Glorious Days Gone By...

Amazing place... or should I say mansion... not quite easy to locate nor access... But worth the long walk... Doesn't take much to imagine how glorious its past used to be... Sad that it'll be gone soon...

The Istana Woodneuk

I'm A Talent?

Okie, I know it's lame... But what the heck... Feels good to know I'm a talent... heheheh... ;)

You're a risk-taker, and you follow your passions. You're determined to take on the world and succeed on your own terms. Whether in the arts, science, engineering, business, or politics, you fearlessly express your own vision of the world. You're not afraid of a fight, and you're not afraid to bet your future on your own abilities. If you find a job boring or stifling, you're already preparing your resume. You believe in doing what you love, and you're not willing to settle for an ordinary life.

Talent: 62%
Lifer: 31%
Mandarin: 54%

Take the Talent, Lifer, or Mandarin quiz.

How Long More?

It's either I can be so forgetful or I can forgive so quickly... I seem to be able to survive the recurrent frustrations, which stems from someone's apparent indifference or inability to communicate... For far too long, past two years especially, time and again I find myself running around covering for someone else's posterior... For far too long I've gone into battles alone, settling matters, become the middle-person to pass messages, explain on behalf of someone who's inexplicably incapable of doing it... For far too long, I've been crammed in the middle to the point where I no longer am able to perform my OWN ROLES!!! Perhaps it's all my fault for leaving it far too long... I do not wish to see my charges be short-changed... But that may in itself be a self-justifying image of mine... Self-glorifying myself... How naive? To think that I'd be relieved of his clasp, I still find myself living in his shadows... picking up loose bits after him... What on earth is this? "You are in the position to tell him!", I have been told many times... How many times do I have to bring it up? Why on earth is everyone not happy and it falls back to me? Can't everybody see that I'm unhappy too? Utterly ridiculous! "You ought to handle it better as you are expected to...", I've also been told... But for how long more???

How long more???

Basement 18...

I wasn't even aware that the infamous Haw Par Villa is still open these days... until I came across a write up on the 18 levels of Hell...

Gosh... reading these alone sends shivers down my spine... That's the 'character education' that ancient Chinese received... Give me SEL any time...

18 Levels of Hell
1. Chamber of Wind and Thunder – People who kill and commit heinous crimes out of greed are sent here for punishment.

2. Chamber of Grinding – Wealthy men who do no good and waste food are ground into powder in this chamber.

3. Chamber of Flames – People who steal, plunder, rob and cheat are sent here to be burnt.

4. Chamber of Ice – Children who ill-treat their parents and elders are sent here to be frozen in ice.

5. Chamber of Oil Cauldrons – Sex offenders such as rapists, lechers, adulterers are fried in oil in this chamber.

6. Chamber of Dismemberment by Sawing – Kidnappers and people who force good women into prostitution suffer the fate of being sawn in this chamber.

7. Chamber of Dismemberment by Chariot – Corrupt officials and landlords who oppress and exploit the people are dismembered by a chariot in this chamber.

8. Chamber of Mountain of Knives – People who cheat customers by earning more than they should, profiteers who jack up prices and cheat on the quality of goods are made to shed blood by climbing the mountain of knives.

9. Chamber of Tongue Ripping – Gossips who stir trouble and liars suffer the fate of having their tongues ripped out in this chamber.

10. Chamber of Pounding – Cold-blooded murderers are pounded in this chamber.

11. Chamber of Torso-severing – Scheming and ungrateful men have their torsos severed in this chamber.

12. Chamber of Scales – Crooks who oppress the innocent, people who cheat on the quality of goods and daughters-in-law who ill-treat their in-laws have hooks pierced into their body and hung upside down.

13. Chamber of Eye-gouging – Peeping toms who go around peeking and leering have their eyeballs gouged out in this chamber.

14. Chamber of Heart-digging – People with evil hearts have theirs dug out in this chamber.

15. Chamber of Disembowelment – Instigators, hypocrites and tomb-robbers have their bowels dug out in this chamber.

16. Chamber of Blood – Blasphemous crooks who show no respect to the gods suffer the fate of being skinned in this chamber.

17. Chamber of Maggots – Crooks who use loopholes in the law to cheat and engage in malpractice are being eaten alive by maggots in this chamber.

18. Chamber of Avici – Crooks who have committed heinous crimes, brought misery to the people and betrayed the ruler are placed on a platform above an inferno. The unlucky ones fall off the platform into the inferno and burn while the lucky ones remain on the platform. These spirits are never to be reincarnated.

再见。。。 优客李林

Just came back from S'pore Expo... my favourite Chinese group 优客李林's concert...

A taiwanese group which released their first album in 1991...

The year when I started learning to play the guitar...

Was mesmerised by the guitar chords of their song 认错... a song which any decent guitar player who's into chinese pop would love to play and sing...

Was another beautiful and joyful experience, listening to 林志炫 singing live... He's one of the very very few male singers whose falsetto could sound so beautiful...

And it's an inspiration and admiration to relive the mastery of 李骥's songwriting prowess...

优客李林's music has been very distinguishable amidst all the run-of-mill chinese songs before they disbanded... A very unique 优客 brand of music and style... Something which all the full-house crowd tonight could associate with...

Found one of their songs which I love a lot on YouTube, both the music as well as th lyrics... and again, nobody's writing lyrics like this anymore...

黄丝带
作词：李骥 作曲：李骥 编曲：Tony Smith

站在面无表情灰色丛林中
面对冷默的你
也许等待的我不能再让你感动
将离开的你教我不知该怎么做
好久以前这样的心情也曾有过
年少的轻狂 曾经让你走出我心中
现在你已将一切带走
我想这一次我也失去所有

等待你的我的心还在守候
守候对我冷默的你的眼会回头看我
离开我的你的背影是否听见我
我的爱你的心在门口守候



Took this poor quality video during the concert...