2010 Favorites

Eats

• Yoghurt at Dapuqiao, Shanghai
• Bejing Palace Cheese
• Okinawa Brown Sugar Milk Tea

Movies

• Inception
• Shutter Island
• Alice In Wonderland
• Toy Story 3
• Ghost Writer
• Social Network
• Buried
• Harry Potter And the Deathly Hallows
• Tangled
• Eat, Pray, Love

Music

• Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
• If I Die Young - The Band Perry
• Hidden Away - Josh Groban
• Waka Waka - Shakira (World Cup 2010)
• In My Veins - Andrew Belle
• Just A Dream - Sam Tsui
• Empire State of Mind - Glee Cast

Sites

• Matador Network
• The Road Forks
• Ridiculously Extraordinary
• Emm Media
• Vegan Backpacker
• Shutter Sisters
• A Cartoon Guide To Becoming A Doctor
• Little Purple Cow iPhoneography
• Travel With A Mate
• We Heart It   

Memories

• Experiencing First Ever Snow Fall
• Hiking Great Wall of China
• Dancing at a School Event for a Chinese Song
• Having a CT scan
• World Cups & Exams Simultaneously
• Friend's Visit to Shanghai
• Visits back home (A Couple at that!)
• Battle with The Witch
• 6 hour stint at Karaoke!
• Owning Bette and Maria. 

Have a Great 2011!

Note: Images on this post do not belong to this site.

If I Die Young...

If I die young, bury me in satin

Lay me down on a bed of roses

Sink me in the river, at dawn

Send me away with the words of a love song

Lord make me a rainbow, I'll shine down on my mother

She'll know I'm safe with you when she stands under my colors, oh and

Life ain't always what you think it ought to be, no

Ain't even grey, but she buries her baby

The sharp knife of a short life, well

I've had, just enough time

If I die young, bury me in satin

Lay me down on a bed of roses

Sink me in the river, at dawn

Send me away with the words of a love song

The sharp knife of a short life, well

I've had, just enough time

And I'll be wearing white, when I come into your kingdom

I'm as green as the ring on my little, cold finger, I've

Never known the lovin' of a man

But it sure felt nice when he was holding my hand, there's a 

Boy here in town says he'll love me forever

Who would've thought forever could be severed by

The sharp knife of a short life, well

I've had, just enough time

So put on your best boys and I'll wear my pearls

What I never did is done

A penny for my thoughts, oh no, I'll sell them for a dollar

They're worth so much more after I'm a goner

And maybe then you'll hear the words I been singin'

Funny when your dead how people start listenin'

If I die young, bury me in satin

Lay me down on a bed of roses

Sink me in the river at dawn

Send me away with the words of a love song

The ballad of a dove

Go with peace and love

Gather up your tears, keep 'em in your pocket

Save them for a time when your really gonna need them, oh

The sharp knife of a short life, well

I've had, just enough time

So put on your best, boys and I'll wear my pearls.

- If I Die Young - The Band Perry - 

Sighs.

Repeat Mode: Temple of Soul

Courtesy of Stockvault

The sun, the moon, the stars, the twilight
The wind, a breath of life in our heart so soft
Can life be so beautiful now
Peace is in the air

So why, oh why, am I so much in despair
The light won't reach my heart and I'm torn apart
I don't know if I could smile anymore

Won't you please tell me what was lost inside of me that day
I cry out in dark dismay
I'm covering the tears in rain
Red memories remain

You're the key that stops the rain
You're the vision still the same
But deep inside I know
Without I'm left alone, in a cage called life

You're the one that stops the pain
Your love is in my veins
Forever you will live inside
My temple of Soul

The smile, the wound, the sand, the heart inside
Wind blows life within our heart so slow
Yes, nothing to be afraid, of now
Peace is in the air.

But why do I feel, the world is so so unfair
Your touch is lost, oblivion darkness and
I cannot stand the solitaire

Tell me why I was left instead of you
Please talk to me
Can I stand up when it rains
Tears penetrate my heart with pain red memories still stay

- Temple of Soul - Kazuhiro Watanabe - 

Shane

Shane

She is the musically inclined one in the family. I have been learning to strum her for a while now. Although the attempts are proving largely difficult and literally painful for me phalanges.

And I love her...

Humility takes a backseat

At about 300 words, I was stuck. How am I to both flaunt my talents and appear modest simultaneously?

Scholarship Personal Statements require just that exact balance. 

After walking around for 12 over hours, going in and out of the various pavilions at the World Expo, I was tired. Imagine trying to be boastful when I can't even recall what I was good at. :s

Liyana almost came to my rescue, except that her brain was far more drained than mine was. She still managed to give me some pointers though. Thanks Woman! What will I do without you?

After scribbling down the stuff she said, I took a nap. Now why did I nap when I had just hours to go before handing in my scholarship forms?

Sleeping helps to orientate your thoughts and at that moment, it seemed like the best way to ensure I come up with a reasonably written promotional statement of myself and not sound like a Jill-ass. 

Bottom-line is: I have applied for a scholarship to fund part of my semester fees and hopefully it comes through.

Wish me Luck!

Dear Agony

Just let go off me

Suffer slowly

Is this the way its gotta be?

Don't bury me

Face this enemy

I'm so sorry

Is this the way its gotta be?

Dear Agony...

- Dear Agony - Breaking Benjamin - 

I'll Be Waiting...

All set with my cup of Ginger Tea, I brought back from my trip to Sri Lanka. (Oh yes, I have yet to write about that trip.) I was reading Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search For Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert. A small note about that, I was determined to not purchase any more books till I was done with the ten over books I bought over the months. 

It so happened, I was loitering around the Airport Bookshop while waiting for my flight and the book was right before me. Tell me how to not grab it when it is calling out to me! Not only that, I ended up buying Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. Now for that one, I had a reason! I have been looking for it for some time now and they never had the books in the stores I visited in Singapore. So technically not my fault! 

(So much for a short note. :s)

As I was saying, when I was reading the Pray sections of the book where she was describing her transcendental experiences, I was reminded of the following song. I loved the book by the way. :-)

When you are weary

Here's what I'll do

When you can't smile anymore

I'll smile for you

I'll be the raindrops when you cry

I'll be the sun when you can't shine

And when the world runs out of time

I'll be there too

Too many people

Too blind to see

Too many roller-coaster rides

Won't set you free

So, chase the rainbow

Chase the high

Become the brightest in the sky

When the world runs out of time

You'll come to me

And I'll be waiting

To catch you when you fall

To see you through it all

Don't turn your face away from me

Cos i'll be waiting

All through eternity

I'll be there patiently

Don't take your love away from me

When you feel helpless

When you're alone

I'll be the light upon the path

To guide you home

I'll fill the spaces in your heart

I will remind you who you are

And when you shine just like a star

I'll let you go

And i'll be waiting

To catch you when you fall

To see you through it all

Don't turn your face away from me

Cos i'll be waiting 

Through eternity

I'll be there patiently

Don't take your love away from me

When you are weary

Here's what I'll do

When you can't smile anymore

I'll smile for you

I'll be the raindrops when you cry

I'll be the sun when you can't shine

And when the world runs out of time

A'll be there too

And when the world runs out of time

I'll be there too

I'll be there too

- I'll Be Waiting - Lucinda Dreyton -

I wanted New York...

Apart from the awesome music and voice, I am head over heels in love with the lyrics. It sums up my present feelings. If not entirely, partially at least. I would gladly run without shoes in the rain to catch paper planes and a Pollock's splashed on my wall might just give character to my room. :) :)

I wanted nothing

I wanted it all

I wanted green

not yellow leaves

In the fall

I wanted sugar

But I don't do sweet

I wanted a simple talking

boy with philosophy

I wanted New York

I dreamed of Berlin

I ran with no shoes in the icy rain

to catch paper planes

And I don't know how 

I got lost here now

So I close my eyes 

for a slow surprise

I prayed with a gypsy

I slept with a saint

I wanted a Pollock's splashed 

on my wall without any paint

I looked for a feeling

I only found numb.

I put out a welcome mat at my door 

so no one would come

I wanted New York

I dreamed of Berlin

I ran with no shoes in the icy rain

to catch paper planes

And I don't know how

I got lost now

I just close my eyes 

for a slow surprise

I waited for Christmas

without all the lights

I rolled up a snow-pot of jokes

I'm too scared of heights.

I wanted New York

I dreamed of Berlin

I ran with no shoes in the rain

to catch paper planes

And I don't know how

I got lost now

Don't tell me to close my eyes

when there's no surprise

I wanted New York

I dreamed of Berlin.

- I Wanted New York - Leonie Casanova -

PS: I love Youtube

FreshlyGround, a soul/jazz band from Copenhagen, South Africa. The first time I came across these guys was during the Jazz Festival here in Shanghai late last year. They had an amazing performance which explains why I became a fan in a second. And again, I heard them with Shakira for the World Cup 2010 Song. Thanks to YouTube and also cos I'm in Singapore now, I managed to find so many videos of FreshlyGround. Me so Happy!!!

My Danish Love affair began with the lead guitarist of Ibrahim Electric from Denmark. I discovered them just a little before FreshlyGround. At the same Jazz Festival actually. I even took a picture of him blasting away on his guitar - the live performance was that Amazing. But the Chinese version of Youtube, also known as tudou or youku carried no videos of either bands. But..things are gonna be different for the next month. So, here's another video courtesy of Youtube!

Enjoy!


PS: Did I mention I love Youtube?

The Mynabirds - Just started Flying

My recent song craze is with Let the Record Go by The Mynabirds from their debut album titled What we Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood. 

Image courtesy of themynabirds.com

As I was searching for the band on Wikipedia, I came to discover the now dyfunc Canadian band who went under the same name back in the 60s. They never officially released an album. This newer band however, just had their album released in April 2010. You can read more about them on their official site or myspace, where some numbers are also up for listening. 

Round and around and around we go

Are we up or down? I don't know.

Round and around and around we go

The circle's tight, it holds us close.

Round and around and around we go

Up or down, oh I don't know.

Round and around and around we go

The wheels are round to let us go.

- Let the Record Go - The Mynabirds 

Invincible

"I was a veteran before I was a teenager" - Michael Jackson

Image courtesy of stantonsheetmusic.files.wordpress.com

Liberian Girl

More Precious Than 

Any Pearl

Your Love So Complete

Liberian Girl

You Kiss me Then

Ooh, The World

You Do This To Me

Liberian Girl

You Know That You Came 

And Changed My World

I Wait For The Day

When You Have To Say

"I Do"

And I'll Smile And Say It Too

And Forever We'll Be True

I Love You Liberian Girl

All The Time

I Love You Liberian Girl

All The Time.

- Liberian Girl - Michael Jackson - 

Casablanca (1942)

Well known to many for being the famous, must-see romance film of all time. 

There I was all set to emo over the film. I was hoping for melodrama, slow paced scenes and the death of either the male or female lead. I ain't no sadist, but come on unless it has a tragic ending, it sometimes doesn't feel romantic enough. Refrain from asking why. 

"What in heavens name brought you to Casablanca?"

"My health. I came tp Casablanca for the waters".

"The waters? What waters? We're in the desert."

"I was misinformed."

What I saw floored me. Now, I am a fan of both the film and Humphrey Bogart. The lines were witty, crisp, even the comedy; though moderate was greatly enjoyable. Bogart was calm and sometimes appeared way nochalent for the circumstance. But guess what, he stood out for that nonchalence alone. He was amazing. So was Ingrid and the guy who played her husband, Paul Henreid. S.K. Sakall (Carl), Leonid Kinskey(Sascha), and Dooley Wilson (Sam) who played supporting roles adequately provided for the required humor. Loved them all.

"Sweetnessheart-What watch"

"Ten Watch"

"Such Much"

"You will get along beautiful in America. hmm."

I was anticipating a sad ending with Humphrey Bogart hailed as the martyr for his deeds and Ingrid Bergman leaving him with massive regrets. What actually happened was sweet, perhaps a little sad. But not overwhelming enough to grab a box of tissues. 

"I know a good deal more about you than you suspect. I know, for instance, that you are in love with a woman. It is perhaps a strange circumstance that we are in love with the same woman. The first evening I came to this cafe, I knew there was something between you and Ilsa. Since no one is to blame; I demand no explanation. I ask only one thing. You won't give me the letters of transit, all right. But I want my wife to be safe. I ask you as a favor, to use the letters and take her away from Casablanca".

"You love her that much?"

"Apparently you only think of me as a leader of a cause. Well, I'm also a human being. Yes, I love her that much."

But I still have to agree it was one amazing movie and if you haven't seen it yet, You should! It heads my 'Favorite Movies' List now and that itself should imply how much I enjoyed watching the film. The next of the classic black and white movies I hope to catch in the coming weeks are Citizen Kane and Waterloo Bridge. :-D

You must remember this

A kiss is still a kiss

A sigh is still just a sigh

The fundamental things apply

As time goes by

And when two lovers woo

The still say "I love You"

On that you can rely

No matter what the future brings

As time goes by

Moonlight and love songs

Never out of date

Hearts full of passion

Jealousy and hate

Woman needs man

And man must have his mate

That one no one can deny

Its still the same old story

A fight for love and glory

A case of do or die

The world will always welcome lovers

As time goes by

- As Time Goes By - Dooley Wilson - Casablanca (1942)

In a Daze...

The week went by in a blur. I have hardly been home this week. Okay, except for this bit where I am trying to blog about the week. Despite being a blur, it was a great week. 

It started of with an examination. Nothing good about that. Well maybe one bit, it was not as bad as I thought it would be. Nevertheless, it was still bad. Moving on, Sam and myself put ourselves through Shutter Island. We were suppose to relax after the ming boggling exam. And it was a clear wrong choice. We went ahead with it and went to bed feeling all confused as to what we might have just witnessed. I still loved it! Confusion is not my forte, neither is Clarity. But Martin Scorsese is definitely a favorite. On that note, I recommend all to watch this movie. The background score might mislead you, but it is no way a horror film. It is all about what you perceive and if what you percieve is what it really is. No worries, clarity is out the window when you are done watching the film.

The next day I decided to relax further with a book. I picked up Haruki Murakami's South of the Border, West of the Sun. If Shutter Island didn't mess with my mind enough, this guy made it worse. I am now a fan of Haruki Murakami. :-D This book was not his best as I have heard. It was one of his shorter novels compared to his other famous ones. His genre, similar to his other writings deals with lonliness, empathy, feeling of emptiness, and his take on the related issues. His works are usually fictional but they carry the vibes of a scene taking place right next door. It is that casual, belivable even. I was done with the book in 4 hours straight. I didn't have much to do, and the lonely guy in the novel with his thoughts on this other mysterious lady was just too captivating to put the book down. I was a little disappointed with the ending and the mystery behind the leading female character having ended without a completion. It was a massive void that really bothers me. Bothered, to be accurate.

The following day, the Professors somehow picked up our chill mode and dumped a ton load of assignments on us. Unfair! I know! Professors are the arch nemesis of Students. In some cases, Parents.

That was no way gonna deter us from doing what we intended to! I went shopping and bought me self a couple of dresses. I haven't shopped in a year. Realisation hit me real late. I ain't much of a shopper anyways.  So, it is normal in my case have a long hiatus between shopping sprees.

The day after the shopping, the dresses were put to some good use. I had the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Performance to attend. We had some of the closest seats to the Orchestra. The concert included a cello solo, a Beethovan number and a really long German composition. I am assuming it was German for the Japanese singers who were performing that day sang German Opera. I didn't understand a single thing. Which made it worse for me to appreciate the song. Then again, the female Opera singer had a strong voice and my favorite for that day was the cello solo. It sat in well. :)

Walked to the newly revamped Bund, also known as the French Concession here in Shanghai. It was awesome! The skyscrapers were all lit up, the walkways were made to look like dams beneath them. The water from the Huang Pu River was sucked back in by some mechanism to pump it back into the River from the sides of the walkway. Sort of like a mini waterfall. It was really pretty. They added a couple of cafes around the river. It would be the ideal romantic getway. We friends, sat at one of the concrete structures near the river over looking the city skyline and chatted for a bit before heading off to take the ferry to the other side. On the other side, we repeated the same thing. Lol.. We sat chatted, laughed at the passer bys, battled the crowds and the locals who stalk us into buying their stuff. It was an awesome night. 

The crowds of Shanghai had increased significantly with the arrival of tourits for the recent World Expo - Shanghai. If the usual population is 20 million I fear to think of an appropriate figure right now. :s 

With that, I get back to "exhilarating" prepartion for the next set of examinations that awaits me.

I'm just trying to keep my

feet on the ground.

Trying to stop the sky

from falling down.

I can't speak cos 

I might say 

what I know I can't 

betray.

So tell me, 

tell me the way 

from here.

Tell me 

Please tell me

Don't say 

What I wanna hear.

- Tell Me - I Can't Think Straight - Leonie Casanova -

Emo on Repeat Mode

Your pride has built a wall so strong

That I can't get through

Is there really no chance 

To start once again?

I'm loving you....

- Still Loving You - Scorpions - 

Disappointment

Which hurts more?

The mistake? Or the criticism for the mistake?

Where has my heart gone

An uneven trade for the real world

Oh I want to go back to 

Believing in Everything and

Knowing nothing at all?

- Evanescence - Fields of Innocence -

Hold my Hand my Friend

Now we share the same bright sun,
the same round moon
Why don't we share the same love
Life is shorter than most have thought.

- Hold My Hand - Maher Zain -

Maya - The Illusion

Perhaps many of you are already aware of the Jazz vocalist Susheela Raman. Well, I didn't till recently. And it had been a pleasant discovery. She is based in London who sings Jazz numbers that carries a little of the Eastern music. An amazing fusion when sung in her voice is just extraordinary. Her voice, perhaps intentionally, has this hypnotic effect of luring the listener into the whole music experience. From listening to her album over the week I have narrowed my ultimate favourite to the following song. Apart from her voice, the music video and the lyrics are equally amazing.  Enjoy! :-) 

Maya, my web of creation

Whispers to me in my solitude

Maya, my music of elation

Takes me to the heights

Where I can soar

Hear my cry

Let me weep the tears of joy

Maya, my intoxication

Secret lullaby surrounds my soul

Maya, my sound and sensation

Take me to the heights where I can soar

- Maya - Susheela Raman -

Miss. Brainy

I HELD A BRAIN!

I HELD A BRAIN!

I HELD A BRAIN!

I HELD A BRAIN!

I HELD A BRAIN!

Yesterday, during Anatomy class I had the chance to hold the cute, pretty thing in my hands :D :D

*Starts singing: What a feeling....*

IT WAS REALLY COOL. It looked better than I thought. I had this image of a soft gross, spongy like thingy. It was better than that. Can you imagine that small living thing I held in my hands actually holds the key to why humans respond the way they do? Amazing innit?

With that, I leave you with this number from Hollywood Amor -  Flashdance

PS: Due to technical difficulties, Shades of Life will be taking time off from the blog. Rest assured, I am keeping up with the picture taking just the uploading that is gonna be on pause for now. Sorry guys :(

"Education"

I was reading the New York Times and I came across this article titled: The Other Education. The author David Brooks was referring to his second education that was beyond the written academics and involved his emotional quotient.

It all started with his first encounter with Bruce Springsteen's songs. And soon Springsteen became his Guru to this new second education. To quote the author:

...over the next few decades Springsteen would become one of the professors in my second education. In album after album he assigned a new course in my emotional curriculum.

He further explained how this emotional education differed from the regular college education. The regular classroom has its regular teacher covering the required modules and students act on the given material. However, this second education is indirect in its way of entering our minds. Brooks says,

...comes indirectly, seeping through the cracks of the windowpanes, from under the floorboards and through the vents. It’s generally a byproduct of the search for pleasure, and the learning is indirect and unconscious.

His second education began with Springsteen's. His lyrics, the way Springsteen touches on various subject matters, his perspective, etc. Finally Brooks ended saying,

I’m not claiming my second education has been exemplary or advanced. I’m describing it because I have only become aware of it retrospectively, and society pays too much attention to the first education and not enough to the second.

Ain't that true? Society pays so much attention to the number of diplomas awarded then to personality and character of an individual. A classmate of mine has nth number of degrees to his name, is currently doing his MBBS and he hates patient interaction. Actually, he hates anything that requires him to bend down and serve. Why medicine then? I would never know. He has a high IQ, EQ probably lies at negative 1, 083, 098 on a scale of positive 10 till negative infinity.

In fact, we all gather our own emotional faculty — artists, friends, family and teams. Each refines and develops the inner instrument with a million strings.

Find your balance in life with your comfortable emotional corner. As the author mentioned, it can be anything as long as it brings out the different sides of you that test papers set by our professors of multiple credentials have failed to perform.

With the Springsteen vibe in place, here is my favourite number of his. :) :)

- Bruce Springsteen and the E. Street Band - Point Blank -

The Wells have Dried Up

Playground school bell rings again
Rain clouds come to play again
Has no one told you she's not breathing?
Hello, I'm your mind giving you someone to talk to
Hello

If I smile and don't believe
Soon I know I'll wake from this dream
Don't try to fix me, I'm not broken
Hello, I'm the lie living for you so you can hide
Don't cry

Suddenly I know I'm not sleeping
Hello, I'm still here
All that's left of yesterday

- Hello - Evanescence -

Tears are no gauge of how one really feels. Do not judge.

An Uneventful week

Always, no sometimes, think it's me, but you know I know when it's a dream.
I think I know I mean a 'Yes' but it's all wrong, that is I think I disagree.
Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real and nothing to get hungabout.
Strawberry Fields forever.

 -Strawberry Fields Forever - The Beatles -