of love and jazz and a funny bunny

I'm putting the video way up here, because I think if you are not a Lee Hom fan and still follow my blog even when I all talk about is him, you owe it to yourself to watch this:

Yikes, playback doesn't work on blogspot. Just click on the link to watch it on Youtube k? Muaks!

Srsly, I NEED to watch this man live in action just so I can say that I have lived. His showmanship and musicianship is just.. impeccable. That's quite a ball he looks like he's having up there! ^_^

On a side note, some of his fans have been urging him to release an English album (gathered this from the comments I've read on youtube whenever he does English song covers). I however disagree with the idea, because I think it's not a right fit for him and that the market demand is not really there (but then again, knowing his fans *ahem* they'd probably buy old newspapers endorsed by him :). And honestly, his previous English songwriting effort hasn't exactly been noted for being stellar (sorry for being blunt!). Anyways, he has said that an English album is not something that he wants to do. He must have taken a ride in the time machine to the present and read and concurred with what I've written here..good fer ya, buddy! :D

That said, I think he should do a jazz-infused chinked-out or rock album, if not a full fledged jazz record. He is well at ease with the genre (just watch *this* or *this*), having studied jazz piano at the Williams College and later at Berklee College of Music, both prestigious institutions in their own right. Read *this* (a 2009 interview with Berklee), and check out the purple sidebar column by his Williams jazz professor, Andy Jaffe, who wrote:

At one [of Lee Hom's concerts], we played jazz and Leehom sang the Lambert, Hendricks & Ross version of Cottontail. We did it with three voices at Williams, but for this concert, Leehom learned the highlights of each of the three parts and sang them-even Annie Ross's parts. It was pretty impressive... The other concert featured his band and I just sat in when he sang I Feel Good by James Brown.

(Below is the song, as performed by the trio of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. It's a complicated yet cute song about a rabbit with a habit haha.. I don't know how Lee Hom did all three parts to the song and what I wouldn't give to hear it!)  

He's dabbled with jazz sporadically in his past albums (case in point, the song in this post, and also *here*), and those just serve to whet our appetite for moarr. My admiration for the Music Man hasn't found its limit yet. *w00t!* Like the song about the funny bunny, the song in today's post is also bouncy tune.. and I just love, love, love it. *whee!*

我肚子饿所以买了便当　我吐紫色　因为嚼葡萄口香糖
我手指热　因为弹了一天萧邦
我肾里藏着可怕的创意　不能抵抗着我变成他的奴隶
医生提倡这个不是科学的毛病
my tummy's rumbling so I bought a bento
my spit is purple from chewing a grape-flavored gum
my fingers are burning from playing Chopin all day long
hidden in my kidney is a formidable burst of creativity (Ed: LOL kidney? really?)
and I cannot resist being its slave
the doctor said that this problem has nothing to do with science

你赢不了但你还是继续　你并不了为什么我自言自语
你听不到我灵魂有自己的旋律
我并不要你所谓的成功　我听不懂但你嘴巴不停的动
我一直笑因为看到世界的轻松
因为　LOVE LOVE LOVE　人人都需要　OH YEAH
给我　LOVE LOVE LOVE　让我感觉到
you cannot win and yet you continue
you don't get the reason for my soliloquy
you can't hear the unique melody of my soul
I don't want your so-called success
I don't understand but your lips keep moving
I keep on smiling because I see a carefree world
because love, love, love, everyone needs it, oh yeah!
give me love, love, love, i want to feel it!

如果你害怕试试看这个爱　把你的烦恼游戏规则通通抛开
让你的心有一个机会代替你脑袋
我希望当我自己八十五岁　每天的日子都是简单的HAPPY DAY
I LOVE YOU 希望 YOU LOVE ME
因为　LOVE LOVE LOVE　大家都需要　OH YEAH
给我　LOVE LOVE LOVE　让我感觉到
if you are afraid, try love
get rid of all the games troubling your mind
give your heart a chance to be your head (Ed: Ooh this line is a good line!)
I hope that when I am 85 years old, every day is still a simple and happy day
I love you, and hope that you love me
because love, love, love, everyone needs it, oh yeah!
give me love, love, love, i want to feel it!

Rap：
不管是在什么地方　不管是什么时代
有一个节奏　就有理由　让你头一直甩
如果你肯借我你的手　打这节拍　
如果你跟着唱　会把气氛搞的更HIGH
从伊拉克的沙漠　一直到你我的心里
美国洛杉机　一直到内地的乌鲁木齐
每一个人应该是最亲密的姐妹兄弟(我是说真的)
no matter where you are, no matter what era you're in
if there's a rhythm, then there's reason for you to swing your head
if you are willing to lend me your hand and play to this beat
if you sing along, we can lift this atmosphere higher
from the desert of Iraq all the way into our hearts (Ed: of all deserts, Iraq? hmm..)
from LA in US to Urumqi in the inland
everyone should be close-knitted brothers and sisters

音乐的魔力　是你们的基本联系　爱的武器
音乐的利益　你的逻辑　会欢迎着和平
而且这么大方的态度　就算有一点孩子气 　千万不要在意　
大家只会更爱着你　希望这个信仰能够播放全世界
音乐就是爱　也就是我老天爷
当你眼前都是黑夜　那你就记得　L-O-V-E　什么都不缺
the magic of music is your basic connection
weapons of love
the benefit of music
your logic will welcome peace
and your generosity, although somewhat childish, don't be too bothered the notion
everyone will love you more
i hope this belief will be broadcast to the entire world
music is love and also my God (Ed: *frowns* what should my pedantic self make of this?)
when everything before your eyes is pitch black
just remember love and you will lack nothing

因为　LOVE LOVE LOVE　大家都需要　OH YEAH
给我　LOVE LOVE LOVE　让我感觉到
because love, love, love, everyone needs it, oh yeah!
give me love, love, love, i want to feel it!

因为　LOVE LOVE LOVE
给我　LOVE LOVE LOVE　简直是呼吸　我爱你
because love, love, love
give me love, love, love
it's basically the air i breathe
I love you!

嚼 jué - chew
萧邦 Xiāo Bāng - Chopin
肾 shèn - kidney
抵抗 dǐkàng - resist
奴隶 núlì - slave
旋律 xuánlǜ - melody
规则 guīzé - rules
抛开 pāo kāi - disregard, throw away
节奏 jiézòu - rhythm
节拍 jiépāi - beat
播放 bòfàng - broadcast

Here's the lyrics again, uninterrupted :)

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE
王力宏

我肚子饿所以买了便当　我吐紫色　因为嚼葡萄口香糖
我手指热　因为弹了一天萧邦
我肾里藏着可怕的创意　不能抵抗着我变成他的奴隶
医生提倡这个不是科学的毛病

你赢不了但你还是继续　你并不了为什么我自言自语
你听不到我灵魂有自己的旋律
我并不要你所谓的成功　我听不懂但你嘴巴不停的动
我一直笑因为看到世界的轻松

因为　LOVE LOVE LOVE　人人都需要　OH YEAH
给我　LOVE LOVE LOVE　让我感觉到

如果你害怕试试看这个爱　把你的烦恼游戏规则通通抛开
让你的心有一个机会代替你脑袋
我希望当我自己八十五岁　每天的日子都是简单的Happy Day
I LOVE YOU 希望 YOU LOVE ME

因为　LOVE LOVE LOVE　大家都需要　OH YEAH
给我　LOVE LOVE LOVE　让我感觉到

Rap：
不管是在什么地方　不管是什么时代
有一个节奏　就有理由　让你头一直甩
如果你肯借我你的手　打这节拍　如果你跟着唱　会把气氛搞的更HIGH
从伊拉克的沙漠　一直到你我的心里
美国洛杉机　一直到内地的乌鲁木齐
每一个人应该是最亲密的姐妹兄弟(我是说真的)
音乐的魔力　是你们的基本联系　爱的武器
音乐的利益　你的逻辑　会欢迎着和平
而且这么大方的态度　就算有一点孩子气
千万不要在意　大家只会更爱着你　希望这个信仰能够播放全世界
音乐就是爱　也就是我老天爷
当你眼前都是黑夜　那你就记得　L-O-V-E　什么都不缺

因为　LOVE LOVE LOVE　大家都需要　OH YEAH
给我　LOVE LOVE LOVE　让我感觉到

因为　LOVE LOVE LOVE
给我　LOVE LOVE LOVE　简直是呼吸　我爱你

WLH 403: Advanced Leehomology

I make a terrible student. I have the attention span of a child high on sugar, I regard assignments with utter disdain, and with my fish-like memory and bimbo-esque grasp of ideas, I tend to do terribly in tests. I still marvel at the fact that I hold a legit degree. That said, put me in the above class, and I have zero doubt that I would pass with glorious flying colours. I can see you shaking your head but agreeing wholeheartedly. Hehehe..

I didn't realise that I have amassed so much information about Lee Hom until I chatted with WW over a yummy breakfast of fish head noodle yesterday. Since she's a fellow fan (strange that I don't have more friends who are wlh fans -_-); being able to talk about him at length was a gift, and I was practically unstoppable much like a bursting dam, spewing fact after fact, ranging from general to obscure, from his songs to his movies to his family and what-have-you in between. I wouldn't call my knowledge encyclopedic (not yet!) but I am rather pleased with myself.. *pats self on the back* Haha!

I also gave her the CD of his songs that I have been looping in my car for the past two months (I'll just burn another copy tomorrow ;)(I don't know when I'd stop playing his songs --- if I could listen to the 15 songs from Wicked over and over and over again for 1.5 months, imagine how long I could do with wlh's 100+ songs.. ^__^

We also renewed our pact to attend his concert ASAP (we would have been making our way down south for his concert in August, but as mentioned, I have $$$ concern.. and I have a wedding up north that weekend)(looking at his past record, his next concert here should be in 2014.. :( sigh, so long more to go!)(FYI he's touring China right now -- his current stop being Shenzhen, yesterday -- right now in the midst of filming a movie)(I don't know how he manages his time, but he does it amazingly well. hat's off to him and his manager!)

So... I've had today's song 競爭對手 Competitor in the Draft folder for a few weeks now. it's one of my favorite and methinks it's well written, one of those that makes your ears perk up at the first listen. it's also one of the longer and more difficult songs to translate (just look at the length of the list of new words/phrases! o_O) and I have not been satisfied with the quality of my translation so I have been sitting on it. giving it another try tonight so here goes nothing. :)


我的寶貝 寶貝 要如何愛你
愛到底 傷到底 還不分離
愛上對手 嘗盡委屈 我怎會死心塌地(怎麼會)
my baby (or, precious), baby, how should i love you?
i gave you my all, got hurt so deep, and yet i can't let go
i fell in love with my match/rival, and it's filled me with grievance
so why am i dead set about persevering?

哦 愛是一齣戲 看誰都是迷 我們拿出最好的武器
拿心撐住你 拿夢圈住我 沒有一樣東西不華麗
不管承諾有多少外衣 不管是否有什麼意義 我們總是全心全意
love is like a play, everyone who is watching is a fan, and we bring out our best weapons
i gave my heart to stand by your side, and you used my dreams to confine me
but everything appears to be fine and dandy
no matter how promises keep changing, no matter if there's any meaning to all these
we just pour our hearts into it

哦 葬了多少心 撲了多少空 回到戰場總讓人窒息
為你演情戲 答案全是戲 我卻不在你心裡
我們之間有多少毛病 愛人之間有什麼道理
There's something waiting for me

how much of my heart is buried within, how much of my time I have devoted to this
returning to the battlefield is suffocating
performing my role in a romantic play for you, all answers were part of the show
i was never in your heart, there's just too much animosity between us
i don't know how to justify us as lovers
there's something waiting for me

(日子充滿殺氣)
你要的世界如今回不去 我想的未來竟然沒有你(想的未來竟然沒有你)
無奈 無力 無語 (再也回不去的回憶裡)
(the days are filled with a murderous aura)
you can't go back today to the life that you want
you are not in the future i hope for
i am helpless, without strength, speechless
(and i can't return to those memories)

競爭對手 牽著我的手 讓我一次明白你要的溫柔
不要都不說 不要都不做 不要千言萬語 徹底到寂寞
my rival is holding my hand
let me understand once more the tenderness that you long for
don't remain silent, don't remain still, don't babble away
when you're completely lonely

秘密會開花 嫉妒會結果 時間不會消滅愛人的怒火
瞬移的轉彎 愛情的深夜 何時才會真的下手
secrets will bloom, jealousy will have its backlash
time will not vanquish a lover's rage/fury
a corner that moved in a blink, the midnight of a romance
when can we start this for real?

競爭對手 怎麼才放手 讓我一次推翻對抗的念頭
眼淚在顫抖 拳頭在軟弱 想要資本征服還是想退縮
my competitor/rival, how do i let go of you?
let me again overthrow the idea of confrontation
you're quivering in tears, my fist becomes weak
i can't decide if i should go ahead and conquer or take a step back and retreat

好勝的決心 怕輸的易感 就算打倒對手我能有什麼
無情不會寄托 濫情會犯錯 走錯方向更會墜落
你要的世界如今回不去 我想的未來竟然沒有你
無奈 無力 無語 (找不到那些回憶)
determined to win, fearing to be susceptible
even if i won over my opponent, what is it to me?
place no hope on ruthlessness
unbridled emotions will lead one to err
going the wrong direction, one will fall further
you can't go back today to the life that you want
you are not in the future i hope for
i am helpless, without strength, speechless
(i've lost those memories)

我的寶貝 寶貝 要如何愛你
愛到底 傷到底 還不分離(怎麼它還不分離)
愛上對手 嘗盡委屈
我怎會死心塌地(怎麼會死心塌地)
my baby, baby, how should i love you?
i gave you my all, got hurt so deep, and yet i can't let go
i fell in love with my match/rival, and it's filled me with grievance
so why am i dead set about persevering?

我的寶貝 寶貝 要如何愛你
愛到底 傷到底 還不分離(怎麼都還不放棄)
碰上對手 才會著迷
你不要轉身離去 (你是個競爭對手)
my baby, baby, how should i love you?
i gave you my all, got hurt so deep, and yet i can't let go (why can't i give up?)
i am just so fascinated when i met my match
you won't turn around and leave (you're my rival/competitor)

today's list of new words
競爭對手 jìngzhēng duìshǒu - competitor
> 競爭 jìngzhēng - competition
> 對手 duìshǒu - adversary, opponent
嘗盡委屈 cháng jǐn wěiqu - filled with grievances
> 嘗 cháng - to taste / to try / already / ever / once -
> 盡 jǐn - to exhaust / to finish / to the utmost / to the limit (of sth)
> 委屈 wěiqu - to feel wronged / to cause sb to feel wronged / grievance
死心塌地 sǐxīntādì - heart is dead, no plans for anything new (idiom); dead set on sth / unswerving
齣 chū - classifier for plays or chapters of classical novels
撐住 chēng zhù - to support / to prop up / to maintain / to open or unfurl / to fill to bursting point / brace
圈 juān - to confine / to lock up / to pen in [also 圈 quān - to surround / to circle]
葬 zàng - to bury
撲 pū - to throw oneself at / to pounce on / to devote one's energies / to flap / to flutter / to dab / to pat / to bend over
戰場 zhànchǎng - battle field
窒息 zhìxí - suffocate, stifling, choke
徹底 chèdǐ - thorough / complete
嫉妒 jídù - jealousy
瞬 shùn - blink
移 yí - shift, moved
消滅 xiāomiè - to put an end to / to annihilate / to cause to perish / to perish / annihilation (in quantum field theory)
怒火 nùhuǒ - rage / fury / hot anger
推翻 tuīfān - to overthrow
對抗 duìkàng - to withstand / to resist / to stand off / antagonism / confrontation
念頭 niàntou - idea / intention
顫抖 chàndǒu - tremble / shiver
資本 zīběn - economics / capital
征服 zhēngfú - to conquer / to subdue / to vanquish
退縮 tuìsuō - to shrink back / to cower / retreat
好勝 hào shèng - eager to win / competitive / aggressive
決心 juéxīn - determination / resolution / to make up one's mind
易感 yì gǎn - susceptible / easily moved
無情 wúqíng - ruthless / merciless / heartless
寄托 jìtuō - to have sb look after sb / to entrust the care of sb / to place (hope etc) on
濫情 làn qíng - overflowing / excessive showing of emotions/feelings
墜落 zhuìluò - to fall / to drop
放棄 fàngqì - give up
碰上 pèng shàng - to touch / to meet with / to bump
著迷 zháomí - to be fascinated / to be captivated

just wanna one extra phrase here -- it is not from the song, but a term lh's used in an interview:
暴发户 bàofā hù - nouveau riche / new money




競爭對手
王力宏

我的寶貝 寶貝 要如何愛你
愛到底 傷到底 還不分離(還不分離)
愛上對手 嘗盡委屈 我怎會死心塌地(怎麼會)

哦 愛是一齣戲 看誰都是迷 我們拿出最好的武器
拿心撐住你 拿夢圈住我 沒有一樣東西不華麗
不管承諾有多少外衣 不管是否有什麼意義
我們總是全心全意(我們全心全意)

哦 葬了多少心 撲了多少空 回到戰場總讓人窒息
為你演情戲 答案全是戲 我卻不在你心裡
我們之間有多少毛病 愛人之間有什麼道理
There's something waiting for me

(日子充滿殺氣)
你要的世界如今回不去 我想的未來竟然沒有你(想的未來竟然沒有你)
無奈 無力 無語 (再也回不去的回憶裡)

我的寶貝 寶貝 要如何愛你(如何愛你)
愛到底 傷到底 還不分離
愛上對手 嘗盡委屈
我怎會死心塌地(怎麼會死心踏地)

競爭對手 牽著我的手 讓我一次明白你要的溫柔
不要都不說 不要都不做 不要千言萬語 徹底到寂寞

秘密會開花 嫉妒會結果 時間不會消滅愛人的怒火
瞬移的轉彎 愛情的深夜 何時才會真的下手

競爭對手 怎麼才放手 讓我一次推翻對抗的念頭
眼淚在顫抖 拳頭在軟弱 想要資本征服還是想退縮
好勝的決心 怕輸的易感 就算打倒對手我能有什麼
無情不會寄托 濫情會犯錯 走錯方向更會墜落
你要的世界如今回不去 我想的未來竟然沒有你
無奈 無力 無語 (找不到那些回憶)

我的寶貝 寶貝 要如何愛你
愛到底 傷到底 還不分離(怎麼它還不分離)
愛上對手 嘗盡委屈
我怎會死心塌地(怎麼會死心塌地)
我的寶貝 寶貝 要如何愛你
愛到底 傷到底 還不分離(怎麼都還不放棄)
碰上對手 才會著迷
你不要轉身離去 (你是個競爭對手)

this always makes me smile.. and dream a little dream of you.

this is my default google.com.my screen. instead of the boring white screen, you can set your preferred background image by clicking on "Change background image" on the bottom left of the screen. there are thousands and thousands of images to choose from. go crazy!

of fridays and falling in love

it's Fridayyyy... hello, weekend, so we meet again. didja miss me? didja, didja?! i wish i wouldn't need to leave youuu so soon... i love you, weekend!! *mad giggles*

since i am in such a fantastic mood waiting for the work day to end, i wanna share this rather fun song 不可能错过你 It's Impossible to Miss You from who-else ;) this was from 1999 so his Chinese still has a very heavy American accent.. i feel like doing what he's doing in the vid - i wanna jump and jump and jump around!! whee..! haha.. cheers, folks!


有时候只需要　一首歌就能　让我自在
忘掉要排队　空气湿答答　店员很坏
就是这个时候　有一朵玫瑰在我心盛开
就在这个时候　阳光跟着撒下来　看见整个城市　在恋爱
sometimes i only need a song to let me be free
forget about the queues, the humid air, and the rude storekeeper
it's right about now, a rose bud is blooming in my heart
it's right about now, the sun shines on us
and i see the whole city in love

不可能错过你　缘份这件事有够奇怪　我不期待　却偏要来
不可能错过你　爱情总叫人迫不及待　多么愉快　自由自在
（我就是自由自在）
it's impossible to miss you
fate is a funny animal
i have no expectations, and still it comes after me
it's impossible to miss you
love makes us eager
so much happiness, it sets us free

有时候只需要　一首歌就会　想谈恋爱
忘掉不自由　钱会花很多　朋友责怪
就是在这个时候　有一朵玫瑰在我心盛开
就是在这个时候　彩虹跟着跑出来　那是你的微笑　你的爱
sometimes i only need a song to fall in love
forget the loss of freedom and the extra expenditure and friends blaming you
it's right about now, a rose bud is blooming in my heart
it's right about now, that a rainbow appears
and that's your smile and your love

刚刚好转的心情　就见乌云飘过来　过去的阴影　使你徘徊
我不是爱神祇好　try, try, try 我不变　你就会明白
just as my mood picks up, i see a cloud of gray coming over
the shadows from the past makes you start to hesitate
i'm not the god of love, i only try, try, try
i won't change, then you will understand


today's list of new words
湿答答 shī dā dá - dripping wet
盛开 shèngkāi - bloom
责怪 zéguài - blame, rebuke
乌云 wūyún - dark cloud
徘徊 páihuái - to dither / to hesitate / to pace back and forth / by ext. to hover around / to linger



不可能错过你
王力宏

Spoken 口白：
Hey there, how're you doin'?
Can you speak English?...那讲中文...
可是我的中文也不太好...对...
而且你的笑话我都听不太懂....不好意思

Sung:
有时候只需要　一首歌就能　让我自在
忘掉要排队　空气湿答答　店员很坏
就是这个时候　有一朵玫瑰在我心盛开
就在这个时候　阳光跟着撒下来　看见整个城市　在恋爱

不可能错过你　缘份这件事有够奇怪　我不期待　却偏要来
不可能错过你　爱情总叫人迫不及待　多么愉快　自由自在
（我就是自由自在）

Spoken 口白：
Alright everybody alright listen up be quiet, be quiet！
Now this is what making music is all about,
it's about getting stupid with your friends a little once in a while
Yeah, you gotta let the music into your heart！
You know you gotta feel it！ Alright, here we go！

有时候只需要　一首歌就会　想谈恋爱
忘掉不自由　钱会花很多　朋友责怪
就是在这个时候　有一朵玫瑰在我心盛开
就是在这个时候　彩虹跟着跑出来　那是你的微笑　你的爱

刚刚好转的心情　就见乌云飘过来　过去的阴影　使你徘徊
我不是爱神祇好　try..try..try 我不变　你就会明白

of ogling and drooling

are you bored of my wlh-related posts yet? hahaha.. it's been relentless for two months eh! hey, at least he keeps me writing. *looks away + whistles*

today i'm gonna write about two things i don't do which i think a normal fangirl would (cos i probably would if i could.. or want to):

1. ogle over wlh's photos  
2. loop and watch his music videos 

i probably would do the photo-ogling thing if i were a teenybopper (i did that a lot in my jimmy lin phase =), but for a married woman at this age, i just find it weird.. i much prefer reading about him than going through his photo archive. as you can see, i've posted his photos here on the blog exactly one time, when i was introducing him. no doubt he is quite the looker but meh. i think it's because photo shoot tends to be.. unnatural. i mean, everyone looks good when they are under layers of makeup and strategically positioned lighting and the sharp eyes of a photographer, right? that said, here's his recent *photoshoot for Elle Men*.. whee! what i really like is to watch him in action, e.g. concerts or interviews.

as for his MVs, i don't really watch them either.. only because i find them somewhat boring.. yup, you read that right. for whatever reason, most of his MVs are not very interesting.. i could do without them, and prefer to just listen to his songs. the vids are usually of him doing a lot of singing and instrument playing and a little dancing.. and there's that coupla vids with inexplicable death of his lead actresses that just makes me go like huh? i must tell you about them.

e.g. in Everything, things started out fine, they were on a boat and he was singing and telling her that she was his everything, then suddenly the boat capsized and she drowned.. and he can't find her body.. did it sink or what? just what on earth? and in 落葉歸根, again it started ok, with one kid encouraging another to overcome his shyness and play the violin.. then they grew up and met again, fell in love, didn't work out bla bla.. and then, as she was getting to him across the road, she got hit by a car. how cliched is that?! ).. and just what was that srsly? needless!

well, there are some okay ones, like 柴米油鹽醬醋茶 (the one that reminds you of the opening scene to Pixar's Up) or 我完全沒有任何理由理你 (this was cute) or 你是我心內的一首歌 (again, cute) or 改变自己 (he was a band unto himself =) or.. ok, he has some decent ones but even as a big fan, i can't vouch for most of them la... on the other hand, i really like sodagreen's or mayday's, or even jay chou's, videos even the songs didn't work for me. mmm............................

onto today's song... is Need Someone By [My] Side 需要人陪 a personal cry? he sings about needing a companion.. right about time! then again, "time" was 2010 when he sang that song and now in 2012 he's still single. he's said before that his gf would have to accept him being unavailable for weeks or months at a time, because when he is consumed by music, he practically shuts the world out (his best bud blackie attested to this on a tv interview*). that's tough on any rship, especially a new one, hence he said prefers to be single. erm okayy.. i hope he doesn't keep us (fans) waiting! :) i'm sure all of us are waiting to share in his matrimonial joy... like yesterday, when he posted his congratulatory message to the new mr and mrs zuckerberg on weibo, his followers' comments (including yours truly haha) read like he has 10,000 aunts asking him the same question: 二哥，幾時輪到你? (2nd bro, when is your turn?!) hehehe...

* in the same interview, blackie and his wife christine have also mentioned that they (blackie in particular) don't bring up the subject of lh's rships with lh, adding that "the less we know, the better it is".. i can't help wonder why, since they are bffs kan. maybe when they are asked by nosy reporters, they want to honestly tell that they don't know and that's that. lee hom was on the same show too, and i genuinely enjoyed watching his interaction with his real-life friends. 


打開窗戶讓孤單透氣
這一間屋子 如此密閉
歡呼聲仍飄在空氣裡
像空無一人一樣華麗
i open the window to let the loneliness breathe
this room feels airtight
the sound of the crowd's cheers is still hanging in the air
it is as beautiful as this emptiness

我 漸漸失去知覺
就當做是種自我逃避
你 飛到天的邊緣
我也不猜落在何地
i slowly become numb
and i take it as a form of escape
you flew to the edge of the sky
i could not guess where you would land

一個我 需要夢想 需要方向 需要眼淚
更需要 一個人來 點亮天的黑
我已經 無能為力 無法抗拒 無路可退
這無聲的夜 現在的我 需要人陪
i have my dreams, directions, tears
but i especially need someone to light my darkness
i am helpless, i cannot resist, i cannot retreat
in this quiet night, i need someone by my side

閉上眼睛 就看不清 這雙人床 欠缺的溫馨
誰能陪我 直到天明
穿透這片 迷濛寂靜
i close my eyes and my vision blurs (ed's note: like, duh? haha..)
the warmth this double bed is missing
who would accompany me till daylight
penetrate through this misty loneliness


today's list of new words
透氣 tòuqì - ventilation
密閉 mìbì - sealed, airtight
抗拒 kàngjù - to resist / to defy / to oppose
欠缺 qiànquē - lapse / deficiency / lack
穿透 chuān tòu - penetrate
迷濛 míméng - misty



需要人陪
王力宏

打開窗戶讓孤單透氣
這一間屋子 如此密閉
歡呼聲仍飄在空氣裡
像空無一人一樣華麗

我 漸漸失去知覺
就當做是種自我逃避
你 飛到天的邊緣
我也不猜落在何地

一個我 需要夢想 需要方向 需要眼淚
更需要 一個人來 點亮天的黑
我已經 無能為力 無法抗拒 無路可退
這無聲的夜 現在的我 需要人陪

閉上眼睛 就看不清
這雙人床 欠缺的 溫馨
誰能 陪我 直到天明
穿透這片 迷濛寂靜

我 漸漸失去知覺
就當做是種自我逃避
你 飛到天的邊緣
我已不猜落在何地

一個我 需要夢想 需要方向 需要眼淚
更需要 一個人來 點亮天的黑
我已經 無能為力 無法抗拒 無路可退
這無聲的夜 現在的我 需要人陪

一個我 需要夢想 需要方向 需要眼淚
更需要 一個人來 點亮天的黑
我已經 無能為力 無法抗拒 無路可退
這無聲的夜 現在的我 需要人陪

of bee gees, baptism and butterflies

some notable/interesting happenings this couple of weeks (and one event 3 months down the road):

• mark zuckerberg, to whom i owe a huge chunk of my online social life to, just got hitched! he married his gf of 9 years, (dr) priscilla chan, in a private ceremony at home, one day after FB's IPO. guests thought they were attending a party to celeb priscilla's recent graduation, and was pleasantly surprised to find themselves in a whole other kind of celeb. :) blessed union to the couple! :)

• incidentally, wlh is acquainted with priscilla, via a friend. she was in beijing recently and he invited her to his concert at the bird nest stadium. it was her first time attending a Chinese-language concert.

• robin gibbs, one-third of the band bee gees, has passed away. RIP, mr gibbs. imma go youtube some of your songs, most of which i have not heard in more than 20 years. :( ... as i click from one song to another, i just realised that there were so many songs that i once knew.

• my e-birthday card to leehom is now part of a video *here* :) 

• jay chou is getting baptized! i am happy to know that he's embraced the Christian faith. welcome, welcome. i hope your journey will be an amazing one. :)

• wlh is holding a concert in singapore on Aug 8! am excited that he'd be within "reach" but i'm not inclined to go.. need to save $$ for the our holiday down south end of that month. :D

• chant with me: MIB3, MIB3, MIB3!! I can't believe it's been 10 years since we last saw Agents J and K on the big screen. oh how i miss them! welcome back guys! :)

haha notice how i interspersed the whole list with news of wlh? sorry but i can't help it! i am just very thankful that my close friends are all mega fangirls of some sort (i.e. we like different people but the modus operandi is pretty similar).. so i don't feel like i am that weird.  :D

All The Things You Never Knew 你不知道的事 is one of the theme songs for his 2010 movie, Love in Disguise (which I didn't quite like at first, but enjoyed it more when i watched it a second time..) i've always been somewhat ambivalent about this song.. it doesn't say much nor is it very interesting.. yeah, i'm not super crazy about all his songs as you think i would.  but i've read that even the blandest of his songs comes alive in a concert.. so yeah, i would really like to experience that!


蝴蝶眨幾次眼睛 才學會飛行
夜空灑滿了星星 但幾顆會落地
how many times does the butterfly blink before it learns to fly?
the night sky is resplendent with stars, but how many would fall off?

我飛行 但你墜落之際
很靠近 還聽見呼吸
對不起 我卻沒捉緊你
i was lifting off as you were landing
so close, i could still hear you breathing
i'm sorry i didn't hold on to you

你不知道我為什麼離開你
我堅持不能說放任你哭泣
你的淚滴像 傾盆大雨 碎了滿地
在心裡清晰
you did not know why i had to leave
i had to keep the reasons to myself, and leave you alone in tears
your tears fell like torrential rain
i know it only too well

你不知道我為什麼狠下心
盤旋在你看不見的高空裡
多的是 你不知道的事
you do not know why i was so ruthless
[but] hovering in the sky way above, out of your sight
are the many things that you are not privy to


today's list of new words
眨 zhǎ - blink
之際 zhī jì - during / at the time of
堅持 jiānchí - to persevere with / to persist in / to insist on
傾盆 qīngpén - downpour
清晰 qīngxī - clear
盤旋 pánxuán - to spiral / to circle / to go around / to hover / to orbit




你不知道的事
王力宏

蝴蝶眨幾次眼睛 才學會飛行
夜空灑滿了星星 但幾顆會落地

我飛行 但你墜落之際
很靠近 還聽見呼吸
對不起 我卻沒捉緊你

你不知道我為什麼離開你
我堅持不能說放任你哭泣
你的淚滴像 傾盆大雨 碎了滿地
在心裡清晰

你不知道我為什麼狠下心
盤旋在你看不見的高空裡
多的是 你不知道的事

蝴蝶眨幾次眼睛 才學會飛行
夜空灑滿了星星 但幾顆會落地

我飛行 但你墜落之際
很靠近 還聽見呼吸
對不起 我卻沒捉緊你

你不知道我為什麼離開你
我堅持不能說放任你哭泣
你的淚滴像 傾盆大雨 碎了滿地
在心裡清晰

你不知道我為什麼狠下心
盤旋在你看不見的高空裡
多的是 你不知道的事

我飛行 但你墜落之際

你不知道我為什麼離開你
我堅持不能說放任你哭泣
你的淚滴像 傾盆大雨 碎了滿地
在心裡清晰

你不知道我為什麼狠下心
盤旋在你看不見的高空裡
多的是 你不知道的事

of absence and aging

ah, this song.. what can i say..? i love it. haha.. it's a sad song though. erm, yeah. verbose i am this evening. heh.

You're Not Here 你不在 has been with me a long time. frankly, since i'm losing grip on reality and relativity, "a long time" is rather subjective.. but it's been around la. *pregnant pause* you know, i saw this image on 9gag.com today, and applying it to myself, it goes something like this: i am a (late *ahem*) 70s baby. then we went through the 80s, 90s, 00s, and now we are here in the 10s..... if you didn't catch my drift, what i'm really trying to say is: I FRIGGING LIVED THROUGH FIVE DECADES!!!!! o_O

the wailing banshee is on the loose!! lock the gates!! release the hounds!! **AIEEEE!!!! **

T___T yes, i am aware that that was a warped perspective of time, and i apologise for going berserk.. as you can see, ladies and gentlemen, yours truly is NOT one who is going to age gracefully! someone's got to drag me into the next few decades kicking and screaming and scratching and pulling. i have no idea why the idea of aging scares me so. i suspect it's the fear of immobility...

...

where were we? paiseh.. oh the song. as i was saying: i like it very much. um yeah. words are scarce tonight eh?


当世界只剩下这床头灯　你那边是早晨已经出门
我侧身感到你在转身　无数陌生人　正在等下一个绿灯
when all that's left of the of world is the bedside lamp
over at your side, dawn has just came
i could feel from my side that you are tossing about
countless strangers are waiting for the light to turn green

一再错身彼此脆弱的时分　不过渴望一个吻的余温
我关了灯　黑暗把我并吞　
again and again we find ourselves caught in each other's weakness (this is a best-guess; i can't figure out the meaning of the line yet)
only to hope the warmth and passion of a kiss
i switch off the lights and let the darkness swallow me whole

“你不在　当我最需要爱　你却不在 无尽等待像独白的难捱
你不在　高兴还是悲哀　你都不在
我受了伤再偷偷好起来　但你不在　不在”
you're not around, when i needed love the most, you're just not here
i'm endlessly waiting like the pain of a monologue
you're not here, in my times of joy and grief, you're just not there
i was in pain and eventually healed, but you were never around

时间再按下许多次快门　沉默里听见转动的秒针
一个人吃饭这个凌晨　孤单一人份　你低声说你有别人
no matter how many times i press the shutter button
in the silence i could hear the secondhand making its round
i'm eating alone before daybreak, cutting a solitary figure
in a low voice you told me that you have someone else

我的话筒只有自己的体温　怎样认真也不一定成真
你说得对　我不得不承认
my receiver/microphone only has my own temperature
no matter how earnest i am, it doesn't become reality
i have to concede that you were right

那些摇摆　我都明白　都明白
但你不在　爱已不在　不在
i understood what all the swaying was about
but you're not here, love is not around

“你不在　当我最需要爱　你却不在
一个人分饰两角的恋爱
你不在　高兴还是悲哀　你都不在
像空气般不存在的存在
再没有痕迹的爱　你不在
当我需要你的爱　你不在”
you're not around, when i needed love the most, you're just not here
this is the kind of love where one person is playing two roles
you're not around, in my times of joy and grief, you're just not here
existing like the intangible air
in a love that leaves no trace, you're not around
when i needed your love, you're not there


today's list of new words
侧身 cèshēn - sideways
余温 yú wēn - sweltering heat
并吞 bìngtūn - swallow up, merge
分饰 fēn shì - play different roles



当世界只剩下这床头灯　你那边是早晨已经出门
我侧身感到你在转身　无数陌生人　正在等下一个绿灯
一再错身彼此脆弱的时分　不过渴望一个吻的余温
我关了灯　黑暗把我并吞　

“你不在　当我最需要爱　你却不在
无尽等待像独白的难捱
你不在　高兴还是悲哀　你都不在
我受了伤再偷偷好起来　但你不在　不在”

时间再按下许多次快门　沉默里听见转动的秒针
一个人吃饭这个凌晨　孤单一人份　你低声说你有别人
我的话筒只有自己的体温　怎样认真也不一定成真
你说得对　我不得不承认　

“你不在　当我最需要爱　你却不在
无尽等待像独白的难捱
你不在　高兴还是悲哀　你都不在
我受了伤再偷7偷好起来　但你不在”

那些摇摆　我都明白　都明白
但你不在　爱已不在　不在

“你不在　当我最需要爱　你却不在
一个人分饰两角的恋爱
你不在　高兴还是悲哀　你都不在
像空气般不存在的存在
再没有痕迹的爱　你不在
当我需要你的爱　你不在”

of archive and aspirations

i managed to get the archive going! check it out up there yo! see the obviously-named tab next to Home? humour me and click click! or you can just click *here*! so happy about it cos i've been wanting to do it for a while now.. i can be neat sometimes, see ;) hehehehehe.. ^__^  i'm so easily amused that it amuses me *grins* mm I did think that I did more than just those 18 songs, ah well.. slow and steady!

this song [At This Moment Who Are You Thinking Of 此刻 你心裡 想起誰] has long been a favorite of mine. i don't know how i got hold of the album Unbelievable (it was the only complete album of wlh i had before this.. that's unfortunate really, cos had it been any of the later ones i might have turned big fan earlier.. what am i saying? i take that back. it was i who have never really gave the album a proper listen.. that, and i really didn't dig the hip-hop sound (and lyrics -_- case in point: Not Your Average Thug? "I've got the love for the ghetto"? really?? i probably should examine the lyrics better if only it hadn't thrown me wayy across the room.. -_-)

bacckkk to the song (i tend to digress a lot hor?) -- although this song has some fair play time, i didn't really know what it was about until today when i did the translation.. had just assume it was him asking a girl if she was thinking of him. anyway, it's a song about dreams and aspirations. got me thinking: i don't know if i ever had any. i've always just went with the flow. maybe i'm unambitious like that, taking the day one at a time, not planning ahead. i really wish i was more driven though. maybe i'd have made something (else) of myself. maybe.

mm not going to dwell on that for now... cos it's time to go home! goodbye.


可能是轉角的便利店 大夜班兩點或三點
在收音機的旁邊 她幻想著 新球鞋
點著別人的錢 不發一言
probably it was at the convenience shop at the corner
it was the graveyard shift, at around two or three A.M.
she sat beside the radio, dreaming about a new pair of sneakers
as she took hold of the customer's money, she did not utter a single word

在兩坪租來的房間 她盯著在泡的泡麵 若三分鐘 就能實現
她許願學費能輕一點 但明天像利息 在循環今天
in a small rented room, she stared at the instant noodle boiling in a pot
in just three minutes, it would be a ready meal
she wished that her tuition fee would lighten
but tomorrow is like a loan interest circling today

誰會給你 (安慰)安慰 (瞭解)瞭解 (當覺得傷悲)
此刻 你心裡 想起誰
誰會陪你 (流淚)流眼淚 (面對)面對 (當意冷心灰)
此刻 你心裡 想起誰
who would give you comfort or understand when you are sorrowful?
who are you thinking of at this moment?
who would accompany you, cry and face your problems with you,
when intentions become cold and the heart gray?
who are you thinking of at this moment?

又是一次空白的考卷 努力也未必能勝天
她永遠是不起眼 沒有面目跟在後面 沒有人在乎她出不出現
again, the exam papers turned out blank
even if she were to give it all, she might not succeed
she would always be inconspicuous
just a follower with a forgettable face
nobody cares whether if she would turn up

Why 我一樣也有我的夢 Woo 我和你並沒有不同
但誰會懂
why, I also have my dreams, I am no different from you
but who would understand?

她想起遠方媽媽的臉 生命是艱難的考驗
she thinks of the face of her mother who is far away
life is just a difficult test


today's list of new words
盯 dīng - stare
循環 xúnhuán - circulate, cycle
艱難 jiānnán - difficult



此刻 你心裡想起誰
王力宏

可能是轉角的便利店 大夜班兩點或三點
在收音機的旁邊 她幻想著 新球鞋
點著別人的錢 不發一言

在兩坪租來的房間 Woo 她盯著在泡的泡麵
若三分鐘 就能實現 她許願學費 能輕一點
但明天像利息 在循環今天

誰會給你 (安慰)安慰 (瞭解)瞭解 (當覺得傷悲)
Woo 此刻 你心裡 想起誰
誰會陪你 (流淚)流眼淚 (面對)面對 (當意冷心灰)
Woo 此刻 你心裡 想起誰 Woo

又是一次空白的考卷 努力也未必能勝天 Woo
她永遠是 不起眼 沒有面目跟在後面
沒有人在乎她出不出現

誰會給你 (安慰)安慰 (瞭解)瞭解 (當覺得傷悲)
Woo 此刻 你心裡 想起誰
誰會陪你 (流淚)流眼淚 (面對)面對 (當意冷心灰)
Woo 此刻 你心裡 想起誰

Why 我一樣也有我的夢 Woo 我和你並沒有不同
但誰會懂 (但誰會懂) (但誰會懂)

(安慰)安慰 (瞭解)瞭解 (當覺得傷悲)
Woo 此刻 你心裡 想起誰 到底有沒有這個誰
(流淚)流眼淚 (面對)面對 (當意冷心灰) ya..ya..
此刻 你心裡 想起誰 誰...

他想起遠方媽媽的臉 生命是艱難的考驗

it was a dark and stormy night..

I made a remark a couple of times the past few days, but the thought has bugged me for a long time. It's a guilt that every once in a while pokes me, whether I am idle or busy. And while I really want to just do it so that I could ease the uneasiness, I don't. It's maddening.

It's like this: You see, I haven't been reading. Or rather, I have not completed a book in at least five months. FIVE LONG DRY MONTHS. I've been conveniently distracted (most recently by you-know-who wink*wink); but it's just an excuse I guess. I started a few books, but as of now I've no idea where they are. I'm sure they miss me. The stack of books from the last big bad wolf sale sits forlornly on my couch, ignored, unloved. And I can't buy new books without that condemning voice in my head jeering at me. Woe is me!

I really miss those nights being curled up in my reading chair, turning pages until sleep won over my consciousness. I miss having wonderful images and a movie unfolding in my head as I thumb the pages. I miss the excitement and sense of achievement of updating my read list each time I flip the last page of a book. I miss the feel of a book in my hand. I miss reading.

...

*bangs imaginery table*

This will not do! Rawr!! (Or should that be a meek meow? Haha!)

By Cap'n Hook or crook, I will finish a book by month end or Bob is not my uncle!! Rawr!!

二哥，生日快乐!

cute or not?! ^__^ i did this from scratch entirely on MS PowerPoint about a month or two ago, as submission to a wlh fan site [it was meant to be a collaborative birthday greeting: the site admin were compiling submissions in text, image or video formats and somehow get it to him.. i have no idea if he would even get to see it, but doing it was really fun!] at that time, being a new fan filled with much enthusiasm, i was the first to send an image submission.. and it made me feel totally silly haha.. esp when the next girl who submitted her piece was half my age. : \

a quick lowdown about this image: that's a dragon, btw, if it isn't obvious i.e. the year he was born in. i don't know how to do its feet so i hid it with cloud haha.. and i think the dragon is very the kawaii.. it was inspired by the Astro dragon, although they look nothing alike. grey+green+white is one of my fav colour combo. there are 36 squares (i tried with circles but they don't work here) to denote his age (as if the bright red number wasn't clear enough right). i like those parallel lines extending from those letters. it was one of the first few elements i thought of to have in the card.

turning our attention to the bday boy: it's a bit amazing to think that he's but two years older than me but the things that he's achieved leave me way more than just a little envious.. actually, he and his two brothers are just natural born overachievers.. all three are academic geniuses and musically gifted.. what was in their genes?! i wish i was their sister... but then i might be the black sheep of the family o_O .. back to the brothers, it's really heartwarming how close they are to each other; lh has *mentioned* before how he dotes on his lil brother ["我弟弟是受到我的宠爱最多。。。他生出来，我也觉得很神奇，我这么有能力去爱一个人。。" awww..], and how the bro cried for days when lh left home for college. awww..

btw 二哥 (second brother) is wlh's nickname on weibo.. he's had it since the movie Lust, Caution; there was a scene where Tang Wei, the female lead, spoke to him over the phone and addressed him as 二哥, to signal that it was time that the attack they had been planning get kicking into gear. irl, lh also happens to be the second boy in this family so the nick is somewhat apt. and my calling him that helps to keep my fangirlism in line haha..

on to the song. this is a cute ditty with a cute MV. ^_^ it's one of the two songs from his 改变自己 Change Me album [more accurately, it should be Change Myself i.e. 改变自己 translates to Change Myself; because Change Me is 改变我.. and the former is correct in context of what he was trying to convey with the album, i.e. change begins with me. i tell you, it's like he doesn't proofread the English text on his album -_- for a native English speaker, it shouldn't be too hard for him what.. there are some other examples of dubious translation, which i would point out another time ;) wah what was that ranting about! haha.. let's get back on track..] whose melodies sound like they came from a bygone era [the other being 落葉歸根 Falling Leaf Returns to Roots]. he wrote the music to both songs as he was going through that state of trying to come out of his Lust, Caution character, hence such melodies.

argh, it's 11:44 already. i wanna get this out before the clock strikes 12! and i need to sleep soon. in miri now for a company event tomorrow, cannot afford to oversleep :P onto the translation, shall we? :)


你是我心內的一首歌 心間開起花一朵
你是我生命的一首歌 想念匯成一條河
you are a song in my heart
if you open my heart, you'd find a flower has just bloomed
you are a song in my life
all my longing for you has converged into a river

惦在我心內的一首歌 不要只是個過客
在我生命留下一首歌 不論結局會如何
leave a song in my heart, don't just pass by
leave a song in my life, no matter how the ending would be like

好想問你 對我到底有沒有動心
沉默太久 只會讓我不小心 犯錯
i really want to ask you, if you have any feelings towards me?
if you keep quiet for too long, it would only lead my heart to commit a mistake


today's list of new words
惦 diàn - to think of / to remember / to miss
匯/汇 hui - remit / to converge (of rivers) / to exchange



你是我心內的一首歌
王力宏

你是我心內的一首歌 心間開起花一朵
你是我生命的一首歌 想念匯成一條河

惦在我心內的一首歌 不要只是個過客
在我生命留下一首歌(一首歌) 不論結局會如何

好想問你 對我到底有沒有動心
沉默太久 只會讓我不小心 犯錯

惦在我心內的一首歌 不要只是個過客
在我生命留下一首歌 不論結局會如何

妈, 母亲节快乐!

I don't have the time to translate this whole song, but I can do the last para (which is the meaning behind the song):

好久以来 原来我衣服 全部都是妈妈洗
从来没有 一句的怨言 你丢多少她都洗
她却总是 全心又全力 直到颤抖了身体
多少年了 旋转又旋转 时间一眨眼过去
才发现了 妈妈一直是 我无声洗衣机
才发现了 她的皱纹是 无法偿还的借据
才发现了 她的背影是 无法释怀的风景

when all these times, my clothes are washed by my mom
she's never uttered a single complaint about how much she has to wash
she's ever so dedicated and worked til her body trembled
it's been years and years, and countless spins of the machine
time just went past in a blink of an eye
only to discover that mom has been my silent washing machine
and that her wrinkles are a debt i'm unable to repay
and that her back is a view that can not be forgotten

how moving is this song?! it's basically singing about the home washing machine and the loads it has taken over the years etc.. but the song is an ode to mothers, in that they are the ones who get the machine (and basically the entire household) running.

Le mom and me

Only God knows how much my mom has sacrificed over the years to bring the four of us up. She practically breaks her back to feed us and raise us...

Lord, thank you for my mom. For every sacrificial deed she's done, bless her a hundred times over. For every tear she cried, let there a thousand things for her to smile about. For every sigh she has released, may there be peace and contentment backing her. Grant her long life and good health and a heart of joy. In Jesus' name I pray - amen!

I'll end tonight with these words from the end of the video that so aptly reflect my thoughts (I shd get this to her in a card!):

也许我从来不是一个好孩子
也许我管不住自己的叛逆
也许我从来没有让你满意
但我还是想让你知道: 妈妈，我爱你！
maybe i've never been a good child
maybe i cannot control my rebellious attitude
maybe i've never satisfied you
but i still want to let you know: MOM I LOVE YOU! T_T

checking in to the heartbreak hotel

i don't know if he was going through a breakup then (c. 2002) but wah, the mood and vocal of this song are really heartfelt. i think this man can sing the phonebook and i'll still be a happy camper haha!

i chose this song 两个人不等于我们 (i am rejecting the official English title of the song [Two People Do Not Equal To Us], and as since i cannot offer a satisfactory alternative, i'm just going to leave it in Chinese) mainly because it looked simple and i just wanted to exercise the translation muscle tonight. also cos i like the song, but that goes without saying.

i'm also tempted to work on archiving all the songs i've translated after this (better to do it now than later when list gets too long), but i need to get some sleep cos tmr is going to be a long dayy.. (i honestly didn't realise it's so late already when i started!)

i've got a 10am dental appointment (annual checkup), then an early lunch with chongy at around 1130 in DU (organic vegetarian food - the hubby will love it!), then going all the way to semenyih to view a lelong house late afternoon, and then get home and get ready for Kenney's wedding dinner. Lord, give me strength to last me the day.. it will be a good day. :)


醒来只有我一个人   分不清黄昏或清晨
空气微冷有甚么在流失慢慢降温   一颗心往下沉
i woke up to a lonely bed
i couldn't figure out if it was dusk or dawn
the air is chilly as the temperature slowly drops
i'm feeling a loss and my heart is sinking

毕竟只是太短的梦   彼此终于退回陌生
我加上你两个人并不等于我们
after all, it has been a short dream
we are finally strangers again
you and i both do not necessarily mean 'us'

你想我吗 会偶尔想我吗   是这样吗 飞扬的会落下
你爱我吗 如果诚实回答   可是爱也不是解答
(v2. 可是爱也让人疲乏)
do you think of me, every now and then?
is it going to be like this, what goes up must comes down?
do you love me, if you have to be honest?
but then again, love is not the answer
(v2. but love could make one weary)

空屋子里没有回声   但我记忆有你指纹
我加上你两个人却并不等于我们
the empty house has no echo
but my memory has your fingerprint
you and i both do not necessarily mean 'us'

你知道吗 我心快要溶化
是这样吗 压抑的会爆发
你爱我吗 爱我就懂我吗
do you know that my heart is rapidly melting away
is it going to be like this, repression will only lead to an outburst
do you love me, if you do, then don't you understand me?

告诉我善意的谎话   告诉我善意的谎话
好让我相信我不是太傻
tell me a kind lie (2x)
let me believe that i wasn't too foolish


today's list of new words
降温 jiàngwēn - dropping temperature
毕竟 bìjìng - after all
疲乏 pífá - tired, weary
压抑 yāyì - to constrain or repress emotions / oppressive / stifling / depressing / repression
爆发 bàofā - to break out / to erupt / to explode / to burst out
善意 shànyì - goodwill / benevolence / kindness



两个人不等于我们
王力宏

醒来只有我一个人
分不清黄昏或清晨
空气微冷有甚么在流失慢慢降温
一颗心往下沉
毕竟只是太短的梦
彼此终于退回陌生
我加上你两个人并不等于我们

你想我吗 会偶尔想我吗
是这样吗 飞扬的会落下
你爱我吗 如果诚实回答
可是爱也不是解答

空屋子里没有回声
但我记忆有你指纹
我加上你两个人却并不等于我们

你想我吗 会偶尔想我吗
是这样吗 飞扬的会落下
你爱我吗 如果诚实回答
可是爱也让人疲乏

你知道吗 我心快要溶化
是这样吗 压抑的会爆发
你爱我吗 爱我就懂我吗

告诉我善意的谎话
告诉我善意的谎话
好让我相信我不是太傻

Seeing the world from our sepet eyes..

Happpyy burrfffdayyy, Jazzayyy!! Or is that Jas? Jaz? Jazz? Jazzy? Jasmine? Honestly, it bothers me that I am never consistent, but you, my friend, are one and the same. 獨一無二!

And on this special day, let me bedazzle you with this rhetorical piece:

Oh how do I love thee, jazzyching, let me count the ways...

I love thee for daily saying "hellooo" in the morning, "burrps" after lunch, "sleepy.." at tea, and "byeee!" at six and striking up every other chat topic imaginable in between;

I love thee for unabashedly sharing your thoughts and questions and aspirations and doubts and inanities, and for listening to mine;

I love thee for sitting with me when my shyness unsettles me (at church, at merv's bday dinner, and that dinner before we watched the hunger games, and other times that might have slipped my mind);

I love thee for thinking I have decent taste (and got me to go curtain & couch shopping);

I love thee for saying orange even though you think it is yellow (but c'mon, who are we kidding? it's orange! sigh, my mom has told me to stop being so contentious..);

I love thee for extending the generosity of your family [dad (food & show) and bro (bachelor pad & food) and uncle and aunty (more food =D i see a trend here!)];

I love thee for the meals enjoyed with each other and/or other people;

I love thee for your silliness which rivals (but regrettably doesn't top) mine.

Happy 2nd anniversary of your 30th birthday, babe! xoxoxoxo

Friends that stay in denial together will not realize that they have grown old together.
Me
It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Starry, starry night, paint your palette blue and gray

It's May already! Looks like 2012 is going to mercilessly whiz pass. Someday, someday soon.. I won't have to mentally battle time and age. But for now, SIGH!

Since it's May, it is only apt that we tune in to... Mayday. :D I got to know this Taiwanese alt-rock band by way of wlh. I was reading about him from a blogger who adores this band (if you still remember). So I decided to check them out. This was the first of their songs I heard on youtube. And guess what, by virtue of writing about it here, I obviously like it! A lot!

The main singer, Ashin 阿信, is apparently a prolific songwriter. He has written many songs for many artists, and especially worth noting is none other than Lee Hom's Beside the Plum Blossoms 在梅邊. Ta-dah! ^_^

The background of [Beside the Plum Blossoms] is based on the story behind The Peony Pavilion, an old Chinese play written by Tang Xianzu in the Ming Dynasty. Wang gave tapes of this play to Ashin of Mayday, who later wrote the lyrics. Wang also wrote the rap lyrics which can be heard at the end of the song. He rapped 295 words in 50 seconds. The song is performed with ancient kunqu music.

That's one mammoth of a song I won't be ready to translate anytime soon. Especially when it requires knowledge of ancient Chinese written works. Anyone who can write something like that for lh has done good in my book. Hahaha.. I think he wrote another song for lh, but I'm too lazy to verify it right now. The band has been making music since 1997, about 2 years aft lh's debut, so they are up there with the other veterans on the Mandopop industry. That's a lot of music to check out, which I am not very inclined to doing... because I am a creature of comfort. And I am very comfortable with just listening to wlh day in and day out, still. I am sure I'm gonna get bored of it soon, and then maybe I'll rehash some Switchfoot or Relient K or some other very familiar sounds. But who knows... Oh btw Ashin is one of the four people I follow/stalk on Weibo :)

Update: I found it! The other song that Ashin wrote for Lee Hom, that is. It's called Boya Severs Strings 伯牙绝弦. Read the full article here (it's old but rather hilarious, I might add).

The new album has a song about ancient Chinese musician Bo Ya, a qin player from the Spring and Autumn period. There’s already a Beijing opera about the star, and Leehom adds his composition, “Boya’s Broken String (伯牙绝弦)” to the legend. It tells the story of Boya and Zhong Ziqi; the latter loved to listen to the former’s music, and when she died, he broke the strings of his instrument in mourning.
When Leehom wanted to write this song, he was quickly struck by the difficulty of getting it formulated into lyrics that would tell the whole story, but still be singable. It’s a major challenge, and one Leehom finally decided might be a job for the man who helped him put the Peony Pavillion story into lyrics: Ashin. He excels at bringing these old stories to life in song, so he was clearly the only man for the job. He went to work, and he left Leehom once again explaining over his genius. (In the interest of full disclosure, Ashin shares a writing credit on the song with a second lyricist.)

Back to the song, I have a weakness for songs that wax lyrical about the splendorous starry night that get my thoughts shuttling off to matters merry and melancholic, and this song, Starry Sky 星空, does just that. How could I not melt? And now that I've finished translating it, I have to confess that its beauty has taken me captive emotionally. *sighhh...*

...

Btw, on my often-spoke-off-but-non-existent wishlist of Things To Do Before I Die is to behold the glory of Aurora Borealis with my own naked eyes. Watching Lee Hom in concert is high on this list too. Star-struck, I am.

If it looks this great in picture, the real thing will reduce me to a sobbing worshiper 

习惯 xíguàn - accustomed to
初衷 chūzhōng - original intention, aspiration
苦衷 kǔzhōng - predicament, difficulty
陨落 yǔnluò - fall from the sky, decay, die
线索 xiànsuǒ - trail, clues
联络 liánluò - communication, contact
伸手 shēnshǒu - reach out
细数 xìshù - count down, list, enumerate
繁星 fánxīng - a sky full of stars
闪烁 shǎnshuò - flickering, twinkling, evasive, vague (of speech)
此生 cǐshēng - this life
奔波 bēnbō - constantly on the move
获 huò - catch, reap, harvest
触摸 chùmō - touch
仅 jǐn - barely, merely

摸不到的颜色 是否叫彩虹
看不到的拥抱 是否叫做微风
一个人 想着一个人 是否就叫寂寞
Colours that you can't touch - do you call them rainbow?
An embrace that you can't see - is it called a breeze?
When someone is thinking of someone else - is that loneliness?

命运偷走如果 只留下结果
时间偷走初衷 只留下了苦衷
你来过 然后你走后 只留下星空
Fate has stolen the maybes, leaving only conclusions
Time has stolen aspirations, leaving only predicaments
You came over and then you left, leaving behind only the starry sky

那一年我们望着星空 有那么多的 灿烂的梦
以为快乐会永久 像不变星空 陪着我
That year we were staring at the heavens above
We had so many brilliant dreams
We thought that happiness would last forever
Like the unchanging starry sky that accompanies me

猎户 天狼 织女 光年外沉默
回忆 青春 梦想 何时偷偷陨落
我爱过 然后我沉默 人海里漂流
Orion, Sirius, Vega (3 well-known constellations)
Light years of silence
Memories, youth, aspirations
When did they fall down from the sky?
I have loved, and later I kept silence
As I float about in a sea of people

那一年我们望着星空 未来的未来 从没想过
当故事失去美梦 美梦失去线索 而我们失去联络
That year we were staring at the heavens above
Thoughts about the future never crossed our minds
When the story loses its beautiful dreams
And the beautiful dreams its story line
And we lost touch with each other

这一片无言无语星空 为什么静静 看我泪流
如果你在的时候 会不会伸手 拥抱我？
This wordless, speechless sky
Why does it watch in silence as I cry?
If you were here, would you reach out and hold me?

细数繁星闪烁 细数此生奔波
原来 所有 所得 所获 不如一夜的星空
Counting the flickering stars across the vast sky
Counting the number of times we are on the move in this life
When in fact, everything that I have, everything that I've gained, everything I've captured
Is nothing compared to one night sky

空气中的温柔 回忆你的笑容
仿佛只要伸手 就能触摸
There's gentleness in the air as I remember your smile
It seems like I only need to hold out my hands to touch it

摸不到的颜色 是否叫彩虹
看不到的拥抱 是否叫做微风
一个人 习惯一个人...
Colours that you can't touch - aren't they called rainbow?
An embrace that you can't see - isn't called a breeze?
When someone is used to being alone...

这一刻独自望着星空 从前的从前 从没变过
寂寞可以是忍受 也可以是享受 享受仅有的拥有
At this moment, staring at the heavens by myself
History is unaltered
I can bear with the loneliness, and I can also enjoy everything that I barely have

那一年我们望着星空 有那么多的 灿烂的梦
至少回忆会永久 像不变星空 陪着我
That year we were staring at the heavens above
We had so many brilliant dreams
At least the memories will last forever
Just like the starry sky that accompanies me

最后只剩下星空 像不变回忆 陪着我
In the end, everything that's left is the starry sky
Like the unchanging memories that accompanies me



星空
Mayday 五月天

摸不到的颜色 是否叫彩虹
看不到的拥抱 是否叫做微风
一个人 想着一个人 是否就叫寂寞

命运偷走如果 只留下结果
时间偷走初衷 只留下了苦衷
你来过 然后你走后 只留下星空

那一年我们望着星空 有那么多的 灿烂的梦
以为快乐会永久 像不变星空 陪着我

猎户 天狼 织女 光年外沉默
回忆 青春 梦想 何时偷偷陨落
我爱过 然后我沉默 人海里漂流

那一年我们望着星空 未来的未来 从没想过
当故事失去美梦 美梦失去线索 而我们失去联络
这一片无言无语星空 为什么静静 看我泪流
如果你在的时候 会不会伸手 拥抱我？

细数繁星闪烁 细数此生奔波
原来 所有 所得 所获 不如一夜的星空
空气中的温柔 回忆你的笑容
仿佛只要伸手 就能触摸

摸不到的颜色 是否叫彩虹
看不到的拥抱 是否叫做微风
一个人 习惯一个人...

这一刻独自望着星空 从前的从前 从没变过
寂寞可以是忍受 也可以是享受 享受仅有的拥有
那一年我们望着星空 有那么多的 灿烂的梦
至少回忆会永久 像不变星空 陪着我
最后只剩下星空 像不变回忆 陪着我...

my Bersih 3.0 experience

i enjoy reading more than i do writing, and i've really enjoyed reading all the personal experiences of those who went (or didn't go) to Bersih last Saturday.. i don't think i have anything extra to add (other than that one other piece i wrote before this, and that it was a really good experience that I cherish) so imma just let a few of my pics do the talking :)

(a quick digression here: i failed to get the second round of Russell Peters tickets. it was just not. meant. to. beeeee.. boo hoo!)

Check list! Got it off the Internet, wrote it down in my notebook, just in case.

My Bersih kit, minus the water.

The hubs and I.. aiyor, both of us sooo chubby! ^__^ 

Both of us didn't have yellow shirts, so we pakat-ed to wear green instead. Thadd and I rode the bike and parked at Sri Petaling station, while Jaz parked her car at Bukit Jalil station. Took the train down to KL and stopped at Plaza Rakyat. Passed Auntie Bersih in front of Kota Raya otw to Central Market.

4 sekawan. Well, not really. Haha.. Ming Wai came alone and joined us at Central Market.. but the four of us stuck together for the entire rally. This was taken opposite Sogo, and the Bandaraya station was just down the road. It was about 3.20pm cos I remember thinking that the march would be over soon and we could just hop on the train back. But the station was crowded and so we walked around a bit. That was when we came face to face with the FRU and their their gas (pic in the blog below).

Met up with David, Melissa (behind the camera) and MJ at Central Market..  it was their second Bersih outing.. they are one very zealous family. :) MJ marched with his teachers, and the six of us walked together for a stretch, but separated at Leboh Ampang.

Along J. Tun Perak, underneath the Star LRT track.. it was hot, but the general atmosphere was good. It was the closest we got to Dataran Merdeka (it's probably about 500m down this direction). There were a lot of people and very little shade, so we decided to just keep on walking, and walking, and walking. 

there were balloons floating about, mostly yellow, some green.. i remarked to jazz "best concert ever!!"
coldplay, anyone? :)

People mountain, people sea. At Central Market, around 1pm.

More people mountain, more people sea. At Leboh Ampang, probably around 2pm.