During the Bandung trip, I have come to the realisation that the old songs of mine better kept within myself. Besides, instead of practicing my songs during my stay in Bundung (Indoesian), I have written new songs. So, for this new solo album of mine, why not?
After much consideration, I shall record the latest songs for my friends and families. And there you go, I am now practicing hard on these new songs. Hopefully, my NoEyeCandy band take some of the songs into our band core list.
Today (Thursday 13th) was bizarre. Perhaps it was too much Vodka I drank the night before. It was so surreal. First, my computer crashed this morning – after quite a while of false sense of stability. And I was full of sarcasm on virtually every topic. Next, I needed to work till midnight that voided one of my less than glorious plan (not going to elaborate, sorry and plus the computer crashed that disable me from retrieving the needed info). On my way back after a drink, I have nearly overshot a police car travelling at 90km/hr while I would have caught driving at 110km/hr had I not jam brake. According to my friend JT, the police starred at us. Exited from the highway, we were met with a police block which is kind of unusual and I swear my face was all red due to alcohol effect. I was holding my breath till the police let us go.
Eventful day …
Today I have this sudden thought that there are many things around us that we do clean regularly or even occasionally. But there are just some items that we don’t clean at all (besides coins and money notes that we keep passing around and don’t count). Well, at least I don’t. Don’t you wish you could clean …
Perhaps I shall start wth my handphone …
took the above photos when I had my lunch at the Botanical Garden. I was in shock when I witnessed the baby just playing with the plate of rice by pounding the spoon onto the plate for a good half an hour or more. Rice flying everywhere and if you think that the table was messy, the floor was worst. The poor waiter has to clean the floor a couple of times while the baby was having fun and the mother was just not giving a damn!
What shocked me more, besides at one time the baby dropped the spoon onto the floor and his brother picked it up from the floor and gave it back to the baby (guess what, the baby licked the spoon clean!), was the baby’s mother after seeing much of the rice was “eaten” refilled the plate with even more rice. What sort of motherhood is that?
I was used to admire the way Western culture brings up the children – teaching their kids more independent and all. Now, I really admire the Chinese way of upbringing – discipline and respect.
Well, I may be bias but you must understand the emotion I am going through with these pictures.
I remember towards the end of the the show “Something’s gotta Give”, the mother said to her daughter that they probably have more similarity than her daughter have thought ever since she was young. Having my mother and sister flying from Hong Kong visiting me over the weekend surely reminded me that amongst us, we do have a lot of things in common. Walking in the Botanical Garden after lunch was like having three of me walking together. All three of us took our time strolling in the park, observed everything from flowers to tree shapes, taking photos on every unique locations, and just walking till dusk. The entire experience was so enjoyable.
Back at home, my mother was showing the photo album that my father has composed in video format. My father must spent a lot of effort in making a 40 minutes slide show with background music, the photo selection and arrangement, and the title texts and effects. It must have been an obsession for him. And according to my mother, this video copy is already the “Greatest Hits”. I wouldn’t be able to image for a full length video will look like. At times, I have no doubt that all my passion and obsession in everything that I do – right now it is music making – comes from my father.
And back to the Botanical Garden trip, I have taken a total of 180 photos not counting those that I have deleted on the spot. Of course, that is nothing compare to my mother’s reputation in taking thousands of photo whenever she has a holiday overseas.
Interestingly, whenever I listen to my old vocal recording, I always find it horrible. Looking from past to present, it is an improvement. Looking from present to past, it is pure embarrassment. Good thing or not? I would rather be like Cynthia who is born with a good voice and no need to do 30-40 minutes warmup (like I do) before recording.
Just to further elaborate, my band member Jason for instance would politely ask me to lower the key of the song or suggest (sometimes subtlely) someone else to sing the song if he thinks that I can’t make it. And he suggested that Cynthia should sing the high part of the song Jealousy.
Today, I sang the song Jealousy with the new technique I have learnt over the last month (read: I have not been singing that song for a month) through the acoustic amplifier and my new classical guitar. Surprisingly, Cynthia found it ok to listen to. She mentioned that I am relax and consistent. (Just for the record, the last time I sang that song, Cynthia pointed out at least 26 words I went flat. Horrible.)
That is indeed an achievement because to earn that ok (and not great as cautioned by Cynthia) is not at all easy. I guess it is indeed a baby step. I do really want to able to sing the entire song without lowering the key or pass it to another vocalist again (like what I have done for 2 of my songs for the band already). After all, the instrumental track of the 16 minutes and 32 seconds song has been recorded so the key cannot be lowered.
God help me so …
When I dined with my friend TK showing him my new Ayumi Hamasaki album on Dec 22nd, he said that as a huge Ayumi fan, I should have bought the album on day one and not one week after. Well, I would not have known if Ayumi’s album did come out in Singapore one week ago (TK was in Japan during then) or it just came out on that day. Either case, I AM a huge fan and this album reminds me everything I love about Ayumi.
It has been a 2 years’ wait and it was worthwhile. A full album (close to 75 minutes of solid enjoyment) plus a bonus DVD packed with very nicely made videos and the “making of” videos. This CD+DVD edition comes with 4 different album covers. What are you waiting for?
I’ve had an interesting chat with JM and she kind of hinted to me that my wife should have our first kid before thirty. I told JM that the decision does not lie on me and me alone.
Then I asked JM that isn’t it better to buy babies (she corrected me: adopt) instead? I can even have the birth certificate with my name as the father! Imagine, no child bearing headache, no need to bear the pregnancy complication and as JM correctly pointed out: one less fortunate child in the world for each one adopted.
And you can just buy (or adopt) the gender you want. If you want a bigger family just because you got a bigger place, expansion is never easier. Just buy (or adopt) the right number.
Hmmm … anyway, JM maybe right. Whether one can live with this adoption concept is another thing.
Back to work after such a long hoilday is kind of surreal. Meeting everyone in the office and perhaps it was the festival mood, people behave differently. Better mood or just changes due to … new year resolution? Or just too much party over the weekend?
Anyway, I was happily surprised with the Christmas gifts that my colleagues have placed on my table. Kind of bring a warm feeling to my heart. (see photo on left)
The problem is that I am never good at getting gifts for my friends. I guess I will have to think of something else.
Perhaps my new year resolution is to observe more on what may have been a perfect gift to my friends.
I was contemplating whether or not to record my new songs written while I was in Bandung or to record the song Jealousy that is long overdue. I have decided to finish off the instrumental tracks for Jealousy.
I am so looking forward to finish off the vocal piece. This song will be the classic piece for my band No Eye Candy.