Tragic Comedy

Yang Kwaa Sia Jai (More Than Sad)

2007-08-17T17:05:00.000+08:00

Another touching ballad by Punch. Enjoy.

เสียแรง ที่รัก เสียแรง ที่ ไว้ใจ ไม่ นึก ว่า จะ ทำได้ ลงคอ
sĭa raeng têe rák sĭa raeng têe wái jai mâi néuk wâa jà tam dâai long kor
It’s a waste, darling, it’s a waste of time to believe that one will not speak heartlessly

ช่วย ตอบ สัก คำ ทำไม ไม่รู้ จัก พอ ทำไม ใจ เธอ ถม ไม่เคย เต็ม
chûay dtòp sàk kam tam-mai mâi róo jàk por tam-mai jai ter tŏm mâi koie dtem
Please tell me with just words why you are unaware, why your heart is filled but never full

* เสียแรง ที่ หวง เสียแรง ที่ ทุ่มเท ไม่เห็น ใจ กัน บ้าง เลย หรือ อย่างไร
* sĭa raeng têe hŭang sĭa raeng têe tôom tây mâi hĕn jai gan bâang loie rĕu yàang rai
It’s a waste of time to be jealous, a waste of time to be devoted. We can’t see each other’s heart quite completely in any way

เธอ ทำ อย่างนี้ ฉัน จะ มอง หน้า ใคร ได้ ทำไม ใจ เธอ ร้าย เหลือเกิน
ter tam yàang née chăn jà mong nâa krai dâai tam-mai jai ter ráai lĕua gern
You're someone like that, and I can see right in front of me, why you heart is so bad

ไม่ เห็นกับตา ก็ คง ไม่ เชื่อ ไม่ เจอ กับ ตัว คง โง่ ไป อีก นาน
mâi hĕn gàp dtaa gôr kong mâi chêua mâi jer gàp dtua kong ngôh bpai èek naan
If I didn’t see it with my eyes, I probably wouldn’t have believed. If I didn’t meet you, I may once again be fooled for a long time

** คนรัก กัน ไม่ น่าจะ ทำได้ ลง ความซื่อตรง ไม่มี บ้าง เลย หรือไร
** kon rák gan mâi nâa jà tam dâai long kwaam sêu dtrong mâi mee bâang loie rĕu-rai
Lovers shouldn’t have any less honesty between them

ถึงแม้ วันนี้ เรา ต้องตา ย จากกัน ไป ยัง ไม่ เสียใจ เท่า นี้ เลย
tĕung máe wan née rao dtông dtaa ย jàak gan bpai yang mâi sĭa jai tâo née loie
We may look all right as we part today, it’s really not as sad as it appears to be

ที่ เสียน้ำตา วันนี้ ไม่ใช่ เพราะ เธอ ทิ้ง ฉัน ไป แต่ เสียใจ ที่ ลืม เธอ ไม่ ลง
têe sĭa nám dtaa wan née mâi châi prór ter tíng chăn bpai dtàe sĭa jai têe leum ter mâi long
I shed tears today not because you are leaving me, but because I can’t seem to forget you

When Babel Founded Babble: The More Indifferent The More I Love

2007-07-31T10:45:00.000+08:00

This is my first attempt at translating a Thai song into English, though it's not that I know the words by heart. I used a website (link provided at the bottom of the page) which gives you the meaning of the Thai words in Words in English when you mouse-over them, and I re-worded everything so they make more sense in English. Therefore, the English lyrics do not match the Thai version word for word, but the meaning should get across quite decently.

It's a really nice and boppy song by a Thai female pop rocker called Punch. I chanced upon her CD in Golden Mile Complex while feverishly trying to dig out as many Marsha Wattanapanich CDs as I could find. She (Punch) looked pretty nice on the CD cover, and with the presence of some guitar and guitar amps, I thought I wouldn't be too far wrong buying this one. Turned out to be a gem of an album which spins to live every morning I wake up. Kind of like an energy supplement taken through the ears.

Try it.

ศิลปิน : พั้นช์ (Punch)
เพลง : ยิ่งเฉยยิ่งชอบ Song title: The More Indifferent The More I Love

เจอะกัน อีกแล้ว เจอะกัน อีกแล้ว
jè gan èek láew jè gan èek láew
When we meet more When we meet more

ทำ เป็น มอง เป็น เมิน ทำ ไม่เห็น
tam bpen mong bpen mern tam mâi hĕn
We see but pretend not to notice

รู้ว่า ไม่ แคร์ รู้ว่า ไม่เคยจะ สนใจ
róo wâa mâi kâe róo wâa mâi-koie-jà sŏn-jai
Know that I don’t care, know that I’m not interested

* เธอ เท่านั้น ที่ เป็น อย่างนี้
* ter tâo nán têe bpen yàang née
It’s only you who’s like this

เธอ คน นี้ ไม่ ๆ เหมือน อย่าง ใคร
ter kon née mâi ๆ mĕuan yàang krai
You’re one who’s like no one else

เก็บ เอา ไป นอน ฝัน คิดถึง ซะ มากมาย
gèp ao bpai non făn kít tĕung sá mâak maai
I want very much to keep my longing for you in my dreams

ทั้งๆ ที่ เธอ ไม่ แคร์ ฉัน เลย
táng-táng têe ter mâi kâe chăn loie
Even though you don’t really care about me

** ทำไม ชอบ มอง คน ที่ ไม่ ชอบ เรา
** tam-mai chôp mong kon têe mâi chôp rao
Why do I like looking at him who doesn’t like me

ที่ เค้า ชอบ เรา เรา ก็ ทำ เฉยเมย
têe káo chôp rao rao gôr tam chŏie-moie
He likes me but I too am unmoved

ไม่เคย เข้าใจ ทำไม ชอบ เค้า จังเลย
mâi koie kâo jai tam-mai chôp káo jang loie
I never understood why I like him so much

ยิ่ง ทำ เฉย - เฉย ยิ่ง ชอบ ยิ่ง รัก เข้าไป ใหญ่
yîng tam chŏie - chŏie yîng chôp yîng rák kâo bpai yài
The more indifferent I seem, the more I like, the stronger my love for him becomes

อยาก เจอ อีกแล้ว อยาก มอง อีกแล้ว
yàak jer èek láew yàak mong èek láew
I want to meet him more I want to meet him more

ทำ เป็น มืน เป็น ตึง ยิ่ง น่ารัก
tam bpen meun bpen dteung yîng nâa rák
When he gets upset at my indifference, the cuter he looks

รู้ว่า ไม่ ควร รู้ว่า ไม่ แคร์ แต่ ชอบ เธอ
róo wâa mâi kuan róo wâa mâi kâe dtàe chôp ter
I know that I shouldn’t, I know that I don’t care, but I like you

Repeat **

http://www.thai2english.com/trans.html?query_id=92542

The Golden Bird

2007-07-17T14:57:00.000+08:00

This is a profound story I came across when watching a Hong Kong cops-and-triads drama serial Split Second on local TV, where an undercover cop was telling this little story to a little girl. Though the story was meant for a child, its meaning can impact anyone who understands the underlying message of cherishing what we have with us.

There was once a farmer who had a silver bird. It came mysteriously from somewhere unknown to anybody, but had chosen to stay with this farmer. The silver bird was no ordinary bird. Besides its incredible beauty, it was able to sing and talk. Not a regular feature in birds. Not only can it speak, it understands human emotion as if it was a human being itself, and was thus able to communicate with the farmer like a human friend. The farmer and the bird spent many happy days together, and the silver bird was able to cheer the man with its singing and in engaging in blabbers (it’s not really known whether the bid was male or female, but let’s keep the mystery intact).

One day, while out in the field in the golden sunset, the bird noticed that the farmer looked listless, his usual smile absent from his face, a blank, emotionless countenance. The bird asked, “Why do you look so unhappy? Aren’t you happy with my companionship?” The farmer replied, “I’ve had many happy moments with you. But deep in my heart, I’ve always wanted a golden bird by my side.” Those words immediately tied a boulder to the silver bird’s heart and dropped from a height. Utterly disappointed by what it heard, it remained silent for a moment before spreading its wings and rising in the air above the farmer’s head. It circled above his head for three rounds before flying away, as a parting salutation, the bird’s way of saying goodbye, forever.

As the farmer watched the bird flying out into the sun, he suddenly saw something. In the amber-drenched sky, he saw a golden bird.

你的香气 Your Fragrance

2007-07-04T16:16:00.000+08:00

A really nice song that I came across on the net. Click on the title and have a listen.

Gastronautics Melaka

2007-06-23T11:25:00.000+08:00

http://picasaweb.google.com/scream.ed/MelakaWalker07
(or click on the heading if the link doesn't work. You can also copy and paste the link into your URL bar.)

Weeks prior to attending my church camp in Austin Hills Golf Resort, JB, Malaysia, I decided to satisfy my gastronomical desire and do a gastro-trip back to Melaka. Back, because I was there last June for our church camp at Century Mahkota.

Legend has it that there was this supposed food spirit in Melaka (not the Tinkerbell kind. Think Shrek. He appears in the photos in the link), unmistakably identifiable with his omnipresent tummy and sentences punctuated with "That fella..." who could, and is pretty keen to, take people around to sample common man Melakan fare all over the place. Most of his recommendations were overhyped a few metres above the heavens, but in all honesty, they do taste pretty good. Let's just know him as That Fella.

That Fella's recommendation?

One. The all-important Circque de Soleil-esque Pasar Malam that happens every Tuesday in his area. The only time and place where you can grab goodies for RM 1, or thereabout. Include things like Ramly burgers, satars, sweetcorns, roast birds, etc. You can buy toys, sundry, clothes, bras and panties, and other goods here cheap, but do not expect artsy or esoteric merchandise a la Chatuchak here. The important thing is the price, not the far-out factor.

Two. Ayam golek. Basically Kenny Rogers minus the glam and side dishes. The roast chickens do taste good. The shop also has a relaxed, hang-out feel to it for you to enjoy your ayam golek in. Golek, by the way, means rotating the chicken on the skewer over the fire.

Three. Sate Celup. This is where you dip sticks of cold or uncooked food skewered on satay-style into a centralized pot of boiling peanut sauce (the type that is similar to what you dip regular satays into, though I found it to taste a little different), and everyone just gathers around, eating and talking. Word has been going around that this sort of practise is unhygenic, especially in instances where you take a bite into your food, upon finding it to be uncompletely cooked, dip the stick back in again. Multiply that by the number of time this may happen with the number of people congregating around the pot, you get the idea. When you get thick into the action, and when you start learning to like the taste of what you are eating, though, you find that you don't really care anyway.

Four. Old Town White Coffee. Their version of Ya Kun. The coffee, or tea for me, are nice and aromatic, along with the same menu of kaya toasts, thick toasts and eggs, among other things. Another nice place to hang out if you like being the Ya Kun-hanger type.

And all sorts. That's That Fella's version of 'etc.' There are all sorts of coffeeshops, restaurants and such peppered all over Melaka. Take the time to go around, and you may just find your personal gastronomical Mecca here.

Note: The photo album doesn't feature many shots of what we have eaten, though. By the time we realize we want to take pictures of them, they were already chewed and swallowed. For those of you who have not seen Melaka before, however, hope the shots will help a little.

Notice

2007-05-22T11:23:00.001+08:00

In spite of the overwhelming amount of What thes around here, there are still many entries available for reading. Please take a look around. Thanks.

What the...?! XIII

2007-05-22T11:21:00.001+08:00

You Should Rule Mercury

Close to sun, Mercury has very long days - and is rarely visible to the rest of the solar system.

You are perfect to rule Mercury, because you live for the present - and can truly enjoy a day that goes on forever.

Like Mercury, you are quick and elusive. Your wit is outstanding, and you can win any verbal sparring match.

Some people see you as superficial, but in truth, you just play many roles and have many interests.

A great manipulator, you usually get what you want from people. And they're happy to give it to you.

What Planet Should You Rule?

What the...?! XII

2007-05-22T11:11:00.001+08:00

What Edward Means

E is for Entertaining

D is for Dignified

W is for Worldly

A is for Adventurous

R is for Rare

D is for Dramatic

What Does Your Name Mean?

What the...?! XII

2007-05-22T11:04:00.001+08:00

Your Personality Profile

You are funky, outdoorsy, and down to earth.

While you may not be a total hippie...

You're definitely one of the most free spirited people around.

You are very impulsive - every day is a new adventure.

However, you do put some thought behind all your actions.

Still, you do tend to shock and offend people from time to time!

The World's Shortest Personality Test

What the...?! XI

2007-05-22T11:03:00.001+08:00

You Follow Your Heart

You're romantic, sentimental, and emotional.

You tend to fall in (and out of) love very quickly.

Some may call you fickle, but you can't help where your emotions take you.

You've definitely broken a few hearts, but you're not a heartbreaker by nature.

Your intentions are always good, even if they change with the wind

Do You Follow Your Head or Your Heart?

What the...?! X

2007-05-22T10:43:00.001+08:00

Your Aura is Orange

You're a bit of a loner, but you're never lonely. You know how to entertain yourself.

Whether you're trying an extreme sport or a new weird food, you always live on the edge.

The purpose of your life: testing limits - both physical and mental... and then telling people about it.

Famous oranges include: Timothy Leary, David Blaine, Tony Hawk, Carey Hart

Careers for you to try: Snowboarder, Circus Performer, Undercover Agent

What Color Is Your Aura?

What the...?! IX

2007-05-22T10:31:00.000+08:00

Your Element Is Air

You dislike conflict, and you've been able to rise above the angst of the world.

And when things don't go your way, you know they'll blow over quickly.

Easygoing, you tend to find joy from the simple things in life.

You roll with the punches, and as a result, your life is light and cheerful.

You find it easy to adapt to most situations, and you're an open person.

With you, what you see is what you get... and people love that!

What's Your Element?

What the...?! VIII

2007-05-22T10:28:00.001+08:00

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to good manners and elegance.

In love, you feel the most alive when everything is uncertain, one moment heaven... the next moment hell.

You'd like to your lover to think you are optimistic and happy.

You would be forced to break up with someone who was ruthless, cold-blooded, and sarcastic.

Your ideal relationship is open. Both of you can talk about everything... no secrets.

Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment.

You think of marriage something you've always wanted... though you haven't really thought about it.

In this moment, you think of love as something you don't need. You just feel like flirting around and playing right now.

What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

What the...?! VII

2007-05-22T10:24:00.001+08:00

You Would Choose Love

Money may buy a little happiness, but not the happiness of true love.

You rather have a true soulmate than a private jet.

And while many people may claim they would choose love too...

You're one of the few who would really do it.

Would You Choose Love or Money?

What the...?! VI

2007-05-22T10:21:00.000+08:00

The True You

You want your girlfriend or boyfriend to dress well and take care of him / herself.

With respect to money, you save for a rainy day.

You think good luck is something you won't attain - you expect bad luck.

The hidden side of your personality tends to be methodical in your ways - with trouble adapting to the rules of society.

You have a tendency to overdo things, but basically you value your friendships highly.

When it comes to finding a romantic partner, you will search and search until you find your perfect match.

Who's The True You?

Man, how true is that...

What The...?! V

2007-05-22T10:19:00.001+08:00

What Your Hands Say About You

You are artistic, intuitive, and inspired. You have good people skills.

Flexible and broad minded, you can fit in to any situation. There's no telling where your life will take you.

Consistent and reliable, you like to count on structure and routine in your life.

Your emotions tend to be nervous and potent. Your energy - both positive and negative - deeply impacts your life.

What Do Your Hands Say About You?

What the...?! IV

2007-05-22T10:16:00.001+08:00

Your Life is Rated PG-13

Your life isn't totally scandalous, but you definitely don't shy away from adult themes!

What is Your Life Rated?

What the...?! III

2007-05-22T10:03:00.000+08:00

You Are a Centaur

In general, you are a very cautious and reserved person.

However, you are also warm hearted, and you enjoy helping others in practical ways.

You are a great teacher, and you are really good at helping people get their lives in order.

You are very intuitive, and you go with your gut. You make good decisions easily.

What Mythological Creature Are You?

What The...?! II

2007-05-22T09:58:00.001+08:00

What Your Bathroom Habits Say About You

You are a very considerate person, but that doesn't mean you let people walk all over you.

You spend a lot on clothes, and you tend to be a very dresser. However, it's hard for you to throw away trendy clothes when they go out of style.

You are a little shy and easily embarrassed. You often wonder if you are normal.

In relationships, you are practical and realistic. You have a romantic side, but you only let it out when it's appropriate.

What Do Your Bathroom Habits Say About You?

What the...?! (Let's start counting again)

2007-05-22T09:49:00.001+08:00

Your Love Is Represented By a Red Rose

You love passionately and fully, without any reservations.

And while romantic love comes easily for you, you also love many people platonically.

You are a true romantic, and you always can see the best in people.

What Rose Represents Your Love?

Same same, but different

2007-05-16T11:43:00.000+08:00

Writer same same

Topic different

www.samesamebutnotsame.blogspot.com

Hangin' by the B....

2007-05-14T11:44:00.000+08:00

Having finished reading Thai Girl by Andrew Hicks two weeks ago, which took me about a month, a major feat for my reading speed, I was left with a lingering feeling of loss and a 'what's next...' syndrome, thanks in no small way to the unresolved ending of the book. Thanks, Andrew! You took me for a wild ride, hit the brakes in the middle of nowhere, got off the bus with the engine still running and ran off to who knows where.

One thing's for sure, though. This is not your typical love story where the guy ALWAYS gets the girl in the end, however much they twist and contort the plot that leads up to that ending. No Mills-and-Boons-book-jackets kind of humping anywhere in the book, but lots of dialogues between the two main characters during massage sessions about the female lead's life, and in the process, giving us more than a glimpse into the life of the Thais of different parts, particularly the plight of village girls who were sent out to work in the cities. You can find the synopsis of the book, as well as other information by clicking on the heading. There's no need for me to repeat what has been done to death already, i.e. book reviews and synopses, available everywhere else with a Google search.

Of course, there are the expected expose on subjects like poverty and sex tourism in Thailand, as seen through the eyes of the people the main character, Ben, met during his adventure in Thailand. Beneath that layer, however, as I discovered, lies an understated, silent narrative about reaching for something within our sight but not within our grasp, of frustration and a certain sense of helplessness. Oh, how frustrating Ben must have felt in his pursuit of Fon, the charming and innocent but strong-willed masseuse who works on a beach resort. Then there's the tension of how certain trades are seen as a taboo in society in general, yet accepted as a mean to avert the highly undesirable effects of poverty. The girls who ply them are often cast in an unholy duality of being the financial pillars of their poor families and the stereotypical sex-off-the-shelf, much to their resignation and that of the people dear to them. One of the many backlashes of such 'sacrifices' is, according to what Fon told Ben, that being seen around a farang alone raises the suspicion that the girl in question is a bar girl (typically from Pattaya, so implies Fon), or someone who's tagging along the farang for the money.

On the flip side, would that imply that a foreigner scooting around a Thai girl is necessarily a sex tourist of some sort? Could there not be a more benign relationship between a Thai girl and a non-Thai man? With this comes also the eternal struggle between supply and demand, each trying to make the other the root of all their following evils. You will discover, weaved in the story, many of these really grey tales snaking across what's not wrong, what's justifiable and what's tolerated like a tuk-tuk driver through the Bangkok streets, with nary a judgment being made. Most probably because no one has the answer.

Hey, perhaps Andrew Hicks didn't intend to make such a bellyhoo of a philosophical statement in his book. Maybe it's more borne out of the empathy I had for Ben through real experiences in Thailand. Perhaps it's also a reflection of the way life is, that there are simply no answers to certain things that challenge our thirst for a justification in whatever befall us. Who knows?

Oh, yeah. You will get to learn a few Thai words along the way.

In the Realm of the Senses I: Loi Krathong

2007-04-13T13:44:00.000+08:00

An old Thai proverb says that "When a boy and a girl launch a krathong together, they will be lovers this life or next life".

We should all be so fortunate.

My Japanese Smiley (Also part of What the...?!)

2007-03-31T13:29:00.001+08:00

You Are "Tearful"

What Japanese Smiley Are You?

(even more...) What the...?!

2007-03-31T13:10:00.001+08:00

Your Seduction Style: Au Natural

You rank up there with your seduction skills, though you might not know it.

That's because you're a natural at seduction. You don't realize your power!

The root of your natural seduction power: your innocence and optimism.

You're the type of person who happily plays around and creates a unique little world.

Little do you know that your personal paradise is so appealing that it sucks people in.

You find joy in everything - so is it any surprise that people find joy in you?

You bring back the inner child in everyone you meet with your sincere and spontaneous ways.

Your childlike (but not childish) behavior also inspires others to care for you.

As a result, those who you befriend and date tend to be incredibly loyal to you.

What Kind of Seducer Are You?

What the...?!

2007-03-31T12:58:00.000+08:00

You Are From Mercury

You are talkative, clever, and knowledgeable - and it shows.

You probably never leave home without your cell phone!

You're witty, expressive, and aware of everything going on around you.

You love learning, playing, and taking in all of what life has to offer.

Be careful not to talk your friends' ears off, and temper your need to know everything.

What Planet Are You From?

What the...? (uhh...)

2007-03-31T12:49:00.001+08:00

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well.

An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly.

You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view.

A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary.

You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

What the...?! (add the numbers...)

2007-03-31T12:38:00.001+08:00

You Were Born Under:

Popular and crafty, you are a master at the art of seduction.

You are intelligent and intuitive - and make a savvy businessperson.

You live life to the fullest, even if it means maxing out your credit cards.

Many people are secretly (and hopelessly) in love with you.

You are most compatible with a Rooster or Ox.

What Year Were You Born Under?

What the...?! X

2007-03-31T12:36:00.000+08:00

You Are 67% Sexy

Your Sex Appeal Is: Extremely High

You're very sexy. You just have that certain something that takes over a room.

You know how to attract, entice, and keep whoever you want. You are truly appealing.

How Much Sex Appeal Do You Have?

What the...?! Pt IX

2007-03-31T12:32:00.000+08:00

You May Be a Bit Schizotypal...

A bit odd and socially isolated.

You couldn't care less of what others think.

And some of your beliefs are a little weird.

Like that time you thought you were Jesus.

What Personality Disorder Are You?

What the ...?! Pt VIII

2007-03-31T12:22:00.001+08:00

Gemini - Your Love Profile

Your positive traits:

Your lively, outgoing attitude attracts people to you everywhere you go.

You can talk your way into - and out of - any situation you desire.

You're adaptable enough to flirt with anyone - and people tend to fight over you.

Your negative traits:

You get easily bored in relationships, and tend to jump from person to person.

You tend to be a bit of a player - and have a high tolerance for drama in relationships.

Not the most empathetic person, you tend to tell lovers to "get over" their problems.

Your ideal partner:

Is intelligent and quick witted enough to keep you interested.

Is a bit of a shape shifter, providing you with the variety you crave.

An open minded person, who's willing to have a non-traditional relationship.

Your dating style:

Exciting. If your date shows you a new experience (like Egyptian food or scuba diving), you're very happy.

Your seduction style:

Experimental: it's rare that you try the same thing twice.

Ultra kinky - you do stuff that's not even in books yet.

Hot and cold... sometimes you're just not into the whole sex thing.

Tips for the future:

Settle down a little. Sometimes good things come with time - so don't let people go so fast.

Acknowledge that you're a player and flirt. If your mate can't live with this, find someone who can.

Give your partner a little more attention. You don't have to be a social butterfly all the time.

Best color to attract mate: Sunny yellow

Best day for a date: Wednesday

What's Your Love Profile?

What the ...?! Pt VII

2007-03-31T11:45:00.001+08:00

You Are Very Worldly

You're an international jet setter - or pretty darn close.

And while you may feel like you have many more places to visit...

Most people live their whole lives without seeing what you've seen.

In fact, you're probably going to be traveling again soon. So Bon Voyage!

How Worldly Are You?

What the ...?! Pt VI

2007-03-31T11:42:00.001+08:00

What Your Soul Really Looks Like

You are a warm hearted and open minded person. It's easy for you to forgive and forget.

You are a very grounded, responsible, and realistic person. People may not want to hear the truth from you, but they're going to get it.

You see yourself with pretty objective eyes. How you view yourself is almost exactly how other people view you.

Your near future is calm, relaxing, and pretty much what you want. And it's something you've been anticipating for a while now.

For you, falling in love is all about flirting and feeling playful. You couldn't fall in love with someone who took life too seriously.

Inside the Room of Your Soul

What the ...?! Pt V

2007-03-31T11:40:00.000+08:00

Your Quirk Factor: 53%

You're a pretty quirky person, but you're just normal enough to hide it.

Congratulations - you've fooled other people into thinking you're just like them!

How Quirky Are You?

What the...?! Pt IV

2007-03-31T11:35:00.001+08:00

You True Love Will Find You

When it comes to love (and life), you totally put yourself out there.

It's very easy for you to find love - and for love to find you.

The best part is, you're never even actively looking to meet someone.

You're just out there so much that love always seems to come your way.

Will Your True Love Find You?

The first piece of bullshit...

What The...?! Pt III

2007-03-31T11:32:00.001+08:00

The Movie Of Your Life Is A Black Comedy

In your life, things are so twisted that you just have to laugh.

You may end up insane, but you'll have fun on the way to the asylum.

Your best movie matches: Being John Malkovich, The Royal Tenenbaums, American Psycho

If Your Life Was a Movie, What Genre Would It Be?

on and on we go...

What the...?! Pt II

2007-03-31T11:26:00.000+08:00

Your Personality is Somewhat Rare (ISTP)

Your personality type is reserved, methodical, spirited, and intense.

Only about 6% of all people have your personality, including 3% of all women and 8% of all men

You are Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, and Perceiving.

How Rare Is Your Personality?

Hey, I'm having fun with this...

What the...?! Pt I

2007-03-31T11:20:00.000+08:00

This is supposed to be me...

You Are a Coy Flirt

You may not seem like you're flirting, but you know exactly what you're doing.

You draw people in, very calculatingly, without them even knowing.

Subtle and understated, you know how to best leverage your sex appeal.

A sexy enigma, you easily become an object of obsession.

What Kind of Flirt Are You?

Courtesy of www.blogthings.com

PS: I took this idea after surfing someone else's blog. If you think I've ripped you off, please accept my apologies and thanks, but let me keep my blogthings here ya?

I KNow What I Did Last Summer (and the rest of the seasons)

2007-03-06T15:45:00.000+08:00

You want cliches? You get cliches!

A picture paints a thousand words. How about a few Flickr pages worth then?

Well, as my photography is not top-notch, each picture would paint less than a thousand words, but it gives you a glimpse of what I have been up to at some points in my life, until I get 'round to putting those experiences and thoughts down in words.

In the meanwhile, hope you enjoy these shots.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wanderlust_ed/

And if you're wondering, the shots in the first two pages were taken here:

http://www.doitung.org/doitung/travel/garden.asp

You'd find it a really nice place if you're there for yourself. If not, just trust that it is a nice place.

Just a little note: the photos from page 5 and a half onwards on Flickr are a collection of shots taken over three separate trips to the same place in the span of one year (2006), arranged in no particular order. Whatever mental state you think I'm in, I just hope you enjoy the pictures.

Hey, why don't you look at the pictures and tell me what I was doing or what was going on, and I'll tell you if you're right or not?

A Three-point Trippy New Year

2007-03-06T09:57:00.000+08:00

This has to be one of the trippiest new year I've been through in my life. No, I haven't taken up drugs, but the way life has it, it just wasn't the usual way things happen for me as far as sequences of events go.

Ichi
No partying of any form, no watch night of any form, no hand-shaking and no 'Happy New Year' hollers of any form. Just spent my new year freezing my ass off at 7 degrees celsius or so on a Chiang Rai mountain district called Doi Wawi watching B-grade horror flicks and swallowing two packs of local tom-yam flavored instant noodles and a cup of Ovaltine every night with a good friend, just to make sure ice doesn't form on our collective asses. And, two months after the fact, and in the midst of Chinese New Year, I learned the Thai word for 'happy new year'.

Sawadee bi mai to all.

Ni
Just when I thought I didn't have that many things to look forward to in the new year, a bunch of old friends came back to life. Thanks to the search function in Friendster, a bunch of old secondary nakama suddenly did a Backstreet Boys and reunited. Birds of a feather really do flock together, no matter how ruffled they have been over the years. Great to see you people once again!

San
Just when I thought I didn't have that many things to look forward to in the new year, I suddenly remembered I had taken JLPT last December, and my results were still a mystery. Then I got home last Wednesday and found an envelope from JCS (Japanese Cultural Society) lying on my table. While I was happy to know that the result slip managed to find its way from Japan into my home, I nevertheless tore it open with trepidition. Heck, I was thinking, if it all went down south, I didn't know what I should feel. Time stood still for a few seconds, but I made it move again with a tearing stroke to the envelope.

And.... I PASSED!!!

Haha... not with flying colours, but with sombre black carbon saying 259/400, which is 1 point short of a legitimate 65%. But I round it up anyway, and so it's a 65%. Nothing to warrant an onslaught of confetti, but if you have read my previous post about my taking JLPT 3, you'd understand my sigh of relief. Now, the world may carry on with its course around the sun.

What's next?

That's a good question. Let me know when you have stopped asking that about your life altogether.

Stay tuned for the next episode.

Slap My Guit Up!

2007-01-25T11:24:00.000+08:00

On the subject of guitar, let me just banter a bit about some alternative ways of playing that have inspired me. Like any average G-string puller littered 'round this side of Guitar Heroes Clone-O-Rama, I am constantly working on improving every known conventional playing technique I have learnt: bending, hammer-ons, pull-offs, tapping, pinch harmonic wailings, blah blah blah. Haven't I evolved, you ask? Well, do not underestimate the power of conventional playing. An integration of the above techniques (and more. See "blah blah blah") in the context of a driving number damped with classical-metal amalgated influence would produce something like

Scarified by Racer X (that's Paul Gilbert burning on the guitar)

Or see my previous post about Canon Rock.

As if those aren't enough to make your fingers bleed and brain cloud, here comes

Erik Mongrain telling you that you don't have to wank the guitar the same way all the time.

For those of us who are stuck or overly obsessed with trying to "get it right", step out into the sun for a moment and let the music happen. Your guitar still loves you in spite of what you can, able and will do to it, and would scream, wail, pop, whisper, ping and whine at your command.

Will your __________ let you do that?

Jerry Can On Rock

2007-01-24T12:37:00.000+08:00

I never was a fan of classical music, though I am aware of the cerebral-enhancing effects researches have purported this genre to have, as opposed to the cerebral-eroding effect of rock and their heavier counterparts, i.e. metal. Some classical stuff are pretty good solutions to insomnia too. Think Blue Danube. Some are as mood-swing-inducing as it can get. Beethoven’s symphony I-dunno-number-what (told’ya I’m not a fan). One must admit, though, there are those who are into classical music as a status-propelling platform to be “up there” with The League. Pop a classical CD in the Lamborghini and you’re gonna get your chicks riding high for free. Same effect if you have Kenny G blowin’ in your ride, but they just attract a different variety.

Let’s be honest. How many of us bengs here actually know classical music and appreciate them as they are without degrading them to chick-snaring arsenals? How many chicks you have snared so far really know what they are listening to?

Sore de, being the rock guitarist that I am, and an incompetent chick-magnet who balks at unleashing brain music on clueless bombshells, how does one get in on learning to appreciate the classical for what they are, music?

Two words. Jerry C. On Youtube.

Growing up learning to play rock guitar without regards for taking theory exams and knowing the foundations of timeless music (read classical music), I had next to zero idea on the rich melodic content and the undeniable influence they have on all music. In my youth I have heard Yngwie Malmsteen ripping Bach-influenced solos and performing Suites on his Fenders, but his skills and musicality at that time had already far exceeded the limits of what I could do on my guitar. Up till then, classical music on rock guitar existed in my consciousness as an esoteric skill achieved only by the chosen few guitar gods that walked the Earth. Check out Jason Becker’s Caprice No. 5 on Youtube, and you’ll see what I mean.

A chance glimpse, however, of a trailer for a local charity program on TV brought to my attention a certain title I have not come across previously: Canon Rock. Up till then, I had absolutely no idea what a canon is. All I saw was close-ups on Singapore Idol no. 2 Sylvester Sim wanking on a Zakk Wylde Les Paul, intensely focused on churning out a melody the kind folks who produced the trailer muted in favor of a ranting voice-over promoting the show. A few days after the show, the denizens of a certain local music forum were found to be flaming him like he was a hapless burger patty on a BK grill. Most were in disgust that his not-so-good redition desecrated the original arrangement of the piece by a then not-so-well-known Taiwanese musician. Though I must say, all that are still secondary to the ire he incited among the more rational, non-nymphite multitude with his pouting on national television.

Back to the point.

All that got me curious about this Jerry C fella. So I keyed in the name on Youtube and took a look at his home-made video.

I was floored.

At last, here is one classical piece that can be played by a mortal below the echleon of Malmsteen and the likes. Incidentally, I found that it had a very pleasing melody. With a new breath of life, I picked up my guitar and looked at it with renewed vigor. I have found a new challenge that could help me take my playing to the next level. Though, up till now, I can only manage to play the first minute or so, it has become one of my essential practice pieces of '07. So what if I become one of the legion of Jerry C wannabes? At least I'd be a skilful wannabe. Watch for me on Youtube playing a cover of Canon Rock? Maybe not...

And so it is, if nothing else, year 2007 will be a year I shall conquer Canon Rock, and have them chicks gawking at me in awe without the need for a flashy ride and a Kenny G CD inside. And, without the pout. Wahahaha….

Of Feet Magnetized...

2007-01-09T11:19:00.000+08:00

Here I am again (though the foot in the picture's not mine...), on familiar dirt that has probably been divinely magnetized somehow to be of the opposite polarity from my feet. Why else am I so attracted to this place that I have, within the year of 2006, returned thrice, counting this time?

Does this photo help make some sense? ^

Or this?

Welcome to another world.

Post-Christmas 2006

2006-12-26T04:55:00.000+08:00

Three months since the booking of my flight to Chiang Mai, about 45 minutes prior to boarding, and I still can't shake off this weird feeling. A reluctance to leave. An inertia that's holding me back to familiar grounds. An unwillingness to return to a place that is actually no stranger to me. Yet every time I return to Chiang Mai, it feels like I'm there for the first time. Maybe the prospects of travelling more or less alone doesn't appeal to me as much as I thought it would. Perhaps the unfamiliar holds as much insecurity as it does allure.

Stranger in a strange land for a strange ass.

But here I am, anyway, awaiting my entry into yet another tale to tell in my personal life in a land I know, yet could not call my own. With trepidition, and a waft of unrelenting sleepiness in my head. It's 5 am in the morning, post-Christmas caroling, Japanese sake, and a whole bunch of wild thoughts running through my head while waiting for this trip to happen.

Here goes, for what it's worth.

"You May Check Out Anytime You Like, But You May Never Leave..."

2006-12-18T11:48:00.000+08:00

If you ask me about this year, I feel like a passenger on a vehicle to which I have no control, on a course I do not ge t to dictate, and whose passengers I cannot regulate. My sole duty is to sit right there and watch people board and alight. Come and go. Some say hello, some stayed for a chat, some walk right past, some gone and never to be seen again, some went missing for a long time and returned suddenly, only to tell you they are going away, further than where they went the first time. The vehicle does't stop, but people get on and off as if a stop is not needed. The scenery outside the window changes ever so rapidly. Your pace doesn't matter. They just keep going.

Then there are those who got into the same carriage as me, watching the same scene side by side, and none of us could do a thing about it. We just watch and compare notes. Along the way, we learn to cherish each other's company instead of whining about how we are on the same boat. Who cares what boat that is, it's good enough to know there are passengers you can enjoy the ride with.

Screw it with those who get off. Goodbye. For those who just got on, welcome aboard. I'll continue the ride into the next year.

Merry Christmas!

When Babel Founded Babble: Test Tickles

2006-11-27T14:49:00.000+08:00

The past week had me facing two tests: the final test for my Japanese intermediate module, and the basic driving theory test.

Basic Theory Test

The latter was quite a stupid mistake, to put it plainly. After surviving a skid on the winding road of a northern Thai mountain and a fleeting encounter with a local (female) road angel, my heart became enamored with the desire of riding a motorcycle. Once, it was for the guts and the glory, now simply to know if I could avoid a sophomore gory. So it went that I went to a driving center, with perhaps a misinformed idea that I had to pass the basic driving theory so that I'd understand, albeit legally, the rules of engagement on a Singapore road. That the theory test was a pre-requisite regardless of what lies under my ass. And quite amazingly, I plain forgot that I had to enrol in the driving school to take the bike lessons. No private instructors. My cash has got to go where my heart doesn't want it to.

In the not-so-distant past, when paper still patially ruled the earth, getting your test results took two weeks or so. Now, after 30 minutes worth of jabbing a monitor, your destiny appears in all of two seconds.

I passed.

Miracle #1.

Now a dilema remains. My heart and mind wants to go for a bike license. In Singapore terms, it means: cheaper to maintain and feed, easier to get parking, easier to get killed. But then again, I observed that in many a road accidents involving bikes, the fault of a good number of them actually laid with the riders instead of the drivers. That said, some do not even need the help of a second party to get themselves killed. I am one prime example of such candidates...

Nihongo

The intermediate module consisted of four levels, each taking two months to complete. It had to be toughest stage I had encountered so far. The load of grammar that were taught, I had discovered in the course of learning, oscillated confusingly and sporadically in translation between Chinese, English and sometimes Cantonese (no kidding) , that I wondered if simply approaching the whole education with an English brain would be sufficient. It was no longer as mechanical (and thus easier) as the stages prior to this, where all we had to do was learn to write in the Japanese script, and mimic their pronounciations. For good measure, we were even taught to exclaim the Japanese way. In simple English, there were lots of grammar to be memorized and internalized. Some things you'd just have to accept that there are no English equivalents.

History has it that in all my tests (mid-terms and finals) for the individual stages of the intermediate modules never saw anything above the 70 mark. So, what could be worse?

A final test that covers everything from intermediate one to four. The gateway to graduating from this stage to the next.

Does that help explain the period of silence in this blog?

Thank God, though, my results came back in an interesting pattern. I got 82 for my mid-term, and 82 for final. I passed.

Mystique #1

Have I improved at all? Sure, considering I never had any score better than 70-something, getting 82 was pretty woohoo-able. That showed that soething sinked in. The difference was, however, the mid-term test only covered the number of lessons up till the time of the test, which was somewhere around ten(?). As mentioned above, the final test covered EVERYTHING from intermediate one to four. Mathematically speaking, the odds were stacked against me as the number of things I had to memorize increased.

Therefore, I am right now in the middle of figuring out just how far have I gone since I started studying Japanese. I still have trouble understanding the Inuyasha and One Piece episodes without the help of the subtitles, still having trouble choosing the right words to use to string a slightly more complex sentence together because my brain had to oscillate between the three different translations to find something that made sense to me but not to my listener, bolstered by the fact that Japanese is such a situational language governed not only by the context and the circumstance, but also how much regard you have for the listener, and how chauvanistic you are/I am (if you are a male speaking to a female. Conversations between members of the same sex are much more relaxed). Trust me, it is a psychological and sociological microcosm of the Japanese.

Well, all said, I still have JLPT to contend with this coming Sunday.

To all JLPT candidates, ganbatte yo.

When Babel Founded Babble: Lost in Translation

2006-10-03T15:27:00.000+08:00

Ok, now I've got first-hand experience in the Babel babble mojo.

The past two weeks had me traversing between three major languages in my current life. This is one of those things that you can have more without getting fat, get charged for infidelity, or choking.

Besides the usual farce of the increasingly difficult Jap class, which you can read about if you scroll down a little, there was a bunch of translations I did for a certain newsletter where I kind of discovered that, with some practice, I might actually make a pretty decent travel writer (speculation...). All that is missing is the travel budget so that my travels can be funded, and someone who cares enough to print them so that this particular travel budget would materialize. Till then, I can only translate other people's travelling experiences and wish I was there. It's still fun, though.

But...

Written translation is one thing. Verbal interpretation is a whole new world altogether. This is the mojo my first sentence was referring to...

-_-

For those who have little or no idea about the difference between translation and interpreting, written translation allows more time for research and rectification to get your facts right, though a certain degree of knowledge about the cultural context and linguistic mechanics (which to me are on an intuitive level, since I have never studied linguistics) are needed. Not so much to showoff my abilities. More like to confuse people so they would see that it's futile to argue.

Rule of the thumb in the world of translation: if it works, it works.

In the world of real-time interpretation, though, you'd have very little time to think through what you are going to say, and even less time to polish your sentence so that it sounds gramatically correct (add fake accents to up the irritation bar). You can't even close your eyes and pray that you get it right 'cos you'd have to look at the audience you are speaking to. An interpreter is basically a toilet bowl. You take the shit, and throw 'em to the sewage. I used to sit down and listen to interpreters, and over time, began to spend my time spotting mistakes in their translation. It all seemed so easy from the seated end. Take a sentence in, twirl the brain a bit, and pour it out in another language. Simple enough.

Until the day I tried doing it (interpreting, ahem...).

I was interpreting for a simple family update during service on Sunday, followed by an impromtu address by our church chairman for which I wasn't prepared but went ahead anyway. Through that crazy 20(?) minutes of jarring halts, bewilderment and humourous mistakes, a few laws to which I was previously unaware of suddenly surfaced .

Law #1: Experience counts. Frankly, this isn't something schools can fully teach, though there are courses for interpreters. The more dumb mistakes you make, the better your experience builds up. As an experienced interpreter friend puts it, you gotta be thick-skinned to do this, 'cos up to at least 30% of the time you'd be making mistakes. It is then that you hope your audience isn't smart enough to know the difference. And also to live with the bloopers after the fact.

Law #2: The length of sentences counts. I got stuck quite a few times intepreting the earlier part of the sentence only to forget what the latter half was, and had to make it up to stitch the whole line together.

Law#3: Grammatical accuracy doesn't count as much as precision in the content. As long as they get the idea and act accordingly, you're on the right path.

Law#4 : Entertainment value adds to the tolerance of grammatical imprecision. If you know you're gonna make a mistake, do it in a humorous way so that the audience would spend more time laughing and less time nitpicking.

Rule of the thumb in the world of interpreting: Bloopers abound. Don't take yourself too seriously, or you won't last long.

An Alter Ego

2006-09-14T16:37:00.000+08:00

I have created another blog written entirely in Japanese as a practise ground for myself.

www.recklessjapworld.blogspot.com

It may, or should I say, does contain quite a few grammatical errors that will tighten the most relaxed of Japanese asses. I hope a native Jap or many native Japs will help me out a bit by correcting my mistakes. I don't learn from mistakes. I learn through rectifying mistakes.

Thanks in advance!

The High Life

2006-09-12T14:27:00.000+08:00

I am living in a messed-up cerebral continuum detached from the chronological linearity of the real world. Why else am I harking back half a year into the past to dig up some of these old photos of where my footprints had dented the ground?

Ok, let's work backwards from my bus trip, which was actually going down the mountain. My blog is rewinding those tapes... But I assure you, my brain is interleaved.

Right in the midst of the surrounding mountains stand this church called the Liu Village Baptist Church. It was one of the first major church building of cement and glass in that area (followed by a number of other such churches in the following many years) that marked (sort of) a turning point for the prevalent folk religions there. Animism was the dish of the day way before Christianity was brought there. As more locals turned towards Christianity and abandoned their deep-rooted superstitions of old, they began to experience changes in their lives, both on the inside and out, from which they have not turned back, even till this day. Drug and gambling problems became a thing of the past. In their place are many other simple joys that many of us have begun to take for granted (teach a local how to play a guitar and watch him/her glow). Music, fellowship, honest labor, FOOD, harmony, education... fresh fish (though you don't get to eat those very often), entire pigs (see parenthesis for fresh fish), fresh mountain air, cold bathing mountain water... many things that we do not know we are missing.

Don't get me wrong. I am not begrudging living in an uber-metropolitan city like Singapore (though a certain Taiwanese somebody called Singapore a third-world country in the guise of a developed nation). I mean, we have toilets with flushing systems and no holes-alignment problems... I guess I do advocate that we do not think that highly of ourselves than we ought to. Take pride in what we have achieved, yes. But there's a fine line where, when crossed, it becomes haughtiness. I mean, think about it. We spend our lives working hard to afford metal boxes with rubber tyres, erected caves, and we eat dead fishes, and we consider ourselves rich. In other places, half of that debt amount that we are chained to can buy one a plot of land enough to start a village, dig a pond big enough to supply fresh live fishes all year round (subject to the competency of the fish farmer, that is), and maybe even grow vegetables that can be pulled from the ground and cooked right away. Who's actually the richer one here, I ask...? Of course, the back-and-forth comparisons can be so numerous that it is very much a pointless exercise. Which leads us back to the basic question: what fundamentally brings us joy?

My thoughts drift back to the people I met when I was there in the mountains. The joy the people take in their simplicity couldn't be hidden, and they certainly weren't. Smiles that come from the bottom of the heart and smiles that come from the heart of the bottom: which would you wear on your face?

...

Someday I'll be Saturday night? How about now?

Children photo courtesy of my friend, CJ.

2006-09-06T13:40:00.000+08:00

To illustrate my strong belief in the saying "What isn't said speaks louder that what is", read on.

Thanks for your time.

2006-09-06T11:16:00.000+08:00

When Babel Founded Babble 1: Three Dots

"..."
You say it best/ when you say nothing at all... (Ronan Keating)

My kawaii-na sensei was asking a few of us who were in class early yesterday if we were going to take the JLPT Tribulation in December. Normally, at this part of the year, if you're still stuck at Intermediate 3, conventional wisdom has it that you go for the easier mountain to climb so that you'd have a better chance of preserving your body in its entirety after everything is over. My logic, combined with some consultation with other senseis, was that I am still in time to complete Intermediate 4 classes, which will punch my ticket to the JLPT 3 Grand Slam, with a month more or so to prepare myself before the Day arrives.

So, when the kawaii one came to know I signed up for JLPT 3, she went, "So desu ka? ..." The whole punch didn't come from the "So desu ka?", but from the three dots that followed. That is what is meant by what you don't say speaks louder than what you do say. That three-dot moment lasted a fleeting 4.5 seconds before other words followed, but the look on her face augmented the weight of those three omnimous dots, and gave an audible quality to silence.

"... so desu ne. Gambatte yo."

Coming from someone whose ID includes descriptions like kawaii, the above line seemed disarmingly innocent and, most probably, encouraging. It reads, "... that's the case, yeah? Do your best, y'hear?" in a pseudo-black fashion. But, as I have had the priviledge of reading her face as she mouthed those words (and you didn't), we can endeavor to analyse this one more time combining the two factors, namely facial expression and words, in one coherent delivery, and we might unearth what actually went through her head at that immortal moment.

The three dots at the front need no further explaination. "So desu ne" spoken with a falling intonation meant something like, "Is that so?" or simply, "So...". The whole point of saying that is to express an understanding that, man, the deed is done, and there's no turning back. Something like what Hokkien would say with the suffix "liao". The range of emotions can be pretty broad, but I should take it to mean, in this case, that she was surprised anybody would be this audacious in his undertakings. To be fair, this is pretty new to me, too. Never in my academic life have I done anything like skipping a grade, so to speak.

"Ganbatte yo" in plain black and white means "Do your best." "Yo" is a Japanese equivalent to an exclaimation mark. Again, there is a range of emotions that could be conveyed with that one word, the subtlities of which can pretty hard for one to appreciate through reading alone. In it's more campy and innocent form, it just goes, "Do your best!", coupled with a V hand-sign and a toothy smile, and the the listener is supposed to feel encouraged or motivated. In this particular scenerio, however, the tone of her voice and how the words were delivered made all the difference. Expect no "Gambatte yo!" pumped out through the diaphragm with a clenched-fist downward-pulling action, but a much gentler, more feminine, and dunno-what-else-to-say kind of "gambatte yo." The former shouts "Go for it!", while the latter utters "Good luck, boy."

In the age of MSN and other forms of communications made possible and viable by microchip technology, previously invisible thoughts can now be materialized in written or pictographic forms (think those pesky emoticons). Those moments of heavy silence from the bygone era can now appear right in front of you as three dots or other things. The next time you see three dots appearing in your written communication, be sure to pay heed to what they could possibly telling you, for what isn't spoken sometimes speak louder than what is.

...

Epilogue

What am I to make of all this, then? Well, as the story went, there was nothing more to it than surprise as the kawaii one did not expect anyone from her class to have enough brass to go straight for level 3. As a sensei, however, I'm guessing that she could be secretly glad that somebody is taking this study enough to at least try. As the class went on, I could feel her trying to give me a little more chance to practise, though her Japanese ramblings sometimes zips past me, offering no respite. So, kawaii-na sensei, arigatoo gozaimasu yo. Kitto gambarimasu ne.

2006-08-22T10:11:00.000+08:00

Me sitting in a bus coming down from a mountain in Chiang Rai.

It costs only 25 baht to get down from halfway down the mountain to Chiang Rai city, but for a city kid like me, the sights and experience of being in that relic is, in the words of the Mastercard Visa ad, priceless.

The bus

You really can't take the public transport here for granted. Miss one, you can go back for a meal, take a nap, hang out a bit, then come back out for the next bus. One day will probably go by just like that for the average citizen.

The drivers are a friendly lot though. They would slow down at villages and sound their horn to pick up the people. They would wait patiently for them to come to the bus and to secure their luggage before moving off. The passengers take care of one another, too. It took no campaigns, no reminders stuck on the insides of the bus. They give up seats to those who need them, like pregnant women, or women carrying young children. Some passengers just hung at the tail end of the bus, and went the whole way like that. Compare that to our 'educated' lot.

The scenery

Moving along the sides of mountains, what else should one expect besides other mountains? Coming from a cramp city like Singapore, however, the vastness and scale of the land just reorientates the mind to the actual enormity of Planet Earth, though... Ok, so this isn't Grand Canyon, but it was great to able to see a few kilometers ahead without any concrete jarring your view. The sky extended longer into the horizon, and the spirit gets lifted that much higher. Through the simplicity of the scenes of life that enters through your eyes, life itself takes on a somewhat unadultered quality of what it was originally meant to be. That there is beauty in the random orderliness of unengineered mountains and greenery.

And that was only bus ride...

2006-08-22T10:05:00.000+08:00

Itsuka douyobi-ban ni naru

JLPT stands for:

a. Japanese Language Proficiency Test

b. Japanese Love Powerful Testicles

c. Japanese Lay-people Pay Taxes

d. Japanese Ladies Parade Tartily

I signed up for JLPT 3 to be taken in December this year, and at that instant my registration cash met the hands of the registration officer's, I knew I have to try my best to chew down the part that was too big for my bite, but which I went on to chew anyway.

A little Googling for some JLPT past papers revealed to me the enormity of the challenge, of audaciously taking on a test of my profiency of a language I had barely learned for a little over a year, passing with only walking monochromes every time a test comes my way. A further research in the library shows how I have underestimated the depth of the history, quirks and cultural disparities of the language from the ones I already know (English and Chinese). That goes for any language I could've chosen, I guess.

So, if I emerge unscathed from the test, what would I have actually proven?

a. That, as in Don Henley's song "Heart of the Matter", "the more I know, the less I understand..."?

b. I can take a really big bite that outsizes my mouth and chew everything down without choking myself to death, then come out unscratched and tell everyone "Hell yeah! I've overcome the Goliath!"?

c. I can deceive myself into believing that I am really getting proficient in Japanese, and I'm ready to march into the Land of the Rising Sun and counter-conquer them, and actually believe it?

d. That, with self-belief, a healthy dose of self-confidence, and enough hard work, I can do whatever I put my mind to?

The list of questions goes on...Next in line:

So what?

I'll still do what I want to do. I take on the challenge 'cos it's what I want to do. It's not about proving anything to anybody. Like one of the more inspiring characters I've read about, namly Richard Branson, Virgin head honcho, says, "It's about not wasting your life."

When it all comes down, it's about finding your way to being your Saturday night.

What are you waiting for?

2006-08-18T16:35:00.000+08:00

The Truth about Fact and fiction

Fiction is something that you throw out of your window.

Fact is something that gets thrown in through your window.

2006-08-18T16:23:00.000+08:00

Someday I'll be Saturday Night

"I'm feelin' like a monday, but someday I'll be saturday night"

Something about the Bon Jovi's song "Someday I'll be Saturday Night" strikes a chord with me, giving me the imperative to choose the title as the name for this blog. The lyrics gives us a voyuer into a bunch of characters (two named, actually. But heck, this is art, cut me some slack...) in a Vegas town whose lives are pretty much bound where the sun doesn't shine. Dreams unfulfilled, innocence forcibly taken away, a girl turning hooker, life crashing on autopilot...

Bad breaks, bad beraks...

"Now I can't say my name, and tell you where I am/I want to roll myself away, dont know if I can/I wish that I could be in some other time and place/With someone else's soul, someone else's face"

We all get flushed down life's toilet one way or another, one time or another, some more than others, some hidden further from view than others. We can't pretend they're not there. The human in us just want so much to escape, to run away from it all. There are Houdinis in some souls, sitting ducks in others.

What would you be?

Survive

"And Tuesday just might go my way/It can't get worse than yesterday/Thursdays, Fridays aint been kind/But somehow I'll survive..."

Sometimes that's the best we can do. Many times, being able to is a blessing. Think about those who didn't. Still...

"Hey man! I'm alive, I'm takin each day and night at a time/Yeah I'm down, but I know I'll get by/Hey hey hey hey, man gotta live my life/Like I ain't got nothin but this roll of the dice/I'm feelin like a monday, but someday I'll be Saturday night"

...
It's about choice. And loads of guts. We hynotise ourselves with the mantras of people who don't live our lives, and base our choices as if we are living theirs. Choices to conform while not having the capabilty to bear the weight of what we've been conformed to is not really a choice. It's assimilation.

Do we have the guts to stand up, walk out, and someday be a Saturday night?

Sky Burial

2005-11-09T13:51:00.000+08:00

Achtung!

A book to recommend.

Read Sky Burial by Xinran.

It's a very touching story of a Chinese woman who went into Tibet during the 60s (?) to look for her husband, who went missing together with his troop on their way to one of their stations in Tibet, amidst the tumultous times when China and Tibet were in conflict over Tibet's stoic stand for independence (my first full-stop in this paragraph --->) .

After some less-than-desirable experiences in this vast foreign land, she ended up living in Tibet for more than 20 years, and in the process, slowly become a Tibetan herself. There are slow moments in this book where the author took pains to describe typical days in the life of a nomadic Tibetan family, and even cyclical periods of the year that marked the end of a season and the beginning of the next, all without signficant changes in climates, just a shift in their routine activities. The details here are enough to give you a pretty good mental picture of their lives without being long-drawn, boring and lifelessly precise.

But heck, they never mentioned anywhere that they had a beautiful Princess of Tibet...

But the part that grabbed me the most was a three-paged explanation on her husband's death, and how one act of self-sacrifice resolved the long-standing conflict between the two people.

If nothing, read the book for this part.

One of the best three pages I have ever come across.

Take a peek of the book at www.amazon.com . Type Sky Burial, and search.

2005-07-26T11:51:00.000+08:00

‘ I believe that blind people can fall in love too, so I don’t believe in love at first sight. ’
Actor Ashton Kutcher (from The Straits Times Life!, 24 July 2005)