7. Got My Mind Set On You - George Harrison (~150 BPM)
My favourite mass dance song from JC days became one of my favourite running songs 15 years later.

8. 自由 - 李心洁 (~150 BPM)
I am sure there are more great Chinese songs out there that are suited for running, but this one is my favourite right now.

9. Breakdown - Jack Johnson / I'm Yours - Jason Mraz (~151 BPM)
Cant run to Lady Gaga but can run to Jason Mraz? I was surprised to find that both these breezy easy listening songs, which are really 75 BPM songs, make great running companions too. (Note: For I'm Yours, I am referring to the normal version, and not the acoustic version that is slightly slower.)

10. Mickey - Tony Basil (~151 BPM)
I imagine 20 cheerleaders running behind me when this song comes on.

11. Leave! - V V Brown (~151 BPM)
One of my favourite songs from 2010, little known, but absolutely shiok for running

12. Pump It - The Black Eyed Peas (~154 BPM)
The speed picks up a little, great for the dash to the end.

If you share my running pace, give them a try during your next run. If you know of any other great running songs that never fail to get you going, do let me know. Variety is always good when it comes to a cardio workout.

The One That Got Away and The Album That Wont Go Away

2011-12-06T01:27:00.001+08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahha3Cqe_fk

6th top 10 single? Really? The last person who has achieved this feat was Janet Jackson with the Janet album from 1994. In fact, Janet's Rhythm Nation 1814 album did better and scored 7 top 10 hits in 1989/1990, but during those days people are still buying music in the form of CDs and the only way to hear new music is to listen to the radio. But 6 top 10 singles from one album in 2010/2011? That is certainly quite an achievement!

I will always remember Katy as the singer who craftily broke into the scene with attention-grabbing titles like 'You're So Gay' and 'I Kiss A Girl', pretending that she is the American version of Lilly Allen. But as time goes by, her music became more and more conventional and generic, and she became nothing more than a marketing face of a pop music factory. Her songs tend to contain lines of repeating melodies without much variations (e.g. The first 3 lines of Teenage Dreams have the exact same melody.) and the lyrics are not particularly deep as well.

I guess what makes her songs tick is that they remain accessible and she sings about topics that people can relate to, like puppy love and cool parties. It helps that the accompanying music videos are tastefully directed and often fun to watch. The One That Got Away is not that exciting by itself, but the poignant music video which features Katy in old age makeup, accentuated the songs messages on lost love and I ended up liking the song a little more after watching the video.

Even though Katy will never be in the same league as Janet Jackson, she has shown that she is smart, funny and she knows the type of music she should do to keep her fans glued. Looks like she will be sticking around for awhile.

别找我麻烦 and The Missing Ballads

2011-12-01T22:21:00.001+08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua9DKclFKLA

Tanya is back with her 10th Chinese album after a 2-year absence. From the songs I have heard so far, this is "I do the music I want to do" Tanya and not "I do the music that the masses like" Tanya. None of the promoted singles belong to the "KTV-friendly, heart-wrenching, love ballad" category that she is very competent in delivering. So fans expecting another 抛物线, 纪念 or 空白格 may be slightly disappointed.

The title track 说到爱 is a ballad but it is optimistic and hopeful, and the arrangement and backing vocals have this Christmas-y vibe to them. When I listen to this song, Santa Claus comes to mind.

别找我麻烦 is the single on 龙虎榜 now, and is so far the most interesting track I heard from the album. Usually her non-ballad songs are not very exciting, but 别找我麻烦 presents a quirky, bouncy side of her and it comes with a cutesy music video (with dance choreography). I never thought I will use the word cutesy on anything Tanya does but she has certainly done it with this song.

我愿意 and Remembering the 90s

2011-11-25T08:29:00.004+08:00

I still vividly recall the very first time I heard the song 我愿意. It was a charity show on Channel 8 and Faye Wong was one of the performing artistes. I was probably in Secondary 1/2 then and during those days, charity shows still featured dangerous stunts and elaborate dance items involving many many people.

When Faye Wong, still in her awkward 王靖雯 phase, took the stage, it was just her and a microphone on a stand. She had this neatly cropped short hair looking like an army boy and she just stood there, clutched the microphone and sang (most likely live).

I sat there, about 2 meters from the TV. Having just transited out of childhood, I probably did not fully comprehend the meaning of the song, but I recalled being touched by the performance/song and tearing a little inside. I told myself when i grew up, I would want a love story just like that and I could sing this song to a special someone.

Of course Faye Wong subsequently became a music superstar for most of the 90s, and 我愿意 was the star-making song that established her status. The album 天空, while still accessible to the masses, showcased less commercialised songs that set her apart from the rest and gave the audience an idea of what was to come.

The song also aged very well. While 吻别, 泪海, 值得 and 心痛 sounded like they belonged to another era, 我愿意 had a timeless quality and would still have been a big hit if released today.

仰望 and the Secret of 杨丞琳s Success

2011-11-21T00:45:00.001+08:00

She is cute but not drop dead gorgeous. During her days on Guess Guess Guess, she is pleasant on screen but not in any way the scene stealer. She can sing decently, but so can many other Taiwanese female artistes in their 20s. If you ask anyone prior to the release of her debut solo album 暧昧 in 2005, most will not predict that she will be one of the most well-known female singers in the Chinese pop music world right now, in the same ranks as Jolin, Elva and A-Mei.

So why is Rainie 杨丞琳 the success story that she is?

As I listened to the new album 仰望, the reason dawned on me: It is the songs. As the saying goes, "it is the song and not the singer" and this certainly applied to her music career. Right from the start, she (or her manager) knew very well the type of songs that she could carry and selected songs that brought out the strengths of her voice. From 暧昧 till now, her catalogue consisted of mainstream and commercial pop songs and ballads that worked well on your TV/radio, on the streets and at the KTV. Except for the squid hairdo when 任意门 was released in 2007, she never experimented with her music very much.

That is why I found the song 仰望 very refreshing. It showed an awareness that she is already 28 and is no longer able to reign as the 可爱教主 for much longer. Even though the song is fast, it reflects maturity and growth. The arrangement is rich with piano and strings, the melody lingers in the head, and she sings continuously from start to finish without any music interludes and makes the song her own.

The album is pretty decent, although nothing in the rest of the album is as exhilarating as the title track. The few other songs worth mentioning:
我們都傻 - The ballad about lost love, targeted for KTV
缺陷美 - The slightly rock ballad, which bears some resemblance to Kelly Clarkson's Breakaway
曬焦的一雙耳朵 - The understated ballad with the odd title, about a fling that took place during a summer vacation in Spain. The song doesn't sound much by itself, but watch the music video (Caution: Mature theme) and the song makes more sense instantly.

Papi and a Video so Bad that its Good

2011-11-15T00:26:00.000+08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XbIuSLaCnk

In the current Facebook and YouTube generation, having a memorable music video is crucial for a song's success. For many singers, the music video is a way to visually express his music and thoughts to reach a wider audience.

So what is Jennifer Lopez trying to achieve with the music video of Papi? The concept seems like it came right out of her own romantic comedy. She took a big bite of a magic cookie and found a mob of men falling for her and chasing after her down the street.

However, the execution was really lame and all over the place. The men were pouncing onto one another. Instead of falling in love with her, they looked as if they were going to beat her up. Men were abseiling down buildings and jumping out of glass windows. Even when cars crashed right behind her at a traffic junction, she appeared oblivious to the chaos she caused and walked on joyously. Then guys started jumping onto her car and shoved dogs (yes. Dogs) towards her. Then she found she could control the men using hand gestures. Then everyone went out of character and broke into a dance routine. To top it off, the most wooden actor, supposedly the "Papi", marched onto the screen at the end in an army uniform and rescued her from the mob.

I recalled the days where Jennifer Lopez was J Lo and made music videos that were sexy and cool. For a pulsating dance track that is suited for choreography, they could have made an awesome dance video that rivaled Single Ladies (Beyonce) or Don't Tell Me (Madonna). Instead, this music video played on like a cheesy 80s movie with terrible acting and ridiculous plot. It is so bad that it is good. Maybe she is trying to prove that she can be corny and do bad comedies.

This is 22-43

2011-11-08T00:34:00.000+08:00

This is the work bed where I will lie on my tummy and use my Netbook while watching TV every night before I go to bed.

This is the TV that I would be watching. When I viewed the place, it was this 40inch flat screen TV. When I got my keys, the owner swapped it with this old fashioned box TV.

This is the study table sponsored by my kor kor.

This is one of the features that makes this distinctive from most other 3 room HDB flats - a see-through glass window in the wall between the bedroom and living room. Till now, I have no idea what it is for.

These are the venetian blinds at the back of the window. I always had problems raising these blinds.

This is the sofa that I will slack on right after my alarm woke me up. I will lie there till I absolutely need to start getting ready for work.

This is the dining table, rarely used for dining. The chairs double as mahjong chairs and bath towel racks.

This is the fancy tadpole lamp above my dining table. In the past 17 months, it has been switched on less than 10 times.

This is the bottom half of my wardrobe. I will miss these drawers.

This is the personal wash basin area. If I have one minor gripe of the place, it will be that the wash basin is too small. The entire area will be wet. On the left you see the switch for the water heater, which I occasionally forget to turn off.

These are the shower liquid dispensers in the bathroom. They were never used.

This is my drinking mug, one of the many things in the apartment that is purchased from Ikea. It is round on top and square at the bottom.

This is the kitchen wash basin area. Over 100 papayas are skinned and cut into pieces there.

This is the bin under the sink. If there are cockroaches, this will be the place where I will find them. That is why the insecticide is placed right beside the bin.

This is the clothes horse in the utility room. Usually there will be many items on it, socks, towels, tshirts. However, I prefer to dry the washed clothes on bamboo poles in the sun.

This is the lovely view from the window in the utility room. You can see Bukit Timah Hill in the far end.

This is 22-43, the place where I called home for the last 17 months. Good bye and take care.

那些年 and What Makes a Great Movie Theme Song

2011-11-05T03:04:00.000+08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWzlwGVQ6_Q
What makes a great movie theme song? In my opinion, it is a song that is able to trigger images from the movie and bring back the fond feelings one got while watching the movie. Hear the song Come What May and scenes from Moulin Rouge come right back to me. Hear the intro of I've Had The Time of My Life and the image in my head would be one of Patrick Swayze walking onto the stage towards Jennifer Grey.

The song 那些年 is one notch above them as this song actually pulled me into the theatre to catch the movie. Usually Saturday is movie night for me, and because this song was ringing in my head all day, I actually caught the Friday midnight sneak preview.

The movie turned out to be fantastic and so is the song, which appropriately sums up the movie through its lyrics (penned by the director) and melody. Watching the music video is like watching a 5-min version of the movie and I can feel the happy tears back in my eyes towards the end. Highly recommended for all romantic movie lovers.

我最亲爱的 and A Meis New Album Song by Song

2011-11-01T18:39:00.003+08:00

To prepare myself for the mass sing-a-long at A Mei's concert come 7 Jan, I bought her latest CD 你在看我吗 with the vouchers from my birthday.

A Mei has always been a singer whom I respect, and her concert is certainly one of the best I have ever attended, largely due to her great showmanship and impressive stamina. Having grown up listening to her songs, I am familiar with her catalogue from beginning till now and her big hits are the "must sing" songs when I go to a KTV.

So what does she have to offer with the new album after 15 years in the music scene? Sadly nothing much. 12 tracks in the album and the only one that really struck a chord in me is the rock ballad 我最亲爱的. This song, where she sings to an old love, is like a continuation of 我可以抱你吗 and showcases this vulnerable and tender side of her, which I find very alluring.

Unfortunately, the rest of album ranges from 'not bad' to 'quite bad'. Without the right songs, A Mei can only do so much and often runs the risk of sounding like the A Mei stuck in the 90s. My short notes on the other songs:

都什麼時候了- Really? This is the first single? As magnificent and dramatic as this song sounds, I find it rather unbearable. As the chorus goes 忘了, 快乐, 算了, my mind is going 够了够了 (Enough already)

一個人對話 - Also another excessively produced song where A Mei practically sings a duet with herself, but did not turn out well due to a lack of a memorable hook

還有眼淚就好 - a straight forward pop ballad not unlike the songs that made her popular in the 90s, nice but a bit dated

他們 - This is what 解脱 will sound like in 2011. Pleasant but not particularly memorable

你在看我嗎 - The title track. Her R&B efforts never appeal to the masses (anyone's favourite A Mei's songs are 感应 or 不要骗我?) and this one continues that trend. I think A Mei should note that R&B has evolved since the 2000s and singing R&B will not earn her any new fans

潛規則 - If I did not check the cover art on my iPhone, I would have thought I was listening to something from the 姐妹 album. Quite forgettable as well

來鬧的 - Finally the album picks up with this catchy rock anthem. The best amongst the uptempo numbers, thanks to the cute repetitions in the chorus 亲亲亲亲亲...

渴了- I believe this is also a single, a competent party track, the type of songs where A Mei just shines effortlessly

High咖 - another decent dance track, made from the same factory as 渴了

你和我的時光 - this ballad is written by the guy from 苏打绿 and sounds distinctively different and more contemporary compared to the rest of the album.

快樂暢開 - A Mei attempts electronic with a song which prob has a better fit with a conventional pop arrangement

If you have heard the album, let me know your views or any info that can add to my listening experience.

（Added 20 Nov - After continuing to listen to the album for 3 weeks, I realise my earlier lack of enthusiasm for the album is largely due to the first 2 tracks. Excluding them, the album is actually able to withstand repeat listening and 你和我的時光 is definitely a song that grew on me since.)

海枯石烂 and My Neutrality towards Olivia

2011-10-24T07:58:00.002+08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5EFKNmeovM

Just like how fate leads you to find that special someone, its fate that brought me to this touching love ballad by local singer Olivia.

It all started from the That CD Shop vouchers I got as my birthday present (Thanks Vince!). Not wanting to buy anything easily downloadable, I went to That CD Shop to look for Chinese pop albums. That didn't lead to anything as That CD Shop has a bare Chinese section. On my way out of the shop, I saw an old CD from Olivia, whom I have always classified as one of those singers who cover famous songs which sound wonderful for those who with great sound systems at home. I thought maybe I should support homegrown talents and went home to sample her music.

Surprisingly all of Olivia's CDs are available on my usual mp3 download site www.mp3million.com, including her recently released album titled Romance. Eager to know more new Chinese songs, 海枯石烂, listed as "When the Seas Run Dry and the Stones Go Soft" on the site, is the only song I have selected to download that Saturday morning, mainly because I was amused by the translation. By Sunday night, the song got stuck in my head.

For a "I Love You Till the End of time" type of love song, 海枯石烂 has all the right ingredients: sweeping arrangement, moving lyrics, beautiful music video and Olivia's heartfelt delivery. I do not connect with all of Olivia's songs, especially the original numbers, but I thought this song fits her to a T and brings out the heart-tugging abilities of her voice. It is hard not to be touched by the song. I admire the peculiar decision made by the producer to feature the chorus only once in the entire song, possibly to keep the song below 4 minutes, so the song builds slowly to one climax and fades off from there. This adds to the authenticity of the song and makes me want to listen one more time.

This song is the Chinese theme song to the movie One Day, and also one of the 片尾曲 for the new local drama 行医, so you will probably hear a lot more of this song, as well as Olivia, in the days to come.

Song of the Day: 一朵花 - MATZKA

2011-10-11T00:22:00.001+08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV7au5APHTI

I have been out of touch with Chinese pop music for a long time. I am not aware of the artistes who are popular and the songs on the charts. I do not even know if this song was a hit in Singapore when it was released last year. I stumbled onto it accidentally watching one of those Taiwanese singing competition, and I was charmed immediately. The lyrics are witty and hilarious. This is a situation I certainly can relate to and It's been a long while since I laughed so hard listening to a song.

歌词：
坐在不起眼的角落
我看着人来人往慢动作
你就背对坐在我这方向三点钟
我点了一杯饮料给你它的名字叫做Takila Boom
(今晚我想和你Boom Boom)
我猜想你可能是在等待你的那个谁

男朋友女朋友还是刚认识的朋友
突然间你甩甩头露出半个侧脸瞬间让我好难过
(你长得像我uncle)

远看是一朵花我近看唉哟喂我的妈
如果现在我身上有一把AK 我真的很想送你回老家
(ho baby that`s right)
远看是一朵花我近看Oh My God
咱们还是保持原样吧你等你那个谁
我还是乖乖看我的报纸吧

坐在不起眼的角落
我原本今心情还不错
baby sorry这一切都是你的错
因为你长得像我uncle~

We Found Love and The Most Hardworking Girl in The World

2011-10-05T00:28:00.002+08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e560V-O0ifw

Rihanna has got to be the most hardworking singer in the music industry. Ever since Umbrella transformed her from "another singer" to "R&B superstar" in 2007, she has become a permanent fixture on the Billboard charts. With new single We Found Love debuting at no. 18 on Billboard Hot 100 last weekend, she has scored her 20th Top 40 hit since Umbrella. (i.e She has on average 5 top 40 hits each year.)

Even without getting much rest, she managed to sound fresh with each new release. From sentimental Unfaithful, dark Russian Roulette, naughty S&M, reggae If It's Loving That You Want, to club anthem Only Girl in The World, it seems like Rihanna, and her highly malleable voice, is able to conquer every sub-genre of pop music.

Not surprisingly, the new single is a dance record again. We Found Love is a collaboration with DJ Calvin Harris and comparisons with Only Girl in The World, the first single from Loud, are unavoidable. I am a big fan of Only Girl In The World. Besides sounding fantastic when blasted through speakers, the song oozes character and there is probably no other singer who can work this song like Rihanna does. (Listen to all the horrendous rendition of the song from American Idol contestants and you will get what I mean.)

On the other hand, I am more neutral towards We Found Love. It is a competent dance track no doubt, but does not go much further beyond that. Even though it is marketed as Rihanna's new single, the song showcases more Calvin Harris than Rihanna, and I suspect this is a blatant attempt by Rihanna to turn Calvin Harris into the next David Guetta. Her vocals in this song has this dreamy quality and is quite replaceable. (I can imagine Kylie Minogue singing this.) While the song is likable on the whole, I feel Rihanna deserves better material for first single.

Maybe taking a break will do her some good.

Moves Like Jagger and my 3 Favourite Whistling Songs

2011-10-01T13:24:00.001+08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEPTlhBmwRg

Similar to Don't Worry Be Happy, the best thing about Moves Like Jagger is the whistling. Without it, the song probably would not have stuck as much as it did. Though I agree with the masses that this is a irresistible pop song, I did not feel that Christina Aguilera's cameo added anything to the song. (The only thing it did was to prolong Christina's fading music career.) I also thought the reference to Jagger felt forced and be replaced with any other 2 syllabus word (e.g. Beggar, Lager, Maggot) or other famous character (e.g. Elvis, Barney, Garfield). Insert any word you like and it would not have made much difference.

Although whistling has probably been discovered for as long as singing has, there have not been many examples of whistling in pop songs in recent years, and here are my 3 favourite whistling songs:

Young Folks - Peter Bjorn and John
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51V1VMkuyx0
The pop song: The whistling is used as an instrument to repeat the catchy melody of the verses.

There It Goes (The Whistle Song) - Juelz Santana
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGMOD3rVsK8
The rap song: The whistling is the chorus and happens because the preceding line says "time to whistle at her".

Joyride - Roxette
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCorJG9mubk
The rock song: The whistling is sparingly used to link sections of the song and at the end, and happens because the line before it says "She got me whistling a private tune".

By the way, I do not know how to whistle.

The World As I See It - Jason Mraz

2011-09-27T08:58:00.002+08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjP7VTHUais

Jason Mraz is finally back! He is one of those singers whose talent I greatly admire, but not every song I know how to appreciate. The type of Jason Mraz songs I generally falls into 2 categories:

1. The fast songs where he does this singing rapping thing, such as Geek In The Pink, The Dynamo of Volition and Wordplay

2. The slower numbers where he reveals his vulnerabilities and sings like he is standing right next to me, such as Beautiful Mess, Life Is Wonderful and his most recognizable hit I'm Yours

Unfortunately the new single The World As I See It, which will be used as a theme song for a Intel/ASUS campaign, belongs to neither of the 2 categories. As much as I want to like it, I find the song rather dull and unexciting, especially for a new single after a long period of absence. If I had not recognised that this is by Jason Mraz, the song will not have lasted 1 minute in my iPod.

My main issues with the song are the melody and arrangement. The melody sounds tiring and dated and the arrangement feels like there are a lot of things going on, distracting the listener from Jason's heartfelt delivery. This song also has one of the worst 30-second intro that induces yawning. His live version where he sings with only an acoustic guitar, is actually more effective, but still not one of his strongest efforts.

I hope the rest of the album, scheduled to be released in early 2012, will be better than this.

Someone Like You - Adele

2011-09-11T18:27:00.003+08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qemWRToNYJY

I am glad to read that Someone Like You is the number 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 this weekend.

Pop music is all about what is hip at the moment and in recent years, the rap/hip-hop and electro-pop songs have ruled the charts. I checked the chart history and found that prior to Someone Like You, the last adult contemporary song to reach no. 1 was Take A Bow (Rihanna) in 2008, and the last ballad to reach no. 1 was Hey There Delilah (Plain White T's) in 2007. Almost every other song that went to no. 1 had thumping beats, non consequential lyrics, used Autotune to distort the vocals, and appealed mainly to the clubbing crowd.

In a music market like this, artistes like Bruno Mars and Adele come across like breaths of fresh air. They write their own songs and use their big voices to tell the stories.

Until this song, Adele never appear on my radar even though her debut album 19 was a moderate success and Rolling In The Deep was everywhere. Someone Like You sings to every person that has once had failed relationships, including myself. The line that clicked with me most is definitely "Sometimes it lasts in love and sometimes it hurts instead". Delivered by Adele with vulnerability and sadness, it's impossible not to be touched by this beautiful song.

Hopefully this is a sign that the electro-pop dance music wave is coming to an end and that people are focusing on the voices again.

Dont Wanna Go Home - Jason Derulo

2011-08-11T00:33:00.001+08:00

In pop music, it is very frequent to find a success formula being copied by others. The formula of late seems to be sampling an already well-known song and adding a electro-dance arrangement. The Time (Dirty Bit) sampled I Had The Time Of My Life and went to no. 1. On The Floor sampled Lambada and did the same.

Dont Wanna Go Home was conceived in a similar fashion. Lifting the most recognizable line from 1950s classic Day-O (The Banana Boat Song), Jason tweaked the melody slightly and slapped on the arrangement from 90s club hit Show Me Love, and Tadah! This became a song that sings directly to the drunk clubbers who 'do not want to go home'.

Even though the song caught my attention, it failed to excite me like The Time and On The Floor. Only after several listens then I managed to identify what is wrong with it. Besides the samples used, the rest of the song is filled with unmemorable verses and tuneless hooks that connect awkwardly to one another. Both the originals are classics in their own rights, but this mash-up took the nice bits of each song and turned them into this soulless factory-manufactured product. At least On The Floor and The Time (Dirty Bit) had fleeting moments of creativity in them besides the sample, but Dont Wanna Go Home really had nothing very interesting to say. (Come to think of it, Jason Derulo became noticed through the song Watcha Say, which sampled a line from Hide and Seek from indie band Death Cab for Cutie.)

Having said that, if you do not think too deeply into it, Dont Wanna Go Home is still an easy pop song for the moment. Very likely no one will be talking about it by Christmas, but I do not think Jason is too bothered by that. Listen to the originals and judge for yourself.

Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) - Harry Belafonte
Show Me Love - Robin S
Don't Wanna Go Home - Jason Derulo

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Flashback: Just My Imagination - The Cranberries

2011-08-02T08:14:00.001+08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHoHIL2ABVQ

As I was writing this, The Cranberries just finished their concert at the Indoor Stadium.

This was a band I grew up with in the 90s. I was never really into rock music but I liked these guys, thanks to the enchanting voice of lead singer Dolores O'riordan. In their heydays, its impossible to listen to the radio and not hear Linger, Zombie and Ode to My Family, arguably the band's 3 biggest hits in Singapore.

I like Linger and Zombie a lot, but my favourite song of The Cranberries is actually one of their lesser known singles from a later album, Bury The Hatchet, which oddly is the only Cranberries album I have bought. Just My Imagination is light, catchy and melodious, and features Dolores in a good mood. It is the first song that comes to mind when someone mentions The Cranberries.

Now I wish I was at the concert...

Love you like a Love Song - Selena Gomez and the Scene

2011-07-25T22:37:00.002+08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgT_us6AsDg

My big issue with Selena Gomez is that I can't tell her and the other Disney starlets, like Demi Lovato and Miley Cyrus, apart. All of them started their careers on Disney TV shows, and all can sing decently (some more decent than others), but none of them displayed a distinct music personality and you get the sense that they sing whatever their producers hand to them in the studio. (Thats why you can find pop, rock, country, electronic, adult contemporary music in Miley Cyrus' catalogue.)

Selena Gomez is the petite cutesy one that looks like she is barely 16, so she has had a tougher task of getting older audiences to listen to her music. In the attempt to earn some credibility, she formed a backing band The Scene (who is largely faceless) and started making harmless bubblegum music that alternates between electro-dance pop and pop-rock. Not surprisingly, it is the dance pop songs, such as A Year Without Rain and Naturally, that have achieved moderate success.

Love you like a Love Song is the 2nd single from the band's 3rd album. If you didn't know it's Selena Gomez, you may think this is from some established Euro-dance diva like Sophie Ellis Bextor or Robyn. Sang against a thumping beat and relatively uncrowded arrangement, the song oozes an understated charm and does not come across as trying too hard. I especially like the chorus where the title is sang 3 times and the last line goes "I keep hittin' repeat-peat-peat-peat-peat", and she starts from the top again. A fine pop gem from start to finish.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Let's Go Higher - Jordan Knight

2011-07-20T23:43:00.002+08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i4pLgkm1XY

In the current pop world, every singer is coming out with a dance record, and we are asked to do a lot of things on the dance floor, like get up, get down, get high, get low, go crazy, raise our hands, give you everything, fall in love and more. Jordan Knight, the front man of News Kids On The Block, released one himself.

I grew up with New Kids On The Block. When I started listening to pop music, NKOTB was the biggest teen sensation at that time and they were the idols of many little girls. I knew their hit catalogue reasonably well but was not particularly fond of any of their songs. Despite being a competent singer with strong stage presence, Jordan did not achieve much post-NKOTB. He had a minor hit with Give It To You after the band split in the 90s but had not released any solo records since.

I stumbled onto this new song by accident and was drawn to it instantly. Let's Go Higher is co-written by Colby O'Donis, who collaborated with Lady Gaga on Just Dance, and it sounds every bit as slick and catchy as songs of this genre on the charts right now. (In my opinion, this is leaps and bounds better than anything Enrique Iglesias released in the past year.) Jordan's seductive voice is suited for dance music and his delivery is confident and at ease. Credit has to be given to the insanely haunting "ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh" used in the verses. When he finally gets to the title at the end of the chorus, you will want to join in, put your hands in the air and go higher as well.

Top 5 songs of 2011 (so far)

2011-07-07T23:14:00.001+08:00

6 months went by very quickly. This year in music, I followed American Idol, I watched Tanya in concert, I bought one CD (Pink's greatest hits), I continued to like electro-dance music but I found Lady Gaga's songs and videos to be unbearable.

As always, there are some songs I loved more than others in the last 6 months. In the order I discovered them:

Music Again - Adam Lambert

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxffgLmt4lE
This is the opening track of his 2009 album For Your Entertainment, but I only discovered it this year after sampling the album. I don't really buy his appeal as an artiste but For Your Entertainment is definitely one of the best post-Idol album made. Music Again has this retro rock vibe and sounds like something that Duran Duran would have released in the 80s. The song makes me want to hum along and tap my feet.

I Wanna Go - Britney Spears

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-sxSd1uwoU
11 years into her career and she is still making great pop music. I Wanna Go is easily the best from the album. I am surprised it was not picked as the first 2 singles. It has 2 catchy sections: the bridge with the whistling, and the chorus that goes higher and higher.

On The Floor - Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull
(Refer to earlier post.)

Seal It with a Kiss - Britney Spears
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG1CJUYa8I8
Discovered during the 2nd wave of downloads from the Femme Fatale album, this is another pop gem that is tightly pieced together, like Piece of Me was. Listen to it a few times and you will go "woo-oo-oo-oo" along with her. I hope she releases this as a single.

Indestructible - Robyn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ketX6HITIDU
(Refer to earlier post.)

Just below the top 5: Happiness - Alexis Jordan, Parachute - Cheryl Cole, Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO

Call Your Girlfriend / Indestructible - Robyn

2011-06-23T21:30:00.004+08:00

If u have not read my earlier post on Robyn, she is the Grammy-nominated singer who released 2 mini albums (Body Talk parts 1 and 2) and 1 full album (Body Talk) last year. An acoustic version of Hang With Me, the lead single from Part 2, was first featured in Part 1, and similarly, an acoustic version of Indestructible, the lead single from Body Talk, was found in Part 2.

Body Talk Parts 1 and 2 have been my biggest musical discoveries in 2010 and have produced several pop music gems like Dancing on My Own, Fembot, You Should Know Better and Love Kills. While many artistes tried to copy this dance/electronic genre to often disastrous outcome, Robyn's music sounded authentic and retained a distinctive Robyn-ness to them. The songs may not catch you instantly, but upon repeated listening, are able to grow on you immensely.

The 2 singles from Body Talk are fine examples. Lead single Indestructible did not leave a deep impression on me when it was acoustic. (I actually downloaded it only because I wanted to download Call Your Girlfriend), but after spending some time with the dance version, it became clear why this was chosen as the lead single.

Similar to Dancing on My Own and Hang With Me, Indestructible has "dance classic" written all over it. From start to finish, the arrangement gels with the melody seamlessly without any excesses. Every synthesizer note and every drum machine sound like they belong to those exact moments.

Stripping the glossy arrangement aside, Robyn is singing about loving someone fearlessly like she is "indestructible" with raw emotions. The lyrics, consisting of lines like "I let the bad ones in and the good ones go", are not particularly deep, but are still notches above the "lets party all night and get wasted" type of lyrics. Indestructible is a song one can dance to at a club, and relate to emotionally at the same time.

Single #2 Call Your Girlfriend works in a similar fashion and warrants repeat listening. Robyn's pop sensibilities are sharp and forward. She is able to match thoughtful lyrics with sticky melodies, alongside a polished arrangement. It does not hurt that she is a more than competent vocalist at the same time.

I can't wait to hear what she is going to do next. Pls check out Body Talk and rediscover Robyn like I did in 2010.

Run The World (Girls) - Beyonce

2011-06-17T16:27:00.005+08:00

That's it? That is my immediate response after hearing the long awaited lead single from Beyonce's upcoming album 4 (It will be her 4th studio album, geddit?)

She has been an icon for feminism since she emerged onto the music scene with Destiny's Child and many of her songs are associated with telling men off (i.e. Bills Bills Bills, Irreplaceable) or celebrating women (i.e. Independent Woman, Single Ladies). But in this day and age of female empowerment, chanting lines repeatedly like "Who run the world, Girls! Girls!" sound somewhat irrelevant.

The track itself is also nothing to shout about. Beyonce is in full "kao beh kao bu" mode, screaming like an angry woman for much of the song. The sampling of dance hit Pon de Floor can be addictive or annoying, depending on your mood when you listen to the song. The song, as well as the video, is crowded and overproduced, and I feel the need to catch my breath after the song is done.

Overall, this is a disappointing first single. Beyonce's songs are hit-or-miss for me. I like Crazy in Love and Sweet Dreams but do not think much of Deja Vu and If I Were a Boy. Run The World certainly belongs to the latter category for me and will probably be forgotten by the end of the year.

On The Floor - Jennifer Lopez

2011-06-13T21:27:00.002+08:00

It has been a great year for Jennifer Lopez musically as she scored an international hit with On The Floor. Her last top 10 hit was Control Myself, the collaboration with LL Cool J in 2006. Since then all of her main singles (Get Right, Do It Well, Loboutins) failed to get any love. I thought Loboutins would be her comeback hit in 2009 but that was not the case. Her urban-pop R&b sound, which was very hip in the early 2000s, has become largely irrelevant.

When I first heard On The Floor, it was during the results show of American Idol, and I thought the song was dreadful. The monotonous verses, the shameless rip-off of the 1989 hit Lam Bada for chorus, the space-filler rap verses by a younger rapper, the parts didn't gel together musically. It sounds like Jennifer is going electro-dance pop (like every other female pop singers) and trying very hard to stay current.

Then the clubs start playing it. The gym starts playing it. The malls start playing it. It is impossible to escape the infectious song and I grew to like the song. As cliched and unoriginal the song is, the production is polished and the sound is contemporary. The sampling of the rift from a Latin dance classic works very well for a club banger, like Black Eyed Peas did the Dirty Dancing song.

With this song, Jennifer found a new musical direction (latin-electro-dance-pop) she can comfortably own. (Unfortunately the rest of the Love? album still sounds rather 2000s and is unlikely to score another hit of the same scale.) I hope she makes full use of this new found fame before other Latin crossover artiste does the same..

Launch of Lehlioman's Music Blog

2011-06-13T00:46:00.003+08:00

Notice the new look and the new name on the blog?

I got the inspiration for this after chatting with this guy who described himself as a music junkie. He listed some of the music he has recently discovered and I have not heard of any of the acts he mentioned. He told me he found all these new singers/songs through music blogs.

Forward a few days, it came to me that this blog is already 10 years old, and I have not posted anything for an entire month (again). While it was "fashionable" to have a blog in 2002 and many of my friends kept a livejournal, blogs have become passé in recent years and not many people are keen to read lengthy paragraphs about anything anymore. Besides that, I realised I have kept a lot of my life out of this blog over the years, because of various reasons. Some times there were things I did not wish to share over the world wide web. Some times there was nothing particularly interesting to share. Some times I had ideas to share but I sat on them for so long they became irrelevant.

So I asked myself: What do I really enjoy writing about? What can I use this blog for?

In answering those questions, I recalled how the nick LEHLIOMAN came about. It was meant to be a Singlish version of radio-man, which reflects my love for listening to music over the radio back then. Even though I do not listen to the radio (or dance, or write songs) anymore, music is still a big part of my life. Even though my music posts in the past have not generated much responses, I still enjoy writing about the songs and artistes I like and dislike. Even though I am not a true blue music junkie, I do keep myself updated with the latest hits and trends, and upon discovering something I like, I have the urge to share them with everyone.

So from now on, this will become mostly a music blog. "Mostly" because I will still write about other things (e.g. TV shows, traveling, work) from time to time, but those will no longer be the focus. Thanks for supporting my blog all these years, and keep visiting from time to time.

Who would you vote for?

2011-05-05T22:12:00.004+08:00

Finally the exciting election rallies came to an end and the most popular question throughout the week would naturally be "who would you vote for?"

For me I have known the answer right at an early stage, when I read how Dr Vivian Balakrishnan tried to despicably attack Dr Vincent Wijeysingha for appearing in a video, that mysteriously surfaced on YouTube only after VB made those remarks to the reporters. If I gave my vote to the ruling party, I will be like the chambermaid in 宫心计 who watches the evil powerful queen poison the brave concubine and does nothing about it while the concubine dies in vain. Doing nothing means I am agreeable with more malicious acts of sabotage, mudslinging, as well as bribery and fear-mongering. I do not want to be that person.

But that's just my stand alone. What about the rest?

The auntie eating the free bee hoon at the PAP rally. who would she vote for?

The uncle queuing up at Posb to withdraw his growth and share money. Who would he vote for?

The civil servant waiting for his promotion. Who would he vote for?

The new citizens adjusting to life in Singapore. Who would they vote for?

The old folks watching TV at my void deck every nite. Who would they vote for?

As hard as the opposition candidates fight, as sound and inspiring as their speeches are, there will still be a lot of people who will vote for the ruling party anyway for various reasons.

What about you? Who would you vote for? Come Saturday, please think carefully and vote wisely. Every vote counts.

政治就是玩臭的！

2011-05-03T23:06:00.006+08:00

If you have spoken to me over the past 2 weeks, it is not hard for you to notice that I am hooked onto all things relating to the elections. The amount of attention I have given to this election is usually only reserved to TV fanatic events like 红星大奖 and American Idol.

Thanks to the change in the rules to be allow campaigning over the internet, I have been uncontrollably rummaging through the many many articles, discussions and videos available online. I have had the urge to pen some of my thought over this blog, but has refrained because I have nothing particular insightful to say that has not already been said by someone else, until an hour ago..

I was watching the Channel 8 news where PM Lee tried to salvage the bad choices of words earlier uttered by MM Lee. The news went on to report an announcement by Khaw Boon Wan on the opening of more hospitals. Then another report on SM Goh on his confidence towards the older voters. Then another report on how prices of the houses in Aljunied beat those in Hougang. Then a report on PAP posters being vandalised. I got somewhat annoyed by the pro-PAP reporting one after another and make a remark on how PAP doesn't play fair and only upgrade the HDB in constituencies that voted for it, to which my father made the response:

政治就是玩臭的！

I tried unsuccessfully to explain that it's our vote that gives PAP the permission not to play fair. Then I realised my father takes the 'fighting is futile' stand and warned me on the consequences of voting for the opposition. Though I was initially quite mad at his perspective towards the election and that he will just give his vote away to the ruling party, it soon dawned on me that there are probably many elderly folks out there who spent a good 30-40 years of their lives getting information fed by Channel 8 news and 联合早报 and are quite certain that this is all the information that they ever need to know. They do not use the internet and have no means to read any of the online articles that you and I are reading now.

So if you want to avoid the Straits Times headline to go 'PAP won all 87 seats!' on Sunday morning, please engage your parents, grandparents and any other elderly relatives that do not come online, whichever constituency you belong to. Show them the articles you have read and the video clips you have seen. Explain to them why you are voting for the other party, be it the co-driver theory, the failed GRC system, the illogical redrawing of election boundaries, the biased coverage in mass media, the arrogant remarks made by selected ministers, the high salaries drawn by MPs or even Tin Pei Ling. Say anything you want but just say something and give them a different perspective so that they can make informed decisions come Saturday. Many of these opposition candidates are fighting as hard as they could for our sake. Helping them garner more votes is the best way to show our appreciation and support.

After 蔡健雅's concert

2011-04-14T08:30:00.001+08:00

I had the privilege of attending tanya's "Tanya & the cities" concert on Saturday at the indoor stadium. In the "Stefanie vs Tanya" battle in the local music scene, I have always stood on Tanya's side even though I do not like every song of hers (but the songs I do like, I like very much). She is certainly the go-to person when it comes to sad melancholic songs..

Post concert thoughts:

1. Very unflattering costumes. Tanya in bright pink dress? She should have consulted me..

2. "城市是母亲的子宫" flashed across the monitor during one intermission. If you know what that means, let me know..

3. If you listen to 空白格 while you are hungry, you may misheard the last line to be "蛋挞也可能是我们的缘分".

4. Beautiful Love is one of her rare hit songs that celebrates love (instead of mourns about lost love).

5. She did a tango segment when she sang 若你碰到他. Competent, but absolutely unnecessary.

6. One of her favorite songs in her catalogue, also one of mine, is 达尔文 which includes one of my favourite lines "懂得永恒得要我们进化成更好的人".

7. The obscure title syndrome: In 纪念 and 陌生人, the title does not appear until the very end of the song. In 达尔文, the title only showed up once in the 2nd verse.

8. The chorus of 纪念 is actually one long sentence sang with many pauses: "那一瞬间你终于发现那曾深爱过的人早在告别的那天已消失在这个世界"

9. Of all her most widely known songs, she has no writing credits for Beautiful Love , 双栖动物 and 无底洞.

Till the next concert... "love's beautiful, so beautiful.."

5 Great Years

2011-03-07T21:01:00.002+08:00

Today, my boss handed me a letter congratulating me for getting the 5-year long service award.

The first thought that came to me was "oh it's today?" Been so busy in recent months trying to get a hang of my new role that it slipped my mind that this day was coming. I spent the rest of the day trying to appreciate the magnitude of this achievement..

- I have spent 1/6 of my life working in this company.

- I have prob spent 10,000 hours of my time in this company, netting off leave, mc and overtime. (According to Malcolm gladwell in his book Outliers, I have "achieved greatness"...)

- I have worked in 6 departments in the 5 years, some more eventful and blissful than others.

- I have had the chance to live in hong kong, gurgaon (india) and bricketwood (uk) for a period of time, each of the experiences memorable on it's own..

For someone unambitious and and simple guy like me, those 5 years are as good as they can get.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Britney's Back

2011-01-13T00:54:00.004+08:00

Today, Britney Spears is back with her brand new single "Hold It Against Me" from her upcoming 7th album. She first came onto the scene in 1998 when I was still in army and most critics back then would not have predicted that Britney will still be around today, and faring much better than Christina Aguilera, an admittedly more talented singer.

How does "Hold It Against Me" fare against the other lead off singles from her other albums? Lets look back at her career and review them one by one.

Baby One More Time (1998) 3.5/5

This is the song that started it all and I still love this song 12 years on. Even the music video and spoofs have aged well. A teeny pop classic that introduced us to the pony-tailed Britney in school uniform.

Oops I Did It Again (2000) 2/5

This one did not age so well. It is hard to sit through the entire song, especially the Titanic-ish dialogue 'but i thought the old lady dropped it into the ocean..' Cringe!

I'm A Slave For You (2001) 4/5

She tried to present a more adult Britney with this R&B track, and she was successful here. I'm A Slave for You was sassy and funky, and was a popular song in hip hop classes. Unfortunately it did not achieve the same level of success.

Me Against The Music (2003) 2.5/5

The collaboration with Madonna was supposed to bring Britney to a new height, but the result was completely mediocre. Me Against The Music sounded over produced and tuneless. 2nd single Toxic fared much better.

My Prerogative (2004) 1/5

Forgettable and pointless.

Gimme More (2007) 4.5/5

The MTV awards performance was a big flop but Gimme More became her biggest hit in awhile, proving that a good song is a good song. Minimal production, infectious beats, catchy chorus, another classic in her repertoire of singles, from an album full of delightful pop gems.

Womanizer (2008) 3/5

Her 2nd number 1 hit on Billboard after a long time. I liked Womanizer instantly, but probably due to the number of times the title is repeated, I got sick of this song quite quickly as well.

3 (2010) 1.5/5

I never understood why this song became as big a hit as it did. The chorus, verses and bridge sounded like they belonged to different songs, and all parts were annoying.

Hold It Against Me (2011)... 2.5/5
I was hoping she would bring something new and fresh with this song but was quite disappointed that she simply followed the electro-dance route that everyone else is doing. Hold It Against Me is not a terrible song, but just unremarkable as a first single. Read that even the title was taken from a country song. (How unoriginal). Likely to be forgotten by the end of the year. Hopefully the rest of the album has better material.

Breakout.. The Comedy

2011-01-08T01:19:00.033+08:00

Another year and another year-end blockbuster drama. This one has generated the most number of comments on newspapers, magazines, internet forums. Reading people's comments on Breakout is actually more interesting than watching the show itself, as you get totally opposite views towards the show. I have watched 2 episodes in full (and many episodes in parts) and I take the side of those who didnt like the show.

Much of the controversy revolves around Jeanette and whether she acted well or not. I think she delivered her lines very unnaturally. i can see that its deliberately designed, but who on earth talks like that? I can't see a schizo person, I just see Jeanette jumping from persona to persona trying to prove she can handle complex characters. She is great if given the right roles (e.g. Little nonya, Holland v) but this one reminds me more of her 九层糕 days.

She also doesnt look the part. Joanne peh may have been a better casting choice (but she wont have the acting chops as well).

Also think Elvin is a bit off as the autistic guy. All the odd EXCESSIVE twitching.. ZJM doesnt look autistic, it looks like Elvin trying to act out the word Autism in a game of charades, and i give him brownie points for trying very very hard. He's better off doing the dashing male leads. Maybe a more competent character actor like Jerry Yang would have embodied the character more naturally..

(Actually this show is full of odd and overdesigned characters. The scriptwriters prob looked through the oscar best actor and actress list, took the 5 types of characters who win the most often and spinned a story around them. So the scriptwriters should be partly responsible for all the negative feedback.)

Thanks to the 2 of them, Breakout becomes an unintentional comedy. I admire both actors and hope they will rightfully win acting awards one day, but not for these laughable performances..

Top 10 songs of 2010

2011-01-02T01:03:00.007+08:00

Even though my interest in pop music has eased in recent years, I still find joy in discovering new songs and artistes. Here are my favorite 10 songs for 2010, determined partly by the number of times played on my iPod, and also the amount of excitement I get when the song comes on. In no order of preference:

1. Hang With Me - Robyn (Rediscovery of 2010. Hang with me is only one of the many fantastic songs from her Body Talk albums)

2. Rain - Mika

3. Leave! - VV Brown

4. Firework - Katy Perry (Despite not thinking highly of the singer, this is one of the best song for this holiday season)

5. Only Girl (In The World) - Rihanna (The dance anthem of the year. Infectious baseline, stomping beat and powerful voice. Initially found the song annoying at first but it grew on me quite quickly. Great workout song)

6. All The Lovers - Kylie Minogue

7. Runaway - Kanye West (Best music video of 2010)

8. California Girls - Katy Perry (Feat. Snoop Dogg)

9. Mud - Peaches

10. Forget You - Cee Lo Green

Almost made the top 10: Baby - Justin Bieber (Yes, I enjoy Justin Bieber too), Club Can't Handle Me - Flo-rida, Marry You - Bruno Mars, Like A G6 - Far East Movement, Telephone - Lady Gaga

2010 is...

2010-12-17T00:03:00.002+08:00

The year I got my own apartment

The year I found the answer to the question "Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?"

The year I learned (the hard way) not to put anything bitchy in writing

The year I started to feel like a boring uncle

The year I stopped dancing

The year I began to embrace my tummy and changed my fitness goal to "Not to have too big a tummy"

The year I recognised how similar I am to my parents

The year I got my iphone, most likely the last phone I will ever use this life time

The year I fell in love with Words with Friends, and many many other iphone games

The year I totally lost touch with Mandarin pop music

The year I knew better the reasons behind my character flaws and insecurities

The year I really stretched myself and stepped out of my comfort zone in terms of work

The year I brought my father overseas for holiday

The year I no longer desired to be any place where I could not be myself

Looking back at the year that has passed, 2010 has been eventful and challenging in ways that i have not imagined when i returned from india. Be it a good or bad year for you, I wish you keep discovering yourself and pursuing your dreams in 2011. Have a wonderful new year.

One more Thing I have Learnt since Moving to Holland V

2010-11-06T10:49:00.001+08:00

There are so many ways to write this one:

1. Always empty the pockets before putting clothes in the washing machine, or

2. Anything you can purchase from Harvey Norman do not go well with water, or

3. Mp3 players cannot survive a washing machine wash.

2 weeks ago, my laundry load included a thumbdrive, which miraculously survived the wash. Last night, my beloved iPod Nano prematurely ended its life due to my sheer carelessness. The Nano had remained a loyal companion for me for the past 2+ years. Although it had not been the centre of my attention since the shinier iPod Touch came on board, it had not showed signs of failing and continued to play it's role dutifully during treadmill jogs and outdoor runs. Our last date was during the New Balance Real Run, where it kept me distracted from my tiredness for 1 hour with thumping dance music.

I am sorry for sending you to the washing machine. RIP Nano.

铁马寻桥 vs 无花果

2010-10-29T13:30:00.003+08:00

I always wonder why hk dramas beat local ones hands down. There is just this watchability in hk drama. The production is of higher quality. The story is engaging and makes you want to find out what happens next. The characters are more fascinating and have clear motivations. The acting is mostly competent from the leads to the supporting roles.

The superiority of hk drama over mediacorp stuff can be seen just by comparing the 2 drama series I have caught this month. Both are serious "bad-guy-tries-to-destroy-good-ppl-at-all-cost" type of drama with a lot of fighting and crying and used strategic flashbacks to unveil the mystery bit by bit.

To it's credit, I thought WHG did have a plot and tone that was significantly different from all the other Mediacorp offerings this year. It's problem is really the lack of strong leads. Casting took a chance with Paige Chua, who despite her best efforts was not yet able to carry the show on her own. She looked like she was suffering from constipation in a lot of scenes. It does not help that she's supported by equally lacklustre yaodong, peixuan and Pierre. Amongst the 4 of them, the chemistry did not happen and in the end it was up to veterans xiang yun and Huang shi nan to save the show. (if this is made 10 years ago and we have jacelyn tay, Yvonne lim, Christopher lee and qi yuwu as the leads, this may just become the blockbuster of the year.)

Comparatively TMXQ was not a show I was keen to watch initially, it was just playing in the background, but by episode 10 I found myself getting drawn to the show. I wanted to know what happened to the father, I wanted the bad guy to get knocked down by a car. The plot is not groundbreaking but the story telling and acting elevated the show to a whole new level.

If I can have it my way, I will invest more in artistes and production and aim really high for local productions and get them on the same level as Taiwanese , Japanese, HK and Korean drama series. We shouldn't have to wait a few years before a Little Nonya shows up.

Things I have Learnt Since Moving to Holland V

2010-10-28T00:49:00.003+08:00

1. I learnt that nothing gets cleaned up by itself. Every item that fell onto the floor, from hair, plastic bags to tissue paper, will stay on the floor until they got picked up.

2. I learnt to get used to having mices and snails in my path. (You can find a lot of both species in Holland V.)

3. I learnt to skin and cut papayas the way my father does.

4. I learnt how to use bleach and softener for laundry.

5. I learnt that since birth, i have always lived on the top floor of a building.

6. I learnt that laundry is my favourite household chore and washing dishes and ironing are my least favorite.

7. I learnt that I should NEVER put indoor plants under direct sunlight.

8. I learnt that I love the smell of disinfectant spray.

Robyn Rediscovered

2010-10-22T08:06:00.001+08:00

Phase 1: 1997 - Show Me Love

I first heard of Robyn when I was in junior college. She came onto the scene with a few radio friendly chart hits, the biggest of them being Show Me Love. For a period of time, this was the most frequently played song on 987fm. I remembered liking the song and its kinda cool music video, but I didn't form a very deep impression of Robyn and didn't sense that she will be around for very long.

Phase 2: 2008 - With Every Heartbeat

When she re-emerged onto the scene with this hip electro dance hit, I remembered double checking to see if it is the same Robyn. Upon some googling I was surprised to learn that she had actually continued to make music all the while. I checked out some of the work she did during the 'missing' years and uncovered some gems, including Don't Stop The Music (not the Rihanna song.) Even though I liked her new sound, I didn't actually sampled the other songs from the Robyn album like I usually would, and she disappeared from my radar again.

Phase 3: 2010 - Dancing On My Own

What made me pay attention to Robyn again was actually a stunning review of her new album Body Talk pt. 2 I heard on the Sound Opinions podcast. I didn't want to miss out on good music so I checked out her musical output in her electro-dance phase, going back 2 albums. To my surprise, I liked what I heard a lot. From the spunky Who's That Girl, the irrelevant Konichiwa Bitches, the humanoid sounding Fembot to the club thumper Dancing On My Own, I found myself drawn to this alluring desperation in her voice. The sound was cool, confident and authentic, and she made Lady Gaga sound like a wannabe trying too hard. I wondered why I didn't paid more attention to her earlier and I can't wait to see hear what she will do next.

Been awhile (Part 2)

2010-09-24T08:47:00.007+08:00

The analogy I used most frequently to describe my experience in GGDP was a miss universe pageant. In week one, there's quite a fair bit of addressing each other by our countries such as 'the Russian' or 'the Taiwan girl', along with our real names.

And me, the sole Singapore guy, had to once in a while come up with intelligent responses to questions bout our economy, education system, population, climate, lee kuan yew and sun yanzi. Not exactly my favourite topics (except for the last one) but i came to realize I could answer something totally nonsensical and get away with it. I would also ask questions in return, satisfying my curiosities about countries I knew little about. Unexpectedly, I ended up having a lot of fun with these conversations.

I also had a wonderful team throughout the course. 14 of us, from different countries, different culture, different working styles. We were not necessarily best friends beyond the team activities, but when we put our heads together on a task, some kind of magic happened. There was a great team vibe that could not be forced. I really loved both the big presentations we did and the fun catchphrases we had "its showtime!" and "Sustainability starts with me!". My initial worries bout not measuring up to everyone else were unfounded and I thought I added a certain warm quality to the team. During the final team activity in the course, I did feel sad saying goodbye to the rest of the team, realising that something good had come to an end.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Been awhile (Part 1)

2010-09-22T23:46:00.005+08:00

Its been over 2 months since I have posted anything on my blog. Apologies to the few of you out there that visit my blog occasionally for updates. If you happened to miss all my facebook updates for the past month, I have spent much of August in UK for a 4-week training course named GGDP. I only returned to Singapore 2 weeks ago.

Having continuously worked for almost 7 years, attending a month long course in a foreign land like this is like a breath of fresh air. (Sidetrack: The air in Bricketwood UK where the training is held is indeed very fresh.) Over my adult years, I have come to prefer familiarity around me and become less and less adventurous with the choices I make. So when I was told that I would be spending a month in UK with a bunch of people I did not know, I was quite worried, bout the experience I would have, the coursemates I would meet, the sheer volume of small talk i would need to make, the accommodation, the food, the need to perform, etc etc. The worry occupied so much of my attention that I only brought 1 London travel guidebook over and did not open it until my first weekend out in London.

In the end, like most of my coursemates, I actually enjoyed the entire experience immensely.

(To be continued...)

Favourite songs of 2010 (so far)

2010-07-03T10:38:00.011+08:00

2010 has been a pretty disappointing year so far when it comes to music. I spent January listening to 新谣 and much of April and May listening to my new demos (HAVE YOU CHECKED THEM OUT YET??). There really wasn't a lot of new songs in the past 6 months that got me excited. American Idol did not produce any memorable renditions this year and I did not fancy most of the karaoke-ish songs from Glee. It was quite difficult to make the list this year, but here are the 5 songs worth checking out in 2010:

Leave! - V V Brown

A discovery on the last few days of June, thanks to the Sound Opinion podcast. She is like a more energetic version of Amy Winehouse. She is going to be the next big thing. Also check out Shark In The Water.

Rain - Mika

He has the ability to create these nonsensical but addictive melodies that you cant get out of your head. Pity the 2nd album was not as well received as the 1st one.

California Gurls - Katy Perry (Feat. Snoop Dogg)

I applaud her for not attempting to channel the Lady Gaga sound. This is her best since Hot n Cold.

Mud - Peaches

The coolest song I have heard this year. According to Sound Opinions, Peaches inspired a lot of what we see and hear from Lady Gaga. Peaches is the real deal.

Jump (Sunfreakz Radio Edit) - Flo-rida Feat. Nelly Furtado

"When I say jump you say how high".. The clubbing singalong song of 2010. Reminds me of a childhood favourite from Debbie Gibson.

Other contenders:
If We Ever Meet Again - Timbaland Feat. Katy Perry
Pursuit of Happiness - Kid Cudi
Billionaire - Travie McCoy Feat. Bruno Mars

Impressions of siem reap

2010-06-10T21:13:00.003+08:00

Beer, at usd 50 cent a glass during happy hour, is cheaper than water.

It's not that backward. You can find decent restaurants/pubs in town and you can get free wifi everywhere.

There is only one fast food restaurant in siem reap: kfc.

While having a good time there, pls do not use up all your us dollar. The airport charges usd 25 per person upon departure.

You won't miss Singapore television in siem reap. You can get channelnewsasia and also watch mediacorp drama (amusingly dubbed in cambodian) on tv there.

It's largely a one-attraction town. 99% of tourists go there to see Angkor wat. If temples and ruins are not your cup of tea, you are better off going elsewhere for vacation.

Depending on your perception of value, visiting Angkor wat can be a pricey affair. A one-day pass costs usd 20 and three-day pass costs usd 40. A car for a day costs usd 25 - 40 depending on which temples you choose. A personal guide costs an additional usd 25.

The air is so humid in siem reap, clothes take a very very long time to dry.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I Got The Key

2010-06-08T22:47:00.001+08:00

Today, a new phase of my life begins.

The Gate

The living room/kitchen

The master bedroom

The common room

Today is a great day - The Making of No More

2010-05-28T09:58:00.002+08:00

I wrote the song in 1999 after a failed relationship. I was naive and innocent as depicted in the lyrics. I have always intended the song to be a quiet acoustic ballad, just someone singing to a guitar.

Then somehow I did not get down to turning this song into a demo, even though this is one of my personal favourites. Other songs got in the way. I got a very horrendous experience with a music production studio in India. I rewrote the lyrics a few times before Alex, a friend of my usual collaborator Celeste, agreed to arrange and sing the demo.

Forward to today, listening for the 100th time to the completed demo from Alex. it's like a dream come true. Except for minor melody changes Alex made, the demo is very close to the song I had in mind 11 years ago. Looking back at how i got from a melody in my head to a song on my ipod, Today is a great day.

A million thanks to Celeste and Alex. Without their musical abilities, I will not have days like these. Thanks also to those who bothered to take a listen and give me feedback (good or bad). If you have yet to listen to any of my demos, pls stop reading my blog now and go to my YouTube channel. The demos are all there.

Here's the song, 11 years in the making: No More
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IGfX3u-TW8
- Posted using BlogPress from KL

当我们同在一起

2010-05-25T21:46:00.010+08:00

Finally finished watching MediaCorp's 2009 finale drama "Together" on DVD.

Comparisons with The Little Nonya are unavoidable, and with TLN's resounding success in 2008, the expectation is even greater this time. After all, gone are the days where there will be at least 2 - 3 period dramas in a year. Nowadays, MediaCorp will give us indistinguishable modern day drama serials for the entire year before putting together something a little more elaborate like this (and get a whole lot of sponsorship from it).

Unfortunately, even with its merits (to be elaborated later), Together is let down by a poorly constructed plot. In a few words, the plot can be described as "a series of unconnected (and sometimes unreasonable) events". Plot lines are not developed and followed through thoroughly. Many characters are not fully realised and seem to be there only to facilitate the story of Jian Hong and Xiao Bei. Some of the reactions of the characters do not make a lot of sense and seem to happen only because it is needed to connect to the next event. The homage to events in Singapore over the last 50 years, mentioned widely in the publicity, was only done superficially.

That aside, throwing away logic, the show is still highly engaging and watchable, thanks to the production efforts (sets, costumes) and a competent cast. My favourite performances:

1. Jeanette Aw - She pulled it off again. Some says this role is similar to Yue Niang, but I think she exuded this maturity and quiet strength on screen in Together not seen in TLN. Evidently the best of the 6 leads, and deserving of a best actress award.

2. Eelyn Kok - As I was watching Jinhao on screen, I cant help but wonder what Fiona Xie will bring to the role if she has taken it. Eelyn did an excellent job with the role and was able to vary her performance very convincingly as the character ages.

3. Dai Yang Tian - Together is actually not an ensemble drama series. It is a story about Lin Xiao Bei and how the world revolved around him. I have not watched Dai's performances prior to this but I thought he was excellent in the first half of the show. He commanded the scenes he is in and you could not help rooting for his character and wanting him to succeed. He held his own against a strong Jeanette and it is really the believability of their relationship that makes me carry on watching. It is a pity that very odd things (e.g. Amsterdam???) happened to the character in the latter episodes, affecting the credibility of his performance. If the show stopped at episode 20, I think the best actor award would have been deservingly his. But at this rate he is going, his turn will come.

The other 3 young leads, Elvin Ng, Zhang Zhen Huan and Zhou Ying, are in a different league, but still individually competent. The seasoned supporting cast that played the parents and neighbours are all good as well, but everyone seems to be written one-dimensionally with nothing substantial to add to the story, resulting in no one being particularly memorable (an aspect that TLN did very well in).

Watching this show, with the exception of a few brilliantly executed scenes, I cant help feeling that Together is hastily written (or written by too many people) and trying too hard to match up to TLN. I realise how much I miss the days of 豆腐街, 客家之歌 and 福满人间. They are also period dramas involving multiple characters and span decades, but they are much better on the whole as ensemble dramas.

There wont be period dramas this year but a period musical drama is in the pipeline for 2011. Cant wait to see how they fare for that one.

By 2020...

2010-05-06T20:31:00.005+08:00

Radio will die out.

Kids will type faster than they write, provided they know how to write.

It will be business as usual during Chinese new year.

MediaCorp will still not have produced any 古装剧 (drama set in ancient times).

Most people will not have a telephone at home.

There will be no more textbooks in school. Every student will go to school with an e-book reader.

CDs will completely disappear. DVDs and book will be on their paths to extinction.

Most marrying couples will skip the traditional wedding dinner.

Madonna will finally retire.

There will be a lot of old people, and foreigners everywhere.

Bye bye Microsoft (windows, Internet explorer, office)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER...

2010-04-18T12:29:00.006+08:00

I'd dare to make more mistakes next time.
I'd relax, I would limber up.
I would be sillier than I have been this trip.
I would take fewer things seriously.
I would take more chances.
  
I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers.
I would eat more ice cream and less beans.
I would perhaps have more actual troubles, 
but I'd have fewer imaginary ones.
  
You see, I'm one of those people who live 
sensibly and sanely hour after hour, day after day.
   
Oh, I've had my moments,
And if I had it to do over again, 
I'd have more of them.
In fact, I'd try to have nothing else.
Just moments, one after another,
instead of living so many years ahead of each day.
 
I've been one of those people who never goes anywhere 
without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat and a parachute.
If I had to do it again, I would travel lighter than I have.

If I had my life to live over,
I would start barefoot earlier in the spring
and stay that way later in the fall.
I would go to more dances.
I would ride more merry-go-rounds.
I would pick more daisies.

By Nadine Stair

GaGaGaGaGa

2010-03-31T23:12:00.005+08:00

13 Jul 2008 - I was first introduced to Lady Gaga, unknown singer, when she performed her debut single "Just Dance" during the Miss Universe Pageant

31 Mar 2010 - I listened to the catchy "Summerboy" by Lady Gaga, superstar, as I walked home from the train station.

If you have to name a musical phenomenon of 2009, it has to be Lady Gaga. ("Nobody Nobody But Chiu" is a close 2nd.)

She went from an unknown singer/songwriter to a music/fashion/gay icon in the last 18 months. When I saw that Miss Universe performance, I thought she was some underground euro-pop singer and I did not find the song very memorable. I did not think I would ever hear from her again.

And then, Just Dance became an international smash. Followed by Poker Face. Followed by Love Game. And then practically any song that is associated with her.

I was not a fan of the 1st 2 singles, I only started to paying attention to her after hearing the rest of the album during dance classes I attended in Hong Kong. For the 1st few months in 2009, every dance instructor will be using Lady Gaga either for warm-ups or choreography. There was no way to escape.

I was hooked instantly to Paparazzi and LoveGame (which became the next 2 singles), and then Boys Boys Boys and Eh Eh (Nothing I Can Say), and then a while later Summerboy and The Fame. She showed she was not a flesh in the pan by following up with the equally excellently crafted Fame Monster. Bad Romance, Dance in The Dark and "He ate ate ate my heart" Monster are simply pop masterpieces.

And then, I watched her live on TV again. She performed during an awards show and the song ended with "blood" all over her. The only one word that came to mind: Bizarre. Along with her statement-making hair and costume, her music videos got more and more insane. Each costume has to be more over the top and elaborate than the last. I think I am the only person out there that did not like the videos for Telephone and Videophone, both featuring Miss "riding on the Gaga fame" Beyonce. They are both weird for the sake of weird.

I still love the music she makes. I just do not fancy looking at her...

HK revisited

2010-03-10T00:42:00.003+08:00

I just returned from a weekend trip in HK. Setting foot in HK again after 9 mths brought back many fond memories. I deliberately picked a hotel near my old apartment so that I can relive the days of roaming the familiar busy streets n eating at the restaurants I liked. Caught up with my HK frens and it felt like I just met them the weekend before.

By the time I boarded the plane back to sg, I wished I had more time to meet up with a few more frens and revisit more of my favourite haunts.

(Wanted to share more thoughts but am too drained by post-holiday work to put them together coherently. Sigh..)

Live from the set of 红白囍事 (part 2)

2010-02-28T16:29:00.001+08:00

1130am: Elvin, who did not have much to do for the scenes for the day, dozed off on a mattress while waiting. Jeanette, who was unwell that day, read a book quietly on her chair. Joshua was onto his 3rd or 4th cigarette.

1145am: The calefares adjourned for lunch at a nearby hawker centre. Yuan shuai and unknown actress had to film their scenes on a rooftop.

2pm: Returned to the set after lunch and short nap in the van. The crew and stuntmen were preparing the set to film the stunt sequence of the character falling from the roof. There was a huge crane at the side pulling a thick cable and the ground was laid with layers of mattresses on top of cardboard boxes.

3pm: The falling sequence was filmed with a stunt double dressed in identical clothes as the actress, the mattresses were removed and a car was brought in to film the landing sequence. I was amazed at the amount of set up required for this sequence, which would prob last for 10 seconds on tv.

3.30pm: Getting really tired waiting. Many bystanders gathered around and have to be asked to go away by the AP. Jeanette got a few request for pics.

430pm: The dying scene. Witnessed "tears on demand" exhibited by Jeanette and Joshua. They had to say their lines while sobbing, and then say them again for a 2nd take, then a 3rd take... I was amazed at how they were able to summon the tears for every take and stop them once the camera stopped rolling.

5pm: Finally filmed my 2nd line "对不起, 你们不可以进去." with Joshua, Elvin and Jeanette standing uncomfortably close to me and looking intently in my face. I had my starstruck moment once again, acting like a fan in front of his idols. Thankfully the camera was on their faces instead of mine.

530pm: Jeanette, Joshua and Elvin left as they have finished filming their parts. The calefares could not leave yet. I was so drained I had no mood to small talk.

630pm: Finally completed the last shot, which has all the calefares running past a staircase.

7pm: Back to MediaCorp.

Even though I had done this a few times, today's assignment is one that make me truly appreciate how tough acting is, for both the actor and the crew. Every shot has to be painstakingy arranged and set up. There are a lot of waiting to do and once your turn comes, you have to be totally switched on and get the shot right in the minimum number of takes. I salute those who makes a living out of this.

Live from the set of 红白囍事 (Part 1)

2010-02-27T22:27:00.002+08:00

Despite being in one of the most stressful and hectic times of my life, i decided to take a day off from work today and be a calefare for a new drama series. Today I will be playing a narcotics officer (a SLIGHT variation from my usual policeman role) and the scenes today involve an ambush, a chase and a death..

5am: Woke up and dragged myself off bed.

6am: Reached MediaCorp as instructed. Am the earliest calefare to arrive.

630am: All the actors involved in the scene arrived, including Joshua Ang, Elvin Ng, Jeannette Aw and Yuan Shuai.

645am: Glad tat i got a nice green topman shirt to wear for the day. Sighted rui en at the make up room.

730am: Arrived at Joo Avenue near rangoon road, the filming location. It is the back lane of some old private houses. Mingled lazily with the other calefares while waiting.

8am: The friendly Joshua offered me a cigarette. I politely declined.

830am: The AP says I look like someone who can run and ask me to be one of the 2 officers breaking the ambush.

9am: Filmed my first line. "不要动!" I had to shout the line and make a dash towards the suspected drug user, played by yuan shuai.

945am: Was told that i will be doing a small action sequence, my first ever. I will grab the actor running towards me, and we will struggle a bit and he will throw me onto this pile of cardboard boxes. Went through the sequence carefully with the stunt coordinator and actor.

10am: The stunt coordinator helped me put on a padding before filming begins.

1045am: After 7 takes and 1 slight bruise on my elbow, the filming of the sequence is done. I was already exhausted then.

Losing Some Sanity

2010-02-16T09:56:00.006+08:00

Its the 3rd day of CNY, still a public holiday here. I am back in the office to work for another 5-6 hours again, after working a full day yesterday.

"Why so busy?"
"I thought you are back to normal in Singapore?"
"When u be free to meet up?"

I got these questions a lot lately. I also ask myself these questions quite frequently since I returned home, and I do not have a clear answer. The rational answer is probably bad timing. I am transiting from role A to role B now. The replacement for role A will not be reporting to work until 1 Mar, and my boss for role B will unfortunately be away on vacation for the rest of the month.

So that leaves me trying to bash through this unfamiliar forest with limited guidance, and role B by itself is already the most challenging role I have taken on in my 4 yrs in the company. Many co-workers and superiors have high hopes for me, given the exposure I have gotten in my 14-month stint overseas. I am expected to create a barang knife out of a tree branch and make my way out of the forest without a sweat.

All these have undeniably given me a lot of undue stress and affected whatever's remaining of my non-work life. I do not recall being this exhausted and overwhelmed for a long time, and it looks like this is going to last for awhile.

All I hope now is that the rest of this month goes by smoothly without me injuring anyone along the way. I need to be positive. I need to retain my sanity. I can do this.

(Ok, Enough of venting.. back to work..)

The Bug

2010-01-21T22:43:00.015+08:00

Thanks to my Xiao Di, I have been hit with a songwriting bug of late. I will be in some writing mode for much of my alone awake hours before and after work (commuting, eating, showering..)

Writing always give me a great sense of satisfaction and today is especially satisfying because I gave birth to twins today! Amidst a hectic week at work, I completed the lyrics & melody for 2 different songs. Maybe thats why I am not as stressed up from work as I should be..

While my Xiao Di (the person who penned the 1st draft of both songs) is fine-tuning my amendments, here is what I have written...

1. The Sad Song: 狼狈
(The melody is a cross between 北斗星 and Beautiful Love)
曾躲在棉被下凝望你沉睡时的脸
猜想你在梦里是否对我有眷恋
看你笑得多甜一直到凌晨三点
你温暖的怀抱才带我入眠

曾握紧你的手穿过你我熟悉的街
但走着走着距离越来越远
说你有点厌倦想尝试新的体验
你已冻结的心把我推到边缘

Chorus:
我的心摧毁在一瞬间
曾有你的世界顿时变漆黑
你的离别留我独自面对最深深的夜
解脱不了思念你笑我有多狼狈
我的情你从没真心谅解
我流过多少泪你豪不理会/一点也不理会
这感情要挽回我什么都可以妥协
才发现你已经不在乎我的感觉

2. The Happy Song: 有你在身边
(The melody sounds like those 制造浪漫-ish mid-tempo pop songs from the 90s. Title suggested by Benny Boey)
朋友说找伴侣要凭直觉
要长久必须仔细地拿捏
还好你爱我不附带条件
你像大太阳温暖从不停歇

你给我无微不至的体帖
鼓励我超越自己的极限
有你在不用昂贵的消遣
粗茶和淡饭也能天天吃得新鲜

Chorus:
我可以整天对着你的照片
你淘气的脸让我百看不厌
我的欢喜悲伤是你最了解
我无法想象没有你的世界
我可以一直唱这歌到深夜
也无法表达我心中的一切
我最深爱的人只要有你在身边
我能够带着微笑面对每一天

I gotta filling (and another one and another one...)

2010-01-16T13:41:00.002+08:00

16 days into the new year/decade, it's been pretty eventful for me, some events expected while others shocking..

1. I gotta filling (and another one and another one..)

If there's one body part that might be my arch enemy in my previous life, it has to be my teeth. In my adult life, I probably contributed the most to the dentist industry amongst my peers. I visited the dentist 2 weekends ago for a routine checkup and was told that holes and decays can be seen in many of my teeth and urgent fixes are required. Since that disappointing visit, I have returned to the dentist twice and did at least 8 fillings. And there is still a few more to go. That's a Lot of money, a Lot of time, some pain. Never gonna happen again..

2. I gotta friend who left.

A friend of mine Adrian passed away on new years day. Although we are not in contact with each other actively in recent years, we were once regular mahjong khakis and he shared with me quite a bit bout his life. It's through him that I got to know about meditation and aura pictures. He's the most fillal person I have ever met and I am one of the many out there who is sad that he passed away just like that. Death is a peculiar event beyond comprehension and has very diverse effect on different people.

3. I gotta Lot of work

This is something I accurately predicted when I made the decision to come home. Nothing much to elaborate here. It's just work. I just get it done and go live my life.

So the decade started grim so far. Hopefully in time to come things will start looking up. But meanwhile...

I gotta filling..
From tonight I will brush my teeth right
I will floss after every quick bite
I will listerine morning noon and night
Filling (Oooooo..)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Goodbye India - 7 Things I Will Miss

2009-12-29T20:16:00.011+08:00

24 hours more and I will be returning to Singapore. Very quickly 6 months passed and I have completed my assignment in Incredible India. As another chapter of my life begins in 2010, here are the 7 things I will miss doing in India..

1. Having a Boxmaster meal at KFC

KFC was one of the items on this list for HK and it's here again. In India, I patronise KFC at least once a week. Its like comfort food for me. Like dining in many restaurants in India, the staff at KFC in India are well-trained and friendly. For a fast food restaurant, the service is top-notched. There is nothing extraordinary about the menu, and 8 out of 10 visits, I will have a Boxmaster, which is a chicken fillet and vegetables served in a wrap. (Strangely, I do not get the same satisfying experience when I dine at KFC in Singapore.)

2. Taking a rickshaw

Even though I was knocked in the knee by a rickshaw a few weeks back, taking a rickshaw is one of the most exciting things I do on a regular basis here. It may be a bit more dangerous, especially at night, but it is also the best way to really experience the surrounding.

3. Cooking my own meals

Even if you are a big fan of Indian food, I bet you will not be able to take Indian food 3 meals a day, 7 days a week. Given the lack of dining options here, I cook my own meals at least 5-6 times a week, something that I have never done before and probably will never do again when I return to Singapore. In these 6 months, I really learned to appreciate and understand the joy of cooking. I am not just a "instant noodles and pasta" person now.

4. Buying groceries at Spencers

Spencers is the equivalent of Fairprice and Shop N Save here. In order to cook my meals, shopping for ingredients becomes a key procedure. Out of the few supermarkets near where I live, this one is the most similar to the supermarkets in other countries. It is spacious, organised, and carries a wide variety of items. Even if I have nothing to buy in particular, I will still have a stroll inside and look around, in case I forgot something. Due to my frequent visits, many staff at Spencers are able to recognise me and will smile when I walked by. I can also have my favourite " Hainanese Chicken Rice" at Spencers. It is not quite the same as the ones in Singapore, but a pretty decent imitation.

5. Seeing cows everywhere

It will probably drive many Singaporeans crazy, but cows are everywhere around where I live. They will roam the streets in the day before being herded somewhere else at night. One of the many things I have to watch out for while walking on the streets and crossing the roads (Other things being potholes, motorbikes, bicycles, rickshaws, cars, carts, trucks, stray rocks). People get annoyed when other vehicles cut into their path but no one ever gets annoyed by the cows. Maybe it will be a good idea for Singapore to introduce more animals onto the streets and bring its overly urbanised citizens closer to nature.

6. Watching Bollywood music videos
6 months ago, the only Bollywood actor I could name is Shah Rukh Khan. Today, I can name the big shots and the few up-and-coming stars of Bollywood and I can tell you the Bollywood box office successes and flops this year. All this without watching a single Bollywood film in its entirety, thanks to all the Bollywood music videos and trailers that are on heavy rotation on TV. Its not just people running around trees. Its the elaborated choreography, the colourful backdrops, the glitzy costumes and the deliberately cheesy expressions. I can just leave the TV on the music channel and soak myself in the music. I even have a favourite actor - Shahid Kapoor.

7. Hanging out with my buddy Carl
We spent many many weekends hanging out at coffee joints, trying out inauthentic Chinese restaurants, exploring new malls, watching movies... I will certainly miss this routine. (Carl - Thanks for being here for the past 6 months. Hang on in there. Your turn will come soon.)

Be Alright - Dissected

2009-12-24T20:15:00.006+08:00

The concept: All songs began with a concept or an idea. The idea behind "Be Alright" came to me when I was on a rickshaw on the way home. "How about an affirmative song about the miracle of life and the pointlessness of worrying too much?" The original intention is to have a song named "Fragile" with the key chorus line being "The body's not so fragile". It was meant to be a Jay Brannan-ish acoustic ballad.

The structure: Right from the beginning, the song adopted the structure that can be heard in the finished product. The song will be directed at a 2nd person "You", and the verse will be singing bout the things "you" do that are not so beneficial, where the chorus will be the lesson "you" need to learn. As the writing went on, the verse became a random list of things "you" do not do, to contrast with the positivity of the chorus.

The lyrics (verse): This was the most fun part. I brainstormed the words and rhyme scheme that could be used, and decided eventually to confine the verses to health related behaviours to make the message clearer. It would be a mixture of more common health conscious behaviours and extreme ones. Once I settled on my first line "You don't like to run, you say its bad for the knees", the rest of the lines pieced together quite easily, even though I wanted each pair of lines to rhyme both in the middle and at the end. The line that took the longest time was the 4th line of the 1st verse, which originally was "You won't eat a fishball cause you don't trust processed meats", which i threw out in the end because my friend commented that it was factually wrong. (FYI: Fishballs can be made from fresh meat as well.)

The lyrics (chorus): While the verses were a lot of fun, penning the chorus was tough, as within a couple of lines, I need to effectively depict the message of the song in response to the verse. For many days the only line I had was "Life is a miracle". Then, within a span of few hours, the whole chorus just came to me, including my favourite line of the song "A life is not a life unless you give living a try". I remember I was at the gym about to take a shower when this line showed up in my head. A light bulb lit up and I knew I got the line I wanted. It was then when I decided the song's logical title "Be Alright".

The melody: The melody was put together after writing the 1st verse and the chorus. I realised at that point that the slightly humorous lyrics would not turn into an acoustic ballad. I decided on cheerful folk rock instead and the singer that came to mind immediately was Sheryl Crow. I wanted this "Soak Up The Sun" + "All I Wanna Do" sound for the songs. After listening to a couple of the happier songs from her most recent "Detours" album, the rough melody of "Be Alright" was created. Like I did with all my previous compositions, I would sing the song in my head again and again until a particular melody stuck in my head. That was when the cheesy "Ah Choo" was added to the song.

The Youtube clip: All these while pursuing my interest in songwriting, I had this principle of not wanting to sing my compositions, fearing that my less-than-competent voice will ruin my songs. I wanted the layman listener to pay attention to what I painstakingly wrote, and not be distracted by my pitchy singing. So I always had my demos arranged and sung by someone else. For this song, I was so satisfied with the completed product that I decided to forego my principle and record a video clip of myself singing the song. I did not want to go through the process of arranging and explaining my precise ideas of the song to a 3rd person.

So using the simple Windows Movie Maker and my webcam, I recorded the clip on a very cold night. As the software was limited on editing features, I had to sing it through from beginning to end. I got a good (less than 3 mistakes) take on my 3rd try. (Once again, it was a moment where I wished I was a better singer.)

A raw mp3 version can be downloaded here: http://www.mediafire.com/?m2y3wiimlkh

The aftermath: Like a choreographer who came up with a new dance, or a chef who concocted a new dish, writing a new song is like giving birth to a baby for me and I want everyone to like my baby. I am very grateful for the encouraging feedback I have received so far and will keep on improving my craft.

Coming up next: The painful story of Demo No. 7. Stay tuned. Have a merry Christmas.

Be Alright

2009-12-16T21:49:00.010+08:00

You don't like to run, you say its bad for the knees
You avoid the sun, for it brings deadly skin disease
You can't sweep the floor, cause dust makes you sneeze (ah choo!)
You won't walk near a dog, you're worried bout fleas

All over the body
The precious body
The 100 other rituals you follow religiously
To protect the body
The sacred body
Please step out of your bubble, and say this after me

Chorus
We all live in a wonderful world
Being alive is a miracle
We got to where we are with no instruction manual
We can take all the knocks in life
We may fall down but we will survive
A life is not a life unless you give living a try

So tell yourself
You'll be alright
Take some chances
For you will be alright

You don't talk to those who smoke, secondhand smoke is a risk
Not even one can of coke, you're afraid of diabetes
You stay away from the park, cause you're allergic to trees
Only boiled chicken not roast duck, you care about calories

You only want healthy
It has to be healthy
The 100 other types of food that you will never eat
Cause they are unhealthy
So very unhealthy
While you chew on your salad, say it say it after me

Chorus x2

So tell yourself
You'll be alright
Take some chances
For it will all turn out alright
So tell yourself
You'll be alright
No need to worry
It's gonna be alright

Louboutins

2009-11-24T23:17:00.006+08:00

24 hours ago, I have never heard of this word and would probably read it as "Lobo Teens". Thanks to Jennifer Lopez, now I know the meaning of the word (see picture) and a sentence containing the word was stuck in my head all day.

You have to give it to Jennifer Lopez. Although her shine has since faded, she had a successful career earlier in the decade singing these glossy pop songs about nothing particularly important. Her lyrics are often cheesy and deliberately simple, resembling something that could be penned by a 10-year old.

Take the chorus from Play for example:
Play, come'on play that song
Play it all night long
Just turn it up turn it on
Play, come'on DJ play that song
You know it turns me on
(DJ Just play that song cause I wanna be dancing all night long)

Thats her winning formula: A catchy hook with non-consequential lyrics. She doesn't attempt to be dark or profound, and doesn't take herself too seriously. She just want to sing commercial pop songs, and I admire her for that.

With the new single Louboutins, she took her winning formula to the next level. The chorus of this song has only 1 line. She repeats it 8 times using the exact same melody. Still, she pulls it off with a minimalistic arrangement and the song sounds ultra cool. And with her untimely fall on stage during the American Music Awards, I think she will be able to successfully make a comeback on the charts (and probably launch her own shoe label) with this one. In the meantime...

I'm throwing on my Louboutins
I'm throwing on my Louboutins
I'm throwing on my Louboutins...

My Top 10 Songs of 2009

2009-11-24T01:55:00.006+08:00

As 2009 comes to a close, its time to round up my favourite tunes of 2009 and why these songs appear on the list. In random order..

Om Mangalam - RDB & Nindy Kaur

This song is here because the music video was on heavy rotation on TV the week I came to India and it got me started paying some attention to Bollywood music and movies. Only through this song, I realise the Bollywood actors and actresses do not actually sing the songs themselves. They just prance around with 100 other dancers and mouth the lyrics in the videos (like Milli Vanilli).

I Know You Want Me - Pitbull
Gives You Hell - All-American Rejects

These 2 songs are here because of Tap Tap Revenge, one of my favourite games on my iPod. These 2 songs have amongst the best choreographed tap sequences.

If A Song Could Get Me You - Marit Larsen

This song is here because I happened to be watching TV when I was holidaying in Spain and the video for this song came on. Best song title of 2009.

Insomnia - Craig David

This song is here because it was frequently played in my gym in Hong Kong.

Peacemaker - Green Day

This song is here because I read a review on itunes saying that the 30-sec preview of this song does not do it justice and I am a supporter of the underdog items. Credit goes to lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong and the word "Serrrrrenade".

Doesn't Mean Anything - Alicia Keys

This song is here because I read a wonderful review of the song and its available on dirrtyremixes.

若你碰到他 - 蔡健雅

This song is here because I love Tanya and 99% of those melancholic ballads she does.

Can't Have It All - Jay Brannan

This song is here because my dear Gor Gor in HK recommended it to me. No doubt the most beautiful voice I heard this year.

Sweet Dreams - Beyonce

This song is here because I decided to cut Beyonce (one of those singers whose "kao peh kao bu" way of singing I dun quite appreciate) some slack and give this song a try. Best command of 2009: "Turn the lights on!"

Special Mention:
Eh Eh Boys Boys Love Game Fame Dance Dark Summer Bad Paparazzi Romance - Lady Gaga

This super song (consisting of 8 songs) is here under special mention because there really isn't one particular song of her that stands out from the rest. They are all pretty good. Nobody can talk bout pop music in 2009 without mentioning this particular lady.

The Box - Final Chapter

2009-11-13T14:32:00.004+08:00

Minutes after the decision was made, Eugene and Zach emerged from the see-saw. In Eugene's hand were a Maths assessment book and a calculator. They found Isaac sitting under a tree having a snack by himself. The box was on the grass beside his water bottle. They walked towards him with broad grins on their faces.

Eugene: Hi Isaac. Good thing I found you.
Isaac: Hi. Why?
Eugene: I need help with this problem sum. Can you help me?
Isaac: Erm. Sure.

Isaac put down his snack and took over the book and the calculator as Eugene sat down beside him. Zach positioned himself in between Isaac and his belongings, blocking them from his view. After noticing Isaac becoming engrossed in solving the maths problem, Zach picked up the box and slipped it into the side pocket slowly. The items inside the box shifted and hit the side of the box.

"Clunk Clunk"

Isaac (turning around and discovering his box in Zach's hand): Hey, what you doing? Put the box down!

All 3 boys stood up this instant. Isaac on one side. Eugene joined Zach on the other. Zach held the box close to his chest.

Eugene: We just want to see whats in the box. We will return you the box la.
Isaac (Angry): You boys are crazy! It's my box. I don't want to show you what is inside.
Eugene: Dont worry, Its for our eyes only. We won't tell anyone else what we saw.
Isaac (Angrier): Give me back the box now. The contents of the box is really NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!
Eugene (Ignoring Isaac): Zach! Quick! Open it!

Zach tugged the lid and it came off easily. A plain silver metal tag fell out of the box towards the playground mat. Like a winner collecting his victory medal, Eugene caught the tag in his palm while Isaac remained at his spot in shock. Eugene felt some carvings on the back of the tag.

Eugene: There are some words on the tag!
Zach: What is it? Must be some lovey dovey message from Isaac's girlfriend.
Eugene: Ya. Must be. Haha

With lots of anticipation, they turned the tag over and read the words at the back. They stopped laughing. It turned out that the tag did not contain any lovey dovey messages. There were just these 4 words carved and painted in red on the tag. 4 words that sounded strangely familiar to Eugene and Zach.

None. Of. Your. Business.

The Box - Chapter 2

2009-11-13T02:02:00.005+08:00

One day, Isaac brought a tin box to the playground. The tin box, size of a pencil case, had animal carvings all over its shiny exterior. As he walked towards the monkey bar, the items in the box would make this 'clunk clunk' sound. He held the box in his hand wherever he went, even when he was playing games. Some of the other kids noticed the tin box and the 'clunk clunk' sound it made.

Of course this tin box did not escape the eyes of Eugene and Zach, who started wondering bout the mysterious contents of the box. They decided unanimously that their mission of the day was to solve this mystery. From the see-saw, they observed the monkey bar and deduced who Isaac might reveal the contents of the box to.

They decided that a kid that might have the answer was Derek, one of the kids from the monkey bar clique that they were quite friendly to. They followed him to the water cooler.

Eugene: Hey, Isaac brought this nice tin box to the playground.
Derek (sensing that Eugene had an ulterior motive for the conversation): Erm.. Ya..
Zach: Do you know whats in the box? He got show you?
Derek: Erm.. I don't know.
Eugene: You sure or not, you 2 so close. I am sure he open it for you to see.
Derek (getting uncomfortable): Aiyah.. its none of your business..

Derek walked away quickly thereafter, leaving Eugene and Zach dissatisfied. They began eagerly plotting their next move as they returned to the see-saw. Along the way, they saw Kenny, one of the kids in their clique who wasn't at the see-saw the whole day.

Eugene: Hey Kenny, where did you go?
Kenny: Oh.. I had lunch with Isaac.
Eugene (suddenly excited): Since when you became Isaac's lunch buddy?
Kenny: He and I have always been friends mah.
Zach: Then did he show you whats in the box?
Kenny: Aiyoh, you hardly talk to him. Why you ask so much?
Eugene: So you know. Quick. Tell me. Whats in the box?
Kenny (not sure how to answer): I have no idea.
Eugene: Kenny, you are my friend right? Friends are supposed to tell each other everything.
Kenny: Its none of your business la. Stop asking..

Kenny walked away as well. Eugene and Zach were on the brink of going nuts, wondering why no one would tell them what the box contained. It was clear that neither of them could sleep well that night without solving the mystery.

They realised that there was only one way out. They decided to steal the box.

(To be continued)

The Box - Chapter 1

2009-11-13T00:16:00.004+08:00

Right outside the school was a huge playground. It was big and spacious and had all the equipment - Swings, spiral slides, see-saws and monkey bars. After school, many kids would spend hours hanging out there in small groups, each group clustered at different spots inside the playground.

Best friends Eugene and Zachary were 2 regulars at this playground. They would sit around at the see-saw area everyday, playing games on the mat, chattering away with the other kids in their small group. They were well-known for their talkativeness and curiosity towards the other kids in the playground. Kids in their clique, and kids in other cliques. If James and Aaron from the sandbox clique got into a fight, Eugene and Zach would be the first to ask everyone they know to find out the cause of the fight and the person who won the fight.

A few metres from the see-saws was the monkey bar, an area where Isaac would hang out with his friends. Isaac was a quiet kid, who did not enjoy excessive mingling. He was happy with the few friends he made at the monkey bar and stuck to them loyally. He knew Eugene and Zach but their interactions did not usually go further than the casual hi-byes.

(to be continued)

Pineapple fried rice

2009-11-10T22:59:00.008+08:00

(This is not an advertisement. I do not receive any monetary benefit from Asian Home Gourmet for this blog post.)

I learned something new about making pineapple fried rice today, thanks to the packet of Asian Home Gourmet Pineapple Rice Paste I brought back from Singapore. The recipe at the back of the packet taught me a cooking sequence I had not tried before: Put the meat in first.

All my previous attempts of fried rice, I would stir fry the vegetables first and put the meat in last, as meat had a higher risk of being overcooked. In the end the meat would be cooked just right, but the vegetables, being inside the wok the longest, tend to become all mashed up.

Today, except for the exclusion of shallots, which I did not have, I followed the given recipe very closely, which clearly marked the recommended time to cook each item (in chronological order):

Prawns: 2-3 min
Rice/Paste: 2-3 min
Vegetables/Pineapples: 2-3 min

Reading these instructions, I realised my mistake from my previous attempts, which was taking too much time to finish cooking all the ingredients I had prepared.

And this new method actually worked! The prawns were not overcooked and the asparagus and cucumbers were deliciously crunchy. The Asian Home Gourmet paste gave the rice a sparkling flavour and colour, and the raisins and pineapples added a tinge of sweetness overall. Presenting my dinner for the day...

Lightning Struck Twice

2009-10-30T17:41:00.002+08:00

On 12 Sep 09, I caught my scheduled flights from Paris to Amsterdam then to Delhi on KLM/Air France. My checked-in luggage missed the 1st flight and was delivered to me a day after I arrived in Delhi. (As you might already know, in the end my laptop was stolen and I went though quite a bit of trouble to investigate, and to seek compensation.)

On 30 Oct 09, having learnt the lesson from my previous flight, I took a lot of precautions for this flight back to Singapore. I arrived at the airport early (>3 hours in advance), checked in my bag early, hand carried any valuable items (2 laptops), locked my luggage with an additional padlock.

In the end, I caught the flight from Delhi to Singapore on Air India. My checked-in luggage missed the flight. Again. I will only receive it tomorrow (hopefully intact).

I have taken at least 30 flights in my lifetime and this has never happened before. I have not even heard of this happening to any of my friends. For my luggage not to appear at the conveyor belt when it is supposed to for 2 consecutive flights, the probability has to be very very low.

Now I understand the most important precaution: Selecting the correct airline.

Live from Air India

2009-10-30T09:37:00.002+08:00

It's now 2 am India time and I am writing this on board Air India flight 480 back to Singapore. Thoughts that flew in and out of my head in the last 1.5 hours on the air craft..

(waiting on the shuttle bus that ferries passengers to the air craft) "mosquitoes! Damn. I should have worn jeans or pants, like EVERYONE ELSE."

(boarding the plane) "hmm. Looks a lot like jetstar."

(reaching my seat on the plane) "emergency exit row! More leg room.."

(1 min later) "my inflight magazine has several pages torn out.."

(1 more min later) "most of the seat pockets around me do not even have a magazine in them.."

(20 min after schedule departure time) "finally one announcement from pilot explaining the delay"

(when inflight entertainment is switched on) "6 channels! Wow.. More than my tv set at home 10 years ago."

(1 min later) "i am pleased to announced that the only movie that will be screened in the hollywood channel is doctor dolittle: million dollar mutts. It doesn't star Eddie Murphy."

(5 min later) "one of the stewardess looks like a prison warden.."

(10 min later) "enuff of being a grumbling Singaporean. Long day ahead. Must try to sleep"

(20 min later) "am I simply famished, or these peanuts taste really good?"

(a while more) "hmm. Is there any way I can change my return flight to SQ.."

Now I am eagerly waiting for the meal to be served. I just hope that I land in changi safely and nothing gets stolen from my luggage..

Coldplay

2009-10-27T00:13:00.001+08:00

Till yesterday, I do not have a single Coldplay song in my iPod.

I don't believe it myself. They are like the biggest band in alternative rock now and I have strangely never paid much attention to them and the music they made.

Then tap tap (one of my favourite games on my iPod touch) reintroduced me to Viva La Vida, their big hit from last year. I realise i have not heard the song in it's entirety, and tapping to the song really brings out it's accents and rhythms.

As a result, the song got stuck in my mind for the whole day and I decided to download a few tracks from the same album.

My verdict? I will not become a fan of the band anytime soon. They have some haunting melodies and interesting arrangements, but I only connect with the more mainstream songs (Lost, Lovers in Japan). Some of their more experimental songs (Yes) do not work 4 me..

The Cold and Dry Weather

2009-10-24T15:18:00.006+08:00

I woke up this morning and it was freaking cold, probably about 18 degrees Celsius. It had been like this for awhile. Its the kind of weather where you just want to stay tucked under the blanket and not moved a single inch.

I came to India in July, when it was scorching hot. I remembered almost fainting walking about 10 metres from the car to my office building entrance on the 3rd day I got here. The daytime temperature went up as high as 40 degrees. It felt like the desert, especially when sudden gusts of wind blew the abundant sand into the air.

Then it got manageable. Having grew up in tropical Singapore certainly helped. I could go outside for lunch, walk around in the sun and not really be affected by the heat.

Then 3 months went by and suddenly, the heat was not there anymore. The sun started to set much and the winds were noticeably cooler. My colleagues shared that it would fall below 10 degrees come December. Time for my thick jackets to get out of the closet and start work again.

But what annoyed me more was the dryness of the air. Humidity was about 25% (compared to 80% in Singapore), and if I did not slap my cucumber moisturiser all over me, my skin would feel as if 1,000 needles were poking into it.

Can't wait to fly home to tropical weather this Friday...

The Divas Fight It Out

2009-10-22T23:53:00.006+08:00

Many female singers are back in recent months with new material. With the release of Rihanna's new single Russian Roulette, it is a good time to see how they stack up against each other:

Battle 1 (The old divas):
Madonna - Celebration
Whitney Houston - Million Dollar Bill
Janet Jackson - Make Me
Mariah Carey - Obsessed

They have been around so long and have fought over chart positions many times before. Mariah and Whitney are back with brand new albums, while Madonna and Janet are releasing their greatest hits collection. I think all the 4 singles are fine songs but overly safe choices for the artistes. I missed those days where Madonna surprised her fans with a different kind of sound or Whitney Houston's collaborations with Wyclef Jean made her hip again. I guess they all understood that they have passed their prime and wanted to sing the familiar genres that got them popular in the first place.

Amongst the 4 singers, I have always been a fan of the 1st 3 and be keen to at least check out any new material they released. I like some of Mariah's songs but am just neutral to her as a singer. Not that big a fan of her voice and singing style, especially when she alternates between the powerhouse belting and the soft whispering in a single song.

Amongst the 4 songs, my favourite has to be the uplifting Million Dollar Bill and my least favourite is the bland Obsessed, which ironically is the only song amongst the 4 that made the top 10 on Billboard.

Battle 2 (The new divas)
Britney - 3
Alicia - Doesn't Mean Anything
Rihanna - Russian Roulette
Shakira - She-Wolf

Out of the 4, Britney had the career I have followed through the most closely and Blackout remained one of my favourite albums this decade. Thanks to Umbrella and the success of Good Girl Gone Bad, Rihanna now has the same status as Beyonce in the R&B world. I find Rihanna's neutral voice more tolerable than Beyonce who tends to oversing. I am not that concerned with the career's of Alicia and Shakira.

For the songs themselves, I applaud Rihanna for taking risks and releasing a non-conventional mid-tempo angsty song as the lead single when everyone was expecting another Umbrella or Disturbia. I have a feeling this song will be another big hit for her as well. But in terms of preference, my favourite has to be the spirited thumping Doesn't Mean Anything. It's the 1st song from Alicia that I really like. (Sadly, it didn't scale the charts as No One did, hovering around #60 for a few weeks.)

She-wolf and 3 are both part of this electro-synth pop movement that is getting a bit overdone these days (Thanks to Lady Gaga). Common characteristics for such songs are 1. Heavy reliance of arrangement, and 2. Lack of an actual main melody. Both songs suffered from the 2nd characteristic, but at least She-wolf made it up with the arresting 'ah-woooooo!' in the chorus. As much as I support Britney, I find it hard to listen through this new song. All the songs from Blackout and half the songs from Circus are more single worthy than 3. I am very shocked how this song managed to debut at no. 1. I suspect it is the undying support of hardcore fans and expect this horrible song to fall off the charts fairly quickly.

iPod Touch Touch Touch

2009-09-26T15:48:00.005+08:00

If I have to name one sound investment I made in 2009, it has to be my iPod Touch. I bought it a week before I was about to leave Hong Kong. I use it to check my mails, play games, learn new languages, chat with friends, and to a much lesser extent now, listen to music. Not having a lot of friends in India, the games provided me with hours of great company and entertainment. Even the security guard at my building noticed how hooked I am to my iPod Touch that he wants one himself.

If you have an iPod Touch and/or an iPhone, and if you are unsure what games to download from the massive App Store, here are my 3 favourites.

Warning: Downloading these games can cause major disruptions in your life as they are damn addictive.

1. SG Mahjong ($0.99)
Andrew recommended this to me upon hearing my craving for mahjong in India. I bought the application just yesterday and I have since played 4 complete rounds (Thats ESWNESWNESWNESWN). I only stopped when my battery went completely. The application replicates the actual game very realistically from the sound effects to the rules. You can even carry on listening to songs and multi-task (chat on msn, watch TV) while you play, like you can in an actual game with 3 other friends. Multi-player mode is possible as well. I have a feeling this will be my "best friend" for the months to come.

2. Tap Tap Revenge 2.6 (Free)
My "best friend" before I found SG Mahjong. This is like those drumming/ guitar/ dancing games you see at the arcade. You have to tap one of the 3 circles at the bottom of the screen according to these icons dropping to the circle in line with the song being played. The graphics are fun to watch and the best part is you can download new songs for free and there are new songs added every week. Not all the Top 40 songs on the radio but some of the songs from these unknown artistes are really nice. Great for a music lover like me.

3. Drop7 ($2.99)
If the first one is current best friend and the second one is ex best friend, then Drop7 is my long time old friend. Kelton recommended this puzzle game to me when I just bought my iPod Touch and while many other games come and go, this is one game that I still play every now and then. Unlike your typical Tetris/Diamond Twister game where you have to form certain formations to get rid of the bricks/balls/diamonds, Drop7 features numbered balls and uses an unique yet amazingly simple logic. Balls are numbered 1 to 7. To get rid of a ball numbered 1, it mus be in a column/row where its the only ball. To get rid of the ball numbered 2, it must be in a column or row where its one of the 2 balls. When a numbered ball disappears, any adjacent grey balls will be cracked open and become new numbered balls. Hard to explain in words, but the game play makes complete sense is easy to learn, but hard to master. A "normal" game can actually take up to more than 15 minutes to play but if you are short of time, you can play the more challenging "hardcore" game, which will usually kill you off in 3 minutes, unless you are that good.

Of course there are other games like Brick 3D, Which Way?, Wild West Pinball, PapiJump, Paper Toss and Wurdle which remained in my iPod Touch and I enjoyed playing them as well, but in terms of time spent and interest invested, nothing beats the above 3.

If you have any games or applications you will like to recommend. Please let me know and save me the trouble from browsing through long long lists of applications in the store.

30 Rocks!

2009-09-25T10:29:00.003+08:00

It's one of those times where I wanted to write an entry but can't decide the good topic and also the nice title. In the end, I decided to give a general life update:

1. I am turning 30 this Sunday, thus the title of this post. I believe it will be my first birthday where I am overseas. Though I often assert the view that birthday is just another day, I do miss the themed KTV session I had last year for my birthday. This year it will likely be just me and Carl, my buddy in India.

2. Thanks for all the concerns and nagging over my lost laptop. Took me a week to get over my sheer carelessness and also made me better realise what really matters to me. I have since gotten a cheap Acer replacement and found a software that allows me to rebuild my immaculately kept music library. Keeping my fingers crossed in the insurance claim.

3. I am going back Singapore for another few days, again. While on a rickshaw the other day, it suddenly dawned on me that I have taken 17 flights this year so far, the most I have had. And if I do by chance get to finish my assignment before the year ends, I will have taken 20 flights in total for 2009. For someone that gets excessive pre-flight anxiety, this is quite something.

4. Speaking of rickshaws, a rickshaw in India is like a trishaw in Singapore. In the absence of real public transport in India, I have mainly used rickshaws (bout S$1.50 a ride) to get from point to point. From initially holding on tightly to my seat and remaining in high alert mode, I have learnt to relax and be pretty comfortable in one. I can even listen to my iPod and sing songs during the journey.

As the saying goes, life begins at 30. I largely agree with that statement. It's bout 1.30am now in India. Time to stop writing and get some rest. Need to be in good condition to start my life again.

Remembering Dirty Dancing

2009-09-16T03:00:00.008+08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpmILPAcRQo

From "Nobody puts baby in the corner" to "I think she gets it from me" to the slow-mo jump off the stage to the climatic lift (see picture), I probably watched this finale scene of Dirty Dancing 100 times when I was a kid. We had the movie on tape at home and my sisters and I would rewind and play this scene repeatedly. Without this scene and Patrick Swayze's ultra cool moves, I think there would be a lot less male dancers in the world now.

(If you do not have a clue on what I am talking about, please click on the above youtube link and be mesmerized.)

RIP - Patrick Swayze

Screwed by KLM

2009-09-15T00:27:00.006+08:00

It was a great holiday. Saw the Eiffel Tower, Mona Lisa, and the Magical Fountain of Montjuic. Visited the Notre Dame, La Pedrera and many other beautiful churches, monuments museums. Tried Foie Gras and Paella for the 1st time. Walked down the buzzling La Rambla and the beautiful beaches of Sitges. My Paris/Barcelona vacation was really wonderful..

And then I checked in a KLM flight in Paris, took a flight to Amsterdam and then Delhi, and got terribly screwed.

My luggage was not sent onto the plane that flew me back to Delhi. I filled up a form at the airport and was told that the luggage would be delivered to me the following day. When the luggage finally came, I found that my locked luggage has been tampered with and my laptop was missing from the luggage. Called the airline and they said, amongst many things, that 1. Its my own fault that I left my laptop in the check-in luggage, and 2. Because I am not a resident Indian, my case should be handled by my home country, meaning the KLM office in Singapore. (WTF!)

Upon hanging up the call, I knew I was terribly screwed and the chance of me seeing my laptop again is close to zero. So much for wanting to travel light during transit and believing in honesty and intergrity of mankind. I have heard horror stories of missing luggages, but unfortunately these stories were not on my mind when I packed my luggage for the trip back to India. Its an expensive lesson. A wonderful trip followed by a costly slip.

Please do not ever ever take a KLM flight again. You may save on the ticket price, and pay much more in the end.

It's All Coming Back To Me Now

2009-09-02T00:45:00.006+08:00

This song was a big hit for Celine Dion in the year 1996. I remembered liking the song back then but for some reason I have not actually heard the song for probably the last 10 years. The song did not make it onto my ipod. I did not even have the mp3 file of the song on my computer. So the song was relegated to the status of 'one of the songs from that album with Because You Loved Me" and kind of forgotten.... until "it came back" during my overnight flight back to Singapore recently.

Due to turbulence I was not really able to catch any sleep, and for once there was not a single movie that caught my interest. So I ended up browsing through the music collection available. It was almost 5 in the morning, and for some reason, Celine Dion Essentials Collection made a lot of sense. The flute from My Heart Will Go On began and I closed my eyes, hoping to doze off soon.

and then..

This grand piano came on. "There were nights when the wind was SOOO COLD.." came the first line of Its All Coming Back To Me Now. Then the thunder, and the blazing percussion. Then Celine went louder and higher, and I found myself more and more awake as the 7 min song marched on to its triumphant climax.

From a song critic perspective, this is one of those fascinating songs that sounded like it came right out of a stage musical. The different lines are odd individually, joined awkwardly but collectively they form series images that are beautiful and haunting. Celine is at the top of her game here and this is really her masterpiece. I do not think any other living female pop singer has the pipes to pull off a song like this and turn it into a massive international hit. Its not hard to understand why she is as popular as she is.

So it all came back to me. I downloaded the song on the day I got off the plane and listened to it several times over the past few days - from start to finish. I even attempted it in KTV, to an expectedly disastrous effect.

If you have not heard of this song, go check it out on Youtube. There is a more recent version of the same song sung by Meatloaf and the girl from M2M.

Oh what the fish!

2009-08-18T00:00:00.005+08:00

Oh... What a long weekend it has been
I don't even know how to begin
Inhale some AIR and I will TEL
How I have spent it frustrated as hell

Dum dum di di dum dum doo...

Was at the gym right after work
Realised my phone line's deactivated
Could not make any calls no no no
So I went service centre find out what wrong
The person told me with a grin on his face
"Computer's down, can't help you in any way.."

Oh what the fish
Oh what the fish
Oh what oh what oh what the fish

On my way out feeling somewhat bitter
I saw an internal phone at a corner
I used it to contact the call centre
"Press 1", "Press 2", That took forever
Finally the call was connected to a person
Informed me I failed some verification
In the interest of procedures and security
"We have to bar your number. So sorry.."

Oh what the fish
Oh what the fish
Oh what oh what oh what the fish

Without a line, my spirit was down
No solution to my problem can be found
Took me 3 emails and another trip to the centre
before I discovered my line's barred forever
The only way out was to get a new number
"But you have to wait at least 72 hours"

Oh what the fish
Oh what the fish
Oh what oh what oh what the fish

Dum dum di di dum dum doo...

Forward to Mon, still waiting for activation
Spent most of the weekend in isolation
Wanted to go to the gym and exercise
But its closed down! What a surprise
According to the notice at the door
It owed too much fees to the landlord
Couldnt go to gym, couldnt make any calls
I took a rickshaw home and faced the walls

Oh what the fish
Oh what the fish
Oh what oh what oh what the fish
Oh what the fish
Oh what the fish
Oh what oh what oh what the fish

Ivan Can Cook Ep 2: Ang Mo Kio Zaap Char Hay Char Bng

2009-08-14T02:54:00.001+08:00

Hello again! Welcome to another episode of Ivan Can Cook.

In case you do not understand the name of today's dish, which is actually Teochew:
Ang Mo Kio Zaap = Tomato sauce
Char = Stir Fry?
Hay = Prawn
Bng = Rice (Its the best way to spell the word)

Why did I type it in Teochew? Because its a dish that my mum can make very well. When I was a kid, I could take an additional bowl of rice when she prepared this dish.

Why this dish? Partly because I got pineapples, prawns left from the previous episode, and I got tomato-based pasta sauce in the fridge. The rest of it is probably me missing the taste of home. So this dish made a lot of sense. (It only dawned on me to attempt it the moment I got home from work.)

No step by step instructions needed. Just fry some onion pieces (I recall the dish my mum made had onions in it), throw as many prawns and pineapples as you desire, then add in cooked rice, stir stir stir, and done!

Even though it didn't taste like what my mum made (I believed she used actual tomato sauce and added sugar), I think its the best tasting dinner I have ever made myself since I got here. Nothing can ever go wrong with tomato sauce.

Before we go, if you have any culinary suggestions, advice, or SIMPLE recipes that you wish to share, please let me know.

Thanks for tuning in. More exciting cooking experiments coming soon.

Ivan Can Cook Ep 1: Pineapple fried rice

2009-08-11T00:55:00.001+08:00

Today, I shall show you how to make pineapple fried rice.
Ingredients: On the left: Cooked rice, pineapple pieces
On the right (in clockwise direction): Garlic, onion, prawns, carrots, cucumber, ham slices

Step 1: Put some oil in the pan, heat it up. When it gets a bit smoky, put in the garlic and onion (Please refer to "Lessons learnt".)

Step 2: After about 1 min, add the carrot and cucumber. (why not the rest? I also don't know. The ham told me it is not his turn yet.)

Step 3: After about another minute, add the pineapples and rice. Stir stir stir. Add some salt and soya sauce for seasoning. Do a taste test.

Step 4: Another minute passed and its time to add the prawn and ham.

Step 5: When the prawns look almost cooked, add an egg. Stir stir stir.

And there we have it: Pineapple Fried Rice!

Lessons learnt:
1. Forget the onion. It adds a strange taste to the fried rice. (I later learnt that onions have to be fried separately from the garlic.)
2. Its important to know what ingredients you want to use and have them all prepared before starting to cook. (One night, I reached Step 2 before I realised I didn't have a can opener to open the can of pineapples. Another night, I reached Step 3 before I realised I have not defrosted the prawns.)

Thanks for tuning in. More exciting cooking experiments coming soon.

Ivan the cook?

2009-08-08T01:59:00.004+08:00

View Full Album

If you asked me bout my hobbies a year ago, the word “cooking” will never be amongst the answers. In HK, I made food for myself once in awhile (not comfortable to actually use the word “cook”), but i did it when I felt like it, and there were never more than 3 ingredients in anything I made (e.g. pasta + chicken fillet + pasta sauce).

A month has passed since I relocate to India and I am surprised by how frequent I make my own meals now, and how varied the food is. Necessity really changes a person. Now I have a well-stocked fridge with a variety of cookable food items. I even have some seasoning on my kitchen counter. My meals nowadays consist of combinations of rice, soup, noodles, pasta, vegetables, eggs, hashbrowns, chicken nuggets, mushrooms, ham, carrots, cucumber, chicken fillet, prawns, garlic, cauliflower, baby corn and even pineapples. Many of them are one-pot wonders (throw everything in a pot of water and boil) but they are still vast improvements from what I was able to do in HK. Its exhausting, but fun at the same time.

Maybe by the time I finish my assignment in Dec, I would have mastered sufficient cullinary skills to make food even for other people.

男朋友 with Writer's Commentary

2009-08-04T15:53:00.008+08:00

This song was born in 2001 with the "nananana" hook. Its probably adapted from some other pop songs during that time. The hook came to me one day and it stuck with me.

Then came the idea of the chorus line "男男男男男男朋友“ using the same melody at the beginning then altering it at the end of the line. I liked how it sounded, so 男朋友 naturally became the topic and title of the song.

Then back in 2001 I actually filled up the rest of the song w some "primary-5-composition"-like cheesy lyrics. I wasn't really satisfied with the verse and the bridge, but I just left it there and did nothing with it.

Then came 2009, when I became much older and wiser, after I started this hobby of turning my compositions into demos. I revisited some of the old compositions and this was the one I picked because its a song with a straightforward concept and I still think I had a great hook.

I began rewriting the verse and the bridge. The 2001 version had a clumsy flow and took too long to get to the chorus, I came up with a new melody for the verse and removed the bridge totally.

Then I did what amateur lyricists do:
Brainstorm a list of words related to the topic (Thanks kor kor for suggesting 开罐头）;
Decide on a rhyming scheme; and
Slot the words into the melody I have written.

So as you can observe, the verse became largely a list of the different roles that a 男朋友 plays, and the chorus went on to proclaim the greatness of the 男朋友, like a girl is singing to a 3rd person.

Then came the last bit, which wasn't there in the 2001 version. After I finished slotting in the lyrics, I felt the song was missing something. From the initial feedback gathered from friends, the “nananana” thing got annoying after a while. So I stripped the chorus down, removed some words and kept it as bare as possible. Celeste's arrangement was not exactly what I had in mind but I liked her interpretation as well.

Last but not least, the ending "nanana" came to me seconds after I woke up one morning in my room in India. It supposed to sound like dozing off while halfway through the hook (even though the final product does not sound like that).

And there it is, my 5th competed composition, born on 4 August 2009. I really loved the final product. A big big thank you to Celeste and her friend for all the hard work put into this.

25 days in India has taught me...

2009-07-30T00:03:00.006+08:00

Cinema tickets in India are amongst the cheapest in the world. Can watch a movie for bout S$6. The movie starts on time but there is an intermission in the middle of the movie for patrons to visit the washroom and buy snacks. Great for those with weak bladders.

Its not called air-conditioner or air-con here. Its called AC.

India is the king of missed calls. Missed calls are used to convey several pre-agreed messages between 2 persons. A missed call from my driver typically means "I'm coming to where you are very very soon. Please wait at the road and watch out for my car."

You will be groped very frequently if you like to shop at AC shopping malls. For security sake, all shopping malls (as well as tourist places) have metal detectors and security guards at the entrance. Some guards really take their jobs seriously when conducting the body search.

"Food and drinks" - Not so common. "Eatables and drinks" are more widely used on signboards.

Possibly due to its large size and diversity, Indians generally are not that keen to go overseas, as compared to "easily bored with the tiny island" Singaporeans.

In most male toilets, urinals are unusually high, even for 1.77m me.

A rented room in a persons house is known as PG accommodation. PG stands for paying guest.

Missing

2009-07-18T03:01:00.002+08:00

I miss taking buses and trains.

I miss blending into the crowd.

I miss "within walking distance".

I miss listening to my iPod while I commute.

I miss deciding what to have for lunch.

I miss deciding the brand of milk and ham to buy for the following day's breakfast.

I miss karaoke, mahjong and Cali gym.

I miss crossing the road with ease.

I miss swimming.

I miss pavements.

A week in India has taught me...

2009-07-10T21:57:00.004+08:00

India is not a country. Its more like a subcontinent. Cultures, attires, climates, cuisines and languages differ greatly from one part of country to another.

There are no millions in India. Its crore and lakh. 1 lakh = 100,000 while 1 crore = 10 million.

Respect for seniority and elders is very very important.

So is the idea of family.

While most of the rest of the world is hooked on Facebook, the most popular social networking site in India currently is Orkut.

Like Singlish in SG and Chinglish in Hong Kong, the Indian-ised English is known as Hinglish.

While Dim Sum in Hong Kong refers to a broad food type, "Dim Sum" around where I live refers to this steamed dumpling with minced chicken inside. It is sold as "Chicken Dim Sum". It tastes like a salty 小笼包 with no gravy inside.

More to come as my adventures in India continues!!

1230pm Lunch w Team at Haig Road

2009-07-03T02:41:00.007+08:00

This was the first item marked on my calendar during my 3-day stay in Singapore - Meet my colleagues for lunch at Haig Road hawker centre. I arrived at about 1245pm. We ate (Sidetrack: My favourite wanton mee stall is closed!!!!) and talked.

We went back to the place which was my office for 1.5 years, and talked more.

I went from table to table to say hi to some other colleagues, and talked.

Mui Jie, the best pantry lady I have ever known, came and offered me a drink, and we talked.

My boss for 2 years came back from a meeting, I sat at his desk and we talked. Some other managers came to say hi as well. Talk talk talk.

By the time I left the office, it was 4pm. Damn I was thirsty, but it was a great thirst.

My New Aura PIcture!

2009-07-02T22:35:00.004+08:00

This wasn't on my to-do list when I was making my way home, but I was near Fu Lu Shou Complex. I was given the wrong analysis, which claims I am emitting a lot of violet (I don't see a tinge of violet in the picture). But its colourful like the one I took in 2007. (See below)

The Goddess of Fabric likes me!

2009-06-29T23:53:00.006+08:00

I was supposed to come home to iron one shirt for my last day of work in HK, but due to a brand new company rule that employees can now dress down even on the day before a public holiday, I was relieved from my ironing duties scheduled for the night. Yippee!

(I reached home and started cooking for the last time in HK. I made fish pasta with carbonara sauce. Yummy..)

Anyway, it was about 9pm, usually the peak period in the laundry room, which contained 4 washing machines. I needed to do my final wash. I brought my basket of clothes to the laundry room, praying that I didnt have to wait too long for a machine.

And for the first time ever in my 8 months in HK, all 4 machines are available to be used. It was all quiet in the room. I had this urge to use all 4 machines at once (but of course I didn't). Yeah!

End of my silly post and my 2 clothes-related episodes. Good nite.

(Update on 30 Jun) Seems like my post on the Goddess of Fabric has angered the Sorcerer of Sleep, who kept me tossing and turning in bed until 3 in the morning. I just could not get to sleep no matter what...

The Mid-Year Report Card

2009-06-24T00:00:00.002+08:00

As June comes to a close, its time for music lover me to evaluate the songs that kept me company in Hong Kong over the past 6 months. Some of these songs were actually released in 2008, but I was only introduced to them this year. Once again the top 10 is filled with dance electronic pop ditties. Based on the number of times played on my iPod...

10. Taking Back My Love - Enrique Iglesias & Ciara
I have never liked Enrique Iglesias actually, but I often liked his collaborations with female artistes like Kelis and Whitney Houston. Except for the old fashioned beginning where they sing out each other's names in a corny manner, this duet with Ciara is cool and catchy..

9. Love Story (Jason Nevins Radio Edit) - Taylor Swift
Her name always slipped my mind. I could never associate her face with the name Taylor. This dance version is the one that brings out the song's essence.

8. Housewife - Jay Brannan
The 1st of the 2 songs from the 1st of my 2 discoveries of 2009. Thanks Kelvin for introducing Jay Brannan to my music database. I love his intimate voice and the light melodies he writes.

7. Paparazzi - Lady Gaga
I almost dismissed her because I did not really like the 2 singles that made her a household name. Through the dance classes I attended, I was thankfully introduced to the other songs in her album, and most of them were superior compared to the first 2 singles. This is the 1st of the 3 that I kept playing repeatedly.

6. Lovegame - Lady Gaga
The 3rd single and the 2nd song on this list. I always loved a good pop song.

5. Can't Have It All - Jay Brannan

No matter how lousy I was feeling at the moment, this song is always able to put a smile on my face. Loved the line "Fuck this, this can't be my life."

4. My Life Would Suck Without You - Kelly Clarkson
Too bad the rest of the album is nowhere as good as the 1st single. Still love this song anyway.

3. Boys Boys Boys - Lady Gaga
This is the one that I could play over and over again. Infectious beats and catchy hooks. Who cares if its brainless?

2. Insomnia - Craig David
I have actually heard this song for a long long time before realising that its from Craig David. A close 2nd behind my all-time favourite Craig David song ("Whats your flavour? Tell me whats your flavour. OOOH!")

1. Reach Out - Hilary Duff

No surprises, my favourite artiste of 2007 tops my mid-year ranking of 2009. Similar to Insomnia, I actually heard snippets of Reach Out for a while, and almost junked it as a cheap remake of the Depeche Mode song. After downloading it, I realise its another well-produced slick pop anthem like those in her previous album Dignity. I hope she gets to make more of these.

Notable mentions:
What Is Love - Jennifer Lopez
Nothing To Prove - Jill Sobule
If This Is Love - The Saturdays

Blogging In Bed

2009-06-22T22:21:00.003+08:00

I have been unwell for the past few days. it started with a throat inflammation and progressed to an itchy cough. I left the office at the record timing of 6pm today to run some errands and to see the doctor. Thanks to the powerful cough syrup, I was walking around Elements mall in a groggy state. I had no idea how I managed to buy myself a jacket from h&m and drag myself home eventually.

So now i am lying in bed, trying to figure out how to blog using this lifecast application i have downloaded onto my ipod touch. I am surprised how much faster i can type on this keyboard now. Really hope to get well soon so that I can enjoy my supposedly final weekend in Hong Kong.

Posted with LifeCast

Crazy about Album Art

2009-06-20T12:26:00.006+08:00

Buying an iPod touch has made me realise how much I am into aesthetics.

As part of my love for aesthetically pleasing things, I love album art. I recall the days when I love to go CD shops and just walk down isles and isles of CDs with their colourful covers.

In order to maximise my iPod experience, I have spent several hours over the past few days inserting artwork onto the songs in my iPod. When a song comes on, a nice picture appears on the screen. Somehow, a song on my iPod without any artwork annoys me. (Yes, its pretty senseless I know.)

The insertion is about 80% complete now. Soon my cover flow will be full of colours...

45 life lessons and 5 to grow on

2009-05-31T21:56:00.004+08:00

Forwarded to me by a friend. Many I have heard variations of, but some are new to me, and I like...The below is written by Plain Dealer columnist Regina Brett:

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.

It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolls over to 50 this week, so here's an update:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.

17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

45. The best is yet to come.

46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

48. If you don't ask, you don't get.

49. Yield.

50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

That Sinking Feeling

2009-05-23T16:13:00.002+08:00

I have never blogged about the new sports I have picked up in HK - Dragonboating.

Why not? Because I never acknowledged it as an activity I truly enjoy. When I describe dragonboating to people, I usually equate it to going to gym but stuck with only one machine, and being stuck with it for an hour, and that machine keeps you wet and cold while you are at it.

Then why write the entry now? Because I have just returned from the final training session and am feeling a little shaken now, probably more so than I appear to be. The water was really rough today and the boat capsized in the middle of the sea during training. A minute before the actual capsizing, I already saw it coming. (That was when the title of this blog entry came to mind.)

We were trying to turn back towards the shore and were hit by a few waves. Water was rushing into the boat really fast, and the water level in the boat rose from feet to ankles, from ankles to calves, and from calves to knees. Ladies on the boat were already screaming. And suddenly the boat began a steady downward descent and we could not feel our weight on the plank anymore. I looked to the captain, sitting diagonally in front of me, for directions, but there was none. In seconds, the boat tipped over and all of us fell over into the sea.

I could swim reasonably well so I was not really worried about drowning, even though the choppy waves did make the possibility of the occurrence of the event slightly higher. My head went under the water a few times. I was more concerned about losing my visor and the pair of sunglasses I bought the night before (Thank god I decided to invest in a strap). Many of the teammates clung onto the overturned boat while some of the more experienced teammates, including my MD, swam to the girls to make sure they are alright. I just continued treading water beside the boat wondering what would happen next.

It was probably about 3 min before a boat came to our rescue, although it felt much much longer. The girls mounted the boat first, some of whom were visibly distraught. I got onto the boat and felt a slight relief. We were safely brought onto the shore. Within a few minutes, everyone was chattering excitedly and recalling vividly his or her "favourite" moment of the capsizing.

I did not have that specific moment, and this incident was likely to go down as one of the most memorable episodes of my HK assignment. Who would have thought that such an episode would occur during my final weekend here? I cant really classify this as a near-death experience, but I have no desire to get any nearer. I think the last time I felt that shaken feeling was when I did that airborne jump in Thailand 10 years ago.

What is Love

2009-05-15T00:13:00.003+08:00

Just returned from another fun dance class. Galaxy once again has picked an interesting song for the choreography tonight.

It is already like my 10th pop jazz class with Galaxy and he has always managed to impress me with his song choices. So far he has used music by Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Koda Kumi, Cassie and now Jennifer Lopez (sounding strangely like Lady Gaga).

Once again I found myself logging on to download the song he has used the moment I reached home after class.

2 more thursdays left in HK. 2 more pop jazz classes I can attend. I wonder if there are such dance studios in India...

Like, Hong Kong, 7, 8, 9

2009-05-11T01:20:00.002+08:00

A continuation of my earlier post, which stops at awkward no. 6. You get lists that end at 5, 8 or 10, no one ends lists at 6. I wrote the previous post on the spot, so I realised that I have left out some items that I probably will miss when I leave this place at the end of the month…

7. 榴莲飘香

How can a favourites list about HK not contain dessert? The above durian dessert, available only at 发记, is my favourite dessert in HK. A bowl of that can brighten my mood by a few notches.

8. Galaxy

The only living thing on my list. Galaxy is my dance instructor in HK. Even though I understand only 50% of what he says, he is always spot on with the cool song choices (I discovered Lady Gaga through him) and the thoughtful choreography. He gives me something to look forward to every Thursday. Will definitely miss his classes.

9. KFC

Another morale booster when I am feeling down. When I cant decide what to eat, KFC is always the choice that cant go wrong. Unlike the ones in SG, KFC in HK serves drinks in glasses and a wide wide variety of non-chicken stuff, from rice to Portuguese egg tarts.

I need one more to make 10....

They gave it to Joanne

2009-04-27T22:00:00.010+08:00

They gave it to Joanne
They wanted her to ascend
No longer just a princess
She has a trophy in her hand

They gave it to Joanne
For that 玉珠 so 可怜
Shes now a Best Actress
"Better luck next time 欧萱!"

This year, MediaCorp gave the award to the more showy role. I would actually give my vote to Jeanette's consistently strong central performance throughout the series, than that few great scenes that Joanne had.

This reminded me of the year where Cynthia Koh was given the award, largely because a head was shaved. Not that Cynthia is a bad actress, but besides the shaved head, that role was not that much of a stretch for her. Ivy Lee displayed more craft in the same show and held her own totally against Xie Shao Guang, but the panel gave it to Cynthia.

I wanted to write the post about how the showy roles get the nod year after year, but going through the list of past Best Actress winners, that was really not the case.

1995: 范文芳《缘尽今生》

That was the female starring role of that year, and Fann, even though still looking a little raw in and out of roles, became the success story of 1995. Its quite surprising that she has never won this again, despite being the competent actress that she is.

1996: 郑惠玉《金枕头》
A win for her body of work more than her ordinary performance in a cringe worthy show. Her performance for 潮州家族 was much stronger. Cynthia Koh, who was rightfully nominated for 豆腐街, was the more deserving winner that year.

1997: 林晓佩《和平的代价》
A show I did not really catch for some reasons. Carole Lin was the fantastic actress that never got her break, despite winning this. I was glad to hear that she would be headlining a new drama series alongside Miss 珍珠 this year.

1998: 黄碧仁《家人有约》
2002: 黄碧仁《九层糕》
2005: 黄碧仁《情来运转》

Biren was the first actress that got the award 3 times, and deservingly so. You can tell how brilliant she is as an actress by just looking at the diversity of the 3 roles she won the awards for. As of now, Joanne Peh is in a different league altogether.

1999: 许美珍《出路》
Already mentioned. Shaved head + Robbed of award for her most memorable role 3 years ago = winner

2000: 李锦梅《真相》
2004: 李锦梅《喜临门I》
2006: 李锦梅《法庭俏佳人》

I always loved the good underdog story. Since The Magnate, I have always supported Ivy Lee. She gets better and prettier with time. She emits this presence on screen that many actresses just do not have. But compared to Biren, she is slightly less versatile (many of her roles require her to be variations of a modern, smart and independent woman) and the 3 roles that Ivy won the awards for were somewhat less memorable. But it looks like the quieter and less showy the role is, the more likely she will win. Whether its luck or not, I hope she gets that one role of her career that gives her the indisputable win.

2001: 陈丽贞《三个半女人》
Her final leading role before she began her 2nd/3rd fiddle career. I have also always supported Aileen Tan, even though she was a horrible actress when she began. If they gave out the acting awards earlier, she might have won some more for her captivating performances in 情网 and 法医故事. But this win was not too bad either.

2003: 陈莉萍《荷兰村》
Nobody could steal this from her. If Star Awards began in the 80s, she would have won for Aiyoyo and the volleyball show. A respectable actress in a endearing role wearing a fatsuit, how not to win?

2007: 林湘萍《破茧而出》
Its a year where 锦梅 and 碧仁 were nominated for comedies and Joanne and Jesseca rounded up the list with mediocre performances. So by default, Yvonne became the hot favourite, after years and years of hard work. Her performance towards the end was truly a knockout and she stole the show from the competent cast around her.

A Week of Filmspotting...

2009-04-25T19:52:00.008+08:00

Despite having the most tiring week at work in the past 6 months, I spent more than 7 hours this past week listening to episodes of Filmspotting, this podcast where 2 movie geeks yak on and on about movies. In depth discussions, engaging interviews, insightful reviews and creative Top 5 lists, this podcast really appealed to the movie geek in me.

I wasnt sure if it is due to me living alone in Hong Kong, but my passion for movies has grown considerably over the recent months. Even though I watched less movies in the cinemas here, I began watching DVD extras, reading up on trivia of movies, and biographies of actors, actresses and directors. Theres this unstoppable urge to know as much as possible about this and through this podcast, I gained new perspectives towards movies I have watched and was introduced to so many movies that I didnt even knew exist. Compared to them, I am still in movie kindergarten.

In the spirit of the flood of movie knowledge I have gained, I shall present my favourite movie each year this decade:

2001: Moulin Rouge!

I just watched this movie again on DVD and loved it as much as I did back in 2001. A dazzling spectacle with wonderful performances from Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. Images from the movie linger in my mind for days.

2002: 8 Femmes

Another musical. There were 2 French movies I deeply loved that year. This one edged out Amelie by a little for it had a simple and clever premise, combined with the typical quirky French humour.

2003: Finding Nemo

I never thought I could enjoy an animated film this much. A heartwarming story paired with brilliant animation. The most timeless piece of work in Pixar's collection. "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..."

2004: Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind

A very strange, unconventional yet sweet romantic comedy beat out all the rest. The pairing of Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey was surprisingly effective.

2005: Be With You 借着雨点说爱你

I am always a sucker for great love stories. I always like to describe this Japanese movie as the one that made me cry buckets, not because I was sad, but because I was so happy. I will call this compulsory viewing for couples deeply in love.

2006: The Prestige

An intelligent script, great actors and skillful direction under the hands of the pre-batman Chistopher Nolan. Sat at the edge of my seat for much of the movie.

2007: Waitress

An offbeat romantic food comedy headlined by the amazing Keri Russell and a wonderful supporting cast. Thinking about this movie can put a smile on my face.

2008: Iron Man

The first summer blockbuster non-animated comic book adaptation to top my list. 2008 is a year where there isnt one movie that truly stood out from the rest, but based on the ratings I gave on Flixster, this is the only 4.5 out of 5 I have given throughout the year, so it had to be pretty good, even though I cant recall much about the movie now (I can recall more from The Dark Knight instead.)

2009 (so far): Slumdog Millionaire

I dont think this will be my favourite movie of 2009 by the time Christmas comes by, but I do think it is a great piece of film making. Its the only movie I watched twice ever, once on the plane and once more in the cinema, and I actually liked it more the 2nd time I watched it.

I now officially declare myself a movie geek, on top of being a pop music geek.

Things I Love about HK

2009-04-22T20:56:00.006+08:00

I have spent almost half a year in HK. It seemed like I just got here yesterday, but I would be moving on to another place very soon (I am still keeping my fingers crossed the HR personnel will change their mind bout posting me to India.)

I couldnt exactly pinpoint the moment that I started to feel a sense of belonging and comfort in HK. Minor inconveniences aside, HK is a nice and convenient place to live in. It hasnt replace Australia as my dream choice of country to spend my retirement years in, but I enjoyed my 6 months here quite a fair bit. Things I love...

1. Citron Honey Tea
My favourite drink in Hong Kong. Refreshing and healthy. I wondered why I have never tried it before.

2. Kowloon Park
The place where I would do my jogging. A big, spacious park right in the middle of the built up, crowded Tsim Sha Tsui. Everytime I can discover a new corner or a new path that I have never noticed before.

3. Nature (Mountains, seas, islands)
The hiking trails with breathtaking views. The mountains, the islands. Singapore can never beat Hong Kong at that.

4. Cooking
Yes I cheated. This isnt something about Hong Kong but something I learn to appreciate in Hong Kong. A fun and fulfilling experience. Can choose what you like to eat, control the amount to cook, the amount of seasoning. (Best is that I do not have to wash up).

5. Apartment 7H
I love my apartment. Its my comfort zone after spending many hours in the office and manoveuring through the crowd in Tsim Sha Tsui. Except for the overly soft pillows, theres nothing I can complain about. I think when I get my own apartment in the future, I want it to be just like this.

6. "Mmm ji wo"
The most powerful statement in Cantonese. You can use it to respond to anything:
"What time is it?" "Mmm ji wo"
"How do you feel?" "Mmm ji wo"
"Where are you going?" "Mmm ji wo"

I will miss this place..

800

2009-04-05T14:57:00.005+08:00

I lost $800 yesterday. I wasnt sure when, I wasnt sure how, but within a span of 6 hours, $800 vanished from my wallet.

11:30 am: Picked up my friend Kelvin from Kowloon coach station. Thinking that I might need more cash for the weekend, I withdrew $800 from an ATM at Elements Mall. A $500 note and three $100 notes came out from the machine. I placed them in my wallet before we proceeded to the bus station.

11:45 am: I took out my wallet to pay for my minibus ride. I gave Kelvin coins from my coin pouch to pay for his.

12:15pm: Reached my apartment to rest. Neither of us had a change of clothing.

12:45pm: Left my apartment for lunch. Kelvin dropped by at a money changer and changed some HKD. He passed me a $100 note that I lent him earlier and I placed them in my wallet. The money I withdrew earlier were still in the wallet.

1:15pm: We finished our wanton noodles. It cost about $40. I paid for the lunch with two $20 notes.

1:25pm: We got on the MTR to Mongkok. I paid for the MTR ride w the octopus card.

2:30pm: I bought a cup of milk tea for less than $20.

3:00pm. We had our first round of desserts. I had this interesting mango hor fun. Kelvin paid for the desserts.

3:00pm: We had our second round of desserts. We shared this huge plate of shaved ice chocolate dessert. I paid using the coins we both had.

3:45pm: I purchased a shirt at Esprit using a credit card.

4:15pm: Return to my apartment using the MTR. Took wallet out again to pay for the ride.

5:30pm: Left my apartment for Causeway Bay without a change in clothing. The wallet remained in my pocket the entire time.

5:45pm: Reached Causeway Bay train station. I saw that my octopus card was low on value. Remembering that I had withdrew cash earlier, I wanted to top up the card. The cash was no longer there.

I went through the events of that few hours several times in my mind and these were verified by Kelvin. Except for trips to the toilet, we were with each other the entire time. We came out with the few possibilities:

1. Least probable: While we were on the train, a kind pickpocket picked my wallet, took the cash and put the wallet back in my pocket.
2. Slightly more probable: The money never left the ATM. I took my card and walked away.
3. Most probable: The money left the ATM but never made it into my wallet. I placed the cash in my pocket and they fell out somewhere along the way.

I guessed I would never know what really happened, but I would probably not withdraw $800 at one go for a long long time.

一个人时间 (Part 2)

2009-04-05T02:10:00.007+08:00

I am proud to present my 4th completed demo. This is my most personal composition. Its also the composition where I wrote the most lyrics (2 different verses and 2 different choruses). This one is not as commercialised the others so I urge you to listen to it a few times. It will grow on you.

I am glad I managed to pen lyrics of a different topic this time round (An uplifting song bout loneliness?? Who would have thought of that? ). There are some good lines scattered throughout the song. And at least half of them are accurate reflections of random thoughts of life in HK.

But but but, to be critical, the lyrics on the whole lacked this poetic and sophisticated feel. Like Brent pointed out, parts of it became overly descriptive, like a secondary school composition, and I totally agree. Also have problems with the uninteresting melody for the last verse.

Mixed feelings aside, I guess that is what it will sound like for now, until I got new inspiration. What do you think? Will love to hear your comments and suggestions..

Of course, A BIG thank you to Celeste for the wonderful arrangement and vocals. Would not have realised my dream of creating my own music without her.

The Tale of The Candy

2009-04-01T23:45:00.003+08:00

(Thank you to those who are concerned bout my 2 metaphoric comments on Facebook. I shall now elaborate on the candy.)

There was an orphanage, just like the one in Slumdog Millionaire. There was this new kid to the orphanage. Lets called him Jamal. Jamal came to the orphanage for a few weeks and made a bunch of friends. While he and his new found friends had yet to reach the status of close buddies, he seemed to fit in pretty well.

Everyone had to do chores at this orphanage. Some had to scrub floors. Others had to wipe windows. Everyone had his or her own tasks to execute everyday.

Every other day, there would be this big burly man who would come to the orphanage. He would hold in his hand a few pieces of candy, wrapped in brightly coloured paper. Jamal noticed the other kids would walk away with candy in their hands but he never managed to get a piece for himself. He would be working in the kitchen while the candy was distributed at the gate. It would be all given out by the time he got to the gate. For some reasons, his friends would not ask him along to go get the candy together.

For awhile, Jamal was very bitter, wondering whether it was something he done wrong that result in his friends not including him for the candy. He felt unwanted by the friends he made. He thought that the kids at the orphanage were not being fair to him and contemplated leaving the orphanage.

(Ran out of ideas. Will continue the story another time.)

Lyrical Jazz to Jason Mraz

2009-03-11T22:47:00.009+08:00

I just attended the toughest dance class in a long long time. After the departure of my favourite instructor at Infinity, I challenged myself by walking into an intermediate lyrical jazz class by one of the most established instructors of the studio. "How bad can it get??" I wondered..

8:30pm: Entered the studio, there were bout 6 girls eagerly stretching.

8:45pm: Sweat dripping on the ground from my face while i tried to hold some contorted position. One leg in the sky, two legs over my head while lying on my back, split (ok, all the other girls split beautifully, i looked like a silly clown.). My t-shirt was all wet like i was caught in the rain.

8:55pm: Across the floor! I have not done a pirouette, chaine, and a pique in donkey years. I was all dizzy after a series of consecutive chaines to an insanely fast song. This brought back fond memories of the turns and jazz classes at jitterbugs. I even managed a double pique turn (sort of), but didnt complete it on the required count. I was evidently the worse in the class, but i was happily struggling. I think some of the girls were amazed tat i have not walked out of the class.

9:00pm: The choreography began. My pet peeves: Instructors that do not know how to teach the steps using 1 to 8 counting, and instructors that are not precise (i.e everytime they demonstrate the choreography, it looks slightly different from the way they did it the last time). I was super annoyed then but reminded myself to be patient. "Lyrical classes are supposed to be like this." I miss precise Rashidah all of a sudden.

9:05pm: First try of the choreography with the music. "I'm Yours?????? How to dance?" I looked at the instructor with a lot of amusement as she executed her choreography to the song, matching certain counts and certain words in the laid back song with sharp arm, leg and body movements. It was so strange. The thought of walking out of the class flashed across my mind. (In case you dont realise, I am a prima donna during dance classes who finds fault at everything, thats why I am not very good.)

9:15pm: OK la. The choreography kinda worked, but connecting lyrical jazz with jason mraz did not make a lot of sense to me (except that they rhyme).

9:30pm: It started to get quite technical coming to the bridge of the song. As usual, I could remember much of the routine but I could not execute anything properly. I started to stare at the clock on the wall. My berms are all wet as well.

9:45pm: The instructor dimmed the lights, wanting us to get into the mood of the song. I was still struggling to piece everything together.

10:00pm: The instructor got someone to film us executing the choreography. My thoughts: "Please dont post on Youtube. Please dont post on Youtube."

10:15pm: The words I was really relieved to hear. "THANK YOU!" shouted the instructor. I dried myself with a towel and made my way out, wondering how many calories I have burnt in the last 2 hours.

It was very exhausting, but a whole lot of fun. Missed those days in MJ and jitterbugs and my love-hate relationship with dancing.