Children Of Men

I'm very excited to see 28 Weeks Later. 28 Days Later is one of my favourite movies. But I am incredibly worried where the new direction will take. Hopefully it'll be a perfect match to Danny Boyle's fantastic first. And Cillian Murphy is not in it, so that's disappointment number 2


and since i'm talkin movies, i saw a fantastic film yesterday.






CHILDREN OF MEN. a brilliant movie with a harrowing peek into the not so distant future 2027, where the world is a dystopia and infertility raid the human race. No babies have been born in the last 18 yrs. the youngest person alive becomes the instant celebrity. the world is in a state of regress instead of progress. Britain remains the last living civilisation. Political uproar looms around illegal immigrants trying to make their way into Britain. A forever ravishing Julianne Moore plays the leader of the Fishes, named for their tendency to swim against the current. They are sorta like the rebels. so she approached Clive Owen (Theo) for a favour, which is to bring the first pregnant woman in 18 yrs to a safe place.

Alfonso Cuaron. he of Y Tu mama Tambien and Harry potter and Prizoner of Azkaban fame. i think he is fantastic. together with Pan's Labyrinth's director and Babel's director (these 3 happen to be very good frens in real life who help each other out in their own films), they form the best trio of foreign directors around in Hollywood. similar to the way he did one of the shots in Paris JeTaime, Children of Men consists of many long shots which required very specific timing and coordination. rehearsals were sure to have been a nightmare. but it also gave the scenes an added sense of reality and real time. many events that take place will take you by surprise due to the way they were shot. No music will warn you of the surprises to come. which is what makes it so disturbing: all these can be real and happen in the near future. the cinematography is fantastically apocalyptic, filled with cool colours and bleak chunks of dust-grey.

Clive Owen, my black marauder. he played the role with such everyday-guy-like quality that makes u want him to succeed. his backstory gives an insight into his actions. his boorish goodlooks have never been put to better use. Julianne Moore makes only a brief but delightful appearance. the newcomer who plays the pregnant woman is a tad irksome for ruining the tone of the movie a lil. IMO her lines were delivered very abruptly, without any sense of dramatic timing. very monotonous. i really dun understand why she was chosen.

i love the tone of this movie. it's not a happy family movie to catch over dinner. it's a bleak look into the possible condition of the human race generations from now. problems of infertility, famine, war, poverty and what-have-you might raid our society. Bombings become frequent and the only solace you can find is probably your own treehouse in the middle of the forest. imagine 18 yrs without hearing the cries of a baby, and how powerful that little cry (that seem so irritating to most of us when we hear it in the library or at quiet shopping malls now) can be in that ruined civilisation. COM is a disturbing film that leaves you with no resolution. after the ending you will probably be shell-shocked for a moment, freezed with unbelievable-ness that it ended the way it did. i've said before that good films leave you with a lingering after taste that creeps on and doesnt quite leave. this is probably goin to be one of the best films i'll see this year.

"i was like waiting for her to jesus take the wheel on lakisha lor.........who would have tot dat lakisha is the next sanjaya
"
-Phuimun on how she wished Carrie Underwood had performed on Idol Gives Back as promised, and then on Lakisha's bad reputation nowadays.

i know u dun find it funny. but i do! its one of the best things i've heard today. =)

林一峰 - The Best Is Yet To Come

永远有一个吻未尝
有些烛光未燃亮
若爱太苦要落糖
结它断线亦无恙
to hug someone to kiss someone
the best is yet to come
若要错失永不能守
得到也不代表长久
假使快乐有尽头
痛苦也未会不朽
寂寞半点假如不能承受
这生命注定过得不易
笑与泪亦有时候
to hug someone to kiss someone
the best is yet to come

若你说不再听情歌
不想再经历这漩涡
假使抱住你拳头
到底也没法牵手
就是为了追求一时平静
将感情隔离半点感动都扼杀
没法承受
永远有不妥协伤口
有些憾事不放手
若你太刻意淡忘
越会补不到缺口
why don't you just hug someone
just kiss someone
the best is yet to come
最好的尚未来临

Idol Gives Back

SO MUCH has been said about tonight's American Idol, from Lakisha's incredulous rendition of a fellow Idol winner's trademark swansong, to Jordin's sparkling performance. For the benefit of those who didnt watch, in sync with tomorrow's Idol Gives Back 2 hours result show, the Idols sang songs that inspired them tonight. After Sanjaya's departure, it really felt like the show has taken a turn and really just begun. A tall order to be singing "life anthems", but some pulled it off. Here's to quote just a few.

"Ha. my mum hates melinda cos she resembles one of my boastful auntie! U need to listen again!(to Jordin's performance)Ha. Oh man u ought to see her fly!"
- Lionel in an sms. He's referencing the Martina McBride song "Broken wings", which Jordin sang last week, at that final line. I was laughing to myself after that because we were just joking about that earlier on.

So Jordin was the talk all over town tonight. She closed a very special show tonight with "You'll Never Walk Alone" and received rave comments from the judges. Personally, I wasn't THAT impressed yet. And that was what Lionel was trying to tell me in that sms, so I probably would be watching that clip again to see the greatness. It must have slipped pass me. Oops. ahhaha.





"<Theme: Life Anthems
Song: 'There Will Come A Day' by Faith Hill
My grade: A

Recap: Fearing the worst, as I always do when I hear 'Faith Hill' used in a sentence, this nonbeliever was instead born again thanks to Melinda's stupendous gospel styling. Channeling Jennifer Holliday in a vocal tour de force, Melinda twisted a schmaltzy neo-gospel number into a thing of absolution. She dragged that audience to church in an astounding display of emotional catharsis, encapsulating a season of highs with nary a low and proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that she is an American Idol. Somewhere, Tim McGraw is filing for D.I.V.O.R.C.E. Run, Melinda. Run away.
My prediction: Oh, 'there will come a day' when you win your first Grammy."
- Idol critic jeffrey Christian, on http://tv.yahoo.com/collections/1251. a must-read for Idol fanatics because it's just so darn FUNNY! Non-fanatics should read it too and be converted.

Melinda sang a Faith Hill song, and I love love love. It's been a long time since I've herd a real ballad coming from her. The past few weeks see her trying more upbeat/spunky/sassy performances, in a bid to show her versatility. I thought tonight would be a great chance for her to shine and give that WOW performance Randy was talking about and everyone else was waiting for this season. BUT, it was still a great pro doing her thang. Plus, I liked how she showed a slightly higher tone for tonight's show.





Blake Lewis sang John Lennon's Imagine. given any other contestant, on another night, this would definitely warrant a ghastly comment from Simon. But because it's Idol-Gives-Back week, and everyone's doing a little charity by being nice, Blake was spared the rod. However, I liked his toned-down rendition. Some would believe it hard to sing such a song where there's no actual climax. Well, Hudson did it and shocked us all. So it's actually do-able, just the rendition of it. I thought with just the piano and his specific style, his sincerity pulled through. And I thought his video montage was the most relevant because he talked about how the song changed his life, instead of what the others said about wanting to do this song so that it will change other people's lives because of the message.



Talking about montages, Chris was inspired by Change The World from Eric Clapton?! Is that song really THAT inspirational?! I mean, it's talking about a girl, aint it?!?! Gosh I wished he would have picked a better song. HOWEVER, ironically, it was the first time I actually liked Chris. I thought he was trying not to be nasally this week, and him just sitting down and laying it to the guitar worked for me.


"Recap: For Chris' adenoidal take on 'Change the World', I'll borrow Simon's quasi-praise of Sanjaya two weeks ago: it wasn't horrible. But it was still saturated with enough phlegm-fueled dissonance to reduce me to a state of stupefaction. One of Chris' many curses is that he seems more interested in vocal pyrotechnics than soulful elucidation. After a tuneless though thankfully restrained opening, his vocal histrionics quickly detonated, and I imagined thousands of Cochlea implant recipients stabbing their heads with pitchforks in abject horror. Like last season's Ace Young, Chris is all looks and no substance, although what Ace lacked was the judges' incessant pimping. As if to negate last week's drubbing, Simon heaped unwarranted praise in a seeming scheme to skew 'Idol' to an even younger audience. It's clearly a misguided quest, as Chris' 'Change the World' leaves a taste in your mouth like brushing your teeth with furniture polish."
- Idol critic jeffrey Christian, on http://tv.yahoo.com/collections/1251.



Phil. I was hoping he'd be terrible tonight so that Lakisha can stay. But after seeing him, and seeing Lakisha's crime, I've decided, Phil deserves to stay for one more week, whether or not that means Lakisha is going home. He sang a Garth Brook song, which I thought was heartfelt and so much better than anything he did a few weeks back.




Lakisha Lakisha. Kiki sanjaya-ed everyone when she decided to give them something to talk about by singing, yet again, gasp gasp, a former Idol winner's song. Last week, she sang Carrie Underwood's Jesus Take The Wheel, tonight she covered Fantasia Barrino's I Believe, the winning single for Fantasia. Those who have been reading this space for long enough should know that I am a huge Fantasia believer, so much so that i er-hem whenever I see her Bobo performs it. Kiki killed it tonight.

I never thought I'd be saying this, NEVER, but Lakisha has got to be......stupid, to pick that song. It didnt matter that she didnt explain how the song had inspired her. What was more audacious was, I beleive, that SHE believed she could actually pull it off! Singing a song this recent, this distinctly Fantasia's, and singing it to an audience that literally gave Fantasia the votes because of that song is suicide. It is bound to draw comparisons and criticism. I know the judges have told her to take it all the way since she's got the big voice to boot. BUT STILL this is going too far. It has got to be one of the gravest mistakes in Idol history and it should be written in Idol-101: Never sing a past winner's song that will surely draw criticisms. AND do not tell me it's ok for her to choose that song because it inspires her. I am sure she has more than one song. How about Baby Mama by Fantasia? Or The Greatest Love of All by Whitney? heck, To Zion by Lauryn Hill! I am seriously pondering how big her ego has to be to carry that off. What big nerves. (i hope i'm not being evil here cos it's true).


"Sorry. I have just played this 4 times and Kiki doesnt even touch it. Fantasia fuckin rocks this song" - youtube comment. i went to see her performance after i saw Lakisha's as well.

"Recap: After last week proved that she's about as country as caviar, tonight LaKisha went for the bronze again by attempting yet another past Idol's theme song. I can only deduce that the poisonous wig-glue must have seeped into that strange infrastructure atop her head, because I could find no other logical reason for Kiki to make the brain-atrophying decision to try and duplicate one of the most monumental musical performances in TV history. Still fresh in the minds of millions, Fantasia's 'I Believe' was guttural, tear-the-roof-off proof that great singers are still born, while LaKisha's was passionless, uninspired and, well, stillborn. She still owes us the soul she promised at the auditions and has seldom delivered since. The Titanic has sunk. The best thing I could say is that it could have been worse: she could have sung a Taylor Hicks song.

My prediction: 'I believe' you'll be going home.
Expert predictions: Access Hollywood, MTV News, TV Guide and Yahoo! TV all think that LaKisha won't be spared from elimination again."
-Idol critic jeffrey Christian, on http://tv.yahoo.com/collections/1251.





here's the Fantasia links to truely believe in that song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yVXaw8yufY&mode=related&search= (performance show)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DercnakDhp0 (result show)

pls dun tell me you see any form of semblance. I'd much rather die.


you probably wont see Simon Randy Ryan do these again.

my friend Daniel is luring people to post comments on his blog by promising to tell the following to poster:

1. Tell you why I friended you
2. Associate you with something. A fandom, a song, a rock, a colour, a piece of fruit. SOMETHING.
3. Tell a random fact about you.
4. Tell a first memory about you.
5. Associate you with a character/pairing. =P
6. Ask something I've always wanted to know about you.
7. Tell you my favorite user pic(s) of yours.
8. Tell you that you must spread this disease in your LJ.


i didnt post a comment, but i asked him on msn hahhaha. and here's wat i got.

1. u seem warm and very very attentive. i love the way u thinks.
2. the hours.
3. an ex-jjc councillor
4. we met one happy day when i due to book in for guard duty to watch the hours.
5. -
6. how you appreciate literature more.
7. u dun have looo


and since i dun have a livejournal account, i'm not obliged to do the same. hahahha.

一半

王菲 一半
作词：林夕 作曲：Viktoria


一个痴情男人　
一脸安全感
就像为此等一生　
也算是　　
快乐女人
恋爱不求平等　
得到感情便安心
事事亦不粗心　
像有爱情　
才像女人
若我要做你一半　
决不可以这般
要是你另有某一半　
不必等你喜欢
所有温柔情感　
只会包围男人心
像做什么都都不忍　
为了爱情才愿意狠
若我要做你一半　
怎么可以这般
若是你另有某一半　
我都可以反叛
若爱你是我宗教　
天都不要去管
但自我亦占我一半　
不须你喜欢
不可以交换
只可给你一半　
其它不要你管
只可给你一半　
你可感到不满


this is my latest earworm. random, a lil.

"my black marauder..."

3 words i learnt today

marauder - a person or animal moving around looking for something to kill or destroy

ubermensch - (noun)a person with great powers and abilities [syn: demigod]

gumption - Boldness of enterprise; initiative or aggressiveness.
Guts; spunk.
Common sense.
the ability and determination to decide what needs doing and to do it.






so i caught two movies (three, to be exact) today. Sylvia first, The Holiday after.then The Hills Have Eyes 2 in the theatres. to get the easy one outta way first, THHE2 is quite bad. i wanted a good scare, but i got tonnes of gore, intestines, blood sputters, ripped fingers, and disgusting saliva instead. it's not scary, jus utterly violent and gory with cheap thrills/scares, brains sold separately. still, i jumped at my seat a couple of times and tried to cover my ears hahahaha.


so Sylvia, like the name suggests, is about the life of the hugely depressing and tormented and paranoid Sylvia Plath, living in the shadows of Ted Hughes and basically being paranoid that he's humping other women throughout the show.


Gwyneth Paltrow didnt possess the role the way Nicole Kidman did with Virginia Woolf, nor did she give it a character in itself IMO. there were a few unnecessary butt/boob shots of her, and thruout the show she was pullin a glum face. Daniel Craig in a pre-007 look plays Ted Hughes, the "black marauder", the "ubermensch" who gave Sylvia as much happiness as torment. DC gave the role a little dangerous appeal, which made the eventual betrayal believable. but he's a lucky chap cos he got to eat Gwyneth's tofu. (pardon the explicit nature).

perhaps because i hold The Hours in such high esteem that any other writer-brought-to-screen story becomes an inevitable compare. Sylvia lacked the charisma from its leading actress. the writers' words/works werent emphasised enough, and their children and the effects they have on them were not played out as well. it was a love story about two person at most, with a tad bit of poetry and hot romance. a bit disappointed imo. Gwyneth is an Oscar winner for goodness sake.

then i moved on to another almost-Oscar-winner kate Winslet, which i lovelovelove. highly underrated, totally ravishing, immensely intriguing, Kate Winslet makes everything look good. in her first romcom (she's done plenty of indie films), she plays a woman suffering from unrequited love for 3 yrs too many. one day she was caught by surprise that the man she's been sleeping with is marrying another woman, and she, as a news-writer, is tasked to report the wedding. how tragic?!

in the meantime Cameron Diaz, continents away in L.A, jus broke up with her cheating boyfriend. she hasnt cried in years and finds it hard to truely commit to any relationship given her busy schedule. two heartbroken, in front of a computer, decides to do some changes to their lives. and what do they do? they pulled a home-swap. Kate from Surrey England to uptown L.A, Cameron otherwise.

so the rest sld come as a no-brainer. go figure.

this is 4 mths too late to catch The Holiday. it's supposed to drive away the holiday blues for those not in love. nonetheless, i felt happy after watching it. large parts due to Nancy Myer's sharp writing. if u liked What Women Want and Something's Gotta Give (both also by her), then u'll prob like this as well. i'm guessing the ladies will love this.next comes the sweets for the eye Jude and Kate. Jude is the epitome of the charismatic British man. despite his receding hairline and slightly swollen face here(i'm hopin its the snow and cold), he's still equally charming. watch Alfie to see him at his best; smoldering sex appeal, perfect clothes, utterly charming.

k gettin abit outta line by talkin bout Jude here muahahaha.

KATE. goegeous. Brits have it so easy. they can jus talk and make u go all jelly inside. Kate is jus so ravishing here. and her character makes u wana hug her. just hug her. totally stole Cameron's thunder. Cameron looks old here. she's losing it sadly. sigh. Jack Black is the good guy with a sense of humour as usual.

house-swap. wldnt that be an interesting idea?! i mean, imagine i swap with Cameron. i get a dvd library, automatic blinds that turns day into dusk, chardonney, a pool!, servants, queen size bed, etc etc. wldnt that be just fantastic?! i wld die for that! but who would wana live in my crammy apartment overlookin another crammy apartment, when the nearest pool is 3 busstops or more away and the only expensive drink i have is JustTea?!?!?!?!

ya. i figured.


so my past three off days have been wasted again..hahhhaa. i caught movies for the most part of it, caught up with an old friend, tidied only my table, and slept alot. ya. UNEVENTFUL. and its sooooo hot. i sld be exercising my ass off asap.

i love Kate Winslet. i think she's gonna get an Oscar someday. i just know it.

约定

还记得当天旅馆的门牌
还留住笑著离开的神态
当天整个城市那样轻快
沿路一起走半哩长街

还记得街灯照出一脸黄
还燃亮那份微温的便档
剪影的你轮廓太好看
凝住眼泪才敢细看

忘掉天地彷佛也想不起自己
仍未忘相约看漫天黄叶远飞
就算会与你分离凄绝的戏
要决心忘记我便记不起
明日天地只恐怕认不出自己
仍未忘跟你约定假如没有死
就算你壮阔胸膛不敌天气
两鬓斑白都可认得你

还记得当天结他的和弦
还明白每段旋律的伏线
当天街角流过你声线

there's a new old song here. the intro fits perfectly. don't you think?

i think Lynette Scavo is the most humane and respectable and sympathetic of the desperate housewives.

i use to think she's boring. i loved Bree Van DeCamp's tortured and freaky nature in the first two seasons. Now Lynette really gets me. Felicity Huffman is fantastic. there's so much sensitivity in her role. if she were a real-life friend of mine, i wld have admired her and think she's a goddess for all that she has to carry.

Desperate Housewives. a pity Nora died at a bad time, when her character wasnt fully developed to its best potential.

and i do agree Teri Hatcher is looking prettier. at least she's not irritating this season hahahaaaa... (so gonna get killed by Teri-groupie erhem)

the private life of C

thanks to Tangerine Tofu Man Tony for helpin me get this from HK. i love love love. he had a mohawk!



thanks to QJ for gettin this from HK. i took a quick listen and am already loving it. the packaging is the epitome of the listening experience: beautiful concept, great photography, lovely passages of words. this is the reason why u sld buy this instead of downloading it. a pity not many people make records like this anymore.

best friends forever

St Margaret's Pri Sch - 130407
SS Trails are damn...erm...slack. so i jus tag along to ensure safety and order. so i snapped quite a few beauty shots till my camera went flat. regreted not buyin egg tarts while i can, but i went into a Hindu Temple for the first time in my life today.














Jie Min Pri Sch - 120407

i love this sch, thou the kids are hard to control.


my favourite kid thus far: Zhen Yu Hui. he's so sweet. he gave me a packet of tidbits and is an avid photog already. he asked me for extra batteries, i gave it to him, he was very grateful and happy. hahaha. i miss my favourite kid.


Jasmine, the most talkative girl i've seen thus far. she just goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on.......





Jurong west Pri sch - 110407

the best friends


Weijun and Wei Siang



Nadya and S???-something



Maverick (nice name) and Hai Keng



Jordon the Jay/ultraman wanabee. he was being moody cos he didnt win the prize.

I'm non-too-sure if it was the lack of sleep from the past three days, workin Zenitant Trails wakin up in the wee hours, sleepin in the wee hours as well after settling down from work.

it might be that my body is tryin to send me a message, probably that with concern to my age, and stamina. but i felt really tired and zonked out today, drained physically, and emotionaly.

but at least the kids cheered me up a little.

a few hours ago i finally got the reply i've been waiting for. i've asked my boss for a pay rise: 4.50 to 5 bucks per hour. he didnt bother to get back to me after sayin he'd need to discuss with another person. that got me thinkin if he's tryin to avoid me. so i called him, and with nowhere to run, he dismissed my request, saying if it happens to me, it sld happen to everyone too; even those who've worked longer have yet to receive it.

herein lies the irony, that person who's worked longer than me (full time), yet shorter than me (part time), has left. some time ago.

i guess i was too cocky and sure of myself, that they wld agree to it. what "i dun mind payin more if i think u deserve it." i see that as a sign that i might not deserve it. suddenly, i was swirled into the meaningless of it all: i feel like all these while i've worked in vain, and that all hard work, whether seen or not, will disappear as fast as the next newcomer. in a painful acceptance of reality, i realise how insignificant i have and will always be. someone else can easily take the job. boss wont lose money, prob jus a great pair of hands, or just a touch of leadership. i will be made use and ignored as easily, like a pawn. like a chess piece. and as soon as i leave, it prob only takes a minute before adjustment ends and the next customer enters. nothin lost, nothin gained.

it's...overwhelming, how i need a simple rejection to truely clear my vision. sometimes i stick too hard to the main road and miss out the sidewalk. i dont think being accptable of things is necessarily a virtue here.

not that i have gained nothin. i'm glad i had the chance to learn from the best. my supervisor has been as much of a learning canvas as a pain in the ass. given i start work at Jurong Point, i wld have gotten sick of the job faster, and learnt alot alot lesser.

and of cos there's the immense entertainment value at ya disposal.

i guess it's really time to move on.










and i cant win; not when i cant even see what i'm fighting against, and when i'm just not good enough.

Sanjaya-ed

I've been "Sanjaya-ed"!

3 ways to use this word:
"He sanjaya-ed me when he butchered that great No Doubt song Bathwater!"

"i sanjaya-ed myself by doing things to my hair that makes me look fugly."

"(insert Brit accent)That was absolutely sanjaya."

"Sanjaya is my papaya"


3 ways/context NOT to use this word:

"Sanjaya is a terrific singer!"

"Sanjaya has great hair!"

"my american idol: sanjaya!"





give me roti+kaya. ANYDAY. please.














Idol today was terribly disappointing. you know something is going 360degrees wrong when:
a) Jennifer Lopez offers "advice".
b) Simon criticised Melinda for the first time.
c) Sanjaya, the "embodiment of Latin passion", closes the show.


Melinda. i thought it was a good vocal, but i really need her to up her game before all the young voters' sms-es overrun the truely talented. PLEASE. SOON. it's worryin when Lakisha is not doing well at wowing either. i'd hate for anyone else to win.xcept mayb Blake. and wats her friend-stylist doin with those ugly dress choices? it does nothing for her except make her look like a dumpling. americans are fortunate cos they haven seen dumplings before i guess.

Hayley-here-goes-the-skin-again. it's BLARDY obvious that the short short hot pants are an obvious gimmick to lure young lusty ones(and i have a hunch there's plenty).this week she is WORKING it by walking sooooooo much. down the sideway, mid stage, down stage, podium behind the judges (i saw simon staring), down podium, up on stage, wham. and all the while flexing those leggy legs. irksome. and she seemed to have put on weight within 1 week. she looks like a drag with that hair pulled back at the top. awful.

Chris is too reminiscent of justin Timberlake. everytime i see him i just cant help comparing. but i do give him credit cos i try to see wat's different and unique about him. sadly i've yet to find any. i jus wish he could break away from that style of singing and really blow me away.

Lakisha. sigh. i heard her performance over the radio and thought to myself: is that Hayley? i imagined her to sound better. after watching it on tv afterwards, it feels beta, but i cant shake the feelin that Lakisha wont sound good on a cd. and her version of Conga seems half-a-beat slower. probably to suit her, erhem, rendition.

Phil. who's that?

Jordin. i like her spunky hyperactive attitude. her energy is a lil reminiscent of Fantasia, that eagerness to share and that lil spice of excitement in her voice. but for me for her, i think her song choices suck. 2 weeks ago's HEY BABY lacked attitude that the original has plenty of. and that dress?! this week she chose RHYTHM'S GONNA GETCHA". u know, being a Latoya hardcore, i cannot shake the image of Latoya's version. she has grace, sexy without being slutty, sultry, and jus such FLAVA, with that passionate red number of a killer dress, hair slicked back, large earring. AND SHE DANCED. whoa. embodiment already. Jordin jus shoke her shoulders and head like J.Lo told her to. BORING. vocals were ok thou.


thank goodness for Blake. he made me like I NEED TO KNOW. i never really dig it at all despite it being a huge hit. Marc Anthony didnt sing it tt well IMO. but Blake eununciated that song, every single word was crispy clear and it had attitude. thou certain runs were similar to MA's rendition, it was still largely Blake. he really made the song accessible for me and got me wanting to hear the original. and that, to me, is still one of the largest draw of the show. to have someone sing a version so great that it makes u wana listen to the original and see if it was really that good or better. and a large part is about rediscovering lost music. before Idol, i wldnt even be hearing a Barry Manilow/Heart/ Donna Summer cd. and i'm glad it opened up the truely great for the new generation. despite the increasing need for them to make comtemporary their song choices, i'm glad some old souls are still in the competition, and it has yet to lose all its integrity. and it is precisely because of that that i hope the winner this year is truely deserving of it. imagine a 3way chris daughtry-taylor hicks-katharine mcphee finale. would Taylor still have won?!


still, i'm glad Daughtry didnt have to sing that ghastly-soppy DO I MAKE YOU PROUD.

Live from Abbey Road

rushed home to catch Live From Abbey Road, this new music program on Arts Central tt showcase singers in the renowed Abbey Road studios (made famous durin the Beatles haydays)to an intimate setting. each week 3 singers will perform a 3/4 song set. the nifty camera works and angles complemented the music nicely, and the lush colours, cinematography, and set design are simple, yet tastily done.today's debut episode featured Kasabian, Josh Groban, and The Good,The Bad, and the Queen (yet another band by Blur frontman Damon Albon)

i always thought Josh Groban was for middle-aged uncles tryin to look hip by listening to the most currently popular classical singer. after today's show, Josh has become my guilty pleasure, and i think everyone sld get a piece of him. perhaps the album doesnt do him justice. he's so young! i can literally pinch out his baby fats. i am clueless why he decided to un-hip himself. he sld learn from Shakira. but anyways, after hearing him speak about how he self-taught the piano, i realise his singing voice is so strong. BLOWN AWAY.

CANT WAIT for next week, where Damien Rice will perform 9 Crimes. and Jamiroquai will be there too.

dirt tired. tml gotta wake early for trails. phew. here's some lines off an AI6 article on EW.


"... MAY 23 FINALE." (!!!!!!!!!)

"....Randy does it more than anyone else, probably because he only says five words over and over all season. We send him a dictionary evrry Christmas, but he doesnt really read it." -Nigel Lythgoe


"I guarantee the songs submitted will have the words 'blessed' and 'proud' in them. 'I'm blessed to be proud.' 'I'm proud to be blessed.'" - Simon Cowell on what the winner's song(also the winner's 1st single) will entail. this year they're having a songwriting competition to find the winning composition that will become the finale song.



"What i love about Paula is she's a genuine fan,"says Cowell. 'She's the only one who's emotionally involved. someone's got to do it." - Simon on Paula.


".....may 23 finale." MAY 23 FINALE!!!

off days are here again

off days, like today, are spent on cathing up with the various aspects of life i've been missing out on. like sleeping without care,bothering the cleanliness/state-of-mess my room is in, gettin a haircut, eating my favourite food(Chippy's! milk tea!), reading, tv, movies, and exercising.

yes, exercising. contuary to popular belief, i still do that, less my lazy ass decides to grab the better of me. i went for a jog round my neighbourhood.

i haven lie down, with clear sky above me, after a run for some time now. the refreshing sensation brought me back to the army days. such adrenalin rush never meant so much in a long time now. for a moment, i felt alive again, and was reminded how everything really lies in the head: determination, perserverence, strength, weakness.

as i was packing thru my room, i opened up the mooncake box of love. you should know how it feels to read old letters: tt tingling smell of yellowing paper, littered with white blemishes of mould; feeling nostalgic and thinking of people and places, time and years. OXT wrote me the most letters. Susan had the highest words-per-page average. Tallone had the most varied handwriting. Isaac gave me the coolest handmade xmas card with perfect colour combination. Ernest is the sweetest cos he still sends me a card every yr. Minghua gave me the biggest bell. Liu remains the only one who sends me a xmas AND cny card.

with each viewing comes the sweetness of friendship, the joy. how ironic and prophetic old words can be sometimes. yet with it comes the wondering of what happened to all the years in between.

some words a friend wrote for my bday a few yrs back:

"Dear Yi Hua,

And so you have thus far
Your childhood behind you
And adulthood ahead.

To be able to stand at
the threshold of Youth
is to be in a privilegedposition,
not least because this moment
is ephemeral.

It is at this exciting intersection
of the many paths that lie before you,
the many endeavours that you
will undertake.

that I wish you diligence, hope
and courage in embracing what
is to come.

Happy Birthday."


such a simple message, yet so aptly and beautifully written, as only Jack can.










and after seeing this pic i took in HK last yr(wow. it's been a yr huh), QJ just reminded me that youth lost is forever; it can never come back.


gettin a haircut tml.

i just realise that the only time i can not be unhappy is during meal time. which explains my weight gain. muahahhahaha. eating to pass time too. and dad jus bought fried chicken.jus when i was thinkin of it. whoa if only everything could be this easy!

Tony got my chet lam dvd! yeah! now for his new chi album!

listening to:
蔡琴 2007 HK concert cd
Ivana - shi qing hua yi
Janice - "Do u know..."
Faye greatest hits disc 3
Daughtry
LOVE (canto pop compile)
Chet + Miriam concert dvd


another brainless entry

the sign says it all.


"SANJAYA IS MY PAPAYA"

clueless! jus like him!! hahahhahah. but at least this week he's better than last week's TERRIBLE "bath water"

Melinda and Blake almost made me shed tears of joy. they're so damn good! Blake is growing on me big time.

Hayley is obviously still workin her legs! she's been showing them off since top 12! simon finally commented on them, and seems like it's gonna stick ard for a while. urk.

CHET LAM HAS A NEW CHINESE ALBUM!!! WHOOPEE@@@@!!!!!


and i want the dvd+2cd la.............that day i spent 30 bucks on his concert dvd with Miriam. not bad i must say, thou it sorta burned a hole in my pocket. and i didnt see it anywhere else, only at the chinatown cd shop i frequent. tht was the first time i got it. goin to chinatown is never good cos i will spend money! dammit. i bought a $8 watch and EGGTARTS!!! ahhahahahahahaa

tiring la only slpt 3 hrs yesterday. dammit!!!

k brainless entry........

OMG MY MONITOR IS FIXEDDDDD!!!!!

everything looks so HUGEEEEEEE NOW!!!

no need to strain my eyes anymoreeeeeeee!!!!

like, whoopeeeeeeeee!!!!!

muahahhahahahahaa.










but i need to chip in $60 bucks for it. SHIT.



(sidenote: my dad is listenin to dance-version Stars Are Blind. WHAT???!!!)

weak

a fren jus talked to me about "what u're living for", you know, those kind of epiphany-inducing conversations.

i realise that to my horror, i have been ok with fading away quietly for so long. i'm not even a tiny speck in this universe. and i believe we're all goin to die and something better advanced will take our place, kinda like us takin over the dinosaurs. so where's the sense in that?

but after speakin to him, it makes me driven. to really go for the things you want in life and achieve it.

how ironic our turn of topics went.

i think i sld be a Buddhist real soon. i need to be at peace with myself and the world.

i am so w.e.a.k.