Dec 31, 2010

2010

Goodbye 2010..
What a bitter-sweet year..
A year that things happened, many not within my control.
A year that emotions experienced, many out of my depth.
A year that I've learned who is a true friend and who is fair weathered.
A year that I've realized the things that I want and those I can live without.
A year that I thought I will be utterly miserable, but didn't..
A year that started all doom and gloom, but ending with hope and promises.

Goodbye 2010!
Farewell to all heartaches, emotional baggage and self doubts..
Welcome 2011!
Hello to new possibilities, fresh opportunities and positive outlook!

Happy New Year, everyone!!

2010年

2010年。。
多事的一年 —— 兜兜转转,患得患失,重回原点。。
彷徨的一年 —— 何去何从,举棋不定,沉吟未决。。
无奈的一年 —— 事与愿违,随波沉浮,外力难抗。。
感伤的一年 —— 落单惆怅,知音无几,影只形孤。。
醒悟的一年 —— 人间冷暖,敌友分晓,成败自知。。
沉潜的一年 —— 重振旗鼓,养精蓄锐,蓄势待发!

展望2011年!

6th Day: Change the World

On the 6th day of Christmas my true love said to me: "CHANGE THE WORLD" (by Eric Clapton).

This is one of the 2 Eric Clapton songs that I liked, the other one being "Tears in Heaven".. Have always been in awe of those who can play guitar.. I did try my hands on learning it, but too bad my fingers are too stiff to get any chords right.. :x

Anyway, enjoy the song and have a Happy New 2011!!


Change the World
written by Eric Clapton

If I can reach the stars,
Pull one down for you,
Shine it on my heart
So you could see the truth:
That this love I have inside
Is everything it seems.
But for now I find
It's only in my dreams.

And I can change the world,
I will be the sunlight in your universe.
You would think my love was really something good,
Baby if I could change the world.

And if I could be king,
Even for a day,
I'd take you as my queen;
I'd have it no other way.
And our love would rule

This kingdom we had made.
Till then I'd be a fool,
Wishing for the day...

That I can change the world,
I would be the sunlight in your universe.
You would think my love was really something good,
Baby if I could change the world.
Baby if I could change the world.

I could change the world,
I would be the sunlight in your universe.
You would think my love was really something good,
Baby if I could change the world.
Baby if I could change the world.
Baby if I could change the world.


Dec 30, 2010

5th Day: The Rose

On the 5th day of Christmas my true love gave to me :"THE ROSE" (by Ken Hirai, 平井堅).

It was in a Taiwanese drama that I first heard this song, and immediately I fell in love with it.. There are many renditions by various artists, but I like the one sung by Ken Hirai.. 


The Rose
written by Amanda McBroom


Some say love, it is a river
that drowns the tender reed.
Some say love, it is a razor
that leaves your soul to bleed.
Some say love, it is a hunger,
an endless aching need.
I say love, it is a flower,
and you its only seed.

It's the heart afraid of breaking
that never learns to dance.
It's the dream afraid of waking
that never takes the chance.
It's the one who won't be taken,
who cannot seem to give,
and the soul afraid of dyin'
that never learns to live.

When the night has been too lonely
and the road has been to long,
and you think that love is only
for the lucky and the strong,
just remember in the winter
far beneath the bitter snows
lies the seed that with the sun's love
in the spring becomes the rose.


Dec 29, 2010

4th Day: Tears

On the 4th day of Christmas my true love said to me "TEARS" (by Chyi Yu, 齐豫).

Again, I must say that I simply love Chyi Yu's voice. Most often I preferred her rendition of certain songs to the original singers'.

This was originally a Spanish song named "Donde Voy "(Where I go), sung by Tish Hinojosa in 1989. Chyi Yu wrote the English lyrics and named in "Tears"..

Tears


All alone I have started my journey
To the darkness of darkness I go
With a reason, I stopped for a moment
In this world full of pleasure so frail
Town after town on I travel
Pass through faces I know and know not
Like a bird in flight, sometimes I topple
Time and time again, just farewells
Donde voy, donde voy
Day by day, my story unfolds
Solo estoy, solo estoy
All alone as the day I was born
Till your eyes rest in mine, I shall wander
No more darkness I know and know not
For your sweetness I traded my freedom
Not knowing a farewell awaits
You know, hearts can be repeatedly broken
Making room for the harrows to came
Along with my sorrows I buried
My tears,my smiles, your name
Donde voy, donde voy
Songs of lovetales I sing of no more
Solo estoy,solo estoy
Once again with my shadows I roam
Donde voy, donde voy
All alone as the day I was born
Solo estoy, solo estoy
Still alone with my shadows I roam


Dec 28, 2010

3rd Day: Longer

On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love said to me "LONGER" (by Chyi Qin, 齐秦).

This is one of my favorite song, which I first heard it sang by Chyi Qin, instead of the original singer Dan Fongelbeerg. But comparatively I prefer the version sung by Chyi Yu (齐豫), the sister of Chyi Qin.Unfortunately I can't find it in YouTube..

Enjoy!

Longer
Written by: Dan Fongelbeerg


Longer than every fishes in the ocean
Higher than any bird ever flew
Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens
I'be been in love with you
(I am in love with you)

Stronger than any mountain cathedral
Truer than any tree ever grew
Deeper than any forest primeval
I am in love with you

I'll bring fire in the winters
You'll sent showers in the springs
We'll fly through the falls
And summers with love upon my wings

Through the years
As the fire starts to mellow
Burning lines in the book of our lives
Though the binding cracks
And the pages start to yellow
I'll be in love with you
I'll be in love with you





Laptop died...

My 3year-old-going-4-this-coming-Apr Fujitsu laptop decided to die on me suddenly yesterday.. when I was looking around to get a new laptop..

That old Fujitsu has its monitor burnt some time early this year.. and on my birthday, a lightning stuck and the LAN card was fried.. so it was just a matter of time before I get a new laptop.. and I can't wait to get a laptop that I don't have to decipher what it was trying to tell.. the old Fujitsu came with Vista (the "new" OS at that time) which I was totally unfamiliar with and it was in Japanese! I didn't do much customization as I was too lazy to read through all the katagana options.. (コントロー パナル、システン、スタート) thus I didn't really fully utilize what Vista has to offer..

I asked around for suggestions. Never one who believed in branded goods, I had narrowed down my options to Acer, Asus or Dell. I would never consider Apple (still like my Windows and my translation jobs specifically need Excel), Sony (looks nice but darn bloody expensive), HP (just don't like it) or Lenovo (same reason as HP). Also, all these brands are at least MYR200-500 more expensive than the 3 I mentioned earlier. My personal take is that if you are unlucky, even a branded laptop/PC will not guarantee a problem-less "existence".

In the end, I decided to get an Acer, Acer Aspire 4738G which comes with a price-tag of MYR$2299 (around USD$750). It has an Intel Core i5-460M processor, 4 GB RAM, 500 GB HDD, 14" HD monitor, Win 7 Home Edition (64-bit) and comes with a 3-year local warranty. It satisfied all my requirements except for the warranty part. I will be (must be positive, so I am using an affirmative verb.. :p) leaving this country next year, so I would have preferred an international warranty. Well, I can't have everything..

Next on my to-buy list will be MS Office.. If it wasn't for one of the translation jobs, I would be happy using the free OpenOffice software. Anyway, it is all an investment, since these translation jobs are my source of income for months to come.

The only bad thing is that I didn't manage to get the data that was still in my old Fujitsu out in time as it died on me without any warning. My only hope is to see if I could access the HDD using an external (SATA) HDD casing. There are still some important files which I've created/used during the past 1 year that I would want them back quite badly. Mmmm.. maybe I should get an external HDD to serve as my backup from now onwards, since HDD is getting cheaper by the days..

Okay, I need to go back to my new toy now.. :) Need to customize it and then install all the anti-"something" software... So far, Windows 7 seemed pretty user-friendly.. :p

Dec 27, 2010

2nd Day: Let It Go

On the 2nd day of Christmas my true love said to me:"LET IT GO" (by Jackie Cheung, 张学友).

A jazzy song from the King of Song (in the eyes of Chinese/Canto Pop)..
Just love his voice.. 

Let It Go
作曲: Roxanne Seeman, Daniele Musto, Daniele Musto
填詞: 喬星
編曲: 杜自持


一個人 沒有伴嗎                  Alone? with no one?
斟了酒                                  Poured yourself a glass of wine,
沒有心喝吧                          yet no mood for a drink?
餘情還未放下                      You've yet to let go of your past,
很需要飲醉吧                      so you wanna get drunk?

催過他 盡快成家                Asked him to settle down soon,
他卻一直唉工作吧             yet he is too busy working, right?
如談情像廢話                     Romance is nonsense to him,
為何硬要逼他                     so why force him?

Hey 總有別人                     Hey, there must be someone,
待你好                                who treats you better.
應該放手 Let It Go             You should let it go.
單身過的 還更好               It is better to be single,
不需要他 Let It Go             you don't need him.

死了心 沒有原因              Just give up as there is no reason,
開過心 便已經慶幸          it was good while it lasted.
求誰來負責任                   No need to blame anyone,
只不過少個人                   it's just one less person in your life.

講到底 是怕悶吧           Truth be told, you're afraid of boredom.
需要感情去打發吧        Need a relationship to pass time.
明明前度最差                It's obvious that nothing is right,
為何硬要跟他                why should you stay with him?
Hey 總有別人                Hey, there must be someone,
待你好                           who treats you better.
所有舊情 Let It Go        All the old feelings, let it go.
相信未來 便看到          Believe in the future, and you'll see
不需要他 Let It Go        that you don't need him.

圍住你 有十個比他好    Around you, there are so many better choices.
找個新轉機 豁出去        Find a new change and go for it,
誰愛你要生又要死         someone might just love you wholeheartedly.
途長路遠找不到下世紀  Don't be afraid of the long process.
纏下去怎麼可爭氣          How would you be happy if you won't let go?
瀟灑的你 應該知道飛     You should know to fly away elegantly.

Hey 總有別人                 Hey, there must be someone,
待你好                            who treats you better.
應該放手 Let It Go         You should let it go.
單身過的 還更好           It is better to be single,
不需要他 Let It Go         you don't need him.
Hey 總有別人                Hey, there must be someone,
待你好                           who treats you better.
所有舊情 Let It Go        All the old feelings, let it go.
相信未來 便看到          Believe in the future, and you'll see
不需要他 Let It Go        that you don't need him.


Dec 26, 2010

1st Day: Love Yourself

On the First day of Christmas my true love said to me: "LOVE YOURSELF"(by Karen Mok 莫文蔚).

I love this song although it is more than 12 years old.. I couldn't find the English version of the song on YouTube, so I attached the Chinese version of it.. but I'll post the English lyrics..

Love Yourself
Lyrics:莫文蔚 
Music:伊秩弘将(Hiromasa Ijichi)

I don't need some guy to wine and dine me all the time
I don't need some other guy to tell me I look fine
I won't hear a lie even if it's all you have to say
No more empty promises to keep me hanging on a line
Just as the music plays on and on each and every day Hey Hey
There is no other way
Simply smile a little smile for you No matter what you do

Love yourself every way.
Feeling good that's your natural right
Love yourself every day.
Looking good all thru' day and night
You oughtta know by now baby.
Feeling love is all you need to be a lady

All I need's a lover who'll stand by me thru' and thru'
And I need a love that's gonna stay forever true
I won't care at all even if you never say 'I love you'
I've got better things to do to make my dreams come true

And if the music dies life gose on each and every day
Hey Hey
There is no other way
Simply smile a little smile for you No matter what you do

Love yourself every way.
Feeling good that's your natural right
Love yourself every way.
Looking good all thru' day and night
Love yourself every way.
Walking tall hold your head up high
Love yourself every day.
Close your eyes feel the love inside
You oughtta know by now baby
Loving life is all you need to be a lady


Dec 24, 2010

Christmas songs

What would Christmas be without the carols, right? So what is your favorite Christmas carol(s)?
For me, it is "White Christmas".. The music and lyrics for White Christmas were written by Irving Berlin in 1942 and originally featured in the movie Holiday Inn starring Bing Crosby. However, I found this cute little video on YouTube that is just adorable.. Would really to spend at least ONE white Christmas with my loved one..

To all my friends, near and far, have a blessed Christmas!!
May your days ahead be filled with joy and healthy-ness!! :)


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

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the treetops glisten,
and children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases be white

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases be white


Dec 23, 2010

又長了一歲 (A year older..)

又長了一歲,      
是否比往年更長了一智?   
是否比往年要處事圓滑? 
是否比往年更了解自己? 
是否比往年要快樂些許? 

又長了一歲,                    
已把以往的不快忘掉了?   
已把從前的不舍放下了?    
已把長久的執著拋去了?   
已把多年的心鎖解開了?   

又長了一歲,                      
去年的今天,獨自身處異鄉;
明年的今天,我將會在何處?
每年的今天,總是無限感慨;
往后的今天,我是否會快樂?

又長了一歲,
我要加倍努力,為未來打拼!
我想找個人陪,為愛情圓滿!
我會更加用心,為品性修行!
我定積極樂觀,為幸福快樂!!


*Translation

A year older, yet
am I any wiser? 
have I become more tactful? 
did I get to know myself better? 
am I any happier than the year before?

A year older, yet
have I let go of my old heartaches? 
have I given up my past disillusions? 
have I finally allayed my long-held insistence? 
have I freed my heart from self-imposed prison?

A year older, and on this day
last year, I was alone in a foreign country.
next year, where will I be?
these past years, always come with a tinge of sadness and regrets.
every year, will I be happy?

A year older, and
I shall work hard, for my future!
I will start looking, for that special someone!
I am gonna strive, for my personal betterment!
I will stay optimistic, for my joy and happiness!!

Dec 21, 2010

憨人

我鲜少听闽南语歌,但五月天的这首《憨人》却是我去卡拉OK必点的歌。。
很喜欢阿信的歌词,简单却非常有意思。。

“我不是好子,但也不是坏人,只是爱做梦。。”


---------------------------------
作詞:阿信 作曲:阿信 
編曲/演唱: 五月天

我的心內感覺 人生的沈重 不敢來振動
我不是好子 嘛不是歹人 我只是愛眠夢
我不願隨浪隨風 飄浪西東 親像船無港
我不願做人 奸巧鑽縫 甘願來作憨人

我不是頭腦空空 我不是一隻米蟲
人啊人 一世人 要安怎歡喜 過春夏秋冬

我有我的路 有我的夢 夢中的那個世界 甘講伊是一場空
我走過的路 只有希望 希望你我講過的話 放在心肝內 總有一天

看到滿天全金條 要煞無半項 環境來戲弄
背景無夠強 天才無夠弄 逐項是攏輸人
只好看破這虛華 不怕路歹行 不怕大雨淋
心上一字敢 面對我的夢 甘願來作憨人





Translation:
Simpleton
I feel the exigency of Life,
and there isn't much I can do about it.
I am not a good child, nor am I  not a bad person,
I just like to dream.

I don't wanna go with the flow, having no aim of my own,
like a ship without a port.
I don't want to be cunning and scheming,
I rather be a simpleton.

It is not that I am empty-minded, nor am I a parasit,
oh man, all our lives, how can we be happy throughout the seasons!?

I have my own destiny and my dreams,
the world in my dreams, would it be just an illusion?
The road I am traveling is filled with dreams,
hope that the things we talked about remain within our hearts till the end.

It seems like everywhere is filled with gold,
yet I don't have one, yet another tease from the environment.
I don't have the privileged background, nor am I a genius,
thus I am always the loser in everything.
Hence, I will have to see through all these vanity,
no matter how difficult the road ahead,
or how big the storm will be,
with courage in me, for the sake of my dreams,
I rather be a simpleton!

Dec 20, 2010

and the leaks spread..

Seems like the leaks from Wikileaks have found its way to SEA and muddied the "chummy good" relations between Bolehland and the Lion City..

Seriously, what is the big deal?? Those opinions are widely held by anyone with common sense and logical (critical) mind. No? Then answer these questions yourself: Heard anything recently about the billion-dollar-submarine that can't dive? Or the 5 billion (Ringgit) tower our PM still wanna built? Or why the recent sudden sneaky cut in subsidies? Or why the sudden coziness shown by our PM to Singapore (a visit in May and then again in Sep)?

Because... drum roll please... the country is going bankrupt!! Why do I say so?? The following is my take on the situation..

American and European countries are reluctant to do business with us because of all the "required" under-table dealings. In fact, most countries or companies are avoiding our shores, unless they get a "good deal" from the government (meaning they can exploit us and we can't complain/protest due to some "special connection" they have with those in power). Heard of any big "clean" MNC investment in the country?? Or any big company that provides employment opportunities to LOCAL people?? There are a few new companies who invested in the country, but they employ FOREIGN workers (from China, The Philippines, Burma, Vietnam, India, etc). And why is that so?

Well, our labor cost are no longer cheap (compared to Vietnam and Cambodia) nor is our workforce good (with bad English and lousy work ethics compared to Thailand and Indonesia). Of course, we still have hardworking and competent professionals but they are the minorities. FDI are flowing into every SEA country, except us. So where is the government going to get the money to do all those "expensive" projects listed in the latest budget?? All the allocated budget for infrastructure projects have been or will be greatly inflated to make sure "everyone" in power gets a share. So to say that we have "incompetent" leaders is just being (way too) polite. We actually have idiots/bigots/ass-kissers, on top of being corruptors for ministers.

And in my opinion, the main reason for our PM to visit our "dearest" neighbor is to get $$$ for the KTM land in Lion City. Previous administration did not want to "surrender" those lands because the man in-charged then had this thing against that country. But now, with money running out, it is time to "sell" whatever they can while they are still in power. And the nuclear project that we are going into? Another scheme to siphon money out of the country by awarding the multi-billion project to (possibly highly dubious) companies after seeking advice from so-called international "consultants" (who cons and insult our intelligence ). And do you trust any company, especially TNB, to take charge of the running of the nuclear reactor?? I for one do NOT trust them at all, because of all the frequent and recent occurrence of power failures that I encountered the last 14 months. So maybe it is time for local insurance companies to add in a clause in their home insurance to exclude coverage for "nuclear fallout"! :x

The government kept telling the people to tighten their belts, be more prudent in spending, yet the fellas in power kept building bigger and grander white elephants. How to convince the people that they need to start saving or they need to elevate their competitiveness/productivity when the government kept telling everyone that everything is okay when it is clearly not? On one hand, the government proclaim that our economy is doing okay and everything is hunky dory, then on the other hand, they kept "threatening/scaring" us into believing that the country is heading into bankruptcy if we don't tighten our belts. So why the "bipolar" proclamation?? Cos they have to hide the bad news from the people long enough to gain another term in office to continue plundering the country!!

So now, not only is the country being ruined by incompetent leaders, it will soon be threatened by a possibility of a nuclear fallout!!

Dec 19, 2010

Yes/No (II)

people come, people go,
even friends can turn into foes..

lies we tell, lies we're told,
things we do to reach our goal..

truth we hide, truth we show,
some things are better left untold..

friends you know, friends you don't,
nothing is ever set in stone..

feeling high, feeling low,
wish I could get away from my woes..

searching high, searching low,
wish I won't have to be alone..

Dec 18, 2010

Yes/No (I)

people come, people go,
even when they say they won't.

money come, money go,
all that glitter aren't gold.

feeling high, feeling low,
still feel safe hiding in the shadow.

searching high, searching low,
why can't i just go with the flow?

lies we tell, lies we're told,
easier to be partial than be whole.

truth we hide, truth we show,
who are we to judge and scold?

friends you know, friends you don't,
won't always be there when you're alone..

Dec 16, 2010

Azeroth beckoning..

Blizzard has done it again... Releasing a new expansion pack, Catalysm which had sold more than 3.3 million copies on its FIRST DAY just a couple of days ago..

And I hear Azeroth's beckoning, loud and clear.. Frankly, I miss playing WoW.. I miss the camaraderie among the group of players I played with.. I miss the joy and thrill completing an instance. I miss the freedom to lose myself in a world that nothing really matters.

Maybe it is the temptation of escapism. I can be anyone I wanna be in Azeroth (what the world in WoW is called), and if I work hard enough (aka spend enough time training and leveling up my character), I can be as powerful as the game allows me to be. I can be a bad-ass who terrorises low-level players, or I can be a good-guy, helping players to level up and/or gain game items (like sword, gear, pets, etc). I can either play on my own - doing quests, gathering resources, crafting items, wondering around, or I can play with a group of people running instances and/or killing bosses (aka big powerful monsters, much like its real-life namesake at times :p). I can reset and restart with a new character if I don't like the current one.. No wonder so many (more than 12 million world-wide to be exact) are hooked..

I won't deny that I was very tempted to join in. Because I don't see why not. I have the time (since I work freelance, meaning I can work anytime I want and when I want) and I have the money (that came with all those freelance jobs). And most importantly, my "old" gang of friends are playing again..

Yet I refrain myself from doing so. I need to use my time more productively. As simple as that. Already, I've been neglecting my journal/paper readings and been very very very very slow in drafting out my research proposal. I need to reschedule my time based on these freelance jobs and trying to find my optimum working style/habits. The last thing I would need is another time-consuming and energy-zapping activity that do not bring any "real-life" benefits. And that is definitely the Capricorn in me talking.

Sadly in the end, Azeroth will (still) have to wait..

Dec 14, 2010

what i want for Christmas (and my BD)..

It is 9 days to my BD and 2 more to Christmas.. Last year I treated myself to an experience of a lifetime - skydiving off Byron Bay, Australia.. :) And spend A LOT of $$ at the same time too.. This year, I don't think I will (be able to) do anything THAT exciting nor expensive..

This year, my sister asked me to pick a present. I am really touched by her gesture. My baby sister is buying me present! How cool is that??!! :) That got me thinking.. should I asked her to donate the money to a charity like what I've asked my friends to do, or should I cut myself some slack and let her get me a present?

Giving myself some leeway for wishing (or should I say, daydreaming), WHAT do I want for my BD (and Christmas) this year?? Mmmmm... No. 1 on my wishing list is Amazon Kindle. Being a avid reader, I like to read all kinds (different categories/genre) of books, not to mention all the PDF books, magazines, academic journals and papers that I got off the Net.. eBook is the way to go as a viable means to save all the trees in the world, other than borrowing the books from the library. And my sister can well afford the USD$139 price-tag (plus another USD$15 for shipping).

But the question remains: (which I asked myself before every purchase of electronic goods) Do I really need it now?? And the anwer to that is a clear NO, as I don't have the time to use it right now. Like I mentioned before, I am fairly busy with my translation jobs, and whatever free time I have, I either spend it with my family, watch drama/movies (from the Net) or read (magazines and journal papers). I do not have the time to FULLY utilize the functionalities of the Kindle, right now. It will, most likely, be sitting on my desk, looking pretty and collecting dust. I do not want to "waste" nearly MYR$ 600 on something that will add to my clutter at home. So Amazon Kindle shall remain an item on my wish list, for now.. :)

Then what do I want as a present?? Seriously, I don't know. There is nothing that I NEED right now, but plenty of stuff that I WANT. I WANT a Amazon Kindle, a new laptop, a new Terabyte external HDD, a 2nd-hand car, a holiday outside Asia, a Tag Heuer watch, and many many more.. Yet, currently I don't NEED anything: my 3-year old laptop is still in working condition (although the screen has burnt out and I am plugging it to a 14-inch CRT monitor); I still have one 250GB external HDD (although the other 500GB one has died on me recently); I don't need a car as I have nowhere to go (and no one to meet up); I am going to Kota Kinabalu next Mar and maybe Bangkok after that (so I am satisfying my travel lust); I have more Swatches than I can possibly wear which I had accumulated over the years and I still lives with my parents.

What I really WANTED can't be bought.. and I think those whom I still keep in contact know what I really WANT for 2011.. but if I were to choose something for my BD that money can "bring", then I would opt for a nice dinner in a good restaurant and a long karaoke session. :)

Dec 12, 2010

温柔

《温柔》是另一首我喜爱的五月天作品。。
因为我觉得在感情中我是温柔的。
也许是我的自尊心或是自卑心作怪吧,
我不会大吵大闹,更不会死缠烂打的,只会默默地走开。。

Hard to find a word that conveys the nuance of 温柔.
It is a mixture of tenderheartedness, gentleness and sensitivity.
And I believe in the realm of emotions/relationship, I am 温柔.
I am not one to beg or pester when a relationship ends, but just walk away silently and bear the heartache alone. I am no martyr but I am no beggar either.. I know when to fight and when to give up a lost cause.
--------------------------------------------

作詞:阿信 作曲:阿信 編曲:五月天
演唱:五月天


走在風中 今天陽光 突然好溫柔
天的溫柔 地的溫柔 像你抱著我
然後發現 你的改變 孤單的今後
如果冷 該怎麼渡過
Walking in the wind,
the sun's ray suddenly felt warm today.
Warmth of the sky and the land,
just like your embrace.
Then I realize the change in you,
ah, the loneliness of the days ahead,
when I feel cold, how would I get through it?


天邊風光 身邊的我 都不在你眼中
你的眼中 藏著什麼 我從來都不懂
沒有關係 你的世界 就讓你擁有
不打擾 是我的溫柔
The sights and sounds of the world outside,
meant more to you than having me beside you.
I can never figure it out,
what's hidden behind your eyes.
No worries, I will grant you the world,
not getting in your way is my 温柔。


不知道 不明瞭 不想要 為什麼 我的心
明明是想靠近 卻孤單到黎明
I do not know, I do not understand,
and I do not want to know why;
Although my heart wanna get close to yours,
I stayed with my shadow till dawn..


不知道 不明瞭 不想要 為什麼 我的心
那愛情的綺麗 總是在孤單裡 再把我的最好的愛給你
I do not know, I do not understand,
and I do not want to know why.
The splendor of love always resides in lonesomeness,
nevertheless I will still give my heart and my love to you.


不知不覺 不情不願 又到巷子口
我沒有哭 也沒有笑 因為這是夢
沒有預兆 沒有理由 你真的有說過
如果有 就讓你自由
Unwittingly and reluctantly,
I've reached the end of the road.
I did not cry nor did I laugh, as this is just a dream.
You said that there is no omen nor reason;
Even if there was, I will still grant you your freedom.


這是我的溫柔
As this is my 温柔.

Dec 11, 2010

translating (the) translated translations

Been fairly busy these past 2 months with my translation jobs.. my freelance translations jobs.. With my mind constantly thinking of how to translate certain sentences from English to Chinese or English to Malay, it can't really do much creative thinking.. :p When I am not translating, I am either watching TV dramas (House, Dexter, Glee, Nikita and many more) that I've gotten off the Net or reading magazines (Newsweek, Fortune, etc).

Anyway, here are a quick run-through of my freelancing jobs..

The first one is an online hotel booking site, based in Europe, which means that I am being paid in Euro! With the exchange rate between Euro and Ringgit being 1:4, it pays rather well.. ;) In fact, during the last 2 months, I am making enough to pay for my daily expenses, to give some (a token sum) to my parents and still manages to save a little.. All I need to do is to translate  a minimum number of words per week. So I can either complete the quota all in 2 days or spread it out over 7, there is no restrictions.

The other one was a long-time freelance job that I had for more than 4 years now. It is with a Japanese company, translating user/product manuals for a major international Japanese brand.. For this gig, I am being paid Japanese Yen.. Again, the exchange rate is in my favor.. :) Product launches are more frequent in the 3rd and 4th quarter of the year, thus I am being swamped by jobs almost every day for the past 2 months.. For this year, I have received close to 100 jobs from them to date.. hope to reach or cross the century mark this year..

One of the perks for translating for the hotel booking site is that I get to know more about cities in the world and their attractions. Hotels all around the world are trying to woo tourists and visitors to stay with them, so they will list out all the benefits and advantages they have over other hotels in the vicinity.. And that is just what I like about this job!  I get to read about all these places as part of what I am supposed to translate!! Already, I am making a list of new places that I would like to visit someday.. :)

While for the other job, I am exposed to what digital cameras and video camcorders are capable of. The irony of it is that I don't own a single product from this major electronic brand.. I've said it before, I am no tech geek and I don't get excited with new electronic products. I won't buy a product and then find a need for it, nor do I think that by owning a piece of the latest tech is going to somehow make me superior/popular/whatever. In fact, I am one of those super late adopters.. I was very proud of myself when I realized that I was the last among my friends/colleagues to own a mobile phone (yeah, back in THOSE days). I only signed up for one because my job required me to..

Of course, I have not lose sight of the fact that both these jobs are freelance, meaning there is no guarantee or safety net and that I might lose one or both of them overnight. But again, who can feel safe under these tumultuous economic times? Even for permanent staff, job security is the last thing any company can promise, much less deliver to its employees when times are bad.. So I am just gonna make hay while the sun is still shining.. earn and save as much as possible when I am still with them..

And frankly, I like the freedom of a freelancer. I never thought I would say this, but I am willing to sacrifice job security (or the false sense of it) for the freedom to do things on my own schedule. I don't have to answer to anyone except my "handlers" (aka people whom I liase for the jobs), no need to wear those uncomfortable office attire, won't get stuck in traffic or get packed into trains/buses like sardines, no need to deal with office politics, etc.. and the only downside that really bothers me is that I don't have a life! Living in this country when most of my friends are somewhere else meant that I don't have meet-ups, dinner/lunch appointments, karaoke sessions or even face-to-face chatting.. All I have is FB and MSN, my 2 most important tools that enable me to still keep (somewhat) in contact with friends..

But I will not pretend that being physically unavailable to my friends isn't hurting my social life, it is, and there is no doubt about that. Yet, I wanna believe that the friendships I made over the years can withstand the test of time. I don't make friends easily as I must admit I am not a very friendly person. Thus hopefully those whom I regard as friends reciprocate my friendship, solidarity and endearment even if we aren't to meet for the next few months/years.. Most of the time, I am the sentimental one as I hold on to the maxim, "Friends (not diamonds) are forever".  Unless you have done something really bad/evil to me, once a friend, always a friend.. :)

Dec 9, 2010

明年今日

蛮喜欢的一首悲情粤语歌曲。。也是我卡拉OK必唱的歌曲。。
喜欢它所刻画的意境。。
即便是无法厮守,却也默默地在远处祝福着那个依然深爱的人。。
尤其是那一句:“临别亦听得到你讲再见”更是让我感触万千。。。

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 明年今日
作词:林夕 作曲:陈小霞
演唱:陈奕迅

若这一束吊灯倾泻下来       If this chandelier is to fall now,
或者我 已不会存在             I would not be around anymore,
即使你不爱                        even if you do not love me,
亦不需要分开                     and we do not need to be apart.

若这一刻我竟严重痴呆       If this very moment I have Alzheimer,
根本不需要被爱                 I would not need to be loved,
永远在床上发梦                 as I'll always be in my dreams,
余生都不会再悲哀              and I shall never feel sadness ever again.

人总需要勇敢生存             We need to be brave to go on living.
我还是重新许愿                 I would like to make a new wish:
例如学会 承受失恋            to be able to live with a broken heart.

明年今日 别要再失眠         Today next year, I do not want to be sleepless anymore.
床褥都改变 如果有幸会面  Things has changed, if we are to meet again.
或在同伴新婚的盛宴         Or at our friends' wedding,
惶惑地等待你出现            I would still be waiting anxiously to see you again.

明年今日 未见你一年        This day next year, haven't seen you for a year.
谁舍得改变 离开你六十年  Who would bear to change, leaving you for 60 years
但愿能认得出你的子女      I can only wish to recognize your children,
临别亦听得到你讲再见      and to hear you say goodbye before I die.


在有生的瞬间能遇到你      Meeting you ever so briefly in my life,
竟花光所有运气                had exhausted all my luck..
到这日才发现                   Only today do I realize,
曾呼吸过空气                   that I had once lived..


Dec 7, 2010

These few days..

Been rather quiet these few weeks, as I've been fairly busy with my translation works... but here is some updates..

Been drinking that super juice for more than 3 weeks now.. I don't really feel any better or worse.. But one thing is for sure, it helped my twisted ankles heal faster. Do recall that I practically landed with both my ankles buckled under me when I misstep and fell with both ankles bearing my entire 74kg weight and I was seeing stars for almost 5 minutes after that. My right ankle swell to almost twice its original size that very night. Yet the swelling on both my ankles start subsiding on the 3th day. The bruises (the blue-blacks) only appeared on the 3rd day but was gone on the 6th day.. I was up and could manage to walk or should I say stagger around like C3PO on the 3rd day. Now, on the 9th day, I will only feel some pain when I move too fast or twist my ankles too much and the swelling is gone. Of course all the massaging and elevating (of both legs) helped, but I truly believe that the super juice helped too.

Anyway, my sister's acne problem is under control and her complexion improved a lot (even her facial beautician said so), the age spots on my dad's arms and legs are subsiding and my mum is more energetic. So that's about it on the effectiveness of the super juice til date.

Shall write a bit more about my current translation jobs in my next entry.. :) So that's all for now..

Dec 3, 2010

人生海海

我很喜欢五月天这个团体,尤其是他们早期的歌曲。。
当年我工作上遇到了大挫折,我就是听他们的歌曲让自己振作起来。。
特别是这首《人生海海》。。 现在听来还是那么地贴切。。

無論是我的明天 要去哪裡 而至少快樂傷心我自己決定
就算是這個世界 把我拋棄 而至少快樂傷心我自己決定

------------------------------------------------------
作詞:阿信 作曲:阿信 
編曲:五月天

有一天 我在想 我到底 算是個什麼東西
還是我 會不會 根本就不算東西

天天都漫無目的 偏偏又想要證明 真理
別人從屁股放屁 我卻每天每天的說要革命

就算是這個世界 把我拋棄 而至少快樂傷心我自己決定
所以我說 就讓它去 我知道潮落之後一定有潮起 有什麼了不起

常常我 豁出去 拼了命 走過卻沒有痕跡
可是我 從不怕 挖出我火熱的心

手上有一個硬幣 反面就決定放棄 嗝屁
但是啊在我心底 卻完完全全不想放棄

就算是這個世界 把我拋棄 而至少快樂傷心我自己決定
所以我說 就讓它去 我知道潮落之後一定有潮起 有什麼了不起

常常我 閉上眼睛 聽到了海的呼吸 是你
溫柔的藍色潮汐 告訴我沒有關係

就算真的這個世界 把我拋棄 而至少快樂傷心我自己決定
所以我說 就讓它去 我知道潮落之後一定有潮起 我不能忘記

無論是我的明天 要去哪裡 而至少快樂傷心我自己決定
所以我說 就讓他去 我知道潮落之後一定有潮起有什麼了不起
有什麼了不起

啦...啦..啦...
啦...啦..啦...

Dec 1, 2010

December already?!?!?

Wow.. can't believe that it is the last month of the year already.. Time flies, whether you are stuck in a 9-5 job or idling around jobless..

This time last year, I was in Down Under.. spending a hot and fun December with my friend and godson.. This time round, I am gonna spend my birthday, Christmas and New Year with my family.. Haven't done that for a really long time.. and my brother is coming back for a visit too.. so for once in a very long long time, the 5 of us will be under the same roof.. :)

December is also the month when all shopping malls play Christmas carols non-stop, have Christmas sales and Santa Clauses popping up everywhere.. And more importantly it is the season of giving and sharing... Been advocating to my friends to give the money budgeted for gifts to charities instead. We won't miss another new jacket/digital camera/handbag/etc, but that money really meant a lot to those in need.. The charity that I've been supporting all these years is the WWF, as I believe that we, the human race, are pushing and causing many species living in this same planet to be extinct due to our needs and wants. This is the least we can do to help undo or minimize the damages we inflicted..

As a December baby, I just simply love the whole festive atmosphere.. Even though I had spend 2 "not-so-white" Christmas in Japan and a very hot one in Australia last year, I really wanna experience a true authentic white Christmas some day with my loved one.. Yes, I am dreaming of a white Christmas..some day...  :)

Nov 28, 2010

Double agony..

Can't believe that I was so clumsy!!

Don't ask me how, but I managed to sprain BOTH my ankles yesterday afternoon, while crossing the street.. Now my ankles are swollen and they are so damn freaking painful. My right ankle hurts more, although both hurts equally bad, as it was the ankle I landed on.. I can't stand up without grimacing in pain, much less walk..and they are slowly turning blue-blackish.. :x :x

I had never been so clumsy in my whole life! But again, everything has its first time.. Maybe this is yet another sign my body is giving me, that I should have proper sleeping hours and exercise more.. Been cutting my sleep these few weeks due to the amount of translation jobs I received.. so mind and body not totally in sync lately..


I feel pretty useless and helpless now.. Can't move around at all.. every time I needed some things, I need to ask my sis to get it for me, or I have to slowly and painfully limp over to get it.. Every trip to the toilet is an agony.. And my vertigo spell still hasn't completely disappear either.. so now, a month before my birthday, I am both immobilized and dizzy.. not a good way to usher in my 3rd dozen years....

I so pray for a speedy recovery.. and no more "catastrophe"..

Nov 27, 2010

Tarot Readings.. V

Yet another 3 months has passed.. Ready for another tarot reading.. :) Using the same application that I did previously to "see" my fortune for the next 3 months. Note that all pictures of tarot cards are from http://phpbb-tw.net/phpbb/thoth/ and there is no intention of infringing any copyright.

又过了三个月。。又是塔罗占卜时间啦。。我还是利用以往相同的占卜程式为接下来的三个月的运程占卜一下了所有的塔罗图片都采自竹猫星球塔罗馆 (http://phpbb-tw.net/phpbb/thoth),本部落并无意侵犯版权。

職場發展 進行占卜,結果為:
Pertaining your luck in: Job-hunting:

現狀 Current Situation: 戀人 [The Lovers]

目前你的求職方面,鎖定在你一直很有興趣,卻沒有相關學經歷的新領域,而你工作最大的目的,是為了學習、拓展眼界,是很有挑戰心的態度。
Currently, you are looking at jobs that you are interested in, those new areas which you do not possess relevant qualifications, and your main motivation is to learn and expand your horizons. All these are very challenging to you.

問題 Problem : 太陽 [The Sun]

已經有多次的經驗,是你覺得一切都很順利,但最後還是沒有錄取,而且你一直不知道問題在哪裡。容易交朋友的個性,讓人不會對你說重話,反而是一種阻礙。
It has happened way too often that you thought everything went well but yet you were not hired, and you have no idea what went wrong. Your friendliness has caused people to avoid saying bad things about you and this is hindering your search.

建議 Suggestion: 女皇 [The Sun]

多參加一些求職的講座、媒合活動,因為你本身的親和力,比你的資歷更能讓人留下好印象,所以要多多亮相開發人脈。
Attend more job recruitment talks and seminars. Your affinity is much more impressionable than your qualifications, so make use of it and expand your social network.



單身運勢 進行占卜,結果為:
Pertaining your luck in : Relationships (for Singles)

現狀 Current Situation: 教皇 [The Hierophant]

你的生活圈子較為狹小,生活步驟也都有一定的模式,所以比較難有新的邂逅,但你其實對迎接新感情,已經做好準備了。
Your circle of life is relatively small, and you have a fix routine too, thus it is difficult for you to meet new people, even though you are more than ready for a new relationship.

問題 Problem: 皇帝 [The Emperor]

可能因為你太過於獨立,習慣自己掌握主導權,如果有人對你示好,你通常是反應遲鈍的,有時趕跑了一些人還渾然不覺。
Maybe you are overly independent, and is used to being in control. Thus even if someone has professed their feelings for you, you are often slow to realize it and might even have chased away a few unknowingly.

建議 Suggestion: 死亡 [Death]

終結目前的生活吧!長此下去,你的機會會一年比一年減少,不如換個新的生活型態,給自己一些新的人生目標。
Put an end to your current lifestyle! If you go on like this, your chances will diminish year by year. Why don't you make a change and give yourself a set of new purposes.



財運 進行占卜,結果為:
Pertaining your luck in : Money Matters

現狀 Current Situation: 藝術 [Art]

你覺得不是很缺錢,因為一般需要用錢取得的東西,你都覺得有其他管道可以取得,所以雖然你覺得有錢也不錯,但其實還是很容易滿足。
You don't really think you are in need of money, because everything that requires money can be obtained via other non-monetary means. Thus even though you think that it is good to have money, you are in fact easily satisfied.

問題 Problem: 戀人 [The Lovers]

你對金錢一直是沒有什麼概念的,賺多花多,賺少花少,怎麼來怎麼去的都不知道,太過隨性的態度,倒致不管賺多少錢,都很難存下來。
You don't really have much concept about money. You spend as you earn and you don't really notice where it went. This type of attitude has resulted in you not being able to have any saving, no matter how much you earn.

建議 Suggestion: 塔 [The Tower]

你越小心翼翼算每一分錢,就越是有狀況要讓你失去;反正也留不住多少,你乾脆認養貧童或是定期捐款,讓錢去到真正該去的地方。
The more careful you are with every dollar that you have, the higher the chances that you will lose it. Since you can't save much, why don't you just adopt a needy kid or donate regularly, let the money go where it can make a big difference.



人際運勢 進行占卜,結果為:
Pertaining your luck in : Human Relationships
現狀 Current Situation: 死亡 [Death]

因為生活模式沒啥改變,但老朋友結婚的結婚、忙工作的忙工作,你又沒怎麼交新朋友,所以社交圈呈現荒涼的狀態。
As your lifestyle remains unchanged, but with all your friends being/getting married and everyone is busy with you, and you have yet to make new friends, your social life is stuck in decline.

問題 Problem: 倒吊人 [The Hanged Man]

你對於友情這樣的事,實在是太隨緣了,而且可以為了睡覺或下雨這種原因,懶得出門交際,這樣會變宅喔!
Your attitude towards friendship is too nonchalant. You would even shun going out to socialize just because of it was raining or you wanted to sleep in.

建議 Suggestion: 戀人 [The Lovers]

你跟身邊的朋友,屬性太接近了,所以你的優缺點他們也都有,比較難從朋友身上獲得建設性的建議,應該多參加不同屬性的活動,多交點其他類型的朋友。
You and your friends around are too similar, having all the same good and bad points, which makes it difficult for you to get any constructive advice from them. You should join different activities to vary the types of friends you have.

Nov 22, 2010

12 days later..

Here are some update that I promised in my earlier post..

After consuming the "super" juice for 12 days, all I have to say is, nothing.. cos I don't feel any different.. I still weight the same even after being very hungry and eating a lot for the first 6 days.. my appetite kinda returned to "normal" the past 2 days.. So there, the honest truth! I could actually lie and say that my this improved or my that felt better, etc, because no one is gonna tell on me since I am not meeting anyone who could call me a liar.. but I won't.. cos I won't "sell" my integrity for some quick bucks.. however, my mum and sis did notice some differences.. my mum felt more energetic and her eyes don't get tired anymore, while my sister's skin condition is much better and she doesn't have any more severe acne breakouts (which I can attest to)..

And I had only managed to convince ONE friend from SG to join/buy this product.. I always knew that I am not cut out to be a salesperson, because I tried to be ethical.. I can always push the money making aspect of this product, but I prefer to emphasize on the health aspect.. because I believe people should and would understand and accept it better.. but alas, I am wrong.. all they want is proof and guarantee (that the product is good which it is but they won't trust me unless I show them concrete proofs, yet they distrust the testimonies that I showed them, and refused to try it themselves). Most of them stayed away because this is MLM and it is "expensive"...

No business is going to last if the product that it is selling is not good. So why people are joining this MLM? Sure, the business plan is good, as it is very simple: maximum 2 legs/down-line per member, no breaking off, no flushing and INFINITY accumulation, thus as long as people in your down-line buys/recruits, you will get the benefits if you maintain a minimum purchase. In a sense, you can potentially earn up to USD$25,000 a week!! Of course, that is best case scenario.. If all this company talks about is its business plan, then you have a right to be wary, but the product is good (the main ingredient is Maqui berries, the world's highest anti-oxidant fruit)  and has helped many regain their health, as it boasts the following benefits:
- neutralizes free radicals
- anti-aging
- promotes weight loss
- beautify skin
- protects the heart
- detoxification & anti-inflammatory

I know and understand that MLM has a very bad rep, because it resembles pyramid-system.. but have they even consider the fact that some are indeed legit and long-lasting? Similar to Amway, Cosway? The main aim of joining MLM is making money, and the trick to make money in any MLM is by joining it as EARLY as possible, so that we can be the "pioneers. This product is less than 6 months' old in MY and SG.. It just went to Philippines early this month and already Filipino maids in SG and HK are joining en massed!! Just imagine, domestic maids are willing to take a chance in a product that "has yet to be proven and is expensive" (just to quote some of my friends' replies) why? cos it is "cheap" to join, if you consider the price in SGD (which is less than SGD$ 400 for 8 bottles of the juice!!) and the monetary returns is humongous!!

Then I realized something.. I am preaching to a bunch of "secured" and "high-earning" individuals.. they are more willing to spend money on the latest 3G products than to invest in a "possible" product that might help them (both in health and in money making)... they are more comfortable talking about investing in foreign exchange, funds or stocks and joining private clubs, than joining "shady" MLM schemes... they are, in a sense, being safe! just like their government want them to, just like what they joked about (but denies) being "kiasi" (Hokkien, literary meaning "afraid to die").. I can totally understand that, because I was one of them.. Also, I realized that most, if not all of my friends, aren't those who are willing to take up a second/third job to get more money!! They are comfortable in their (little) circle..

I am not condemning nor judging them. If I haven't gone through what I've been through the last one year, I would be one of them too, scoffing at the idea of making money via "non-conventional" methods.. I wouldn't be out of my comfort zone, so to speak.. We are all creatures of our environment. I can totally relate to their skepticism.. but sometimes, we need to take a leap of faith.. but it is easier said than done.. in this economic environment where $$ is of the utmost importance, it is hard to ask those who have lots to take a chance.. only those who don't have much are willing to "gamble"/risk some to get more.. No one wants to be the sucker to lose money in some "shaddy" schemes.. but the "beauty" about MLM is that whoever that joins the earliest make the most profit, meaning those who are willing to take a risk before the majority herd make the most money.. which is fair and simple..

Bottom line is, I don't depend on this super juice as my main income source. I only introduce it to those friends whom I thought would benefit from this, in terms of health (for their family members)...But make no mistake about it, this MLM is gonna make a lot of people rich or at the very least, give them a very substantial side income. The product is good, and the business plan is sound.  Those who are earning BIG right now are, ironically, those who were very sick/had many medical problems. They took the super juice and recovered/improved, and thus became the walking testimonials of the product. Most of their friends/relatives saw what the juice did to them and joined. My dad who joined early this month had already gotten back his initial investment of USD275, and has earned another USD$50 till date.. he didn't do much except to introduce 5 of his friends to join.. all he promised them is a chance for better health and an opportunity to make some money..

Anyway, I am very busy with my translation jobs to be "pushing" this super juice hard.. I won't beg or pester friends to get them to join/buy this MLM.. I will tell them about it and if they are interested to know more, I will tell them more, but that is it. I will continue to take this super juice myself and see if it will help me lose some extra pounds.. my skin is in good condition to begin with, so I don't expect any drastic improvements.. same with my health.. of course, I won't mind looking a couple more years younger! :) I won't mind being in my late thirties but looking like my late twenties in a few more years!! :p :p ;)

Nov 18, 2010

キミはともだち

Heard this song from a list of songs my sister dl recently.. I went to YouTube to search for the music video and found the video attached below.. very cute MV.. I've always liked Ken Hirai's voice.. and I like this song.. it is simple and nice.. just the way I would like my life to be.. or at least I pray that it is gonna be..

キミはともだち(朋友)
作词:平井坚 作曲:平井坚 
编曲:松浦晃久

君が笑った 仆もつられて笑った
映し镜みたいだ 君はぼくのともだち
君が怒った 仆も负けずに怒った
子供のけんかみたいだ 君はぼくのともだち
仆がさびしいときは あとすこしつきあって
うまく话を闻いてくれないか
君の声だけが こころを轻くする
ただあいづちを打ってくれるだけで
はなれていてもずっと
胸の中にいるよ

君が泣いてた 仆も泣きそうになった
だけどこらえて笑った 元气出せよと笑った
君がさびしいときは いつだって飞んでくよ
うまくことばがみつからないけれど
仆の声が君のこころを愈すなら
だだあいづちを打つだけでもいいかい?

さびしいときは あとすこしつきあって
うまく话を闻いてくれないか
君の声だけが こころを轻くする
ただあいづちを打ってくれるだけで
君がいないと 仆は本当に困る
つまりそういうことだ きみはぼくのともだち

Nov 13, 2010

A Chance

How much do you think your health is worth? what about your parents'? Or your siblings? Uncles or aunties'?
Will you be willing to wager USD280 for a 50% chance of improving your health and those of your loved ones?

I was recently introduced to a product by my uncle, which is a combination of Maqui Berries, Aloe Vera, Resveratrol, Ionic Sea Minerals and 6 other berries (in case you wanna know, they are strawberries, cranberries, blueberries, bilberries, raspberries and elderberries). Other than the obvious health benefit it brought him (shall talk about his conditions later), it is also a good business opportunity too.. how is it so? Let me break it down for you..

A) Health Benefits
Given, there is no miracle food in this world, else medical doctors will be out of job.. but there are food that is good for the human body, like this "super" juice. People have given testimonies on how this juice has helped them. Improvements from serious ailments like diabetic, arthritis, high blood pressure and high uric acid to simple things like better skin/complexion, weight lost, better bowel movement, etc.

You can just do a quick search in Google and it will give you all the links on Maqui Berries that you can read. Thus I won't repeat them here, cos I am sure you won't believe it because I don't too. That is the reason why I am trying the juice myself. Frankly, I don't expect drastic change, because I am fairly healthy to begin with (blood pressure normal, no high cholesterol, no high uric acid, etc. except for my mysterious vertigo episode recently). I just wanna have better skin, do some detoxing and lose some weight in the process.  :)

Back to my uncle. He is the only"real"testimonial that I can personally vouched for. My uncle suffered a massive heart-attack and had an open-heart bypass a few years ago, and currently he remains a heavy smoker. After taking the juice, he managed to put on some fresh on his thin frame, he is more energetic, his blood pressure stays in the normal range (instead of fluctuating from day to day), his fingers don't feel numb in the morning anymore and even his skin starts to look nicer! In short, he just looks so much healthier compared to what he was before. His well-being improved in general, after taking the juice (2oz 3 times a day) for less than 1 month.


B) Business Opportunity
Those who is doing or has done MLM before would know that the plan offered by this company is better and "fairer". Why is it so? Well, for one thing, this is a binary system, with no breaking off of any of your down-line and no cut-off leveling. Let me detail it further.

1. Binary system means that the immediate branch/legs that you can ever have is 2. No matter how good you are at recruiting, you can't have all of them linked directly to you, like a sun. Everyone can only have 2 immediate/direct members. You need to put new members under existing members. That means your up-line (those fellas on top of you in the so-called tree) will need to put people under you whenever they recruit more people. You will benefit more if you join earlier and perched yourself (higher) up the hierarchy.

2. No break-off of down-line. In some MLM system, your down-line will break off from you once it reaches a certain size or sales volumne. However, in this company, there is no breaking off. Your down-line shall remain yours FOREVER!

3. No cut-off of benefits. Unlike most MLM where you stop benefiting when your down-line grows too big, in this company, as long as someone in your down-line (no matter how far downward) buys or recruits, you will get the BV (business value) as long as you maintain minimum purchase of 2 or 4 bottles (each giving different percentage returns).

Thus all these mean that the earlier you join, the better chance you have of making big bucks. So be the first among your circle of friends to introduce them to this product. If the product helps make them healthier, they will thank you for it and at the same time you earn some cash!!


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

Okay, enough of "sales talk"..

Anyway, I just started taking the juice 2 days ago (1oz 3 times a day), so it is still too soon to tell if there is any improvement, except my appetite has been very (too?) good. I will keep you posted..

Of course, I won't deny that there are those who saw no benefits at all, as each person is a unique individual - what works for me, might not do anything for you. Frankly, even if in the end I don't gain any health benefits from this "super" juice, I will still think that it is not a total loss. At least I had tried to make my body healthier, but alas, I would need to work harder (diet control and exercise) to keep my body in shape and I can't take the easy short-cut (simply drinking the juice 3 times a day).

But does it mean that you shouldn't try? 

Simply put, this juice will either makes you feel better or it doesn't, it is that simple. I know you are thinking of the "what if" scenario. What if the juice don't work on you at all? Well, if that is the case, all you lose is USD280. But what if it improves your well-being?? Just imagine the intangible benefit you will reap with the betterment of your health (or those of your loved ones)!! Why would you want to wait or even miss out a chance to be healthier?? Don't let money be the stumbling block to better health!! Cos seriously, is money more important that health?? 

It is a 50-50 chance gamble - if you lose, you just lost USD280, but if you win, you will have the world under your feet!! So I think this is a shot well worth taking!
For those who are interested to know more about this product and company, drop me an email and I shall provide you with the relevant links.

Nov 11, 2010

11.11

一分耕耘,一分收获”这道理大家都知道,但有时候“一动不如一静”,因为我们的“一举一动”、“一字一句”或多或少都会“一丝一毫”地留下痕迹。

岁月的印记“一点一滴”地累积而成,决不是“一朝一夕”可以抹去或遗忘的,即便是还未来得及许下“一生一世”承诺的那个人。曾是那么地熟悉的“一颦一笑”、“一言一行”,如今只能留给回忆收藏。
只因这份“一心一意”最终还是无疾而终了。。。

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
用了11个带有“一、一”的成语。。
也不知道为什么要写下这篇小品。。
也许是想在这一年一度的11月11日留下些什么吧。。

Nov 6, 2010

Mapling..

Was, and still am a big fan of MMORPG games.. and recently I got hooked on playing Maple Story.. :p

I know that I have thousand and one things to do, yet I can't help but "devote" at least 1 hour a day on this game.. And it all started because my sister wanted to play Maple Story.. it was one of her few entertainments while studying in Moscow.. and with her current hectic, or should I say crazily inhumane, work schedule, I won't deny her the pleasure of game-playing during her precious holidays.. Like her big sister (that's me), she likes to stay at home during her off-days, either watching Taiwanese or Korean dramas, or playing computer/online games.. these are the ways she relaxes..

I am currently playing in the Hercules (world) of Malaysian gateway.. A knight-in-training right now.. A level-22 Wind Breaker who uses a bow... I have always liked using ranged weapons.. me not a big fan of close combats, prefer to dispose of my enemies from afar.. :) My sis is also a Knight, but she is a Striker..

So anyone mapling?

Nov 4, 2010

True colors

You with the sad eyes
Don't be discouraged
Oh, I realize
It's hard to take courage
In a world full of people
You can lose sight of it all
And darkness still inside you
Make you feel so small

But I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors,
True colors, are beautiful,
Like a rainbow.

Show me a smile then,
Don't be unhappy,
Can't remember when I last saw you laughing
If this world makes you crazy
And you've taken all you can bear
You call me up
Because you know I'll be there

And I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors,
True colors, are beautiful,
Like a rainbow

If this world makes you crazy
You've taken all you can bear
You call me up
Because you know I'll be there

And I'll see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors, true colors
True colors, are beautiful,
Like a rainbow


------------------------------------------------------
Love this song.. whether it is sung by Cyndi Lauper or the Glee cast members..

Nov 3, 2010

The Chinese Connection

I must first admit that this is not an academic nor a deeply researched article but one that I wrote based on my own deductions from all the recent happenings around the region.. it might not even be true.. again, just my hunch..

I believe that in 5 to 10 years time, China (inclusive of Hong Kong), Taiwan and Singapore will be the new power triangle (or quartet if you count Hong Kong separately from China) in Asia. Why do I say so?

Simply put: China has the muscle, Taiwan has the guts and Singapore has the brains..

Together with Hong Kong, China has the human resource and financial resource to make things happen.. And don't forget that it has the political muscles too, like the recent squabbles with Japan and Russia.. As one of the most populous country in the world, China can supply any number of workers required for any industry, be it manufacturing, R&D, service and even banking.. People in China are willing to work, both hard and long, sacrificing the "work-life" balance that is being touted in the West.. The Chinese are the new Japanese.. at least in terms of work ethics, although they have yet to reach that level of sophistication and civic-mindedness..

Taiwan is well-known for being entrepreneurial and gutsy in businesses. They are willing to take risks, but not recklessly.. they are adventurous and has business acumen - the so-called "killer instinct"... Taiwanese are friendly people, they can work their charm and use it strategically in business negotiations. They bring in the softer touch required in managing difficult situations. With the recent signing of ECFA with China, Taiwanese corporations could work more closely with their China counterparts and boast bilateral trades.

As for Singapore, this little red dot in Asia has established its brand of business-friendliness and corruption free government. Its foreign ministry has built good close rapport with almost every country in the world, maybe except Malaysia.. Everyone likes to do business with Singapore because of the reliability and credibility of its government.. Everything is nice and proper, no under-table dealings nor "tea money" needed to grease any hands..

China is perceived as having poor quality management, lack of business ethics and accountability issues; Taiwan is perceived as having shady business practices and insubordination issues and Singapore is perceived as being too inflexible and slow to response to changes. By working together, countries will be able to make up for their (perceived) weak points. They will be perceived as having the best of both the East (virtues like loyalty and work ethics) and the West (practices like fairness and meritocracy).

Possible "losers" in this future economy power struggle might be India, Korea and Japan. India has to improve on its infrastructure and legislation so that its people can move forward in a more collective manner without corruptions and nepotism. Korea would need to address its North Korea quagmire which will continue to haunt its stability and indirectly affects investors confidence. And lastly, Japan's new generation has to realize that it is no longer numero uno in Asia and start learning from other Asian countries. It also has to work through unresolved WW II issues with its neighbors, like what Germany did, before all countries affected can move on.

With the Chinese people currently "scattered" all over the world, working in every industry imaginable, there is no lacking in finding and recruiting the best talents and brains for any joint-venture endeavors.. So being proficient in English is a must while mastering Chinese will be a given in the future, IF you want to compete against millions of Chinese (either in China or outside of China) for a piece of tomorrow's economy pie.. ..

Nov 1, 2010

Out to play..

Not coming out to play,
the sun is too bright and my friends are not nice,
too much expectation, too little compassion,
winner takes all while losers get naught,
not risking my all with a frontal assault..

Not coming out to play,
the field is too scratchy and the rules too patchy,
too many armchair coaches, not enough fair judges,
bullies aplenty so are bigots and fanatics,
not a time to push new limits.


Not coming out to play,
my feet hurts and my arms ache,
my team is great but too much is at stake,
shall try my darnest but I won't break a leg,
willing to do without than putting up a facade..

Oct 31, 2010

What would you do?

Simply put, would you beg for love?

A few weeks ago, I received an interesting translation job. I was first told that it was a translation job from Japanese to Malay, a simple "love letter" written by a Japanese to a Malaysian. Not someone to judge nor reject good money, I accepted the job, although my sis did warn me against it.. "what if those two were NOT meant to be together?" "Long-distance relationships are hard, and if he (both of us assumed that it was a "he" writing to a "she") doesn't even bother to learn the language so that they could communicate better, what chance do you think they have?" You can see how "pragmatic" runs in my family.. ;) I was actually more worried about whether I could convey the mushy-ness of the letter properly and sufficiently, especially whether I should tone-up the schmaltzy-ness if I find it lacking or tone-down the lovey-dovey-ness if it was overbearing..

Then I got the actual letter..  Boy, we were so wrong.. first of all, it was written by a Japanese lady to a Malay guy.. secondly, it was more like a letter of desperation than affection.. To summarize it, she is asking him for his phone number so that she could call him after not hearing from him for 2.5 months.. she even promised to only call him during "agreed times" so that she "won't be a nuisance to him"..

When I read the letter, my feelings are mixed. Should I convey the same level of anguish and despair as the writer, or should I toned it down? Was it a one-sided affair? Was he the one assh*** who lead her on and then dumped her? Was she the one unwilling to let go? Was it all just a misappropriation of emotions due to language/culture barrier?? Not knowing anything about either of these protagonists, I can only do my best to put across her feelings without making her looked pitiful.

I know that we need to fight for love, but what is the line between fighting and begging? When it is clear that the "feeling" isn't mutual? When it is obvious that he/she is avoiding us by disappearing? When it is clear that we want more than what he/she is willing to give? When it is apparent that he/she just wanna be friends? When do we know that it is but a lost cause? I for one won't beg.. I will put my case forward and ask the person to choose/make a decision. And I will walk away, if that is the decision, no matter how in love I am with that person.. cos I don't believe in pity nor charity when it comes to the matter of the heart.. Again, that's just me..

With this age of the Social Networking where people say anything and everything over FB, twitter and what-have-yous that they don't mean, where people can friend and then ban you overnight, will this type of speedy make-n-break "relationships" be the norm of the future?

Oct 30, 2010

Mortality..

Nothing beats succumbing to an illness without warning to remind yourself of your own mortality..

I was bedridden for more than 2 days.. I couldn't get out of bed because every time I lift my head up even for an inch, the world spins dizzily around.. the bedroom ceiling, the walls, the cupboards started to turn round and round and round and round.. I had to close my eyes and concentrate on not vomiting as the sense of vertigo and nausea was overwhelming.. It was worst than the most awesome roller coaster ride I ever had.. And of course, sitting up straight was totally out of the question!!

The first thing that came to my mind when this happened was, "Do I have a tumor inside my head now?" Yeah, I know that you must have thought that I had watched way too many dramas/movies to come to that conclusion but hey, when you are scared stiff by the sudden onset of this "head-spinning", you would assume the worst case scenario, won't you?? Add to the fact that I had 2 paternal uncles who died from cancer while in their late thirties/early forties and a cousin, who is just ONE year older than me, who died from another form of cancer just last year, you can forgive me for being spooked..

My worry was that the benign-little-lump that I checked a year ago has somehow infected/affected my inner ear, causing this vertigo.. That lump has "grown" since into three small lumps which isn't visible but I can feel them..  Best case scenario, those are harmless growths.. Worst case scenario is that it had turned malignant.. thus taking my sister's advice, I plan to have it remove early next year (she wants it out NOW, if she has it her way), because the longer it stays in my body , the higher the chances it will go "rogue"..

Anyway, back to my head-spinning illness.. Was in bed almost 24 hours the first day.. My sister couldn't think of anything that was wrong with me, except lack of proper sleep and sufficient eye rests.. my temperature and blood pressure were all normal.. So I went to see the doctor the 2nd day when the vertigo didn't seem to even lessen a bit. He did the same tests, asked the same questions that my sister asked and came to the same conclusion.. I just needed more rest! This sudden vertigo (due to my inner ear being affected/infected) was triggered by my runny nose, lack of sleep, hormonal change (just finished my menses) and overexertion of my eyes.. He gave me some medicine for the vertigo and the nausea, and told me to rest..

And here I am.. on the 5th day.. feeling better though my head is still heavy.. took myself off the medication on the 4th day.. head still spins when I turn it suddenly and when I lay down on my bed, but nothing I can't handle.. slept more than 90% of the past few days.. yet, I still feel sleepy and my body feels weak.. I need to rest my eyes after every 2 hours, else I will get headache, which means I can't read any books/magazines or watch any dramas/movies for long.. Up till today, I only monitored what I eat, but I forget to give my body sufficient time to rest, detox and rejuvenate.. Need to take better care of my body.. gonna sleep early.. no more late night readings.. no more drama/movie marathons through the nights..

Hopefully, my body will forgive me for the abuse that I had subjected it the past 1 year and we'll be great pals again.. I can never do it alone.. unless they find a way to "download" my consciousness from my body and put it online, like Major Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell.. :)

Oct 26, 2010

Another round of..

The National Budget was unveiled a few weeks ago.. and there are a lot of good commentaries out in the blogsphere on it.. since neither economy nor finance is my forte, I shall not add anymore to the already well-researched articles..

However, I would like to say the following that this is just...

..another round of robbing the people to pay "their" cronies..
..another round of initiating mega projects to siphon public funds into private pockets..
..another round of doing things that "they" want instead of what the country needs
..another round of ignoring the poor while enriching "themselves"...
..another round of spending national funds for "their" political gains...
..another round of exposing the incompetence of our so-called ministers and "top brains"..
..another round of flaunting and "shiok-sendiri" that the country can ill-afford..
..another round of spending irresponsibly and wanton wastage..
..another round of trying to leave a "legacy" using the people's money..

..another round of confirmation why foreign capital are staying away..
..another round of testament why the country is going to the dogs..

And I must say that I am happy that I didn't pay a single cent in tax to this government. I am still officially unemployed so I have no income for them to levy any tax on. I've paid taxes in Singapore for more than 8 years, and I am both willing and happy to pay my taxes to a government that takes good care of its people (comparatively if some wanna start saying that SG gov is authoritative, etc, etc,)..

Over there, I can see where my tax money goes to and I am assured that all those money are well-spent. The public transport is good, no worries about rampant crime, and the poor are taken care of (although some said not good enough, but at least the government gives out subsidies and incentives fairly to ANYONE who needs it), which I cannot say the same over here.. The government asks its people to bite the bullet when the time is tough and not sugar-coat any bad news in order to stay popular. It under-promises, but over-delivers most of the time.. and they have ministers who KNOW what they are doing and can hold INTELLIGENT discussions.. they DEBATE, and not BICKER.. I can go on and on about the differences between these two governments, but it changes nothing of the fact that one is FOR the country while the other is FOR their party and themselves..

Praying and hoping very hard that I won't be around in this country the next time a budget is read.. I can only take so much baloney and shenigans before my blood pressure remains elevated forever..  

Oct 24, 2010

My best days are ahead of me

Performed by Danny Gokey


Blowing out the candles
on another birthday cake
Old enough to look back and laugh at my mistakes
Young enough to look at the future and like what I see
My best days are ahead of me

Life hasn't always been a party
but mostly it's been good
There's only one or two things that I'd change if I could
I dont get lost in the past or get stuck in some sad memory yah
My best days are ahead of me

Age ain't nothing but a number
Sometimes I have to wonder
What does it really mean
But heeeey i'm still putting it together
I keep getting better
if I keep getting better
I can be whatever I want to be
My best days are ahead of me

Age ain't nothing but a number
Sometimes I have to wonder
What does it really mean
But heeeey i'm still putting it together
I keep getting better
if I keep getting better
I can be whatever I want to be
My best days are ahead of me

I've got sunsets to witness
dreams to dance with
beaches to walk on
and lovers to kiss
there's a whole lot of world out there
that I can't wait to see
My best days are ahead of me
My best days are ahead of me


---------------------------------------------
A song by one of the American Idol finalists of the only season I've ever watched.. the other two being Adam Lambert and Kris Allen..

In another two more months, I will be adding the 36th candle onto my cake.. This time round, I won't be jumping off any airplane or attempting any extreme sports, although I really do want to skydive again.. or try paragliding.... :p For the first time in more than 16 years, I will be spending my birthday in the country that I was born..

There is still too many things that I wanna do and experience.. sunrises and sunsets to witness, beaches to walk on, mountains to climb, places to visit, things to learn, lovers to kiss, etc... And above all, I want to believe that my best days are ahead of me! :)