無眠

無眠
【曲/史俊威　詞/吳青峰、林暐哲】
今阿日月娘那這呢光
照著阮歸暝攏未凍睏
連頭毛都沒休睏

你甘知阮對你的思念
希望你有同款的夢
咱兩人做陣返來那一天
互相依偎的情愛

底你的心肝內
是不是還有我的存在
永遠攏底等
有時陣嘛會不甘願
想講要作伙飛
去一個心中美麗的所在
所有的一切
攏總尬你放作夥
希望你 會當了解

今阿日月娘那這呢光
照著阮歸暝攏未凍睏
親像魚死底花園

你甘知阮對你的思念
希望你有同款的夢
咱兩人做陣返來那一天
互相依偎的情愛

底你的心肝內
是不是還有我的存在
永遠攏底等
有時陣嘛會不甘願
想講要作伙飛
去一個心中美麗的所在
所有的一切
攏總尬你放作夥
希望你 會當了解

我不管多少時間
多少目屎多少失望來忍耐
我不管你當時會返來
其實我嘛不知影為怎樣為怎樣憨憨等待
你
是我唯一的愛......

底你的心肝內
是不是還有我的存在
永遠攏底等
有時陣嘛會不甘願
想講要作伙飛
去一個心中美麗的所在
所有的一切
攏總尬你放作夥
希望你 會當了解
為著你 我一定等
_____________________________________

這是一個愛情等待者的自我獨白，他無悔於等待，守護著愛。他希望 像鳥一般比翼雙飛，卻成為了失去水的魚。

I'm feeling some strange emotions today, emotions that I haven't felt in a long long time.

Sometimes, we human beings think and analyse stuff too much. It gets exhausting and honestly, just kills brain cells. Which is why I like things straight forward and simple. Maybe some would view it as reckless, tactless even dangerous, but I find it refreshing. I think we are stronger than we think. We aren't made of porcelain. So go ahead, be direct, tell them the truth, because they are strong enough to handle it.

To those out there who are waiting for Mister or Miss Right, this beautiful song if for you. The fact that it is in Hokkien makes it so much more sophisticated.

Peace and love.

amazing tunes in black and white

My recent late night obsession has been to camp up til the wee hours of the night searching for black and white videos of The Beatles performing their MANY wonderful songs.

Honestly, I've never been that obsessed with The Beatles. I mean, I've obviously known about them, because HEY, they are the BEATLES! They're the greatest band ever to have walked on the surface of this planet, and their music, be it the incredibly catchy "mop-top" tunes of their early days or the amazingly eclectic bizarre psychedelic signatures that are to characterize their later works, is just phenomenally good. Everyone grew up listening to a few songs that would haven been composed by the Beatles. Even in the 21st century, their music is still incredibly addictive.

The start of my latest obsessive behavior occurred when I was shopping for CDs at HMV last week. I happened to notice that there was a whole shelf dedicated to the Beatles. Apparently their albums have just been re-mastered and re-released to a whole new generation of music lovers. I was sorely tempted to buy all their albums at one shot - but to do so meant that I would have to part with over 200 dollars just to have the whole damn collection. I wasn't willing to spend that much money at one go, so I left without even purchasing a single Beatles album.

But I wasn't ready to let it be! That very night, I went home and logged onto the internet, and found thousands of videos on Youtube concerning the Beatles. I randomly clicked on the link to what looked like the oldest, most antiquated video that I could find. It turned out to be a video of them performing 'Twist And Shout'. That was followed by another video of 'I Want To Hold Your Hand', and then one of 'Eleanor Rigby' and before I knew it, I was on the path to obsession. So for the past few nights, I've been watching videos of the Fab Four performing countless songs. Heck, I've even started watching the 9-episode Beatles Anthology documentary series on Youtube. So much for starting work on Pathology!

That said, I must say that its quite understandable why the Beatles became the legend that they were. I think it goes beyond their singing or their musical talents. Its because the four of them had charisma and character. The thing that struck me most while watching the videos of them perform (and some occasional videos of them doing absolutely nonsensical stuff) was that they were quite hilarious and amusing to watch! They had an infectious quality to them, especially when they were younger. Here's a video of them performing one of their greatest hits, "I Want to Hold Your Hand":



Paul McCartney especially, looked liked some hyperactive, highly enthusiastic schoolboy kid who can't wait to scream into his microphone! They looked so different when they were young! So fresh! So adorably exuberant! John Lennon looked so dapper before he started wearing those trademark spectacles and letting his hair grow long. Ringo Starr looked liked some hilariously dopey person who just can't wait to hit his drum. George Harrison's my favourite Beatle: he reminds me of a goody two shoes kind of boy who desperately wants to do something naughty! Haha

I wished I were around when they actually were starting out though! Its one thing to watch old black and white videos of them, but I think it would have been so much cooler to really see them in the flesh when they were truly at the zenith of their careers!

当我们同在一起

I think this drama is a hundred times better than "Little Nonya". Its a pity it doesn't seem to be getting as much of a hype as the former though.

I like the way it has given us a glimpse into the life of teenagers living through the 60s. Its like a really good representation of our parents' own lives, how they grew up and stuff. I asked my mum if she actually encountered some of the problems and stuff mentioned in the drama, and she was like "Oh my god, they really put that in? I used to do that/see that/play that all the time!" Its amazing really. Though we are a relatively young nation, Singapore does have an amazingly rich pool of culture and history that we can tap into, and I think we really should create more shows and stories on life then - all the other kind of contemporary dramas that Mediacorp produces are honestly quite ridiculous, far fetched and stupid (for example, the current drama airing at the 7 O'clock time slot).

Oh and unlike "The Little Nonya", "Together" is actually rather light-hearted! Its seriously damn funny! Its comedic, but at the same time, it never fails to have a heart. If there's one thing I hated about "The Little Nonya", its the way it progressed into such an over-the-top tragic melodrama. "Together" managed to steer away from being too tragic, and manages to have this right balance of light-hearted downright hilarious scenes that managed to capture the simplicity of life in the 1960s, with dramatic scenes that explore the emotional turmoils of life then. I never knew that all those young actors and actresses from Mediacorp actually could pull off comedy with such a comic timing! Quite impressive I must say.

In general, I think I'm drawn more towards period dramas. I like watching shows about people living in a different time. I think I've grown so tired of living in today's modern world that I kind of look forward to a form of escapism away from the hustle and bustle of modernity. Life in the 60s looks so inviting, I hope to throw away everything and just go back to the days of playing Goh-Li, Chap Jee Kee and Tikam. Haha

我沒有說謊 ;)

Its November, and I realised that the last entry here was dated 15th of October. Its been more than a month since I've left an entry here! Time really flies when you are preoccupied with work. Haha.

Its been five weeks since I last visited my blog. In these five weeks, I've started on my excruciating path down Obstetrics and Gynaecology, which really isn't a breeze to go through at all. In the past five weeks, I've delivered babies, I've seen (and examined) the nether regions of many women, I've touched countless pregnant bellies and I've come to reinforce my conclusion that O and G is definitely not my cup of tea. Its not as disgusting as I had envisioned it be to, and truth be told, its definitely easier than paediatrics, but honestly you have to really enjoy interacting and dealing with hormonal, angry and grumpy women to love O and G. Its definitely a job for women. Who better to deal with women than women themselves?

I haven't been doing much in the past few weeks except work work work. There was playhouse in which I was glad that I could at least help out a bit in the production. There were the occasional meetings with family and friends. And then there was the period of severe depression and exhaustion that lasted for 5 days or so. But I'm glad that the depression is over (the exhaustion, unfortunately, is never ever going to go away!) and I think I shouldn't have a problem surviving the last 3 weeks before the end of my most feared posting.

Anyway, I was studying when this random thought just floated into my brain: people lie all the time, whether or not they actually meant for these lies to hurt is another matter altogether. I think alot of people lie to people that they are close to: be it girlfriends/boyfriends, spouses, family, friends, mistresses/lover etc. Very often, we don't lie to those that we aren't close to at all. We couldn't care less if they heard the painful truth, so we just give them a dose of toxic reality and let them deal with the consequences. But when it comes to someone who you genuinely like, you can help but lie - whether its preferring to avoid letting them know the truth, whether its acting as if nothing bad ever happened and just letting them continue to live on with their lives, we prefer to avoid dumping the ugly truth on them. We do so because we supposedly care about their feelings and emotions, to 'protect' them, but sometimes, such actions would result in more harm than good.

The truth is an extremely fickle and dangerous thing. I don't really like to be faced with it, but I think we are unfortunately forced to deal with it everyday. I feel like I'm forced to cope with it be telling more lies which sends everything into a conundrum of repetitive causality and effect. I guess lying is a coping mechanism, to hide from the realities of the world - some people live in fantasies, some people live in lies.

It just so happens that Yoga 林宥嘉's new album has this fantastic new song called "說謊"!


"我沒有說謊 我何必說謊
愛一個人 沒愛到難道就會怎麼樣
別說我說謊 人生已經如此的艱難
有些事情就不要拆穿"
I think this stanza is appropriately apt. At the end of the day, I guess its better to live with the lies and avoid uncovering them - some things are better left uncovered. :)

Summer/Fever

Sodagreen's "夏/狂热" album is the second album that they have released this year. The continuation of their "Vivaldi Four Seasons" project, it comes just five months after the release of their previous album "春·日光". I loved "春·日光" for its folksy, light-hearted, cheerful feel, which to me, really epitomized the true spirit of Spring. But I got to say that I'm loving the second album even more!

"夏/狂热" as a whole, when compared to "春·日光", is an album that's very different in its overall presentation and feel. "夏/狂热" is definitely devoid of the easy-going charm of the previous album, that feeling of relaxed, light-heartedness is now replaced by slightly more melancholic, infinitely more rockish themes. The change in lyrical style is also very very telling: this album has lyrics that are darker, more emotional, more soulful - in fact, the lyrics are often very dark, bleak, pessimistic even. A total 180 degree reversal from the optimism and hopefulness found in the previous album.

"夏/狂热" is a Mandarin album that was recorded in London, because the band had a goal in mind to fashion this album into something that captured the essence of good old fashion British Rock. I think they have succeeded in achieving that: the tunes sound like stuff that could come out of many fantastic British bands, like Coldplay, Travis, Oasis, Franz Ferdinand, Keane etc. And I love British Rock, so this album is just a treat to my ears. The arrangements inspire me! Fantastic!

I particularly enjoyed tracks like "他夏了夏天" which to me, captured the very essence of Summer: energetic, bustling with life and activity but at the same time, there's a degree of laziness and dreariness attached to it. Its a song that has an infectious mid tempo tune, and its arrangement is something that I love alot.

"包围" has a very very long introduction, and surprise surprise, its actually the first song whose tune was composed by the Sodagreen as a band. It reminds me alot of 'Life In Technicolour' by Coldplay, not because it has a similar tune or anything, but the way the different instruments come in in progression: it creates an ascension of tunes that gives this song an extremely complex and layered feel to it. Fantastic!

"御花园" and "彼得与狼" are two songs that feel like they were meant to be brothers or something. They are typical rock tunes that just inspire you to be High and to go into a frenzy. Perfect for 'Live' concerts!

"无眠" has to be the SURPRISE of the album. This is a slow emtional tune composed by Drummer 小威 with lyrics by Lead Vocalist 青峰. This special thing about this song is that its lyrics are actually in Hokkien - which in my opinion is always a risky thing because it runs the risk of turning the song into something that's going to be extremely beng-ish. But this song turned out to be so so so so so beautiful, the emotion it evokes is just unbelievable. I love this song the most. Definitely a sleeper hit in the making.

"狂热" is the first single off the album. Its a full out rock song, and probably the best song to capture the 狂热 aspect of this album. I like the way this song makes me sway and bob my head with the tune. Very cathartic to sing along and just shake your stresses and worries away!

"近未来" - the last track of the album, and I think the longest. Its quite different from the other tracks in the sense that its more hesitant, even reserved and conservative in its attempt to bring across its message. This is a reflective piece, and would serve as a perfect song to highlight the transition from Summer to Autumn (just like how "融雪之前" from the previous album served as a prefect transition from Winter to Spring!). Nice to end with a song that feels different from the rest of the other tracks!

These are just some of the tracks that I enjoyed more. That doesn't mean that the other tracks weren't good; all the tracks here are solid. However, the other tracks don't stand out as much as these few that I particularly liked and enjoyed. All in all, this is a fantastic album, which is amazing because Sodagreen has always been so consistent in producing not just amazing singles, but amazing albums that should be listened as a single entity. That's the beauty of their music really - one has to listen to the album in its continuity to fully appreciate the true message that they are trying to bring across to the listener. If the first two albums of 'Project Vivaldi' are already so deliciously good, I can hardly wait for what surprises the next two albums would bring next year!

I'll search for the Orange Moon that lit up our love on the Ocean

Orange Moon - Khalil Fong

There we sat among the thousand,
fools just like us, but not so in love like us.
There we spoke of our love feelings,
and dreams were born like that, and we hope for love like that.
Now your dreams have changed and were far apart.
I don't know when or where to start,
leading you from my mind.
I want to stand with you again.
I hope to find you here again
in the eternal sunshine.

*I'll search for the orange moon that lit up our love on the ocean
while I hold your hand.
Now watch all the waves from the stones
where we gazed to the golden sun.
If I see the horizon,
glow just the same as it did when we stood on the hill.
Ill make the arrangements, just wait on that corner for me.
If you drop me a line, Ill be sure to make these arrangements.

Lay your head upon my shoulder,
Ill sing a tune or three sweet melodies for thee.
Softly speak, to say 我愛你,
why do you leave,
my heart is at your feet.
Well, I like to share three words again,
Parts of these words with you again if you think its possible.
And maybe I can pull you close
and whisper in your ear again
that I want you in my life forever.

*I'll search for the orange moon that lit up our love on the ocean
while I hold your hands.
Now watch all the waves from the stones
where we gazed to the golden sun.
If I see the horizon,
glow just the same as it did when we stood on the hill.
Ill make the arrangements,
just wait on that corner for me.

You are like the summer rain that cools me, that sooths me.
You are the person that I pray for everyday.
Maybe well sit on those stairs once again,
maybe we wont turn down have to pretend,
you will be here in my imaginings, fade imaginings.

*I'll search for the orange moon that lit up our love on the ocean
while I hold your hands.
Now watch all the waves from the stones
where we gazed to the golden sun.
If I see the horizon,
glow just the same as it did when we stood on the hill.
I'll make the arrangements, just wait on that corner for me.
If you drop me a line, Ill be sure to make these arrangements.
__________________________________

This is a hidden track from Khalil Fong's Orange Moon album. It doesn't have a real title per say, but I guess Orange Moon's a perfect one, given that that's the album's title and that the term appears quite often throughout the song. Apparently, its the original English demo of a song that was later sung by Eason Chan (its Mandarin version's called 倒带人生). I've heard both versions, and I must say Khalil's original version is much nicer. Its just the vibe of the song. The tune's addictively simple and carefree, the kind that's hard to come by these days. The lyrics are also simple, but romantic. Its like poetry really. I wish I could write lyrics of such quality and caliber, but any attempts by me are usually quite laughable. Haha. I mean, if they were any good, I would have publish them on this blog already. But oh well, not everyone has what it takes to be an amazing lyricist, and I guess I'm not one of those born geniuses. :)

I've been busy lately. Not with work but with meeting ups and stuff. I like it really. This week's been busy, but immensely satisfying. I'm happy. Like really genuinely happy, and its because I've been doing nothing fantastic but to live a mind-numbing ordinary life - a life that consist of work, catching up with friends and spending time with family. I think we really do have to start paying attention to and to start learning how to appreciate the simple things in life - because like lyrics, the more simple it is, the more beautiful it becomes. Life doesn't have to be a drama-mama fairy tale, it can be just a simple uneventful story and it'll still be something that can be immensely wonderful.

So just treasure it. And remember to look for the Orange Moon that lit up our love in the horizon. :)

狂热

<<狂热>> 词： 吴青峰 曲： 史俊威
雷响得放肆 死去活来坚持 抛空了理智
疯狂或正直 来自同个本质 有什么意思
在这个急于立碑的城市
谁比谁更无耻 干我屁事

任凭时光你是多狠 我要我的选择 为了快乐抗争
任凭谁说我有多蠢 不让你的新闻 毁了我的单纯
长大后的我们狡猾地修改过程
童年故事汗湿的脏手心抓着 狂热

冷血的怪手 种起大厦高楼 森林被扛走
土地的脉搏 戴上手铐大锁 日开始不落
却忘了所有新都来自旧
只在乎今天有 多少回扣

我知道自己的模样 在这个世界上 拥有可贵力量
我保护自己的地方 不让别人弄脏 才能勇敢疯狂
小时候我们的天真在心里长大
成年故事再多挑战也不害怕

狂热自己的模样....
就算偶尔受伤 打直腰杆坚强
因为受过了伤 自由才有光
__________________________

Part 2 of Sodagreen's 4 seasons project is scheduled to be released in Taiwan on the 11th of Sept! Woohoo!

Strawberry Swing

Its no secret that Coldplay is one of my favourite bands.
And yes, while I love their music, I also love their music videos alot!
Their latest video of the single 'Strawberry Swing' is just another example of how music videos can be more than just divas lip-syncing and gyrating along with a bunch of random people; it's simply evidence that music videos can also be works of art.

Fantastic video. Wonder how long they took to even film it!

可是我有时候 宁愿选择留恋不放手 等到风景都看透 也许你会陪我看细水长流

紅豆
还没好好的感受
雪花绽放的气候
我们一起颤抖
会更明白什么是温柔
还没跟你牵著手
走过荒芜的沙丘
可能从此以后学会珍惜
天长和地久

有时候有时候
我会相信一切有尽头
相聚离开都有时候
没有什么会永垂不朽
可是我有时候
宁愿选择留恋不放手
等到风景都看透
也许你会陪我看细水长流

还没为你把红豆
熬成缠绵的伤口
然后一起分享
会更明白相思的哀愁
还没好好的感受
醒著亲吻的温柔
可能在我左右
你才追求孤独的自由

有时候有时候
我会相信一切有尽头
相聚离开都有时候
没有什么会永垂不朽
可是我有时候
宁愿选择留恋不放手
等到风景都看透
也许你会陪我看细水长流
_____________________________

又一首经典歌曲被翻唱！ 太好听了！
非常凄凉， 非常幽美, 词又超棒的!
最喜欢 "可是我有时候 宁愿选择留恋不放手 等到风景都看透 也许你会陪我看细水长流" 这句歌词... 天啊! 这不就是我的生活写造吗?!?!

復刻回憶

复刻回憶 - 薛凱琪, 方大同
你还好吗 好久不见
又来这里 这个老店
後来的你 喜欢了谁
我们 聊聊天
现在的你 一样美丽
至於爱情 是个回忆
她不爱我 他离开你
爱会来 就会去

在不同的城市努力
偶尔也会想想你
这样的我 那样的你
要很久才相聚

我们都没说那遥远的曾经
我们也没提故事的原因
青春的复刻回忆像一片云
没法子抓在手里
我们的眼泪在复习着过去
我们的微笑是彼此的氧气
复刻的回忆是封挂号信
多远都可以找到你

窗外的树 爱哭的风
烦恼的我 聪明的你
爱是什麽 什麽人懂
所以 别难过
心还痛吗 请忘了吧
所谓幸福 是个童话
後来的我 一切随意
所以 没关系

在不同的城市努力
偶尔也会想想你
这样的我 那样的你
要很久才相聚
我们都没说那遥远的曾经
我们也没提故事的原因
青春的复刻回忆像一片云
没法子抓在手里
我们的眼泪在复习着过去
我们的微笑是彼此的氧气
复刻的回忆是封挂号信
多远都可以找到你

午後的闷热的窗外的一场大雨
让我们看见了以前的自己
把时光倒转回那一季
那年的梦 他乡的你
____________________________________

Thanks to today's Kbox session with XC, I'm currently hooked on this song. Argh its such a nice song, but its very hard to catch the harmonization. But its such a captivating song. I think this sort of song needs practice to get the whole harmonization right - is the guy supposed to be high or low? Is the girl supposed to be high throughout? Complicating. And everything's so subtle. Needs countless repeated listening to really pick out the necessary changes in the tune and all. A challenge, but if we can master it, I think it'll be perfect!

Oh and Khalil Fong is amazing. I'm going to spam his albums! ROAR!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OH MY GOD. And they actually sang it 'Live' right here:


WOW. Sublime magic. These two have chemistry man. I know that they are great friends in real life, both being from Hong Kong at all. How come they aren't together arh? They are perfect man. They should fall in love and get married and have a choir of children! ARGH!

And its true: we sing best in the shower. "因为没有穿衣服!" HAHAHAHAHA! Hilarious!

let's take a little trip back in time....

This entry's a little bit late, but here's my little National Day tribute to Singapore.

I LOVE National Day. No secret to that. Old friends would know that I get very high especially when it comes to National Day. Its my favourite holiday, apart from Chinese New Year and Christmas! And one reason why I love National Day so much is because of the wealth of patriotic songs that keep popping by every year. So this year, I decided to piece together a youtube timeline of all the national day songs since 1998, the year where national day songs first became an annual event. So here goes!

1998 - Home by Kit Chan
The song that started it all, and probably the very best. Kit Chan and Dick Lee gave us an instant classic, one that never seizes to tug the heart strings of every Singaporean. Every time I hear the familiar tune, I feel a sense of warmth that no other song can bring. Great tune, great lyrics, I love it. =)


1999 - Together by Evelyn Tan and Dreamz FM
I remember this was the year I first watch the Parade 'Live' on the actual day itself! And that performance left a great impression on me, because the atmosphere was just addictive. From that year on, I would always try to get my hands on tickets. Haha. I liked this song, and though it wasn't as popular as Home, but it was definitely one of the better NDP songs! Listening to it invokes lots of memories.


2000 - Shine On Me by Jai and Mavis Hee
Oh this song will always hold a special place in my heart, because this was the theme song of the parade in which I performed in. I remember we were SO stoked about this song, it had a catchy tune and when we sang in life, the atmosphere was just electrifying! Almost as electrifying as when the national anthem was sung! Sigh.


2001 - Where I Belong by Tanya Chua
When I first heard it, I remember thinking that the lyrics to this song were actually quite retarded. Haha. I still think so, but nowadays, I think its a cute kind of retarded. It has an amazingly simple and catchy melody though! I watched the parade on National Day as well, I remember that it wasn't as spectacular as the previous year's but yeah, Tanya was great!


2002 - We Will Get There by Stefanie Sun
Sigh. A personal favourite of mine. This was the song that I was hoping to hear since I fell in love with Stefanie Sun. It was even featured in Stefanie's 5th studio Album, 'Leave' as well! Haha. I loved it, because it was different from the songs of previous NDP. This had a more contemporary and rock/rougher feel to it. And of course, it was sung by Stefanie Sun! Woo-hoo! I particularly loved the MV of this song though, don't really know why. Maybe its the sight of Stef standing atop the then newly launched Esplanade! Haha! Also, this marked the last time I actually watched the Parade 'Live' on the actual day itself!


2003 - One United People by Stefanie Sun
YUP! She sand the NDP song two years in a row! I remember that Stef performed this song while standing atop this super duper tall pillar, it was just amazing! Haha. I don't really have much to say about this song, if Stefanie didn't sing it, I probably wouldn't remember it as fondly though. Haha, still its much nicer than many of the other songs that came out later. Haha


2004 - Home by Young Voices Choir & JJ Lin
'Home' was once again the NDP song of 2004, but this time round, there were two different versions of it. A drama-mama version sung by a Young Voices Choir and a hip-hop Mandarin version sung by JJ Lin. This video's that of the version sung by the choir! I didn't particularly like these two new remixes of the old classic. I still love Kit Chan's rendition of 'Home' and I personally think no other singer can ever replace her. Sigh. But still, 'Home' is 'Home'. Its such a nice song. Amazing.


2005 - Reach Out For the Skies by Rui En & Taufik Batisah
HAHA, this is the year where the song had a silly dance to accompany it. HAHA. I remember my cousins dancing to it when it was being sung at the parade. I never really remembered or took notice of the lyrics, though the line 'Let's reach out for the skies, with wings we soar up high!' is admittedly quite addictive. That's about the only line I could remember from the song though. Haha, still kudos to it for being the first NDP song to incorporate a fun dance.


2006 - My Island Home by Kaira Gong
Oh I actually like this particular song! I felt it was reminiscent of 'Home', maybe a less touching version, but it definitely is a song that invokes loads of bravado and gusto, emotions that are perfect for a NDP song. Its a pity that this particular song never got popular. Definitely one of the more underrated NDP songs out there.


2007 - There's No Place I'd Rather Be by Kit Chan & Will You by Janani Sridhar, Asha Edmund, Emma Yong, Lily Anna Rahmat, Jai Wahab, Shabir Mohammaed, Sebastian Tan and Gani Karim
This was the year where there were actually 2 different theme songs. I remember the song sung by Kit Chan was subject to alot of criticism because some people thought the lyrics were questionable. Haha The other song will always be remembered as the one with SUPER DRAMA MV. Haha damn hilarious.



2008 - Shine For Singapore by Hady Mirza & Joi Chua
I think this was the most forgettable of ALL the NDP songs. I don't really have much of an impression of this particular song. Yup, didn't really like it. In fact NDP 2008 was probably one of the most unmemorable ones ever. Haha.


2009 - What Do You See by Electrico
And of course... this year's song. For my comments on it, read my entry dated 21st July. Haha

Well. I love my National Day songs! Here's to many more prosperous years and beautiful songs to come! Happy 44th Birthday Singapore! =D

what do you see?

This year's NDP song really sounds like a track of a mystery Coldplay album! Honestly, I kinda like the tune. Its quite a nice melody, but as an NDP song, FAIL LAH. Its too monotonous to be one, and I can already imagine people's reaction to it already. Its like having a super emo-birthday song. How tragic. Haha.
The lyrics are funny as well, and not in a good way! It has absolutely nothing to do with Singapore, and honestly, its quite contrived isn't it? And I feel that the 'hopeful' lyrics just don't go with the slightly flat tune. Quite a mismatch.
Even the Music Video feels weird. Haha. Not a good way to introduce rock music to NDP man.

and so it goes...

This is a cover of the song 'And So It Goes' by Stefanie Sun, sung during her recent concert here in Singapore. Originally sung by Billy Joel, this song is melancholic but hopeful, and perfectly sums up how I've been feeling over the past 2 weeks or so.



And So It Goes - Billy Joel
In every heart there is a room
A sanctuary safe and strong
To heal the wounds from lovers past
Until a new one comes along

I spoke to you in cautious tones
You answered me with no pretense
And still I feel I said too much
My silence is my self defense

And every time I've held a rose
It seems I only felt the thorns
And so it goes, and so it goes
And so will you soon I suppose

But if my silence made you leave
Then that would be my worst mistake
So I will share this room with you
And you can have this heart to break

And this is why my eyes are closed
It's just as well for all I've seen
And so it goes, and so it goes
And you're the only one who knows

So I would choose to be with you
That's if the choice were mine to make
But you can make decisions too
And you can have this heart to break

And so it goes, and so it goes
And you're the only one who knows
__________________________________________________

Recently, while watching certain events unfold, I can't help but feel that every single thing that I predicted would happen has finally happened. It feels as if I have utterly lost the war. There were times when I wanted to vent my anger, to scream and shout out loud because honestly, I　couldn't stand watching everything unfold anymore. Most certainly, the 'me' of the past wouldn't have been afraid to do so. Unfortunately, the 'me' of today has been taught well, having gone through many bitter lessons, to not let myself go berserk anymore. Its called 'being calm and matured and collected' they say, because its for the greater good, to prevent the situation from descending into disharmony and unhappiness; truth be told, its really just calculated censorship.

Negativity at its most creative equates to melancholic bliss, while Negativity at its most destructive equates to melodramatic rants. Over the past few days, I've attempted to channel all the dark, negative thoughts flowing through my mind away, into some dark chalice of despair locked away in some corner of the room. But I've obviously failed, because nothing creative came out of it, and here I am, once again, tethering at the edge of another melodramatic rant. That's because, at the end of all those nights, I came to a sudeen realization that I am now really, both literally and figuratively alone. Once again, my watchful silence has failed me. All it has created is a bitter pill for me to swallow. One that I have no choice but to take.

I know what my friends who read this would say, that I'm NOT alone. I know that physically, yes, I am not. I am surrounded by fellow colleagues everyday in the Hospital, but the truth is, emotionally and psychologically, I am absent. Which is why, I am thankful for the reunions that I have been having over the past weekends or so, meeting up with people whom I've missed and longed to meet again for such a long time, doing brainless things like eating roti prata and drinking coffee, rotting at each others' homes, and chit-chatting about life in general, because they've allowed me to be distracted from everything. Between putting up a happy face and being crazy all over again, I've become too busy to remember how horrible I've been feeling. Perfect distraction from the venom flowing through my veins.

The saddest thing of all is that I am fully aware of the source of all my venom. But like a poison tree, it is hard to discard it. Pride, ah the dreaded sin called Pride, is preventing me from letting it go, because deep down inside, I cannot allow myself to step back again.

I have the antidote. But the antidote itself, is poison.

with my rifle and my buddy and meeeee!

Purple Light - Anon
Purple Light,
In the valley,
That is where,
I want to be,
With my friends,
true companions,
With my rifle and my buddy and me.

IFC sibei jialat
5BX lagi worse,
Everyday,
doing PT,
With my rifle and my buddy and me.

Booking out,
See my girlfriend,
Saw her with,
Another man,
Kill the man,
Take my girlfriend,
With my rifle and my buddy and me.

ORD,
Back to studies,
Got degree,
So happy,
Cant forget,
Still remember,
With my rifle and my buddy and me.

Purple light,
At the warfront,
That is where,
My body lies,
If i die,
Will-you-bury-me,
with my rifle and my buddy and me.
_________________________________________

Watching 'Own Time Own Target' made me realize how much I bloody miss singing this song!

and the answer is...

On Saturday, the 11th of July, I attended Stefanie Sun's 'The Answer Is...' 2009 Concert. Its her third concert held in Singapore, but its this marks the first time I've gone to watch her perform live in a full fledged concert.

I remember the reasons why I couldn't attend her previous two concerts very vividly. Her first concert was held when I was in Secondary 4, and I remember that it coincided with my Prelim Examinations; needless to say, my parents would never have allowed me to attend her concert then. Her second concert was held when I was 18: at this age, my parents no longer restricted my movements and freedom anymore, but unfortunately, I was still serving my time in Tekong then and the weekend she held her concert just happened to be the start of my field camp.

I love Stefanie Sun. I've been a fan since she first burst into the scene 9 years ago. And to not have been able to catch her live concerts was something I've always lamented. So, when I read and heard that she was finally going to have another concert here this year, I knew, beyond a doubt that THIS was going to be the year where I would FINALLY catch her performing live. And nothing, not even the Orthopaedics Gods that be, can stop me!

The concert was a blast! The stage was incredibly complex and futuristic, the use of the lights and holograms and projection images were amazing. Her many costumes were interesting to watch! Her dancers were fantastic. But most important of all, was her voice! The moment she starts singing those ballads which she just excels in, I felt a rush of warmth gushing through my veins - its a sense of familiarity, of comfort, felt only when you listen to a voice that you've been listening to for the past 9 years. These are songs that evoke so many different memories for me, and to be able to listen to her sing them live was just phenomenal.

Thank you Stefanie for a wonderful night! I can wait to attend your next concert! =)

早點回家

This is still my favourite song from the new Sodagreen album. I love the story behind how it was created, that it was inspired by the composer's Grandparents. And the Grandparents are actually featured in the music video as well! A very meaningful song that reflects a lot of my feelings with regards to the issue kinship and valuing family ties.

I think the most important thing that we should do is to take care of our Grandparents. I have to admit that I probably place more store on being respectful to them than to my own parents! Haha. But yeah. I love my Grandmother and my Grandfather very much, and I absolutely feel that its our duty as grandchildren to do the most we can to keep them healthy, active and living fulfilling lives.

Its one thing just asking about how they are doing and visiting them at least once a week. I think what's more important is making an effort to talk to them, communicating with them, to bring them out for fun trips, to watch TV and discuss the plot twists with them. To have a great relationship with them, that's what truly matters. Its unfortunate that many of our generation and those younger can hardly even communicate with our grandparents' generation, so much so that many of us don't really know how to care for them. Its like we are total strangers. Such is the unfortunate state of things these days.

I just hope that majority of us can recognise this problem and attempt to rectify it before its too late.

it finally starts to get interesting!

<<寂寞光年>> - 刘力扬
是谁从我天空摘走了星星
一转眼眉头聚满乌云
从来快乐悲伤都自己判刑
忘了我也值得被关心

一双手一个梦一路上不断地俯冲
痛到忘了要怎么喊痛

漫长的寂寞淹没我的难过
我的世界是零下的沙漠
其实我也想有拥抱的温柔
融化这颗坚强的泡沫

漫长的等候让人特别失落
锋锐寂寞把天空都割破
有谁能带走这美丽的哀愁
能让我相信被爱的理由
__________________________

Oh the plot twists and turns of The Ultimatum are finally starting to get interesting! Let's face it, I betcha half the people who started watching the show did so because they were hoping to witness the cat-fight of the century between Zoe and Fann. And I'm willing to be one of the first to admit to that!

Honestly, who cares about the blossoming friendship that has been developing between their two characters? We want to know how Zoe and Fann spar against each other, and so far the plot development hasn't allowed them to do any sparring, which is honestly, quite a let down for a TV serial that has been hailed as the 'Head-On Clash of the Screen Titans'. How can it be called that if there's no clashing scenes at all?

What viewers want is BLOOD, unadulterated, unedited and uncensored VIOLENCE and BITCHY cat-fights! So far the plot's been building up to the day when the more conniving of the two characters (which happens to be Zoe's) finally finds out that she's not the true daughter of the rich man whom she calls Daddy, and in today's episode, she finally learns the truth! Its going to be so interesting to see her struggle and scheme to make sure she doesn't lose her status and everything else that she has left. Henceforth, let the dam holding back the tension collapse and let the sparks set the bonfire of cattiness ablaze! I can hardly wait til Zoe's character unleashes her true inner evil! WOOHOO!

I'm sure everyone has their own answer to the question: 'Zoe or Fann?'. I'm inclined to support the former, because she electrifies the screen whenever there's a scene with her in it! She & Li Nanxing both surprised me, because these guys can REALLY act. Fann just isn't that fann-tastic (all pun intended) yet; her acting isn't bad, it just isn't stellar. But I actually like the chemistry between Fann and Tay Ping Hui, and their flirty banter was something I loved as well. But at this point in time, I'm still banking on Zoe to win the ultimate catfight of local television. You go hot momma!