"Moulin Rouge" is still one of the greatest films of all time. He's right, you know, when he says "the greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return".
Maybe I'll write my own story someday.
Meanwhile, I've been having great adventures. After my voice lesson that day, I set out for a 5-hour walk around the "rural" parts of Singapore, around Tanjong Katong, Marine Parade, Paya Lebar. I went to Gramercy music to pick up my ABRSM songbook first. Bloody hell, man, that thin book costs me $32+! Anyway, I'm glad I finally found it. It was sold out everywhere else.
After I bought my book, I walked around aimlessly, listening to all kinds of music on my player. I listened to Dutch singing, Italian singing, 17th century classical music, lute music, banjo music, and they all kept me going. 3 times, I gave up walking and wanted to take a bus to Parkway Parade, but just before the bus could arrive, I decided to walk again, so that was good. I realised I give up too easy, so I forced myself to keep going till I found Parkway Parade on my own, I trusted my instincts and kept walking. By the time I found it, I felt thinner, but happy.
It was good training for perseverance,discipline and determination that I so desperately need now that I'll be doing self-studying for my 3 subjects at 'O's. I shall go on more of these "aimless-walking" trips. I haven't been to Holland Village in a while, so maybe I'll go there next.
Recently, I've found myself feeling envious when I watch movies/shows of poor people and how they live. Take the "Little Rascals" for an example. They only have petty little problems to deal with every day, like how to get their dog back from the dog-catcher when they don't have any money. They live by coming up with creative stories to get food.
Other examples include "Mr. Bean" and "Joe Dirt".
I don't know why I should feel envious of them. After all, I live in a more-or-less comfortable flat, have more than enough food to eat, and have luxury items like the computer and a mobile phone and music player, not to mention that I have the money to pay for ridiculously-overpriced food in town when I'm out and hungry.
I wish I were poor. These people have much more excitement in their lives. Living in Singapore isn't as great as it seems. All the tourists that I speak to every day at my job in town tell me that it's a great place, a great country. Sunny and friendly, with all its luxuries, not many people begging on the streets, out in the cold.
When I look out my window, all I see is concrete. It seems frustrating to know that all the trees I see were deliberately planted, and everyone is packed into a multi-storey HDB flat made of concrete. It's caterpillar season, and I see masses of squashed caterpillars, lives brutally shortened by thousands of stomping feet.
There's no inspiration anywhere in this country. There are no lovely woods to walk through and see the sunlight shining through the canopy. There are no lovely streams to sit and write poetry by. There's no snow to throw and flop onto. All people talk about are money, sex and food. Conversations are filled with dirty jokes, numbers for 4-D and lottery, and the great chilli crabs and barbequed stingrays. It's so suffocating living in such a small, humid country with an ever-increasing population that's becoming more spoilt and stuck-up, obsessed with money and power. Once the casinos are up and operating, all Hell will break loose.
The auntie at work asks me why I don't want to stay in this country, but she speaks Mandarin, so I didn't bother trying to explain. Even in English, people don't understand it.
There's no doubt that I'll be out of here when the opportunity comes. I'm not looking for a famous and flashy lifestyle with all its comforts, I'm looking for a humble existence, close to nature and far away from all corruption. It seems easier to talk to animals than human beings nowadays.
I want to be a wanderer, unattached to anything. If I have a home I don't want it to be of concrete. Anything but concrete. Mud houses, leaf houses, dung houses, wood houses, don't you think they make life more interesting? You don't have to take the stairs or elevator down to the first floor.
Development is a curse, it's destroying the world, and not slowly either. It's crumbling before my very eyes, and people are losing compassion, love, faith. Maybe they'll become the kind of people who will fit a cold, developed and destroyed world.
To be honest, I think children are the ones who make the most sense anywhere. True, they may be naive, innocent and ignorant, but they're uncorrupted. They talk about beauty and life, and adults just laugh at them, telling them they talk nonsense. Well, no wonder! The adult's world is nothing but trash. The magazines with most copies sold are the gossip ones.
Elvis didn't start taking drugs for no reason, neither did Heath Ledger.
The adult's world is nothing but crap, and I hope I won't be a part of it for as long as I live. If I will be forced to, then I hope I'll be dead before that.
Gotta live poor, baby! Then life's an adventure!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Monday, March 23rd 2009
I bought my first M18 film today! The guy at the counter said I could, even though I'm 4 months from being 18. I bought the film "Deliverance", and just finished watching it. It is far from being M18, I tell you. Even 8-year olds watch that kind of stuff, except for the man-rape part. They didn't even show the most crucial parts, they were blocked by a large tree branch!
I remember my first NC16 movie- "Hannibal Rising". I really wanted to watch it, and I wanted it more and more as I rode past the movie poster at the bus stop every day. Luckily, Eng Wah wasn't so strict about being 16 that very moment. To be honest, "Hannibal Rising" was more disturbing than "Deliverance". Mmm, Gaspard Ulliel is still one of the hottest actors around. And, he's French!
Anyway, I've uploaded a new video on my blog. Scroll right to the bottom to watch it, and I promise you, it won't be boring. The front part goes a little slowly, but with patience comes a great reward.
Doesn't it sound fun?!
That's why I want to play the banjo!
I'm making progress on my ukelele. New chords coming to my fingertips like magic, and the sound just travels to my ears and somehow registers in my brain as "beautiful". Still quite slow, but sounding better. Discovered a few things like which fingers are more comfortable on which strings and frets, which part of my thumb I feel comfortable strumming with, how to tune the ukelele by ear, how a perfect chord sounds on it.
I tried learning chords from the internet, but to no avail. I just don't get it. I play exactly as they display on the screen, but it sounds horrible. Playing it by ear seems a lot easier, just need more practice. Must get familiar and intimate with the instrument, that's how you become a good musician.
I remember my first NC16 movie- "Hannibal Rising". I really wanted to watch it, and I wanted it more and more as I rode past the movie poster at the bus stop every day. Luckily, Eng Wah wasn't so strict about being 16 that very moment. To be honest, "Hannibal Rising" was more disturbing than "Deliverance". Mmm, Gaspard Ulliel is still one of the hottest actors around. And, he's French!
Anyway, I've uploaded a new video on my blog. Scroll right to the bottom to watch it, and I promise you, it won't be boring. The front part goes a little slowly, but with patience comes a great reward.
Doesn't it sound fun?!
That's why I want to play the banjo!
I'm making progress on my ukelele. New chords coming to my fingertips like magic, and the sound just travels to my ears and somehow registers in my brain as "beautiful". Still quite slow, but sounding better. Discovered a few things like which fingers are more comfortable on which strings and frets, which part of my thumb I feel comfortable strumming with, how to tune the ukelele by ear, how a perfect chord sounds on it.
I tried learning chords from the internet, but to no avail. I just don't get it. I play exactly as they display on the screen, but it sounds horrible. Playing it by ear seems a lot easier, just need more practice. Must get familiar and intimate with the instrument, that's how you become a good musician.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Sunday, March 22nd 2009
It's strange to read something you had written so many years ago.
Anyway, my order of "Mazarin" has finally arrived! Oh, the goodness of 17th century music! I'll upload a really nice piece on my blog soon. It just sounds so medieval, you know?
"Mazarin" was initially delayed because Amazon.com ran out of stock, but it arrived soon after I managed to restrain myself from hitting my supervisor. Ha, ha. I can't tell you how happy I felt that it was finally here! I was having withdrawel symptoms due to not having new Philippe Jaroussky music to listen to.
I've grown quite fond of lute and banjo music, too. Been borrowing some lute music from the library @ Esplanade, written by John Dowland and some other guy. Apparently, John Dowland was this brilliant lutenist of the 17th century, I think. I like some of his happier pieces, but the lute looks too difficult for me to play. Have you seen the number of strings on that thing?! I can't even play the guitar! Sure, plucking a few strings is no problem, but actually having to learn chords and stuff, no thanks. My fingers hurt like hell the last time I tried.
Banjo is even worse, because a lot of the music is very complicated, and played very fast. It has the basic melody line, and then it has a lot of other notes piled on top, but it sounds fun to play.
If I can find a banjo at a low price at Sungei Road sometime, maybe I'll get one. They're selling a banjo at Bugis for more than $300!
I have invested in a little off-white ukelele. It was supposed to be $30+, but I got a 20% discount, so I got it at $25. It's a cute little thing that's much smaller than a guitar, developed in Hawaii in the 19th century.
I was slowly plucking strings on my sister's guitar several weeks ago, and I realised that the sound has a calming effect on me. I usually have problems getting to sleep, so maybe if I got a smaller, less bulky version of a guitar, it could help me sleep, or give me something to do if I really can't get to sleep. Then, I remembered that I wanted to buy a ukelele in Hawaii in 2005, but didn't because it would have been a hassle bringing it back, so I decided a week ago that I would get one. It's about the same price when converted, so I'm not upset about the $25.
Learning a string instrument at my own pace would help me in my hearing and tuning for singing, and it's also calming and fun when my fingers don't have those painful string grooves in them. So now, I have my very own ukelele!
Anyway, my order of "Mazarin" has finally arrived! Oh, the goodness of 17th century music! I'll upload a really nice piece on my blog soon. It just sounds so medieval, you know?
"Mazarin" was initially delayed because Amazon.com ran out of stock, but it arrived soon after I managed to restrain myself from hitting my supervisor. Ha, ha. I can't tell you how happy I felt that it was finally here! I was having withdrawel symptoms due to not having new Philippe Jaroussky music to listen to.
I've grown quite fond of lute and banjo music, too. Been borrowing some lute music from the library @ Esplanade, written by John Dowland and some other guy. Apparently, John Dowland was this brilliant lutenist of the 17th century, I think. I like some of his happier pieces, but the lute looks too difficult for me to play. Have you seen the number of strings on that thing?! I can't even play the guitar! Sure, plucking a few strings is no problem, but actually having to learn chords and stuff, no thanks. My fingers hurt like hell the last time I tried.
Banjo is even worse, because a lot of the music is very complicated, and played very fast. It has the basic melody line, and then it has a lot of other notes piled on top, but it sounds fun to play.
If I can find a banjo at a low price at Sungei Road sometime, maybe I'll get one. They're selling a banjo at Bugis for more than $300!
I have invested in a little off-white ukelele. It was supposed to be $30+, but I got a 20% discount, so I got it at $25. It's a cute little thing that's much smaller than a guitar, developed in Hawaii in the 19th century.
I was slowly plucking strings on my sister's guitar several weeks ago, and I realised that the sound has a calming effect on me. I usually have problems getting to sleep, so maybe if I got a smaller, less bulky version of a guitar, it could help me sleep, or give me something to do if I really can't get to sleep. Then, I remembered that I wanted to buy a ukelele in Hawaii in 2005, but didn't because it would have been a hassle bringing it back, so I decided a week ago that I would get one. It's about the same price when converted, so I'm not upset about the $25.
Learning a string instrument at my own pace would help me in my hearing and tuning for singing, and it's also calming and fun when my fingers don't have those painful string grooves in them. So now, I have my very own ukelele!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Wednesday, March 11th 2009
Hey guys!
Am feeling much better today, been sleeping a lot. Yesterday, after I came home from the polyclinic, I took a shower, took my medicine and applied the lotion to my rash, and then went to bed from 10am to 5pm. Got up, watched some TV, washed my dreadlocks, had dinner, showered and washed up, took medicine, applied lotion, read, and then went to bed around 10.30pm, slept till 11.30am this morning.
I feel better, but I don't look much better. I have very, very bad eyebags due to not being able to sleep that night, and then sleeping too much after. There are still red patches all over, but it feels so much better now.
I've uploaded a rather nice banjo song. If you take the time to listen to it, you'll hear more than one instrument. I hear the fiddle and banjo, but I'm not sure if there's a guitar in there. Can't tell in the mixture. I think there is, but it's like trying to find a small piece of pasta in a big vat of pasta sauce.
I like the sound of a banjo, it give this "carefree" feeling. Makes you feel like square-dancing and talking to cows in a barn on the mountains.
I did some Math today, and I've been doing a little research on inbreeding in humans. I wonder why it produces mentally and physically-handicapped offspring? Something to do with homozygous genes, I think.
The topic of inbreeding is quite interesting, and also viewed by society as taboo. It's mostly isolated, though. Some in the mountains, some in tribes, some in royalty, and some in families trapped in basements for years. Inbreeding causes biological mutations that result in deformity (mental or physical) in inbred offspring.
Am feeling much better today, been sleeping a lot. Yesterday, after I came home from the polyclinic, I took a shower, took my medicine and applied the lotion to my rash, and then went to bed from 10am to 5pm. Got up, watched some TV, washed my dreadlocks, had dinner, showered and washed up, took medicine, applied lotion, read, and then went to bed around 10.30pm, slept till 11.30am this morning.
I feel better, but I don't look much better. I have very, very bad eyebags due to not being able to sleep that night, and then sleeping too much after. There are still red patches all over, but it feels so much better now.
I've uploaded a rather nice banjo song. If you take the time to listen to it, you'll hear more than one instrument. I hear the fiddle and banjo, but I'm not sure if there's a guitar in there. Can't tell in the mixture. I think there is, but it's like trying to find a small piece of pasta in a big vat of pasta sauce.
I like the sound of a banjo, it give this "carefree" feeling. Makes you feel like square-dancing and talking to cows in a barn on the mountains.
I did some Math today, and I've been doing a little research on inbreeding in humans. I wonder why it produces mentally and physically-handicapped offspring? Something to do with homozygous genes, I think.
The topic of inbreeding is quite interesting, and also viewed by society as taboo. It's mostly isolated, though. Some in the mountains, some in tribes, some in royalty, and some in families trapped in basements for years. Inbreeding causes biological mutations that result in deformity (mental or physical) in inbred offspring.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Tuesday, March 10th 2009
It's 6.05am, and I've finally found the score to Schubert's "Seligkeit". I combed Esplanade library thrice, Music Essentials and Yamaha, but couldn't find the score book. I found it online instead.
I came down with a rash last night. It covered only a few patches of my body at first, but after an hour or so it had spread like wildfire. It covered my entire torso, neck and patches of my arms and legs. It itched like hell, ok. I was twitching in my bed!
So after about 6 unsuccessful hours of trying to fall asleep despite the itching, I got up and came online to look for "Seligkeit" and stuff. Going to polyclinic at 8am, but that means I have 2 more hours to kill.
Actually, if it weren't so itchy/painful, the rash would seem pretty cool. The rash doesn't just turn the skin red, it swells up in raised, flat patches. Small ones look like mosquito bites. I wonder what I could've eaten that cause this allergic reaction? The only other time I had an allergic reaction rash was when I ate "King Top Shells", that lousy shellfish.
Gahh. I hope the doctor can prescribe instant rash-relief cream and very strong sleeping pills. I hope it's all better by tomorrow. I promised Rai I'd be at work with her so we can brave Hell together.
I hate work, too. Can't wait to get outta there. It's not the job, it's the restrictions. Nobody else wants to do the counter because you can't do so many things at the counter. You can't check your mobile phone, you can't read or write or draw, and you're expected to stone while waiting for (very far-between) customers to approach the counter.
Ridiculous.
I'm beginning to like hillbilly music, especially the banjo ones.
I can't go for voice lesson today because of my rash. Can't sing properly with all this itching, and anyway having red patches on you is not a pretty sight, and I take public transport there.
I guess it's better to stay home today after visiting the polyclinic, less germs and dust to aggravate the rashes. I just hope my voice teacher brings forward the money to next month's fees. These lessons aren't cheap, and they're coming out from my own pocket.
I came down with a rash last night. It covered only a few patches of my body at first, but after an hour or so it had spread like wildfire. It covered my entire torso, neck and patches of my arms and legs. It itched like hell, ok. I was twitching in my bed!
So after about 6 unsuccessful hours of trying to fall asleep despite the itching, I got up and came online to look for "Seligkeit" and stuff. Going to polyclinic at 8am, but that means I have 2 more hours to kill.
Actually, if it weren't so itchy/painful, the rash would seem pretty cool. The rash doesn't just turn the skin red, it swells up in raised, flat patches. Small ones look like mosquito bites. I wonder what I could've eaten that cause this allergic reaction? The only other time I had an allergic reaction rash was when I ate "King Top Shells", that lousy shellfish.
Gahh. I hope the doctor can prescribe instant rash-relief cream and very strong sleeping pills. I hope it's all better by tomorrow. I promised Rai I'd be at work with her so we can brave Hell together.
I hate work, too. Can't wait to get outta there. It's not the job, it's the restrictions. Nobody else wants to do the counter because you can't do so many things at the counter. You can't check your mobile phone, you can't read or write or draw, and you're expected to stone while waiting for (very far-between) customers to approach the counter.
Ridiculous.
I'm beginning to like hillbilly music, especially the banjo ones.
I can't go for voice lesson today because of my rash. Can't sing properly with all this itching, and anyway having red patches on you is not a pretty sight, and I take public transport there.
I guess it's better to stay home today after visiting the polyclinic, less germs and dust to aggravate the rashes. I just hope my voice teacher brings forward the money to next month's fees. These lessons aren't cheap, and they're coming out from my own pocket.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Sunday, March 8th 2009
I haven't had coffee in more than 5 years. This morning, when the smell from my mother's mug hit my nose, it was horribly metallic.
Believe it or not, I used to drink coffee every single morning when I was a kid, since I was about 4. My mother made me drink a mug, especially when I started going to school. It was supposedly to make sure I stayed awake and alert during school hours.
Tuh.
All it did was stain my teeth.
After I got old enough to know that coffee is bad, especially for very young kids, I stopped drinking coffee altogether. I was about 12 then, and even though the coffee streak lasted so many years, I had no withdrawal effects.
Anyway, recently I've been into good ol' things like old movies and Archie comics and old fashion.
I started off with "Breakfast At Tiffany's" and "Sabrina" (Audrey Hepburn) made in the 1970s, then "Singin' in the Rain" and Elvis movies made in 1950s. I finally got hold of some "Little Rascals" episodes and watched those, as well as some Clark Gable movies like "It Happened One Night". Those were filmed in the 1930s-1940s.
I grew up watching the "Little Rascals", so I guess it's no surprise I like old movies. They're actually much better than the movies we have nowadays, but with lousy endings.
I don't like the original version of "Dracula",though. It's so boring.
Oh, yes. I've been reading a lot of Archie comics and realised what I missed out on when I was younger! The kids my age were reading Archie comics when they were in late Primary school, and I was reading stupid books like "Goosebumps". I guess it didn't matter, my English turned out okay, though I never bothered to read the newspaper unless we were forced to.
My fav character is Jughead. I think he's cool in a greedy-but-incredibly-fit way.
Been writing some random thoughts at work, but I don't feel like posting them now. Perhaps next time. I gotta go buy ingredients from NTUC, I'm baking cookies and Cornish Pasties today!
Believe it or not, I used to drink coffee every single morning when I was a kid, since I was about 4. My mother made me drink a mug, especially when I started going to school. It was supposedly to make sure I stayed awake and alert during school hours.
Tuh.
All it did was stain my teeth.
After I got old enough to know that coffee is bad, especially for very young kids, I stopped drinking coffee altogether. I was about 12 then, and even though the coffee streak lasted so many years, I had no withdrawal effects.
Anyway, recently I've been into good ol' things like old movies and Archie comics and old fashion.
I started off with "Breakfast At Tiffany's" and "Sabrina" (Audrey Hepburn) made in the 1970s, then "Singin' in the Rain" and Elvis movies made in 1950s. I finally got hold of some "Little Rascals" episodes and watched those, as well as some Clark Gable movies like "It Happened One Night". Those were filmed in the 1930s-1940s.
I grew up watching the "Little Rascals", so I guess it's no surprise I like old movies. They're actually much better than the movies we have nowadays, but with lousy endings.
I don't like the original version of "Dracula",though. It's so boring.
Oh, yes. I've been reading a lot of Archie comics and realised what I missed out on when I was younger! The kids my age were reading Archie comics when they were in late Primary school, and I was reading stupid books like "Goosebumps". I guess it didn't matter, my English turned out okay, though I never bothered to read the newspaper unless we were forced to.
My fav character is Jughead. I think he's cool in a greedy-but-incredibly-fit way.
Been writing some random thoughts at work, but I don't feel like posting them now. Perhaps next time. I gotta go buy ingredients from NTUC, I'm baking cookies and Cornish Pasties today!
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