breaking of the MUSIC/}!

Sunday, February 19, 2006

I cannot believe that the government is bribing me now. Yes. As a NSF I get $100, and my parents might get $800 or $600, I don't know. I could remember then PM Goh annoucing the implementation of the New Singapore Shares where money was handed out to everyone as a small token to cope with the recession of 2001. However, the last thing Singaporeans was to expect that an election was to be held in less than three months. Today, PM Lee annouced that everyone is getting "Growth Dividends", and the circumstances is very different from 2001. This time round, everyone knows that an election is round the corner, which can be from April (according to DPM Wong Kan Seng) to December (according to SM Goh).

Five years back, Singaporeans didn't expect the election, and given the circumstances in which the election was held (being the aftermath of 9/11 and the election), I can call that election a 'tyco' one. A sham election because Singapore was in crisis at that time. A national crisis often creates a landslide victory or a landslide defeat for the ruling party/coalition. Hence, if the government is able to tackle the crisis in a decisive manner, it is normal that people will give it is fullest support no matter how much they hated it in the past. The PAP won 75% of the votes in 2001. The Thaksin administration enjoyed a landslide victory last year due to the tsunami aftermath, yet suffered a landslide defeat in the southern constituents due to its heavy hand in handling the separatist crisis. Hence, the 2006 budget is indeed an election budget, meant to convey the opposition the message that "We are able to pre-empt you because of your valuable ideas, so thank you very much."

Anyway, I won't be eligible to vote this year becuase I am too young. I'm not going to tell you who I would vote for. Nevertheless, if I was an eligible voter, the candidate who is able to sing the same mantra as me will get my vote, regardless of which party he is from. The $100 that the government gave me is nothing. I wonder how much NSmen are compensated when they go for their ICT. I bet the compensation is barely 20% of the money they could've earned at work.

It's getting late now, yet I can't wait to see the PAP and the opposition rough it in this impending battle. The opposition today is stronger and more credible, and we'll really see a genuine election after a decade. Some Singaporeans are expressing their sympathy for the WP following the PAP's tough dressing down over its manifesto. They argued that by acting out of paranoia, the PAP has actually emboldened the WP, giving them a mild advantage from the sympathy point of view. In addition, Singaporeans might give PM Lee a tough ride just as they did so for then PM Goh when he called his first election in 1991. The popular vote will dip for sure, and the big question is whether the opposition can sustain their hold on Hougang and Potong Pasir and subsequently capture a GRC. The fruit is ripe for plucking, and may the best candidate win.

zeligdhilee breaking the MUSIC.
23:30

Saturday, February 18, 2006

Of Music

I'm listening to a march tune playing on Symphony 92.4FM.... apparently I just few very marchy thanks to that tune.... I just love classical music cos it often allows me to listen to music that flows with my changing emotions... And next right now is a nice little serenade which makes feel like going down to the gardens to smell the flowers. It is such a pity that I do not have a girlfriend cos' this tune must be telling me to act intimate with her....

Well such is the beauty of classical music. I'm now listening to my household favourite "Pavane", op.50 by Gabriel Faure. He is a Frenchman, judging by his sirname. A brief introduction about this piece can be foundhere, courtesy of Wikipedia. In my opinion, this piece is a good for calming the mind, allowing one to reflect on the past and paint an optimistic outlook for the future. It is difficult to make a piece with a minor intonation (F# minor by the way) sound bright cos' minor often sound grim and sad most of the time.

I discovered music as an interest during my primary school days where I learnt to play the electone, learning it up to Grade Nine Standard. (In electone the lower the grade, the better you are.) That was considered rather elementary for a musician, for by then I had entered secondary school and I found myself acquiring a new interest. I joined the band as a percussionist. I wasn't very proficient as a drummer but I found myself engaging in tunes, with reference to instruments like the timpani and the xylophone. A good percussionist must be good as many percussion instruments as possible from the drums to the latin instruments to the triangle to the xylophone. Well I wonder if my juniors would agree with me but I'm very sure that Derrick would concur. I felt much immersed in the music that I still hum it on my own till now to appreciate the past.

If you ask me what kind of particular classical music I like, I like overtures. Overtures are long pieces with several segments. These segments often vary in tempo and mood but they often show links between the contrasting emotions and stories being presented in the piece. One of my most favourite overtures include Tchaikovsky's 1812, Mozart's Syphomy No.41 (Jupiter) and Rossini's William Tell. I do continue to listen to classics, which explains why I've shown a scant interest in the modern pop songs of today. I just find them too fast and jerky for my heart. Perhaps Jazz and Latin music are much more pleasant becuase of the clear articulation of the energy by the performers and the composers. Some contemporary musicians that I like are Maksim, Kitaro and Richard Clayderman.

I didn't continue on as a musician in JC. The hectic life back in secondary school put off my mother and she didn't really fancy being a musician in JC. TJC is notably strong in the performing arts, and I respect their professionalism, passion and dedication of its members of the performing arts fraternity.

Anyway, music is crucial for the enrichment of one's holistic soul. We must learn to understand music from the academic to the emotional aspect, so that we can fully understand and appreciate the message that every composer and musician sends. Happy listening!

zeligdhilee breaking the MUSIC.
13:50

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

I'm rather busy right now, but I do have something to share with you. See the latest addition in my photos section? This is the first among a couple of pictures I took during my CNY trip to Malaysia.

P/S: It's time to act naughty and mischievous..... It was fun taking these pictures and my relatives enjoyed viewing them. Hope you do so as well....

zeligdhilee breaking the MUSIC.
21:51

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Mixed Signals

I watched a NTU hall production last night with some of my former TJC 33/03 friends. The name of the play was "Mixed Signals", written by the reowned Singaporean playwright Michael Chiang, who was made famous by two plays, being "Beauty World" and "Army Daze". It was held in the comforts of Victoria Theatre, a theatre which I have never patrionised even though I ever visited the adjoining Victoria Concert Hall. I was there with around 10 of them. We were there because Jing Ying was the stage manager and Ying Lan was involved in the Lights and Sounds for this production. They did well considering that this was their first English drama production, if you do not count in some scant experience when they helped Min Dan in TJ's Chinese Drama Productions in their JC years. Great coordiination (Jing Ying could've made a very good S3/Ops Officer if she was in the military.), great actors and props -- they deserve nothing else but praise.

Back to the themes surrounding "Mixed Signals". The producers apparently edited the original text by bringing about a 2000 take on a play first written in the 1980s. It shows how one's split identities are often held hostage by the harsh realities of life in the meritocratic, authoritarian, cosmopolitan and materialistic Singapore. More importantly, the play shows how the central theme of "Identity" often causes us to indulge in a futile attempt to reflect on our character as well as exploring the "counterfactual" past of ourselves. This is clearly shown by Rubi's constant attempts to find out what happened before her 'accident', as well as Nyla's hidden agenda over her sojourn in Singapore which was actually deceived Johnny significantly when she revealed the truth. The play indirectly mocked the civil service and the medical fraternity, showing the "FDU" (apparently a reference to the SDU) with a militaristic and image-conscious entity (through Mrs Lim); as well as Dr Arthur's dismissal of the chip embedded in Rubi's brain as a superficial issue which turned out to torture her for the rest of her life.

I walked out of the theatre thinking about by very own "Mixed Signals". I remembered the heart-warming story about how a pair of Chinese twin sisters got reunited recently after being separated for at least 40 years. One was brought up a Chinese while the other a Malay. While Nyla in the play found her twin faster (with thanks from Victor) faster than that in this true story, the underlying question of self-awareness remains central to both the factual and fictional stories. I also remembered my days in TJ where the students of 26/03 linked me to Zheng Quan for we looked alike to some extent. I used him as my guinea pig in exploring my own "counterfactual" history, a theme introduced to me during History S lessons. Both our personalities and interests differed significantly. However, both of us never embraced each other as a friend despite attempts by his 26/03 mates. I was surprised that noone from 26/03 turned up for the production, considering that Jing Ying was very close to a few gals from that class.

Anyway, some selected pictures from the event:

Su Hui and Kelvin posing by the Singapore River. Su Hui is way too humble of herself for she thinks that she didn't look very good.

Look at the building in front? Kelvin dreams of owning this building. Said that he'd hire his friends (like Su Hui, Myself and Qiong Hui) if he ever becomes the CEO.

Good Job, Jing and Lanzi.

We helped Su Hui to catch a cab near Victoria Theatre. Took us almost 20 minutes but at least she has some company.

Best Buddies (soon to be Gay buddies / Sworn Brothers). They made a pact that if they go to the same university, they'll share the same hall and same room.

Supper at Lau Pa Sat after the show. The place is rather deserted considering that it was a Saturday night. The food centre is losing steam compared to new eateries. A good contrast will be the "Food Republic" at Wisma Atria. I still prefer the Tim Sum there....

TJC 33/03, till we meet again........

zeligdhilee breaking the MUSIC.
19:50

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

It seems that alot of people do read my blog. If you see my last post below, I told you all that I would not be available by mobile when I was in Malaysia. Anyway, I was quite surprised that no one send me a CNY greeting by means of SMS. It means two things to me: Have my friends secretly read my blog and hence understood that sending greetings to me would be pointless since I won't be able to read it, or rather, because I am a forgotten person. I sincerely hope that it is not the latter.

I'm so glad to spend my CNY holiday away from Singapore in the comforts of the home of my relatives. (Yes, that's the priviledge of being a half-Singaporean.) I'm glad to spend my CNY in Malaysia, cos' the last time I spent a CNY with my Malaysian relatives was in 2002. The food and the atmosphere was excellent, so was the weekend itself. We took time to escape the blazing hot weather by taking a short trip to Genting Highlands (as usual, full of Singaporeans) on the first day and even a trip to 佛光山东禅寺 in Jenjarom, a sleepy town in Selangor on the second day. This Buddhist temple became a tourist destination overnight with PM Badawi's visit on the first day.

By the way, I got to travel in style like a VIP. My mother and I decided to try out the First Class Bus Service. Which company it is, it is for me to know and for you to find out, but the fare is very expensive for the Singapore-KL route. Imagine yourself getting in-bus food services and entertainment. I would pardon you if you thought that you are sitting in a plane.

Anyway, I'm rather tired now. I took lots of pictures this time round, and it'll take some time for me to express pictorially my experience. To be continued.

zeligdhilee breaking the MUSIC.
22:15