minty's monologues

tears relay messages

2011-05-30T22:13:00.005+08:00

i learnt a couple of things today... i am not sure if it has to do with rob's reading about "be ruthless in seeking out experiences that gives you a chance to tap into cultivate, and express your most unique qualities'.

today i finally had an outburst... it is not very glamourous when it happened at work. i got irritated at a colleague for calling me names that stemmed from me hurrying another colleague to go to lunch and crying "dont tell her where we are going... let's go quickly!" ok, so much for teasing, she said that calling me names was just joking too... when i expressed my displeasure at the unappropriate choice of names, she had to call me yet another one... that's it loh... so i hid in the cubicle and cried...

sitting on the toilet bowl had a very theraupetic effect for me... as i cried and attempt to expel wind from my body, i realised i am very stressed up by massive volume of work and increasing changes in the company... i have been, of cos, suppressing all the frustrations, anger, disappointment, unhappiness, annoynance, insecurity for all the longest time...

i had a hard time stopping myself... even getting out of the cubicle with minor success... went right back in after seeing my blood shot eyes... but because i didnt have my bag and phone and money and had a lot of work to do, had to face reality and go back to office... scaring maybe one or two on the way...

by the time i came home, i was beyond control of any sort... not really hell break loose kind, cos it's only me and i am really not that 'powerful'...

it was crying on the sofa with tv on, messaged a friend, then proceed to sob loudly in kitchen, then decided i should shower to calm myself down, so started removing my make-up while wailing and leaning on the basin, face wet and eyes red, walked to bedroom to get towel, walked back to kitchen, squated in front of the bathroom and sob loudly into the towel... then finally had a sister walked out of the room to check on me...

calmed down and went into the shower, continued with the tears relay, got out and messaged another friend cos the first friend hasnt replied, sobbed a little more, decided no matter what i should still eat, scooped half a bowl of rice and cried and put back one scoop of rice, switched on the computer with tears twinkling (or rinkling or whatever) down my face, realised that the internet connection was not working, cried cos i cant even blog now even though i desperately need to today, ate a mouthful of rice, finally got reply from friend (one of), cried, got another reply from another friend, continue crying....

so that was from about 8:40pm till now, which is about 10:50pm. i dont think i can enter world guiness record for crying for the longest time, but i could be the first to cry so long and bother to record it down.

all the while the above happened, there were 2 other people in the house... one behind a closed bedroom door, another ears plugged to a korean comedy... then about 20 minutes ago, another one came home, but basically i am non-existent or that i have not cried... life is nearly pathetic like this...

i finally realised how people can get murdered, jumped out of the window, raped, fainted and knocked into something without having witnesses even though there are people in the house. i could have been so close to have one of the above happened to me.

but i am too glad that non of the above happened to me. i was saved... but still frustrated :(

for so many lessons i learnt today, here are the points: -

> if you think you are overloaded, say you are, and decline any 'new opportunities' that are not relevant to your work, including renovating the office, doing another company's work when you have no bloody idea what the fuck they are doing

> when it is time to make changes, go ahead and make them, yourself! nobody loves you more than yourself. be kind to your body, mind and soul.

> people who dont care about other people's feelings or are not watchful of their mouth, citing frank character as the reason and disregard your presence, is well, not worth your time. they will never become a life long friend nor confidant.

> dont pretend that nothing has happened, but everything had! what's so weak about showing your feelings? it's not a weakness, it's just an embarassment. but what's so bad about being embarassing? it's not bad, just that you get laughed at. then you laughed with them.

> if you would like to get saved, you have to cry very loudly in the face of another person. IN THE FACE. that is exactly why so many korean stars dont get saved.. they cry alone at home. and they usually have ropes.

> never expect anyone who you sms to save you. not that because they dont want to, but because the timing will hardly be right. if you want someone remote to save you, you CALL. and the ambulance or police will be good choices.

> to get through life, you need a lot of optimism, humongous amout of humour, overflowing love for yourself and life, creativity for ways to vent frustrations, people you can laden with your worries (like SOS line), a thick skin for not feeling paiseh to laden your worries on other people, friends who give sensible consolations, friends who can drink with you and make sure you live till you are sober, family who are in the house but dont really care if you are alive until they realised the clothes are not folded and bills not paid...

in any case, i am not so serious about the family part, just that we should be more expressive...

and so much for crying... i have finally stopped (i think) at 11:15pm.

to rob, if crying is a talent, find me on the cinema screens near you...

carousel

2011-04-21T23:04:00.004+08:00

i cant really pinpoint my feelings

i have been caught up with brimful of work for the past 3 days
and could not forsee how things would end this week

and today he left, whether he liked it or not
with all others left behind gathered around the table

no more politics, devil's advocate said
my eyes could have rolled from kallang to yishun and back
but they didnt

they stayed put where they were
my heart was weightless
my nerves were calm

now, my eyes are moist
but it is not really sadness in me
it may be tiredness
it may be realisation
it may be nothing

pray help the people in the carousel

up and arise

2011-04-21T22:42:00.003+08:00

rob is amazing this week: -

One of the most impressive elements of the Egyptian uprising in January and February came after it was all over. Eighteen days of street protests created a huge mess in Cairo's Tahrir Square and the surrounding area. When Hosni Mubarak finally resigned and reforms began percolating, thousands of demonstrators returned with brooms and rubber gloves and garbage bags to set the place back in order. I urge you to follow a similar sequence in the coming weeks, Gemini. Agitate for change; rebel against the stale status quo; fight corruption and ignorance; and once your work has led to at least a partial success, clean up after yourself.

today, my boss of nearly a decade left the company "due to personal reasons" within half a day of work. and this is after about 2 - 3 months of uprising from an 'ace squad' that create a great psychological mess among the 'unintended commoners'.

the reform will be taking place effectively from monday, with the ace squad forming alliance with some commoners to lead the operations.

i, as gemini, will resolve to do my bit to change myself, reactivate the stalemate and educate the ignorants. once i've done what i can with my pure conscious, i leave.

the time has come.

an army of emotions

2010-11-18T23:54:00.005+08:00

i knew his existence a few years back
but didnt listen to his songs

saw him on variety show recently with
very decent voice and looks
but still it didnt occur for me take a listen

till i heard this song from this ep

fantastic... not sure if it is the lyrics, the melody
or simply the way he sang it

full of emotions, that is

here is jones 石康鈞 with 不完美的完美
live at 小河岸
live at 西門河岸留言
music video (below)

作词：小寒作曲：李偲菘

生命是一块铁沸腾才能刻写
明天的我是不朽或浮生一瞥
人体内6公升血一颗颗都如酒浓烈
为爱疯狂没醉过的人不了解

哪怕偶尔得转换起点
哪怕选手缺少优先权没得选
我将犹豫都甩开
将目光都锁在同一个终点

前方越多的风险冒险越容易领先

我要我是谁就算梦未遂
也不让现实这土匪
把理想都盗走到老才数着後悔
感动是纤维纺织後成为一张被
你将我包围你的爱没白给
虽然我并不完美我并不完美

心意坚定如铁故事我自己写
你别看我安静但内心很狂野
我体内所有的血一分钟都不肯停歇
所谓疯狂是不管他人的误解

哪怕偶尔得转换起点
哪怕选手缺少优先权没得选
我将犹豫都甩开
将目光都锁在同一个终点

前方越多的风险冒险越容易领先

我要我是谁就算梦未遂
也不让现实这土匪
把理想都盗走到老才数着後悔
感动是纤维纺织後成为一张被
你将我包围你的爱没白给
虽然我并不完美虽然我并不完美
I'll be somebody someday

我要我是谁就算梦未遂
也不让现实这土匪
把理想都盗走到老才数着後悔
感动是纤维纺织後成为一张被
你将我包围你的爱没白给
虽然我并不完美

感动是纤维纺织後成为一张被
你将我包围你的爱没白给
虽然我并不完美
因为我不完美才会是独特的谁

premier yen-j

2010-07-26T23:36:00.003+08:00

international langauge -
english + mandarin + hokkien?
or it could be music

yen-j (严爵) is the newbie signed up by bin music
he writes all his songs and arranges them as well
he is only 21 years old and highly talented

he grew up in the u.s. but was from gaoxiong, taiwan
launched his debut album about 2 or 3 months ago
(i lost track of time :P)
and i hope he will be featured soon in any upcoming in:music session

dont really think i can compare his music with anyone's
cos it is pretty original...
guess it helps that he has an all rounded and proper music education...
(think lee hom)

here's a bit of him
go get his album

gagged

2010-07-17T12:15:00.004+08:00

those are not friends
known by faces not by heart

the windows i used to have

are opened now to peeps

elusive i want to remain

keeping mum the things to say

now bursting in my lungs
makes it quite hard

so i am back at the same place
voicing my disgruntles
still polite though disheartened
afraid to break the thin thread

rather

2010-07-10T12:05:00.004+08:00

scattered thoughts
so hard to rein them
they just come
and then go

running pulses
head on with emptiness
they just push
and stop

solace
where is it to find
in the happy faces of youth
or in the experienced voice

in the end
it is still what is most familiar
that says how i feel
most aptly
most directly

back to the beginning when music touch me
and consoles me
and motivates me

minty's a rockster
yesterday, today and tomorrow
but tomorrow is still far away...

"想要执著反而蹉跎越是等候反而越是错过找到成就反而堕落。。。”
- 五月天《反而》

paranonia anxietia

2010-07-07T21:42:00.003+08:00

in times of stress, there is rob

and for what he included in this week's e-newsletter
include the things i think i will do (in bold)

soon

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The revised and expanded version of my book *PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA* is available at Amazon: http://bit.ly/Pronoia

and also at Powells:http://bit.ly/PronoiaPowells Below is an excerpt:

LUMINOUS TEASE

Change yourself in the way you want everyone else to change
Love your enemies in case your friends turn out to be jerks
Avoid thinking about winning the lottery while making love
Brainwash yourself before someone nasty beats you to it
Confess big secrets to people who aren't very interested
Write a love letter to your evil twin during a lunar eclipse
Fool the tricky red beasts guarding the Wheels of Time
Locate the master codex and add erudite graffiti to it
Dream up wilder, wetter, more interesting problems
Change your name every day for a thousand days
Exaggerate your flaws till they turn into virtues
Kill the apocalypse and annihilate Armageddon
Brag about what you can't do and don't have
Get a vanity license plate that reads KZMYAZ
Bow down to the greatest mystery you know
Make fun of people who make fun of people
See how far you can spit a mouthful of beer
Pick blackberries naked in the pouring rain
Scare yourself with how beautiful you are
Simulate global warming into your pants
Stage a slow-motion water balloon fight
Pretend your wounds are exotic tattoos
Sing anarchist lullabies to lesbian trees
Plunge butcher knives into accordions
Commit a crime that breaks no laws
Sip the tears of someone you love
Build a plush orphanage in Minsk
Feel sorry for a devious lawyer
Rebel against your horoscope
Give yourself another chance
Write your autohagiography
Play games with no rules
Teach animals to dance
Trick your nightmares
Relax and go deeper
Dream like stones
Mock your fears
Drink the sun
Sing love
Be mojo
Do jigs
Ask id

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

is it right for me to think that if i change to look like one of the cuties from super junior
guys around me will start to transform into so?

not banking on that...

well... me no wondergirl...

thanks the big and small things

2010-07-04T12:12:00.006+08:00

feels the same as lucy today, sans the brother

should count my blessings this while: -

thank my mother for using her rare off day to cook lunch for me
for undertanding that i have to work very hard these few weeks so cant really bring her out for her birthday dinner

thank the printers for trying their best to meet my tight deadline and challenging requirements

thank the contractor for accomodating our peanut budget and tight production timeline

thank the 3 girls for having such enthusiasm and pride in creating the paper fashion (love the energy and i need that a lot!!!

the marketing team for sharing the pressure and giving contructive suggestions at every nick of time

my fellow ELFs for passing on clips that brightens up the day

colleagues who somehow listens to what i say even though reluctantly

last not least, my clinging sanity that resolves to improve by the day

i need some super power, i really am not supergirl...

june, we bonamana

2010-05-28T13:21:00.003+08:00

perfectly unhealthy for the single undistracted girls...
SuperJunior is coming to town on 6 June
get ready for mass enervation!

get up

2009-12-27T02:02:00.008+08:00

mayday is my favourite band
and even if sometimes they are not the best
they still have the power to pull you to them

the song <起來> has been getting airplay on the radio
after being featured in their latest dna concert live recording cd
but i dont know how much credit has been given to the original band who wrote the song

it's great that mayday remember their good friends
and constantly bring them back to the limelight
think 拖拉裤, 1976 and now 四分衛 (backquarter)
they all started out at the about the same period
but mayday shone through most
with their easy-to-understand lyrics and easy-to-singalong tune
and a record company that did not hesitate to promote them progressively

mayday has covered this song
as a tribute to backquarter's lead vocal/composer/lyricist, 阿山 (ah shan)
who had quit the band indefinitely
as an encouragement to get him up again
which, if you can feel for it, is a wonderful gesture

like a usual sucker for originality
i cant help but say the original band, backquarter
still has the best version for the song <起來>

it's the original spirit

but i also cannot deny that
listening to mayday's version did indeed tug me where it matters

(start loving this instant, not when you have lost it)

<起來> in different versions

backquarter's live version (image lags, so just listen for best effect)
backquarter's mv
backquarter's jamming version

mayday's live version (sub standard sound, listen to cd for best effect)

waterman's live version (dont get distracted, listen only for fair comment)

backquarter's other classic: 雨和眼淚

w

2009-12-14T18:57:00.000+08:00

next to you, i feel empty
whether or not, next to you

i love us

2009-10-17T23:52:00.011+08:00

if our love is not instant, we'll be just friends
why is it you love me
i don't feel the same

there's someone else i am in love with
and with him, i love us

i hope you understand

some movie's worth the time: 500 days of summer
some song's worth the time: Wolfmother's Vagabond
someone (though not "the one") is worth the time: joseph gordon-levitt

(on left) joseph gordon-levitt and (on right) anthony from 超級星光大道

c'mon baby, do the locomotion

2009-10-01T23:38:00.003+08:00

and i so thought i was over kimura...
*attention at 0:45sec*

m'embrasser

2009-09-21T12:29:00.004+08:00

everyone of us want to inject
that bit of romanticism into our life
even if it is for a moment

just for the sake of capturing the moment
here's the girl going for her 100 kisses in paris

paraphrasing what she says about diseases through kissing
"the more you are afraid of, the less you will accomplish"

well... at least pictures look good...

mayday times 2 = happy-ing

2009-08-30T13:49:00.006+08:00

a friend asked another friend
"how many more years are you going to keep going to mayday's concert?"

mayday's first appearance in singapore was in a free concert at sentosa in (i think) 1998
sis and i attended their first street gig at the event square next to cuppage plaza in 1999
then subsequently their first-ever paying concert 《你要去那里?》at singapore expo in 2001 just before they took a 2-year break to do their national service
that has to be the one of the most memorable concerts for me so far
with fans displaying rock spirit and manners at the same time
(me at the 1st row seat determined to stand at the barricade right from the start of the concert and making sure people around me are not hit by my lite stix free-styling)

when they returned in 2004 with their 《final home》tour
it has to be a big bang with good seats (6th row positioned in centre of stage)
and an inspiration for other friends to buy the most expensive tickets like us for their future concerts

then of cos, who can forget the 2005 《final home》concert in taipei!?!
first time in winter clothes, open air stadium and with lotsa space to run and jump!
i love rock zones!!!!!

then followed by 2006 (still part of 《final home》... the longest ever running tour by a taiwanese rock band)
then more concerts in 2007, 2008 and now... 2009

2009 marks the 10th year they have existed since their first album release
and like how they always proclaim singapore as their second home
(next to i dunno how many other second homes)
they have to announce their 29 aug 09 concert in dec08/jan09 for pre-sales
with tickets sold out, they added a 29 aug concert
the first time a mandarin-stream rock band hold 2 days of concert here!!!!!
(have to be very careful when coming to proclaim "first"s)
wait wait! this was even before they decided that the concert will be named 《創造DNA》

so like the mayday fanatic, i have to attend both nights!
we didnt get damn good seats for sat's concert, but it is a refreshing change
being able to see the entire stadium rather well
and boy! the forceful waves of the lite stixs is quite a sight!
fri's concert was damn good though! 5th row and next to the external stage ^__^
always the best!

and i am so glad i was there for both nights
the repertoire was slightly different
and of cos, i have to very often peep at the screen for lyrics as i belong to the gen k(tv)
(yes, mayday concert feature lyrics on the video wall so that non-fans and old fans wont feel left out)

i especially like the solo singings of wubai's hokkien songs by guanyou
for mere fact that he is awkardly funny, thus entertaining
masa's sincere rendition of "明白"
(oh, my long standing love-hate relationship i have with taurus guys)
and ashin's heart-stringing, much-awaited "i love you無望" and "爱情的模样"

a friend who joined us for the first time already chopped her ticket with us for next year's concert
although in my heart, i hope they take a break next year from singapore so that we will miss them a little longer, and thus fonder
but as long as they are going to be here for concert,
even if we have to go with walking aid in 30, 40, 50 years' time
as long as they have a concert, we'll go...

so to that friend's question on our attendence at mayday's concert
the answer is - forever

MINTY HEART MAYDAY!!!!!

(click for bigger pictures)

2009-08-11T22:31:00.002+08:00

starvation must feed my soul
twilling with each drop of food
push away the feast set afore me
bring back that passion i sold

just to do with love

2009-07-10T23:57:00.002+08:00

amei's <<相愛後動物感傷 >>
填詞:陳鎮川作曲/編曲:小安

finally, 小安's work again!

sorry sorry

2009-07-05T14:47:00.001+08:00

Sorry Sorry Sorry Sorry
Naega naega naega meonjeo
Nege nege nege ppajyeo
Ppajyeo ppajyeo beoryeo baby

Shawty Shawty Shawty Shawty
Nuni busyeo busyeo busyeo
Sumi makhyeo makhyeo makhyeo
Naega michyeo michyeo baby

this is so much more enticing to learn than the "nobody" song!

impudicity... or just let it be!

2009-06-10T23:01:00.000+08:00

i cant wait for august... come quick!!!
for 2 days, i shall jump!
already planned my leave... ahahahhahaha!!!!
i hope (no expectation here)
that there can be a pre-concert preparation (ktv! mayday only!)
and post-concert party! (back to the ktv!!!)

mayday's first single for 2009 - "放肆"

nobody

2009-06-09T22:48:00.004+08:00

yah... it is the nobody craze...
of cos', it has been months since the wonder girls did the song
but now, then it hit our shores...

my thai colleague has mentioned it like a couple of times since earlier this year
i think the thais are more in tune with the korean pop culture than us
considering that the girls even did a concert there
she totally muses about how her friend "overaged" friend shouldnt gain entry into the concert

and if you want to take a dancing class, you can.. somewhere in orchard
(not paid to do advertisement, so dont bother to go and find out)

alternatively, you can be cheap (or just be musically inclined/ motor effective)
and learn from the official music video

after all, these guys, and this guy, all managed it
these thais...

hold it for 8.3 seconds

2009-05-27T23:29:00.003+08:00

i have never had the ability
to look into the eyes of another person for more than 5 seconds
perhaps i am shy
or maybe i am afraid of the other person's reaction
like telling me i have dirt in my eyes

the longest gaze (or stare) i can keep
is with the cats on the streets
especially those sitting still
who blinks first loses
but of cos
the cat loses interest in me at the same time i win the challenge

rob's latest prediction will be a real deal
i guess i can discard my glasses for a couple of weeks
so at least even if the stranger has no interest in me
s/he can marvel at my panda eyes
and hopefully, ally with me :P

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Research shows that if a stranger gazes at you for at least 8.2 seconds, he or she is definitely interested in you. If, on the other hand, the look lasts 4.5 seconds or less, there's no attraction. I'm guessing that the percentage of long scrutinies you receive in the coming weeks will be higher than usual. Your raw charisma levels will be up, as will your ability to make strong first impressions. How do you plan to exploit the advantages this will give you, Gemini? According to my projections, it'll be a good time to meet some allies of the future.

the folks

2009-05-23T22:46:00.003+08:00

so i survived the 8 days in china with the folks

it is quite a challenge but nonetheless interesting

when you are with old folks who are adamant with their opinions

it is really the coaxing that can work from time to time

by the fifth day the patience would have weaned

then you have to just ignore them in exasperation

on the sixth day they would then compromise

sigh...

the 8-days jiangnan trip is a feat for the old folks

imagine their shock on having to pack and move 6 out of 8 days

from shanghai - suzhou - wuxi - hangzhou - nanjing - shanghai

considering the old folks are not your cultured sort

and can speak (and argue) loud without any microphone

they are not really your tour guide/member's favourite people

good thing others give them respect on virtue of their old age

it is funny to see how they have changed over the past 2 years

since they stopped operating their floral stall

my granma has obviously become more forgetful

which seems to make her a happier person

especially after arguements with my granpa

perhaps i should learn to live the rest of my life with a new motto

健忘的女人比较快乐

the old folks versus the young ones

uncle ho, see you again

2009-04-29T23:35:00.008+08:00

it was supposed to be a me, myself and minty
kinda trip to ho chi minh city
but somehow i landed myself 2 travelmates
from malaysia and thailand

of cos it made economical sense
since every other thing is tagged in usd
but also it means someone has got to do the decision-making
more than the others

and so we assigned roles
the map-reader: moi
the treasurer: the thai
the decision-maker: the m'sian

many a times we have to introduce ourselves
as people from 3 different countries
this did make things interesting for
the hotel staffs,
the french man in the french restaurant who was looking for a japanese girlfriend and his friends,
the japanese girls from the day-tour who were not in the same french restaurant,
and the tour leader from sinh cafe

day tours with sinh cafe is pretty good when it comes to meeting people
but only if you are the friendly sort too
with day tours, it really makes travelling alone sounds like really good idea
also ok if your tour leader spots aaron kwok's floppy hairstyle from 15 years ago
and managed to switch itinerary with colleague to bring you to tour (again)

we a little exercise by figuring where every other chinese/asian tourist is from
it gets difficult when the person is speaking english but at least i realise i am quite good from telling the singaporean from the malaysian from the chinese from the taiwanese

the walking is way too much in the humid weather
so much so that i feel like an adhesive
everything is within walking distance
but we finally gave in to the cheap taxi on the last day

food is good and affordable
which means at least 1 restaurant meal a day
especially since we have guide books, internet reference, and recommendations from the hotel staffs

i have the tiny regret not to be able to find the authentic french pastry shop i went to the other time though
then again, on hindsight, at least it gives me a good reason to go back again
even if it is going to be a day trip

ah... but the jet lag...

europe gotta wait then...

say now that you love me...

2009-04-17T23:55:00.006+08:00

isn't an understatement more alluring?

too tired

2009-03-13T23:19:00.002+08:00

putting myself through 3.5 hours of "watchmen"
and fighting master zhou at midnight didnt really put a smile on my face
in fact, i was laughing on the way of the theatre
thinking how stupid of me to have subjected myself
to wasting of time and youth
watching something i couldnt relate to

having said that
i went on to do the rorschach test
and am presented with the most interesting result: -

Test Results

Sickness Quotient: 55%

Your Sickness Quotient" of 55% is hardly cause for concern.

Detailed Diagnosis
Interpersonal Insights

You have difficulty concentrating or keeping on task, probably because you're an idiot with a short attention-span. You are utterly incapable of meaningful relationships, which is probably a good thing since you're a horrible bore under the best of conditions.

Job Performance & Attitude

You frequently mention terms like "core competencies" and "paradigm shifts" while at work. Stop acting like such a tool. You have little empathy for anyone more successful at work than you, which is pretty much everyone.

Personality Insight

Your personal motto is "Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better." You must not have been saying this for very long.

i actually agree with it. i am an idiot.

so i went on to do another test (and a restest) with shapes and colours: -

Personality Test Results

Diagnostic Overview:

Your responses indicate a strong prediliction to drinking, in fact you're probably bombed right now. Get a grip, you dope- put down the bottle and switch to heroin. Studies show it's better for you in the long-run. Return to the clinic immediately for a high-colonic and don't come back till you're straight. People who answer as you did have a 1 in 3 chance of being a convicted felon. (72 times higher than normal.)

Long-Term Prognosis:

Deep-seated fantasies about Margaret Thatcher and roto-tilling equipment means you will never be able to pass as a normal member of society. Your disorder often leads to prancing about in the middle of a busy street at midnight in leotards and a cute umbrella. This is good, because being run over by a truck removes oddballs like you from the gene pool.

You will need intensive psychological care for the rest of your life because of the factors described above. Stay away from other people if at all possible; just use the internet. Don't go outdoors or you're doomed. You are deeply scared of anything dangerous, violent, or threatening, which actually makes perfect sense, now that we think about it.

Additional Fears:

You're also afraid of vanilla ice cream, hummingbirds, and libraries. This is silly- when was the last time libraries caused you any harm?

You're also afraid of toasters, vanilla ice cream, and the doorbell. This is silly- when was the last time the doorbell caused you any harm?

at least the tests are funny.

四面楚歌

2009-03-02T22:48:00.005+08:00

i never really understand the malay phrase
" relak one corner* "

today, i am pushed stiff to a corner
and hey! mat yoyo# !
i cannot relax~

it is a very bewildering

* this phrase has been liberately associated with the malay race. i have not idea where and when it came about. but in modern literature, prominently featured in the little books of singapore jokes, i came to learn about.

# "mat" is mr in malay. mat yoyo is a character in a children's programme i used to watch on tv... that was very long time ago...

he's not

2009-02-27T23:17:00.007+08:00

he's not going to call you
he's not going to sms you
he's not going to email you
he's not going to msn you
he's not going to facebook/friendster/myspace you
he's not going to meet you
he's not going to date you
he's not going to kiss you
he's not going to have sleep with you
he's not going to marry you
he's not going to [whatever] with you

only because
he's just not that into you

it has been a while since i have caught any chick flicks*
and strictly speaking
the movie didnt quite start off as one
it even seems like a movie reinforcing men's love pet peeves
until the ending comes about
and hey, girls, you can still count on love most of the time

and oh, must watch the "top ten chick flick cliches" on the official website
and listen to this when going through the rest

and yes, i still like justin long best

*other chick flicks i did catch: -
the truth about cats & dogs
beautiful girls
the hot chick

who says guys i like all look the same?

leung vs long

grey

2009-02-25T23:38:00.002+08:00

what is that behind the grey sky
not a slight of sunshine
the little patch of grey hair
peeps out of my mind
i would like that tinge of earl grey
to wake me up again
cos jean grey i am not quite
wolverine, goodbye

so into music

2009-02-08T23:22:00.004+08:00

so i am certified chinese already
since i am super on this year with esplanade's huayi festival
next year, i will save up more money
and if possible and if i like all the line-up
attend all the in::music gigs
i am soooooo happy now!

* * *

went to crowd lu's performance at the recital studio on sat arvo

the 60-minutes gig skretches to about 90mins
and even come with an autograph signing session =)

i am very surprised that the age range of the audience is pretty wide
from poly students to working young executives type
to middle age hippies to long-hair rocker wannabe type

'手舞足蹈' is what i can use to describe crowd lu's style of performance
he sits with only half his butt on the high stool
and as he works his nimble fingers
he body scrunches (he can nearly lick his knees... ok, exaggerating)
and periodically kicks in the air alternatedly with his legs in slow mo
he grins shyly or heartily from time to time
and display a little self consciousness by regularly tidying his "bob" hair

his frequently uses the words "好!", "yeah!" and "cool"
somehow like punctuation marks or dead air fillers
and when he thinks he has completed his sentences

he asks for spontaneity, like we can raise our hands and ask questions
for us to clap along to the rhythem
or to sing along with songs like this
对呀，对呀

he explains the inspiration behind some of his songs
like 淵明 was written when his uni room-mate forgot to wake him up for class
he reveals that he writes songs based on about everything in life
like about a stall uncle forgoting to add an egg to his noodles
and when his nearly cannot hit the highest pitch out of 3 consequtive notes
and he shares philosophically that, that is life,
that when you think you cant achieve that high note, but if you try, you can still do it

given the great acoustic of a small studio
he treats us to silky yet flavourful vocals
which i draw equivalence to the silken tofu with peanut taste at nirai kanai :P

he is kinda weird
and i like

* * *

just came back from 1976's gig
these guys are the weird type too! i like! hahaha...

my initial intention to attend alone
and perhaps befriend a cool guy with similar music taste
was dashed when a friend also decided to attend
no lah...
i am happy that she trusts my music taste without sampling their music
but i am not sure if she really enjoys the gig
cos we were soooooo restraining ourselves from standing up
we couldnt gauge the response of the people at the back if we stand up
so we didnt...
but i left them a message asking them to come back again
and i will do my part... hahahaa..

again, the recital studio does its fantastic job of giving great acoustic
and i will say the sound is better than crowd's session (see above)
the technical execution of the band is remarkable
with the guitartist, 大麻, and the drummer 大師兄
playing with great engrossment

the songs really sound soooooo much better live
than from listening to the album
maybe my earphone sucks
but really, at certain parts, i though i was getting high... yeah~

oh... so 大麻 name himself well... he really seems like he is high on music
and yes! he is damn good... fingering, technique and all
mayday didnt collaborate with him out of no reasons

i have been trying to draw an equivalent of a brit / american band to them
but simply cant really at the moment
but on huayi's website, they mention to the likes of
the ramones, the smiths, new order and the cure
hmmm... seems like you really got to listen to a lot to conclude this way
but as i am listening to them now, i recall... maybe a tat suede too...

one of the reasons why i chose to attend the gig
was so that i can get a copy of their latest album
and not only that, i got it autographed too!

talking autograph session
they lack the warmth towards fans, i feel
i mean, ok, we are not really like fans
more like audience who like them
they could have shake our hands proactively, ask pr questions etc
than just smiled and sign the inlay booklet

but i guess, they really want us to concentrate on their music
and not on their looks (check out 大麻's china doll hairstyle... glossier than mine)

check out 壯遊前夕, 努特 , 摩登少年
and their yesteryears

i am still so happy...

i shall send the organiser a list of bands i want to see next year
hahhaaha... and ask if they have job vacancy... hahaha...

happy happy happy!!!

1976 (from left: bassist 子喬, drummer 大師兄, lead vocalist 阿凱, guitarist 大麻)

music lives forever

2009-02-05T23:36:00.005+08:00

so i was mesmerised the last time she was here
i really didnt want to spend to watch her again
simply because i thought i need to tighten my wallet
then again, now, i think, perhaps otherwise

she is now back with a new album 太陽 (immortal)
like usually, after 3 years
and like usual, doesnt disappoint

and here is one of the songs i like so far

鱼

我坐在椅子上看日出复活
我坐在夕阳里看城市的衰弱
我摘下一片叶子让它代替我
观察离开后的变化

曾经狂奔舞蹈贪婪的说话
随着冷的湿的心腐化

带不走的丢不掉的让大雨侵蚀吧
让他推想我在辩解奋不顾身挣扎
如果有一个怀抱勇敢不计代价
别让我飞将我温柔豢养

我坐在椅子上看日出复活
我坐在夕阳里看城市的衰弱
我摘下一片叶子让它代替我
观察离开后的变化

曾经狂奔舞蹈贪婪的说话
随着冷的湿的心腐化

带不走的留不下的我全都交付他
让他捧着我在手掌自由自在挥洒
如果有一个世界浑浊的不像话
原谅我飞曾经眷恋太阳

带不走的丢不掉的让大雨侵蚀吧
让它推想我在辩解奋不顾身挣扎
如果有一个世界浑浊的不像话
我会疯狂的爱上

带不走的留不下的我全都交付他
让他捧着我在手掌自由自在挥洒
如果有一个怀抱勇敢不计代价
别让我飞将我温柔豢养
原谅我飞曾经眷恋太阳

词，曲，唱：陈绮贞

huayi, man

2009-02-01T01:09:00.010+08:00

following the fantastic zhang zhengyue gig at last year's huayi festival
this year's line-up is also pretty cool

just caught the last session of the play "design for living" (华丽上班族之生活与生存)
directed by edward lam, written by sylvia chang
this play headline the promotion materials for huayi festival
where sylvia chang and "teen"-idol joe chang are prominently featured

sylvia chang takes on the role of a power-welding boss
who splitted from her ceo husband
but continued to work with him to prove her worth
as well as her irreplacable status in the company and in his heart
but at the same time carried on an ambigous relationship with a manager (david wang)

joe chang plays a newbie in the company
keen to learn new things and got to be mentored by sylvia chang
and unwittingly fall victim in the love struggle between her and david

david wang is also featured in some promo materials
as he has a heavy role as the sylvia's unconfirmed love interest
and had the most emotional scenes among the actors

the play, in summary, is about a company of various characters
struggling with their survival in unknown circumstances of the economic crisis
and their doubts/ beliefs in each other and the matters close to their hearts

the actors all put up great acting
despite just an above average plot
and a title i still cant tie to the play

having said so much
all i want to say is that
david wang is great ;)

i missed edward lam's previous play brought here "what is man?" (现代水浒传)
where david had a multi-faceted comical role

he has a very nice voice
has a sense of humour
(when making a short intro of himself at the end of the play gimmaced "except for me, all the rest are staying on the 13th floor of a nearby hotel)
and as a total package is, to me, very man~
and hey! has quite a good number of supporters at the play too

and yes, i will choose david wang over "teen heartthrob" joe chang anytime =)

more about david wang (王耀庆): -
birthday: 15 July 1974
horoscope: cancer
height: 178cm
weight: 75kg
blood type: b
education: graduate of 輔仁大學大眾傳播學院(media school) 影像傳播系 (tv broadcast faculty)
marital status: married to childhood sweetheart and has 2 sons

check out his kidult moments
check out his "man" moments
check out his family portrait

david wang on the promo mat - now you see him, now you dont

ah... a fairer representation on the website =)

before cny

2009-01-22T23:37:00.004+08:00

i have tons of spring cleaning not done despite starting as early as christmas
most of the time was spending painting the flat
each day was spent 12pm to 12am
on one of the days when my mum cooked curry
for us to eat over lunch and dinner
my sister commented that we were as, if not more,
pathetic than the foreign workers on the road
i had to agree

now i have back and shoulder problem
i cant just blame on the painting
it also has to do with the shifting of storeroom in the office
as well as the 2 day shopping in kuala lumpur
but back to the painting
my father very upsetedly proclaimed that he no longer has a place at home
cos we dumped 15-year-old furniture without consulting him
i suspect he also has a major problem with the purple and pink scheme that the flat has took on
the ultra sweet pink pipes in the bathroom is phenomenal
it wouldnt have happened a few years ago
i wouldnt have agreed to it
but now, i chose it

anyways, by bullying my father this way
i will probably reincarnate as a guy in rather tight spot at most times
i will choose to be gay
talking about the word 'gay'
a french colleague had a bit of an issue that we associated 'gay' with 'homosexual'
to him 'gay' means the old english 'happy' which we dont disagree
and for non-straight people, they should just be known as 'homosexual' or 'not straight'
to which someone then anyhow concluded

and we went back to eating our dinner at a peranakan restaurant
which i was having a melakan deluxe set
and regretted not choosing the western mutton set
which my thai colleague says is nice
but forgot to offer to exchange with me as promised
when the food turned up at the table
i think he had a problem with having to finish my 4 spicy dishes + rice set
he is a nice person, so i forgive him
anyway, people at my table nearly applauded when i near-finish my set
just before i embarked on the dessert sampler set
good, i am going to put on unhealthy weight

so the weekend that just ended
included 2 days in kuala lumpur for shopping before my 2 days of meetings
shopping before meetings which i have to make 3 presentations is very stressful
next time i cannot do that
and flying first flight out to hit the shopping malls is also crazy
i dont even go to work on time on regular days
shopping is really not fantastic in kl, but desigual is having sale there in parkson
and i grabbed a very chio bag at 30% discount
super happy but it is only because i havent go check out the price in their vivo branch yet
at least my sisters are impressed with the bag

well, maybe i will go back there for the food
not too bad really
and staying at trader's hotel is damn ex
but the view is great
i even bothered to sleep with the curtains open
and sleeping with the twin towers within view on my last night there
shall plan more short cheap trips for kicks this year
i shall learn to love my life

klcc suria day and night from traders hotel room 1605

be myself

2009-01-13T23:23:00.008+08:00

it has been a good 13 days into the new year
and i have yet to make a post

i have hesitated a few times of making one
cos somehow nothing seems to be worthy of noting

until today, of cos

and the only reason is because
i am in such good mood today!

i surprised myself by sharing with an 'associate'
about my one-thirder life crisis
and it felt really good opening up a bit
at least i had a hearty laugh about myself
and created a good appetite at lunch

and the chattiness goes on till way past evening
talking talking talking
to customers i havent really built up damn good rapport with
but everyone i met made me feel really good today

i sure realised that simply by not being self conscious
that i enjoyed the interaction with them much more
i mean, should i be worreid about the presentation of myself?
minty is as diplomatic as un-pc, as boring as witty, as unglam as charasmatic, as expressionless as expressive
whatever all these mean

i just got to be myself

and in the shower just now
i just thought perhaps i should end this post with this song
simply because of the title
but not realising how meaningful it could mean to me

and following what rob has mentioned before
this could be my modus operandi for 2009
never mind some parts of the song dont apply to me
especially since i have not got around to growing a moustache
but surely the mv's weirdness and eccentricity
could mean i should live my life in a more out-of-the-box way

i swear i have never seen this mv before
i am as shocked as awed

on another note, i ended the day at work with this memo: -

"dear colleagues

the office renovation has just been completed and now is the time to do spring cleaning of your personal workspace to welcome the year of ox.

you can help yourself to the boxes available in the meeting room should you need any.

please also note that shampooing* of the office will be done on 19 jan (mon) from 3pm. the cleaning will begin from the store room area and progress to the general office area after 5.30pm.

kindly remove all things from the floor to ensure maximum cleaning of the office.

we look forward to a beautiful and clean office by 23 jan.

thanks!

best regards
minty

* note: shampooing applies only to the office carpet. for your hair, please go to your regular salon. "

the last 24 hours of 2008

2008-12-31T23:25:00.001+08:00

0030
going to bed after a day of practising patience and fending off questions... redirect all queries to person in charge...

0700
dog, or dead rather, tired... short sleep is no use to me... i am definitely returning to the state of a teenager... only old folks can do with 6 hours of sleep

0915
time is really passing damn slowly for me... i even managed to reach work only 45 minutes late...
amazing~

1030
i suddenly feel a pang of sadness sweeping, no, wait... dumped on me is more like the right word
i feel so damn lost... so lost... colleague suggested that i am only acting... will likely to wake up at the party tonight... what party?

1130
i am already hungry and it is still morning... and i still feel sad... today is the last day of 2008... jason mraz helps to soothe me a little...

1200
there are so many things i have not done or done right this year... maybe it is the greed that makes me not satisfied with the current state... only wanna be happy in 2008? it is supposed to be so easy... why is it hard for me? oh... i focused on the wrong things... positive, minty, positive!

- i thank for all the people/things/ matters lost and found, people/things/ matters who are still around, people/things/ matters i dont care for but care for me, people/things/ matters i care for but who dont care for me, people/things/ matters waiting to be discovered/ uncovered/ recovered

1230
conspire with colleague to lunch separately from boss and a petty person... fumbled along the line that i am going home soon since it is officially half day today...

1345
*mega yawn* damn tired... still getting hung up over that lack of sleep... but a lot of things to do... more easily awake in office than struggling with the lure of my bed at home...

1400
boss ignores me when walking out of the office... likely to be offended that i didnt lunch with him... or that petty person is also whinie the poo...

1500
ok, the sadness is coming up again... i shouldnt be still in the office... but better do my petty cash claim... wah! more than $$$$$... mayday, derrick, jason mraz and franz ferdinand take turn to wake me up...

1630
further struggle with sleepness and sadness... cracker with salmon spread by the window watching people play tennis is good... dont know who sneaked by... ah... ignore...

1820
ok, the colleague who predicted i will stay past the 3 o'clock that i wanted to leave by is correct... but she forecasted 6pm... she is wrong... i am late by twenty minutes...

1830
when we say economy is bad, we can tell... for the whole of december, no long car queue lining to get into ikea... and no, no crowded buses...

1900
oh... so i need to cry... not necessarily better... but i need to let off that pail of regrets... and also the things i have not received... yet... i hope...

2255
what else? today is wed... it is rob time: -

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
When I was 19, I read Alan Watts' *The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are.* After that, I was sure there was nothing else I needed to know in order to live intelligently. It was, I thought, a compendium of the best insights worth knowing. My certainty eventually faded, thank Goddess. In its place came the understanding that life's mystery just keeps getting deeper and vaster as one grows older -- that it's idiotically arrogant to ever think you've got it all figured out. A healthier approach is to cultivate a capacity to be endlessly surprised. I hope you'll do that in 2009, Gemini. The flood of novel ideas and fresh perspectives surging your way will warrant it.

i will love it this way too... i love nice surprises... not the nasty ones i learn in the past 3 weeks... the nice ones were really =)

2315
obviously not at any party... the teenager kinda wanted... but all the lazy friends are lazy... okie... same feathers... wanting to jot resolutions, but a friend mentioned not to make resolutions that we cannot accomplish... procastination seems like my only forte...

2320
will get the kick of counting down by watching the action that is so near yet so far... maybe will get glimpse of the fireworks... before i go count the sheep instead... this teenager needs to paint 2 rooms tomorrow... tough work, but i think i may be turning into hercules... .... right, i am exaggerating... more just like popoeye...

2009, i will love to love you~

pink this christmas

2008-12-25T16:40:00.002+08:00

minty and her pretty pink neon toes
wish you a cheery christmas
and a happy new year!

again i grow in/out of it

2008-12-25T00:02:00.004+08:00

it seems like christmas is about the time
to take stock of what has occured to me in the last 358 days

it is also a good time to set what you really want
in the upcoming 365 days of the new year

even ken took note of me having really long hair the last christmas
and now again attempting to grow them out of a short bob

rob knows what i am really looking for in the new year
i just got to think of how now

by 31 dec, i shall resolute

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
According to the novelist John Gardner, there are just two kinds of stories in literature: you go on a journey, or a stranger arrives in your world. According to my analysis of your destiny in 2009, you will reap rich rewards by including both of those plotlines in your life story. So let the brainstorming begin, Gemini: What's the best journey you could choose for yourself -- a journey that will educate, challenge, and delight you? And what can you do to attract the best kinds of strangers into your world -- strangers who will educate, challenge, and delight you?

boxerella lovey

2008-12-17T23:15:00.002+08:00

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
One of your most fun assignments in 2009 will be not only to think way outside of the box but also to think way outside of the bigger and more interesting (but nonetheless boxy) boxes that all the outside-the-box thinkers customarily think inside. That's why, if I could give you a Christmas, Hanukkah, Solstice, and Kwanza gift, it would be a nice, clean, square, white box punched full of big holes with ragged edges where the inside has burst into the outside. Happy Holy Daze, Gemini!

thanks, rob.

i am pretty sure i am receiving the customary box
that hagrid always give me every year since i begin servicing his account

but apart from that, there are so many boxes i am into nowadays
i dont even feel like thinking about them

nonetheless, i get the rift
and will work towards thinking outside the external of the box from the inside

these include the few resolutions i have to work on for the new year
but finding another time to jot them down

in the meantime, better get that much desired sleep
to look good enough for john cho lookalike tomorrow

cheap thrills are really a tease

i like~

see you again

2008-12-13T23:10:00.004+08:00

so 12 of us turned up
and we are all happy about it

and one of the guys brought another 2 guys
but is not pardoned from organising the cny gathering

it is really funny to have this intensive gathering going on
but i am not really complaining too

and 2 nemesis met
a little awkard but also a little funny

i guess time does make difference to some of us
physically and mentally

it is really interesting to know those bits of them
that we never know existed in them before
and reassuring to discover that those we know of them
still exist in traces

(looking at the gathering pict, i really need a haircut within the next week... in the meantime, i can at most do a neat tuck for that john chu lookalike auditor coming next week...)

i will be there

2008-12-09T23:46:00.004+08:00

it has been more than a year since i last mentioned it
and the notable point this round is
i am the appointed organiser
no, not because i am 'popular'
but because nobody fancies being one :P

i already say told them that if i organise
only the girls will turn up

i can sort of see that happening
simply because that handful of guys we know
dont keep in touch with the other guys

it has been 18 years since we left that little institution
but with this finale of the year
is like the 5th time i will see some of them within the last 2 years
this, to me, is a lot, considering we didnt meet up that often before
or maybe they didnt ask me :(

then again
such gatherings with super old-time classmates
does show a little that we are ageing
we start getting very sentimental about people and the past
which also means it is good time to say sorry
and whatsoever if required

and i usually like big group gatherings
as i dont have to hold conversations
i only need to chip in from time to time
like, "yah lor", "oh!", "same~", "think so", "har nah..." etc
and sit one corner
(i must still get the corner seat this time!)

if nobody turn up this time
at least i have consolation that
i am going to my selected restaurant
so i can try that succulent pork belly that reviews raved about

so mission for this round is: -
let the food blinds me
nothing else should matter

and yes, this round, i have to turn up

love you till death

2008-12-06T22:12:00.006+08:00

as of sat night
i knew i just caught the now award-winning
taiwanese movie, 海角七號 (cape no. 7)

as an over-hyped movie
it lived up to the expectation of not having a substantial storyline
but had elements of warmth in the movie

taiwanese, afterall, are most known for their 人情味
which is hard to translate to english
well... perhaps something akin to compassion to fellow people

the movie stars ordinary names like 田中千繪, 林曉培 (shino lin) etc
and is known for propelling singer 范逸臣 (vaan fan) back to the limelight
i have not much feelings for him though

not as much as i have feelings for 马念先
the lead singer for defaunct band 糯米团 (sticky rice)
he plays an enthusiastic salesman who peddles new-age millet wine
(a traditional hakka beverage) in 恒春(hengchun)
and so much for that brand, 马拉桑, that he was promoting in the movie
he actually has a compilation album out - 马拉桑醉饱满精选　
and check him out doing an unplugged version of sticky rice's hit

other than him, the drummer in the show is from taiwanese band
夾子电动大乐队's lead singer 小應
yes... the band who sang that very 台 song - 转吧！七彩霓虹灯！！！
check out the 2 of them on this show

back to 恒春 (hengchun)
maybe it is good to get our bearings right
hengchun is a village in the southern province of 屏东 (pingdong) in taiwan
it is on the south-western part of the province

屏东 (pingdong) plays host to the annual music festival, 春天的呐喊 (spring scream) aka 春呐
which is held at the kenting national park
in the movie, the event is made reference to the rubbish left by the festival-goers
haha...

till now, there is no storyline mentioned
cos essentially
the storyline is 老掉牙 (so overused that our teeth can drop out)
but what is most important is that
the movie generated internal tourism to the seldom visited vincinity

the story made references to cross-straits relationships (taiwan, japan, china)
which we have no understanding at all
and because of the references, it is banned in china :P
so in a way, we can be sure that the area will not be frequented by china tourists just yet

afterall, this is a movie that sorta arise taiwanese' love for the place they live in
and for some of us who have that special feeling for the place
we just wanna go back again

catch the movie for some good laughs
seriously, it is more like a feel good comedy than some silly romantic story

movie blog
movie pics
movie soundtrack

fav song in the movie:
愛你愛到死
作詞：嚴云農 / 作曲：呂聖斐原

ohohoh 愛你愛到不怕死 baby
愛我請你讓我瘋狂一次

愛是什麼東西不過就是種遊戲
情是什麼玩意不就是玩玩而已
honey darling baby 或是叫我小親親
只要哄我高興冥王星都陪你去

oh 愛你愛到不怕死
但你若劈腿就去死一死
ohohoh 愛你愛到不怕死 baby
愛我請你讓我瘋狂一次

eradicate me-devil

2008-12-03T23:38:00.004+08:00

today, rob says: -

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): According to the imaginative reporters at the *Weekly World News,* the devil doesn't sit by passively as people beseech God for help and consolation. Using his own version of stealth technology, the evil one "intercepts or jams" up to one-third of all prayers on their way heavenward. Timid and fuzzy prayers are the easiest for him to block. Just in case there's a grain of truth in this claim, Gemini, take special measures when you send out appeals for assistance in the coming days. You need and deserve attention from higher powers, both the earthbound and divine kind. To ensure that the devil (or one of his surrogates) can't interfere, formulate your messages concisely and communicate them with crisp confidence.

perhaps i should have read this earlier in the day
because i basically lose it and turn devil today
perhaps that means whatever rob says doesnt apply to me

my entire day of good virtue and relentless patience
all sweeped out by the mere "GO AWAY!"
in super high tone and at a box
the stupid fc really need to thank his god for this
cos if that exclaimation was executed in his face
or worse, by his ears
he will be in a&e or equivalent already

in fact i really hope he can read this
and figure out this is me
so that i can save the trouble of telling him
that he is an idiot
oh no~
now by calling him this
i am insulting all the real idiots

- i am sorry -

i hope this is repence

in any case
i clearly know why my prayers aint answered
cos i have not made any prayers
but also in this case
i realised why i should get myself on track again

this include stopping what i did today
too much meat and too long a gap between meals
and attending lessons with more commitment
but most of all
practice!

tomorrow will be better

it is (going to be) 4 dec already

the girl who lapse time

2008-12-01T22:42:00.004+08:00

things happen so damn fast that
i think i have just attended my last concert for the year

ok, by some usual standard the lee guitars all-star concert singapore 2008 concert
is quite a let-down
but seriously thinking about it
squeezing 6 fantastic sets of musicians
to present their acts in 3 hours is like a joke

but because we love all of them -
mayday, a-yue, cheer chen, tanya chua, emil chau and jonathan lee himself
we kinda turn the joke into like a happy thing
well, sorta

it was like a prolonged advertisement with songs in between
it was, afterall, a lee guitar presented concert

but like i say, we love their presence
and we still got high at mayday's "jump"
it has a good effect in telling me
that i better start my swim again soon

the most glorious moment
was in having the longest lite sticks in the hall
hahaha... it is quite a joke
(this is a real joke)
forgetting to prepare lite sticks was one
the other is purely having the chance to pass by a make-shift stand
selling the flashing lites
and having the weak mental state not to say "no"

i finally live the part of anita yuen
from the set of god of gamblers - the early stage
holding huge lite sticks in support of leon lai
i know not many people will rem the scene
but i am quite a fan of flat-chested, skinny limbs anita
cos imitating her parts is effortless for me

jokes aside (ha ha)
during the concert, during the rambling that went on... and on...
the ending of a song kept floating in my mind
and i later realised it is kenji's and one of my fav
and am really happy to find out that hey!
kenji and cheer chen have mutual admiration in their music talents!
check this out, cheer sings 学不会...
sweet!

ah... it's december already...
it is beginning to look more and more like
i am the girl who lapse time
well...

a lot of naked men

2008-11-25T23:34:00.001+08:00

it is a good mental note
to catch more of john chu this weekend
as chau

he knows, he just knows

2008-11-19T22:25:00.004+08:00

i realised i have been feeling rather lousy these few days
or perhaps it has been weeks
just that i am not really that aware of it
cos most of the times i try to rein in my temper or negative feelings
it actually worked most of those times

except the other day when my late period hit a hormonal rage
and i acted unkind to a colleague
of cos i can started blaming all the people (actually, just my boss)
who made me subsequently behaving inappropriately
but what is done is done
and i am my own mistake

and insomnia (yet visiting again) is not helping me much
not only are my eyebags shadowing mm lee's
i think i am losing my stomach soon
the physical and psychological torture my entire body is going through
reckon a good reason for a cry session today

as much as i should not identify this emotion as "i am sad"
and instead should be "there is sadness in me"
it was just, heck! cry and let be

and since i spoke of rob 1 month ago
i thought maybe this week
he will have something special to tell me

and well, his email was the only one i got in my hotmail
(talk about exclusivity... or nobody cares about me anymore... ah~ heck, too!)
and this is what he says this week: -

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
A year ago, I had a vision that your experiences in 2008 would boost your heart's smarts -- maybe not up to the same level as your head's intelligence, but much closer than before. I predicted you'd have a growing ability to master your own moods and emotions, and speculated on how that would in turn increase your understanding of why people do the things they do. So if, during these last 11 months, you've been taking advantage of the potentials I named back then, you have undoubtedly developed impressive new skills in the art of intimate relationships. If for any reason this hasn't happened yet, start playing catch-up immediately.

hmmm... bold is quite there
underlined ... well... the catch-up applies...

but frankly, i cant rememeber what he said 11 months ago...

heck lah... at least he is right for the moment...

that's rob

somewhere in the winter

2008-11-11T23:23:00.003+08:00

winter is officially here
i can smell it in the wind

in fact
i can feel glutonised rice dumplings rolling in my mouth
even chinese new year is arriving soon

if i am too far ahead
it is just my job

but winter is really here

for the 30-ers

2008-11-09T17:43:00.007+08:00

it was not so long ago
that i laid in my bed
soaking in my exasperated sorrow as a 20-something

sobbing in regrets of the youth i have wasted along the tunes of
"一颗苹果", "能不能不要说", "好不好"

crying with hope that the years coming on will be better with
"相信", "永远的永远", "人生海海"

jumping myself silly and happy with the gungho macho techno of
"OK 啦", "口秋口秋口秋"

that album - mayday's 3rd album, "人生海海" (people life, ocean wild)
marked the beginning their 2-year hiatus as 3 of them served their national service
and the beginning of minty seeking a new direction in life

that 2 years then got on quite well for mayday and minty
while 3 of them did ns, then 2 got dropped out due to health reasons
and another 2 went on to develop their musical talents further
minty got a fresh start in an enjoyable environment with nice people

then things just continue as mediocre

mayday's album 4, 5 and 6 were passable efforts
and minty's life took on highs and lows that were manageable
there were not much meanings anywhere i could identify with
so i just did my part and stand by what i believe
and keep in good faith that good things will come along
somewhat, somehow,
just like how "人生海海" did for me

and now a 30-er
i realised they had a little earlier than me
experienced the same "searching phase" as minty
or the menopausing state of "one-third-er life crisis"

and just before i get too drowned in my new frustrations
they finally speak to me with album 7 -
《后。青春期的诗》(poetry of the day after)

immaculately put together

song 1 "突然好想你" sums how much we want to experience
the first time mayday touched us
"... 突然好想你... 你会在哪里... 过的快乐或委屈...
突然好想你... 突然锋利的回忆... 突然模糊的眼睛..."

song 2 "生活以上生活以下" establish the setting for the rest of the album
revealing (their) 30-ish life till now
approaching the mandane and realistic days with optimism
"为爱而出生以后，生命要怎么挥霍，直到我化成烟的时候，一天一天
看日升日落，看月圆月缺，年复一年的经过，看谁把我变成现在的我
怕潮起潮落，怕患得患失，错了又错的疼痛，
终于我的生活只剩生存，活着只会呼吸吃饭喝水(的生活)"

song 3 "你不是真正的快乐" wakes you up from what you have been doing
and wants you to rethink if compromising happiness is compromising your life
"... 当生存是规则，不是，你的选择
于是你，含着眼泪，飘飘荡荡，跌跌撞撞的走着"

song 4 "爆肝" is defnitely not a song title you would thought of
whoever will sing of dried liver?
but of cos, i had initially thought monster wrote this
cos he drinks damn too much
but no, it is written by ashin, which i think is meant for monster
and those of us with unhealthy lifestyle...
this is the first time i actually like midi intro
"不是不爱睡觉，不是不够爱肝，我只是，还有很多很多，很多正经事要管
不是不爱阳光，不是不谈恋爱，我只是，进度要赶，游戏要玩，青春要弥漫"

and because i am a 30-er who really has other things to do
i will not go on song by song already
what fun would it be anymore if i go on and on?

you can actually do the dissecting yourself by buying the album
or go for a sneak on their album blog

and buy the local album cos it will admit 10,000 fans to their free concert
to be held on 4 jan at stadium green (next to singapore indoor stadium)
they had promised that it will be a good 2-hour event
ahhhhhh~~~!!!
if you happen to go to taipei soon, check out their "be happy" store

i also would like to make a note that they have a song on "春天的呐喊"
the one event which i have not went despite years of saying i want and would
could it be a hint that they will be the official spokesband for 2009's event
and that they will be there? (SCREAM!!!!)
we'll find out...

so the 30-er says
nope, there is no 7th-album or 10-year itch that makes me wanna quit mayday
no adverse effect on my remaining youth to want to go fahrenheit's concert with ear plugs
a reassured calm that can even last me through an andy lau's concert (god forsake, though)
an increasing pride of being partial taurus (masa! 加油!) cos masa wrote song 2 which i like
and a new fondness for paper (good news for money's sake)

i now look forward to growing old

with mayday

music confession

2008-11-02T01:45:00.003+08:00

so i went on a date with the music man :P

it has never occured to me to go to lee hom's concert
but if you get free tickets, why not?
but sitting at the last 3rd row in the stadium
is definitely my first time...
not that i really mind, really

i am always not a big fan of him
though i initially thought he is cute
then later i thought he is talented
and now, after the concert, yah...
both cute and talented... hahaha

his songs are such that they dont really grow on me
but even after a while, when i hear selective songs
it just feel correct (?)
like when i hear on singing contests
or in ktv or on radio...

and i personally think he engages as a 'live' performer
the way he skretches his vocals with emotions
i literally 'froze' at a few songs, perhaps without breathing too
particularly when he sang '你不在'
and my current fav '愛錯' (which i think if powerstation sing, will also be very nice :P)

the staging was very impressive
great use of movable panels and lcd screens
there was one section where he supposedly took stage
as the drummer, singer, bassist and guitarist
i am sure about the bassist and guitarist being phoney
and using pre-recorded images on the big screens
but using the binoculars that my friend had
we really couldnt tell if the drummer or the singer is lee hom himself
amazing~

and as a nation loving citizen
it was cool to note at least 3 singaporeans on stage
keyboardist and (i think) co-producer, wu qing long (吴庆隆)
and back-up vocalists, kewei and gong shijia
we rock, in this way...

i am skeptical about the new songs in his new album though
he showcased a few which were like his oriental-meet-hip hop stuffs
some, to me, weird stuffs...
i like his ballads more...
fits with his sensitive guy image
you know, gain more female fans at the same time...
hahaaa....

ok, i did sleep well... but more like i was really tired
but yah, the songs did do something...

are you knut happy?

2008-10-28T23:48:00.004+08:00

this has to be one of the coolest mv ever for a chinese song
and looking at here and here
maybe i can kinda fit in

i definitely have had enough of the cliche mv of my fav band
with those tacky vo telling a story
duh... if your mv and song is so good at narrating a story
you dont need voice overs!

i dont want to comment more till i get hold of their latest album
(now it even comes with a specialty store in taipei to sell related merchandise
albeit for a month only)

absolutely absurb

2008-10-27T23:27:00.004+08:00

it doesnt seem like the right song to start the short work week
but it is what i have been listening to
or addicted to for the past days

apparently i wont be able to conquer it at the next k-session
but with enough angst accumulated in me
i just might

but i hope not to

alin is a taiwanese singer with a big beautiful voice
荒唐 is from her ep, 愛請問怎麼走
her latest album is out (but perhaps not in local stores yet)

welcome to the drama club

2008-10-16T01:09:00.005+08:00

rob wasnt very right in his last few readings
but maybe i wasnt really paying attention
to things happening around me also

this week started well without a nemesis around in the office
but of cos i know that i shouldnt be operating this way
i should be generating more love to people around me
no matter who they are

here is rob again: -

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Who are the best enemies we have ever had? According to David Brown in the *Washington Post,* they are the thousands of endogenous retroviruses that attacked our ancestors for millions of years. In response to their evil invasions, we humans have had to build our rough, tough immune system, which is one of the most amazing creations on the planet. Let's make this your inspirational metaphor for the coming weeks, Gemini. I urge you to welcome the opportunities that your adversaries are going to give you to grow bigger, stronger, and more beautiful.

yah, i definitely need the "more beautiful" part
especially since i insisted on making a pair of big geeky specs
(no, not the cool type) so that i will wear my contact lens
but as my laziness sets in
and insomnia slowly creeping back to my life
i am not making the plan work

on the other hand, i rediscover the joy of long walks
butt-toning stair climbing
and hopefully, by later today (now is thursday liao)
the pleasures of swimming
good bod and lovely glow doesnt happen overnight
the effort is like an uphill task
but i am darn sure the result will be damn good
in addition, there is the weight gain plan
to increase that 16.9 bmi to a decent 18 (or near)
which means lotsa in between meals between the real meals
wow! sounds great!
just that i think i better put in stomach crunches
like 30 of them, every morning
life's pretty cool when you can make the difference you desire
though you cant really read where you are heading

just a few hours ago
i heard a news about an ex-colleague (of sorts)
passing on from cancer
i dont know him very well during the 3 years
that we worked remotely with each other

but without him, i wont have been hired
so, in a way, i have to thank him
for giving me the opportunity to grow up a lot
over these few years in the company
through the good and bad, highs and lows
life's like that, and i got to learn
i probably wont like it any other way also

the hurdles that he met over the last 3 years
just before leaving the company
forced him to do things he wouldnt have done otherwise
i seriously dont know which came first
his illness or his passion to pursue he work he had loved so much
it is always easier to shove some of his bad luck to some other people
but i think he had been such a sincere, genuine person
that he will continue his journey in another significant way
and earn that final last laugh some day...
whether he will do so or not, is not in the question

and here's a small tribute to nick
with the song he sang when i last saw him some 3 years ago
god bless...

you itch?

2008-10-08T22:45:00.003+08:00

today
mayday's album is out
the latest - number 7
but i have made absolutely no effort to
whatever

anticipation kills the spontaneity
sometimes it raise the bar too high

i wont anything now

but i hope it gives me a good surprise

this massa. that masa.

2008-09-29T17:26:00.009+08:00

so i am not an f1 fan
i always wonder why would people stay up late
or drive all the way to the sepang circuit to watch the races

then last weekend i realise why
was in the area on fri and the crowd overwhelmed me
watching sat's qualifying was not as boring as i thought
and with sun's string of dramas... i can only say, mama mia!

from feeling sad for alonso when his car engine died on him sat
to flipping my support for raikkonen to massa
to developing intense sympathy turn liking for massa after his freak incident
to feeling happy for alonso when he eventually and unexpectedly won the race
to still not having much liking for the one with the pussycat doll

and my big boss' recommendation to stay at home to watch is correct
for beginners who hardly comprehend what is going on, better watch on tv first
while he went around alone with his ear plugs, cap, sunblock and disposable poncho

maybe i will go and watch next year... i dont know yet, procrastinator...

but i know for sure i am going to watch the other masa
at the "lee guitars all-star concert" on 29 nov
featuring mayday, tanya chua, zhang zhenyue, pin guan, emil chau and jonathan lee

mayday is also going to be here for the superband finals this sunday
the best is not going to be the finalists, but the performers
mayday, beyond (abeit only paul and wing) and last year's winners, milubing
i think even the other contestants from the previous superband season
are loads better to look forward than the current ones

but i hope they prove me wrong

we shall see...

(on left) massa the driver who lost the race but won my heart
(on right) masa the guitarist who cracks my ribs when he speaks

listen, just let me go!

2008-09-25T21:39:00.002+08:00

i have a fellow ncc-mate in secondary
who like one of those 校花 in school
and has to have the most interesting, easy to rem name
the initials of her name is made up of 4 ts
that goes something like t _ _ _ _ _ t_ _ ting ting

this blog is not really about her
but about the ting tings
well... it is fun music...
that kind you will like at a house party
with the kids from school

or for boring office mice
to wake up that groggy morning

for beginners: shut up and let me go [click]

30 in another light

2008-09-24T21:35:00.004+08:00

rob recommended that gemini mark "your entry into the most expressive phase of your astrological cycle with writer Jack Kerouac's list of 30 essentials which guided him as a writer. but even if you're not a writer, they can be applied to how you create your life."

so here goes [with my little sidenote]: -

1. scribbled secret notebooks, and wild typewritten pages, for your own joy [doing!]
2. submissive to everything, open, listening [70% of the time]
3. try never get drunk outside your own house [nearly never never]
4. be in love with your life [on and off]
5. something that you feel will find its own form
6. be crazy dumbsaint of the mind [sometimes, it's the heart]
7. blow as deep as you want to blow
8. write what you want bottomless from bottom of the mind
9. the unspeakable visions of the individual
10. no time for poetry but exactly what is =)
11. visionary tics shivering in the chest
12. in tranced fixation dreaming upon object before you [while blushing...]
13. remove literary, grammatical and syntactical inhibition =)
14. like proust be an old teahead of time
15. telling the true story of the world in interior monologue [hahhaa.. yeah!]
16. the jewel center of interest is the eye within the eye
17. write in recollection and amazement for yourself [all the time, darling]
18. work from pithy middle eye out, swimming in language sea
19. accept loss forever [very important, i agree!]
20. believe in the holy contour of life [i am a believer]
21. struggle to sketch the flow that already exists intact in mind
22. don't think of words when you stop but to see picture better
23. keep track of every day the date emblazoned in your morning
24. no fear or shame in the dignity of your experience, language & knowledge [thick skin loh]
25. write for the world to read and see your exact pictures of it
26. bookmovie is the movie in words, the visual american form
27. in praise of character in the bleak inhuman loneliness [pity... pity...]
28. composing wild, undisciplined, pure, coming in from under, crazier the better
29. you're a genius all the time [brilliant!]
30. writer-director of earthly movies sponsored & angeled in heaven [LOVE TO!]

treat or treat

2008-09-19T23:10:00.002+08:00

i got through another day
and when i say
"anything that is supposed to go wrong, will go wrong"
i really mean it
and things really have to go wrong to prove me right

things like: -
- gong gong go and buy a 2-cd imported album that costs me $70
- order too much food and beer
- forgot to do mic check
- didnt assign someone to be in charge of lights and fans
- projector and the "freeze" function has to screw up
- standby mic has low batt
- fumble through the script despite reading from it

it so damn helped that there are people to share these moments
whether frustrating, tiring, irritating or downright embarassing
there are the people who just seem to make thing better
whether it is making it a point to talk to you at the first chance
or waiting at the side for a small chat
or saying a little thank you
all not too superficial, just short and simple

i have no idea what good i have done to deserve the little treats in life
but i know i want to make it a point to give such little treats to people around me
it is a must, not just a try

let it be monday =)

thank you

teach me a lesson

2008-09-17T23:54:00.002+08:00

rob hasnt been making much sense to me lately...
i guess partly because i want to deny knowing what he is talking about...
so now, he says: -

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
As you navigate your way through the challenges ahead of you, should you rely on what you know or on what you don't know? That's a good question.

I'm inclined to advise you to go with what you know when it concerns your security, and to go with what you don't know when you're pursuing pleasure.

So if you're trying to come to a decision about what will make you feel at home, trust what the past has taught you. But as you seek creative inspiration and effervescent adventure, shed all precedents.

P.S. This is one of those rare times when you can interweave comfort and thrills, safety and risk, tradition and novelty.

i actually still dont know what to expect
but i think investment decisions lies in the former (security)
and my weekends lies in the latter

if i had seen this a few days earlier
i would not have made the decision to crop my hair
i have never felt like wanting my hair to grow triple the speed before
(but doubly the speed, yes... when i was in jc doing that dreaded attachment)

but now i think i want to wash my hair twice every day
comb through a hundred times
eat a lot of food that enhances dead cell production
and do some solid exercise to get that metabolism working

and at the same time
ignore all comments about my hair
or any other physical attributes

focus on my other good qualities, people!

if any left....

sitting still... still

2008-09-14T14:53:00.003+08:00

i cant sit still
not when i have so much reasons not to be able to
and listening to tanya on a sunday afternoon
actually makes the day more melancholic than it should be
and i dread knowing why
the dream this morning that reminds me clearly
why i cant sit still

is good in many ways

2008-09-09T22:40:00.005+08:00

self-healing is good
sometimes it takes a bit more time
but taking more time is good
you think through more thoroughly
think through more thoroughly is good
at least you get yourself convinced
getting yourself convinced is good
you stop doubting the truth
stop doubting the truth is good
you will start to believe
starting to believe is good
things will turn out the way you want it
and that's how it makes self-healing good

self healing can come in many forms

like indulging your tuesday in ch 5's 'calefare', 'first class' and 'the noose'
if you think it is very grass root humour, think again
i like the calefares' predictable next-line
jade seah's big glasses and max loong's nerd look
and those silly accents in 'the noose'

if humour is not good for you
then maybe music is good
mayday has everything in their songs
it is just a matter of whether you chance upon the right one
this one did something for me at one point this year
they will be here again later this year at his invitation

if you are up for challenge
you can try to go the adverse
and listen to something you never thought you will be able to tolerate
and up your patience quotient
it helps a bit also if the singer looks a lil like someone you missed

if these are not deep enough
going religious is the best le
practicing is always difficult
but at least you get reminders to keep yourself checked
check once, check twice, check thrice

there is no quick fix solution
nor one-time magic trick
(heard last week... hehehe...)

sleep and seizing time
they dont quite go together
but they must compliment
so i shall practice

!

pop the painkiller

2008-09-07T23:05:00.004+08:00

was waiting for the bus
when a question posed to me
at an interview a year ago popped up in my mind
"what are the regrets in your life?"
to which i answered, or more like, lied
that i have no regrets
that i have only have regrets on things i have not done
and having said all these
i turned down the job
which has now planted regrets in me

the many things i have not allowed myself
to take that small step
and make my life different
but rather stay at the same spot
and watch how change remains the only constant
going with the flow
have i been like this, all the while?

so
small steps
like erasing the matters that no longer matters to me
learn from
those that appear, disappear, reappear
relish
the moments that will remain for the rest of my life

no, i dont enjoy the pain
but it is the best reminder for the new pains
that will come

left aye

2008-09-02T14:19:00.004+08:00

i put down my
pen to note this
thing that has been
bugging me badly to
the extend of me going
crazy it may sound but
my left eyelid has been
twitching so
persistently over the past
days it just kinda freaks
me

i am afraid of bad
things that will
happen if i keep it in
me

so here i
note of this undesirables and
pray that it will go
away maybe all i need is to have a
good sleep if only it's only
me

who stops life?

2008-08-22T23:24:00.006+08:00

was reading the last page of "life" section
when my moment was stopped

it always makes me wondering
why despite a person who looks like
he had amassed good fortune
will leave so soon

someone had mentioned that
such happens so that the person can come back
to the human realm with an even better life sooner

well... i really dont know...

this is him on the left
looking cute and promising
in a basic house catalogue

unclassified by hoh

2008-08-05T23:48:00.005+08:00

yes! derrick's album is out!
waited for what? 3 years?
cant believe it...
still rem sobbing in hotel room in hk
when i heard he was out of the race...
hahaha... cant believe myself...

derrick's sophomore album - "unclassified" (无法归类)
the album's not bad...
nice surprises will be like guimin ge~ (yah, like i know ke guimin in person... hahaa..) producing a couple of tracks
as well as derrick writing one of the more enjoyable songs - 咬字 (enunication)
the style is nearly a bit like kenji... though needing a tat more polishing, it is a good effort from him liao...

now, i cant wait to see the full mv on youtube...
though i think most likely, the record company will be coming out with a 2nd edition that includes bonus music videos...

well... now i can only hope that they try to launch him in taiwan...
(you will realise the album is printed in traditional chinese characters... hmmm.. well, yes, designed in tw...)
luck, it seems, will be a crucial factor...

(still like this version best)

who will love me?

2008-08-04T01:18:00.007+08:00

it is not really a pleasant thing
to have strangers shouting weird things to you

stranger 1: "hey! rock dont love you... he loves me!"
stranger 2: "osdfj sojosdog jsdf, baby~!" (which i think i heard "rock doesnt love you, baby~!"

and all just becos i have the absent-mindedness
to wear a tee that proclaims "rock loves me" to singfest

lesson learnt:
never wear this tee to a music event... ever...
(maybe i just aint cool enough...)

summary of singfest:
stacie orrico - not a fan and missed part of it
jamie scott & the town - not my style, but he is good
one republic - they are much better than i thought... very good, actually...
panic at the disco - dont know their songs at all... maybe only 1 or 2... but they are good too
jason mraz - JASON MRAZ!!! FANTASTIC loh! i think the crowd LOVES him... he is really something... i will go to his full length concert anytime!
rick astley - ok... he kinda reminded me of hugh grant in "music & lyrics"... he has put on weight (yah, nuisance of middle age)... but voice still good... and yes, we all love "never gonna give you up..."
pussycat dolls - these girls are pussycat dolls for a reason... and when they sing and dance, you cant do the same... you naturally stop and just stare...
alicia keys - :P we left halfway... she is good, but damn! i hardly know her songs... and i cannot bear the thought of fighting for cab with 5-6,000 other people...

verdict:
will go again next year...
but will bring own mat (a big one)
and picnic basket (the sushi pack there cost us $12!!! fucking rip off!)

(rock loves everyone... do you love rock?)

have a cold soda

2008-08-03T01:46:00.002+08:00

i went sodagreen's concert totally unprepared
even my sis who is so damn busy had the sense of listening to their songs online
just to prep a bit...

so i was like, cant sing along most of the time...

the night was rather cold
the air-con was ok...
more like the band's interaction
and the audience's reactions

the people in the front rows and somewhere in the middle
were so unenthusiastic and unparticipative
that lead vocal, qingfeng, kept asking if they are troubled
and if they would like to share their troubles with us...

and towards to end of the concert
qingfeng, who is already androgynous-sounding
had to become very 三八 and make more funny comments
mostly funny, but it makes him rather effeminine...
it gets hard to justify that his mannerism doesnt make him un-straight
after seeing his behaviour... tsk tsk...

the sound system sucks...
or else, i can say that they sound as good as the cd
(lin wei zw, their album producer, always get upset when people say they sound better 'live'... hahaha...)

now i have to revisit their album and take a closer listen to some of those good ones i heard at the concert...

being young can be a bit tired too...

have car is good

2008-07-31T22:32:00.001+08:00

reason #1

the year of having and losing

2008-07-28T22:52:00.005+08:00

365 days is not a lot of days
if say, you have lived 10447 before the beginning of 2008
it has only been 3.493% of your life

but somehow the processes of having and losing things
the same things
appear more stark than ever

you can pinpoint exactly the things you have managed
to have
come close to having
or could have got

could have lost
to nearly be losing
or simply lose
the same things that you are aware or semi-conscious of

of opportunities
of time
of people
of materials
of health
of feelings
of thoughts
of awareness
of life

you can live your life in hundred ways
or a hundred times all over

but the only that matters
is the moment you are fully living
every single moment
now

and yet i still wonder
when i will ever live it

(something nice to listen to)

you can run, but you cannot hide

2008-07-28T22:30:00.002+08:00

for the past few months
i have been trying to deny another role
so i thought i could get away by "assisting"
and finally when things are going to be wrapped up today
ta-dah! on my lap.

well... i have no idea what i have done to deserve this
(yes... must be some sort of karmic effect)

so here proves the saying: -
you can run... as fast as you might... as far as you like...
but you cannot hide...

i wonder if osama and salamat also know this...

nothing's gonna change my world... but hopefully one day...

2008-07-19T01:10:00.005+08:00

i would like to dedicate this song to my bosses
who hopefully will wake up to some senses soon
and stop haunting us anymore...

the story is so boring
that i am too tired
to drawl on it

so, here is coldplay's viva la vida

on a side note, there is a very good cover by this guy
and it did give me goosebumps... especially this
if you dont really like the way he tilt his head when singing
you can just listen rather than watch
good stuffs!

the truth over the meadow

2008-07-16T18:13:00.003+08:00

rob says~

Kate Knapp Johnson's poem "Meadow" begins like this: "Half the day lost, staring/ at this window. I wanted to know/ just one true thing// about the soul." She goes on to imply that she wasn't successful in her meditation. You, on the other hand, will enjoy a boom time if you go in quest of such insight. By next week, you could discover at least five true things about the soul. Here's one possible truth now: The soul needs nourishing stories in the same way the body needs healthy food.

i have been nourishing my underweight body, for sure...
i will love food for the soul too...
i am not so sure about the timeline...
or if those i have in mind are really the ones who will be able to tell the meaningful stories...
but how rob actually knows that i am going for meditation class... woah~

i should practice more...

omm~

the meadow

2008-07-16T18:04:00.005+08:00

half the day lost, staring

at this window. I wanted to know

just one true thing

about the soul, but I left thinking

for thought, and now -

two inches of snow have fallen

over the meadow. Where did I go,

how long was I out looking

for you?, who would never leave me,

my withness, my here.

- Kate Knapp Johnson

tired... but not yet of numbers

2008-07-15T23:17:00.001+08:00

i woke up
feeling really tired
this morning

i had a dream

i danced

it must be intense

i am still feeling tired

why am i aching so?

2008-07-12T23:09:00.005+08:00

so i sit here waiting
for you
i ache
without a reason
i long for you
so i just keep waiting
to free my heart
to you

Mapo-gu district, seoul, korea (23 Jun 08)

focus on the moment

2008-07-10T00:29:00.003+08:00

i have been letting my imagination run wild
real wild
this 2 weeks since i came back from my vacation

i know the reason why
i didnt say i wont admit it
i just dont feel like saying it
there is of cos some joke about it
which i confirmed with my colleague
that it's/ he's like the real deal that i have to take up

but rob is right

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Some people skip to the end of a book and read the last few pages while they're still in its early stages. They want to know what will ultimately happen without going through the steps that lead up to it. While it's harmless to prematurely peek at how a book's story resolves, trying a similar approach could cause problems if you do it with your life in the coming weeks. Distortions might arise from trying to "time-travel" to a future date and foresee the outcome of a process you're in the middle of. It could sap your ability to carry out the work you'll need to do. Or it may fill you with false expectations that cause you to misjudge your allies. Be patient.

i will try my best to be patient
though some part of it is wearing me sick
i feel like downing myself in tears at times
but due to my months of practice
tears no longer flow anyway they like

and if most part of what rob says is work
like the real thing that pays me money
then i am fine to just stall
and not plan a single thing for the coming months
but work does go on
just that i am losing my allies
i not adorable mah...
i am the office bitch
so? work still applies...
whether you like me or not
whether i like you or not

p.s. today my boss came by my place and studied the extensiveness of the blue carpet at my work area. blue carpet represents water, and brown carpet earth/land.
boss: (with i-am-too-free-so-kpo-abit look on face) "wah... i see there is a lot of water (blue carpet) at your place..."
minty: (expressionless and typing on laptop) "yah... maybe that means i will drown faster..."
boss: (i-am-too-free-so-kpo-abit look on face TOTALLY wiped out) "................."
minty: (typing stopped. bite tongue discreetly) "................"
minty: (attempt to light up face) "or maybe that means money comes in faster to me..."
boss: "yah, likely... hmmm... just share this observation lah..." (spottting a shouldnt-have-talk-to-likely-pms'ing-nutcase look with added determination not to mention pay raise ever again in the next 3 months)

no pay increase, never mind loh... earn so much also only spend on family, cds, concerts, food only... vacation 3 years only take 1 decent one... die also cannot bring the $$$ wherever...

but i so look forward to increased sales in the next 6 months (july included)... i would like an obsence amount of bonus... orrrhhhh~~~ what did rob just tell me?

gan lae gan

2008-07-08T23:41:00.003+08:00

a love song cant be written
if you are not in love...

i guess it is true...

but why do i cry?

one of the best things to try to do in bangkok is actually to go watch a thai band play thai pop songs... really good... and it will be a bonus if the cute vocalist or guitarist sing/play just for you... ahhh...

the sun shall never set

2008-07-07T22:40:00.005+08:00

i still keep that little note meant for you
in the little pocket close to my heart
not giving it to you
so that the thrills dont end so fast
the days will be kept happy
just because i like it so

jolin has a happy song (check original)
and she makes a great match for show

just a beautiful mess

2008-07-06T23:10:00.004+08:00

"you got the best of both worlds; you’re the kind of girl
who can take down a man and lift him back up again
you are strong but you’re needy. humble but you’re greedy
based on your body language and shoddy cursive I’ve been reading
your style is quite selective but your mind is rather reckless
well i guess it just suggests that this is just what happiness is...

hey what a beautiful mess this is..."

how could it be so possible that a beautiful song
is writing about you

i wanna spend a day with him

but if only it can be just him, and i...

ok.. maybe not... i am painfully shy...

duh... duh... duh...

2008-07-01T23:32:00.004+08:00

oh
then i suddenly realise

so
that's how things go

and
if there's any highlight

well
you dont need to know

what happens if there are tears in your eyes

2008-07-01T23:16:00.003+08:00

little girl reached her stop
her older sister pressed the bell
and brought her to the rear door

arrived at stop
door opened
little girl got down the bus
older sister flashes ez link card on the reader
little girl realised she forgot to tap her card

little girl ran up the bus
only to be nearly trapped by the closing door
yelped
passengers panicked

little girl managed to get up the bus
and walked to the bus driver
to explain that she needed to tap her card
and then to get down

bus driver kept driving on
little girl explained in a louder voice
like trying to make herself clearer

dus driver didnt care and drove finally to the next stop
about 10 minutes walk away from the previous

little girl asked the bus driver to drive her back
bus driver answered with nonchalance
that she got to find her own way back

tears finally swelled in her eyes
innocence and helplessness reigned over
her adorable face of character

saviour stood up and brought her down the bus
her concerned face told me she would bring the girl
back to where she should have been in the first place

it is good to know that
even when there are times when you get lost and despaired
there will be someone to help you out of the blue
you dont even have to anticipate or believe in this
things just happen

boys boys girls

2008-06-29T00:13:00.005+08:00

better late than never cannot get more appropriate
to describe today

the last minute decision to catch these 2 shows within 1 day
proved to be right

get smart
steve carrell is just good in get smart
anne hathaway quite classy-pretty too
the cinema is quite well filled
but i guess only some lame people
find him funny enough to laugh loudly
guess i am one of those
since i cannot help slapping the seat rest a couple of times
and gosh, i even clapped... ~~~

b-boyz and ballerina
still cant get over the korean culture

especially since the korean show "jump" we caught there

featured good cheorography, plot, and hunky cute lead :P

and of cos, who can get over the korean boyz... hahahaaa...

thus how can we resist b-boyz from korea then?
there is still a matinee show at 3pm on sunday (29/6)
think still have seats...
i love the dances, and the "bad boys" in the show

is it too late to go for hip-hop classes at my age?
the lesson of procrastination kicks in...

and by the way
much as i was one of those who disagreed
with them dropping out of school just before their o levels
i have to say that BY2 is really quite cute and are solid dancers...
catch this and more on youtube...

so starting this week
i am going to exercise, exercise, exercise!!!

kimchi makkoli minty

2008-06-27T00:20:00.003+08:00

it is funny to start the trip with this song
but it's alright
at least it is a catchy tune
to listen to on a cramped plane seat

and had to watch this movie on the way back
no, no personal screen cos it is not the usual airline
but hey, the movie is not too bad also
better than getting distracted by the kid kicking our seats

took an entire day to unpack
cos still very dreamy...

i already had a korean dinner lined up

yes... missing the place already...

even the cashiers at family mart are cute

how would i be like at the amusement parks?

2008-06-13T23:35:00.003+08:00

"i live in fear for a few months, thinking every day something would happen, but nothing did. i went back to living a 20something's life."
- liu ye, chinese actor ( lead actor of "lan yu") on his turning 30

well, yah, i only need a few weeks
to realise life goes on like normal...
considering i still like songs like this
and hey! feel like dancing...
age as a number really aint so bad...

is that smoke in your eyes?

2008-06-10T23:24:00.006+08:00

他 ' 的爱 . 像 ` 二手烟 ~
抽完 - 很快 , 就 ' 蔓延 . .
太容易; 散开的 " 烟
让~ 人没拥, 有起点'

爱 \ 有时 , 像二 ' 手烟
才. 刚熄灭; 已蔓延 ~
就当作: 过眼 - 云烟
只会, 薰红了双眼 "

蔡建雅《二手烟》

together, together!

2008-06-08T22:39:00.002+08:00

finally
a need to kickstart the week
with a happy song
never mind if it is a little silly
or act cute
getting a little fond of show luo
well, maybe because he looks a little like monster =)

(check out their intimate time)

tapping into your heart

2008-06-08T01:29:00.002+08:00

that was maybe 2001
so many years ago
when we were still using icq
yes, the one with red/green rose
the time when this song made sense
in very subtle way
it made a lot of sense then

will i really turn up?

2008-06-06T23:43:00.005+08:00

it has been more than 6 months since we last met up
i still dont understand

sometimes i am deafened by my silence during these polite gatherings
i would love to start a monologue along the way
except that i will probably be the only one enjoying it

well... i had earn a free meal or two for fine performances before
but still... why torture the unprepared audience?

i am no longer seeking an answer
to the baffling gatherings...
why should i bother?

i only know i cant drink tomorrow
cos i feel my gastric acting up today

ok, maybe half a mug...
there's the "alcoholic" i have to try to live up to
since i still have no husband

it is such a chore to try to live up to reputation
and even worse when you are quite the perfectionist...
or idiot...

who's missing today?

2008-06-04T22:46:00.006+08:00

oh my... i cant make up my mind what i wanna say tonight

initially, i had felt like having the company of a hot chick tonight
so i thought, maybe landy singing a kenji wu's creation
or perhaps amei with a david tao original
if not, i always have the girl-woman vivian hsu to fall back on
either as the biker gal or a swordswoman

then i got distracted by
i settled for someone who works closely with cheer chen
singing one of my favourite eason song

then rem i wanted to highlight that sodagreen is coming on 2 aug
no company, then no go
their tixs are priced way high for a band that doesnt seem to have very big fan base here...
and my goodness! 12 blocks of seats only!
...................

and finally!
got led to the muse - vitas lu!
his debut album is out!!!
in taiwan~~~
sigh... dunno if this will be brought to singapore
and no one going to taiwan soon... not me :(
BUT! can buy online!
place order with minty now!
(note: will cost about S$28)
sounds really good though >>> check out on the right
*****dreamy*****

so what...? i'll wait!!!

khkh

2008-06-04T22:46:00.001+08:00

kkjhk

what was that?

2008-06-01T23:01:00.002+08:00

considering i had 2 dinners tonight
i guess i am officially back
hopefully it means putting on weight soon
just 2... ok, 3kg
and i will be happy...

hmmm... i am feeling hungry again...

no, not my soul...
just my stomach...

a brand new week...

omphf!

hang (on) over

2008-05-31T13:20:00.008+08:00

i have never known what my limit is
because i exercise very good restrain
i always believe two is just enough for me
especially if it is solid good

i had of cos had more than two from time to time
but that was a loooooooong time ago
and the record was a variety of 6 drinks
out of 2 were diluted

and considering i can hardly finish a beer proper nowadays
last night was really pushing the limit

2 vodkha mixes, 2 tequila shots,
and 1 damn lethal drink that is something like this
about wasted me

the music was not even fantastic
and i was not even high
actually i was high at the second drink
but being the " belated bd gal"
i was served more than i should

then i totally remember why 2 is the magic number
when i woke up puking gastric juice
felt like having buring stomach, kidneys and liver
and a splitting headache while feeling nauseous
and the worst, feeling hungry at the same time
thank goodness for famotidine, tiger balm and plain water
i can nearly function again

i have the heart to want to "take revenge" when their turns come
but thinking about how i wont be able to drive them home
though being able to walk with them in a straight line
somehow tell me to just forget it

i am glad i made it home (with them)
and proud that i walked by myself

alcoholic minty flanked by 3 babes

kiddo, it's morning!

2008-05-26T22:20:00.003+08:00

starting a monday with only 2 hours of sleep is really no joke
except that i could still function at work till 7pm
and still can get myself to sit down and type these nonsense
maybe i am getting younger
a friend says perhaps i am turning into a teenager

well, seeing at how juvenile i have been in treating a colleague recently
i am not at all surprised of this transformation
even my 18-year-old cousin commented to my aunt that i am like a kid
whether she had meant that i look/dress/behave younger
i am not sure

but it could have most probably set her thinking this way
when i sulked through giving her english tuition in a library
i am sure she doesnt remember though
she has very poor memory
including the times when she stayed at our place
and i always threatened to dress her in her green coloured child care centre t-shirt
yes, the child care centre which gave her nightmares from fights with the other children
i was that evil

and so is this world
it is giving me options by giving me very little choices
well, better with choices than with none
but what if all the choices are not bright and optimistic?

i want a new job (call me!)
or a new posting (shanghai?)
or a new direction (it's there, but i am not exercising it)

crappy kid now...

so i couldnt sleep last night (or this morning rather)

thank goodness for youtube

and really, lack of sleep makes you think and write faster

i love this state, somewhat

just that i have to get myself to stop writing

perhaps that will only happen when i, like, fall asleep right on the keyboard

yah... maybe that is right...

maybe like this...

yhnujki,,,,,,,,,,,,uhyjyuhjmmmmmm , nmjunuh

initial30

2008-05-23T00:22:00.003+08:00

i guess a short break away from the office had been good
yes... still need to do work, but the pace is different
and most of the time had been wasted on doing unconstructive discussion
but good time for interpersonal relationships between colleagues
i am very sure most, if not all, the female colleaegues like me

the past few days has been damn busy, but i have been jolly
yes, seeing moustachie kinda reminds me i am home... ahhahaa...
but yah, i feel refreshed somehow...

if problem crops up at work, perhaps i will head to shanghai in a week's time
i actually would like to
cos i forgot to drop by h&m last week... sigh...

and this week, i nearly forgot about rob: -

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Giuseppe Rebaudi and Silvie Basain started dating in 1952. This year they finally decided to take the next step. After a 56-year courtship, the 101-year-old Italian man wed his 98-year-old girlfriend. I predict that a comparable event will bless your love life in the second half of 2008, Gemini. Some romantic development that has been in the works for a long time will finally ripen into its full expression. Expect news about this soon.

sometimes rob is damn accurate, sometimes highly enlightening, sometimes very entertaining, and sometimes totally misses.

i hardly have any feelings to what he is saying this week...
what is a 56-year courtship like?
i wont know...

i am only (nearing) 30

should you be afraid of the crows?

2008-05-19T23:01:00.005+08:00

crows zero or 铃兰高校
crows: episode 0 or kurozu zero
are all referring to the same film

making it is the queer 48 year-old takeshi miike

also of the gozu fame that remains like fresh milk* in my mind

he has a way of putting things together in a film

that they turn out a little more human than usual

making it look good, or damn good

is the cute 26 year-old shun oguri

who makes the mohawk looks cool the yakuza way

and lights up the black setted film

as new comer, genji, enters the notorious suzuran high school (aka crows' high school)

with the sole vision to take over the school as 'the' leader

however, with the lack of knowledge on how to do so

he incidentally befriended a yakuza small fry

who agreed to teach him some social skills

with the tips, solid kicks and punches, as well as undying determination

genji managed to round up a sizeable fitting team

to fight out with rival group lead by a serizawa

(who looks too old to be in high school, but then again...)

i would rather watch the movie than reading what i have to write...

the movie is essentially violence (but very acceptable level)
but you will be caught off guard by some lame humour (oh... now you know...)
as well as the little touching bits that makes the men, more man...

i supposed the dvd will be out soon, though i have not seen it just yet

and for those like me, crows zero is only a prelude
crows 2 will be ready in 2009

* those who have watched the film will understand why we see fresh milk oh so differently from then on...

no husband... and alcoholic

2008-05-17T23:06:00.005+08:00

overseas regional meetings are my pet peeves
because i have no innate talent in socialising
but it is also a time i relish
plainly for reasons like getting having a room to myself, have sumptous meals, see new places (or visit old ones)
yah, very superficial that is stark plain truth

this time, it is fulfilling the incomplete trip to shanghai
and to hangzhou which i have never been

the weather is colder than what i expected (about 15 deg c at night)
and considering my insistence to bring only summer clothes
i can only say, i asked for it...
but thankful for the invention of beer
i am kept healthy ^___^

so over dinner and beer one night with another 2 marketing girls
the observation of the marketing girls in the region being single somehow popped up
and having been beering consequtively for 3 nights

my thai colleague's conclusion of our situation as

"no husband... and alcoholic..."

reduced us to laughter and tears at the same time...

i personally blame it on us being high

rather than the bitter-sweet truth of it

this has to be the quotable quote of our lives for a while still
but we wished each other good luck

top of the news in china and asia is of cos' the earthquake in sichuan province
in china, there are like at least 1 official tv station for each province
and when you surf through the channels and they are talking about the same thing
you know the assistance required to ease the difficulties is acute
even bbc is covering a lot about it, and a bit on burma's situation
do your bit, there is no bit too small

even if... even though...

2008-05-04T23:40:00.003+08:00

虽然我愿意
唱:伍家辉词:_ _ _ 曲: _ _ _

请让我靠近你轻轻对你说
别让我每个夜为你受折磨
是多么不容易才默默放手

为了我就当作这次为了我
别让我因为你被回忆折磨
而空气凝结了我们的脸孔
我别无选择

就算我们之间有什么问题
依然想念着你
虽然被放弃
虽然我愿意

就算我们之间有什么难题
黑夜我还想着你
心碎人孤寂
虽然我愿意

再让我靠近你轻轻对你说
当我说我要你从此好好过
是真的否则我怎么肯放手

为了我就当作这次为了我
赐给我你现在幸福的笑容
别让恨冻结了我们的脸孔
请你做选择

就算我们之间有什么问题
依然想念着你
虽然被放弃
虽然我愿意

就算我们之间有什么难题
黑夜我还想着你
心碎人孤寂
虽然我愿意

心碎人孤寂
虽然我愿意
就算我们之间有什么问题
依然想念着你
虽然被放弃
虽然我愿意

就算我们之间有什么难题
黑夜我还想着你
心碎人孤寂
虽然我愿意
(心还想着你)

lurve his voice...
buy his album...

stick to movies gals will watch

2008-05-03T23:25:00.009+08:00

i somewhat realised why i watch weird shows
at least those weird shows i watch have some kinda plot
or have a 'moral of the story'
or good cinematography
or creates sentimentality
or give you a good laugh
or 1 or 2 cute guys
or...

well, strictly speaking, there is 1 cute guy in harold & kumar 2
but the rest of it ranges from quite lame to very lame
i know i am a rather lame person (sis says "very lame")
but as a graduate of a particular study
i seriously think i should exercise selectivity in the next round

the jokes in h&k2 are not as raw and good as the first instalment
(actually it wasnt really that funny... i am blinded...)
this time... low brow...
at least borat was a novel idea...

the point is, naked bottoms (front and back) and tits aplenty in h&k2
i dont think 70% of the audience will complain
just that i guess they also wont mind more intelligent scripting
i can recount myself laughing about 5 times... ok, maybe 6...
i dont feel like even comparing them to the classic "a night at the roxbury"
(check classic lines)

i shall look forward to some actions, good music (go to 'synopsis'! sounds like disney's!) and cute-butt rain when i am back then...

on the side...

who says guys i like all look alike?

john cho versus kenji wu

tv kills the internet

2008-05-03T11:37:00.003+08:00

the stupid work hours has done enough harm to my gastric
now, even my selectivity in tv programmes has taken a twist
i basically watch whatever is on tv
but i have to admit that i have little complaints on the weekday programmes

the best currently being belinda's "find me a singaporean"
(or my preferred chinese title "稀游记")
the first episode in the programme showed this 26 year-old singaporean guy who went to argentina to "study philosophy" but with the real motive to learn and dance the real tango
such passion!
i also want to go france and learn ballet...
("find me a singaporean" telecasts on wednesday, 8pm on ch u)

i also have caught a few episodes of the new face search on channel u
despite my unselective sister exclaiming "what is the point of the show?!?!?!"
well... look at pretty and hamsome faces loh...
and once again i have to lament
how come the better looking guys are not local? what happened?
anyways, "u are the one" is still ongoing so if you are bo liao like me, you can always catch it

if you wanna know, the guy who is leading at the moment is chinese student M7 - icaru yuan
followed by greek-chinese model M8 gavrill skaros who speaks halting chinese but gets the female judges gushing over him... well...

minty's personal fav is mayday ashin look-alike (yes, some may beg to differ) and dark horse chinese storekeeper M1 - zheng jianfeng
yes, check out his cute dimples, smooth dance move, and good physique
i have to say, another qi yuwu in the making
(please dont turn *ay~~)
and boys again? no... he is old man in the mindset...
("u are the one" telecasts on mondays, 8pm on ch u)

then of cos the silly trio of vivian lai, jeremy chan and lee teng are back with a vengence!
not sure if the new addition can beat lingyi who was quite good last season...
("on the beat" telecasts on tuesdays, 8pm on ch u)

not bad lah... settles my mon - wed nights liao...

o monster

2008-04-29T23:30:00.004+08:00

handsome face doesnt matter how he tweaks it

mayday and onion

2008-04-27T13:10:00.002+08:00

woah... more mayday...

this is ashin's fantastic rendition of 洋葱 (onion) at the concert last night

i really like this =)

masa is no joke

2008-04-27T12:59:00.013+08:00

as a prelude to watching "harold and kumar - escape from guantanamo bay"
i have to bring up this joke at mayday's concert

as masa just celebrated his birthday last week
the other 4 guys led the stadium to a birthday song for him last night
when asked about his birthday wish
masa made the following request to guanyou (or ryan)

“许愿因该有蛋糕和蜡烛。
这样好了，冠佑，
你就躺下来，
再把蜡烛弄上来。。。”

his/their typical humour...
to which masa exclaimed mock surprise that
"单纯的新加坡人也听得懂"...
er...

(btw, i think john cho/harold lee is cute in a rather decent way...)