the capricious Melbourne weather, the week we were flying in. thank God it was sunny for most days ^^
saw this on the wall of the airport when we touched down. i wonder if anyone could use this, or only trained professional. i hope no one would have to use it though.
we took the Skybus from the airport to the city. it's a non-stop shuttle that ends at Southern Cross station. AUD17/trip is quite steep methinks. for two of us, it's comes out to be only slightly cheaper than taking a cab straight from the airport.
the tourist shuttle is one of the best things for tourists in the city. it's regular (there's a bus every 30mins), the driver also acts as a tour guide (there's also the pre-recorded tracks), and it stops at every major tourist attraction in town, making it very convenient. definitely a must-take for 1st time tourists like us! :)
i've no idea what the greatest show on earth is. was just struck by how striking this mosaic piece is on that gray wall.
this shop is full of Matryoshka dolls. my mom has been wanting a set so i went in and checked for the price. they were going for about AUD120+ per set. too pricey for my pockets, but still nice to look at. :)
street art, literally. that's a fish he was painting. reminds me of the street calligraphy by Chinese men in China.
somewhere over. my phone was not able to capture it, but this was a complete half arch, over River Yarra. we were walking home from town. nicee.
i read in the papers that elizabeth hurley was visiting her Australian fiance the same week we were there, and she visited this exhibition on Napoleon at the National Gallery of Victoria, with her son. we pass by the gallery each time we walk home from town.
here comes the tram. we took it once, to town. it was quite pricey (about AUD4/ride)(but there was a 2-hr ticket for around AUD8, which is still expensive)(thankfully, i had Adrian's monthly pass and rode this for free)
Queen Victoria Market has everything, from food to clothes to souvenirs. i was enthralled by the food selection, from the freshest of meat cuts and fish and vegetable and fruits to dried foodstuff like salami and cheeses and what-have-you-not. it was here at QVM that i decided that i HAVE TO move to Melbourne. hehehe.
why anyone would become a vegetarian is beyond me. the eyes of the cave woman in me practically lit up at the sight of this. om nom nom.
get free parking at QVM before 9am.
the Yongs' abode at 88 park street south melbourne. i had this memorised by heart, cos it was the starting point of all my google map searches. :)
there are a few reasons why i am really looking forward to the end of the year. and here are two of them:
Yann Martel's Life of Pi
scheduled release: the day after my birthday :D
Victor Hugo's Les Misérables
scheduled release: the day we celebrate Jesus' birthday
oh joy, oh joy, OH JOYYY!!!!!!!!!!!! you know how delirious i can get over anticipating things like this. how my heart beats faster, how my tummy dance in delight, how i would sometimes squeal out loud. ah! :D i'm re-reading Life of Pi now, cautiously i might add, because i want to manage my expectations should the images in my head do not translate well on the big screen.. but the trailer looks really promising. I might also attempt to read Les Mis again (i've only read the movie tie-in, and only halfway through the full version cause i keep getting lost in the details of the French Revolution). here's the trailer btw. i can't waittttttt!!!!!
and speaking of things that make me happy to the point of ecstasy... ok, that would be a gross exaggeration of what i'm going to say next, but really, i'm kinda addicted to this song right now. it's Khalil Fong doing a cover of A-Mei's 记得 Remember, featured in his 2009 covers-only album, Timeless. and i like what he's done with it. it's a sad song though, about two people who have reached a stage in the relationship where they can't go one anymore. emo beamo stuff, but i do like khalil's arrangement over a-mei's, he has made it sound somewhat more hopeful, somewhat bittersweet. :)
我们都忘了 这条路走了多久
心中是清楚的 有一天有一天都会停的
让时间说真话 虽然我也害怕
在天黑了以后 我们都不知道会不会有以后
we have forgotten how long we have been on this journey
but we know it well in our hearts, that one day, one day this would end
let time speak the truth, although i'd be terrified
as the day grows darker, we don't know if there would be a next time
谁还记得 是谁先说 永远的爱我
以前的一句话 是我们以后的伤口
过了太久 没人记得当初那些温柔
我和你手牵手 说要一起走到最后
who would still remember, who was it who had first profess to "love you forever"
words from the past, are the wounds of our future
after so long, no one remembers the initial tenderness
the both of us holding hands, and we said that we'd walk together til the end
我们都累了 却没办法往回走
两颗心都迷惑 怎么说怎么说都没有救
亲爱的为什么 也许你也不懂
两个相爱的人 等着对方先说找分开的理由
we are growing tired now, but there's no way for us to go back
two confused hearts, no matter what's said, cannot be saved
dearest, why? perhaps you don't understand
two people who love each other, waiting for one to first speak up
to find a reason to break up
谁还记得爱情开始 变化的时候
我和你的眼中 看见了不同的天空
走的太远 终于走到分岔路的路口
是不是你和我 要有两个相反的梦
who would still remember, when love first bloomed, how it's changed
you and i, our eyes are gazing at different skies
after walking such a distance, we have reached a fork in the road
why are our dreams so different?
this would be my third post in 12 hours. honestly, i'm not proud of it. but it's friday, so cheers, darlin'.
i learn a new phrase today from twoc: 夫乐者，乐也，人情之所不能免也 (fú yuè zhě, yuè yě, rénqíng zhī suǒ bùnéng miǎn yě) it a Confucian quote which basically means music is something that “produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without”. now, ain't that the truth? :)
speaking of truth that needs to be told, i've been thinking of weaning myself off Lee Hom's songs. i mean, it's been a good 6 months, and i've hardly heard any new songs by other artistes, or even go back to old songs that i used to like. so far, my attempts have been met with little success, because i just can't tear myself away long enough to listen to anything else, save for a few songs here and there hehe.. oh well, maybe i'll give it another six months. i don't want to reach a point that i get turned off by his songs from over-exposure. mm i hope he comes out with a new album soon. film-wise, he has just wrapped production of a new movie with zhang ziyi called my lucky star but i'm not sure when it will hit the theater. ah, the things to look forward to. :)
you know what, i should rename this blog to leehomfangirl.com or iheartmelbourne.com :)
anyway, today i'm translating one of his most famous songs, a perennial karaoke favorite, one that you might be familiar with even if you are not a fan. i've never really learned the words to the song until now, but i could sing it like I wrote it hehe. here's Kiss Goodbye:
Baby 不要再哭泣 這一幕多麼熟悉
緊握著你的手彼此都捨不得分離
每一次想開口 但不如保持安靜
給我一分鐘專心 好好欣賞你的美
baby, please don't cry no more
we are all too familiar with what's going on here
holding on to each other hands, and unwilling to let go
every time i try to open my mouth to speak, i find it wiser to remain silent
give me a moment to be engrossed by, and to deeply appreciate, your beauty
幸福搭配悲傷 同時在我心交叉
挫折的眼淚不能測試愛的重量
付出的愛收不回 還欠你的我不能給
別把我心也帶走 去跟隨
happiness and sorrow, both emotions intersecting in my heart
tears of disappointment cannot test the weight of love
all the love that have been given out cannot be taken back
whatever i still owe you i am not able to give
please don't take my heart away, i will have to follow
每一次和你分開 深深地被你打敗
每一次放棄你的溫柔 痛苦難以釋懷
每一次和你分開 每一次Kiss You Goodbye
愛情的滋味 此刻 我終於最明白
every time we part, i feel so defeated
every time i give up on your tenderness, there is no relief for my pain
every time we part, every time i kiss you goodbye
i finally understood this feeling called love
幕 mù - curtain or screen / canopy or tent / headquarters of a general / act (of a play)
熟悉 - to be familiar with / to know well
搭配 dāpèi - to pair up / to match / to arrange in pairs / to add sth into a group
挫折 cuòzhé - setback / reverse / check / defeat / frustration / disappointment / to frustrate / to discourage / to set sb back / to blunt / to subdue
釋懷/释怀 shìhuái - to release (tension) / relief (from suspense) / to dispel (usu. with negative, unable to forget)
i love whodunits. i like page turners and detective stories excel at that: making you stay up all night just so you can find out who bumped who and what and why and how. Agatha Christie must be the queen who ruled over 'em mystery novels (she's said to be the best selling novelist in the world). her books gave me one of my fondest memory of being a librarian in Form 6, getting my hands on the entire series of AC's books available in the library.
anyways, anyways, anyways... guess what we chanced upon that first afternoon in Melbourne, as we were somewhat lost while looking for a Vietnamese restaurant? the Comedy Theater, that's what! and guess what was their next show? Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, that's what!! haha! my heart leaped outta my rib cage and did a little dance, right there on Exhibition Street, while I just stood there, not believing my fortune. i've read about this play before, as it has the "longest initial run of any play in history, with over 24,500 performances so far"" (wiki) and never thought that i'd be able to catch it this side of the globe :). as I walked closer to the theater to make out the show dates on the banner, I prayed that I would still be around in Melbourne to catch it.
and I was!
the show was scheduled to open on the Thursday of that week, the day after our trip back from the Great Ocean Road. do i need to tell you how excited i was? tra la la.. anyways, that night i went online to check out the tickets, and goodness, there were only two price tiers: AUD75 and AUD85. that's RM248 and RM280. and there weren't even that many seats left. i was kinda torn, cos that's A LOT OF MAH-NEH, so I spent a good half an hour rationalizing it. happily, the darling husband gave the green light to get the tix. whee! tried purchasing the tix with my mastercard but the transaction was rejected (could it be that i can't use a Msian card to make purchase from an Aussie computer?) so i ended up using cassie's card instead and paid her back in cash. it ended up costing me AUD82, incl of processing fee. ouchie!
thankfully, the show was good. it was a solid performance by the cast. at one point, although not very confidently, i could kinda guess who the murderer was (after reading too many of her books, you pick up on things like this) but it still made for a nice twist. at the end of the play after all the actors take their bow, one of them would request that the audience do not reveal the identity of the killer to anyone outside the theatre, so that future audiences would still be able to enjoy the twist.
passing by the theater on the tourist shuttle bus the day after the performance.
uncle adrian and the hubby dropped me across the street from the theater. seen here are people who were milling about waiting for the show to start.
the online ticket. i should have opted to collect the ticket from the box office - i would have loved to keep the stub, instead of this self-printed copy. ah well.
the moon was humongous that night! i thought it was an Aussie thing haha.. but the moon also appeared to be about the same size when we got back to Msia. it was the time of the month i guess. :D
the souvenir booklet cost AUD20 which i couldn't afford. so i brought back the promotional leaflet instead. heheh..
the best part about our Melbourne trip, for me, was the driving experience. that fact is indisputable, i wouldn't give it a second thought, hands down everyone, and i'll say it again: driving along the Great Ocean Road (and then some) tops my list of best vacay moments. and i would fly back all the way to Melbourne just to do it again. have i convinced you enough just how much i love.. okay, i'm sure you get the idea by now. :D
i was behind the wheel for about 400+km (basically from Geelong all the way to Halls Gap at Grampians National Park)(see map below)(we did the whole red line journey, also known as the Great Southern Touring Route), and the joy of being behind the wheel for the entire was indescribable. i was already gushing about how happy i was even when we were still on the road. hehehe..
for more about the car rental, check out my earlier post. all together, we spent about AUD600 (apprx RM2,000) for this whole journey, including food, accom, and car rental. if we could stay the extra night at the Grampians (which i would totally do the next time), I guess it would cost around AUD700 (apprx RM2,300) for two pax for a 4D3N trip. this figure is for budget travel (it could go slightly lower, if you stay in a hostel)(this cost also assumes that you eat out only once a day, and cook the rest of your meals).
blue sky, blue sky everywhere.
the weather was gorgeous for most part, thank God! :) the sun was out every day, and the temperature was between high13-low6, which was just loverly. we didn't have to switch on the aircond, which saved us quite a bit in petrol money. i gather Sept would be the best time to go, because Spring would have just begun and the weather gorgeous, and there won't be the Summer crowd to annoy or distract you -- we practically had the road to ourselves for most part of the journey. :)
most stretches of the roads were sheer pleasure to drive. the roads are in good conditions, with hardly any potholes, coupled breathtaking scenery outside the windows that seamlessly change from trees and shrubs to vast grazing land and then miles and miles of shoreline. love it!
me at the wheels B-)
this wasn't on a main road. we had taken a detour into Tower Hill Reserve (about 10mins from Warnambool town), a supposedly dormant volcano. we parked and hiked up the hill (needless to say, we were rewarded with a gorgeous view of the surrounding area -- see below). here we also saw our first kangaroo here, and some emus too. :)
atop Tower Hill Reserve.
leaving Port Campbell, with the sea behind us.
it had just rained, and we were making our way up to Beroka Lookout Point at Grampians for a view of the valley. unfortunately, a heavy fog caused poor visibility and we could hardly make anything out. boo. the rain also thwarted our plan to hike up to the Pinnacle, and we were caught in about 10 minutes of it, which left us drenched and freezing.. thank God for the heater in the car :)
it was 6 degree outside the car, after the rain. the wind made it feel like it was zero degree, but we braved the cold and was outside chatting with a pair of old couple who was spending their week at the Grampians. the man said that every year, they load up their caravan with food and wine to last them a week, and they just spend their days there. i want to do the same when i retire!!
it gets dark quickly. by this time i had return the control of the wheels back to the husband, who is a much safer driver at night hehe. good thing too, cos there were at least three times that some kangaroos decided to dash across the road at that hour. there was even a pair of mother-kid hopping from the left to the right side of the road, prompting the age old riddle we all know so well: why did the kangaroos cross the road? :P
this was probably taken around 6pm at Ararat (hello, Noah :D)
took this pic just before we returned it. i had half a mind to drive around the block just so the meter would stop at 888.8 :D
one of the many words commonly associated with Melbourne is COFFEE. the city is dubbed the coffee capital of Australia, and the Melbournians (Melbournites?) are very proud of their coffee culture. there's zero difficulty in getting good coffee, there's a cafe at every other corner of the city (and quite affordable if you earn AUD)(an average cup costs abt AUD4)(in fact, pretty much everything in Australia is affordable if you earn the currency. i envy their spending power!).
i used to love coffee but i've cut down my consumption by almost 95%, because i suspect it's the culprit causing my insomnia.. i love you, sleep! and since i had to refrain from coffee, my next best indulgent drink is hot chocolate. yum yum nevertheless. but the smell of coffee in the morning is surely one of the best things in the world.
my first cup of drink in Melbourne: a cup of rich, smooth hot chocolate, served with a side of winter cold. ahhhh...
(koko black @collins street)
the hubby loves his coffee. he drinks enough for the both of us, haha! and yet, he can fall asleep within 5 minutes of his head hitting the pillow. every single night. life's so unfair right?
this coffee was one of the few cups i had (i think this was cappucino but that doesn't explain the choco powder. but i don't rber ordering mocha here. heh.) and it absolutely delicious. and for AUD5, it comes with a huge muffin, the cheapest and best coffee deal we've had. (cafe la venice @st kilda road)
(L) my first cup of coffee in Melbourne: a cup of Mocha on the snowy Lake Mountain
(R) tea and me. we were having scones, and i naturally opted for a cup of Earl Grey to go with those.
this man was selling coffee out of his VW Combi. so cute (the van, not the dude).
(L) Brunetti is said to serve one of Melbourne best coffee. i can't really be a judge of that, but i've gotta say, their dessert counter made me weak at the knees. everything looked so pretty and delicious and just sinfully sweet. i had a hard time narrowing down my dessert choice to that lemon tart (which tasted as good if not better than it looks *drools) because we had just came from a very filling pasta lunch *burp. (brunetti @faraday st)
(R) hot chocolate and a marshallow. it wasn't mine thou. wish it was. :D
there's no coffee in this pic here, just a minced beef pie from a random cafe where we had lunch.. but check the background -- that plastic bottle labeled SOLO contains some very delicious carbonated lemon juice. me likey! i wonder if it's sold here in Msia.
does it look like we were having a restaurant dinner? would you be surprised if i told you that i whipped this whole meal up in my hotel room? :) yeah i did. the motel we stayed at in Apollo Bay has kitchen facilities in the room, so we just got our food supply from a nearby supermarket (and a previous stop we made earlier in the day) for dinner and breakfast the next day.
i bought a small knob of butter to cook the steak (which was pre-marinated), and mixed herbs to go with everything. i got half a dozen eggs which i cooked three ways: sunny side up (pictured here), scrambled egg, egg + baked beans. the rocket leaves were sold by weight, so we just have to get as much as we need and we had fresh vege each meal. i also bought a bottle of napolitana sauce which is typically used as pasta sauce but which i used as dip (in place of chilli sauce and ketchup). that bottle (next to the wine glass) lasted us the whole trip. just nice!
since this is a beverage-related post, i should point out that we got the bottle of wine for like AUD7. it tasted fine (to my untrained tongue) and it kept me nicely tipsy that evening. :)
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
despite the rumours, i somehow have never believed that lee hom is gay, because i don't have any reasons to buy into them. so when he publicly locked lips with the venerable jackie chan (reports here, here and here), i... i... just don't get it. why can't they just high five? or bear hug? (oh, they did that.) or just go with the timeless handshake? i know they are super close buddies from their Little Big Soldier 大兵小將 days, and they tend to sing praises about each other in interviews, but this... is... what? why?
anyway, i googled for 'why do heterosexual men kiss' and there are actually articles about it (read this and this). one of the article says that: 'Heterosexual men kissing each other in friendship is an offshoot of what happens when homophobia is reduced. At these universities, overt homophobia has reduced to near extinction, permitting those men to engage in behaviour that was once taboo. Men are kissing each other in university clubs and pubs, in front of their peers, and for many it serves as an occasional, exuberant greeting or banter when partying. The kiss is a sign of affection in student social spaces, a sign of victory on the pitch, or celebration at a nightclub but it does not have a sexual connotation in any of these spaces. It seems generally younger people are becoming more and more open minded with each generation.'
erm okayy. i'm somewhat assuaged, but still i find this unorthodox approach to greeting a friend (of any gender) rather erm.. peculiar. maybe i'm not as liberal as i think i am hahaha..
The Great Ocean Road is an Australian National Heritage listed 243-kilometre stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia between the Victorian cities of Torquay and Warrnambool. The road was built by returned soldiers between 1919 and 1932, and is the world's largest war memorial; dedicated to casualties of World War I. It is an important tourist attraction in the region, which winds through varying terrain alongside the coast, and provides access to several prominent landmarks; including the nationally significant Twelve Apostles limestone stack formations.
driving along the GOR is the highlight of our trip. i have to thank WW for suggesting this to us. we spent 3D2N going from one end to the other, before making our way back to the city using another way. my only regret is that we didn't allocate one more day covering the route. the husband graciously allows me the control of the wheel as we drove along the coastline, and if you know me, you know how much i LOVE being in the driver's seat (except when i'm stuck in traffic). so yeah, BEST ROAD TRIP EVER!
the best thing about having our own car was that we could stop anytime we wanted to. and we did just that: stopped as many times as we had wanted to. hahaha... on the first day we left the city at about 11am after collecting the car and reached our first stop at Apollo Bay at around 6, just in time before it got dark. if you looked at the map, it distance we covered each day were not that long, but with the constant photo stops, it was just nice. i would totally recommend anyone who goes to Melbourne to spend 4D3N at the GOR. complete satisfaction with money back guarantee hehehe... (don't do it during summer though, heard the traffic can be quite heavy).
onto some photos!
our ride, the Kia Cerato hatchback, which was rented from Avis (booked online via vroomvroom.com.au for free)(there was an Avis centre within walking distance from where we were staying). it cost about 80+AUD per day (quick breakdown: car rental about 48AUD, optional insurance AUD27, GPS rental 10AUD). it's a stable car, with more than enough room for the both of us. petrol consumption was low, as didn't need the AC -- it being winter, we had the window down most of the time. petrol cost about 1.40AUD per liter (it varies from day to day, from petrol station to petrol station), and we spent <100AUD for the entire trip which covered about 887km :)
reminder to self -- bring more CDs/songs next time. i brought one CD full of Lee Hom, Mayday and Sodagreen songs, and by the third day, i think we have heard every song at least 2-3 times. heheh..
the gateway to the Great Ocean Road at Torquay. this was about 100km from the city. the bronze statue is to remember the men who built the road.
at one of the many, many stops we made. i can't get tired of this view. i could just sit there the whole day and watch the waves come and go..
another view of the coastline. somehow the photos just don't do justice to how gorgeous the real thing is.
opps. that's my finger up there. but look at the colour of the water and the limerock cliff. pweetyy. this, i believe, was taken at Loch Ard Gorge.
this was at Lorne (a small town).. srsly, i had to pry myself away each time we stop to take photo. i wish i had all the time in the world to do this!
this is how i take photo of the camera-shy hubby. hehehe.. jadi juga lah!
at the 12 Apostles (more photos later).. one of our longest stops. i couldn't figure out what's so captivating about what we saw. it's just rock and water. but my oh my... *deep breath*
when i saw this, i thought of the EAC (East Australian Current) from Finding Nemo. i don't think this is it though. but it's an interesting pattern on the water there.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
warning: long rant ahead.
call me naive, but my experience with the shareholders at my company's recent event left a real bad taste in my mouth. it's not like i have not seen or have not heard what they are capable of, because i have. every year, every time, everywhere, it is the same. i'm not sure why i am particularly affected this time.
but yeah, i have never met a bunch of people who are so, so greedy it makes me wanna puke. and nuke 'em. i keep thinking about how those people making so much noise over the offer price (when it was at a good premium and much more than what they have paid for, but they wanted to suck the company dry. yes, they actually demanded for every last sen we have. sure, just take all the money. take my job and my bonus while you are at it. oh wait, you already took my bonus.), how they were so unruly when clamoring for the free gift (there were more than enough for everyone, but they were sooo kiasu and refused to queue. to the uncle who so loudly called me an idiot and questioned my ability when all i asked was for you to please queue up to get your gift, you disgust me still. some were just so shameless and even tried tricking us into giving them more! yes, i'm sure your voucher is with your friend who seemed to have mysteriously disappeared), how they shove food onto their plates and for goodness's sake, into containers they brought (we ordered for twice the number of people, and yet, there was not enough food!). some even brought flasks to bring home the coffee (which wasn't even good!)(is this how the rich stay rich?).. i know this is a some kinda game for some of them, but IT'S JUST TOO DISGUSTING. i cannot stomach it. and i just hate it. it's one of those times when i really hate corporate work.
this seething anger reminds me of my own failing. i hate it that i could fly off the handle over the slightest thing. i hate it that i cannot control my anger and self-righteousness. i hate knowing that it's not what Jesus would do, but yet, knowing that doesn't stop me in my track. i hate it that i fail again and again at every test (for patience, for anger) that comes my way. it's so frustrating sometimes. all the time. i wish i had handled that uncle with more grace than he deserved. but stopping myself short of putting him in his place with some choice words is all i could say i have achieved that day. not proud of myself.
argh! this is so energy consuming. maybe that's why i'm TATT.
have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love.
because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.
wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. for I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. psalm 51:1-3 (NLT)
Thursday, September 13, 2012
i saw snow for the first time! the Yongs, our gracious hosts in Melbourne, took us on a day trip up to Lake Mountain on our second day there. as it was something we had not planned, it was a nice surprise. it was really cold (erm, what did i expect?) so i was thankful that i was sufficiently insulated. i can't say i wasn't a wee bit disappointed not being able to see the hexagonal wonder that is the snowflake but there was no fresh snow. some other time maybe.
we were in Melb at the end of winter and crossed over to spring just before we came back, although temperature-wise, it remained pretty chilly.. which i just love, love, love!
perhaps it's the novelty of it all, perhaps there was something in the air, but just being there makes me so very happy, a feeling which i proceeded to declare for the rest of the trip.. and continued to after i got back. hehe..
more pics coming. slowly, just so i can enjoy remembering our days there.
we're back from Melbourne.. actually, not really. i left my heart there, and my spirit is both here and there. the body had no choice but to board the flight back. aish. i must have taken close to a thousand photos, both on my iPhone and on our camera but i am too lazy to sort them out. one day, one day... i'll story you every one of my many, many memorable Melbourne moments, such as this, taken at the Royal Botanics Garden, not 5-minute walk away from where we stayed:
That day was my favourite day in the city. We didn't do much, other than having a value-for-money brekkie of coffee+muffin (AUD5/set), hanging out at the park, lunching at an Italian restaurant before tea/coffee again at a rather well-known cafe. Hearty meals, coffee and cakes, books, gorgeous weather, *heart*... Just before this pic was taken, we had walked over to the park across the street from the cafe where we had brekkie and just finished a 1.5-hr stroll, and the husband decided to catch 40 winks at one of the huts. I thought I should get started on this book (Patricia Wood's Lottery)(I brought three books on this trip, and I told myself that I MUST finish at least one to justify the luggage space). It was a bright but still pretty cold day so I chose a spot on a grassy knoll right under the afternoon sun to get some warmth. I was reading away but was also somewhat distracted by my realisation of how much I was enjoying the moment hehe!
that's it for now.
onto today's song, 花田錯 Mistake in the Flower Field, is one of my all-time favorite Lee Hom songs, but also one of the hardest for me to translate because of its poetic nuances. afaik, the lyrics made reference of some Chinese literature and opera, which i am obviously unfamiliar with, so i'm going with the surface, the literal meaning. it should be close enough. i wish i understood better, it would make for a richer listening experience :) this song is one of the perfect example of the chinked-out sound that he was (and is) trying to promote, combining chinese opera/instrument and western style music, and they do sound good together :)
i love both the CD and concert versions of this song: the former has a bassline which i don't think might not be anything special but for some reasons (I guess it's because of the pairing with traditional Chinese instruments) tickles my fancy, and the latter is a air fist-pumping rock version. oo-ee. ^_^
have a good weekend ahead. just me, over and out.
夜好深了 紙窗裏怎麼亮著
那不是徹夜等候 你為我點的燭火
不過是一次邂逅 紅樓那一場夢
我的山水 全部退色 像被大雨洗過
the night is getting late but there's a light from behind the paper window
is that what i've been waiting for the whole night -- the candle that you have lit for me?
but it was only a mere coincidence, that dream of the red chamber
my landscape has all but faded as if washed by a heavy rain
杯中景色詭魅 我忘了我是誰
心情就像夜涼如水
手裏握著蝴蝶杯 單飛 不醉不歸
in my cup are visions of beguiling charm, i've forgetten who i am
my mood is like the night, cool like water
in my hands is a cup with butterfly motif
flying solo, i won't start making my way home while i'm still sober
花田裏犯了錯 說好 破曉前忘掉
花田裏犯了錯 擁抱 變成了煎熬
花田裏犯了錯 犯錯像迷戀鏡花水月的無聊
花田裏犯了錯 請原諒我多情的打擾
a mistake was committed in the flower field
but we agreed that everything would be forgotten before daybreak
a mistake was committed in the flower field
when an embrace becomes torture instead
a mistake was committed in the flower field
a mistake that makes as much sense as being infatuated with mirror reflections
a mistake was committed in the flower field
please forgive my bothersome affection
醉 怎麼會喝醉
美 因為你的美
愛匆匆一瞥不過點綴
飛 看大雪紛飛
卻再也找不回 被白雪覆蓋那些青翠
intoxicated, how did i get myself so drunk?
beauty, it's all because of your allure
love, hurriedly, as in the blink of an eye, is mere adornment
fly, look at the big snowflakes swirling about
yet i could not find again the greens that are covered by the white snow
當時空成為擁有你唯一條件 我又醉
琥珀色的月 結成了霜的淚 我會記得這段歲月
at that time, emptiness became the only condition to have you
i got intoxicated again
the amber moon melded with the tear of the frost
i will remember this period in time
我的山水全部退了色
多情的打擾請原諒我
不是徹夜為我點的火
在那花田裏我犯了錯
my landscape has faded
forgive my bothersome affection
it's not the night-long fire that is lit for me
in that flower field, i've committed a mistake
徹/彻夜 chèyè - the whole night
燭/烛火 zhúhuǒ - candle flame
邂逅 xièhòu - to meet by chance / to run into sb / chance encounter
诡 guǐ - sly / crafty
魅 mèi - demon / magic / to charm
破曉/晓 pòxiǎo - daybreak/dawn
煎熬 jiān'áo - to suffer / ordeal / suffering / torture / torment
镜花水月 jìnghuāshuǐyuè - lit. flowers in a mirror and the moon reflected in the lake (idiom) / fig. an unrealistic rosy view / viewing things through rose-tinted spectacles
打扰/擾 dǎrǎo - to disturb / to bother / to trouble
一瞥 yīpiē - a glance / a glimpse
点缀/綴 diǎnzhuì - to decorate / to adorn / sprinkled / studded / only for show
覆盖/蓋 fùgài - to cover
青翠 qīngcuì - fresh and green/verdant
琥珀 hǔpò - amber
霜 shuāng - frost / white powder or cream spread over a surface / frosting / (skin) cream
