24

another year goes by just like that -snaps fingers- and another birthday has passed.. 25th October 1979, just another child was born..24 years later, he is here writing this blog.. speaking of this blog, i've abandoned it for 4 months! 4 long months of nothingness..and though the time that has passed may be long, seriously speaking nothing has happened for me..well, enough for me to want to share with the whole world anyway! =P


24 years old..there're so many things i want to accomplish..so many things that are waiting to be done..so many places i want to visit and so many more people i have yet to meet..i know i'm supposed to feel old but i don't..

i have this colleague who's already 37 and he's always still bubbling with enthusiasm everyday..in a way, he inspires me..though i've always maintained that age is not a problem as long as we are young at heart..having a living example serves only to inspire me more..

lastly, i would like to personally thank a few people for getting me through the past two days..these are friends who have at some time or another made me feel more special than i think i deserve to feel..(in order of appearance!!) they are cheryl (my cute and bubbly nuer who doesn't seem to age for the 6-7 years we've known each other!), karen (my dear..thanks for all that extra effort..i know that you've always been trying..), yaling (my bud!!), xinyi (my spw nuer! and i put you as xinyi this time! =P and i must mention that she is one of the rare ones brave enough to buy me a cd..though she asked me first! haha..), kenneth (for the record, the FIRST person to wish me a happy birthday this year..bladdy kiasu! haha..a great friend to have around always until he zhong se qing you! =P), raymond (my darling monk..why do so many people hate him? he's so cute! =X), roland (thank goodness this guy has decided to stop hugging me! though i do kind of miss it! heh..), jessica (the girl who took a cab alllllll the way from jurong west to let us see her eat!), aileen (thanks for dinner my best friend! =) though you ended up partnering with karen to bully me! grrr..) and lastly jingxian (for remembering what i said and sending me the only birthday card i received through post! that's very sweet of you! =)). not forgetting the rest who sent me sms or greetings through icq..thank you as well..

stay adored y'all! cheers!

the rainbow connection.. ... - sarah mclachlan

who said that every wish will be heard and answered
i wished on the morning star
somebody followed and someone believed it
look what it's done so far

what's so amazing that keeps us stargazing
what do we think we might see
someday we'll find it the rainbow connection
the lovers, the dreamers and me.. ...

disappointment cannot be measured.. ...

out of time.. - blur

where's the love song to set us free
too many people down
everything turning the wrong way round
and i don't know what life would be
if we stop dreaming now
lord knows we'd never clear the clouds

and you've been so busy lately that you haven't found the time
to open up your mind
and watch the world spinning gently out of time

tell me i'm not dreaming
but are we out of time
we're out of time
out of time..

5 more days! aaaahh!!

sparkle me.. ... - buffseeds


"your eyes they always sparkle me with love... - buffseeds"

Poetry In Motion..quite literally..

I have this habit..lots of poetry come to me when i'm outside - whether it's on the bus, driving or just walking around..and it's really funny that these are usually the best lines and ideas..like the other day when i was on the bus and i was keying this into my handphone..

greener pastures, finer moments
prettier women, sinful temptations
naked bodies, not yet twenty
not yet married, not yet attached
incredible bed skills, but not a perfect match..

and i wasn't even sitting beside a pretty girl! but the sad thing is..i usually won't go on to complete them either because the next parts will sound weird or i'll be too lazy to key it in my handphone or write it down and by the time i get home, i'll forget the lines..one i did go on to complete however is one regarding a rainy day at a news stand..i'm still trying to improve on it though so it won't be seen too soon! =P anyway, just the other day i came up with this at my office impromptu..or something like this!!

(something my friend said that ended with -ian)
chio bu bian ah lian (beautiful girl turns ah lian)
xiang ta nan sui mian (thinking of her, hard to sleep)
qi lai, bei nian nian (wake up, blanket sticky sticky)

don't you think it makes a perfect ah beng poem? but well, my chinese sucks so i'll leave it at that =P then again, i've "left it at that" for most of these sort of poetry..poetry in motion? yeah, running from my head..

MesSy MeSSy!

just skipped class..again!

feeling bitter..not better..

feeling confused..weird..

feeling agitated..frustrated..

i'm too emotional..sentimental?

maybe i'm just hungry..haven't ate..

and when a person is hungry..he can't think straight..

gosh!

What is Love?

Reminds me of that song by Halloway What is love? Baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more... But really, what is love? Sometimes i really have no idea.. Some say love is when you think of someone all the time.. Now frankly speaking, who in their right minds think of their partners 24/7?! I mean, thinking of your partner when you wake up? ok..thinking of your partner as you start the day? ok..having breakfast with your partner? ok..thinking of your partner as you go to digest your breakfast? what the?! thinking of your partner so much that when your boss flares up at you, you tell him "thank you love..i really appreciate it"??!

But seriously now, how often do we think of our loved ones? Honestly, i only REALLY think about them when something goes wrong or something bad happens (touchwood) but all the time? often? We all seem too caught up in this rat race nowadays that when we go to sleep, instead of sms-ing our partners "good night", with the thought of them in mind, we sms them thinking that once the sms has been sent, we can get down to our studies or work or play.. And don't tell me that's not true cuz i'm sure it has happened to the best of us before! So most of the time we end up doing things just for the sake of doing it..

Example :
AD : Why do you go to all that trouble for your girlfriend?
Boy : Just do lor..if not she nag me then my ear drum spoil! I mean, she my girlfriend leh, should do also right? But frankly ar, why she want roses i also don't understand..1 dozen somemore! Make rose syrup better right? Can make so many jugs, can drink, add milk can become bandung somemore!
AD : -dumbfounded-

Ok..so maybe that was just an exaggeration..but it's so true nowadays that most of us just do things blindly, because either we HAVE TO or it's only RIGHT we SHOULD do it.. Then again, our society here promotes such habits.. So many workplaces and schools are like that..

Example :
Boss : Please speak up for the gooooooooood of the company so that we may improove our standards.. remember, everyone of you is unique and your ideas will be much appreciated.. -twitches moustache for effect-
Tom : I would like to suggest blah blah..
Boss : Yeah..but i feel that that has already been rectified by the blah blah blah..
Joan : Boss, I feel that the workers..
Boss : But if the management allow the workers to blah blah blah..THANKS for your suggestion anyway joan.. it is MUCH appreciated!

Sad to say, this is how most companies and schools in singapore function.. it may seem funny but it's damn true.. we always need to improve but other people's ideas always seem poorer than your own.. How else do you explain all the smart replies the Boss in the example had for his supposedly unique employees! As such, we usually just sit like we have been muted during such sessions and the boss or the head will be bladdy happy that everything is alright..

And so, we end up as puppets..puppets to our bosses, our loved ones and even to ourselves.. So where does love come in?

University Student : After i'm done with this assignment..i promise..
Technician : When i'm done with this job..
Boss : When i'm back from the US..
Primary School Student : After i finish this game ok? Nearly the last stage already..

Sadly, as in the words of one of my favourite singers, love won't wait.. not all the time..

Cure for?

Just took a panadol..feeling feverish..i know i should get myself to a doctor pronto what with the SARS thing going around but..i'll wait..Wait for? Wait to see if my condition improves and wait for the clinic to open! Doesn't mean that i have to get paranoid, go downstairs and knock down my doctor's front door just because my temperature was a little high..Singapore's weather isn't exactly cooling!

Anyway, the SARS thing seems to be spreading rather fast and no one seems to know how it gets around..first, some specialist said that the disease is not airborne, now they say that it may be air-borne! So who do we believe when the people who are supposed to be the experts contradict themselves? And the symptoms..fever above 38 degrees celsius and/or cough, breathlessness.. Aren't these the symptoms of a normal flu? I mean, if my temperature was below 38, i wouldn't even be seeing a doctor in the first place! So are they implying that whoever runs a fever has SARS? I really have no clue..and i don't think i'm alone in that aspect..What about all that mask wearing thing? False sense of security? Maybe..and who's to say those fanatic air-purifier buyers are wrong when the experts themselves aren't sure!

Times are uncertain these days..Medical experts and politicians all flapping their loose gums all day long on TV! Bush doesn't have his son out in Iraq (hey i can mouth out all that crap about being heroes dying for a good cause too!) and those World Health Oorganisation big shots probably can afford more health care than we do! All those empty promises and "we're trying..blah blah blah" and "it MAY..blah blah blah"! What we want is simple..we want a cure, we want answers we can understand..Saddam is evil? Go find him! Why invade a country and then give all sorts of speeches and excuses no one will believe but no one can do a thing about! SARS is fast spreading? Tell us how do we differentiate SARS from the normal flu! SARS can be fatal and the flu isn't? Come on! Why tell us we should stay away from crowded places when no one knows exactly how it gets around? Why close schools when adults seem more prone to the bug?

So many questions and so many answers..but every answer just bring forth further questions..so tell me now, where is the cure? Probably a shrug away..

Wo Ai Mo Shen Ren


Just got home from my Holter..the doctor who helped me put on all the wires was really friendly..we had a nice chat while she taped all the wires on..Sure it was all very general like "What are you doing now?" and "Do you have to go back to work later?" but the manner in which it was carried out was very pleasant..nice! =)

Since my days working at Sembawang Music Centre and Music Junction, I always seem to have really good conversations with strangers..which is funny..since i really lack knowledge in general affairs, have no particular interest in clubbing or pubbing or anything cool..Then again, maybe that's why i get along well with strangers..cuz we start at ground zero! After we get past zero, we probably will have nothing else to talk about!

Maybe that's why we always seem to admire and lust for the people we see out on the streets..because we all start on a new sheet of paper and their good looks or their glib tongues hide away all the flaws which we have yet to uncover.. But then, we don't really care during those moments do we? We usually just oogle and stare and think non-stop about them until their faces or voices fade away from our heads.. Well, till then, let us all enjoy their company.. Until we meet our next stranger..

Getting Comfy

War has started in Iraq and one thing really bothers me..lots of Singaporeans remain ignorant to the situation..One moron on TV actually said he was more worried about his stocks and shares!! And i'm pretty certain he is not alone, i'll pretty sure that lots of students are more concerned about their grades..afterall, what happens in Iraq will never happen here right? Well, i guess that's what Americans would have told you before that fateful September 11 as well..

Sometimes i wonder if we are all too comfortable in our lives.. the danger when we are in this comfort mode is, we never ever seem to snap out of it..we always know we have to change, we always know we have to improve, we always seem to know what to do but we almost always end up not moving a muscle.. I know my life is filled with lots of comfort zones i wish to get out of - i need to improve my attitude towards my work, i need to focus more on my part time degree (no use having a degree but with average grades all over!), i need to sort out my feelings in my love life, i need to do a lot of things but needing is not enough, i also need the will to..

Then again, a need is something we require to survive and a want is something we aquire to pamper ourselves with.. I was on the bus the other night and this ran through my head.. I realised that sometimes, "want"s are as important as "need"s.. Just like we wish to be loved by someone who wants to love us..not just because he/she needs to! Life is realy one big contradiction and sometimes we really need to sort out what we want! Comfort zones are always nice but life moves on, life improves..and if we get stuck in our little world too long, we will still be our comfort zones no doubt, but we will also be stuck in the past tense..

Just a few random thoughts from a messed up mind..

For Starters..

Sorted out a few titles for your selection..let me know if you're interested in any through the "comments" or email or sms..Let your friends know as well and if they are interested i'll pass it to them through you -points- Anyway, here are the starting few titles..regarding the price, it's basically "pay as you wish"..else it's free for you to take :)

Lastly, regardless of whether you see the title already taken, please just indicate your interest..i'll try to distribute it out evenly so that not just one person grabs everything away..

cheers!
addy

Moving on..

Now it has really started sinking in..gotta move on..gotta start packing up stuff..gotta start moving my..gosh..CDs! Now everything else in my room is probably easy to move..when compared to the hundreds and i mean hundreds of CDs i have. But i got to start somewhere right? So i'll start by giving away some of my CDs..any takers? Those interested please stay tuned while i compile a list within the next week or two of those CDs i'll be giving away..pay me if you really wish to..

Anyway, just redecorated the place..blue was starting to get a little stale so time for a little greenery! Green is good for the eyes ya know? =P

Somewhere over the rainbow..

So it's been finalisd..A done deal..Another closed chapter..My blue room, my haven for 7 years will be no more..

Yes, there'll be no more chinese new year gatherings here, no more writing of the same address or the home telephone number i've got to know so well..

Happy? No..
Sad? Not really..
More of mixed emotions..

What irks me is the reason given to me..But well, i don't really have a say in this do i? Funny how we humans are never contented..

To those who have never attended a single chinese new year or birthday gathering because "sorry i cannot make it, i promise to come next time", next time sometimes doesn't wait for you my dear friends.. To all the memories - from the time when i was in sec 4 and i had to wake up in the middle of the night to play computer games in my room so that my parents won't nag, to the late nights i kept to irc, to the times my friends fell asleep in my room (What's up with that?!) to tonight when i walk across from the computer room to my own room for bedtime - i say a reluctant good night..

My haven may soon be a haven to someone else but just like i've made my room my own, i will find my haven again somewhere else..

somewhere over the rainbow
sky's are blue
and the dreams that you dared to dream maybe do come true..

When?

It's just 3pm and yet i feel that my weekend has been thoroughly wasted..Spent my saturday stuck in Gombak on duty until this morning..Then i decided not to go for my football training as well which..left me with nothing to do! I never fail to amaze myself with the things i do sometimes..

So what do i do? I think, i ponder and i contemplate and life just isn't so rosy.. I ask when, why and how? and i write a poem on one of them (guess which?!).. But it doesn't really help so i turn on Silje Nergaard's The Waltz to calm myself a little..

You waltzed in and spun my world
Around in dizzy dance i swirled
And suddenly you waltzed away
From me..

in a way it kind of helps..

Days like these..

Just got home from orchard..and guess what came home with me? a $100 worth of CDs! gosh..i hate it when i'm in my moods. So what happened to my "Do i really need it? Will i listen to it 2 weeks from now?" quetions? To hell with them i suppose..hai.. Well, at least with a teeny weeny little bit of control, i didn't exceed 100 bucks..thankfully??

Ed Harcourt - From Every Sphere (Folk-Alternative)
Pearl Jam - Binaural (Grunge)
Carmen Cuesta-Loeb - Dreams (Jazz Vocal)
Gabriela Anders - Wanting (Fusion Jazz)
Dancing Fantasy (Fusion Jazz)

Ok..maybe it's not too bad a mix but well..

I'm speechless and stoned..
Something's got into me..
Walking along alone..
Sympathy won't work for me..
Mobile phone in hand..
But i'm not expecting a call..
Don't try to understand..
You wouldn't at all..
Another mood swing..
Another smile hits the wall..
Feel like crying..
But the tears will not fall..
Looking ahead and through it all..
Faces i cannot recognise..
My thoughts hit the floor..
Yes, sometimes loneliness is nice..

Hmm..can't believe i wrote that impromptu.. Tired now, poetry tires me out too easily these days..

What a waster!

Knocked off at 6.30pm today...that's 2 hours overtime without compensation!! If it was for any other thing, i might not have been so bitter but for a CO's (Commanding Officer - the highest ranked in the squandron) Forum?! An event where the CO supposedly interacts with the people and gets feedback so that he can improve the squandron? Gosh, these people are so shallow! If it was my first year around, i might have been fooled into contributing. I mean, these people ask for feedback but they always seem to have a "cleverer" answer or solution. So tell me..where does all the suggestions and feedbacks end up?

Not too long ago, he had wanted a design for the squadron logo so he opened up a competition to the whole squadron, asking people to "think out of the box". In the end, about 5 made it to the final shorlist. 2 of which are my colleague's, which i must say are really impressive. But instead of opening it out to all of us to vote, he and a few management people chose the logo! The chosen one being a few words in an oval! Bladdy Nice! I guess he should have renamed the logo "CO's chosen logo" rather than the squadron logo! Or maybe he thinks the whole squadron is only him and his sidekicks? Hmm... Nevermind 2 years 10 months, i keep reminding myself..Hope my rebellious streak do not get the better of me before then... -cross fingers-

Jay Chou's An Hao playing in the background..Oh wait, that's my handphone!
Cheers for now!

Floating.. ...

Cannot believe it..I woke up half an hour late today - meaning my poor handphone must have been making noise for half an hour trying to wake me up! Poor dear -patpatz handphone- Thank God for that ingenius creation called -does the Dr Evil thing- "mother"! =P

(Virtually) floated to work...was 15 minutes late but no one was coming to work today except for me and my shift colleague so that was okay! =) Spent my whole morning doing up magnets for the manpower movement board at office...Demo time! -addy takes a magnet, puts the small white slip of paper with words printed on it onto the magnet, pulls scotchtape, measures and sticks the paper onto the magnet. addy takes another magnet...- And that's what i did today at work from 8.30am till 11am! Like a factory worker! LOL...But fulfilling nonetheless! =) now stop giving me that weird look!! =P

11am..knock off time! Floated home with Ash's Intergalactic Sonic 7"s in my ears...Tim Wheeler's voice is so nice...

Sometimes it happens feelings die
Whole years are lost in the blink of an eye
We once had it all but events conspire
Sometimes...

Going to catch Catch Me If You Can now, now catch me if you can!!
heh...corny addy...-lame look-

First Post!

Finally, i got my blog onto Tripod! The layout is basically a rip off of the old but i kinda like it better..maybe it's just the precious moments picture! -lol- Anyway, it is more personal than the last one i used which is a good thing urm..isn't it?

On why it took me so long to get this page up...i had lots of problems with Dreamweaver and my FTP. The first layout i did disappeared in a cloud of smoke just as Dreamweaver died on me, to think it took me a few hours to get used to the program (still not really used to it though! =P)..it kinda sucked anyway! =P Then the main reason why it took me so long to move my blog to tripod...-gulps- now promise you won't laugh...-takes a deep breath- silly me was trying to upload using the wrong username the whole time!!! gosh.. -hides face-

Will be looking for a new domain to get hosted and a new comments host...Haloscan just doesn't cut it for me...Ideas anyone?

In the meantime, hope you like this new layout...

Cheers!
addy

Late Entry

Wanted to blog this entry on the 15th of Feb but by the time i got home, i was too tired..ok, rather i was just too lazy =P

Anyway, to begin...
Confessions of Three Unmarried Women - the play directed by Selena Tan - is soooo nice! Sure, there were lots of guy-bashing but well, it's part of what makes it a good play! This hilarious play takes an honest look at getting hitched in Singapore - Why are Singaporean girls finding it so hard to find themselves husbands? Are they too choosy or are the men just getting lousier?

The play begins when Audrey (Melissa Wong), a sweet young accountant decides to marry Robert, a man she met while shopping for instant noodle in a supermarket. Audrey's three friends: Kelly (Debra Teng), the aggressive marketing VP; Patricia (Amy Cheng), the pragmatic school teacher; and Sheila (Suzan Karim), the smart-mouthed doctor with a serious case of marriage phobia are far from being supportive. Through the eyes of these four close friends, Confessions questions the heart's deepest desires and if being single is such a sin, in a humourous yet provocative manner.

After the play, my dear and i went down to the esplanade and it was still so crowded after 10pm! What's with people?! Don't they have bedtimes?! =P Anyway, there was this Malaysian jazz guitarist performing and he was good! Think his name is Jason Wang or something Roger Wang. Stayed around until close to 11pm and just before we were about to leave, he played a jazz version of Emil Chau's "Ming Tian Wo Yao Jia Ge Ni Le"! What's with the marriage thing tonight?! -addy looks up to heaven and wonders-

..Next day (16th Feb), read online that the Man Utd vs Arsenal match - which my gf and i were cursing about missing due to the play - was a scrappy and dull affair. It made the previous night seem even more worth it. Maybe heaven does have eyes watching over us...sometimes...

Before i forget..here's wishing all my friends and pals and whoever reads this blog a belated HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! =)

Phew!

Finally! My exam is over! Wasn't hard..turned out just like i thought it would be..minus those exam jitters of course! So long to those long sleepless or rather, sleep-wake up-sleep nights! =P To think i kept waking up but didn't even study a bit! Kind of wasted my 3 and a half days leave.. =( But well, only the results will tell if it was that simple or i was that complacent! -bites lips-

Then typical of me, i went shopping after my exam! =X Very bad habit to relieve stress, i know..but i cannot help it! =P Bought meself a pair of turf boots and a pair of football socks (my old ones have holes at the toes!) and two very cool jazz albums by Silje Nergaard! Very nice song arrangements and her voice sounds a little like Andrea Corr on some tracks. Must remember to catch her concert if she comes! -cross fingers-

A few dates to remember..15th Feb : Going for "Confessions" (the play!), 19th Feb : HMV bringing in Oasis' Songbird CDS and 28th Feb : the release of CM4!!

Silje Nergaard's Be Still My Heart playing on my winamp...niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice! =P

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

If i didn't know any better, today might have been Christmas or Hari Raya for all it matters. Why? Just like Christmas, the spirit of Chinese New Year seems to be evading me. Only thing that differenciates this holiday from the others is the fact that most shops are closed except for Golden Villages and 7-Elevens! Even the angbao receiving seem such a formality rather than customary. One instant today however, reminded me just what it's all about. We were going into the lift and there was this family whom we have never seen before. Then my mum suddenly turns around and started wishing everyone Happy New Year! Now that is what i call the spirit of Chinese New Year! Not the somewhat "forced" visiting these days or the angbaos or the closed shops. But these instances are getting fewer by the year. It's sad that even though we live in a culture which teaches us to embrace "the important things" in life and most of us choose our career and money over our relationships and traditions. Idealist? Maybe, but i've always been a staunch believer in the "less important things" so.. Happy New Year to all, Gong Xi Fa Cai and may everyone be well throughout this coming year! CHEERS!

Shifting Through Times..

shifting through boxes
looking through the past
relationships that didn't make it
friendships that did not last..

Was in a thinking mood the past few days..and some things which i usually neglect came around..

I realise..

familiar names
but so many lost along the way
letters, christmas cards
they once remembered my birthday..

1. contrary to what most people believe, i don't have many friends..most of them i would prefer to call acquaintances. I know, it sounds bad but it's true..how many of my "friends" actually call up or write or send me a greeting card or at least even try to find out how i'm doing? or for that matter, how many actually remember my existence? and by existence i do not mean me receiving a conveniently forwarded email which probaby most people around the world will receive as well!! i know i've been guilty of neglecting my friends as well..but well, it just makes this an even sadder case..

2. i'm no longer that love-struck sentimental romantic anymore..or maybe i'm just tired..valentine's day is just around the corner..and i'm still struggling to find the enthusiasm that i once had that made me travel from tampines to choa chu kang with a rose in hand just to make sure a friend isn't alone on valentine's day..

3. it's about time to throw away the old adrian and look forward..or maybe it's this new one that's causing problems. i don't know..instead of nice decent quick humour..i'm picking at people's bad points and magnifying them - in front of others - at the expense of them feeling bad.. and the biggest problem is, i seem to overstep the line between humour and snide remarks rather frequently. i just realised this when my gf started shooting me those crap remarks as well..it hurts, and i've got to learn to stop hurting people..

but that's just life
bits and pieces we're left with
and if we retaliate
we lose our belief..

4. lastly, i realised that i cannot change life with just a snap and a wink..i cannot just sleep on it and wake up a whole new person the next day..i cannot just throw away all my cds and start all over again! anyway, my point is, change is not impossible, but it will only come if i am willing to accept my faults..and i am determined enough to change for the better..i can still remember i once had this habit; any girl who was out with me on valentine's day will get a rose, even if she was just a friend..and i also had another weird habit of contacting all the names on my telephone list at least once every few months to check on how they are doing.. but all that is past, i can make it happen again in the present if i want to..but for the moment, i'll just be shifting through times and shifting through my heart for something special to make myself a better person..

8 Miles and Running

The much hyped about screen debut of Eminem, the rapper cum father cum husband everyone loves to hate. But love him or hate him, you really got to hand it to the guy. For a debut movie, Eminem is almost flawless. Sure you can say that he acted a part based loosely on his own life but hey! Madonna acts like a bimbo in every movie she's been in and look where that's got her! (got my point?) From the facial expressions to the body language, Eminem makes the part of Rabbit aka Jimmy very much his own. From his love for his sister, his frustration with his mum, his bondage with friends and his constant search for a brighter future, every emotion is got through to the audience seamlessly. Basically, the show tells a story of how a white man attempts to defy the odds to break into a music dominated by the blacks through sheer grit and persistence. Whether he succeeded in the end, we are left guessing. But one message 8 Mile gets across strong and clearly is to never to give up on your dreams and if you want something, you have to reach out for it.

Overall, it's a refreshing change from all those "mainstream" movies. Just a warning though, the show is loaded with vulgarities - there's basically a f--- in every sentence in every dialogue, which explains the NC-16 rating! - and the slang is a little hard to catch at times. But one thing's for certain, misunderstood or not, the Eminem show has only just begun.

Due to overwhelming traffic at the Jay Chou "The One" Concert picture sites and Tripod's limited bandwidth, some of you may not have been able to access the pictures i posted. So in order to make sure most of you at least get a peek, each page will be up for 5 days each.

Page 1 : 13 Jan - 17 Jan
Page 2 : 18 Jan - 22 Jan
Page 3 : 24 Jan - 28 Jan.

Sorry for any inconvenience caused =)

Jay-walking

My first concert of the year and pleased to say, Jay didn't disappoint. Ok, so maybe he could have engaged in a little more crowd interaction but i'm pretty sure all those screaming meimeis and jiejies didn't mind it one bit!

Arrived at the indoor stadium close to 8pm and the atmosphere was kinda subdued - probably with anticipation! But at around 8.30pm, when the lights went out, the whole place was suddenly littered in yellow, red, green and blue waving lightsticks. The feeling was electric and thankfully (or not!) there were few "screaming banshees" in my section.

The pace of the concert was quick, song came after song with little (almost none!) banter in between. And when Jay disappeared for his numerous costume changes, his backup singers, dancers and some clips on the 3 giant screens suspended above the stage filled in the gap. Some memorable moments of the evenings include the "old man" who appeared at the start of Ye Ye Pao De Cha carrying a bird cage and walking with a hunchback. And when the song kicked in, the old man who seemingly had problems walking, started dancing! That was really worth a laugh! Then there were the clips on the giant screens showing Jay Chou during his younger days playing the piano. While the crowd were glued to the screens and the clips started to fade out, Jay appeared from "below" the stage sitting at the piano playing the same piece that was in the clips. Of course, not forgetting to mention his gorgeous rendition of Faye Wong's Wo Yuan Yi which made me fall in love with the song all over again.

And even though he announced Zui Hou De Zhan Yi as the last song, he came back for two encores! The first to sing his guitar based songs Xing Qing and Hui Dao Guo Qu mixed with light banter with his guitarists and the second time to end the evening with Kai Bu Liao Kou.

Throughout, Jay's energy and unfaltering diction in the slower numbers was matched by the crowd's unfaltering enthusiasm. Pity though, about the interlude where Rui En took over for one song and the crowd took the chance for a toilet break.

Overall, everything made for a wonderful concert. Though, the guy can be a little prone to over-showmanship at times, like his not too convincing cantonese on Dick Lee's Zui but hey! No one is complaining and i sure had a brilliant time! =)

To Jay, let's hope he never stop walking in his musical journey!

Pictures taken for the Jay Chou "The One" concert are now available at http://faded-away.tripod.com!!

All pictures courtesy of Angel! =)

PS : Pictures may take some time to load so please be patient.

Sick of Macdonald's!

i got TWO of the same Mashimaro today..all because the guy at the counter told me he had the two different ones available for the week! so being the naive me, i ordered two extra value meals and two Mashimaros..but when the order came and i've paid, the guy told me that they only had one! meaning i had to take TWO Mashimaros with Tangerine!! gosh! and i had to eat TWO extra value meals by myself! sick..and when i think of it, there's still FIVE more extra value meals to swallow..makes me want to puke already..

With A Tear In My Eye

don't mind me if you see me with a tear in my eye these days..don't know what's wrong either =(
my right eye keeps leaking! i cannot understand it and cannot stand it! for the past two two days, i smile, a tear runs down my face, i laugh, a tear runs down my cheek..grrr...think i'll see a doctor later or tomorrow..hope it doesn't need an injection in the eye like my friend says -touchwood- else i'll probably just accept it, move on and live everyday with a tear in my eye..

Happy Birthday Boy!

someone's 20 today..to think when we first met he was only 15 (or was it 16?!) and i was only 19 (presumably!)..how times just pass us by..from that first (disastrous) trip to that (un-club-like) club..to organising all those channel outings together..to all those girls he had problems with before..to all those girls i had problems with before..to the times we first picked up pool and couldn't even hit the ball properly..to me tricking him about failing my driving test but actually getting my driving license..to him using the same trick back on me -curses and swears-..to last night's pizza hut treat..

and that is not even counting those nights at east coast park and those birthday gatherings, those movie outings, those chinese new year get together at my place and those whooping sessions we used to have on #tkgs..

in between..so many friends have come, some have gone, some we see less often..funny how we stick together..or maybe he just sticks to me! lol..

anyway, enough of that..just would like to dedicate this short message and all the times we ever had and all the times we may have in future to this BOY..here's to our friendship, CHEERS! may you have a lovely 20th birthday =)

music playing in my head now..98 degrees' Invisible Man..used to like this song but since i've seen it typed so many times before on my screen by SOMEONE..it's quite irritating..irritating but appropriate! =P

another half day in my life..

saw a primary school kid got hit by a taxi today..reminds me of that time when i was in primary school myself and my friends played a trick on me..

we crossed to the middle of the road and waited for the traffic on the other side to pass..but kids being kids, i wasn't paying much attention so when they suddenly stepped out i thought the traffic was clear and ran across..but suddenly something honked at me and stopped me dead in my tracks..as i turned to my left, i just managed to see a lorry halt to a stop right in front of me..

if that driver had been less attentive that day, i might not have lived to see today.. anyway, not sure if the kid hit by the taxi was alright or not..presumably so, as the taxi wasn't going very fast and there wasn't any trace of blood when i later went past the place again..

got my hair cut today..hope it doesn't grow back too quickly, else i'll have to waste money to get it cut during the chinese new year period! =(

went to city hall to pay my school fees..a whooping 2,400 aussie buckeroos for two subjects! gosh..but well, it's for a good cause i suppose..
in between reaching city hall and paying for my fees though, i went to macdonald's to get the mashimaro with the red packet..so now i got two little furry whites sitting side by side in my room! hehe..oh! and i started my new year shopping..bought a pair of nike shoes! =) first time in years i've bought any nike products..anyway it's nice and light, grey with a zip at the front, hope it is lasting..the converse one i got last chinese new year started opening at the edges after only a few months!..sickening! x_X

if you're wondering about the title, well, i took half day off work to settle the stuff mentioned above..the other half, needless to mention was spent idling at work..as usual! =P

playing rui en's ai qing fu zuo yong, nice husky voice but her pronounciation reminds me of myself! lol..anyway, it's a lovely song, have absolutely no idea what it's about though! =P
great to see alternative songs coming from chinese singers nowadays =)

2003

it's the new year!! funny how every year seems to pass quicker and quicker..

in 2002, i

1) won my first medal - since sec sch - (ableit a bronze one) with one of my soccer teams.
*good* <-- emotional level
2) went for a minor heart surgery to remove an extra nerve in my heart.
*terrible*
3) got rid of my long time crush (hopefully!). we are still VERY good friends =)
*good*
4) pissed off lots of people with my increasingly bad temper.
*very bad*
5) bought lots of things CDs i didn't need!
*very bad*
6) turned 23.
*duh!*

for the new year, i

1) have to do something with my temper before it goes out of control.
*hard* <-- level of difficulty
2) will stop being so drama-rama.
*hard*
3) buy fewer of things which i don't need! CDs.
*very hard*
4) will study hard and stop giving myself heart attacks very time grades are released!
*hard*
5) turn 24.
*piece of cake*
6) will have 2 more years to my ORD from the airforce!!
*cheers*

not very ambitious am i?
well..anyway, my short term goal is to collect all 8 MashiMaros for my darling girl..anyone interested to help me out?! =P

Happy New Year to all =)