; the little -details- xXx

hang oonnnnnnnnn

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:22:33 GMT

Oh man so much has been happening too fast. I've really left this blog in the rut. Hang on hang on I'd find time--but finding that damn needle in the stinky haystack may prove to be an easier task. Cheers!

Mah Kristal Bahl Tells Me

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:40:08 GMT

EPL will be fun next season--I can feel it. Liverpool, United and Arsenal have lost big name players while Chelsea has yet another new coach. Manchester City boasts big names (stolen from the the top four as well as rival top four challenger clubs). Guardian has yet again called on Arsenal to finish fifth. Gooners--well, most of 'em--are keeping faith. I'm pumped by Arsenal's pre-seasons (as well as Liverpool's dismal performance) and I really hope that the form will stay, the injuries will go away, the 4-3-3 works, the youngsters get older and wiser, the strikers aren't so scared of goal scoring and the defenders know how to mark and defend. Okay, that's a lot to hope. But that's the fun innit?

Anyway, who wants to bet who'll end up laughing last--Real Madrid or the rest of the world? My God, their current season (Galacticos II) may be the most genius, most awe-inspiring and fearsome team ever assembled or the biggest joke ever. Remind me again one year from now to laugh or to bow down in reverence.

zit. nada. zero.

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 08:27:38 GMT

So pretty much nothing is going on in my life these days. Same old story; same old routine; same old dance.

I think we should be grateful for the dullness sometimes, no?

I can't believe this is a real picture. To the culturally illiterate, that picture is saturated with legend and awesome: Paul Weller and Noel Gallagher.

Jarvis, Michael and more.

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 14:20:35 GMT

I just need to get this off my chest:

I FUCKING LOVE YOU JARVIS COCKER (and lol long live the person who realised he shares the same initials with Jesus)! I kinda wished you were blue since NME said you were turning blue for Oxfam but whatever.

Still wishing I'm in Glastonbury. I'd be miles away from school and shit. I SWEAR I'LL ROLL IN THE MUD IF ONLY SOMEONE CAN TRANSPORT ME TO GLASTO RIGHT FCKING NOW. IN FRONT OF THE PYRAMID STAGE PLS. Even if Blur is headlining (yes go laugh at the irony that Liam's in my icon right now).

And oh yeah, as I've reinstated in my Twitter, I've been educated in Michael Jackson 101, so if any deluded nerds in school try any fuckery to try to destory his reputation even when his body ain't cold yet, I'ma give them a piece of my mind and my fist would want to give them a piece of its mind as well. I have just enough of these fuckers thinking they're some kind of pop-followers when they know SHIT. None of them's worthy to even be pissed upon by Noel, lest of all MJ.

Scary thoughts about Macca (PAUL MCCARTNEY--shame on you if you didnt know that) or Pete Townshend or Ringo have been fleeting in my mind unceasingly after I realise how death looms even for the greatest among us.

I'm sorry (uh, not really), I've been feeling this mad ever since I hear cunts making snide comments about MJ. If your childhood was shit and your dad an evil moneymonger and you have zero self confidence while being constantly exploited by the spotlight and the tabloid, let's see how you cope, eh? And by the fucking way, at least one of his 'molested' victim had already admited that he was forced to lie by his dad who just wanted to extort MJ.

Just give me an excuse, one fucking excuse to explode on you, the unfortunate victim, once you try any fuckery.

Good night.

(Oh yeah you can blame my shit mood at school not closing down. Post holiday blues and all that crap).

sad afterthought

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:24:49 GMT

everything is leaving a bad taste in my mouth. not even a ZQpicspam can cheer me up.

that, and I think I'm falling sick. On the last day of holiday--typical. brb, i'ma go and check my temperature. can my shaking and crying affect it somehow?

we shouldn't forget farrah fawcett, who has left us after a brave battle against cancer. on 25th june 2009 we have lost two great pop icons. world, you should be very devastated.

i heard glastonbury was echoing with michael jackson's name last night. the music world mourning the loss of one of its most brilliant son.

i'm crushed whenever i'm reminded that my heroes and pop icons are very much human and mortal. i don't want to even think the state i'll be in if let's say paul mccartney or leonard nimoy (TOUCHWOOD) kick the bucket.

I. well.

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:17:10 GMT

The shockwaves are still coming. I'm still shaking and crying. Michael Jackson is gone.

I'm not let's say a big fan of Michael Jackson (but of course I have a copy of Thriller. Who doesn't?). Still, there is no denying that he is the King of Pop, that he has helped to shape music and the entertainment industry as it is today. From his highs and lows, we all consume Jackson-ism, on and off the stage, and in or out of the court. But for today, let's all forget his baby dangling antics, or his detachable nose, and remember him for the legend that he is. The world has just missed a great musician. It feels emptier already, without one of its pop culture pillar.

In one way or another, we were all waiting for MJ to dazzle the world again in his comeback tour which was supposed to open in a while. And now, we're all left waiting forever.

RIP Michael Jackson (1958-2009).

and here you can see how braindead i've become

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 07:03:11 GMT

Should I feel guilty I've wasted my holidays watching Star Trek--no that's not accurate, the episodes are merely 50 minutes long, waiting for them to load is the real time waster. But I thoroughly enjoyed diving into a new fandom as old as my parents; it's like discovering ancient treasures! Every episode so far I've watched is a classic gem--especially in Season Two--and once I've gotten past the antiquated special effects (which were advanced for its time) I came to really appreciate the razor sharp dialogue and the smart scripts and of course, the Roddenbery-morals which every episode was to convey. This was TV before cliches crippled it into today's sad unoriginal and mostly boring state (case in point: House MD. Oh, how far the mighty has fallen).

Now that I'm halfway through Season Two, I've already had a few favorite episodes.The City On the Edge of Forever is a famous favorite and I'll jump on the bandwagon for this one. My sister was simply passing through while I was watching this episode and in the end she finished the episode with me. This was also the episode my parents can still remember watching from their childhood ("Hey, this is the episode Bones'd get crazy!" my mom said while peeking over my shoulder). As always, one must remember to suspend disbelief while watching sci-fi shows, especially those which have time-travelling elements. Once I put aside all those troubling little details, WHAM! Classic episode!

The Trouble With Tribble is also many's favorite episode. I could not stop laughing during this entire episode. Kirk's reaction while being bombarded by the tribbles is too precious. And there's Spock trying so badly to distance himself from the Tribble charm. By the way, anyone saw Scotty' Tribble in STXI?

The Naked Time is fun as well. As is I, Mudd. Do you see a correlation here? I seem to enjoy episodes where the cast acts like they're drunken/tripped/ on acid! Or when they play dress up, as is on The Return of the Archons as well as A Piece of the Action (which is one of my top favorites as well). Smart episodes I really enjoy include the second pilot Where No Man Has Gone Before and Mirror, Mirror (and I would like to point out how well Spock can rock a goattee). Any episodes with Kirk/Bones/Spock chemistry (Bones/Spock snarks make my day) are excellent as well, like the Galileo Seven, Amok Time and Operation: Annihilate!

Okay, so in conclusion, I have too many favorites I can't even begin to list, and supposedly I'm just a normal mainstream dumbed down next-gen kid. If I can enjoy it so much, I think you'd be able to too.

SATweet: my life is RANDOM after school ends, huh?

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:52:10 GMT

how's this for a fun learning experience: I'm tweeting my SAT words :)

I actually tried making ZQ a trending topic in vain. CMON GUYZ IT'S HIS BDAE AFTER ALL, YEAH?

and i'm watching skins; it's looking great so far, but once my parents come home i won't be able to watch it--if you knowworrimean? x) weeds is receiving the same treatment as well. sigh. I AM OF AGE dammit.

Dammit, Jim!

Thu, 14 May 2009 12:59:01 GMT

Star Trek was as good as people said it would. Dunno if it would hold a candle up to Dark Knight for movie of this year, but I can't compare the two; they're so alike in the sense they're both still origin movies (and are extremely good) which don't try to "soften" the brutality of reality (my God, it must suck to get crushed by a falling pillar as you try to escape a planet that's turning into a black hole), but it's different too. The only complaint I have is that I have seen better special effects in video games and sometimes the SFX looks really... well, fake.

But anyway, I've gone out of the movie theatre with a bigger crush (is that possible?) on Zachary Quinto and somehow I have this desire to kiss Spock. Snuggle up to him or something. What a lovable, snoggable Vulcan.

Exams over! So what shall I do with my life? Tweet it away?

hello, world

Wed, 06 May 2009 11:51:24 GMT

I can't say much about the exam today, but it's not like I want to anyway.

(See, I'll only discuss tests and exams when hell freezeth over. The hell people want to go over something they already went through, usually in pain?)

Anyway, I decided I needed to go out--and by 'out', I meant out of the neighborhood. So I went to what is probably my most favorite place in Singapore: Bras Basah--before you ask, I gotta say I have no idea why this place appeals to me so much; the combination of so many cheap books and music stores (and also, you can find lots of good, cheap food around) probably does it for me. I wanted to cop a feel of some of my favorite guitars that I would probably not be able to afford anytime soon; the last few times I did this, I had no guts to go and ask to touch something. I'm proud to say I've improved.

Actually, I was about to just trip and fall into the same old cycle of stop-stare-gawk (Gibson Hummingbird/ the sexy Gibson LP Custom with whatpickup I forgot and floating bridge that is a whooping 5k), but thanks to Nic who wanted me to go ask the people in Swee Lee something about his Pearl drum components or something, I finally got into the store, and actually touched an Epiphone hummingbird (IT IS NO GIBSON BY GOD), some random Ibanez, some Epiphone Casinos and this HUGE Emperor (yeah, I do really have a thing for archtop guitars) and strummed a Fender twelve string for a while.

That Casino: fire engine red, seven hundred dollars? Hmmm...

I totally forgot about asking the price of the Crybaby pedal.

Then, I browsed around the used bookstores before finding my way to Popular. Tell you what, popular fiction holds no appeal for me nowadays; I'm so bored of those formulaic chick lits and criminal novels (the so many twists and turns I've read can be nauseating after a while). Anyway, I got two new books, which, let's be honest, I wouldn't have the time to read thanks to exams before I'd probably lost it to rot in some corner of my house.

After that came the fun part; I wanted to make my way to the Cathay. In simple words: I got lost. It's embarassing, I know, but I had the most fun getting lost--going in and out of Raffles Place, and then City Hall, and then Dhoby Gaut. I realised I really just love walking around, even after my handphone's battery ebbed away and I was forced to turn off my music player (oh, so that's why I need a proper MP3 player!).

I guess this is why I'll enjoy backpacking so much. People watching and just wandering around in a place zoooming in on the most unlikeliest details. One of these days I gotta show you some of my weirdest observations that I kept in poem-like-thingy-that-is-hardly-poetic or totally unartistic scribbling. I didn't care I was alone, or if people were staring at me weird 'cause I was staring at some thngs too intently (like there was this pair of twins totally drapped in 'Mad outfits, what with the baggy pants and hoods and boots and the daintly balanced cap--here's the thing: they were GIRLS, and they were CHINESE).

Anyway, I found my way to the Cathay some time later. See, Aaron told me that the Gramophone is having this massive music sale since the beginning of the year or even earlier (he always delays in telling me these stuff--mate, whyyyyyy?) and I wanted to see how many CDs are still left? Apparently, the 'Clearance Sale' wasn't really working since they still have a shit load to clear. Good for me, cause I found some gems there.

For example, omg there's this EP with ANDY BELL ON IT. It wasn't with Ride (which I really need to check out), nuh-uh. ANDY SINGS as in SINGS FOR HIS CAREER? Omg Noel should really let Gem and Andy sing; like how Ringo gets to sing at least one track per album while he was in the Beatles. But I didn't get it, cause I was too busy trying to trim down the pile of 15 CDs or so in my hands: The Who, The Cure, The Jam (okay, I really wasn't expecting that), and a lot more while I just kept adding to the pile as I browsed through the store ("Bob Dylan! But shite, dude's got like 33 albums to his name" or "BB KING!"). With great pain and no pleasure, I only bought four CDs after an hour plus of browsing; Pink Floyd's The Wall (FUCKING LEGENDARY CD FINALLY IN MY HANDS); and three compilation albums (because I couldn't choose between individual albums and the compilations are always the ones on sale): REM, Eric Clapton (Yardbirds era, yippee!) and Jimi Hendrix (which regretabbly, doesn't have Foxy Lady in its playlist). I had Kings of Leon and Kasabian and a few U2's, a John Lennon compilation in my hands (I did not see a Paul McCartney one; guy has too many CDs, all of which cost a bomb) and I really really couldn't bear to part with the Who's My Generation album and Who's Next. And Definitely Maybe (which, if I get, will be purely for collection since I probably have most of the songs already--SORRY NOEL THE INTERNET IS TOO TEMPTING). Razorlight, Yes, Weezer and AC/DC and *gasp*Radiohead (I really really want to be able to like them; it's apparently very uncool to not to) were also on the pile.

(OMG I DID NOT FIND THE FOO IN THE SALE PILE)

I've always spent the most time browsing through CDs and books, and I've never regretted the time I waste doing that. It's kinda a pity now that everything is going electronic--and I may not be the most reliable source, since I only possess enough spending power like from last year on and therefore own pathetic amount of CDs and books--not too sound old-fashioned, but having a physical copy of the work itself really amplifies the happiness (not least because you just parted with hard-saved money and THIS SHIT BETTER TURNS OUT GOOD), and the sense of satisfaction over the fact that if THIS SHIT DOES TURN OUT GOOD, you are literally touching history. We humans like to keep things intimate and we are very touchy feely species, and it's sad that all this is making way for convenience and free-but-illegal-actually-it's-a-bit-like-speedball-ain't-it downloading.

That was probably the most fun I ever had in a while even though I was alone. It's nice to get out from it all--even now when I return and the thoughts of exams come creeping back in like a ghost desperately trying to haunt me, organic chemistry and biology shall not wipe this smile off my face for at least a little while more. When I told Yang Xuan that my plan today was to go get meself a birthday present, it wasn't a lie. God, it's good to get out and find my place in this world that never stops for you and just floats along, y'know?

('Course, at around a hundred bucks, this has to be one of the most expensive presents I've ever both given and gotten).

On a side note, I really need to meet people outside school. Loneliness is a bit like a stale bread that I've been munching on too long cause I thought I have no other alternative. And that I need to go shopping; my jeans are too loose and are the furthest thing ever from 'flattering' and frankly, I feel like I've been either dressing like a no-life slob, or a Mod.

My fashion sense, I guess, is as sharp as Pete Doherty's brain when he was drowning in smack and still snorted more (but I still love him and his music).

LET ME WATCH AMERICAN IDOL RARGH TODAY'S THE DUET WEEK AND ROCK AND ROLL WEEK

Holler if you actually read this blog. Holler, and a double take if you actually finish reading this post.

lifeLIFElife

Sat, 02 May 2009 09:19:07 GMT

I was about to write something (not really sure what; I usually make it up as I go along) until I realised I really really need to go study.

Ah well. Stay safe from swine flu. Stock on masks.

(I masked Noel there to jump on the Meme bandwagon going around LJ lately. But since he's in South America and holed up in hotel for fear of swine flu, I can't help but send good vibes to him: STAY SAFE NOEL!)

----

I really can't get electronics; Pet Shop Boys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, even Keane.

Good ol' overdriven guitar for this girl with BAD MUSIC TASTE haha.

Shower Power

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:04:12 GMT

Was he trying to escape Liam's weird pre-stage antics?

Or struck by a sudden inspiration to do something for Bono's new redwire digital magazine while taking a break in the toilet?

Shower. Waiting for the Rapture. Acoustic.(and a tinge of Lennon's Working Class Heroes, Noel?) Still: frikkin' legend!

(I've been looping this song for ages now; Noel's said it's his favorite track in DOYS and I think it's currently tied with Falling Down for me)

Anyway. RadioIO, Jango, and Musicovery; wow we are so spoilt by choice these days.

Honestly, I'd rather have Pandora though, what with its music DNA stuff. I can't skip songs too much on Musicovery and they keep throwing me crap like Franz Ferdinand (four songs ahead is Kasabian, but in between is all the post modern rock I can't really stand). Jango's pretty okay but lags even harder with school connection; RadioIO is perpetually streaming/loading here. Really want something that can give me songs that match my mood you know (as well as something that LOADS); last thing I need is for my player to feed me Bach when I'm feeling jumpy or some bubbly pop when I'm feeling down (however, some songs are for all occassion; see: Beatles, The; Oasis). That's why I couldn't stand my iPod; I had too many songs of too many genres (not counting all the retarded podcasts) and was too lazy to make custom playlist to suit my mood (I'm doing that for my phone and it's a CHORE); if iPod incorporates the music DNA/genome stuff in the next generation, I'll consider going back.

And now there's this (red)wire thing, which is actually quite a brilliant idea on Bono's part; we have millions of streaming sites and online radios (I just discussed three for God's sake) and digital music magazines, but very few with direct and exclusive artists' inputs (to be fair, I'm honestly shocked Noel would do something for charity--between Dreams We Have as Children and this, he must be really bored :O). And look, we get to enjoy music aannnnddd (drumroll) help sick Africans as well!

Unfortunately, (red)wire is as yet "unavailable in your country" for me. Just like Pandora (go sort out the pesky copyright stuff already!)

Arsenal drew 4-4 with Liverpool; God bless you Arshavin. If only we actually had real defenders (Silvestre is not counted!) on the field, we might have just floored Liverpool; Fabianski was okay despite that one mistake since if it wasn't for him, Liverpool might have been 3-0 up by the tenth minute!

Ah, United's shoo in for title then. Hip hip hooray.

we're all part of the masterplan

Sun, 05 Apr 2009 15:53:29 GMT

First thing I'd say about the Oasis concert (Live in Singapore!):

Fuck me, I forgot to bring home my CAMERA! So it was down to my trusty N95 to catch the best of the moments. I gave up trying to zoom into the stage after the first five seconds and even taking footage of the screen was grainy. In the end, because my memory was running out, I resorted to audio recording, which recorded most of my off-key singing and hardly any of the band's (great) performance.

So, it's all in my mind now, and if I want to relive through it, well then, thank God thousands of people had their cameras and would probably be uploading the videos on YouTube as I write this.

First impressions: really a lot of Ang Mohs. And a lot of people wearing the Union Jack on their shirt--some guy (not even British; he was Malay) clothed himself in the English flag (the one with the red cross on white; not the GB flag). Got myself a $40 Oasis shirt which is akin to daylight robbery, but what the hell, man, I'm a fangirl. The concert was loouuudddddd--Aaron gave me the heads up about rock concerts and inhuman decibels--but my hearing's kicking in again. I guess after having cymbals and drums played forte fortissimo inches away from my own drums in my ears make me used to hearing all these noises. Talking about percussion, I met Geryl in the Leisure Park where he was getting dinner :D We'd be talking about this concert next time in sectionals aahahahha.

There were hot ang moh guys around. There's this unbelievably hot guy who looks like Chandler Bing. And then there's just the plain weird; like this guy who looked like he was getting possesed whenever the band plays.

I'll wait for my phone to charge up to check the setlist again. A highlight was when Liam (or Noel; couldn't really hear, but it would be in Noel's character to do this) announcted that "this one's called Some Might Say" and instead the band played what is the most beautiful rendition of Wonderwall I've ever heard in real life (yeah well, it's my first time seeing the band live). Couldn't really catch what Liam was saying, but he seemed to be in a good mood. Noel was sexy. Oh God I screamed his name so many times (I tried screaming Noel or Die, hoping that people would pick up on it, but apparently no one did)--and Gem's too (gotta give Gem love!).

Love it when Noel greeted us ("How've you guys been since we last saw you?") and introduced Chris and Hippy-guy (I really don't know his name), whom Noel referred to as "direct descendant of Gandalf".

Was pretty pumped out for them to come out, but I realised the first part of the concert didn't quite hit the right notes with some of the audience--after Lyla, the band moved on to do songs from the new album, which the audience didn't respond to as enthustically as the older songs (which is kinda sad; HELLO people they're touring in support of Dig Out Your Soul so the least you can do is to buy and listen to it, right?). The audience's attention was recaptured with Masterplan (the first song Noel sang lead in the concert; I melted--ohmyGod he sounded even sexier than he does in YouTube!). I personally loved Slide Away, but since it's like my favorite song, I'm bias :D

Crowd went wild for Morning Glory, but the one that literally brought everyone up on their feet was of course--a no brainer--Wonderwall. I feel that somehow half of the audience was there just to hear Wonderwall, Don't Look Back in Anger, Champagne Supernova and maybe Supersonic and Morning Glory. But God, the atmosphere was BRILLIANT then; my sister remarked the entire stadium sounded like a choir! Never ever felt like that in my entire life.

My sister fell in love with Songbird and Importance of Being Idle; ahh yes, Songbird, the sweet-n-simple anthem of being in love. Importance of Being Idle was of course awesome, another personal favorite--Noel didn't play his hummingbird for this, by the way. My sister, if you have to know, wasn't an Oasis fan--she had to come because my parents wouldn't let me go alone and since she loves one Oasis song (DLBA), it was enough of a reason for her to come with me. But coming back from the concert, she admitted she now has newfound respect for Oasis and that "URGH GEM IS SO SEXY."

Don't Look Back in Anger was as excellent as I saw it in MTV world stage and countless other Youtube videos. Semi-acoustic, with Noel on acoustic guitar and Gem on Noel's big red Gibson (ahh it's still working!). There's really something about this song that touches you just right and make you happy--add to the fact that Noel's voice practically digs into your soul (pun!) and you have an anthem. He didn't even sing the chorus, letting the audience did just that. At the end, when he paused after 'her soul slides awayyyyyy' and we all obligatory sang the next few lines, he waited and said: "You guys don't fucking sound half bad there" (or something like that; difficult to tell with half-deaf ears, echoing sound system and his Mancurian accent) and then joked "Can't remember the next strokes!" before finishing the song to resounding applause.

Falling Down was next--my favorite song in DOYS. Just like all the new songs, the audience was pretty quiet--in fact, around where I was sitting, I looked like I was the only one singing along. Then again, it's not a singing along kinda song, so yeah. Liam came out to do Champagne Supernova after that--which the crowd welcomed really really warmly as a finale.

WHERE WERE YOU WHILE WE WERE GETTIN' HIGH

After that, I was really crossing my finger: please, nononono not Walrus just yet. An encore, Noel! C'mon! We've been a good audience (for the most part). But I am the Walrus started rolling and it sounded goodgoodgood--was just listening to the Beatles version and well, original's always best, but really appreciate what Noel's done to the song--could really make it theirs. The crowd jumped up on the 'WHOOOOs' after "I'm/We're the eggmen!" and the inevitable GOO GOO G'JOOB! Once a fun song, always a fun song!

Then it was over. After throwing picks (Liam threw his tambourine into the crowd after Supernova), they left--Noel leaving last, waving at us as he did. There was a sliver of hope within me that he'd pick up his Hummingbird and gave us a treat, but the lights went back up and the roadies started clearing up and so I went back, satisfied and yet still craving for more.

I was probably like 200m away from my frikkin' idols--the closest I've ever been to them, and probably will be--and I felt damn surreal already. Next time (please let there be a next time), I'd go for free standing. The ones nearest the stage actually shouted things up to Liam and Noel, which they responded to (FUCKING JEALOUS NOW). And I'd have a sign, y'know. Noel or Die. And maybe I can stalk them more properly next time--in the end I didn't manage to track them down (frikkin' live so far away from the airport!)

And request: Acquiesce, lads! You guys haven't done that song since forever!

'Kay then. Don't think I can sleep now. Kinda wondering what the band has to say about us--Noel hasn't blogged since Taipei.

Oh yeah, would blog about Sound of Music, but I'm still gathering what other people think about the concert first--gonna compare notes, since apparently what I heard/played sound really different than what others hear.

and you'd thought

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 16:38:19 GMT

is there some kind of way to quickly delete all the mails in your exchange email? honestly, that's one tedious work.

just got back from chiangmai! in a nutshell, i seriously enjoyed my time there. but me being me, didn't really take many pictures--let's wait for nat or marianne or aaron to spam facebook with the pictures--and can't really find the words to describe everything we experienced there.

uhm, highlights of the trip include wild goats (i'll elaborate on it. or maybe not--unless i see you in person), shopping, buffet, shopping, bargain hunting, haggling, shopping, and uhm destroying joseph's belongings (if you have seen joe's chrome bag, DO NOT PRESS THE SHINY BUTTON.)

okay. time to get back to life. there's just no escape, isn't it?

why don't you all ffffffffade away
(talkin' 'bout my generation)

ahAHAHAHAHA!

Sat, 07 Mar 2009 12:42:50 GMT

Someone up there loves me!

One week after bemoaning if Oasis would ever come back to Singapore, I found out they are! Their China-leg of the tour was cancelled 'cause Noel appeared in a Free Tibet concert in 1997 ("China! Fuck me, them communists have got long memories, eh? I can't even remember doing the offending gig 12 years ago? Come on, let it go") but hey, they can make it here!

Ticketing opens today and already the seats right beside the stage are sold out (frick!). Not really up for free standing--these flat feet aren't made to stand so long (during the wait, mind you; my feet can drop for all I care during their performance and I'll still stand up and cheer)--so got the next best seats in the terrace. My mom thinks it's a bad idea, I think it's about time I finally go to a rock concert--a band that I really like too--and my dad thinks it's a good experience (getting my ears cocked up--Aaron says these rock concerts are really loud!)

Funny; looking back, I have attended quite a few concerts in my life--a few musicals here and there (most notable of which is Mamma Mia!), most orchestral in nature. Couldn't make it for RJA; now that I can make it for Oasis, ain't gonna waste more money attending the Kaiserchiefs. Going for the Final Fantasy Concert--gonna go for CATS too I think. And that YST Romance-Fantasy-Worlds concert thing.

So now my family has to stand Oasis hits 24/7. Honestly, I find it plain appalling that so many people go like "Oasis, who?" when I gush about howfrikkingawesomethisisgonnabe. They are legends. Britpop legend, at least--and at least one of the best 1990s band, but with the release of Dig Out Your Soul, they can be giving the best band in the world title a run for their money--well, that's just my two cents. Not everyone gets their songs, apparently, which is quite funny 'cause Noel writes 'em in this way... I don't know how to say but it's so easy to relate to his songs. There's just a ... quality that isn't around in many songs today anymore.

Geniuses. Godly. Godly geniuses. Noel Gallagher--God, he's my hero (Thankyou God for creating him, one of the very few real rock stars who are so gifted left in this world). You need to be convinced he's a frikkin' rock star, give him a guitar and a mic and he'll blow you away. All by himself.

I'm pretty much expecting like people in the twenties to come by the bulk--and maybe some middle aged peeps. I think I'm part of the next generation Oasis fan--which is rising in number quickly in the world, but I'm not really sure how many are there in Singapore.

When are they touching down in Singapore? Their last gig before Singapore would be in April 1 in Seoul--hah, if they're getting here earlier maybe I can catch them in the airport! Yang Xuan gave me a brilliant, brilliant idea of a banner that might at least earn a little smirk from the Gallagher brothers--I was actually just thinking to write "Live Forever!", but Yang Xuan's idea is a million times better than mine. 'Sides, how freakin' cliche is "Oasis: Legends--Live Forever!"?

(Love that song, by the way).

Anyway. Bought my tickets. Be seeing you, lads!

(And if I want to understand anything they're saying, I have to go get used to British accents--nay, Manhcurian accents).

Bono, Dave Grohl--if you guys come-a-visitin', I'ma break my piggy bank seein' you guys too!

thank god for oasis in the deserts

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 05:09:09 GMT

seriously wishing i'm in germany even more these days. not because then i'll get to watch bayern munich's attempt to pay werder bremen back after their trashing last year, but maybe i'll get to watch u2 and oasis live in concert.

freaking pissed that arsenal was held to a goalless draw again; lads have the mental strength of a jelly. whatever; still on a little high after bayern's 5-0 trashing of sporting lisbon earlier this week--literally skipped my way to PE class.

and guess what? FF Distant Worlds are coming to singapore! jolly gee, gonna hang around after the concert and see if i can see nobue uematsu with my own eyes; maybe being in the same room can transmit his geniousness to me?

what kind of person talk about classical music in the same post as one about rock music? ah well. anway, i'm still trying to understand coldplay's massive success commercially and in the Grammies. each to his own, i guess, but pretty glad that liam gallagher's on my side: he calls them shit and if he's ever listened to them, he'd probably cut himself 'cause their songs make him so depressed and emo ("coldplay makes me want to kill myself").

gotta go get my life straightened out; pretty much letting go of the rope right now--crash and burn, man, i'm at the bottom of the bottomless well.

(and to top it off, i've stopped making sense. frick yeah).

RJA!

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 05:10:42 GMT

OH
MY
GOD

the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is frikkin' coming to Singapore! ohGOD I wish I can go and catch their concert at March 10, but I have a conference in Chiang Mai to go to. Finally a musical act I like is performing here but typical, I can't make it.

(Not saying I'm not excited about the overseas conference, but hahaha let's see whether it's still on by then. We were supposed to go during early December last year but it was called off thanks to the Bangkok unrest. So if the political scene blew up there again, then we won't be able to go luh).

If Foo Fighters is coming to Singapore, I'll wade through heaven and hell to go see them :D OMG DAVE GROHL! (that man is a frikkin' genius).

a burst of sunshine!

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 09:22:47 GMT

I'm still alive :D in this post: on post-transfer-deadline-controversial-celebration and on mixing songs.

OMG WE GOT HIM

24 hours after the transfer deadline (when I abandoned all hopes), Arsenal finally landed Arshavin (they are so made for each other). Still have no idea how Arsenal actually managed to secure his services after the deadline, but I'm not one to look at the gift horse in the mouth. Probably, between the bullshit Zenit and Arsenal throw at each other they actually managed to land his signature. But whatever.

SHIT SO EXCITING. I know it'd take Arshavin a while to adjust to EPL-standard, but seeing Arsenal's dire state at the moment (headless chickens at the second half of the field, creativity leaving all their petrified bodies as they see the goalposts loom before them) and the fact that Fabregas is gonna be out for still quite a while (eh, wth Rosicky not back yet?) and that I won't count on Cesc to actually stay in the Emirates Stadium for long now, we probably need someone older, more experienced at the front now. Arshavin was brilliant in Euro08, except for that semifinal match when he kinda disappeared but hey everyone has his off days.

(He has like the cutest blue eyes. And that double chin!)

Anyway, Robbie Keane--> Tottenham again. Biggest joke of the season, despite whatever Rafa Benitez has to say. They may have won 0-2 to Chelsea, but pray to God, please don't let them win the title. I'd rather let United win again and watch my brother gloat; let them enjoy it lah, next season we're going to storm through the league, big guns-a-blarin'.

Soccer aside, I actually find a new hobby. Currently in the midst of mixing my fifth acoustic medley and having a blast of a time while doing so. It's hard to do such stuff without my guitar, but with the occassional trips to the music room (where I have to practice for my grade 8 piano exam) and a lot of looping the songs in question, I think I've done some pretty interesting jobs. Was inspired a lot by Boyce Avenue for their unique acoustic twist to songs they cover and Norwegian Recycling for how he mashes up a lot of songs (mashing up six songs into one is harder than just mixing two) together--and this Final Fantasy piano medley I did earlier in the year spurred me on as well. In fact, I'm currently saving up to buy some tambourines and shakers; I would be eternally grateful if anyone can offer me some cheap cajon drums, cymbals and if possible bass drums.

(Wonder if there's space in my hostel room for that? Speaking of hostel, I'm having a great time so far; my cluster's great, my new class is great--bonds formed all over the place! Made new friends, gotten to know old ones better; everyday is a revelation :D)

I'll get back home and try these mashups out; see if they turn out fine. If they don't, well at least I have fun listening to them and mixin' them and variating their accompaniment and a bit of the chords together. :)

finally!

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:48:36 GMT

Melinda Doolittle--the awesome powerhouse from American Idol Season 6--is finally going to have her debut album Coming Back to You in the stores on the 3rd of February this year--I knew this because apparently some of her fans posted comments on posts that contained any mention of Melinda, including one of mine from like a year ago to publicise her album.

Expecting Michael John's album to come out a month after that :D fingers crossed there would be a duet with Carly Smithson.

And here's another shocker: Chelsea got raped 0-3 by United. Winning the League for the third time suddenly doesn't seem so impossible for Man United (GARGH NO) and who wants to start betting who Scolari would start blaming for this uber embarassing loss?

(Petr Cech again? Didn't watch the match--since I've already checked into the hostel by then--but have a gut feeling it might be Obi-Mikel?)

How I envy the fans of the Red Devils. Any Gooner is probably going through a rough patch right now (1-0 against Bolton. REALLY. URGH!)

that's that

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 11:24:30 GMT

i can't believe we've come to the end of yet another year.

this year seemed to pass pretty quick, maybe because i was busier than ever this year--academically and more. i'm thankful for being able to finish this year and enter a new one, i guess after what happened we all learn how to live life to the fullest everyday, and to be grateful for everything and everyone in your life no matter what.

i think i grew up a little this year--not physically though, darn it!--or so i'd like to think. i sure as hell am viewing the world more differently than i did a year ago today.

2009 has been billed as a year of change--economically (will capitalism pull through this economic crisis?), politically (as brazil, china, india and russia attempt harder to make themselves count among the world's great powers and climate change and nuclear talks take center stage; oh, and there's the start of the obama administration!; and elections in indonesia, zimbabwe and more), and for me too, what with the hostel and heavy year 5 workload coming my way. we all have our new year resolutions, and mine is simple: to change for the better.

(which is a resolution arsenal should adopt too)

what the hell is 'better', i guess i'll know (or still won't know) come this date next year.

/rambling

BAH to you, dan didio

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 09:14:50 GMT

I HATE YOU DC

bye wally. i'll never get over you (or bart). now you can hang out with kyle and connor in the "used superhero" recycle bins while the 'old' heroes reclaim their spotlight.

ow

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 04:28:33 GMT

Sylar: RIP :(

mindblowin'

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 02:55:36 GMT

woah.

that was a rush, man! 3-2 to the visitors--although admittedly, first half would go to bayern, with all their goals (klose 12', 17' and ribery 34') coming then, and second half went to lyon, for trying really hard through govou and benzema. the match would of course go to zippy franck ribery, who was hotter than hot in this match, and supported by bastian schweinsteiger at the other side, they were Lyon-slayers! michael rensing deserved a mention too for barricading his net after letting two in, pulling out all the stops to prevent the equaliser until the final whistle was blown.

still, this "shifting the gear down" needs to stop--they lost a comfortable lead after slowing down just as when lyon finally found their stride (what did claude puel say to them in half time?) but the one touch football was really pleasing to the eye--klinsmann's vowed to change bayern's style of play to that of top english clubs (arsenal? xD) and it's well on the way.

luca toni still needs to try harder. sigh. his luck's still a little bit down. but klose on the other end... 5 goals in 6 CL matches last i kept track of him! and this win marks bayern's 15th unbeaten match in all competitions in a row. lyon on the other hand... the moral looks like it's going to free fall like crazy, and what with no good news has yet to come out of l'hopital d'olympique lyonnais... puel would have to hope for a christmas miracle to pull the team to a win (although they're still currently at the top of the ligue 1 table).

what started out as a seemingly lousy season under jurgen klinsmann is fast proving itself wrong. christmas break's coming, and boy do i hope that next year, bayern would keep up this dazzling form of theirs (we're now tied with Hoffenheim for the league table! not bad for a club which started their seasons at the tenth place, huh?).

shiverin' with excitement

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:14:29 GMT

o l y m p i q u e l y o n n a i s

vs

b a y e r n m u n i c h

it's here! it's here; it's finally here!

my money would be on bayern; apart from being on fire for their last few matches (i watched their match against steaua--and if they can repeat that form with more accuracy, ooohhh, we have a real champions league trophy challenger here!), lyon's still saddled up with injury (no Juninho!) and so far, they have just got 1 point from 3 matches (they just lost to Nantes) with 1 goal scored.

this is what claude puel has to say about bayern's hot form:

Bayern are coming off a series of wins... can you break that run?
We have all the ingredients we need to stop this Bayern side. Away, we pushed them hard at their ground in the first leg. Tomorrow we’ll be playing at our ground, in front of our supporters. It’s good to be playing this ‘finale’ at the Stade Gerland. I don’t think either side will settle for anything other than a win.

and this is what franck ribery has to say about lyon's not-so-hot form:

Do you think you have a psychological advantage over OL in terms of the teams current form?
It’s true that Lyon are struggling a little bit at the moment. But I know this team very well. They are always up for the big matches. Unfortunately, they have players injured and supended for tomorrow’s game. We have to stay focussed and play well.

fingers crossed i'll get proper streaming today.

(Second) 2008 Bali Trip: Quickie [part 1]

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:33:29 GMT

Ah, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Been meaning to blog about the Bali trip, but God, even I'm so embarassed at how frickin' lazy I am.

I've been very fortunate to have been able to visit Bali so many times, I'd be turned off by the thought of going back to Kuta. But for this trip, I got to see the other side of Bali few people have bothered seeing, being so enchanted with its sun, beach, babes and booze.

Keywords: Bungee Jumping, Parasailing, Tattoo, Culture, White Water Rafting, Jetskiing... and more. :) Click on the cut below to know what more on all that and 'more'!

teaser:

D A Y 1

Arrived in Denpasar--went to our home for the next five days in Bukit Sari and met up with the rest of the family--it's been just me and my mom for the past two weeks here in Singapore. Barely had time to change before we rushed off for dinner in Jimbaran.

So, what's so special about having dinner there?

For one thing, it's a classic study of packaging the culture for tourism--you're greeted with guys drabbed in the traditional Bali costume slipping flowers (which you'll see 'round Bali lots) in your hair, whether you're a guy or gal.

the flowers sure do compliment the fairer sex

and yet it still looks good on those with testerone

anndddd you get to dine under the playful, twinkling stars while being serenaded by the gentle swishing of the waves as they slowly creep their way up to the coastal bermline, which was bathed in the warm scarlet glow of the candles. all these, while feeling the soft sand under your feet and watching little crabs scurry about their business in the distance.

my camera couldn't do justice to the great atmosphere

said camera couldn't take picture of said swishing waves either

those crabs were a bitch to take picture of--they have six legs, and each of them is fast!

Food was great--I'll hazard a guess. Didn't really eat that night because I always have little appetite after alighting from a plane (it has something to do with my high affinity for airplane food--and I was on board of an SQ that day; go figure), but everyone else who did eat enjoy their food. Not only that, there was live entertainment right beside your table: a group of performers going from one table to the other belting tunes such as Hotel California, Seasons of the Sun and more.

this crab knew how to stand still to pose for a picture

they sounded real good. period.

After that, to my cousins' and my sister's great pleasure, we made our way to a HUGE factory outlet a stone's throw away (well, if you're an Olympic level stone thrower, that is) specialising on those surf shops like Roxy, Rip Curl, Volcom, Billabong, etc etc. You wouldn't believe the price of the stuff there until you see 'em with your own eyes. I didn't buy anything since I was busy trying to defeat the Elite Four of Pokemon League (Diamond) in my DS for the second time. I beat them successfully without breaking a sweat--my Pokemons are just that pro :D

D A Y 2

We went shopping in Krisna for outrageously cheap souvenirs and knick knacks. If there's one public secret in Bali, it's about how locals can get around the horribly overpriced stuff and attractions in this Island of the Gods which are meant to trap tourist dollars and oh boy, am I glad I'm a local (so I'm in on the secret). Apart from haggling, haggling and more persuasive haggling ("Ayo dong mas, kita bukan turis loh; sesama orang Indonesia, banting harga sedikit, dong!"), you have to befriend locals who will tell you how to either find alternative places where you can get same quality of stuff/service for lower price, or to contact some people who can lower that price for us.

After our entire group contribute somewhat significantly to Krisna's income for the day (and after making a little stop in Kuta Square and Legian where I watched the cousins lighten their wallet somemore), we made our way to Tanah Lot, which is a most beautiful sight everyone has to see for at least once in their lifetime. People flock there to see the sunset there--yes, for just that half hour of the sun's slow, lazy descent into the sea, bleeding trails that snake across the vast blue sky, we waited for two hours there, sipping coconut and eating cassava chips.

Pictures speak a thousand words, so do the math yourself: how many words do these following pictures speak cumulatively?

Tanah Lot: when the sun's still rarin' to go--the low tide allows tourists to cross into the temple, but all of us have gotten a seat at a way better place to enjoy the cinematic view...

if you bother walking a little bit more uphill, a string of cafes would welcome you with plenty of coconuts and promises of a breathtaking sunset from comfortable benches

some people are even more creative (and daring) with their seat locations

sun had finally begun to sink

as the golden flakes of the sun's dying rays spattered across the sky, the cafes grew more crowded with tourists from all over the world trying to appreciate a universal beauty..

... unfolding before their very eyes

dark clouds began to swarm upon the dying sun like hyenas

and someone actually bought this kite from the boy

and by losing it, he inadvertently helped to advertise the kite, which within minutes, became the day's bestseller

with that, the blankets of night fell upon us