"It's like one step forward and two steps back
... ... ...
I know it's like trying to turn around on a one way street
... ... ...
And it's killing me"
"No, it's never enough to say I try
... ... ...
There's still time to turn this around"
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Can't Let It Bring Me Down
Can't wait for time to pass on and the new week to arrive quickly. Hope things move on smoothly asap. Meanwhile, take care of both health and studies at the same time. Prelims are ending in the blink of an eye. Sorry for not being in the mood to send individual well-wishes but thoughts are with all of you. Good luck and all the best (to myself too.)
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Good MVs - Nickelback's "Someday"
Excellent Video... Ehmm yes, its my 'favourite' sad type of story again. ^_^" But hey, it does have a 'nice' ending - depending on how you look at it.
Initially you would've thought they were in some kind of disagreement or quarrel but actually the girl's frustration is over her beau's death. Very artistic and movie/drama like way to bring across the content/story.
The way the director tries to hint to you something is 'wrong' with the guy is pretty good. Things like there's only 1 pair of footstep after both parties stepped across the puddle of milk, the absence of any reflection in the rear view mirror as the girl was adjusting it - when in fact the guy was chasing from behind etc (there's some sort of mini-spoiler at the beginning where the newspaper on the table is half-folded where you can't make out the complete news headline). To be honest I was pretty slow to, got enlightened thanks to the various comments from Youtubers. :P
It achieved what music videos ought to, imo, i.e. to bring out/stress/emphasize the feel/mood of the lyrics in the song.
I was trying to relate the mv to the one of the main lines in the chorus of the song "Someday, somehow gonna make it alright", and I think these 2 netizen's pov are pretty true:
Initially you would've thought they were in some kind of disagreement or quarrel but actually the girl's frustration is over her beau's death. Very artistic and movie/drama like way to bring across the content/story.
The way the director tries to hint to you something is 'wrong' with the guy is pretty good. Things like there's only 1 pair of footstep after both parties stepped across the puddle of milk, the absence of any reflection in the rear view mirror as the girl was adjusting it - when in fact the guy was chasing from behind etc (there's some sort of mini-spoiler at the beginning where the newspaper on the table is half-folded where you can't make out the complete news headline). To be honest I was pretty slow to, got enlightened thanks to the various comments from Youtubers. :P
It achieved what music videos ought to, imo, i.e. to bring out/stress/emphasize the feel/mood of the lyrics in the song.
I was trying to relate the mv to the one of the main lines in the chorus of the song "Someday, somehow gonna make it alright", and I think these 2 netizen's pov are pretty true:
"ok and as for the meaning i watched the video again was confused until the very end. this song is about a relationship that ends in horror..but someday when they meet back together things are alright.. and in the video that is when they are both dead"
"In a sense, I think the song does go along with the video.
In the video he is blind as to what has happened (him being dead) and thinks she is just completely ignoring him. And that someday came true when she died and they got to make it right.
In the song they are blind and let things get worse.
Like I said kind of by the idea but not completely. "
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
"All that I'm after is a life full of laughter"
Call be superstitious, call be old-fashioned, call me sadist (ehm, come to think of it not extreme to that stage la. LOL).
1st, I believe in reincarnation (前世、今生、来世). Secondly I believe in fate (as in 缘+分). Thirdly, I like sad stories/endings.
Therefore, 仙剑奇侠传, besides attracting players like me with its RPG game play, was successful in capturing the hearts of many, due to its rich story line. It was one of the most renowned Chinese RPG game back in 1990 something and the subsequent sequels were pretty successful as well. IMO, 仙剑1 was still the best, followed by 仙剑3 and 仙剑4. 仙剑2 was too brief and 'shallow'.
It's story line and theme was such a success that it become the 1st case whereby a drama serial was shot based on a game （usually more a case of games published to suit to a certain drama/movie craze）.
Haven't manage to catch 仙剑3 yet but based on what I've read and heard, think should be to my taste, even though there is apparently quite a tweak to the original story line. Don't think its a coincidence that the endings in these 仙剑 series are all 'incomplete' and far from the typical 'happily ever after' type of finale. Think the author/director agree with the point that life is seldom/never smooth going and we're bound to meet up with obstacles, of which, many of times, we might not be able to overcome.
That's the reason why I kind of prefer sad endings/stories. Firstly cos it reflects the realistic side of life, and also because it acts as a reminder for one to appreciate things/relationship while in one's hands.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Like the lyrics on one of the songs from the drama series' O.S.T., esp. a line from the chorus.
回头看，不曾走远，依依目光 此生不换
(明明知道不可以相爱，可是心里却放不下彼此的依恋，不能再厮守在一起，只能离开，却不愿意走远，只求可以遥遥的看着对方，看着对方开心，快乐。)
How pure and unconditional that is!
Friday, August 14, 2009
开学、生命、累了
开学咯 - 希望这平稳的开始不是暴风雨前的平静。
Finally embarked on a new start this week.
Thanks to National Day, the sch wk was a short one. Mon-Wed are pretty packed, esp. Wed, with last lesson ending at 7.30pm. Weird timing for that module. 5.30pm - 7.30pm. Earlier than that and the meal will be like tea. After that and it'll be towards supper, esp. by the time I've reached Boon Lay interchange. Heavy lunch's not advisable since there's only 2 one hour breaks in btw 8 periods of lessons. Dieting day then - for the 'longest' study day (argh...) of the wk.
Thur is really short, just 2 hours of lessons. Friday? "Lagi" better. OFF. Wee~! That said, issues that are affected cos of previous 3 wkdays' schedule/time table will have to be moved on to these 2 days, plus I'm sure these 2 days will end up being used for project work meet ups later on in the semester. Oh well, just enjoy it while I can.
I must admit I was pretty unsure of how things will be, cos firstly, its a completely different course of study, a higher lvl, and felt my mind's a little rusty, having last (truly) been a student 2-3 yrs ago. I was in for a pleasant surprise though. Lessons were interesting. Am glad I made the right choice (at least that's the way I see it, right up to this point). I may not be an expert in this field, but at least with that interest and thirst to learn and find out more, I guess it'll make up for it. Still quite a long way to go though, just hope this isn't a false dawn. Fingers crossed!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
生命 - 一份上天赐给父母/我们的珍贵礼物？还是一份上天跟我们开的玩笑？
Life is so fragile. Not that I only got to find out now or recently. But its a point of view (pov) that people may constantly lose sight of, until something happens. After Sir Bobby Robson, another footballing man has passed away - Daniel Jarque of Espanyol. Its alledgely a sudden heart failure, while he was on the phone with his fiancee.
Abrupt news of his death was shocking, what puts things further into pespective is that this has happened to a professional sportsman (of cos, there were several other similar cases like Antonio Puerta and Marc-Vivien Foe). Anything can happen anything. Really. There are more than enough reasons/examples for one to believe in this. Life is brittle, it is. And, it can be cruel and is (more often than not,) short (not in terms of individual age, but what you achieve/fail to/mistakes you spend time rectifying).
Such news are always depressing. What is going to happen to his fiancee and that 7-8mth old unborn baby? He was on the verge of international stardom (I'm quite sure he would've grew into a regular player for Spain), setting up a beautiful family and this has to happen. God/Heaven knows best? Sorry, I beg to differ.
As if trying to emphasize this point of how weak life is and to get the point across, this Taiwan typhoon has to come. R.I.P to everyone who have been cruelly snatched off their next view of daylight, and my sincerest well wishes for victims affected/still awaiting rescue. Stay strong. Hang in there. These words are cheap, but thoughts are really with all of you. May God bless all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
累了 - ‘如果’和‘重来’这两个字在我脑海里的词典渐渐消失了。
真的累了。知道我没有资格说着两个字。纯粹在对自己发泄而已。
天作孽犹可违；自作孽不可活（上天降下的灾害还可以逃避；自己造成的罪孽可就无处可逃。）。这点我很清楚。
知道这条路总有尽头。 唯一的未知数，是何时才能看得到，以及到达。我会继续相信。我必须这么做。
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I do not need a reason to be angry with God." - excerpt from movie, A Walk to Remember, staring Shane West and Mandy Moore
Finally embarked on a new start this week.
Thanks to National Day, the sch wk was a short one. Mon-Wed are pretty packed, esp. Wed, with last lesson ending at 7.30pm. Weird timing for that module. 5.30pm - 7.30pm. Earlier than that and the meal will be like tea. After that and it'll be towards supper, esp. by the time I've reached Boon Lay interchange. Heavy lunch's not advisable since there's only 2 one hour breaks in btw 8 periods of lessons. Dieting day then - for the 'longest' study day (argh...) of the wk.
Thur is really short, just 2 hours of lessons. Friday? "Lagi" better. OFF. Wee~! That said, issues that are affected cos of previous 3 wkdays' schedule/time table will have to be moved on to these 2 days, plus I'm sure these 2 days will end up being used for project work meet ups later on in the semester. Oh well, just enjoy it while I can.
I must admit I was pretty unsure of how things will be, cos firstly, its a completely different course of study, a higher lvl, and felt my mind's a little rusty, having last (truly) been a student 2-3 yrs ago. I was in for a pleasant surprise though. Lessons were interesting. Am glad I made the right choice (at least that's the way I see it, right up to this point). I may not be an expert in this field, but at least with that interest and thirst to learn and find out more, I guess it'll make up for it. Still quite a long way to go though, just hope this isn't a false dawn. Fingers crossed!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
生命 - 一份上天赐给父母/我们的珍贵礼物？还是一份上天跟我们开的玩笑？
Life is so fragile. Not that I only got to find out now or recently. But its a point of view (pov) that people may constantly lose sight of, until something happens. After Sir Bobby Robson, another footballing man has passed away - Daniel Jarque of Espanyol. Its alledgely a sudden heart failure, while he was on the phone with his fiancee.
Abrupt news of his death was shocking, what puts things further into pespective is that this has happened to a professional sportsman (of cos, there were several other similar cases like Antonio Puerta and Marc-Vivien Foe). Anything can happen anything. Really. There are more than enough reasons/examples for one to believe in this. Life is brittle, it is. And, it can be cruel and is (more often than not,) short (not in terms of individual age, but what you achieve/fail to/mistakes you spend time rectifying).
Such news are always depressing. What is going to happen to his fiancee and that 7-8mth old unborn baby? He was on the verge of international stardom (I'm quite sure he would've grew into a regular player for Spain), setting up a beautiful family and this has to happen. God/Heaven knows best? Sorry, I beg to differ.
As if trying to emphasize this point of how weak life is and to get the point across, this Taiwan typhoon has to come. R.I.P to everyone who have been cruelly snatched off their next view of daylight, and my sincerest well wishes for victims affected/still awaiting rescue. Stay strong. Hang in there. These words are cheap, but thoughts are really with all of you. May God bless all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
累了 - ‘如果’和‘重来’这两个字在我脑海里的词典渐渐消失了。
真的累了。知道我没有资格说着两个字。纯粹在对自己发泄而已。
天作孽犹可违；自作孽不可活（上天降下的灾害还可以逃避；自己造成的罪孽可就无处可逃。）。这点我很清楚。
知道这条路总有尽头。 唯一的未知数，是何时才能看得到，以及到达。我会继续相信。我必须这么做。
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I do not need a reason to be angry with God." - excerpt from movie, A Walk to Remember, staring Shane West and Mandy Moore
Friday, August 7, 2009
我不是一定要 "你" 回来
这首創作，是描写『失去』的一首歌，细微地勾勒情感离的惆怅與心酸。
一次一场探訪癌症病童的活动，当時徐佳瑩和参访者置身于小朋友、家属和医护人员中，氣氛热络温馨，其中一位护理长恳请她現场演唱之前比賽時表演過的「失落沙洲」，这首歌让护理长听了直落淚的原因，是因为其中一段歌词「我不是一定要你回來，只是当又把回憶翻開，除了你之外的空白，还有谁能來教我愛。」
深刻地唱出了那些失去孩子們的家心声，而這也让徐佳瑩对这首歌產生新的体验。基与各种不同的感受交杂，「失落沙洲」是专辑裡演唱难度最高的一首歌曲，「虽然初始动机是失去爱情，但在演唱時就會不断想到那些，也许是失去親人，也许是失去任何一些重要的东西的人，我貪心的希望它能包含更多的追憶。」
徐佳瑩以其圆润清亮的声线，完美诠释歌曲中「面對失去的悲伤」、于「接受失去的遗憾」的思绪转折。
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Farewell But Not Goodbye
Sir Bobby Robson lost his fight against his 5th bout of cancer, on 31st Jul 09, at the age of 76.
I was mainly following only Liverpool, who were managed by Gerard Houllier then. However, there were a few other managers whom I got to know about, mainly for their achievements and the type of football they preached - Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Sir Bobby Robson.
I may be wrong, but I always had the impression that people tend to associate Newcastle with 'gung ho', all-out-attack style of football. The kind of team who think, if you scored 2, we're going to score 3 to win the match. Arsene Wenger, nicknamed 'The Professor', was renowned for having his team play attacking football, but I think its fair to say that the same can be said of Sir Bobby Robson. Perhaps, the only 'injustice' was that his Newcastle side did not have a defence that was strong enough to win games more resounding.
It's a pity that I've never seen his Ipswich, PSV, Sporting Lisbon, FC Barcelona and England side played. (I'm too young for that!) However, what I remember of his Newcastle team, was a joy to watch. They play positive football at high tempo, good pace and wing play. Before he joined Newcastle, they were languishing in midtable. Yet, he managed 3 top 5 finishes in his last 3 season with them (4th, 3rd and 5th). He was unfortunately, sacked in 2004 because of failure to qualify for Champions League (min 4th spot required). Look at where Newcastle are now. Relegated from the EPL and a team in turmoil at the moment.
I was looking at the videos on BBC Sport and Skysports and it was no coincidence that in the tributes paid to him by former colleagues, players and friends, the words associated with him most often were "passion", "enthusiasm", "gentleman" and "genuine".
He set up a foundation raising funds for cancer research, cos he wanted to repay those who saved him and give something back to the society. Even till 3-4 days before his death, he was still on working his course for the foundation, making an appearance at St. James Park in a match that was staged to raise money for his charity, The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.
Sir Bobby will not only be missed as a footballing legend, but also as the gentleman knight, around the world. R.I.P.
(Listen to the crowd's ovation and chanting, from 4min onwards. I was saddened to see Sir Bobby in this frail state. The typical warmth and humour seemed to be missing. But I'm sure deep inside, the enthusiasm and generosity was still fighting strong. If you truly love something, devote yourself to it. Never stop trying. Attitude is often much more important than end product. And remember, treat others with respect and dignity, and [more often than not] they will do the same.)
(Fitting tribute from another legend of his own right, Sir Alex Ferguson -->)"In my 23 years working in England there is not a person I would put an inch above Bobby Robson," he said. "I mourn the passing of a great friend; a wonderful individual; a tremendous football man and somebody with passion and knowledge of the game that was unsurpassed.
"I was never too big or proud to ask him for advice which he gave freely and unconditionally. And I'm sure I am speaking for a lot of people when I say that.
"The strength and courage he showed over the past couple of years when battling against his fifth bout of cancer was indescribable. Always a smile; always a friendly word with never a mention of his own problems. The world, not just the football world, will miss him. Let's hope it won't be long before another like him turns up because we could never get enough of them."
I was mainly following only Liverpool, who were managed by Gerard Houllier then. However, there were a few other managers whom I got to know about, mainly for their achievements and the type of football they preached - Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Sir Bobby Robson.
I may be wrong, but I always had the impression that people tend to associate Newcastle with 'gung ho', all-out-attack style of football. The kind of team who think, if you scored 2, we're going to score 3 to win the match. Arsene Wenger, nicknamed 'The Professor', was renowned for having his team play attacking football, but I think its fair to say that the same can be said of Sir Bobby Robson. Perhaps, the only 'injustice' was that his Newcastle side did not have a defence that was strong enough to win games more resounding.
It's a pity that I've never seen his Ipswich, PSV, Sporting Lisbon, FC Barcelona and England side played. (I'm too young for that!) However, what I remember of his Newcastle team, was a joy to watch. They play positive football at high tempo, good pace and wing play. Before he joined Newcastle, they were languishing in midtable. Yet, he managed 3 top 5 finishes in his last 3 season with them (4th, 3rd and 5th). He was unfortunately, sacked in 2004 because of failure to qualify for Champions League (min 4th spot required). Look at where Newcastle are now. Relegated from the EPL and a team in turmoil at the moment.
I was looking at the videos on BBC Sport and Skysports and it was no coincidence that in the tributes paid to him by former colleagues, players and friends, the words associated with him most often were "passion", "enthusiasm", "gentleman" and "genuine".
He set up a foundation raising funds for cancer research, cos he wanted to repay those who saved him and give something back to the society. Even till 3-4 days before his death, he was still on working his course for the foundation, making an appearance at St. James Park in a match that was staged to raise money for his charity, The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.
Sir Bobby will not only be missed as a footballing legend, but also as the gentleman knight, around the world. R.I.P.
(Listen to the crowd's ovation and chanting, from 4min onwards. I was saddened to see Sir Bobby in this frail state. The typical warmth and humour seemed to be missing. But I'm sure deep inside, the enthusiasm and generosity was still fighting strong. If you truly love something, devote yourself to it. Never stop trying. Attitude is often much more important than end product. And remember, treat others with respect and dignity, and [more often than not] they will do the same.)