This week's music bath

I thought I'd focus on an Asian theme this week, seeing as I've just started having these urges to go karaoke singing these past few weeks (all started with Soap's bro-in-law's pub opening conveniently giving me an excuse to sing and then Cindy had to go and tell me she was taking half day leave to sing. Thanks -_-).

But anyway, I digress. As usual.

So this one from Fish Leong is a never-fail in my karaoke list (coz the only songs to sing are the Chinese ones. The English mtvs are too damn corny to see, I end up getting distracted and not singing but laughing at the sheer corniness of it all). Again, I digress. Sorry.

Here's my all time favourite: 不想睡 by 梁靜茹, Fish Leong.



Next is the overplayed and over-sung 祝我生日快乐 by 温岚, Landy Wen. I really love this song with its moving melody and lyrics.

I've never sung it. -_-



My favourite Japanese band: Tokyo Jihen with their hit Marunouchi Sadistic.



So there you have it. These are three of the many songs that I hold really close to my heart :)
Enjoy!

Quick Update

- Playtime is over. Phew! I can now celebrate not having to wake up at 6.30am!

- My phone has gave up its ghost, forcing my hand to change to a new phone when I'm ever so reluctant to. Is this a sign of getting old? This reliance on the old comfort zone and hesitance to change to something new and foreign. I don't even want to go figure out all these blackberry/twitter/qwerty pad stuff.

- Update to the update above: I now have a Samsung Pixon phone. I can't wait to take peektures with its 8MP camera!!!


I'm waiting for Sony Ericsson's launch of their almighty Satio phone. Its said to have 12MP camera function and music player function in one handheld set! Its not in the market yet I think. When its out...I might get it. Or not. Let's see if i'm comfortable with the Pixon yet. :)

- My next big job will be forming up a World Music programme for schools under Meiyin's Laras Ethno. Very glad as I'll be getting some extra moosh for this gig. Yayness!

- Have started going back to the gym again. This time with my gym buddy Serene! We have lots of fun as usual. I like the regularity of gymming and then having lunch with her. See? Comfort zone again. I have too many of them.

- Found out that Marcus (Mr Soccer Captain) from SRJC is staying in my block, two floors above me! He's been asking me out to catch up! I don't know why our schedules always clash and we don't get to meet.

I think thats all for now. Too many updates in just a week. I still love my life though. :)

Have a great week ahead!

The Weekend is Over....

and I'm already looking forward to the next one.

For two things specifically: first and foremost, Soap books out of camp on Saturday and Cozycot's Holy Grail party starts on Saturday!

Although I'm still thinking whether to go. Can't stand crowds.

This Week's Music Bath

Here are a few of my favourites from ambient/dance groups Air and Massive Attack.

I've loved Air ever since my JC days. This song was the first song I heard that got me hooked.



Alone in Kyoto. So relaxing and so nicely Asian. :D




Sing Sang Sung is their newest single, released August 25 2009



Massive Attack's Teardrop is always welcome on my late nights.



Milk Inc's catchy Tonight coupled with fireworks galore. I'm in awe of her voice.



Run by Milk Inc. The piano riff captures me. Simple yet so effective.

And Malaysia does it again.

Malaysians love putting their foots in their mouth. Yesterday, Malaysian's Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said:

“We cannot continue to let other countries hijack our food. Chilli crab is Malaysian. Hainanese chicken rice is Malaysian. We have to lay claim to our food,” she told reporters after launching the Malaysia International Gourmet Festival yesterday.

What utter rubbish. Even a fool can see that Hainanese chicken rice originated from a place such as Hainan?! If not, why would the dish even be named after a place?!

Oh! Wait! Maybe in Malaysia, all their world maps only have Malaysia on it! That must be the case! How else would you explain this incredible Malaysian phenomenon of disregarding historicial and factual evidence.

And why must they do things like lay claim to this or that. Too full and nothing to do?

Malaysian, here are a few things you should do.

Go build up your economy. Be hardworking and forward thinking and maybe you'll be too busy to bully and envy Singapore. And for once, Malaysian Malays should get off their butts and finally start working and stop ostracizing Malaysian Chinese. Oh yes, and please erase that irritating procrastinating habit.

Why I say that Malaysia does it again. Well, even music falls prey to this laying claim phenomenon.

I have heard that Malaysia thinks that the Angklung originated in Malaysia and therefore its Malaysian. Excuse me? EVERYONE knows that it originated in Indonesia. Oh, sorry. Maybe everyone but poor little Malaysia. Poor thing. Didn't get your research done did you?

Oh and at a gambus performance at Singapore's Sun Festival last year, this Malaysian dude said that the gambus is Malaysian. Go do your research instead of spouting your mouth off lah! The gambus originated in Yemen under the name OUD.

Malaysia, do you know the meaning of the word "origin"?

Origin means the point at which something comes into existence or from which it derives or is derived.

If it didn't come into existence in your country, then it is not and never will be Malaysian. Get it?

Chilli crab is ours. It is a SINGAPOREAN dish.

Don't even try.

Day Eight without Soap

(via Chotda)

Had Sakae buffet lunch with Emily and Serene today. So full!

While still on the subject of sushi, allow me to divert and present you with these:

Sushi minicakes! (via hello naomi)

If that's not cute enough for you....

Sushi handpainted cookies! (via whipped bakeshop)

These darlings won't find their way into my mouth for sure. I'd rather preserve and display them!

After lunch, we went our separate ways to teach and then me and Serene met up at Orchard to explore ION and to shop at Far East Plaza.

ION is humongous! I do not for a second doubt that I will get lost here. In fact, we got a little lost while finding our way to Wheelock via the underpass.

Bought myself three dresses today. Its been such a long time shopping with a girl at a shopping centre! I finally understand why some girls still choose to shop at physical shops when shopping online is clearly easier. You get to try on the clothes and get to touch what kinda material the garment is made of. Also, the camaraderie one gets from shopping together is irreplaceable.

I got to check out the Best of Blogshops store at Far East. I think its a great business idea. But i felt that the shop space was too cramped and goods weren't laid out as nicely as I would have preferred.

Soap called while I was at the Blogshop store and we talked for a while. Lights out in a while he said so again, our conversation was very short. Wonder what it will do to our relationship in the long run - these hurried calls.

But! I'll get to see him for two and a half days starting tomorrow evening! Yayness!!!

Day Seven without Soap

Been doing a lot of meetups with friends lately and today wasn't any different.

Finally managed to catch up with Siannie over brekkie at Macs and we squeezed an hour of window shopping. Cannot believe the total lack of clothing options these days. Nothing we saw appealed to our eyes.

After teaching, I headed down to City Hall to meet Cindy, Ken and Meixin for dinner at Popeyes' at the Flyer.

After dinner, we made a vid for Ken's wedding. Damn fun. Haven't done this kinda of thing in a long while and Xin is still as drama as ever.

Showcasing our gifts from Cindy on our heads!

I missed you guys.

Day Six without Soap

Helen Huang

Nothing special happened today.

I went to teach at Haig Girls - taught them Asmaradana and then headed down to Esplanade for the first rehearsal for "Nicest Egg in the World" and on reaching there, found out that rehearsal schedules had been changed without updating the musicians.

Nice.

Had dinner at Thai Express with Liz. Soap would have loved the food. Headed down to Paradiz to play Left Four Dead with Ragha. Quite cool to play without Soap as our navigator. We had to find out where to go on our own and I learnt not to be too dependent on others while playing.

Hmm...maybe thats a lesson for real life too?

Soap called and we could only talk for a while. Sigh. Story of our life.