丁可 - 《在漆黑的海上》

張國榮 - 留住昨天

Just another yesterday's that remains in some part of my soul, making me wishing it was never gone. Yet, part of its charm is being gone. And no one writes song like this one any more, I am sure.

Dark Notes and Bright Notes

This is shocking:
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/hundreds-of-pigs-dogs-die-in-chinese-cit/641748.html

Certainly, some big corporation must be behind it, given the monumentality of the task.

And if you are a regular runner, you would no doubt agree with me that terrorism has no place in mass run:

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/us-zeroes-in-on-boston-pressure-cooker-b/641046.html

On a bright note, caught a performance of "Butterfly Lovers" at Esplanade, and an old passion has been re-ignited: got to go look for the violin concerto in my CD rack.

And this is truly great...


Sometimes, it is the small thing in life that makes a big difference.

Off-track

I reach out
and it aches,
not familiar
to this familiarity;
gone off-track;
these fingers are
not these fingers

- mrdes, 17 Apr 13

Somewhere between an awakened and a sub-conscious life, an image, or a motif filts...you reach out, and you are not you. The poem is more than this, of course, and I can't explain it.

吳雨霏 - 我本人

主唱：吳雨霏
作曲：椎淽
填詞：林夕

人若變記憶便迷人　情令眼淺了便情深
認識一場　如雷雨一閃　就此沒有下文
無憾也覺得是遺憾　

其實你已經是閒人　其實我討厭被憐憫
或者一時　痠勞到傷身　弱得　像個病人
才像要找個肩膊枕一枕

難忘你　好聽過若無其事沒韻味
你真人　其實陌生得可以記不起
毋忘你　精彩過別來無恙如遊戲
我本人　明白什麼都總有限期

含淚去葬花極麻煩　唯獨怨泣血沒時間
或者失意　是為了工作　慟哭未夠浪漫
才暫借戀愛感覺去感歎

難忘你　好聽過若無其事沒韻味
你真人　其實陌生得可以記不起
毋忘你　精彩過別來無恙如遊戲
我本人　明白什麼都總有限期

難忘你　好聽過淡忘情敵沒妒忌
我本人　無林黛玉的本領痛心死
毋忘你　彷彿要為紅樓夢內連戲
我本人　從來未稀罕悲壯傳奇
我本人　寧願為加班筋歇力疲

-----

You got to give it to 林夕 really for his lyrics. I think he has portrayed the perfect modern working lady's fairy tale sadly, which begins with the female protagonist meeting a stranger, never knowing him more than a stranger (yes, he is kind-hearted, that she knows), and ends with making her think how exhausting this whole love thing is. In the process, it is proven that she selfishly, as modern love is supposed to be, disbelieves in sacrifices: 我本人 / 從來未稀罕悲壯傳奇. What labour is worthwhile if you know in the end, no fruit comes about? Yet, confused, she laments: 我本人 / 無林黛玉的本領痛心死 (Personally, I lack the craft to die from heart pains like Lin Dai Yu), as if she rather dies - the ultimate sacrifice - than undergoes this ordeal.

There are clashes between realism and human's desires here: people become more attractive being memories (人若變記憶便迷人), and love makes the eyes short-sighted, hence love becomes deeper (or longer) (情令眼淺了便情深).

"Aqua" by Yasuko Kyoda

For no particular reason, I started to fall in love with "Aqua" again. How many years back it was? I have lost count. Time has never slowed its footsteps.

Retro: 周慧敏 - 近情情怯

One of my all-time favourite...

A Brief Update

I think this must be one of the most underrated song by a local singer.

Fact: I haven't been writing much poetry, being out of inspiration. Words don't dance for me any more; they just lay dead in my D drive. One of my earlier poem:

Break

The worst break comes from within.
A hole opens up to suck me in,

Never to be filled as there are no words
For desires, or as a matter of fact,

Words are only puppets for a heart
Whenever called for, or uncalled,

But nothing can be worst when
The puppet strings break.

------

Just finished reading an old book from my shelf: Hermann Hesse's "The Prodigy". Next up, Arundhati Roy's "The God of Small Things"

Been running and swimming regularly, which I am pleased and means I am mentally and physically well. Preparing for my next 10 KM mass run in April.

L. van Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 1 - 2nd movement (Part 1)

Finally found this: one of the haunting piece played by KJ when he was a boy of 11 years.

Beethoven 5th Piano Concerto "Emperor" 2nd Mvmt.

If you listen with just a little more attention than usual, you will surely find 'Beethoven 5th Piano Concerto "Emperor" 2nd Mvmt' to be serene and majestic. Like the surface of a swan lake, where a light breeze carries a gentle ripple.

It's so High High High!

Now, enough said...

Retro: 姜鄠 - 讓我斟一杯茅台

The powerful vocal you heard belonged to one of my all-time favourite local singer, Thomas. He was at the top of his craft in this song, I think.

At that time, this song was even banned from the radio station for its alcohol-promoting theme. Now on reflection, it all seems so laughable.

My guess is that Thomas was more famous for songs like the below. Written by Iskandar Ismail, the rock song still rocks my socks off! Now, where did I get that from.

Retro: 忘不了, 童安格

為何一轉眼 時光飛逝如電...終於還是忘不了...

Where have the years gone? The running on the big lush field, the cloudless, boundless sky, the huge drain filled with rain water rushing under the stairs on the way to school...

Retro: Joi 蔡淳佳 - 左右為難

A surprise to find this on youtube and the only live version of "左右為難".

Retro: 齊秦 - 藍立平 - 鬥魚/周慧敏 - 流言

I used to prick up my ears every time I heard this on the radio. And when was the last time I listened to radio?
Who could resist a Vivian Chow's (周慧敏) classic on an idyllic Saturday afternoon.

Retro: S.E.N.S's "Wish"

What you have are wings
attached to your heart.
Spread them hence
in search of paradise
deep inside, a melody.

The Japanese duo, S.E.N.S (Sound.Earth.Nature.Spirit.), wrote some of the most beautiful music imaginable. My favourite piece, of course, being "Be As You Were When We Met", but the best soundtrack album I ever procured has to be the "Wish" album, written for the hit Japanese drama series "神請給我多一點時間" starring Takeshi Kaneshire (金城武). And there is that mesmerising trilogy of "Palace Memories" ("故宫"), "Palace Sketch" ("故宫续曲") and "Palace Seeds" ("再见！故宫").

P.S.: I first wrote about S.E.N.S here. Currently listening to "Love", also by S.E.N.S.

蔡淳佳 - 我们之间

等你等到不等了
很怕心疼得转眼就心痛了
就当我说真的 我是真的
我相信我们之间 越难得就越值得

知道你在想什么
不代表我是什么
明白你不说什么
不代表我不要什么

但你让一切美丽了
那些坏的好的
我的手总是暖的
它总是想念你的手心的热

想你想到不想了
很怕太快乐会变得不快乐
就算你说真的 你是真的
紧抱着爱就不能呼吸了

等你等到不等了
很怕心疼得转眼就心痛了
就当我说真的 我是真的
我相信我们之间 越难得就越值得

就当我说真的 我是真的
我相信我们之间 越难得就越值得

P.S.: I think that this is a very sentimental song, almost too tender to be written by a man, none other than 梁文福.

Retro: Libera - Ave Maria (based on Ave Maria by Caccini)

After "ERA", I stumbled upon "Libera" quite by accident. Seriously, who could resist the angelic voices of those British kids? Their album "Luminosa" had since become one of my all-time favourite. I especially love "Ave Maria" and "Sanctus II (based on Canon by Pachelbel)", among others.

Retro: 萧亚轩 - 最熟悉的陌生人

This was like what, a century ago? Still, I have this song in my MP3 player permanently. Call it nostalgia, but it takes nothing away, as only a genuine gem stands the test of time.

蔡淳佳: 前座後座

沉默来了很久 待更久
在 右边 担忧 背后的痛
飘移的心前进 又退后
爱到了街头应该怎麽兜

承诺晚了多久 才看透
这前座后座 不属於我
原来说了郑重 该保重
我再也没有理由跟你走(疯)

我真的有抱紧你的冲动
我真的有想起你而感动
然而她的香味残留衣袖
那已渗透渗透你的心中

我真的有抱紧你的冲动
我真的有想起你而感动
但播放的回忆(爱情)属於朋友
我已没有没有资格逗留
怎能不放手

我真的有抱紧你的冲动
我真的有想起你而感动
但谁能够保证这次不同
她已渗透渗透你的心中

我真的有抱紧你的冲动
我真的有想起你而感动
明白心动不碰就不心痛
多年以后我们除了问候
还可以握手

P.S.: I have to listen to this song at least once a day, really.

蔡淳佳-回家的路

Another touching song of perfection in melody, lyrics, vocal...