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-Is an English Language major undergraduate who likes to Take It Easy.

Words and languages, Jane Austen, period dramas/films, Vitagen, Korean dramas, good songs, better books, Green, wanderlusting, Culture, writing, Experimenting

Things I'd Like

- A Nitendo Wii gaming console
- My own set of rollerblades
- More nail polish (bought just one, neon pink in colour)
- Concert DVDs! (Back to Basics: Live & Down Under by Christina Aguilera, The Black Parade Is Dead by My Chemical Romance , Mika: Live In Cartoon Motion, Where The Light Is: John Mayer Live In Los Angeles )
- A cat

Old Stories

Deep-night
Day 4 @ the canyon
Day 3 @ Grand Canyon
Day 2 @ Flagstaff
To dad: Day 1 @ Phoenix
I feel like I should change my blogskin, as it's b...
A park affair
The real importance of being earnest
Firstly, let me get this announcement off my chest...
I've got a secret

Older Stories

March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
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August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
January 2008
February 2008
May 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
July 2009
August 2009
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Great Clicks

Twitter
Rapture
Heaven
Mraz
Mayer
Xiaxue
Andrea
Retro Music
Music blog

Thanks

Designer: fedora_girl :)
Image: Pride & Prejudice (2005) screencaps
Brush, Pattern: The Magic Box
Edit: Adobe Photoshop

^This is what I am wearing and/or bringing to the aircraft tonight.

I think I am going to either die of heatstroke or skin flaking in Korea.

Either way, I'm quite sure I have enough layers to last me on this trip. My kiasu mum, a native herself, insisted on me bringing every single jacket/longpants/longsleeves I ever owned. So not glamorous.




Went Kboxing today, aka Karaoke-ing, before going off to Korea. It's probably our last time meeting up this year. One was wearing a snowflake necklace. Awww...how appropriate for this coming Christmas period. It looked really nice against her fair skin. As usual, the English songs selection suck. The only Jason Mraz songs were weird ones like Sleep All Day and I Melt With You-which I chose but the original singer wasn't even him! -_- So I sang, or tried to sang, mostly F.I.R's songs, there were 3 pages filled with F.I.R songs at one point (I'm sorry for taking up most of the 30 songs choice limit girls, but I really like some of F.I.R's songs!) Then we videoed a solo from each of us near the end of our singing session, but by then, we were freaking exhausted, so we sounded really awful. It's all good fun, and er, I'll just post a couple of the vids here for the novelty. We then proceeded to the bus-stop to take tons of pics but didn't quite get the perfect shot. argh. It was fun fooling around there. People looked at us like we were crazy, like, boys have their games and girls have their cameras, it's what keep us and them busy. Know what I mean?

All too soon, had to part and I went to buy a coupla suitcases with my parents at Chinatown. While on the way in the car, the tour leader called us and said there were going to be 69 freakin' members in the Korea tour. Imagine that. It's going to be a little chaotic, we'll see how things go. They said it was due to overwhelming demand. It's a little absurd, I remember the day we booked this Korea tour, my family was told that we were one of the last few to book the tour, and the quota set was a comfortable 23 (they had kindly accommodated my family and had expanded from 20). How did that number become this almost freakish sixty nine?

And then we first made a stop at the money changer's upon reaching Chinatown. My parents changed about one million won plus. I know, cuz they gave me the task of counting all that green note (literally and metaphorically). And do you know, tips for the tour guide, driver and leader amount to 200 US dollars??

After that, we went to a travel bag store. There, my parents had wanted to get those suitcases on sale. And then I brought up the point regarding- What's the point of getting cheap stuff if your suitcase is going to get easily smashed again like the last time? The last time we went on tour (to East Europe), two of our suitcases got cracked & damaged, like people had shot at it, the only thing missing was the gun residue. So the salesman, he was pretty weird but knowledgable. he got into fibre glass suitcase casing versus carbonated casing and all that. He patiently showed us the goods he got and guess what, he even stomped and jumped hard on suitcases we were considering buying. Well, we went away well exceeding our budget, but were satisfied.

And then we had dinner at the nearby famed hawker centre. What spoilt the otherwise glorious foody image of that place were young women hanging out with old men. And those hookers don't even look like. They were glaringly ubiquitous but some looked 'normal'- pretty but not garish. You could only tell them from the obvious dichotomy of the age of their companion. It was only 8ish and they were already making their rounds.

So that's it, two more days till I'm outta here and hopefully I can tie up the loose ends (of school and personal) before I go on holiday proper.







But of course!

Excerpt:

The 44-year-old actor is the most gracious celebrity for the third year in a row on Autograph magazine's annual list of the "10 Best and 10 Worst Hollywood Signers."...."Though soft-spoken and laid-back, he likes to talk to fans and get to know them while signing," New York autograph dealer Anthony Risi explains in the December issue, now on newsstands. "He'll sign more than one item when he has time, too."

The magazine said editors compiled input from autograph-collecting judges based in Europe, New York and California in ranking the celebs.
-AP





^This was the day after I arrived in Japan. Like wth!!

But yeah, Johnny blew me away with his conduct at the Japan premiere of At World's End, where he snubbed virtually all the reporters (who were equally salivating to be near him I tell you!) and signed every single fan's autograph. He was so engrossed that even Gore the director had to tap him and pretend to ask for an autograph to get his attention!


Meanwhile, I'm seriously starting to like this Gerard person a lot. He's in his 30 and I think all musicians should be that age. (Hint:Jason Mraz) Just click on any one of these 3 videos to get started on him (eek, fangirl alert :P)! You gotta LOVe his honesty.

NME.com video, about the band (Mikey is his brother and Gerard himself was a comic book artist before), September 11 and uncoolness. [Part 1]


[Part 2]


Taste It TV interview, covers a lot of ground. I always wanted to watch and have a dream show like that, where one really digs deep inside the minds of musicians. :D







If only I could look to the skies and see meaning in the clouds. This monsoon weather is having such irritable diarrhoea. It keeps splattering at us all. Like seriously, grey clouds= pour? drizzle? false alarm?

It sucks when you had planned a fantastic day out, only to be foiled by the almighty (expanse of) fluff up there.






Every Singaporean's library membership borrowing right is doubled every school holidays. So for me, being the geek that I am, excitedly maxed out mine and my mum's cards a week ago.



I got started with Angela Carter's Several Perceptions, seeing it was the thinnest of the lot. That anorexic-looking book deceived me so! the plot development is slow, while the language is kooky. It makes a frustrating though amusing read, and I'm determined to get through it.



Concurrently, I read the Christian thriller (to me) series, Soon. I had bought the first book at a sale, and it consisted of 3 parts, so I borrowed the last 2 from our local beloved library. I love the author. He writes extremely well, without being too complicated and made me inspire for a moment to be like him, to write books about the end of days with a Christian background. It's a bit like The Da Vinci Code, only less presumptuous, less controversial and more accessible. It felt like a shortened version of his other widely popular series, Left Behind. I would read through the whole series of left behind again, if I had time. The scenarios painted in these books could very well be real, that's why the immense popularity of this author's (Jerry Jenkins) works. In short, Soon and Left Behind are about how in the future, there will only in effect be one world government and how religion is banned, 'in the name of peace'. And how the majority of undergrounders are Christian believers, who eventually win the war, with a miracle and two from God. I believe in tribulation and such, and I wanna stress again, I believe that it will happen in my generation. Reading these books, I could only imagine, profoundly imagine what those days would be like. And I teared up gladly so many times while getting through the books.



On to a lighter note, I speed-read the two Soon books, and am now starting on Jane Austen's Mansfield Park and Lewis Carroll's Through the looking glass. I had watched the movie version of Mansfield Park starring Alessandro Nivola & Jonny Lee Miller (le sigh) a few years back and loved the story and the angsty hunks, not the movie (though I generally love period movies). So I borrowed the book. I didn't know it was written by Pride and Prejudice's author! I couldn't find Sense and Sensibility off the shelves, but gladly spotted Mansfield. I'm only into a few pages and lovelove it. How classic authors can write so well is beyond me. Thank God for authors of the past.



Lewis Carroll, another crazy bugger. A fantastic story-teller and master of wordplay. I just hope I don't have to rush through these books too much, considering I have to return them in about two weeks' time and that I'm off to Korea next week. Do you know, Lewis created Humpty Dumpty, Twiddle Dee and Dum, and a coupla poems such as these:

This is the opening verse of the prologue-ic poem of through the looking-glass:

Child of the pure unclouded brow
And dreaming eyes of wonder
Though time be fleet, and I and thou
Are half a life asunder,
Thy loving smile will surely hail
The love-gift of a fairy-tale. :D

I leave you to slowly enjoy what the words mean.

PS: The last verse is on the right column. Don't you just love poets??
PPS: The Echoing Green poem I gave you a glimpse of a few blog posts back and featured in Angela Carter's book, I found out was written by William Blake!! Ah! He is my new hero.




Yesterday morning, my mum had woken up and kept the main door open. As you know of the layout of HDBs, you will know that one will have a neighbour living directly opposite you. And my mum (that cheeky genius) had kept the door open this particular morning for a purpose. When I sleepily woke up to help her start my laptop out in the living room (where one had a good view of the door and outside), she shared with me this. That our neighbour had too opened the door wide open...but only for a few seconds and quickly slammed the door shut. Now this would not have been brought to my mum's attention at all, only that she knew the man and woman inside had spent an illicit night together (or was it even from day 1?). Two days ago, my mum had wanted to give the man's little girl the pink penguin you see in the pics two posts below. The pink penguin isn't mine if you're wondering, I didn't get anything this birth-day. :)The father answered the door and said his whole family (him excluded) had gone to stay in a chalet till Friday.

My mum then thought of how she had met the wife and kids at the lift a day or two ago, with the wife looking 'extremely moody and put out' in my mum's own words. And she began to understand the situation. And kept a close eye on the sole inhabitant left at our neighbour's. True enough, the next morning, he left his home in the morning, with the fat lady in tow. My mum decided she wanted to keep a look-out on what time they would be back. No such incident.

So yesterday morning, when she witnessed the whole opening and then slamming of the door, she knew the neighbour knew that he didn't want to be caught outrightly red-handed. I paraded in front of my living room a few laps, pretending to look busy. Then, I went to the dining area, out of sight, and listened out and confirmed that he was indeed conversing with someone in the house. I beckoned my mum over, and we stayed put. A minute or two later, what do you know, my neighbour decided at that moment to leave and lock up. The fat lady sauntered out pompously (to my mum's exclamation!), trying to save her dignity and walked off, while the man locked up and scurried after her. Just when my mum was still taking all this in and thought this drama would be over in a second, the man turned and glanced back, AND CAUGHT my mum straight in the eye, and the couple was gone. haha. It was really a failed comedy of sorts. Two hours later, he was back with his nuclear family.

People, men like this really really disgust me, and I guess the majority of the female population out there. How could he do all this in his own home? How could he be so shameless, so heartless? And to think the wife blamed the Internet for this situation, among other things. His 3 young kids are adorable as can be and the wife is as care-giving and virtuous as one could ask for. Why are men so bloody stupid most times? Of course, nothing good will end for the man. That goes without saying. Karma, at its face value of the word, will get to him as it got to other stupid beasts.





^ He made this pose at the start of the concert! I didn't catch it from where I was (got it from mtvasia.com), the whole stage was so dark but it was definitely a fitting image of MCR's concert.

I have found the next iconic rock band of our generation. Yes, My Chemical Romance.

^He looks so much like Jack from The White Stripes. I used to like guys who looked like that. :) (thanks to Melissa at Flickr for this picture)

This emo-gothic-punk-alternative-rock band far far surpassed my initial skeptical expectation of them. All along, I thought they were a gimmicky band, catering to lost kids out there who viewed themselves as misunderstood and all alone. What with the band's heavy gothic makeup, complete with the white ghost face paint frequently seen in their promotional pictures, I was very put off by this supposed deviant band, whose image seemed so unlike the norm and inaccessible. However, after attending their concert, underneath all their flamboyant image, they are...musicians of substance.

Surprisingly for the Singapore concert, MCR's stage props were very much stripped down. They didn't wear any costumes or had any props on stage. They merely donned black clothes and put on pretty light makeup- and that was enough. Gerard is a force of energy. From start to end, he sang like no tomorrow, and he pranced, jumped around, struck poses on stage, clearly feeding off the crowd's energy. The crowd was freaking crazy, but that's because of the band's fantastic playing and the frontman Gerard. There are some pretty awesome guitar riffs in MCR's songs. They really are A BAND. No sleek formulaic production in their songs, but original compositions are what maketh their songs.

And the lyrics, in that sweaty crowded moshpit, I found myself singing along to their radio hits, and suddenly found myself understanding fully the meaning of their songs. I really identified with how those people (of hopes and dreams & collective experience), the band and I felt while singing along to the songs. And Gerard, he really really knows how to connect with the audience. Despite all the Fs unabashedly finding their way into every sentence he spoke, he used those words with such passion that people like me can just chuckle and forgive him. At one point, he said he wanted to "f**k us so hard, we won't be able to walk tomorrow" and another, he said "look at you motherf**kers, you're beautiful"- he kept asking the light to shine on us and saying that he wanted to look at us proper. He banged his fist in the air, reached out to us masses in his singing, pointed up and at us, in all-Gerard made the concert so subliminial, he is uber passionate and truly exceptional, he's a rock god in the making.

MCR is the next Queen of our generation Seriously, they're a combo of old school rock and roll, modern Jet, Green Day, Jack Black and passionate singing. Being at a concert like theirs is mindblowing, very much different than merely hearing them on CD. They're going to be around for a very long time. Continue writing from your hearts and playing them out, MCR!

I would definitely pay for your next concert.

--And Maroon 5's coming!!! March 25th! They had these contest forms at the entrance where the concert promotor set up a table for people to fill up to meet the band, and then you drop it in a box. My bro and I did that after the concert.









PS: Yes I did manage to sneak in cameras. But that's cuz they didn't bother to check our bags at all, despite the big freaking sign in red which said No Cameras and recording devices. The angry mob outside was outraged and increasingly impatient by the minute. The concert was supposed to start at 8pm, but they only opened the doors at 8. Luckily, it didn't get rowdy at all. I was a little afraid at first cuz people were drinking beer and many young people were smoking at every turn.

Look what they were selling outside.


Heh. Shoulda bought a shirt, but they were going at $40.


Videos I took! well, more like my bro took, cuz he was taller. The Black Parade.


My favourite songs of the night, Sleep...


...and the closing song: Famous Last Words.


The Black Parade- their latest album.





...from the castle of my heart. Amen.



Scene shots biatch.




Doh!


Classy cuppa girl.


Fellow tea drinker!


Rich, cheesy statement.


Scooching low for the peek-a-boo. *blinks*


Kawfee talk.


Backstage carousel antics.



They refused the wet look. Instead, they went for the 'bubbles keep falling on my head (which appeared out of nowhere!).' Catch those dreams for me, good folks!


Castle omen



Indeed.


Totally torrential, totally wild twisty day= Happy 20th.




I had several dreams last night, all of which I can't recall once I'm awake in the morning. However, I did recall one particular precious dream. It was the climax. After a series of dreams happening in quick succession (but seemed to slow down time, and me really believing it was happening in the real and now as all dreams always fool me every.time), I had...a Jason Mraz dream to round it off. I remember this JM dream cuz I just automatically woke up after it ended-it was surreal, half sat up, and did a quick recall while in my dreamy hazy state, smiled to myself and then lied back down again with that smile still plastered on my face.

I woke up with the sunlight cheerily greeting me, the first rare occasion with the monsoon weather it has been giving us for the past week. And tried to recall any dream I had, to not much success. Next time, I'll write down such rare dreams, even if it was in the middle of the night.

And to think this is only my 3rd dream of him. :D And also, maybe spending an hour or so practising one of my favourite songs of his on the guitar last night did something to my state of mind. NICE.

I leave you and myself with this bit I found in Angela Carter's Several Perceptions story and which I'm currently plowing through.

She mentions the Albert Halls of the imagination, and it's true of dreams isn't it? really ANYthing happens.

Such, such were the joys
When we all, girls and boys,
In our youth time were seen
On the Echoing Green.







I was still so high after coming back from the FIR gig held at Suntec City today. Faye can sing superbly, and she has audience-interaction skills. You can see that she sincerely tries to connect with the fans. I reckon she loves her fans a lot. So here's what went on today.

The gig was meant to start at 1.30pm. We started lining up at 11.30am, by then the first two rows of the barricades were already filled up. And then, I chatted with my friend for about 1 hour, when Ian, the keyboardist/backup singer/founderoftheband/producer turned up!! You could add 'soundcheck guy' to that list. He tested out his keyboard by having a mini karaoke session with us! He sound-tested through 3 songs, with a fan and a couple of crew members providing the vocals. It was a bit of a laugh really, as the crew members and fan was there onstage to provide sound. It was horrible la. When girls wail and speak-sing, especially in difficult Chinese songs where only the real singer can reach the high notes. I was bored out of my mind. But Ian was like, taking it easy and stayed through 3 songs. It seemed like he enjoyed seeing the girls do their own thing. I thought it was so friggin cool to actually sing with THE band. Well, one third of the band. But it was like, a band member playing at your birthday party, while you karaoke away. It was surreal. He sound tested his guitar and keyboard for about half an hour. Then we waited for 1.30.

Faye has real charisma! She's always making eye contact with the fans, reacting to them, waving, etc. She is a real pro, no more cutesy and naive anymore. Only when she's posing for pictures, but not when she's performing or speaking. However, one thing surprised me was that she has aged! Maybe it's cuz of her new hairstyle or something, but she definitely looked, what would you call it, much more mature. It's my very first time seeing FIR performing and I want more. They only really performed a grand total of 3 songs. So sad. But I took quite a lot of pics and got their autographs! I wish Ian would have taken those darn sunglasses off. Come to think of it, I don't really know what he really looks like. Anyway, he signed on Real's picture 'F.I.R'..hahaha!! It didn't register in my mind till I got home and examined my minted album. And I told Faye I really liked her voice, and she gave me a big smile :D Faye's awesome, she has a smile for everyone. And she immediately wore the ridiculous looking red flower-like bracelet a fan gave her.

And the last song sealed my suspicion that FIR likes to rock out karaoke-syle with their fans. 2 ardent fans went onstage to sing with Faye for their last song, off their latest album.





Check out all the pics I took, here: http://s48.photobucket.com/albums/f225/trendyuen/FIR%20photos%208th%20Dec%202007%20Suntec%20City/

Seeing your favourite Chinese band play, albeit 2/3 of them, really makes my day....sigh~~


VIDEOS I took of the whole showcase (in order of performance):





It's my first time tesing out my brand new Canon powershot camera!!! now, if only I can smuggle it in to a certain upcoming concert...

One last thing, what I really liked about this showcase, despite being supershort, was that, they really took their time with each set and talking with the host and about their songs, and was very very easygoing and affable with the audience, it was awesome! Though they had a flight back to Taiwan later on in the evening, they signed autographs for everyone (people were thronging)! and Faye even teared up a little, expressing her surprise at the number of people who bought their album today. I can't wait for their first real concert in Singapore. They promised one in the very near future, and I believe them, cuz they've always flown to Singapore for free showcases in promotion of their previous 3 albums.

Get their latest fourth album, Love. Diva, instores now! The playlist for the album is below. Track ten is where Faye attempts The Whistle Register- the highest known note for a human voice. No wonder I commented to my friend yesterday that Faye could sing like Mariah Carey (the organisers were playing the latest album repeatedly while we were waiting for the gig to start).