101 things I think about before I go to bed

Apparently, I have a class at 11am tomorrow (or 12pm, depending on whether or not I should skip that particular lecture), and now, I am typing this post, just to refresh my mind on what I was thinking about while trying to go to bed.

1. "I'm hungry." I've been feeling hungry since almost the end of the concert. I wanted to just ignore the hunger, and just go to bed. Afterall, I could say that I skipped a meal, thus lightening up my weight. After a few struggles to keep my mind off food, I decided to have something to munch on.
2. "I still have clothes in the dryer, and I need to fold them so I can stuff them in my cupboard." Well, since I was going down to get myself some food, I might as well collect all my clothes at the same time. But when I got there, my clothes felt cold and (thus) wet. So I switched the dryer on again to let it dry for a few more minutes.
3. "I promised to check tonight whether there are any tickets left for the One World Week Fashion Show." This bothered me the most (well, the 2nd biggest problem). I had been asking my friends whether they wanted to go for the fashion show, since I hadn't got the chance to check out the show last year. So I was kinda desperate to get the tickets, only to find out that there isn't any left on the website to buy.
4. "What was the song that Ayumi sang in her live countdown show with the hand movements, esp the one with the hands framing the face?" Somehow, a song got stuck in my head, and so I wanted to get it out of my head, and believe it or not, I chose to think about another song so that song could go away. Guess what, it was gone, but I had to use my brain juices to think about that other song. Damn it.
5. "What should I eat if I were to eat later?" That was disturbing. I ended up having a cereal bar (some Alpen Light, since I didn't want something to heavy to go in my tummy), 2 pieces of vanilla-centered biscuits, and 2 more pieces of bread with butter/honey and strawberry jam (there goes the "light meal"). At least I'm feeling much more satisfied than eating a cereal bar. =P

I've got other things as well, but it seems like I've forgotten them, or they were too personal to reveal. But ANYHOO... I was in the World Concert today. I originally wanted to go, but knowing that no one would have gone with me, I didn't bother to get the tickets (they were free as well). It was fate, in the end, that my housemate got 4 tickets, but she had to wind up in the Malaysian Night rehearsals today, so she couldn't make it. She gave them to me, in hope that I will find others who would want to go as well. I did, but some called to ditch me on the last minute, and so I ended up with one of my good friends living down the street. The other 2 tix were given to his pal who he bumped into before the show. The show was amazing: blends of different types of music, mostly folkish, some traditional. Nestor Torres, a Latin Grammy award winner and a flautist, got to perform in the 2nd half of the show, and it was great. Check his music out, if you can find them. The last song performed were by some of the talented musicians in the university (sifted out through an audition, which my housemate went as well, but didn't make it), and they were required to improvise during a song. Each had the talent in their own instrument, and got through really well. You know, we all stood up for that song, and feeling the rhythm in the beat, it just got me to move about while clapping the beat. For some reason, I was weak in the knees: maybe it's either I was sitting to stiffly on the seat, or the music did that to me. That's how good that guy was. Proves you HAVE to listen to his music.

Anyway, I think I'm starting to feel sleepy again... Adios!

Shortbus

I found this movie while I was reading a GQ magazine waiting for my turn for a haircut. The plot summary was interesting, so I decided to take a chance, download it, and watch it.

It turned out to be great. Thought-provoking, mysterious, sexual, and emotional. The story revolves around straight and gay couples who are having problems of their own, and how they react to different situations and try so hard knowing the problem and solving them. They meet in a "underground club", not so much underground, but a place where people would go to "get it off" and find what they are looking for. Among them: a happily married woman, who works as a couples counsultant, is having trouble getting to the big "O" land, a dominatrix "with secrets of her own to reveal", a gay couple doubting whether a three-way relationship would help their 5-years from dropping into abyss.

The portrait of the characters were artistic, very fine to the last drop of paint from a thin brush. They were fragile, sleek, comfortable to watch, and gentle; which sums up to the fact that they were simply amazing.

Well, one con (for some, it may be a pro) is that the sex here is too explicit, just like watching some porn in a movie, or I could just say, a movie in a porn. For one, it is clearly obvious that there is certainly some visual sex that's gonna happen, so I don't really blame them for it.

In an interview with the director John Cameron Mitchell on his views of cumming into a contemporary work of art:

"Well, having the cum hitting the painting and then disappear into it, it's kind of like the film. Most people tell me that they’ve forgotten about the sex by the time the film is over. It's just another brushstroke in the characters’ lives. That's why we must cum upon the painting."

Ratings over the net: B. However, it is a must-see for those who would love to have something different from the Malaysian Censorship filters.

Dreams, or regrets?

I've been wondering to myself: "Have I chosen the right course? Am I supposed to be doing Statistics, when I'm supposed to be studying something that I would have liked; maybe (Contemporary) Music?"

How many of you out there had thought of this before? I'm sure at least some of you have. I'm sure I have too, and was on the brim of quitting as well.

The sight of all my friends applying for internships in many high-street companies, kinda sickens me. Well, not that I don't approve of working in such companies: I would do too. But I can't imagine myself in such an environment. The jobs that are more related to my course are just too tough, not to forget some of the most dull and boring jobs (currently that's what my mood tells me) that I could get into.

The thought of staying fixated in a company, in the same desk on the same chair, doing the same things over and over again (just with a variation in figures) sickens me. I've realised how much I want to be a someone, not some guy who does some mundane job, stereotyped as an average-joe.

The bottom line is: I can't. I'm already in this course, and I can't move anywhere else. I still have to go on, no matter what. Even if I want to do something else, it'll have to be after a few years of practice, and back to studying again. But then, I'll be old! Argh... This thing is getting on to me.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyway... I've finished watching all the seasons for a hit comedy show. Had been hooked on it since the last few days of 2006, till today. Yes, that took me that many days to finish watching an 8-season -- about 24 episodes each -- series: you do the math. You know how Friends ended right? Frankly, I didn't really like the ending. It was too abrupt. They sold the apartment, and they just ended it there, where everybody just look back at what they have done in that apartment where all of them had stayed at least once. Well, it was like an ending, but sometimes, it just makes you want to know what will happen to them later in their lives. Don't it feel that way for you too? This time, this series, it ended so well. It was like, they shot the times when they are much older, and showed their audiences how well they are living, and what they would be doing. You know, those sorta things. They were fantastic. =)

Secret

" 飛ぶ事に疲れても　羽下ろす勇気もない "

[Translate: I'm tired of soaring, when I let go of my wings, I lose my courage] [Editted]

That was a line from the lyrics of "Secret" by Ayumi Hamasaki. This meant a lot to me, and it's almost what I'm going through right now.

Anyway, I just read some news from my favourite Ayumi site, and I read that she is having an Asian tour concert in Taipei, HK and China (wtf! not even msia! damn her...). Lucky bastards. And a recent article that she went for a premiere of the latest movie "Confessions of Pain" by Tony Leung, Karina Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro (to name a few, and of course, by which all of you would've known who the complete set of actors/actresses are). This song ("Secret") is said to be the International Soundtrack for this movie (yay!) and Denise Ho have made a Chinese version out of this song (too early for me to critisize, since I haven't heard the song yet) as the Original soundtrack.

I'ma gonna hunt for that song down now!

PS: The translation was done by me, and since my Japanese skills aren't THAT good, pls excuse the wrong translation, hehehe.... (but I have to proud of myself for understanding the song roughly without frantically searching for the english version on the net anymore)

[Edit: I just checked the proper translation: "Even when I get tired of flying, I don't even have courage to rest my wing". That is so far from what I translated.]

Parisian Holiday (Part 3) ~ My Journal

Saturday 23/12/2006

A day filled of walking and shopping. See how much of time we're wasting, and not going sight-seeing (yes, I'm grumpy for the fact that I DID NOT go visit Notre Dame!).
We used another metro station today, so we got to see more places: shops that are actually nearby our home that we didn't know at all. First stop: 13th District a.k.a. Chinatown, Paris. Arrived at some shopping complex and shopped for Arena's cream (didn't know what she wanted anyway). Had lunch in a nearby restaurant where I tried a bowl of Cambodian traditional noodles: minced fish in green soup with vermicelli - reminds me of asam laksa, but just not spicy, unless you add chilli powder to it (phew!).
We took the metro again to La Fayette (again). It was a better place to purchase bags, since all the big brands were there, so we could save the hassle of shop hopping, while we could just hop around in the centre. But guess what. I had nothing to buy there, and I had to wait for the ladies to finish shopping, while I follow wherever they go (doesn't this make me sound like a little pooch?). But anyway, it was nice to see so many human specimens move around frantically to get their share of what La Fayette has to offer them (darn idiots). Well, in the end, after all the hassle of long (boring, for me) hunting and lining up, she got 2 identical purses, one to be shared for our host, and one for herself (I guess it's for her mom). So by the time we tried for a tax refund (which we couldn't, because we STAY in UK), it was already 7+ pm.
We got out of the madness, but admired the glittery and shiny buildings that behold us (am I grammatically right?). Took pictures outside La Fayette and surroundings, then went to Leon, a place where it's just like Nando's, but this place serves mussels as their main dish. But believe me, they sure do a great job with those sea-creatures.
After that, we went to Champ Elysees (for the THIRD time), and finally, I got to buy something: what you guys see me on MSN as Winnie the Pooh! Well, obviously, I didn't buy it FOR me, it was initially for my niece/nephew. However, they already had the bear, so I'm keeping it, since I've already bought it. Of course, the initial idea is still being executed; I got Tigger with it as well. So I guess it's a win-win situation.
After that, we tried the (French) crepe, and it was good. Well, I would say it tastes more like a pancake, compared to the ones in Malaysia (yueck!). Drank coffee with it again. What a night! (And what a waste of time!) (No offence, Arena!)

Sunday 24/12/2006 (Christmas Eve)

Thank God Musee d'Orsay (The Orsay Museum) is opened today. Thank God I got to visit this museum before I leave for London.
Woke up, blah blah blah.. Took the metro... You know, I think it's getting boring, so I have to spice things up a bit. Oh wait, it's interesting now. We didn't know the way (isn't this interesting enough?). Well, we were sure that we got off the correct station, but we were so clueless on where we should head next, left or right? Thank God for maps on bus stops, and road signs! Yes, we got there, but I swear on my full moon, as if the Museum was in walking distance! We walked quite for a while, but it was ALL worth it. The works were great: especially Monet and Vincent van Gogh! Damn, how I wished my eldest sister was here...
But anyway, Arena left that museum early to shop again (damn, when will she ever stop?). I stayed on, but left at around 2-ish. I got home first, and packed up, ready to go. While waiting for those ladies, I dozed off, and when I heard the dad saying "Where the hell did those to Miss-es go?", I woke up, and instantly heard the door click, and magically appeared right in front of him. What are the odds!
We rushed like crazy baffoons, as the dad was being SO worried that we can't get there on time (oh look! I still got back in Coventry in one piece...).

And that ends my great adventure in Paris. Whatever happened in London is another story....
(Note: I was there from the 24th to the 28th, so it's obvious something happened there)

Au revoir!