My Music's online ...

I have finally uploaded my first piece of music - Love Pain.

Am a little excited about it yet a little afraid the music isn't at all that wonderful. Hearing some comments from you will surely be useful and perhaps, help me make better music next time.

I do have some other compositions which I'll share with you next time and hopefully, they'll be nicer than this trial song I have decided to put up with Imeem.com.

Maybe, it'll also be useful if you know any other cool sites where I can upload my songs for easy download.

Anyway, am just so glad I managed to put this up as I know some friends are waiting to hear my music but I haven't had the time to polish and refine those melodies just yet. And yes, as I may not be the best person to write lyrics, perhaps if you know someone who is interested, you can drop me a line too.

Enjoy the music and if its too yucky, its fine. Just tell me so I can improve.

Thanks in advance. : )

Baby Cot ...

At work today, I was wondering at what age do children switch from a baby
cot to a bed. See, my job requires a little bit of paternal instincts and
maybe that particular instinct requires some time to train and nurture.

So what exactly is a baby cot? That I know for sure. It looks exactly like
a cage. Now, if you are a pet lover and have visited a pet shop at least
once in your life, you'll likely be able to visualise a puppy running
around in limited space because it's fenced up by a perimeter of plastic
and metallic fences. Now, imagine that you'll bend over to pick up the
puppy with your hands. Ta-da, that's exactly how a baby cot looks like if
you switched the puppy to a baby. Am I making sense here? Maybe not.

Forget the baby cot and the puppy fence. ; )

Another farewell ...

Pricoa has lost an effective manager and a good friend.

Vivian Lee served her last day at the office yesterday after giving a 2
month notice. Its been a short work stint with Vivian whom I report to but
she's one cool boss who works with a heart and brings lots of cheer and
laughter to the team here.

This morning as I stepped into the office, I peeped into the room only to
find an empty desk with a chair neatly parked. No more morning greetings,
no more poking fun at one another.

The atmostphere in the office has changed drastically after her departure.
Perhaps what she said is correct. Give it some time and everything else
will be normal. So what's normal at a work place? Just minding your own
business and not interacting with fellow colleagues. Frankly, the group
here I work with are a bunch of very happy people and we get along really
well.

Vivian, always approachable and nice to her subordinates makes us laugh all
the time with her own laughter. So its true that laughter is the best
medicine and its as contagious as yawning. I guess Vivian and I both have a
similar personality. We are very accommodating and always say 'yes' and
that's one very big reason why she has left. She took too much upon
herself. I guess she's a very good example to what I don't want to be.
Always giving in to others and taking more responsibility every day and
after a long period of time, you just burst and shouting out loud on how
miserable you are.

Oops. Am I sending the wrong signal to my colleagues who might be reading
this. No, I aren't complaining. Am just discussing about personality and
how heroes always die young. Heroes take the world's burden on them and
that's too much thus they fumble and die. I aren't no hero. And don't think
I'll be anyway. ; )

As for Vivian, she'll always be mother hen to the many children she has here.
We'll miss her heaps and who knows, our paths might cross again some time,
some day.

Food on bus ...

In Singapore, there is a certain fruit which is a no-no when boarding a bus. And that's the durian.

We all know it has a very strong smell and if you don't eat this fruit, chances are you won't like the smell of it too.

Seated on the bus now, I could smell something else. I smell food. Cooked food to be exact. Carrot cake or fried noodles but its stinking the bus and I know for sure this smell is going to linger in my nose for awhile.

It isn't exactly smelly. It just causes the bus to smell and that's exactly what happens when durian is brought on a public transport.

So my point is this. If cooked food smells and eventually leaves the same effects just as a durian does, so why can't durian be allowed?

Let truth be told. Its not the smell that the bus operators are afraid of, they are merely afraid of the thorny fruit which could be used as a deadly weapon especially after two months failing to re-capture JI terrorist Mas Selamat.

Right. Just kidding.

Song Writing ...

I happen to chance upon a blog / forum on song writing. Songcraft seems to be a platform for aspiring song writers to exchange and talk about their works and what's best is they'll have a get-together on Friday at Fort Canning Park.

I am trying to squeeze some time to join the group of people behind Songcraft and hopefully pick up some tips from the people there. I am not too sure if I will be able to make it as you know my wedding is round the corner and there are still lots of things not done yet.

Its inspiring to know there are people out there who share the same interest in wanting to write a musical and its comforting to know that they are doing what they can in placing some effort to make that dream come true. Perhaps I should start making contacts there and who knows, a collaboration might make things a little easier to make that dream a reality.

Its two months away ...

Our wedding is drawing closer and we are talking about 60 days away. As usual, nothing much done yet on our end. Well, afterall its going to be a casual get together with family and friends.

So what's outstandng?My.We have a long list of 'to-dos' to put in place. My clothes, my songs, the guest lists and the purchasing of wine as well as program for the day.

I have been telling friends to come dressed casually as I do not want to overdress myself. If I could, I would love to wear denim jeans on that so you know what to do.Come in your pyjamas. Sandy is unlikely to allow me to dress casual but let's see what I can do to convince her.

The day's program will kick off at 530am with a Chinese tradition of hair combing. An hour later, gate crash at Sandy's place will take place to escort the bride out of her home and to my parents' place. I have a feeling that there will be lots of funny games as we try to break in to snatch the bride and I will have to count on my section of six brothers to be present for the tortures.

Just for you to know, the following are my brothers - Weisheng, Junsheng, Hanwen, Jiaping, Edwin and Tsu Jungg. These guys will represent me in any games that is to be played. Afterall, I am the groom and I shouldn't be involved in being mocked at.

The line-up on the other side of the gate will be Clara, Louisa, Shio Cheng and Ellen. Four ladies versus six gentlemen. What do you think will be the result? :) No comments here.

So after all the home visits, we'll set off to Amara Sanctuary where the solemnization and lunch buffet will take place. There, its going to be fun, fun and more fun as that's where Sandy and I will greet the many guests attending the wedding lunch.

During lunch, we'll want to mingle around as much as possible. Afterall, the guests are here for us thus we'll take as much time to interact as possible. In the midst of lunch, we'll also do our tea ceremony which could take up an hour as we do have many relatives. :)

Once all is over, Sandy and I plan to just stay in the room and stay sober as we know we'll be tired after all the activities.Its also to escape a bunch of guests who carry thoughts of making us drunk. Looks like I have to send some hitmen to take them out first by making them drunk instead. So who can I count on I wonder as all of them seem likely to be defectors and will not pledge loyalty on that day.

Perhaps on that day,I shall declare alcohol free. :) Its a sacred day afterall. Yes, that's what am going to do. The best of all tactics is to retreat and retreat I shall.

Behind bars ...

Just met up with a friend recently who was thrown behind bars after getting caught for selling contraband cigarettes. I wasn't at all surprised this has happened to him as from young, he was exposed to many undesirable activities.

He wasn't someone who could study well and likely mixed with people from the secret societies. He visited back alley gambling dens which often resulted him to seeking illegals loans from syndicates to fire his bad habits - gambling.

This chap has got all the courage to do all the weird things which no normal person would do. He very often leaves Singapore to hide away from creditors seeking him and I would believe he would have had bad incidents which ended with blood and bruises.

Now that he has come out of jail, I hope he will be able to change his life and his ways. I am sure the period of 6 months behind bars would have allowed him to reflect on his wrong doings and bring him back on track to a clean world.

This will be a good time for me to see if the Yellow Ribbon project set up by the government would really help ex-convicts move on with life. Its sad to know that many ex-convicts out there find difficulty in settling down and finding a job. I am sure a handful of them do find the correct path but a bigger percentage of them might end up back there again as the society rejects them each time they try to lead a normal life.

To be continued ..... As my bus ride ends soon.Visit again should you want to read about life in prison all from the eyes of someone who's been there.

Leslie Cheung ... a fallen star on April Fool's

Five years ago on this very day, Leslie Cheung ended his life by plunging down The Oriental hotel in Hong Kong. As rumours started spreading, everyone thought of it as an April Fool's joke but not until the late night news confirmed the incident. Leslie indeed took his own life.

In Hong Kong, fans of Leslie are more likely to be mourning than pulling pranks today. Afterall, a hero of canto pop needs to be remembered on this very day.

I believe most part of the world with a Chinese community, some sort of tribute will be made in memory of the boyish looking star. Popular for both his love songs as well as movies, this chap will surely be remembered fondly for his contributions to the Hong Kong music and film industry.

Of all the songs he has, my favourite would still be 'Yau Shui Gong Ming'. What's yours? I wouldn't really say that I grew up hearing his songs. I didn't. It was only this particular song that had an impact on me. His other songs were indeed good but this seemed more meaningful and relates to my life somehow.

Never mind the song's relation to my life and how it impacted me but let's take time off today to at least listen to one of his songs. Perhaps by tuning in to your local Mandarin or Cantonese radio station, you will likely hear Leslie's songs again.