Is this mold growing on me???

It's been more than a month since I've started at my new job as an Electronic Data Management Engineer (yes, what a mouthful), and I'm still basically doing nothing. That's why I have the time to write now :P

I'm leaving for Dresden, Germany, on 3rd Feb and will only be arriving back in Malaysia on Chinese New Year's eve, 17 Feb. I shudder at the thought of the jam I would have to sit through from KLIA to Melaka :( What to do... But if the plans don't fall through, the trip might be cancelled and I might go after CNY. So let's see what happens. The problem with a huge corporation... everything takes such a long time... I can have the tickets and hotel booked, but if my German counterparts are busy, no point for me to be there. Unless the company decided to send me on an all expenses paid vacation :P

Ok... on a happier note! :) I'm going for the JYP auditions in Singapore this Saturday, Feb 27. Wish me luck... I really do hope I get in. Much rather go to Korea than to Dresden. Hehe! For more info on JYP Entertainment, go to www.jype.com. JYP is the company Rain (the Korean singer) is signed with.

I've been taking singing lessons lately, so I hope they will benefit me this time. My teacher did tell me that if I didn't make it during the auditions, he'll find me a record label. But since the future in Malaysian entertainment industry is pretty bleak, unless you get to go to Taiwan, I'd rather score with JYP. If not, there's always SM (again) in a few months :P Then again, beggars can't be choosers.

I'm pretty much set on what I'm going to perform. A little nervous about the dance part cos they're just gonna play random music. We're not asked to prepare our own. I hope it's not Beyonce again :P The only bummer is the queue I might have to endure. I've heard from my Singapore friends that the audition has been heavily publicised on TV and in the local magazines. This means that I might have to fight to queue with the following people:

1. Hopefuls who have a shot at making it
2. Hopefuls who don't have a shot at making it (ok, I'm being mean)
3. People who think they might see Rain at the auditions (extremely deluded)
4. People who think that if they get signed, they get to meet Rain (somewhat deluded)
5. People who just like to queue (words can't describe how I feel about such people)

The thought of the queue is what makes me feel like going to the KL auditions instead, since in Malaysia, it's hardly publicised, therefore, less people to fight with. But my friends have promised to accompany me, so I will treat it as a gathering, an outing :P What a great friend I am :)

God... give me strength to fight, stay and win on Saturday... My future is in your hands... If I do become a Korean popstar, I'll start going to church ;) Okay... that's not very appropriate. One should never challenge or ask so blatantly from God...

Everyone... please pray for me.

I WANNA GO TO KOREA!!! I WANNA BE A STAR IN KOREA!!!

Gawd!!!

*hyperventilating* Gaaawwwwddd!!! They're coming again!!! TVXQ's coming to Malaysia again!!! SM Auditions are coming again!!! *wheeze*

So what am I doing about the above? Gonna go for the concert with Asteria* TVXQ! International Fan Club. Those who wanna join us at the concert, please join our forum and watch for updates.

SM Auditions.... I've been taking some singing lessons. Not exactly proper lessons, but nevertheless, I'm improving. As for my dance routine... gawwddd... what am I gonna dance?? What song?? I'm also auditioning as a song writer this time. Everyone... please pray for me!!! Pray that my age will not be an obstacle to stardom in Korea for me ^o^

Also, I'll be in Dresden, Germany, early next month. Hope I come back in time for the concert. The date has not been released yet, so I'm hoping for it to be around end of March or sometime in April ^^p

*prays and prays and prays*

Please let me make it this time... this is my ultimate dream... my one and only aspiration in life... apart from wanting to marry Kim Jae Joong ^^,

P.S. Mei Zhi... thank you for your Christmas present. Just got it today. I feel so guilty that I don't have one for you. Will a guest appearance in my fic do? ^^

Jammin' on New Year's Eve...

Jammin' as in my jammies (pajamas)... not jammin' with a band or something. Here I am, sitting in front of my PC, less than an hour away from the new year. Makes me wonder if I'm too immersed in my new lifestyle... writing, chatting, checking out TVXQ forum, work, sleep, eat... and the cycle repeats itself.

SM has accepted my 2nd application and I suspect that they'd not read through it, cos if they did, they'd realised that I've auditioned before and have told me outright to take a hike, or that they were interested in giving me a 2nd audition :P Damned Koreans... :P

My resolutions for 2007 (in no order of importance):
1. Get voice lessons
2. Get dance lessons
3. Keep my fiction going and continue to produce quality writing
4. Get signed by SM Entertainment <-- very important!
5. Save enough money to go to Korea with the girls from Asteria
6. Do my current job, as an EDM engineer, well

Most of all, wish me luck as I attempt the impossible... trying to get famous! Haha! Feeling sleepy now... maybe I'll just sleep my way into 2007.

Happy New Year everyone!

Battle (배틀)!!!

Korea's poppin' them out like hot buns from the oven... the latest addition to bask in the boyband craze is Battle aka the new Shinhwa.

Individually discovered during Shinhwa's reality show, Let's Cokeplay Battle Shinhwa, Battle is made up of yet another group of teenage boys. Some I'm quite sure are not even of legal age yet ;)




Battle's debut MV and image is reminiscent of my men of the moment, TVXQ, during their 2nd album, Rising Sun. However, I'll admit that Battle sounds edgier and manlier, despite their tender ages. All the best to Battle. May you survive in the highly competitive Korean boyband market. You have a long way to go... :) Hwaiting!!!

Drool with me!!!

Here's a new pic of my Prince Jae Joong (재중). The photo was featured in TVXQ's 3rd photobook, Prince in Prague. Wish I could buy it! (my birthday is coming soon... *hint-hint*) Hehe! Doesn't he look divine?


I don't care what anyone thinks... he is hot, hot, hot, in this photo... those eyes... those eyes... *dies slowly in ecstacy*

이수영 - GRACE (Lee Soo Young - GRACE)

Yes... I'm a bit slow... I heard her song during the MKMF and I was hooked. Again... I've found the Hangul lyrics and romanized them. Anyone interested? You can find her vids on YouTube. Make sure you watch all 3 of them. There's a deep, deep story... ;) And don't bother trying to identify which girl she is, she never starred in any of her MVs.



By the way... when you listen to this song... blast a fan on your face or stand by the window on a windy day... it makes you feel like you're floating as you listen to the song. Hehe!


Sorry I can't quote the source. I forgot where I got it from.


Original:

뚜루루 뚜루루 뚜
정말 괜찮을 거야 뚜루루 뚜

우리 바보같은 내 사랑을 놓쳐도
라라 라라라라라 라라 라라라라라
괜찮아 질거야

마음 여미고 한껏 단장을 하고
그대와 갔던 거리에도 혼자서
씩씩한 걸음 살짝 붉어진 얼굴
너를 잊기 좋은 날


눈물쯤은 흘려줘도 괜찮아
라라 라라라라라 라라 라라라라라
다 슬픔 씻어 내기 위한 거니까
이젠 자유로운 내가 될거야
사랑 사랑 멀리 떠나라
내 너를 믿고 눈물 흘린 날 두고


정상에 올라 나의 이름 토한 날
나를 누르던 앙금같은 기억도
숨을 몰아서 한껏 뱉어낸 오늘
너를 잊기 좋은 날


눈물쯤은 흘려줘도 괜찮아
라라 라라라라라 라라 라라라라라
다 슬픔 씻어 내기 위한 거니까
이젠 자유로운 내가 될거야


잊는것쯤 별거 아니였지만
선명해진 그리움이여 어찌하나


눈물쯤은 흘려줘도 괜찮아
라라 라라라라라 라라 라라라라라
다 슬픔 씻어 내기 위한 거니까
이젠 자유로운 내가 될거야


눈물쯤은 흘려줘도 괜찮아
라라 라라라라라 라라 라라라라라
다 슬픔 씻어 내기 위한 거니까
이젠 자유로운 내가 될거야


내 사랑아 멀리 떠나라
내 다시 널 붙잡지 않게



Romanized:


tululu tululu tu
chongmal kwaench'anhul koya tululu tu


uri pabogat'un nae sarangul nohjyodo
lala lalalalala lala lalalalala
kwaench'ana chilgoya


maum yomigo hankkyo tanjangul hago
kudaewa kadon koriedo honjaso
ssinssinhan korum sarjjak pulgojin ordul
norul igi chohun nal


nunmuljjumun hullyochwodo kwaench'ana
lala lalalalala lala lalalalala
ta surp'um ssiso naegi wihan konikka
ijen chayuroun naega twirgoya
sarang sarang molli ttonara
nae norul midgo nunmul hullin nal tugo


chongsange olla naui irum t'ohan nal
narul nurudan andgumgat'un kiokdo
sumul moraso hankko paet'onaen onul
norul igi chohun nal


nunmuljjumun hullyochwodo kwaench'ana
lala lalalalala lala lalalalala
ta surp'um ssiso naegi wihan konikka
ijen chayuroun naega twirgoya
inungojjum pyorgo aniyojiman
sonmyonghaejin kuriomiyo ojjihana


nunmuljjumun hullyochwodo kwaench'ana
lala lalalalala lala lalalalala
ta surp'um ssiso naegi wihan konikka
ijen chayuroun naega twirgoya


nunmuljjumun hullyochwodo kwaench'ana
lala lalalalala lala lalalalala
ta surp'um ssiso naegi wihan konikka
ijen chayuroun naega twirgoya


nae saranga molli tt'onara
nae tashi nal putt'jabji anhke


Please feel free to correct me if I'd made any mistakes with my romanization. Sometimes I get a little cross-eyed from reading all that Korean. Haha!

동방신기... 축하합니다!!!

Hey guys!!

Congratulations on your 4 wins at the MKMF. Especially the Artist of the Year award. You guys have worked hard this year and you deserve every one of those awards. In my opinion, you should've won Best Dance as well. ^_^

One thing I wish was that you guys didn't lip synch for your performance. I am certain that you are able to sing live as well as bands like W-inds and SS501. Hopefully we will see a continuation of great things coming from you next year... hwaiting!!! Now that you've proven yourselves to be the best once again, you'll have a great year to look forward to.

Jae Joong (재중): You have many great things going on for you! Stay strong and stay the way you are.

Jun Su (준스): Take care of yourself. TVXQ is made up of the power of 5. You need to be in the best of health to contribute to that power.

Yun Ho (윤호): Continue to lead your band well, take care of yourself and excel!!!

Chang Min (창민): You're a man now...

Yoo Chun (유천): Cry again next year... hehe!

Be happy always... 축하합니다... 그리고 사랑합니다!!!

Me No Pirate...

Erm... at least in the case of TVXQ. I looked through my posts and saw that I'd written about me downloading their album off the Internet. I just want to clarify this little issue. Worry not... true to my words, I've bought not just 1, but 2 versions of their new album. Feast your eyes...

The one above is Version B and the one below is Version D. Me no pirate!!! The only sucky thing about buying the original Korean versions is that there ain't no subtitles!!! The Taiwanese version would have Chinese subtitles but me no can read Chinese. So I'll just have to work harder at my Korean so that I can understand all the videos that come with the albums. Aja!!!

장리인? Jang Ri In? 张力尹? Zhang Li Yin?

I just found out that she existed back in 2005, but this would be her first single. After listening to Timeless (because Xiah JunSu was singing), I decided to give her a chance and listen to the song she sang solo, 'Y'. She's good, and I'll give it to her. Hehe! She will be one of the few Asian female singers whom I do not detest.



I've converted her lyrics to romanized Korean after getting the Korean version from http://www.lyrics.co.kr. Yay!!! Another achievement in reading Korean. If I've made any mistakes, please feel free to correct me.

Original:

내 손 끝에 그 약속이 (baby can U tell me)
아프도록 맺혀서 (can U tell me)
기도하듯 기다려도 (아련하게) 멀어지는 your fantasy

Can U feel my love´s tears 내 슬픔 내 지친
맘을 본다면 (날 본다면) 날 찾아와 줘

Why baby why 날 떠나간 거니
When U need me when U hold me
늘 곁에 있었던 날~ 지워버린 거니
나는 이미 helpless and breathless and speechless
You leave me powerless

아직 못한 ceremony (ceremony)
이젠 모두 잊은 거니
기다림 끝에 그댈~ 본다면 (보게 되면)
모두 줄께 come into me

Can U feel my love´s tears 맨 처음 속삭~임
들린다면 (보인다면) 날 찾아와 줘

Why baby why 날 떠나간 거니
When U need me when U hold me
늘 곁에 있었던 날~ 지워버린 거니
나는 이미 helpless and breathless and speechless

You leave me powerless , I must confess
널 보내곤 넋을 잃고
powerless I´m sapless 버틸 수도 없지만
내가 택한 오직 한 사람
너를 숨쉬고 네게 잠들어 Oh

Tell me why 왜 떠나간 거니
한 순간도 단 하루도
너 없인 힘겨운 날 지워가는 거니
난 이미 helpless and breathless and speechless
You leave me powerless

Romanized Korean:

nae son gut'e ku yaksogi (baby can you tell me)
ap'udorok maejhyo so (can you tell me)
kidohadu kidaryodo (aryonhake) molojinun your fantasy

Can you feel my love's tears nae surp'um nae chich'in
mamul pondamyon nal ch'ajawa chwo

Why baby why nal donagan koni
When you need me when you hold me
nul kyote issossdon nal~ chiwoborin koni
nanun imi helpless and breathless and speechless
You leave me powerless

ajik mothan ceremony (ceremony)
ijen modu ijun koni
kidarim gute kuder~ pondamyon (poge doemyon)
modu churkke come into me

Can you feel my love's tears maen ch'oum soksak~im
dullindamyon (poindamyon) nal ch'ajawa chwo

Why baby why nal donagan koni
When you need me when you hold me
nul kyote issossdon nal~ chiwoborin koni
nanun imi helpless and breathless and speechless

You leave me powerless, I must confess
nol ponaegon noksul irkho
powerless I'm sapless pot'il sudo opjiman
naega t'aekhan ojik han saram
norul sumswido nege chamduro Oh

Tell me why wae donakan koni
hab sungando tanharudo
no obsin himgyoun nal chiwohanun koni
nan imi helpless and breathless and speechless
You leave me powerless

Hola!!

Blogger is taking zillions of seconds to load these days. What a pain!!! Could it be caused by my Korean title? Racist!!!

I'm sitting here with the bloody gastric now. I've just downed a truckload of pills. Hope it goes away. The doctor told me it would either be caused by irregular meals or stress. I don't have irregular meals, so it's definitely stress.

My dear bf won't stop picking on me about the fan fic issue up till awhile ago, so I guess I'll be fine starting tomorrow since we'd sorted that out. I can now write in peace, 'cept that it isn't really peaceful. Thinking of the plot and putting out a min of 2 chapters a day is an arduous task. But when they're up and I get comments from my readers, nothing feels more satisfying. Scratch that... just seeing my fantasy in words on a webpage is satisfying enough. Send chills down my spine.... *shudders*

Right now, I'm getting my fix of FTTS before I sleep. Can't get enough of them and Shinhwa... lovely, lovely love songs... hot, hot dance music... makes me wanna sing and dance at the same time. Waiting for my gastric to heal before I rejoin my dance class. What the heck, I'm gonna learn breakdance if it kills me (or paralyzes me). Hehe! I must be high on Gaviscon (gastric drug) at the moment. Gonna sleep now...

Fever...

Hiya everyone... I'm sorry for not blogging for so long. In the past 3 days, I've been squeezing my rusty brain and typing like my life depended on it. I'm proud to say I have put up 9 chapters of my extreme fantasy on a fan fic site. Those interested to read it, drop me a mail since I don't think it's something everyone wants to read.

As you can see, I'm probably blogging better now from all that practice. Hehe! I have plans to put my fictional epic on blogger, but that depends on whether blogger is gonna release the url I have planned for my site. So for now, let's hear about my mundane jobless life for the past month.

It's been almost 2 months since I quit my job. In the beginning, I felt a bit bored. Having had a purpose to wake up for the last 1 year has made me unable to immediately switch back to being a couch potato/pig. But I am happy to report that I have successfully made my transition and am quite comfortable with the situation at the moment. The only thing bugging me is that my financial resources are slowly depleting, thanks to my favourite addiction, shopping. I must get a job soon. So everyone, wish me luck. I've already been for 2 interviews since I quit.

The only big pain of being jobless is being hounded by my mother day and night to help with chores and stuff. But it seems she's given up a little these past days since I've been so adamant in holing myself up in my room. Hmm... touchwood. For all I know, she may have something in store for me tomorrow.

The past 3 days were hellish and wonderful for me. Hell cos the clockwork in my brains wouldn't stop running and generating ideas for me to write out and put up on the fan fic site. I can't sleep or eat in peace :( It was wonderful for me cos as I wrote, I was almost able to delude myself into thinking that I am truly living the fantasy as I write it. Maybe I should be a writer. It was surprising to find that people were actually interested in reading my fantasies. I always thought that people would find the stuff coming out of my brain boring. This has been a true eye opener.

Because I am so excited about every next chapter I am about the write and the fact that someone keeps bugging me to post chapter after chapter, I've sort of lost my appetite and interest in most things around me. As I've told one of my fans ;) the only reason I even bother to shower is because it would refresh me and help me write the next chapter. My ears are now chocked full with Korean music used to inspire my stories. Then again, I wouldn't say they inspire the plot, it's more like they help me set the mood for the scene I have in mind.

I love theatre. If I ever have the chance, maybe I would do films or theatre. I love writing and I love picking music to set the scenes. I try to include this in my stories by making references to songs so that the readers might listen to them as they read. I feel that if the song has helped me feel the character and helped create the dialogue and chemistry I had in mind, the song would help the reader experience and understand the emotions my characters were going through.

Signing off now. I just hope I don't keep getting too obsessed and carried away with writing my stories that I turn into a zombie or start getting gastric. Pray for me...

Sod off TagBoard!!!

Something has happened to the tag board. So meanwhile, all please comment at the comments section. I'll search for some cute new tag board... :P

Fly to the sky...

No, not me. It's a Korean duo that "mountain tortoise" me had just discovered after watching the Korean variety show, Ya Shim Man Man. I just lurve Brian... he's so cute, bragging about what a good kisser he is and talking about his dating escapades when he lived in the USA.

Who are they? Korean duo, Fly To The Sky (FTTS) debuted on Nov 12, 1999 and consists of Brian and Fany (also known as Hwanhee - 환희). Both of them are born in January 1982. Brian is 7 days older than Hwanhee (I just cannot bring myself to type "Fany" again). Brian went to Rutgers University in New Jersey, where he is from and his parents are casino dealers - so exciting!!!. Don't know much about Hwanhee cos I haven't seen him on any shows yet. Most people would prefer Hwanhee cos he looks like he's got more attitude and his voice is different from Brian. I like Brian cos he's the regular guy, not much image thing going on and a decent voice. He seems to even have the negative traits of the regular guy. Maybe he reminds me of Geoffrey... haha... But who cares if he is regular or cool... Any guy who can sing with that much feeling is in my book of outstanding males ;)

I am currently in love with 3 of their songs, cos that's all I've been able to get my hands on.

1. 비 (Bi - Blood)
2. 남자답게 (Namjadapgeh - Like a man)
3. 습관 (Supgwan - Habit)

If you listen to 비 at first and don't find it at all beautiful, hold your horses, wait for the chorus, I promise you will feel shivers and the warm wave of love wash on you. That's how I felt when I first heard the chorus... then I was frantically searching for it. It was even labelled with the wrong title. I am so lucky to have found it. I wasn't sure if it was the song I wanted when I heard the first 2 verses, then once the chorus started, I had the chills... I was like "Aaahh... yesss...". How often do you get to feel like that? Hehe! Don't answer that!!!

Meanwhile, my Emule is not coorperating, so I can't listen to all their albums and tell you if they are really that good, consistent, bla bla bla... I'm hoping to finish previewing their 6th album, Transition (released early this year, told you I was a "mountain tortoise") and if I like it, when I get my job, I am gonna send HMV.co.jp some Yen for it. Hehe!

For now, everyone can listen to 비, courtesy of OrientPearl's World. But I'd still say that you should go out an get a copy of their album, since they're such lovely guys. We must not let beautiful men become victims of piracy. Hehe! Seek out their MVs on YouTube. You won't be disappointed.



References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly_to_the_sky
http://flytothesky.ilikepop.com/
http://flytothesky.pfull.com/

Confession: Though I support Brian, I can't help thinking Hwanhee has a beautiful voice too. They're both so different. So it's actually hard to just like one... Hehe!

그래요??? (Really???)

Yep… it probably is. When they said true love conquered all, it would prove to be true ever so often. Today, I turned on the new 동방신기 (Dong Bang Shin Ki) album and all of a sudden, I am able to love the songs. They don’t sound messed up to me anymore. All I had to do was to focus on their voices, listen to the tunes and feel what they were singing. In the beginning, I’ll have to admit that though I was excited to hear the album once I completed the download, I wasn’t listening with an open heart. Probably on that day, I was feeling hot or bothered. My mood really affects the way my mind and heart feels. So, feeling very “fan” on that day probably closed my heart to their voices. I couldn’t believe that I have criticized the album so badly. It isn’t bad at all, given it is not perfect (what is?). To those who aren’t fans, it may be horrible (Nyeh! :P to you!). You just have to prepare yourself to listen and accept it.

In the past, when I bought an album which turned out to be a disappointment, I’d tell myself to give it a chance. I will listen to the whole album and find a song that I like. Maybe I don’t love the whole song, there could be a song where maybe the guitar solo is the only nice thing, but that would be enough to give me a reason to love the song. So with “O” – 정.반.합., I am starting to view each song with a new perspective. Funny thing is it didn’t even feel forced. I was going to listen to only the 2 songs which I thought were worth listening to, and then I just let the player continue after I’ll Be There. Sure enough, when the next song played, I realized, “Hey, it doesn’t suck at all. It’s pretty good.” I call this ‘allowing yourself to see the silver lining’.

Thinking about this, I feel that this is exactly what a real relationship is like. When you love a person, there will be a time when you encounter something about him that you don’t feel you want to accept, you want to write it off and not ever have it be prevalent in your relationship. But when you are in the state of mind to view it with a new perspective, you may find that it isn’t as hard to accept, overlook or forgive as you originally thought it was. Then you will look the person and remind yourself of the good things and try to put that in your mind all the time.

Love conquers all when everything about the person is accepted and viewed in a positive light. Love becomes blind when faults eventually acceptable or even endearing. However, it will not be perfect every day, which is for sure. On the days you’re grumpy or pissed off; you will not have the patience and heart to be blind to everything. Those are the days you pick on every fault and you may even get annoyed with the sound of his voice, just as I did when I first heard the album. It just sounded like noise to me, until I put myself in the state of mind to listen.

So remember, after blowing off that person because you were not in the mood to deal with him, do something to remind both of you that what you have together is still good and will continue to be strong. When you feel you are in the mood, act on it, show your love, open your heart and mind to accept the imperfections (at least for a day, hehe!). God knows that we’re all not perfect, no matter how much we hope to be.

Recommendation: Read this entry with an extra sappy song. Makes the words sound so much more beautiful. This entry was inspired by just listening to my boys, 동방신기.

Let me be a cow (though I'd much prefer to be a pig)...

Nyeh!!! Not gonna put any links but except for the site of the Clazziquai Project...

http://www.clazziquai.com/

By the way... I bought the soundtrack of My Name Is Kim Sam Soon from the local music store for RM18... seems fishy... but who cares!!?? There is a song on the soundtrack that makes me cry each time I hear it because it's always used at the sad parts and therefore associates my brain to a sad thought each time I hear it. Even when I sing it, tears will run down my face... It's called 이별 못한 이별 (Ibyeol Mothan Ibyeol - Farewell Without Farewell), sung by 지선 (JiSon) from Loveholic.

*note that I am now providing translation for my Korean since I've received complaints from some unadventurous people who do not wanna check it up for themselves :P*

I regret to inform everyone that the new 동방신기 (Dong Bang Shin Ki) album is not as impressive as the last. Apart from track #1, "O"-정.반.합. ("O" - Jong.Ban.Hap) and track #5, I'll Be There, the rest of the songs sounded messy. Don't get me wrong. I still think they sound more beautiful than ever. They have really improved with the vocals and acapella stuff and I think the person arranging the music tried too hard and got carried away with the aim of fully displaying their wonderful ability, making every song sound like a mess of harmonies. Yea... I'm confused too... It just sounds noisy, sort of like lots of people chattering at once. The arrangement did not result in a seamless harmony of their beautiful vocals. The fast tracks did not pack the power like their last album did. Imagine my dismay... Some of the songs even sound retro, in a tired sort of way. I don't know how to describe this album at all, only that it is not what I had expected from gods rising from the east. Oddly, I don't even feel as inspired to dance to track #1 as I did to the fast tracks on the last album... Sad...

So at this moment, I am seriously contemplating if I should spend lots of Japanese Yen by ordering their special edition album from HMV Japan. Should I? A fan should be loyal eh? Lets wait a bit and see how much freebies they throw in with the special edition to make it worth my money.

Once I start, I just can't stop...

Ever notice that most of my titles always end with 3 exclamation marks or ellipses (3 dots, exactly)?

I have a job interview tomorrow, and I dunno how to prepare for it. Maybe cos it's not my dream job, but what the heck... get some cash while waiting for the prefect opportunity to smack me in the face. There is a job I want, and if successful, I would have to go to Bratislava for training. Where the heck is that you ask? That's in Slovakia, a country formerly joined as Czechoslovakia. Isn't that a mouthful? I used to think it was formerly part of Russia or something, turned out it was actually part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. So in addition to speaking Slovak (something like Russian, but a variation), they speak Hungarian and German too! Well, not everyone, but there are like 5 million people there and they probably speak all sorts of languages. I just hope it won't be dreadfully cold if I get to go. Then it will be at least bearable. Cos everyone knows I am always cold... No, I'm not a cold fish or a cold bitch kinda cold, I feel cold with the slightest air conditioning. Maybe a trip to Bratislava will toughen me up :P

Ok, as promised... let's talk about the Clazziquai Project. Their first album was named Instant Pig. How cute is that?!! It's definitely a sign that their music would suit me since the whole world knows how much I love my pigs... Hehe!

ClaZziQuai (this is the correct way to spell it) is actually the name of the DJ/Producer who mixes all the music and to date, they have 3 vocalists. They followed Instant Pig with a remix album, ZBam. Their 3rd album is Color Your Soul, which I found to be lacking compared to Instant Pig. Can't explain why. Maybe some critics will say it was better, but personally, I prefer Instant Pig. Color Your Soul was followed by it's remix, Pinch Your Soul (sounds painful). Apart from releasing their own albums, Clazziquai's name can be credited to many soundtracks of Korean dramas and movies. So lookout for their names if you notice a special song in a soundtrack. Could be them or maybe just ClaZziQuai alone.

For those who feel like venturing out for a taste of the Clazziquai Project, here are my recommendations (majority from Instant Pig):

• After Love
• After Love (Extra Remix)
• After Love (Female Version)
• You Never Know
• You Never Know (Soft Remix)
• I Will Never Cry
• Flower
• She Is (from My Name is Kim Sam Soon OST)

So when is the best time to listen to the Clazziquai Project? Well, to wake up in the morning (puts you in a good mood), when writing or working and when playing games. Their music never intrude with thoughts and concentration but sometimes... they just make you feel like dancing... hehe!

They are back!!!

동방신기 is back with their new album, "O"-정.반.합. 동방신기 fans around the world!!! SCREAM!!!!

I see that they have managed to "un-priss" 준수, 유천 looks like an old man, 재중 looks more Japanese than Korean now, 창민 looks pretty much the same, albeit having grown a bit matured... but what have the done to my 윤호!!! He looks half preppy and part sissy with that poofy hair!!. Why must they mangle him? But it's ok... he still dances like the 윤호 I know and he is singing better this time round. I'm currently downloading the album to tide me over until they release one with a bonus DVD.

After being crushed by the SM Entertainment audition, I must admit that I have neglected my boys for awhile. I was listening to everything under the sky but them (maybe a song or two occasionally). I was listening to Rising Sun and Tonight and Love After Love every day and night until the day I found that I didn't make it. After that, I started to explore new sounds... Who was I listening to? Let me list them so that you can go check them out yourself.

1. Lee Min Woo (better known for his solo name, M)

2. Jang Woo Hyuk

3. Shinhwa

4. Buzz

5. The Trax

6. Clazziquai Project (my latest addiction)

7. An Jae Wook (the original Korean screen god)

No, the above are not numbered in preference. Just random. You'll find rock, rap, R&B, ballads and some Ah Beng music in my selection above. I'll let you guess which genre is for which. Hehe! Clazziquai is great. They sang one of the most beautiful songs for the soundtrack of My Name is Kim Sam Soon. I was sceptical about the series at first. But I watched every single episode, and it was fun and touching. The songs very beautiful, touching and some were cute. Still searching for the proper soundtrack. 2 things on my shopping list now, the soundtrack for My Name is Kim Sam Soon and 동방신기's 3rd Korean album. (Hint! Hint! My birthday is in Dec... geddit?)

Anyway, I thought that I would never come to look at 동방신기 again. I sort of wondered what my reaction would be if they had a 3rd album. I must say I wasn't as excited as I was with the 2nd album, but my love for them is gradually resuscitating itself (woe to my bank account). So with great flourish, I welcome back my boys... I wish them all the success in the world and sob in silence at the thought that I may never ever brush shoulders with them. Their bloody company wouldn't hire me, you see!!!

Ok, enough anger and words... I believe I have fulfilled the blog quota for the day, since people who refuse to blog are forcing me to blog. The very nerve... :P More about Clazziquai in my next blog!

Arrivederci, me caro ~ Acqua di Gio...

Or so I thought :P... I was told by the Parkson sales assistants that my beloved Acqua di Gio was discontinued and found after purchasing it at an independent perfume shop (more like a stall actually) that it was Parkson who discontinued carrying this perfume. It is still very much in production and can be found anywhere around the world except for Parkson stores. After I paid RM205!!! I could have bought it at duty free for less!!! I was actually devastated for a few days, thinking that I will never see and smell it anymore. I have been using this scent since I got it as a present when I was in Form 2.

Oh well... the follies of a shopaholic... at the moment, to prevent any future shocks... I'm setting my sights on a backup perfume. Couldn't find any close enough to this for my liking until I met it whilst flushing my money down the perfumery's pockets.

This... is Ultraviolet Fluoressence by Paco Rabanne. It smells almost like my beloved Acqua di Gio and lasts just as long (not very long). It's an EDT. I can never stand the smell of strong parfum. I'll stick with toilet water, thank you very much.

I just hafta brag...

Check out my new workspace... 19" Philips LCD Monitor... Yay!!!

The Glitz and Glamour in Manufacturing...

Yesterday I was devastated, today I am pissed. Pissed that SM Entertainment didn't have the professionalism to send out mass mails to the "failures". Pissed that they didn't at least make a public statement on their site i.e. Congratulations to the candidates who have progressed to our 2nd audition. For those who have not received word to attend, we regret to inform you that you have not made the cut.

Why???!!! Isn't the image of Korean culture sincerity and kindness? I suppose not. Either this is an illusion they're trying to invoke for tourism purposes, or perhaps it just does not apply to the entertainment industry.

Also... if you are looking for talent within a certain age group, say so in the first place. Don't mislead people into coming for the audition when actually you intend to select only those who are below the age of 20 years. I really do think that the reason I was not picked because I was too old to be trained to be the kind of performer they have in mind. It's hard for me to admit that I am "past my prime", but at least don't waste my time!

Still, I'll continue my dance class, I am going to learn to sing properly and I will learn Korean... all for my own satisfaction. The satisfaction of knowing that I am good and though I may not be able to make a career of it, at least they are skills that I will be proud of.

As for my plans now, I may be staying in Melaka for a bit longer than planned. I have yet to find a job in Singapore which I am interested in. Furthermore, none of those for which I have applied have called me for an interview. I may be switching to my dad's company when my notice is up. At least now, with my 1 year of experience, I won't be paid a fresh grad salary... ka-ching!

The killer plus of this new job is that my superior in my current company, will be working in a department which sort of reports to the department where I will be in. How's that for a payback? She's a nice friend, but as a colleague and superior, she is damn annoying. She's always making me do stuff the long way round... sometimes I think it's the wrong way round. She may have 4 years of experience more than I did, but I don't think that I am less knowledgeable than her. I only lack knowledge in the stuff that I have never had the chance or have been assigned to do. For stuff that both she and I know, we could be on par. I suppose it's also because she is a mother. So she tends to nag and nag, can never come straight to the point and keep harping on pointless issues.

As for Singapore, I plan to get there after my sister graduates so that we can move out together. I don't think I should go stay with my aunties with the current anarchy brewing in the house and also because Geoffrey is not moving out to Singapore yet. I think I'll miss having him around too much.

I'll end my post here. Enough ranting for today. I'll be in Muar for dinner tonight with Geoffrey and his colleagues. Hope it's nice...