After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.
- Aldous Huxley (via David Crowder)
I've had quite a bit of the latter here lately, which is naturally pretty awesome, but I'm taking a quick break to pursue the former. I'll leave you with this, Khalil Fong's wonderful cover of Faye Wong's 紅豆 Red Bean.
brb+xoxo+hello, june.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Is it me, or is it harder to translate from Cantonese? Half the time here, I wasn't completely sure what I was translating, but I do think that I've captured the gist of the song. :) I'm sure a lot has been lost in this translation -- it wasn't until I attempted the translation that I realised the song's meaning is kinda bland, although the words are not and I would still sing it with all my heart. Perhaps nostalgia's magic got to me. :)
真情流露
仍难尽信我是这样地无穷好运 能遇上精彩的你
我缺点胜别人 你竟费尽心神 把我留起
I can't believe how lucky I was to meet someone like you
Despite all my glaring shortcomings, you gave your all to lift me up
如仍未清楚地说在目前和今后 (仍难尽清楚地说在目前和今后)
无论那一天都爱你 我这刻要直言到沧海或桑田 最深爱的亦只是你
Even in the uncertainties of the present and the future, every day I love you
At this very moment I want tell it to the oceans and the fields
That my deepest love is you
我与你永不可别离 爱你爱到死 因只得你方可使我流露自己
你眼里那种种传奇 醉我醉到死 一生使我动情 是你
You and I will never part, I love you til death
Because of you, my real self is revealed
In your eyes lie a legend, that leaves me love drunk
In this life, only you could excite me so
Audience member:
Hello, I have two questions. The first one may be similar to the one before. I'm wondering what do you think on what exactly is the role of C-pop play in helping each other understand [trails off].. for example, Psy's Gangnam Style, it was a huge hit and it was successful, but most people just heard it as a song from a Korean but not really think about the Korean culture behind it, so I'm just wondering how do you think Chinese pop music can really play the role to help each other understand [more of the Chinese culture] as individuals but not just as just Chinese [Ed: I think this was a really good question that could have been worded better].
My second question is whether you recognize [consider] yourself a Christian and if so, I'm wondering what you think is the way of living a Christian life for you.
Leehom:
For me? Okay, wow. All right. Let's talk about Psy first, and then we'll talk about God.
I don't think we can put too much pressure on Psy on one song. I'm really really excited and I'm happy for that phenomenon, and I think it shows possibilities that didn't exist before, but we can't say that, "and that saves us from all our problems and solves everything for us." It is just one song, but hopefully it is the beginning of much more, and I think it is. And so are the co-productions that we see are happening in China right now. But I think they are mostly economically driven because China's box office is so strong that these tent-pole projects from the movie companies in Hollywood wants to tap into that, and it's so much easier to do when you have got Fan Bin Bing or Li Bing Bing, or Zhang Xue Qi.. [corrects himself] Wang Xue Qi, playing a role and on a poster, "oh 我要去看" and people get excited by that.
Your second question: I do consider myself a Christian, and that has been a very big part of my life, especially recently. I think for an artist, who is constantly trying to create and search and just to listen and to reach into thin air and come up with something that speaks to the heart and speaks to the the soul and look for inspiration. I look around human history and some of the greatest arts and some of the greatest music being religiously motivated, religiously based and inspired, and I don't think that's an accident. Well that speaks a lot to me, and my relationship with God and as a Christian has been very important as an artist. I don't know what to say what the best way to live a Christian life is, but I think as a Christ follower, I think that's more of the politically correct way to say it these days.
note: some minor grammatical corrections made. leaving the rest be.
-------
I thought those were very good questions -- ones that I would have asked too :D I had to listen and read his answers a good few times to connect the questions and answers (my "tempo" was way off his on this I guess). But one thing I didn't get was what he meant by but I think as a Christ follower, I think that's more of the politically correct way to say it these days. I thought that was confusing, especially when he ended the answer with just that. I think he could have just ended it without the last sentence.
Anyhoo... I was actually very glad that he was asked and answered the question about his faith, because I've always wished he was a wee bit more vocal about it. And I think his answer is so true, because as a pseudo-artist myself *cough* that was the gist of how I think an artist relates to his Creator.. esp the part about reaching into thin air for an inspiration to create something that could stir the hearts of men.. Is it weird that I sometimes pray for him? Haha.. but I do hope that his relationship with God is a vibrant one, and I'm thankful that he has many friends and co-workers who profess the faith, so that iron may sharpen iron. :)
Well, he generally doesn't really talk about his relationship with God much (maybe because he wasn't specifically asked about them, unlike how the girl did in the video. the pesky paparazzi is only interested in his love life, and because it (sadly) doesn't exist, they have constant field days making stories up, one more bizarre than another, or they kept digging up old rumors about supposed former ex-flames). But this song was one of the times when he was more explicit with his faith. He wrote it back in 1996, putting himself in the shoes of Noah as the patriarch experienced the flood. I could relate to the emotions and thoughts that the song was trying to convey, and hence it is here on my top 20 list of fav LH tracks :)
In the midst of hate, I found there was, within me, an invincible love.
In the midst of tears, I found there was, within me, an invincible smile.
In the midst of chaos, I found there was, within me, an invincible calm.
I realized, through it all, that… In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.
And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.
I tend to listen to things I like over and over again for an extended period (which kinda explains why I don't have the time to be exploratory with more music, cos I'm basically stuck on one repeat or another haha). anyway, I'm sure we all do that. and why not, right? here I just wanna note down what fill my ears daily (for this week at least):
driving to and from work, i've been looping Hillsong United's Zion for over a month now. I really do think that it's a very well written and produced album, with new sounds (for a worship album) that don't distract from the message. two thumbs up! my favorite tracks: Oceans (Where Feet May Fail), Relentless, Mercy Mercy, A Million Suns, Scandal of Grace, Nothing Like Your Love... you know, I'm thisclose to listing the whole album, so you might just want to head to HSU's Youtube channel and check it out yourself. :)
at work, I'm still listening to Cmdr Hadfield's very EPIC rendition of Space Oddity, and all the king's men and all the king's horses haven't been able to collect all the pieces of my blown mind from the other day, what more to put it back together. I don't know how this video could be topped! this, btw, was how it was done.
at home, I've been listening to Jacky Cheung's songs the past few nights, and letting this playlist singing me to sleep (in lieu of the husband.. who is coming back tmrw morning after being away for two weeks!) and the occassional Leehom videos.. like this one, it was really good! it's a game show called The Million Star where the participants (in this case, LH) have to sing songs from various categories karaoke-style but halfway through, the lyrics would be blanked out and the participant has to guess the words. I'm amazed (but not surprised hehe) that Leehom has really good memory! he could remember words to songs he hasn't sang in years! he lost in the end because he wasn't familiar with the song (which was a Mayday song hehe).. so yeah. (and yes, I just have to mention him in this post la la la..)
I have been bingeing on the Jacky Cheung's songs the past three nights. I didn't realise (or rather, have forgotten) that his songs were such a huge part of my younger days, until I started browsing through Youtube and was just singing along to song after song. But then again, I probably only know like 5% of his songs, because according to wiki, he has to-date released 57 albums in Mandarin, Cantonese, and English. O_O
I have been a fan for the longest time, from around the time when I was in early secondary school. And I've always thought that he was the king of the Four Heavenly Kings of Cantopop (the other three being Aaron Kwok, Andy Lau and Leon Lai). He didn't act much, but I remember enjoying the movies he was in, and of course, his songs. That voice! I think he hardly wrote any songs though (maybe it wasn't a trend back then), so talent-wise, I'd think LH > JC la la la.. :D
I wonder if I'd ever get to watch him live. When he came last year for his 1/2 Century Tour, I queued at The Rock Corner for a futile effort to get his tickets. (Well, as I type, I'm tuning into an HD full concert on Youtube. Ah, to be there!) My other dream is to watch that musical Snow. Wolf. Lake, which was written and directed by him. I don't think it ever made its way here, and I've no idea if anyone's gonna revive it, but that would be such a treat!
Anyway, I don't know if I'm going to do a series on Jacky, so I'm just gonna list my favorite tunes (the list is getting longer and longer as I type haha!)
Or.. you could just check this Youtube channel - she has put up HD versions of his songs (and some other singers too).
Just thought I'd translate one of my fav songs here. I find that it's not as easy to translate from Cantonese, I wonder why..
爱是永恒
张学友
作词：林振强 作曲：Dick Lee
有始不有终 能受百样痛
从没有合约合同 但却跨时空
这滔滔不息的爱 我赠给你用
这一生 和下世 有几多全奉送
there was a beginning without an end
enduring a hundred kinds of pain
there was never a need for a contract or an agreement
but crossing over time and space
this endlessly surging love, i present to you
this life, and the next, how much of myself could I give
闭起的眼中 无论重又重
仍是见着你面容 在我心湖中
这份爱 永远都存在
共你同在 无尽永恒中
with my eyes closed, no matter how heavy
i could still see you in my heart's heart
this love will forever exist
together with you in eternity
有着我便有着你 真爱是永不死 穿过喜和悲 跨过生和死
有着我便有着你 千个万个世纪 绝未离弃 爱是永恒当所爱是你
where there's me, there's you, true love will not die
through joy or tears, crossing over life and death
where there's me, there's you
not a thousand or ten thousand lifetimes could separate us
love is eternal when all that's loved is you
两手虽似空 其实抱着你
其实你没有别离 在我心湖中
每掠过 也似风撩动
令这湖上 无尽爱浪涌
although my hands looks empty, they are actually embracing you
you've never left my heart's heart
every fleeting moment is like wind stirred up
and causes the endless love on this lake to surge
I don't know if I have shared this before.. it's from a long time ago. I would find it very hard to grapple with this kind of loss. And I would like to think that friendship is one of the most amazing gifts we could ever receive in life.
So I came across this quote again today from S's FB note, which I think fit so well with that post. I don't remember having read it before, but I saw my 'Like' so I guess I did. :P
“When you remember me, it means that you have carried something of who I am with you, that I have left some mark of who I am on who you are. It means that you can summon me back to your mind even though countless years and miles may stand between us. It means that if we meet again, you will know me. It means that even after I die, you can still see my face and hear my voice and speak to me in your heart.
For as long as you remember me, I am never entirely lost. When I'm feeling most ghost-like, it is your remembering me that helps remind me that I actually exist. When I'm feeling sad, it's my consolation. When I'm feeling happy, it's part of why I feel that way.
If you forget me, one of the ways I remember who I am will be gone. If you forget, part of who I am will be gone. "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." the good thief said from his cross (Luke 23:42). There are perhaps no more human words in all of Scripture, no prayer we can pray so well.”
- Frederick Buechner, American writer and theologian -
*******
The level of awesomeness is this video is astronomical (pun very much intended)! It's recorded by Commander Chris Hadfield on board the International Space Station, who did a revised version of David Bowie's Space Oddity. From a SPACE STATION. Srsly, I think the fact that this video exists is just mind blowing. Like, WOW.
Check out the original version by David Bowie here. Check out xkcd's take on this, which btw was how I got to know about the vid. And oh, one of my fav bits from that write-up was this tidbit:
The Larrivée Parlor acoustic guitar in the video went up years ago on the Space Shuttle, and astronauts have been playing it ever since. Given that launch costs at the time were between $20,000 and $30,000 per pound, the cost to send up the guitar was probably in the neighborhood of $75,000.
*******
A capella artist, Yeo Inhyeok, does another amazing cover, this time of Michael Jackson's Bad. The very thought that our humble vocal chords could produce something so complicated (computer technology notwithstanding) is just astounding. How do they do this?!
Sunday, May 19, 2013
ob·ses·sion
/əbˈseSHən/ noun
The state of being obsessed with someone or something.
An idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person's mind.
what can I do with my obsession? with the things I cannot see?
is there madness in my being? is it the wind that moves the trees?
sometimes You're further than the moon, sometimes You're closer than my skin
and You surround me like a winter fog, You've come and burned me with a kiss
and my heart burns for You, and my heart burns... for You
and I'm so filthy with my sin, I carry pride like a disease
You know I'm stubborn, Lord, and I'm longing to be close
Your burn me deeper than I know
I feel lonely without hope, and I feel desperate without vision
You wrap around me like a winter coat
You come and free me like a bird
My love for you, My heart for you, My life for you
all I am for you
david crowder band :: obsession (cover)
this is my favorite version because I first heard it from DCB, and David's distinctive voice burned this song into my head. check out the original by Delirious here and another great cover by Jesus Culture here.
so yeah, I hated this song when I first heard it (back in the early days of my fangirlism which is like.. a year ago). well, it all started when I didn't understand what he was singing about (there were too many songs of his to check out then), and the only phrases I could understand immediately then were the lines in English, and you know how much I love (that was kinda sarcastic, in case the italics doesn't mean anything to you) something as hackneyed as "'cos you're my everything..." -- when i first heard it, i was like, hello, the 90's called and they wanted their chorus back!
and the music video didn't help at all. in fact, i was completely baffled by it: he was all lovey dovey with the girl in a boat, and all of a sudden the boat capsized and she fell over, and when he jumped into the water to rescue her, he never found her... mysteriously, she never resurfaced and he didn't seem too perturbed by that after what seemed to be a short search. and i was like whaaa--? -____- I can be too literal a person sometimes, hence the video just made no sense to me. so yeah, that was strike two!
soooo, you ask, how did a song I've practically wrote off make it into my top 20??
ok, the thing is, although I tried to keep away, the song still got played when I wasn't actively skipping it when it came up on my WLH playlist, and I'd soon realised that every time when I heard it I actually really liked the melody. a lot! and there's also that one line in there that felt very personal to me (not telling which ;).. a while later, I saw this video clip of him singing just the chorus (you know, the part I couldn't stand most in the song) at his concert -- and oh my, the earnestness with which he sang that part really got to me. srsly, if he sang the phone book with that much passion, I'd lap it up haha! and finally, as for the MV, someone explained in the comments that the girl he was with "was never into the relationship, so everything that he did with her was just part of his imagination. it's really sad because he eventually realized that and thus she 'disappeared'", and I thought, aha that made sense! and with that, the bothersome part of my mind was acquiesced haha!
so I revisited the song, and when I understood the rest of it, whaddya know, I loved it! :)
#3 Everything
故事裡的起承轉合有一些忘記
做了多少錯誤的選擇
原來波折才暗示(anshi)著該走的方向
指引(zhiying)妳我來到這一刻
就算別人都說我們沒什麼出息
不可能會這樣輕易放棄
I've kinda forgotten how the story went and all the wrong choices I've made
but it turned out that the twists and turns were hints at the direction we ought to have taken
guiding you and I to this very moment where we are
and even if other people thought that there was nothing special about us
we couldn't just give up so easily
Note: The individual Chinese characters [起承轉合] mean "opening, development, twist, resolution." They are traditionally used to label the four lines of a classical quatrain, of which the first states the basic situation, the second amplifies it, the third introduces something unexpected, and the fourth completes the picture, usually by resolving the puzzle of the third line but sometimes by extending it.
cause you're my everything
就一個原因 讓我勇敢面對這個世界
想給妳everything 不管用多少個明天
永遠從此刻開始算起
妳的愛是我的everything cause you're my everything
and just that one reason alone emboldens me to face this world
i want to give you everything, no matter how many tomorrows it takes
forever begins this very moment
your love is my everything
遼闊(liaokuo)天際 巧合相遇 有多少機率(jilv)
多少煙火墜落無痕跡
因為幸福 沒有捷徑 (jie jing) 難免要繞道
不被看好越是要走到
what were the odds that our encounter across this vast horizon was a coincidence?
how much could the fireworks fall from the sky without leaving any trace?
because there's no shortcut to happiness, and you can't escape it
if you don't carefully watch over it, the more it wants walk elsewhere (?)
就算別人都說我們沒什麼出息
不可能會這樣輕易放棄
and even if other people thought that there was nothing special about us
we couldn't just give up so easily
妳就是everything
就這個原因 讓我勇敢面對這個世界
想給妳everything 只要妳說一聲願意
所有的未來才有意義
妳的愛是我的everything
you are everything
and just that one reason alone emboldens me to face this world
i want to give you everything, you only have to say "yes"
the future is then meaningful
your love is my everything
Cause you're my everything
就這個原因 讓我勇敢面對這個世界
想給妳everything 不管用多少個明天
永遠從此刻開始算起
妳就是everything
就如這個原因 我會永遠記住這種感覺
想給妳everything 只要妳說一聲願意
所有的未來才有意義
妳的愛是我的everything cause you're my everything
and just that one reason alone emboldens me to face this world
i want to give you everything, no matter how many tomorrows it takes
forever begins this very moment
you are my everything
and for that one reason alone, I'll remember this feeling
I want to give you everything, you only have to say yes
the future is then meaningful
your love is my everything
Cause you're my everything
就這個原因 讓我勇敢面對這個世界
想給妳everything 不管用多少個明天
永遠從此刻開始算起
妳就是everything
就如這個原因 我會永遠記住這種感覺
想給妳everything 只要妳說一聲願意
所有的未來才有意義
妳的愛是我的everything
[this is both a translation post and also a top 20 Leehom track post. two for the price of one -- woo hoo! :)]
click here for the list of my Top 20 Favorite Leehom Tracks.
this started off as a top 10 list, then 15, and it still wasn't easy for me to stop at 20.. but I had to or this post might as well be a mini novel. but 20 songs in a post a kinda an overkill, so i'll break it into a few posts (however many I could muster each time)(also because i wanna write grandmother stories about each one haha). so in random order, here are my favorite Leehom tracks..
oh but before I start, I just wanna give a shout-out to him:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEEHOM!!!!
it felt like I had just wished you hbd. but here we are, another trip around the sun later.. w00t!
anyway, I adapted my concert card for LH to make him this birthday card, a physical copy of which is supposedly on its way to him (if the fan club wasn't pulling my legs).. so exciting! thanks to D for rallying the few of us together to do this! ^_^
soooooo, here they are.. the first two of twenty (I'd actually wanted to do more here, but I've been really busy with work (that's a good thing! :) and my diploma class (meh.).. and again, those numbers beside the song title are random (just so we'll know when I reach #20), not ranking!
#1 龍的傳人 Descendants of the Dragon
what's special to me about this song was that I actually remember watching a live performance of this song on TV some 13 years ago in 2000 when it first came out, and I remember thinking that, wow, this version is awesome! (I'm kinda a sucker for contemporary remixes of anything old :).. I already knew of him then, but too bad that while i enjoyed the fresh twist, I didn't give him any more thought hehe.. mm, around that time, the only Chinese singer I was into then was David Tao.. :)
I really want to tell you more about the song, because this is not just any other old patriotic Chinese song. if you go through its lyrics, you would probably see as I did see why it appeals deeply to the Chinese, in particular first and second generations of the Chinese diaspora who must have missed home (theirs or those of their ancestors) like crazy back in those Internet-less days---case in point, my parents (who definitely had something to do with me knowing the original version of the song)(and Leehom of course). anyway, I have never really relate to this song, maybe because I identify more as a Malaysian (srsly, if I ever hear another pendatang comment... grr! nevertheless, I found this for you:
Notes: [...] The verse in the original version about cannon fire breaking through a tranquil night refers to the Opium Wars. China’s defeat in the two conflicts (1839-42 and 1858-1860) led to the “unequal treaties,” which not only opened treaty ports and carved up part of the Chinese coastline with foreign concessions, but were also instrumental in opening the country to western contact and legalizing Chinese emigration. The treaties were often referred to as a “national humiliation.”
This song was written by Taiwan singer/songwriter Hou Dejian (候德建) in December of 1978, in response to the American decision to break off diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan) and establish relations with the People's Republic of China. Though it gained popularity as a patriotic song, in fact, Hou’s metaphor of growing up “under the claw of the dragon” demonstrates a certain amount of ambivalence toward China. As scholar Geremie R. Barme has noted, "'Heirs' [the song is also known as Heirs of the Dragon, hence, Heirs] had originally been written after the U.S. abandonment of the Republic of China in 1978 to express profound frustration with the traditions that the song appeared, at least superficially, to romanticize."
"Heirs" was first recorded by singer Li Jianfu (李建復), and it quickly spread across Taiwan as a nationalistic anthem. A Cantonese version was recorded by Hong Kong patriotic singer Zhang Mingmin (張明敏). In 2000, Chinese American Leehom Wang (王力宏) recorded his version, adding an English-language rap and changing the last verse to reference the experience of Taiwanese immigrants in the United States instead of the Opium Wars. Li Jianfu is Leehom's second cousin (表叔), and the one responsible for getting Leehom involved in the Taiwanese music industry.
In 1983, Hou Dejian violated Guomindang travel restrictions and traveled to mainland China. “Heirs of the Dragon” became wildly popular in China, where it was embraced as an expression of Chinese nationalism and the importance of reunification. Hou’s recording career continued on the mainland, and he met up with many of the illustrious figures of 1980s Chinese music. In the spring of 1989, “Heirs of the Dragon” was adopted alongside songs like “The Internationale (國際歌)” and Cui Jian’s “Nothing to my name (一無所有)” by the student democracy movement in Tiananmen Square. Hou became deeply involved in the movement, and he helped lead a hunger strike in the Square beginning June 2. Because of his actions, he was deported from China back to Taiwan in 1990.
In May, 1989, at a concert in Hong Kong to support the students in Beijing, Hou made two changes to the lyrics. In the line "surrounded on all sides by the appeasers' swords," he replaced "appeasers" with "dictators" (四面楚歌是獨裁的劍). The second change was even more profound. During the course of his years on the mainland, Hou had met many individuals (including the student leader in Beijing) who were Chinese nationals, but ethnic minorities. In other words, he learned that not all of the Chinese people had "black hair, black eyes, yellow skin." He changed that line to, "Whether you are willing or not, forever and ever an heir of the dragon" (不管你自己願不願意，永永遠遠是龍的傳人). The change reflects the ambivalence in the song's original message, though the version later recorded by Leehom Wang is far more uncritically nationalistic and reverts to the original "black hair, black eyes, yellow skin" line.
Over the years, the song fell out of favor with those advocating for independence for Taiwan, but continues to hold strong pull as a patriotic song in China (none of the popular songs sung at the protests seem to have had their popularity damaged by association). Scholars have suggested that “Heirs of the Dragon,” with its illustration of the how ethnic ties can overcome geographic distance, has also been embraced by Chinese communities overseas, though the song’s popularity surges and retreats. In recent years, it has experienced a resurgence in interest as a result of Leehom's introduction of his rock/pop version and its status as a standard at his concerts.
As I've mentioned, this is my all-time favorite LH song. I love everything about it, the poetic lines with obscure (to me) Chinese literature references, the infusion of Chinese musical instrument (the erhu), the melody.. so Chinese, and yet, so..... I don't know how to describe it leh, so I'll let none other than the b'day boy himself explain it (excerpt from a 2008 interview by acclaimed writer Tash Aw):
Tash: You used this (the incorporation of sounds from the music and songs of ethnic minorities into contemporary music in trying to change the way we approach the contemporary form) to stunning effect, I think, in your 2005 album Heroes of the Earth. I remember being completely blown away the first time I heard Hua Tian Cuo (translated roughly – and unsatisfactorily – as Mistake in the Flower Field). To me, it seems to capture the spirit of East Asian pop culture today.
It was so musically innovative – the erhu (Chinese two-string violin) was totally unexpected, as was the vocal line making reference to Beijing opera. It’s really not what you’d expect in a Chinese pop song. It’s a breath of fresh air – even today. Did you set out to be consciously innovative with that album?
Leehom: Very much so. It’s interesting that you picked up on the vocal line, because there’s a lot of melisma (the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession, as heard in plainsong or the blues) in that song.
I wanted that melismatic line to refer to traditional Beijing opera and kunqu (traditional Chinese theatre) because language is something that’s really important to me. I like to explore the potential of the Chinese language, to see how it can offer a more satisfying experience than English.
With Hua Tian Cuo I asked to study with some of the greatest Beijing opera singers to study their technique, but these guys don’t teach in the formal Western sense. They just imitate their teachers at first, then develop their own style.
It’s very hard training, because it isn’t structured, and by the age of 50 their voices are gone! There’s a lot of pain involved, physical and emotional.
You see, the title of the song I've translated today is Olia by David Tao. And I love the song and its melody but I can't shake off that it's a song about one of my favorite pasta cooking styles: aglio olio (which I just had for dinner not an hour ago :)!
Anyway, according to thinkbabyname.com, Olia is a girl's name and is a variant of Olga (Old Norse, Scandinavian) and Olivia (Latin), and the meaning of Olia is "blessed, holy; successful; olive tree". It's not a popular name at all though, unlike mine, which placed #423 out of 1,220 most popular.. men's names! Haha! E's actually a unisex name but apparently it's not so popular with girls. Oh well, I love my name still! Btw David is not unaccustomed to naming a song after a girl's name (e.g. Susan, Angeline, Katrina, Melody, etc.) and Olia is his muse from his 2006 album, Beautiful 太美麗.
I don't remember having heard this song before, and it was brought to my attention following this recent weibo conversation between David and another singer, Yoga Lin (whom I've heard of but have no idea of who he is)(translation below image):
@林宥嘉 (Yoga Lin)
When Olia first came around, we were solely focused on its light and shadow, on whether it constituted the point of view that we hoped for, on its transience; when actually a face of incomparable beauty has unexpectedly been drowned out by the crowd for a good few years. Big brother David, I love you; you were the first person in my life who I reckoned truly felt the beauty of music, and I hope that this generation would be able to better appreciate the absolute energy found in music.
@陶喆 (David Tao)
Yoga, thanks for reminding me of the things I once knew but now often forget. Sometimes we would forget that we can move the world in our own small ways. Let's rock the world.
I think Yoga's comment is just so sincere and beautifully written (and truly lost in my translation), and reading it has moved me, what more with David's gracious reply. So heart-warming.. ^_^
***
碎石子路長青苔 指針把時間再掃開
馬戲團走了但小丑還在這舞台
黑馬車沒停下來 消失前妳回過頭來
多少人到現在還不明白 還等待
the gravel road is covered with moss
the hands of the clock sweeps time away
the circus has left, but the clown remains on stage
the black carriage didn't stop, but before it disappeared you turned your head around
how many people still do not understand, and keep on waiting?
一直走 一直走 一直不停的走 該選那個路口
一瞬間 一瞬間 可能這個瞬間 那命運就會改變
Olia 請不要走 是否我做的還是不夠
Olia 請不要走 為什麼永久不會永久 不停留
keep going on, keep going on, keep going on non-stop, which road should i choose?
a moment, a moment, perhaps it's this moment, that fate would change
Olia, please don't go, have I not done enough?
Olia, please don't go, why doesn't "forever" last? why doesn't it stay?
鐘聲把夕陽暈開 十八歲又換了一代
機會是否劃一次的火柴 不重來
the bell chime ushers the setting sun
at 18 years old, a new generation is replaced
is opportunity like a match stick, there's no going back once lit?
一直走 一直走 一直不停的走 能不能再重頭
一輩子 一輩子 就算用一輩子 也沒有辦法挽回
keep going on, keep going on, keep going on non-stop, could we start all over?
this life, this life, even if I spend my whole life, i wouldn't be able to get it back
Olia 請不要走 是否我做的還是不夠
Olia 請不要走 為什麼永久不會永久 不停留
Olia 請不要走 是否我讓你等得太久
Olia 妳早已走 為什麼失去才想保有 不放手
Olia, please don't go, have I not done enough?
Olia, please don't go, why doesn't "forever" last? Why doesn't it stay?
Olia, please don't go, did I leave you waiting for too long?
Olia, you have left a while ago, why did I want you to stay only after I've lost you? I'm not letting go.
along with the videos, Oxford Union have also posted photos from Leehom's session, and i have picked out here some of my favs!
after his speech, Leehom was presented with an Oxford hoodie.. which he promptly put on and voila, instant transformation from suave to geeky!
he certainly struck gold with his gene pool!
just look at him, he could easily pass off as one of them, and these are kids who are at least a decade younger. now Leehom, tell us, where specifically is that pool of immortality that you fell into? or where do you keep your bottle of the elixir of life? c'mon, 'fess up! :D
om nom nom, munches the cookie monster :D
the cookies were a gift from a fan, check out the video here. i'm actually really curious about what it was and how it tasted like? according to him, these are world famous. okay, not world, UK famous! curiouso, curiouso!
hmm, an old book. i wonder if i could steal a sniff...
smells like... an old book.
hahahahahha.. this photo just killed it for me! :D but did you know, most bibliophiles love the smell of old books? i do too, although it would be a stretch to call me a b-phile haha.. but let's get geeky about this for a bit. according to scientists, "the aroma of an old book is [a] combination of grassy notes with a tang of acids and a hint of vanilla over an underlying mustiness, this unmistakable smell is as much a part of the book as its contents. It is the result of the several hundred volatile organic compounds (VOCs) off-gassing from paper and the object in general. The particular blend of compounds is a result of a network of degradation pathways and is dependent on the original composition of the object including paper substrate, applied media, and binding." no, I didn't make that up!
All photo credits to APS photographer Yunli Song, taken from the Oxford Union FB page. Check out the album here.
i'm five months too late to the farewell party, but still.. sigh~
goodbyes are tough, even if it's just for a TV show, esp when the characters have grown on you. anyway, I've just watched the final episode of Leverage on TV, and I'm glad it was a befitting finale. so goodbye, Nate, Sophie, Parker, Hardison and Elliot, and thanks for the great and fun five seasons. :')
Oh happy day! Oxford Union has finally uploaded the high quality videos of Leehom's session. Click here to check out the Youtube playlist I've created of the eight videos (the full length speech + 7 Qs&As). And thanks to the superb audio quality, I've also updated the transcription. :)
Well, it's been a while since I last translated a song. This one came to me today when the Chinese line in blue below popped into my head, well, out of the blue.. :) I must have been thinking about the country's current circumstances.. makes me just wanna crawl into a cocoon and hide in there for a while. i think i've just felt a sudden aversion to political news. I'm sure it's only temporary, but right now, it's getting too much and I really just want to get away.
Anyway, this is a really simple song (I hardly needed Google Translate :) -- the lyrics in fact are somewhat of a "Frankenstein's monster" -- they're from the titles and partial lyrics of his other songs.. I think most die-hard fans should catch at least a handful of the references. I kinda think that this is somehow an inside joke. :)
己經聽了一百遍 怎麼聽都不會倦
從白天唱到黑夜 你一直在身邊 如果世界太危險 只有音樂最安全
帶著我進夢裡面 讓歌詞都實現
I've heard the songs a hundred times, but they never get old
from day break to night time, you are constantly by my side when the world becomes too dangerous, music is my refuge
it leads me to my dreams, where the words to the songs come alive
無論是開心還是難過我的愛一直不變
不必擔心時間流逝帶走一切
無論是Hip-Hop 還是搖滾我的愛一直不變
所有美好回憶紀錄在裡面
這種 Forever love 那麼深 我們的歌 那麼真
無國界跨時代 再也不會叫我 Kiss Goodbye
要每一句能夠動人心弦Yeah~
no matter if i were happy or sad, my love will never change
i don't have to worry that time will take everything away
be it Hip Hop or Rock, my love will remain
all the beautiful memories are recorded in them
this type of forever love is so deep, and our songs are so real
they cut across borders and time, and i won't have to kiss them goodbye
every word has the potential to move someone's heartstrings
情人總分分合合 可是我們卻越愛越深
認識你 讓我的幸福如此悅耳
能不能不要切歌 繼續唱我們的歌 讓感動一輩子都記得
lovers come and lovers go, but our love grow deeper
knowing you has made my happiness complete
can we not stop the music, and continue to sing our songs
you'll remember for a lifetime these moving emotions
what a week this has been. and it's not even over!
i'm not going to try to list everything out or even to summarize it, but basically i have been so riled up by irresponsible parties stirring up racial sentiments and thankfully was later mollified by the magnanimity shown by my fellow countrymen. i'm tired from the long week and the emotional upheaval, so i take my hat off to the leaders who endured a merciless schedule during the campaigning period and are still relentlessly soldiering on.
so that's that.
i'm still trying to finish my assignment, which interestingly covers a topic on procrastination hahaha! some of the "tips for overcoming procrastination" as prescribed by the study notes are:
identify and eliminate your personal time wasters
free yourself from distractions
maximise the use of your peak time when you are most effective
just do it
srsly, it's easier said than done. my main distraction is obviously the internet, but the thing is, i need it to research for stuff, so if i go offline, i might as well not do anything. so how lah? le sigh. anyway, i'm gonna try #7: force yourself to spend the next 10 minutes at the task you are putting off. *keeps fingers crossed* ttfn!
quick update @7:05PM
that kinda worked - yay! but i was distracted for a good 15 minutes before i could actually force myself to focus. still, yay!
I can't remember the last time I cried myself to sleep, but last night I did. :(
with Lils ^_^
So the Pakatan Rakyat coalition did not win the elections, no thanks to the scheming ways of Barisan Nasional. This whole thing is hard to swallow, not just because of the loss -- I would have reluctantly conceded defeat if the elections were held in a clean and fair manner -- but this! I was and still am very angry and very disappointed, and just very, very sad.
I cannot accept the underhanded ways the elections was run. It was rigged from the start (perhaps taking a leaf from this article), but really, the elections were a farce, a mockery of democracy.
And post-election, the first thing the PM did was to blame the Chinese? Srsly, wth. Will they ever get it, that it's not about race? Stop dividing us! This card is stale, the horse is long dead! All the doublespeak and hypocrisy just stinks! To this so-called government formed not by consensus but by corruption, you are a joke. I hate you for what you have done. I hate your filthy ways. But I believe justice will be served. Just you wait.
And I don't think I'll ever understand how people can stand on the side of blatant corruption and sell their souls for mere dollars (I'm talking about the so-called educated crowd, not the ones who don't know any better). How do they live it down? How could they ever answer to our nation's forefathers, and to their children's children?
I have nothing else to say. Still in mourning mode. Will pick myself up eventually. I know I've done all that I could: I have no regrets. And straining to look at the bright side, not all's lost: we won more seats this time, we won the popular votes, an unprecedented number of voters came out to vote, more participation from the rakyat in the electoral process. (Oh you can read my current favorite piece on the whole episode). So it's still good. We've lost the battle, but not the war. This is just the beginning. Just you wait.
with WF and "Nurul Izzah" ^_^ (she won! that girl rocks!)
Oh btw, the session where I volunteered as polling agent went smoothly (thank God!). I was at SK Bangsar, which is under the Lembah Pantai constituency, together with Lils and WF. My duty slot was from noon to 2pm - I didn't mind an extra shift but I guess they had enough people.
And in the classroom, although we hardly spoke, I had enjoyed working with the SPR team and the BN representative in my classroom, even the cop who was stationed outside the hall. There were no untoward incidents, no illegal foreign voters (honestly I don't know how I would have handled them if they appeared at the classroom with their temporary ICs). I'm slightly emboldened by the experience, and will definitely volunteer to do this again come GE14 (including counting agent duties!)
Most of these accounts are really inspiring, of mostly ordinary folks who have done extraordinary feats under various circumstances, or some people who are just really good at what they do.
As for Kim Jong Un, I can sorta understand his inclusion in the list, but mm, I wonder what he's up to. The internet has been making fun of him of lately, I just hope it wouldn't end up badly. Btw this is interesting too, from the list: a quick look at the three power couples who made the list: Mr and Mrs Obama (Barack and Michelle), Mr and Mrs Xi (Jinpeng and Peng Liyuan) and Mr and Mrs Carter (Jay-Z and Beyonce). Wonder what that is like!
Anyway, Sunday is looming. I can't wait it to be over. I don't want to keep getting get into silent rage reading about the shenanigans of the current government in trying to ensure victory (temporary citizenship to foreign workers? Which brilliant mind came up with that?!). It's so blatant that it's farcical. Deep breath, deep breath. RAWWRRRRRRR!
There is so much I want to write about this coming 13th elections, but I think I'm being overwhelmed by the overload of information on FB. But I'm praying fervently for a clean and fair election. For justice and mercy to be instated. For change of government. The ruling parties have pretty much sucked the nation dry in the 55 years they have been in power, and I hope they won't get the mandate to continue to pilfer us for another five years.
Anyway, I've volunteered to be a Polling Agent, and I'm pretty much freaking out. My main fear is that I would fail in my duties (but I was assured that my presence in the room is already 50% of the battle won). It shouldn't be this hard, if the playing field is level. But it's not. The current gov is pulling all stops in ensuring that they hang on to whatever they have left. Blardy thieves and scoundrels!
