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Early 2009... Can't wait, can't wait...

As much I am Samantha, I am afterall Miranda. I'll never be Carrie, though sometimes I could be (my alterego definitely is she...), and I'll always take in Charlotte's words.

I am to love - 'that feels good...'
I am to Spring - 'Can you think of a better reason?'
I am to return - 'It took me a really long time to get here, but I'm here'
I am to a child - 'That's not our baby; our baby's coming'

Hamadryas Baboon (Papio hamadryas) is a baboon from the Old World monkey family. It is the northernmost of all the baboons; its range extends from the Red Sea in Egypt to Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia. It also lives on the Arabian peninsula (Saudi Arabia and Yemen). The Hamadryas Baboon was a sacred animal to the ancient Egyptians as the attendant of Thoth, and so, is also called the Sacred Baboon.

At Singapore Zoo, there's an exhibit called 'Hamadryas Baboons - The Great Rift Valley of Ethiopia' where you get to see these primates...

Now and then, I'd play some songs that were pretty much left at that corner to gather dust, and I discovered some Ning's songs.

Ning was a Malaysian singer- out of no where- created a bang with her powerful vocal. With her very first album, she managed to amplified herself so much so that everyone was watching her, labelling her the next big thing in Malaysia entertainment scene. She then came out with two or three more albums before fading off. Her fade is mainly due to controversies- her stage costumes weren't in accordance to Islam, her appearance on FHM, and so forth.

Nonetheless, I've always been a fan of Ning, and listening to her old songs, really brings back memory of riding in the backseat of my parent's car, lost in her song, not knowing what's the car window view as that would just be something passing... but Ning's Baizura's songs will always linger and resonant on...

She is still active in the music scene, but I suppose her glorious days are no longer as shimmering as before, or at least I don't think so...
To know more of her, do visit http://ningclix.blogspot.com where you can listen to some of her songs...

Here are two of her songs which I love; I've included the lyrics, as well as the translations...

Ning Baizura - Curiga
http://www.mediafire.com/?zdlgctu0jtd

Lyrics:
Curiga

Keasyikan layananmu
Mengambarkan kemesraan
Di antara sejuta kenangan

Di abadi dalam jiwa
Kepuraan timbul jua
Hakikatnya tersisih dari sisi

Chorus:
Mengapa ada persimpangan
Yang mememisahkannya
Di sebalik keasyikan itu
Lalu ku tersingkir menjauh
Di sudut memori duka
Abadi

Jika itu tak dipinta
Mengapakah tercipta
Dalam sedar
Semua itu kerna
Simpati atau lena
Dibuai gelisah dan curiga
ku tak pasti adanya perpisahan

Chorus (Repeat 2x)

Translation:
Suspicious/ Doubt

Your constant treatment
It's a picture perfect scenario of loving
Among the million memories

But forever in this being's mind
The fakeness/ impurity surfaces, however, somehow
And the truth is, the feeling of being sideline occurs

Chorus:
Why is there a crossroad
Which divides
Behind this constant loving
I distance myself
Into this far, sad corner
Forever

If that's not what requested
Why is this feeling appear
In my conscience
All that because
of sympathy or tiredness
The anxiety and doubt
For I'm not sure, if there's a parting


Ning Baizura - Kau dan Aku
http://www.mediafire.com/?zudpbseoypr

Lyrics:
Kau dan Aku

Mentari keemasan
Indah menyinar bumi
Burung bersiulan
Meniti pelangi

Ombak berlari-lari
Menyusur pantai impian
Membawa bersama
Misteri seribunya cinta

Engkau dan aku
Ada punya persamaan
Bagai alam diciptakan
Saling bergandingan
Berputik cinta asmara
Mekarnya berbunga
Menghiasi ruang taman hati ini
( Kau dan aku... )

Mentari di lautan
Warnanya berkilauan
Menyinari jiwa insan
Yang bercinta

Burung yang bersiulan
Berirama sungguh syahdu
Pastikan merestui
Cinta sucimu padaku


Translation:
You and I

The golden sun
Beautifully shining the earth
Birds a-whistling
Riding on the rainbow

Waves chasing
Towards the dream beach
As they bring along
the mystery of thousand loves

You and I
We have similarities
Just like the way the world is created
Symbiotically created
Where love blossoms
When it flowers
Beautify the garden space of the heart
(You and I...)

Sun at the sea
Shimmering
Shines on the beings
Who are in love

Birds a-singing
Beautiful melody
Which bless the beings
The virgin love from you to me

JM's latest single. So he's finally old enough to vote, by Singapore standard...

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i love kissing, and kissing you.
i love laying on a chest, and also on your heart.

the love weekend is special, for it sealed some kind of unspoken promise.
everything is put into some abstract perspective.

how things would change, i dunno... i leave it to as the rainbow speaks.
how things would stay the same, i dunno... for the constant is change.

i want to work things out, hell freezes over that i don't want that.
i want things to end, hell freezes over when that's what in my mind.

i love you; i don't say enough, for that's not my heart.
i hate you, what?!?

take me as i am, for that's what i am
change me, and it takes more than the world

take me as i am, you'll appreciate me more
change me, and you'll feel the distance

take me as i am, and you'll love me... more
change me, and you'll just hate me

take me as i am, and the future is clearer than it seems
change me, and the future is clearer than it seems

take me as i am, and you'll be loved
change me, and i hope you'll be loved

take me as i am, and i'll be loved
change me, and i hope i'll be loved

.....

blah

i hate and love myself
i wanna photograph myself, for i don't wanna forget how i look
i click, i scan, i comment at myselg
but some times i duuno what i'm im i'm i'm doing, i'm doing, i'm doing
i'm bipolar

i kiss myself in the mirror
i wanna fucj myself in the mirror; making love... intensive
i want to serve myself caviar
i want to eat chicken rice
i love and hate myself

take me, love me, for who i am
for i am transient
i'm not just at a crossround, i'm at a super-roundabout.

i buy in, i sell out
i kiss, i fake it

i am me, i hate and aloving and accepting me...

blah

It's dreadful whenever I see "The Best of" album; The songs featured are simply a compilation of previous releases, and if i'm a fan, i would have gotten those hits in my com, or in previous purchase.

Unlike other "The Best of" albums, The Cardigans on the other hand decided to release a 2-cd of some of the most memorable hits, with B-sides and hard-to-come-by versions included.

This album serves to map out the Swedish band's musical journey from being a sugary indie group well-loved by the Japanese to moody pop to quiet band rock. That being the general idea, the sounds of The Cardigans are simplistic, beautifully raw at times, genius at others. And Nina's voice is sultry whenever she whispers, whenever she talks in songs, whenever she gives a little breathing.

It's a truly must-have collection for fans and the curious of what the Cardigans sounds like besides Lovefool. Gran Turismo fan would have been better exposed, but there are more offers than just that; Carnival (Puck version) is the mellow child, Burning Down the House sticks out with attention; Laika is the original Junk of The Hearts.

Meanwhile, they are on a four-year-album-recording break and would most likely release their next studio album in 2009. Meanwhile, "The Best of" is what's keeping their fans avid. I sure hope they come up with another compilation, one with their solo works when they had their previous band-break in 2000.

It's a great song, it's a great MV, but somehow, I'm reminded of Namie's:

Gosh!!! I want these...
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They are available at http://www.openingceremony.us/. But at $95 per piece... :(
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"You get old before you knew it."

Looking through the stuff that I've boxed up over the years.
I remember how I first came to Singapore with the bare necessities, and a dictionary, and some forms- MOE's requirements and guidelines to moving to Singapore.

And I stayed on in Singapore for more than 10 years now. A few years back, I moved to KL due to work and I could sense how much I had been Singaporeanized. I complained. I squealed over inefficiencies. I longed for good taxi rides. I lamented on how hot to walk. And I relooked at the whole thing with different eyes and I relearned the skill of taking it easy. I learned to feel OK with sweat beneath my clothes. I aimed to drive around in search of good food. I let go and laughed ugly and sincere.

But a big chunk of me was still in Singapore. Every time I returned to my room, I saw how my room waited to spring to life. The monthly absence really put everything into sleep mode. It had become a routine to die and resurrected again, every time I left and returned to Singapore. And when I reached KL, I felt loved, and cheated when I had to leave for Singapore.

Life in transient.

I've moved from a boarding house, to university residence and now to a rented place. Each move is an uproot. Living in Singapore, I hve accepted that nothing stays. Memories can never be represented by walls, but only to stay in your head. Schools get torn down, buildigs demolished; memories are reduced to nothing. I can't bear to imagine what to feel if I get to know that my secondary school back in Msia would be torn down, to make way for development; I could still remember how my heart sink when the mural that my friends and I painted some time back is gone.

And now, having changed job recently, this house-moving is the biggest so far. I had gathered so much stuff that I need to get rid of most of them. I need to classify them as junk, junks that brings back memories. But I need to start anew, and start gathering new memories. I know, memories are of no use except to make us human. My memories have made me who I am, and new memories would improve me.

I am going down memory lane, and excited to see what's in my future store. I am conscious. I am alive. And I am not growing old before I knew it.

Damnit... Why do they have to be so young...

If you know any of them, let me know !!!

Went to my friend's birthday party on Friday and all I can say is, thanks alot for the invite.

I thought of getting him a Polaroid camera- it's such a fun camera for a fun person- but after searching for a good one for the whole week but to no avail, and the fact that Polaroid films would be discontinued, I decided to get him another cool image gadget instead- the lomo camera.

Keeping to the theme of the night, I decided to bling up the camera as well, and here's how it looks:

Since it's a camera, it would be wasted to be given away wrapped up with a ribbon, so I decided, "Why not use it to snap at the party itself? It's a fun camera, and it's gonna be a fun night!" Apparently, there were two parties going on at the hotel, and I was shuttling between them. The photos are as below (click on them for bigger view):

Personally, I enjoyed myself, and made a few friends at the parties. But of course, what happened after that is even better... ;)

I'm sure many of you ppl out there have been waiting until neck long long... the teaser is finally out:

This would be the last post of 2007. Hope it has treated you all well, and all the best wishes for 2008.

Ushering 2008 at Scarlet Hotel now...


Happy New Year 2008

Do your part, even if you are not signing it, do spread the words around...

"It's not a gay thing, it's about equality."

This LJ is not a public announcement platform of my life. It is not meant for strangers' reading pleasure, or for strangers to post anonymous comments. This LJ is for people whom I know, and comfortable to share with. Ok? ;)