JUKES – Something Important

Sometimes when I’m doing something I really enjoy
A friend knocks the door, and I let her in, and she asks me
What’re you up to?
And I say I don’t know… Nothing much.

Maybe I’ll have a few books open.
Looking at pages I like to see
Or I’m listening to some music
Probably the telly’s on
And before she asks me what I was doing
I felt like I was really doing something Maybe now I’m not so sure.

Oh… the mountains high! And the streams running dry… They don’t ask why, why do I?

Something doesn’t mean Every time I ask myself why Why I do that thing Shouldn’t I be doing something important…

 

Jukes – Something Important

in Italiano

Sembra che quando scrivo in Italiano, io diventi stupida. Aiutarmi. Non so come scrivere bene. Tutti frasi non sembrano giusti. Penso che il mio professore pensi che io non è intelligente. Ogni volta voglio coniugare un verbo, devo verificare con il dizionario. Sono incompetente. Sono senza speranza.   

These days I have trouble developing my train of thoughts.

Life is strange sometimes. A distant relative whom I just got to know passed away last week. He was 63. I attended his funeral service yesterday at Port Moody and for some reason I got really emotional. I don’t remember even feeling like that when I attended the wake for my grandmother and my uncle. I just remember being busy and annoyed during my grandma’s funeral when my immediate family was caught up in some rites (which I should have been part of) for my grandma and I had to serve the incoming guests because my other relatives who didn’t take part in the rites due to religious reasons just decided to sit down, socialise with each other and pretend that they’re not part of the family. And it was perhaps 2 weeks to O levels or something like that. As for my uncle’s funeral, I just remember feeling… detached. And perhaps worried about how my uncle’s family. Why are familial relations in SG so … weak?  ***Just as I am deep in thoughts about familial relations and the like, I read that those vain Singaporean ladies are taking advantage of the falling US dollar to hoard designer bags from the US. *rolls eyes* Seriously. ***(because I am slowly turning monolingual…) Bilingualism. Languages. Speech. Understanding. Culture. Heritage. History. Self-identity. And how disadvantaged the previous generation of Chinese-educated Singaporeans are in a mostly English-speaking Singapore. And how some Chinese people in Singapore are proud of the fact that they CANNOT speak Chinese at all. And how all these 华语COOL! campaigns are lame and totally useless, and just an opportunist act to cash on China’s rapid economic development, instead of a journey to discover one’s culture and heritage. I think Singapore has something against the Chinese language. Or maybe it’s just because those *cough* scholars formulating language policies at MOE are all bloody white-washed and don’t understand the value of languages and heritage. Oh gosh. And we call ourselves and multi-racial society. Wait till you come to Canada man. Seriously. -.- ***As you can tell, I’m kinda miffed.***Are you ignoring me this week just cuz…?  *** I need a good book to read.  ***I will start taking photographs again. In summer I will buy myself a nice dSLR with a 50mm f1.4 prime lens.***I miss talking to Pamela. Will we ever speak to each other again?   

I’m still alive

Yesterday, it snowed. Today, it slushed. Tomorrow… 

***

 It’s been 2 months since I’ve written something on this blog. And it’s all school school school again now. It’s funny how I end classes so much earlier this term, yet I still find myself hard-pressed for time to do my work. Ugh. I used to spend way more time taking photographs, creating stuff on photoshop etc… but now I don’t know what I do with my time anymore while it quickly slips past me… And when I finally snap back into reality, it’s tomorrow morning. Tomorrow always comes too quickly doesn’t it?

***

For the past few days I’ve actually been getting 8hours of sleep each day. Can you believe it? I always abhorred people who slept more than 6 hours a day, and now I’m doing exactly that. 2330 comes and I feel the irrepressible urge to lie down on my bed, even though the papers on my table tell me I’m not done yet. I’ll do them tomorrow morning… I tell myself. I’ll wake up at 4am, they’ll get done. Delusion is sweet. And delusion gets me into trouble. 4am comes, my phone alarm squeals, and I quickly push a button to stifle its calls. 4:10, phone squeals again, repeat button-pushing action. 4:20… 4:30…5:30…6:00 and before long, 8:00. And then I sleepily squint at the time on my phone, and light up the LED on my wristwatch to confirm the time.. 8:00! I jump out of bed, and dash to the bathroom while my mind struggles to remove the thought of skipping the 8:30 class to have some more time on the bed. But you already slept 8 and a half hours you… lazypieceoflard! Aren’t you disgusted by yourself! Sleeping is for… me. To dream about the better world I will help to create. To dream about the better world I dream I will create. To dream about the dream about the better world… 

***

It’s 2309, and I better finish up my marketing case study before I feel the irrepressible desire to lie down… and then wake up tomorrow too late to go to class.  

un sorriso.

Amazon.comThe tale of a little duck alone on the Yangtze River, The Story About Ping is a sweet and funny book with wonderfully rich and colorful illustrations. On a day like any other, Ping sets off from the boat he calls home with his comically large family in search of “pleasant things to eat.” On this particular day, he is accidentally left behind when the boat leaves. Undaunted, the little duck heads out onto the Yangtze in search of his family, only to find new friends and adventures–and a bit of peril–around every bend.The exceptional illustrations bring the lush Yangtze to life, from Ping’s family to the trained fishing birds he finds himself among to the faithfully rendered boats and fishermen. Certainly intended to be read aloud, The Story About Ping deserves a place on every young reader’s (or listener’s) shelf. (Picture book)

Haha.  

OMFG!

FINALLY!

I am sooooooooooooo happy that City of Sadness just made it onto ADC! I’ve been looking for this film for NINE years! Nine years since 1998! Just looking at the title brings back memories of myself as an 11 year old girl, listening to the City of Sadness theme song that I randomly downloaded off some retro P2P software (I think it was Napster…)

I can’t wait to watch this and post my review!

OH HELLS YEAH!

New cartridge.

Some time ago me and bro went to get a new cartridge for the turntable that we bought recently. We weren’t actually expecting to spend that much money on one because the TT costs us about $200 so we weren’t prepared to spend anymore than that. We had eyes on the Ortofon 2M Blue but didn’t get it because it costs close to $400. We ended up buying a Rega Bias 2 cart, which is the one fitted on their P2 TT, so I thought it should be a pretty good match to our Project TT.

Toni Tornado – BR3

I bought this album recently after being infatuated with his ace track on the Soul of Brazil LP. For a 1971 recording, I’m surprised how transparent it sounds actually, it’s almost like that guy is performing right in front of my eyes.

I think this guy was more famous as a soap opera actor back in the days. It’s a pity, because this album is quite a shining piece of work, and doesn’t sound dated even in today’s times. Toni Tornado sings with absolute gusto and zest – it’s a perfect match with the groovy brass instrumentation that accompanies his voice throughout the album. My favourite tracks are Nao Lhe Quero Mais, Papai, Nao Foi Esse O Mundo Que Voce Falou, and of course, Me Libertei. I’ve sent out some samples! Give me some feedback please

Italian Class

Class activity: Describe a pet that you have when you were young.

Student: When I was 5 years old I had a fish. It was blue so I called it Blueberry. I don’t know what else to say because it’s so difficult to write about the personality of a fish…

Professor: I can understand. The are a little bit… fishy you know?

This kept me laughing for a few days.

I am such an embarrassment

A friend of mine asked me to record the voice part of Maruouchi Sadistic and I said yes.
Now I kinda regret it.
I still sound terrible maybe after 37 re-recordings. I just can’t hit the high notes. Not to mention being out of pitch and urm, horrible pronunciation. I suck. I suck. I never realised it was so damn hard to do a recording.
Shiina Ringo, you are the Queen of the Microphone. I can never be like you.
I guess as soon as I send him the audio part he’ll mash them up together and put a video on youtube.
ARGH.
Nothing like public embarrassment to be the cherry on the cake. I suddenly don’t want to help him anymore.
But I already said yes.
Moral of the story?
Yes.
Is the most troublesome word ever.