The Eye-Popping Nausea is Over!

This picture is about as close as I can get to expressing my jubilee after 12.15pm, 2nd June 2009. (By the way, my hand never stopped writing for a single beat from 9-12.15.)

But in full truth, the last time I felt a truly ‘merdeka’ freedom was back in school. Somehow, I think for me, with growing, the highs and lows aren’t so drastically far apart anymore. I get really stressed and dream about the day it would end but when it does, the image I’ve built myself up to (akin the top image) does not really realise. Sigh… in anyway, to affirm everyone’s warnings last year, Yes, 2nd year is a horror. If I attempted to describe it, this entry would be as long as the total amount of adjectives in the dictionary would allow it to be.

All things stressful aside, the latent endurance I’ve gotten used to is still booming with every heartbeat. It’s a tad ridiculous especially after a major exam like the 2nd year in London External Law system because my body is still ‘tricked’. Imagine having a latent endurance on ‘autopilot’ when there is nothing left in reality to endure. This sort of passive strength can be quite stressful. I think I still have a good 2 weeks worth of latent stress left before it eases back to being normal.

1 week passes so quickly, so I’m back to tutoring kids this Thursday. I feel a bit sorry for myself. Somehow I feel like I should reward myself a bit more after the traumatising half-a-month. But as always, necessity beats frivolity(and here I mean necessity to learn responsibility, maturity and independence). You know what you’re doing is honing your character when your old Nemesis and Tempstress- Picky Procrastination and her Brother- Slothful Slipshod uses your mind as their personal playground.

So beware…………………………………………………………………….

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lest ye become this:

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Would you like to swing on a star
Carry moonbeams home in a jar
And be better off than you are
Or would you rather be a mule?

A mule is an animal with long funny ears
Kicks up at anything he hears
His back is brawny and his brain is weak
He’s just plain stupid with a stubborn streak
And by the way, if you hate to go to school
You may grow up to be a mule

Or would you like to swing on a star
Carry moonbeams home in a jar
And be better off than you are
Or would you rather be a pig?

A pig is an animal with dirt on his face
His shoes are a terrible disgrace
He ain’t got no manners when he eats his food
He’s fat and lazy and extremely rude
But if you don’t care a feather or a fig
You may grow up to be a pig

Or would you like to swing on a star
Carry moonbeams home in a jar
And be better off than you are
Or would you rather be a fish?

A fish won’t do anything, but swim in a brook
He can’t write his name or read a book
And to fool the people is his only thought
And though he’s slippery, he still gets caught
But then if that sort of life is what you wish
You may grow up to be a fish

And all the monkeys aren’t in the zoo
Every day you meet quite a few
So you see it’s all up to you
You can be better than you are
You could be swingin’ on a star

~Frank Sinatra

A Pre-Birthday Medley for you Cuppy!

I hope you have not come across any of these in your search for the Chipmunks version for my birthday. If you have, then I hope you have forgotten it already. So here’s………

An official opening by Mel C for you! Ignore the girl! HAHA!

A psychotic tune to start off the sound-party CNC-style!

Our sudden obsessions of The Beatles and guitars…

Our love for raw talent and awesome improvs…

Continued by a symbol of one of the great heights of  something we both love doing!

Finally….my heart to you, my bestest friend.  I LOVE YOU YING! HAPPY 23rd BIRTHDAY!

Songs

A while ago Deb and I were talking about songs. You might have noticed that we talk and blog about music quite a bit, which does reflect one of our most prominent mutual interests. Given that we have quite diverse music tastes, these coversations are always educational for me.

On this particular occasion, we were talking about songs – “a brief composition written or adapted for singing.” You might think I am a nerd for giving you a definition of ’songs’ which I bothered to search online for; but the reason for this will become apparent in a moment.

Songs are her forte. While she might not particularly agree, it is my most personal and objective (yes, indeed) opinion that she sings really well.  And to sing well, you need to listen to many songs so you have (1) a palette of songs to sing whenever you feel like it, and (2) a resource of singers to which you can imitate and hence learn to sing from.

Now, back to the definition of ’songs’. For me, all music is music; and music includes ’songs’. By this I mean that, when I listen to songs, I am quite oblivious to the fact that anyone is, well, actually singing on the track (not to mention that a ‘brief composition’ is a poor description of the music I listen to).  My attention always zeros in on the musical instruments, or the quality of the track, or even the overall composition, but never on the singer. This, needless to say, was the only I ever thought there was to enjoy music (and songs); the problem then being that I was actually more than satisfied.

Now, back to our conversation. I was then hooked on listening to Semisonic and Smashing Pumpkins, which, relative to what I normally listen to, in fact fall within the definition of ’songs’. And so I was keen to try my hands at writing a song and singing it. And naturally, to Deb I turned to for help (read: coaching). And it went down something like this…

Me: Darling, I want to sing, but I croak. Can you help me please?

Deb: Yea sure. You have to feel the lyrics and pronounce it rightly. Try?

Me: (sings…I mean, croaks)

Deb: (tries to advice me at every attempt, for 1 hour, to no avail).

Deb: Ok, try again now, use your singing voice not your talking voice.

Me: (Croaks again…)

Deb: Hey. Do you ever listen to songs?

Me: Of course, what do you mean? I listen to tons of music.

Deb: No, I mean songs – you know, where people sing.

Me: (*caught by surprise*) What?? You mean people sing?

Deb:  [-.-] Duh, obviously. Listening to how others sing is the best way to improve?

Me: (*now feeling very stupid*) Oh…I actually never noticed people singing.

Deb: Are you serious?! I mean…there are words in songs; and if there are no words then why would people bother singing in the first place?

Me: (*Eureka moment!*)

I don’t know about you, but I thought that analysis was brilliant. Why would a song be a song if the singer had nothing to be singing about? My blatant ignorance explains why, in the thousands upon thousands of songs stuck in my brain-bank of which I can hum almost accurately from start to finish, I can hardly sing the lyrics of more than 2 measly lines per song accurately!

Now that I have had this most useful insight, I have done a fair bit of focusing my attention on the words in songs. And I must say, what a beautiful dimension this is!

21st-2nd-post

The long-delayed sequel….

Thanks darl’ Ju for arranging this! I’m so incredibly touched. *Hugs* The cake was fabulous. I had the best day ever! Also, thanks to Aqi and Fariza for the tix to the Gala show. Some memorable laughs and simple fun. Thanks for taking the time out guys.

JonRae, thanks for the pendant and the lovely lunch! I love the pendant and the food was superb.

Ying dear, thanks for the 21 wishes and thanks for the wishes whoever whose voice was recorded and reads my blog! I completely was blown away, you sweet sweet bug. Thanks for GGD in the rain! The coins from 1988 were so sentimental. I love your brains. In my wildest imaginations of what one can do from over 1000 miles away, this crossed every logical threshold. Thank you so much, luv.

Also, thanks Dia, for the lovely chocolate cake true to form, your cakes are lovely!

All of you gave me a memorable birthday despite how hermit-like my studying seems to be. Thank you 21 times

More Music and Me

Is music a generational thing or does it represent who you are?

I don’t like the 70s and 80s tunes. That’s when my parents were teens/ working adults. But I like songs from the 50s and 60s. So, how does this work?

I personally find myself stuck in the 90s when it comes to music of my generation. Can’t seem to appreciate the modern synthesized music.

I really don’t know. Does listening to mainstream music alot make you a mainstream-kinda person? Not much difference in other aspects of your being than the people around you? I don’t know.

Anyway, on an unrelated note, I always can’t help noticing bits and pieces of songs which sound the same. I’m weird, like that.
For instance, go Youtube Walk On by U2 and All I Want is You by Planetshakers. Yeah, Bono and a Christian band. You’ll be surprised. Same key, a few differing notes in the intro and first verse.

Another one would be Paris Hilton’s Nothing in The World and Katy Perry’s Hot and Cold. Go Youtube it. Same key and same bass. You can easily intermesh the two.

Ah, the whole list would be with Ying as I always mention them to him. See if he remembers what other songs I spotted.

On another unrelated note, I just remembered this song which was in the movie ‘Gosford Park’- The Land of Might-Have-Been. It’s a beautiful song. I never fail to get goosebumps when I listen to it. Eventhough the last time I heard it was 5 years ago, the effect is the same.

Lyrics: Edward Moore
Music: Ivor Novello

Somewhere there’s another land
different from this world below,
far more mercifully planned
than the cruel place we know.
Innocence and peace are there–
all is good that is desired.
Faces there are always fair;
love grows never old nor tired.

We shall never find that lovely
land of might-have-been.
I can never be your king nor
you can be my queen.
Days may pass and years may pass
and seas may lie between–
We shall never find that lovely
land of might-have-been.

Sometimes on the rarest nights
comes the vision calm and clear,
gleaming with unearthly lights
on our path of doubt and fear.
Winds from that far land are blown,
whispering with secret breath–
hope that plays a tune alone,
love that conquers pain and death.

Shall we ever find that lovely
land of might-have-been?
Will I ever be your king or you
at last my queen?
Days may pass and years may pass
and seas may lie between–
Shall we ever find that lovely
land of might-have-been?

This song is hilariously warming! ‘And Her Mother Came Too’. Jeremy Northam’s voice is brilliant!

I seem to be the victim of a cruel jest,
It dogs my footsteps with the girl I love the best.
She’s just the sweetest thing that I have ever known,
But still we never get the chance to be alone.
REFRAIN:

My car will meet her – And her mother comes too!
It’s a two-seater – Still her mother comes too!
At Ciro’s when I am free,
At dinner, supper or tea,
She loves to shimmy with me – And her mother does too!

We buy her trouseau – And her mother comes too!
Asked not to do so – Still her mother comes too!
She simply can’t take a snub, I go and sulk at the club,
Then have a bath and a rub – And her brother comes too!

There may be times when couples need a chaperone,
But mothers ought to learn to leave a chap alone.
I wish they’d have a heart and use their common sense
For three’s a crowd, and more, it’s treble the expense.

REFRAIN:

We lunch at Maxim’s – And her mother comes too!
How large a snack seems – When her mother comes too!
And when they’re visiting me,
We finish afternoon tea,
She loves to sit on my knee – And her mother does too!

To golf we started – And her mother came too!
Three bags I carted – When her mother came too!
She fainted just off the tee,
My darling whisper’d to me – “Jack, dear, at last we are free!”
But her mother came to!

Music by Ivor Novello
Words by Dion Titheradge

A ramble…sort of

This is such a funny/weird situation.

Imagine you’ve created something – say composed a song, written a piece, or the like – which you’re really proud of; you give yourself a pat on the back when you’re done, telling yourself ‘Yes, I’ve achieved it!’ And then, the next thing you know, you come to the knowledge that a really famous composer/artiste/author has just published a piece almost exactly like the one you’ve just completed, by pure coincidence!

Say you genuinely did not copy the latter’s work either consciously or subconsciously (for then it won’t be a funny situation; all you deserve is a smack on your head for plagiarising). The funniness of it is in deciding what to feel – should you feel proud that you have solid proof you’re of the latter’s level, or should you rue the missed chance to have established yourself?

Sort of reminds me of the story about how Alexander Graham Bell beat another to register his patent of the telephone. Ah, that’s telling, isn’t it? I don’t even know the other’s name!

Indeed, nothing is new under the sun. But there’s always light at the end of the tunnel for you, isn’t there? Your value never ceases either way.

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On a random note, I’m hooked listening to Semisonic and The Smashing Pumpkins!! Yes I know, Semisonic is relatively obscure/ancient; and Billy Corgan whines like a pussycat (If you sing like him in a singing contest, you’re bound to be in the bottom three) …but I am so addicted!