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!!
黑暗中期待光線，生命有一種絕對。。
"tells you the story of who I am..
so many stories of where I've been..
and how I got to where I am.."
依然として忍び寄る孤独。。
Dec 31, 2010
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！
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.
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.
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
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
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 ﾊﾟﾅﾙ､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
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 ﾊﾟﾅﾙ､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.
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
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
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!!
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!
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!!
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..
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..
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..
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. :)
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.
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.. :)
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..
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..
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。。
------------------------------------------------------
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...
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
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... :)
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... :)
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