wiki n00b

I created my first Wikipedia page today w00t! ^__^

On a whim, I joined Wiki yesterday, and dabbled by editing a couple of entries (specifically, the last sentence here and this). I had actually wanted to edit Leehom's entry to add that bit about his Oxford Union speech (how he was the first Chinese pop singer to speak there), but apparently his page is semi-protected (because he's really popular = prone to vandalism)(inaccessible to me because I'm newly registered), so I went to potter about in the bios of the next two famous people I know something about: Brendan and David.

Today, I thought I'd go a step further, sooo.. ta-dah! I created a page for David's new album here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hello_Goodbye_(album)

I would like to add more things to the page, but erm, I can't find much more news about the album in English, so the page is pretty sparse. Still, it was a good practice for me. :)

btw, a trivia bit: as you know, I'm a huge fan and user of Wikipedia (who isn't?) and Quora, and what does these two sites have in common? Jimmy Wales! Jimmy is of course the founder of Wiki and also an advisor and small time (his words) investor in Quora.

update 26-Jul: yay, I finally got access to add in that line in Leehom's profile. *beams*

update 2-Aug: I've been making more edits to Leehom's profile. Check them out on this revision history page, for amendments done under my handle sillellis ;)

this week's top six

1. being away in Miri - super hectic week, but really enjoyed being away and being alone (whenever I had the time to).
2. finished reading a book. reckoned i haven't done so in months so yay!
3. sleeping in til noon on Saturday.
4. reunion with ex-colleagues.
5. this documentary about Calvin and Hobbes.
6. this interview with Brendan Buckley.

brendan.

Remember how I thought I was like an idiot in front of this man? (Not that man, the one all the way down at the end - you can't miss the photo I took with him =) I still cringe a little inside when I think of all the other things I could have said to him, but didn't. Ah well. But one thing I did good was to tell him about D who lives in LA and how she's a huge fan of his too and how she was determined that she would make it for one of his gigs.

And... so she did. Yay!

I'm sewing together pieces of our conversation to let her tell her story. I would have pasted the conversation here, but you don't need to read my gushy gibberish.

Minnie Driver was supposed to perform at 10:30. We got there at 8:40 and the 8pm Black Lillies were finishing up. We stood to the side since there were only 4 tables and they were all taken. And suddenly Brendan walked by us. I turned to my friend and say "omg, that was Brendan." But he had already walked by.

So the 9:30 performer Shane Alexander came on and I tried to stand closer since more people were milling in. The spot I had was great to watch the singer but you couldn't see the drummer. Luckily when Shane was done (he was excellent by the way), I was able to maneuver to a good spot right behind the tables and I motioned for my friend to come too. The people at this club were awesome. A good variety. Some older. Some in the 20's. some dressed in t shirt and shorts and others like they were going to a club. Everyone was nice. No pushing. No shoving. Ok, I digress.

Anyways, now Brendan comes through the crowd lugging his cymbals and drum set and starts setting up. This was a small venue so the bands set up their own equipment and do sound checks and they take 30 minutes. He was up there by himself for like 15 minutes before the rest of the band came on. I took pictures but they are all of BB with his head turned down.

I literally watched him set up and warmed up for 30 minutes. It was awesome! Then Minnie comes on and she was hilarious and great. BB was amazing and I had the perfect spot to watch him the entire performance. It was really amazing watching him perform so close up. He is so amazing. I sent you a portion I recorded, when Minnie was introducing her band.

Ok, then Minnie's show was over and there was one last 11:30 performer, Naomi Greenwald. Minnie left and Brendan started to disassemble his set. I thought "it's now or never" so when he came off stage with his arms full of stuff I basically run up to him and say "Brendan! Hi! My name is Dora and you met my friend in Malaysia..."

And he was smiling and said "Dora, yes I remember!"

(Note: This was where practically I imploded in the conversation and went OMGGGGGGGG ARGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!)

He either did remember or he is the sweetest man EVER.

I told him how happy I was to finally got to see his show and that I thought he's great, and he said thank you. I asked if I could have a picture with him but I see he had all his stuff. He says "of course, let me get my stuff off the stage first and I'll come look for you." And he puts his hand on my back. Swooning.

He is stopped by his friends and some guy as he made his way back. So I motioned my friend to come. So Brendan came out and went back on stage to get the remaining of his things. He sees me and grabs my hand and says "I'll be back." Swoon some more.

He's stopped by a couple more people on his way to the performer's room. Poor guy was still with bags in his arms but he was so gracious. So my friend and I stand there as nearly 1/2 the crowd have left after Minnie's performance and Naomi's band were setting up. As I decide that we should use auto and wondering if BB would come back he jumped behind me and said "Okay, picture time."

I asked him how long he'll be in the U.S. and he said "few more weeks and then I'm going to Taiwan for J.J Lin concert."

I introduced him to my friend who takes the picture. After the picture he looked like he was looking for one one so I asked him if he was heading out or staying. He says 'I'm trying to find my friend. She's here somewhere but it's so hard to find people when you come off stage. I'm going to stick around because these are all my friends playing."

So I told him AGAIN how awesome he was and how great Minnie Driver was and he thanked me for coming out to see them. My friend and I decided to stay and listen to Naomi because her songs on the website sounded cool (and she is cool and very rocker). I am also happy we stayed because the place was getting rots empty and I would have felt bad for Naomi. As I waved good bye to Brendan and he says "I'll see you because I'm sticking around."

After Naomi's awesome performance it was 12:40 and as we were leaving the venue Brendan is leaning against the wall outside talking to a girl (this must be the friend). He called out to us "Bye! It was nice meeting you!" My friend and I said "Bye! Nice meeting you." I was so happy I did not trip down the steps to the parking garage.

So, Brendan Buckley, if you are self-googling ('sokay, we all do that :D), I hope you find this, because we really appreciate what an awesome person you are -- thanks for being such a trooper! :D And some day when I visit D in LA, we would love to catch one of your gigs and then sit down for a cup of coffee with you! :D Ah, the dreams.

i wanna be a rock star!

[via]

but nothing like what nickelback sang about!

i do want to own the stage like no one has ever had it. i want to write and belt anthems that would be sung for generations---people would study even the lyrics as one would of great literature. i want go on world tours and play sell-out stadium shows. i'd bring the house down before i break a sweat. i'd top every chart and headline major music festivals. then i'd be appointed as a UN Ambassador and then be the face of a major philanthropic organisation. yeah, sounds like a plan!

oh, and brendan can be my drummer. but only if he promised not to steal my thunder. hello there, drummer boy! :D

[via]

ah, so much possibilities in the realm of my imagination!


...


oh gosh, is this... could it be... OH NO, NOT MIDLIFE CRISIS!!!! O____O NOOOOOOOOOOO...

but really, if I were a rock star (or any star for that matter), I wanna be Jon Foreman. so profound, so humble, so talented.

[via]

the bright side #2

• The presently weekly (Tuesdays) inter-church prayer meeting at DUMC. It was really spiritually uplifting to see so many churches coming together to pray for the nation and the imminent general election. I was deeply encouraged. The battle is bigger than what the mind perceive and eyes see, but I believe that God is on our side when our cry is one for justice and mercy.
  
  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Eph 6:12

• This explanation (by PKR Strategist Director Rafizi Ramli on the rumours surrounding his departure from Petronas).  

• This review of Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away by the late movie critic Roger Ebert. It is so beautifully written that it made me download the show and watch it again. And it was like I've never watched it before--I have practically forgotten about the entire plot line! I haven't figured out why I found it so forgettable when my friends thought the world of it. This excerpt holds a key, though:
  
  I was so fortunate to meet Miyazaki at the 2002 Toronto film festival. I told him I love the "gratuitous motion" in his films; instead of every movement being dictated by the story, sometimes people will just sit for a moment, or sigh, or gaze at a running stream, or do something extra, not to advance the story but only to give the sense of time and place and who they are.
  
  "We have a word for that in Japanese," he said. "It's called 'ma.' Emptiness. It's there intentionally." He clapped his hands three or four times. "The time in between my clapping is 'ma.' If you just have non-stop action with no breathing space at all, it's just busyness."
  
  I think that helps explain why Miyazaki's films are more absorbing than the frantic action in a lot of American animation. "The people who make the movies are scared of silence" he said, "so they want to paper and plaster it over," he said. "They're worried that the audience will get bored. But just because it's 80 percent intense all the time doesn't mean the kids are going to bless you with their concentration. What really matters is the underlying emotions--that you never let go of those.
  
  "What my friends and I have been trying to do since the 1970's is to try and quiet things down a little bit; don't just bombard them with noise and distraction. And to follow the path of children's emotions and feelings as we make a film. If you stay true to joy and astonishment and empathy you don't have to have violence and you don't have to have action. They'll follow you. This is our principle."
  
  Yes, I enjoyed it much, much more this time, thanks to the review. :)

• This Draw My Life video by Ryan Higa.
  
  
  

• Many topics on Quora. Try it. There are few things more humbling than reading messages from countless other smart people putting forth their thoughts and sharing their knowledge. 

• I've already shared my current favorite song (Mercy Mercy) from Hillsong United really awesome new album, Zion. Here's another one:
  
  

• I love how my friends now has a crush on Brendan. Here's his photo gallery--I'm usually not a huge fans of photo archives but I enjoyed going through this (of course, seeing LH in some recent pix is a bonus!) He seems like the type that would always go out exploring the city he's in, and I can very well relate to that adventurous spirit! How awesome it is to be doing something you love and getting to travel the world while at it. Sigh~ Check out his blog too.

TGIF folks. Xoxo.

this morning

10:15AM
right, so the nation waits with bated breath as to the date of the elections - the Election Committee is convening to set the date. i think all this waiting is just a waste of everyone's time. just fix the date and be done with it! if you don't have the confidence, then don't wait until the last minute to get things right.

10:40AM
click on a David Tao video of his performance in Singapore. at 3:10, he introduces his band, which basically consists of members from Leehom's previous and current tours: Jingle on the bass and Jamie Wilson on the electric guitar, David Tan on vocals and acoustic guitar, Brendan Buckley on drums and the music director and keyboardist Kheng Long. honestly i think david's vocal chops is so-so when he sings live, esp when he hits the higher notes, but his songs more than make up for that :) i love them! oh yeah i think we spoke abt this before.

11:05AM
looping Hillsong United's Mercy Mercy. song of my season. arrest my heart from its reckless path.

12:35PM
the 5th it is! :)

Lord, you kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

The Phantom of the opera is thereeee inside my headdddd

Thanks to the little birdie who is my sis ^_^, I got to know that The Phantom of the Opera  is going to Singapore again this year. It's not on my bucket list, but still I'm keen to go. Ww gushes every time she talks about it, so I don't think I'd be disappointed. Also, I don't remember if I've posted this before, but Nicole Scherzinger's performance of that eponymous song from the musical together with four other actors who have previously played the role of Phantom just blew me away.

Anyway, I've been looping this for hours, a song I stumbled upon when stalking Brendan last evening (he's in this video too hehe). Here, hope you like it: Leonard Friend - Holograms, and here too, my favorite photo of the day to go with the song. Cheer! :)

[via]

#TeamLeehom

Hello again, Brendan! (this is for your viewing pleasure, my dearest D and J hehehe..)



The awesome Brendan B. posted this pic on his Fb with a note thanking the Malaysian audience. Well, thank YOU, Brendan! And come back to our shore soon!

Brendan obviously isn't the only musician on Leehom's team. And I'm pleased to intro them: in his current band, he also has Grecco Burrato (left below) on the electric guitar, Eric Holden (right below) on the bass, and the keyboardist and band leader is long time collaborator, Kheng Long (middle below the below :P). Interestingly, Brendan, Eric and Grecco (a trio henceforth known as BEG even if I never refer to them as such again in this post hehe)(I know it's unfair that I left KL out from the acronym but BEGKL doesn't have the same ring to it)(fine, fine, the quartet BEGKL it is then)(where am I going with this?) have all played for Shakira (BEG, not BEGKL, in case you lost me there), so I'm guessing Leehom bao kah liao the team (perhaps he got a good buy-2-free-1 deal hahah.. I jest ;).

Naturally, they are all accomplished musicians in their own rights, who have played for big names worldwide (like Eric, he was in Josh Groban's band for a good few years---the band was affectionately known as Groband---I had to chuckle! :D). As for KL, I've only seen him mostly in the Chinese/Asian scene, and my favorite video where he was featured prominently would this one (actually it was the only vid where I could see him clearly that I've come across (then again, I haven't been googling him much :P) where he played for David Tao. ^_^ Ah it's quite mind blowing to think of the amount of talent that ooze out whenever they play together! So humbling... :)

Actually, the main point of this blog post is to say hello to Brendan and I've done that so imma end now.. but wait, there's more! (cheesy informercial reference)(thousand apologies)(there really is actually other stuff below this so don't go yet! :)

That dude on the left, the backup singer, has been w LH really long too. I'm sorry I don't know your name, good sir.  

On a not-so-random note, this happened lol!

This taught me to cross check my lyrics source when something doesn't add up! Hehe..

Btw if LH is not your cuppa, what about KF, as in Khalil Fong. The MV for his song Romeo is fresh off the oven today. It's one of my favorite tracks from his latest album Back to Wonderland.

Hey girls, look who's here again (taken from his website).. come to think of it, I didn't even post this many photos of Leehom -_-"

Leehom's Music Man II 火力全开 (part deux) in Genting Highlands

I'm BACK.

Please be forewarned that this is going to be a longgggg posts with lotsa poor quality photos. Long because because I am fresh off my Leehom Lent fast so all my pent-up thoughts and emotions from the past 45 days shall be generously expressed here. And lo-res photos because I was seated at a distance too far for my not-so-trusty iPhone 4 lens to cope. Also, the word awesome is repeatedly like 1,000 times here, because it just was. And my brain's refusing to think of other words--I've only had six hours of sleep in the past two nights but that's another story.

So where do I begin? This was my first pop concert ever (I've only went to three other concerts in my life -- and they were all rock and all Switchfoot's)(random shout-out to Jon woot!) and this was my first Leehom concert ever as a die-hard fan (I was just a nominal fan last year March when he kicked off his MM2 tour in KL)(How things have changed!)(How time flies!) And thanks to Youtube, I wasn't completely clueless as to what it was going to be like hehe!

The venue for this year's concert was Genting Highlands' Arena of Stars, a popular choice for many performers with modest followings hence I thought that it's too small a venue for a star of his caliber. He would not have needed to tire himself and his team out and save everyone else the travel distance to GH had he just gone and book a stadium venue again. He can fill one up easily *snap snap* But one good point about the AoS auditorium is that we could still get a good view of him from the back, and the chilly hot-coffee-mug-in-palms weather was a welcome respite from the KL heat!

The concert lasted about 2.5 hours -- it started at about 8:45 (no opening act :) and ended at 11:15pm, one might say like clockwork. And it was, as you would have guessed: AWESOME! I had wanted to give him and the team a standing ovation at the end, but I guess that was not theater. Hehe.. Okay let's get this cerita started with.. me! :D

Left pic was taken at home before the concert. The other, after. Look at that stick in my hand. There's a really  awesome story about that so stay tuned to find out! :)

Btw I've not worn this tee for a while now, but when I saw it while rummaging through my clothes the other day, i knew instantly that this wld be my concert tee!! And the reason is...... hahahaha! Here, watch this. I'm not going give this away so easily if you don't know it. La la la..

View of the stage from our RM290 seats which directly faced the stage. Not bad at all! Leehom looked at least a good 5-inch tall, and I could make out his expressions and all (under good lighting haha!). The seats in row right in front of ours were RM100 more expensive O_O -- thumbs up to the fan club for getting us good early bird seats! :)

A pair of what is a concert equivalent of the vuvuzela. They were noisy when you hit them together and definitely added to the atmosphere! They came free at every seat courtesy of xpax, but somebody took mine so Ww and I just shared a pair - we had no use for them the rest of the night! The fans were true cheerleaders, the place kept erupting into thunderous "applauses" way before the concert started. When it ended, everyone started popping these at once, and it sounded like a firework was taking place in the hall itself! :)


A plastic folder courtesy of Seiko. Yes, I can so imagine myself plonking into the seat in front of my CEO and dropping this folder in front him. not. Hahahaha.. To the shelf you go! To be honest, I have always preferred him scruffy and laid-back in tee and sweat pants than him in designer clad. It's more real and relatable, if you know what I mean. But yes, being an eye candy in well-cut suits once is a while doesn't hurt at all! :)


Enjoying the cool genting air before the show with WW, with a couple of toffee latte from coffee bean. WW was pretending to enjoy her coffee with eyes closed. But she didn't have to. We were pleasantly surprise that the drink was delish (I'm not a fan of toffee)(or caramel).

Okay, onto the show!


This was the opening act. The show had just started with a bang! Literally. :) There was no tank (as he had had in his previous stadium gigs) but there explosives and mini fireworks. I think it's a testament to his vocal prowess that with all those dancing and prancing, he didn't show any sign if he was out of breath! He's the only artist whose live shows I would actually watch on youtube. He's just that good!

Yup, his impeccable showmanship is what we pay top dollars to see. And he didn't disappoint. Every note was hit right in the head (to this untrained ear) and that strong clear voice sustaining with nary a crack throughout 150 minutes of high energy show. I could see the joy in his face just doing what he loves. And that joy was infectious.

Anyway, the following are the other photos i took that night from my seat. These were the best my iPhone could muster, but fret not! I found this site. Please head over for a glorious HD photo ogle fest. You're welcome. ;) Let me just post two photos here from there so you can have an idea of what are there.

[credit]

[credit]

So Leehom had two guest performers that night. The first was a random Youtuber (Najwa Latiff) who covered his song 你不知道的事and ta-dah -- overnight fame! :) What's interesting is that she's Malay (she posted a photo of her and LH below) which again goes to show how far reaching his work is, cutting across various nationalities (I won't be surprise if he has an Eskimo fan!) and how his songs despite or rather, due to their seeming simplicity, could touch and affect people's life.

Case in point, later on in the show, he showed a clip from World Vision of which he's an ambassador. In the video, he was visiting Sierra Leone (this was a few years back) and there he met a young girl who was sponsored by someone in Taiwan, and that girl shared with him a letter from her sponsor, part of it which went something like "I would like to share a song with you and hope that it would encourage you" and the sponsor proceeded to write out the lyrics of one of Leehom's songs (I couldn't catch which one it was). I was so touched! To think of the odds something like this could happen! It's this kind of awesomeness I associate him with. :) I know I tend to have gripes with the simplicity of his lyrics (for someone who can't even string a long sentence in Chinese I sure had the gall to make that comment!)... but it's always the simple that cuts through the callous and the complex, right? Back to Najwa, she must have impressed him quite a bit so he'd asked her to perform with him. 1,000 brownie points for fan service! :D

Once they were done with the song, he remarked, "Isn't it interesting to hear a Malay girl sing a Chinese song? What about if a Chinese singer does a Malay a number?" I quickly said to Ww that I hope he would not be doing the done-to-death cop-out of a song Rasa Sayang that all non-Malaysian artists seem too favor, and before I knew it, he was singing the first line of Getaran Jiwa. And that was it.

I melted right there and then.

I practically turned into a puddle at my seat. I'd love the song before this, but this brought the love another notch up. I was soooo excited I couldn't get any words out, and I just wish that I could somehow physically absorb every note of that song. His pronunciation was spot-on for most part (haha) but that tremolo in his voice was... gasp, like a tuning fork that's just been struck and I was the glass which molecules were vibrating violently at the its frequency (that was the image in my head). Argh... I still couldn't find the words to describe how I felt. It was just... pure bliss!

Check out the Youtube vid below (thankfully someone had the clear mind to record it!) I took the liberty to translate the song (it's below this photo and the embedded vid)(yet another proof of how amazing the internet is -- anything can happen!)(pick me next, Leehom! :)

Getaran Jiwa by P. Ramlee

getaran jiwa melanda hatiku
there's a thrill in my soul surging in my heart
tersusun nada, irama dan lagu
an arrangement of tone, melody and music

walau hanya sederhana, tetapi tak mengapa
although it's not much, but it's okay
moga dapat membangkitkan, sedarlah kamu wahai insan
i hope it awakens you, oh fellow men

tak mungkin hilang irama dan lagu
the melody and song would not fade away
bagaikan kumbang sentiasa bermadu
like a promiscuous beetle (lit.)(lol!)
bagaikan kembang sentiasa bermadu
like a nectar-rich flower

andai di pisah lagu dan irama
if the song is separated from its melody
lemah tiada berjiwa... hampa.
i'd be weak, without a soul, let down.

Leehom's second guest artists were none other than some Homaniacs fan club members. Okay, how do you say this word without dripping with envy: JEALOUS! hehehe but i was happy for them :) I love it when dreams come true, even if it's not mine! :D He got the girls to sing a song with him, and with that, he's endeared himself to them for 3 generations to come. Yea, their grandkids' kids would hear of the time great-grandma shared the stage with the inimitable Mr Wang. Le sigh~ 10,000 brownie points for fan service!

Okay quick confession session: this song 愛，因爲在心中 is my LEAST favorite of all his tracks. I can appreciate the sentimentality (the song was penned by a group of fans, and he included it in his album), but erm sorry, it's too corny for me! /end confession/ okay, quick daydreaming session: if i could do a duet with him, I would have a tough time choosing which song to go with cos he has soooo many.. but I'd probably go with... my all-time favorite 花田错 :) ... or 竞争对手 (I'd just do the chorus cos the verse is a bit too fast for my tongue)(pick me, pick me! =) /end daydream/


That's Brendan the drummer on the right. As any drummer on this stage should be, he was awesome. Leehom sure knows how to pick them. B is known as Shakira's (yes, the mononymous petite bombshell) drummer so you know dia bukan calang-calang orangnya. So whenever Leehom left the stage, I'd shift my attention to B. There's just something about whacking the drums or watching people doing it that's so mesmerising. ^_^ (I miss my old worship team as I thought of this!) Anyway, B has a Youtube channel where he posts vids on himself at the drums during rehearsals, so if you don't mind hearing drums above the other instruments, head over here..

\
left: erhu and right: violin

At this point, I was so proud and delighted when I realised that I could sing along to most of Leehom's songs. That's the best part about attending any show: knowing the words to songs just push the enjoyment factor up by a thousand! Hahaha.. as for me, given that I've been listening to him for a good long year, I should know them by heart right? Still, *pats self* hehehehe!

 
 

This was an interesting acapella medley that he did with a group of singers comprising.. he and a few of himselves (haha magic)! You need amazing sense of timing to pull this off! I've seen this on Youtube before, but nothing beats watching it live! :)


the aftermath: super tired but super pumped

And just like that, the show ended. There was not a moment of dullness and so we didn't realise that 2.5 hours has past! He gave the obligatory encore (including a few acapella numbers where he got the audience to sing along).. He also took out a pretty battered piece of paper from his pocket which had a list of people to thank, and you could tell that he was genuinely grateful.. I love that genuineness in him.. and it's good to be grateful! :) 

After that, I think I fell into a daze. We were definitely elated and very high. But I had a mission: you see, I made him a card (it's from myself and my two other ardent fellow fans, D &S :). And because I'm really proud of it, I'm gonna show it off here :D And also because I didn't manage to get it to him, despite efforts of having to menebalkan my muka and asking at least 6 random strangers who look like they might be on his team who would do me the favor.. My last resort was to actually throw it onto the stage but we got kicked out before I managed to. Looking back, I don't see what the big deal was to get the card to him, other than the fact that I made it. But I was so consumed with that mission that I... okay, story after the photos.. :)

Disclaimer: If you are not a fan, you will not get what's going here.. but every element and every word was selected with for a reason. I'd totally understand though if the whole thing goes over your head :)

Check out this video for my source of inspiration for this card's cover.  

Check out this video - the rap section for how I've adapted 

Check out this video to see how I've adapted its rap section and made it our (me and the girls) story.

Check out this video from where I grabbed the lyrics from the song "You're a song in my heart"

So yeah, I was saying... I was asking around for anyone I thought would help. It must have been the adrenaline, because otherwise I'd never have done he talking-to-stranger thing. We stayed as long as we cld before we were kicked out of the hall because they had to commence cleaning and preparing the place for the next day's show... So while we were moping around outside the hall, who should exit the hall and pass our way but..... BRENDAN BUCKLEY ladies and gentlemen! *cue frenzy scream* -_-

...

...

Hellooooo Brendan!! D and I thought that he and LH could pass off as brothers.

I did not expect him to still be there or that he'd just walk pass but there he was! Annnnd I can't believe it now, but instead of talking to him about him, I ASKED HIM ABOUT THE CARD. Looking back, I just wanna kick myself for my insolence. There he was, and the first thing I asked him was if he could help me pass the card to LH. No, I didn't ask. I PESTERED him. OMG slap me! He nicely declined and I was like "okayyy." Then I told him about D who's in LA and that she's a huge fan of his and that she said she'd try to make it to one of his gigs in LA. He seemed genuinely pleased. :) (At least I was sane enough to remember to do that!)

So he started walking away.

And I let him.

What was wrong with me, wro-o-ong with meee?

The next group of people who stopped him asked him for photos. Why didn't I think of that? WHY?

Argh!

But thankfully, he was stuck at the spot, so we caught up with him, and asked him for a photo.
And he nicely obliged.

That should be it, right? Snap and release, but nooo (sarcastic). I HAD to ask him about the card again. Argh. Why was I so annoying?! Sigh. He said no, and insisted that he couldn't. Perhaps muttering, take a hint woman! under his breath. He didn't. But I wouldn't blame him if he did. I thought he was going to walk away again.

But you know what was the next thing he said..? :)

"I'm sorry I can't. But here, you can have this instead."



"This" turns out to be one of the sticks that he used during the performance just now.

O_O

I was floored. And he kept smiling and started walking away. I must have turned into a babbling idiot then. I hope I thanked him profusely enough. Wow.

Brendan, I've tweeted you but if you happen to be reading this, I just want to THANK YOU again for the best concert memorabilia one could ever get. It means the world to me. Thank you. Thank you. :) I wish I had better EQ and wasn't so one-track minded. I would love to have asked you about your LA gigs and your other ventures and probably chatted you up about Shakira and her involvement in The Voice as a judge this season. I would also like to know how you manage your jet lag since you seem to be traveling from LA to Asia pretty often. I would also probably ask if you like cats.. or coffee.. or if we could go for a cuppa! You were really amiable and a real sweetheart and that means a lot. I don't know if I'd ever meet you again after MM2, but if I don't... *HUGS* Thanks again. :)

With that and no other sign of Leehom magically appearing where we were, we left the concert ground and started our journey home. My adrenaline was pumping for a long time and I was gushing incoherently for a while till I cooled down. Heh! I couldn't help the tinge of sadness just because the show's over. I was really thankful for the opportunity, and the gift. 

See you again, Team Music Man!

Some final not-so-random parting thoughts:

• I wonder if his bro Leekai was there. Well, I guess he was, now that they are working together and seem to be appearing together everywhere a lot.. Hello Leekai! :) He is also new to Wb (he came on while I was away from Wb) and his nick is @leekaiinthesky which I just CAN'T read without hearing the whole Beatles line (i.e. lee kai in the sky with diamond) sung in my head. I wonder if he had meant to do that. I was really excited when I found out that he's part of his bro's team. The bond that they share is one of the things I really cherish. :)  

• Mm I still find the life of a celeb under such intense scrutiny is no small matter. Fame's not for everyone and yet craved by many. Lh was right in saying that his major regret is the lost of privacy.

• I notice fans tend to make a remark about the obvious when they see him or when they comment on anything he says on Fb or Wb. I think he's probably immune to all the variations of "你好帅噢" (you're good looking). Is it a Chinese thing? But then again, it's been a year and I still couldn't decide on what I would say if I had the opportunity to speak to him, so I might end up stating the same too. I mean, if I had the luxury of an interview, I would have no shortage of Qs I would like to pose to him, but what if I were given one chance, and because I am not prepared, all I could blurt out would be just that! Bleh. 

Finally before I go, here's the set list some kind soul on FB has noted down (which I gather is the same as the one from his MM2 tour), and here it is:

• Opening songs: 讓開+火力全開、龍的傳人
• 十八般武藝
• 唯一
• Dragon Dance
• 你不知道的事、Getaran Jiwa 
• 心跳、Love Love Love 
• 美\
• Julia、落葉歸根 
• 在那遙遠的地方
• 蓋世英雄 
• 在梅邊 
• 花田錯
• 夢想被冷凍+改變自己 
• 竹林深處、
• Medley: 愛的就是你+我們的歌+公轉自轉+不可能錯過你+第一個清晨+好想你+Can You Feel My World+白紙+愛你等于愛自己+你是我心內的一首歌
• 一首簡單的歌
• 愛，因爲在心中
• Forever Love+What's Wrong With Me
• Encore: 十二生肖+放開你的心、Kiss Goodbye

[、denotes a different song, + denotes medley]

Peace out!