I will be performing 台北不是伤心地 with 玖健 tonight at his 玖健20载幸福音乐会.  I will also be debuting my singles 多了 (written by Kathryn Wong, 黄碧燕) during the concert. Please visit the sistic website for ticketing details and do support this meaningful concert.

 

为了替四川汶川大地震的灾民们重建家园, 玖健发起录制慈善单曲”别松开手”的筹款行动. 在中国新加坡商会, SEMBAWANG MUSIC CENTRE和新加坡红十字会的鼎立支持下, 召集了60位演艺/音乐/幕后制作群协力打造抗灾作品”别松开手” . 为了为灾民筹集更多善款. 玖健的第二场演唱会6月8号7.30PM将在扣除演出场地费用及SISTIC售票处手续费及GST, 将全数捐进新加坡红十字会.

 

玖健20载幸福音乐会 sistic link.

 

like to join the artistes who recorded 别松开手？

Make a date with us on the Sunday night of 8th June 2008 at Jubilee Hall, Raffles Hotel.

With the release of charity single 别松开手，the composer/artiste 玖健 has modified the programme of his 2nd show of
" 玖健20载幸福音乐会”to include the performances of many guest artistes, namely those who participated in the recording of 别松开手。
(陈美光，陈健彬，沈玮竣，潘盈，陈彼得，洪邵轩，洪圣安，杨利娜，杨利冰，王裕香，朱永钦，刘晋旭，黄碧燕，张伟量，等等。。）

Funds from ticket sales of this show will also be contributed to the welfare of those who survived the 512 Sichuan earthquake.
(after deducting admin & rental fees)

Booking details can be found at www.sistic.com.sg

This is an amazing world we live in.  Extraordinary talents everywhere and you don't have to look far for inspiration.  Recommended by a good friend, watch this amazing 'solo' vocal performance by Imogen Heap, utilizing nothing but her voice and an Electrix Repeater box to create the entire piece. She's singing "Just For Now" (from her album "Speak For Yourself").

 

New Year resolution?  Watch the aawe-inspiring beat boxing from Felix Zenger (Finland).  Came a long way since the early beatboxing days.

Go here http://www.felixzenger.com/videos.html if you can't watch it here.

 

   

What happens when you feel frustrated.

 

What happens when you are misunderstood.

 

What happens when you are shortchanged.

 

What happens when you feel no love.

 

What happens to you?

 

In preparation for my coming album, I will be doubling my efforts to pen words of expression.  Targeting at writing seven songs, I drill down deep and look for inspiration to contribute to my already "extended time" album.

 

Whatever format and form its going to take, all I can say now is, "A Matter of Time".

 

 

 

Communications in the past had almost always been one-way.  The shift in web climate and the proliferation of Web2.0 has enabled everyone who is willing to be a global communicator.  A powerful role, one that can shape a certain culture and even change the way things are done.

 

I mean look at YouTube.  What is so great about a video uploading site? One must look at it again and examine carefully its element of social-networking, the part of sharing what is unique to you to a group of people with the same line of thought, same sorts of interest.  Blogging, the thing I am doing now, typing frantically on the keyboard while listening to a conference call about the same topic, hmm...revolutionary.

 

Web2.0 is changing our way of life, and rapidly shaping the next generation of decision-makers.  This is probably "globalisation" in the shortest possible time with no additional tools needed (money too).  Look at iPhone from Apple, the revolutionary mobile phone that was launched yesterday.  Updates from various individual websites, blogs, videos or even web communities was providing up-to-the minute updates about its functionality and "greatness" all over the internet (read the article from cnet here).  It saves the company tons of dollars and yet created constant hype since the inception of the product in January this year.

 

How then can one raise above this tsunami of information and stand out?  Differentiation is increasing diffcult and crafting out unique communities that are also mass-market are getting more and more mind-boggling.  Should we blog on just one topic (e.g. food, shopping, music, photography)?  Should we empower people to decide (America Idol, Project Runway, Project Superstar)?  Just how far-reaching are these new ways of marketing-communcations.

 

At the end of the day, the way you can only win, is attract the people you want to attract.  Recognise that we not totally in control, and give power to the people.  Encourage collaboration, give people a channel to contribute and be part of a project.  Whether we are creating new products or selling music online, bold steps need to be taken to turn perception into reality.

 

Raise above the clutter.

 

Humans, since time existed, have the most complex form of relationships.  Brothers and sisters, parents and grandparents, boyfriends and girlfriends and many other forms of connection.

 

However, as we evolve and acquire intelligence and sophistication, one thing seems to lack behind.  Trust.

 

As with all issues, there are always two sides of the coin.  Laws were created to govern mis-trust, contracts were drafted to prevent you from going back on your word.  Measures are taken to promote trust, real or pseudo. 

 

Then what about relationships that these "measures" don't cover?  Is it up to the discretion of the individual?  Is it so difficult to believe word of mouth, when it is one of the most effective form of publicity?  Personal judgement, experiences and environment, do they imbue the values into other part of 21st-century "trust" for an individual.  I thought I know it all.  I thought I understand.  I thought that as long as you believe and try your best, you will be bestowed with trust.

 

Like the H5N1 virus that is resilient and ever-changing, trust is a variant, a deviant that is so diverse that you will never be able to fully comprehend.  However, to truly appreciate that someone that means something to you, I hope that you and I can live by of one of my company's value: Trust and Personal Responsibility in All Relationships.

 

After such a long hiatus from the blogosphere, it might seem weird to write without sense.  But hey, its a free world right?

 

 

"Wow, what a coincidence!" might sound a bit cheesy but sometimes the odds of a recurring incident are really unpredictable.  I am not talking about an event or someone you meet but more like the movie 23 starring Jim Carrey.

 

I am an avid photographer I would like to be the owner of many "exotic" lenses.  One of it is the super-wide angle 12-24mm lens.  Now you may wonder what this have to do with the topic but its got everything to do with it.  Since the time I had decided to purchase this lens (still saving up though), numbers 12 and 24 had been flashing all over the place.  They exist in unison in case you are thinking I am being paranoid.  For example, whenever I check for the time, it always says 12:24am/pm. Different days, different place but always the the same time.  Time on my wrist, on my laptop, or even the time in the lift.  At work or at home, always 12:24am/pm.  Sometimes even in lottery slips and receipts.

 

Is such coincidence self-induced?  Just like when you are suddenly reminded of someone and that someone just walks pass you in a place you hardly go or gives you a buzz.  So it might be true when they say if you want something hard enough you will make it happen.

 

Recently, the time I see is no longer just 12:24am/pm, but includes 4:44am/pm as well.  I wonder why.

 

Be careful what you wish for.

Its funny how things get complicated.  Its like the "things" got a life of their own.  They grow and manifest into something undesirable, well most of the times.

 

Take for example a senario like fighting over where to go and what to eat on a special occasion.  A happy day to begin with but not always a good one at the end.  The place might not be where they both had in mind and the food pleases only the who selected it, or maybe not.

 

It amazes me to see how people fail to look beyond. Beyond the effort that was put behind it all.  When a problem or a dispute occurs, people start blaming each other.  Sounds familar? This is so common it happens so even slightly and before you know it, doors had been slammed and faces turned.  Even in the workplace, when a teammate is not happy with the ways things had been done will retailate with bad attitude, and poor output.  It eventually effects the team and the person.

 

Resisting the urge to fight it out with the objective of trying to get the other to understand might prove to be futile at least at that particular moment in time and I guess the best way is still to "try" and see the beyond the bubble that had been heated up.   You know that you are already one up, when you save that effort for a better cause.

 

A self-portrait on my birthday, 29 March.  Reflection.

 

 

It never really bother me that much when I read on the newspaper that by the year 2020, Singapore's population is going to hit 6.5 million or when my friend Keeve blogged about it sometime back when that figure was deduced. Well, not until today.

 

I stay in Tampines, a town one stop away from being termed the terminal station of our efficient public transport system the SMRT.  During rush hour, one would have expected to see more communters rushing to get to work but not that much.  Its like Singapore just approved an influx of 2 million people overnight.  One stop was all you need to be sandwiched between strangers trying to avoid you like the plague.  I would like to call that "safety distance"....kekeke.

 

Suddenly the horrific number of 6.5 million flashed in my mind and everything I read about land transport pieced itself together like a jig-saw.  Not only is housing a concern, transport problems will be imminent.  It won't be only the public transport, as the LTA spokesman puts it, by 2010, if you lined all the cars in Singapore bumper to bumper on all our expressways, we would had filled it 5 times over!

 

Being a person who values personal space and having a quiet moment, I can't help but wonder what's going to happen to Singapore and to other parts of the world.  Already we have to make reservation at restaurants or queue for a lifetime to get a sit at your favourite cafe.  With the balloning of the population will we be bursting at the seams?  Is this the only way to stay competitive and relevant?

 

This is a punt I am not sure I am ready to make.

 

"Life is a constant.  Don't lag behind."

What's the importance of having a nice set of teeth?  Very important? Think about having to greet someone with decayed teeth and bleeding gums. Gross!

 

I went to the dentist yesterday.  A long overdued checkup, I was glad that my problem wasn't all that bad.  I need 2 composite fillings, a flouride protection treatment and need to try to refrain from sour foodstuff like lemon and sour plums (dramamama if you are reading this, your supply will be cut!  Just joking....can't live without them too).  I guess everything in moderation is fine.

 

Other than visualising sitting in the dental chair, I was really excited to get my teeth cleaned up after so long and I've always loved going to the dentist since primary school days.  What happened to the inconsistency in the middle was due to the exorbitant rates the dental clinic charge nowadays.  The 10 minutes of waiting was spent thinking about how to prevent myself from gagging by my saliva.

 

The room wasn't all that different as the things were still where they were, like the basin, water dispenser and tray.  However, the experience was a little different.  Moments after lying down and staring at the light, there were tubes and apparatus running in and out of my mouth, akin to what seems to be a minor sugery.  The assistant was also busy cleaning up and making sure the dentist got the right equipment.  All these while they were "operating" above me, I was in a daze.  With only the light for me to focus on to divert my attention, I can only focus on the sensations going on in my oral cavity.

 

When all was over half an hour later, my first question was when should I come again.  Guess i really enjoyed it!  So to all those who dread to go for a routine cleaning, try it and who knows you might love it.  And to those who have the courage to put on braces, have patience and I'm sure your pearly whites will be just as rewarding.

 

Now the only think I remembered was that poster in the clinic that says, "Brite White, instant results in an hour".  Hmm.. I wonder.......

How can one stay current? In the race to fight for being the most evolved of its kind, changes in the music scene is also apparent.

 

I can only say that even the Heavenly King of Canto Pop was not spared.  I bought the latest album from Jacky Cheung, titled 在你身邊 with great anticipation.  One reason being that he was one of the singer I grew up with and he was also my "mentor" in my early singing days because I used to sing a lot of his songs.

 

Known to be a hardworking singer with fantastic voice, Jacky always tries to outdo himself in various genre.  Sometimes to show that he can, and other times to show that he should.  With the music scene being owned by the likes of David Tao, Jay Chou and Lee Hom, even da King is feeling the heat.  I fully agreed that a singer should be versatile

 

A more toned down version of Jacky without his usual octave demanding style, 在你身邊 lacks punch and excitement even though he did alter his tone and style to sound more down to earth.  Even though I adore him, I am only going to give a 2 star out of 5 for the arangement (very nice guitar groove, kat are you reading this???!! Can you arrange one like that for me?? kekeke) and catchy melodies of the first 5 tracks of the album.   Recommended tracks are 在你身邊, I Don't Wanna Be and dump the rest......evil.  Still, thumbs up to Jacky for his continued effort in staying relevant in today's market where listeners are hard to please.  Overall, a soothing, easy on the ear album.

 

Goes to show that even the great Jacky have to lower down to suit the market needs.  So keep on improving before you become an obsolete sound in music or in the world.

The ST (Straits Times) on Sunday, 11th reported that Singapore is amongst the top 3 in having the most weight-concious citizens behind Brazil and the States.  However, the rate of obesity is only 1.6 (not sure about the unit of measurement, but it means we are not an overly obese country).

 

I must say that this is indeed true regardless of the figures or studies done to conclude this phenomenon.  Just turn around and ask the person beside you and he or she will most probably be lamenting about tipping the scales or wishing some pounds away even though they are already paper thin.  I am myself very weight-concious.  Maybe its because I'm at a crossroad, one that leads to boundless good food and happiness and the other that is just plain torture and suffering.

 

If you ask me, I will pick the torture option anyday over being in gastranomic heaven.  Not that I don't like to eat, but I think I had my fill during my way on to this crossroad so its time to do something about it before my system goes haywire.  I've since started my daily routine of swimming at least 1.5km and hoping to increase the intensity after each workout.  Thankfully I love to swim.

 

Just over the weekend I indulged in what might have been a week's worth of calorie intake (crabs, prawns, chix, drinks, you'll figure the rest).  Guilty, definitely.  Suddenly I remembered a quote during my National Service, "A moment of pleasure, a lifetime of regret".  Though this is not life and death but I'll really be stretching it if I lose control of my sanity everytime over such delicacies.

 

This is the start of another fat-burning swim week to my already peeling body...... So here's to a slimming body....Amitaba (sob sob).

5.00am on a Saturday morning.  The whole family pulled their reluctant bodies out of bed and get ready to visit a Chinese temple near Paya Lebar.  An annual affair, this is the day to ask the Almighty deity to take care of you for the whole of the Pig Year and bestow you with good luck and fortune.

 

A free thinker still, I actually enjoyed going to such events.  Its like going for a picnic with your family but holding joss sticks instead of bacon strips.  Strange analogy but you know what I mean.  Maybe I shouldn't describe such a holy event in this manner but I do feel a strange sort of bonding when we were there.  Its like a invisible energy telling you to treat your family better and do good in your life.

 

Why 5.00am to go pray at a temple that operates almost 18 hours you might ask.  Well, the fact is this event works on a quota system.  Kinda like the COE bidding quota lauched by the "garmen".  If you can't get a queue number within a certain time, its "bye bye", see you next year.  Although the "luck enhancing" event runs over 2 weeks, there are never short of people who missed it or have to wait 5-6 hours before their turn.

 

After going through chants recited by Priests and a signature "horn blowing" act, which never fail to send us gagging by our own laughter, its finally done at around 8.30am.  We each got a "good luck chop" at the back of our t-shirt and free vegetarian mee hoon to mark the closure of this "picnic".

 

So here's to 2007, the year of the Golden Pig, HUAT AR (monetary luck)!!!

 

What does your signature look like?  Ever wondered what it says about you?

 

I attended a handwriting analysis course some time back and yes, the way you write and sign says plenty about your personality.  But today, I am not going to decipher any of that and just talk about how changes in life affects the way you sign (if you are feeling disappointed dun be, you can still send a copy of your text or signature to me and I'll try me best to de-code your character....but i'll advise against that mainly for your personal security).

 

When I was young (very young), I had a intricate signature.  The type that you doodle around and make it look special, in other words, trying to be different.  And there was the time when you were so concern that someone in some obsure part of this world might forged your signature and you try to complicate things by adding loops and lines.

 

I guess the signature evolves the same way as your character.  As you try to grow older, you are less concern about certain issues than you were before.  As you trim off that "excess baggage", you become leaner mentally and your signature shows, well at least for me :).

 

I met my good friend yesterday and he had a document I signed 4 years ago.  Though I can still recognise it, the current one is more stylize and comtemporary.  To end this up,  what I am trying to say is when young, we strive to be someone, to emulate a  certain persona.  Now, after gathering experiences throughout the years, the loops and lines are no longer needed to support that.  What you see is what you get , although the results varies....hahaha....

 

For your information, my friend commented my signature looks like a dragon boat which is quite appropriate for someone born in the Year of the Dragon.  Peace.