But? In Malaysia, where else.

M's 3rd album, Explore M has recently been released in various versions (Japan, Taiwan & Hong Kong). One wonders if it'll ever find its way here.

So sad. They need to take a course in Geography 101 - Asia isn't only limited to those three countries.

Just to say i've put up the pix from my 'so-called' honeymoon, in Hokkaido. Sometime in October 2006. It's very, very random and really depended on my moods. So i guess i missed many sights which i still keep in my memory.
Peep in here.

There was this discussion about how low risk it was to be in book trading. Which may just be the case if you compare us to those supermarkets that sell perishables. After all, there are laws about how long you can display such goods before writing them off or how close to the expiry date you can keep the stuff. Plus, the cost of importing them includes damaged goods which i'm sure happens easily - think plums, grapes or some soft fruit.

Not that we are actually comparing books to food - even though they are food for the brain, just as essential to some people. Take it as 'food for thought', though.

Do books expire?

Hardcovers become unsaleable after the paperback is release, yes. Old editions are obsolete as soon as a new edition is released, except research libraries that keep them, others will trash. Old theories get debunked and pushed off relevancy. Genres lose their appeal, and suddenly no one writes or publishes them anymore. New covers will show you how ugly the old ones were. And author dies and the books start to go out of print. Yes, yes and yes.

Various means will end the life of a book.

We always complain that some titles are out-of-date. Being 'trained', i'll look at books covers and cringe at the US covers of self help books which look like they were grandparents to the books freshly published. Well, they are still relevant though and just as well-received by readers.

Relevancy, universal appeal, rare art and deep substance will make classics out of books, making them live longer and travel farther. My job is at times to feed them a little Amrita, at times to help to bury them when they die, be it prematurely or naturally. Like any reader and loverof books, i feel glad with every long-lived, well-loved book ... and sad to have cross paths with nasty books, unhappy books, sickly ones ... and perhaps a little gratified to have met ones that are short-lived but burned brightly. It sounds odd, ya. At times, i feel it is as such.

SONG FOR A MOOD
Fast expiring strawberries/Kuai guoqi de cao-mei - Vivian Hsu. She is a popstar with a past who has managed to walk away from it quite successfully. Having spent a long time in Japan, her style and music reflects the soft, sexy, kittenish types like Chara and Bice. i liked her cos she's so pretty. Now i see her in a different light - if you didn't know this, Jay Chou's first single had words penned by Viv. Then i also followed her incarnations in DEP and Lil' Viv. Such a chameleon. i wish her the best for being incredibly 'long-lived' in this fickle world of entertainment. Song from one of my utter favourite albums, Qia ban de tien shi/Disguised as a Fairy.

i realised that i forgot to put this in. About the 'Go Green' thing.

Recently, Penny Tai has announced that she's not releasing any albums this year, or rather any CDs. Her latest pain-to-the-ears, called Blow the Whistle (Cui Bi-bi) will only be available online and you can pay to own your own copy. So i thought, why ah? Cost of producing an entire album, in CD is expensive? Maybe. Trying to be environmental-friendly? Because imagine you print 5,000 pieces and the terrible pirates print double, then there is 15,000 of your CDs, of which people like Lil' Eri will buy the pirate at say 10 a pop. She'll nicely stick it elsewhere and promptly forget about it. Thus creating unwanted, forgotten waste. Then, this makes digitally downloadable music much more green, ya? But where does all this data hang out at? What is the virtual world but metal, plastic and electricity ... servers somewhere. And more and more servers and other hardware to keep the software. Still, it is a little more eco-friendly, i guess to keep MP3s or music virtually.

But... on the question of books, though... an electronic book versus a paper one?

Music is different because cassettes and CDs will end up being waste that cannot be broken down easily. Poison to Mother Earth.

Books, which means less trees however does not necessary equal to poisoning of the same earth that will grow more trees. i'm making this sound so complicated.

Imagine this - electronic books made of plastic or metal components, and servers that house the digital books can end up in the garbage as unrecyclable, or needs special means to safely dispose. Which ultimately could mean it'll poison the land.

Then imagine this - books are made from trees which we are unendingly cutting down and may not be planting back as fast. When we trash books (for goodness sake, donate them or give them away before you do that!), they may be recycled as another book or paper something else. Now trees will be harder to grow on 'poisoned' land. But you might still be able to write on recycled books.

MP3s, not too evil.
E-Books ... not too great, you see.

I guess you can see that i much prefer the solidity of books, the feel of paper between my fingers, the woody, heady whiff of ink and forests. So help me ....

i've been passing this department store window everyday. And lately they've jumped on the bandwagon of going green, trying to get shoppers to use their own bags etc. Well! Now that's not wrong. In fact, it should be applauded. Unless you pass their shop windows everyday like me. With taglines like 'Go Green' and 'Say No to Plastic', it is just absolutely, utterly ironical that the window also contains mannequins draped in plastic bags, toting cloth totes AND all around are the store's signature plastic baggies. So, if you're trying to get shoppers to stop using plastic, why on Mother Earth (God Bless Her) would you use any as display, knowing full well you'd probably throw them away later.

Every morning as i walk pass the shop window in my half-awake state, i can only think with wry smirk - how ironic!!! Hahahahahha ...

SONG FOR A MOOD
Ironic- Alanis Morisette. None other than the most ironic song of the century. Friend Jon gave me the original Jagged Little Pill in cassette which i practically regretted at once that it wasn't in CD. This is from her anniversary acoustic album. Lover-ly.

Notice the last date i made a post. Now this definitely means i've been busy. Not just busy with work but also having a little R&R.

Watched quite a good movie, called Gegege no Kitaro. A funny, quirky live-action movie adapted from the classic manga by Shigeru Mizuki. It's about a one-eyed half-demon boy who fights to keep peace between yokai (demons and 'creatures of the night') and humans. Loved the CGI and the tongue-in-cheek characters, but i'm not sure if it's originally as such in the manga. (The lead is played by Eiji Wentz, one half of pop duo WaT - jpop fans will know that stands for 'Wentz and Teppei'. He looked quite cute, it didn't need any acting anyways.)

Currently, i'm thoroughly immersed in one of those TVB serials, forgot the 'English' title. It's a bit like CSI. i was fired up by colleague's comments that most of the Asian dramas (like Jdrama, Korean or Taiwanese, don't even go near the China ones) you don't really need to watch the entire thing. Just a bit in the front and then some at the end. However for TVB dramas, you must watch it in its entirety. Well, i don't really agree - yet.

Bookwise, i'm not managed to finish reading anything. Typical Arian trait!

Nevertheless, i've still left part of my heart and brain reserved for Colfer's Airman, which has turned to be quite extraodinary in the middle. Our cool guy, Conner is now planning an escape for the Saltees prison mines. Exciting! On the month assignments, i'm much taken with 'Ways to Live Forever' by Sally Nicholls. The novel was the winner of some competition. It is about a boy with leukimia and this is his project given by a tutor who wanted him to write more. Think what you may but it's suprisingly a not too sentimental book. Still touching but not off-putting, only sensible and matter-of-fact, you can imagine the parents crying in the background and putting up a brave front. Worth a look, if for that only.

Well, my life is now piecemeal here, a bit on the side there. i have not mentioned being inundated with work and having no idea where to start. BUT, that is obvious, of course. i think i need to work like i 'enjoy' - a little by little, a bit by bit.

SONG FOR A MOOD
Come closer/Kao-qin - Harlem Yu. My CD rack has a few prominent singers, Harlem is one of them. He's a singer/songwriter who has a unique sound and voice. Love him!!! This is from my all-time favourite album. The CD got scratched, so i felt very sad. Nowadays i play it less so that it'll last longer. He said in an interview how the death of a colleague made him feel the need to spend more time with loved ones, be closer with them while he could. And this is the acoustic version, with the guitar by a sifu, forgot his name but check it out.

i think i kinda shocked Jay the other day with my outburst about something. I guess i've never had a chance to discuss Mando-pop for a while now, because my hubby listens to other things in music. (being musically trained and all)

Hahahahahah! Sorry, dear. Hmmm, David Tao's not the only one who's foot ends up in his mouth.

i've been thinking to adding some stuff onto this blog. Maybe soon. Have to be disciplined and finish my real work first. Also, one

Na jung ae

(note: i found KDW's blog)

There's a urban cantonese phrase which uses references to airplanes to explain 'getting stood up', whether it's a date of sorts or an appointment.

'Fong fei-kei' - cantonese for 'flying planes', which is of course physically impossible but think 'paper planes' people. So we would usually say, 'i was 'fong fei-kei'' or something like that. Don't know where the actual reference ever came from, though. Perhaps to indicate that the other person took flight. It is also used in situations when there is a arrangement and the other person chickens out. But probably not used when describing 'left at the altar'. (So unromantic to use it)

It's been so popular that we even describe people who are known to cancel meetings/appointments as 'fei-kei wong' (King of Airplanes). Or Concorde, Boeing 747 etc depending on their 'power'.

And me. I'm always left on land while some people always take flight. Supposed to run out and do some New Year shopping today, but got 'fong fei-kei'ed. That's okay, i'll just stay home and do some laundry and wash the curtains. Sounds awfully dull, huh? It is. But the weather's just grey, cool and sleep inducing, maybe it's better to stay in bed.

SONG FOR A MOOD
Paper Planes/Zi fei-ji - Sandy Lam. She's one diva. Her songs, voice, style - has been inadvertently ingrained in many lives as we have grown up with her. This song written after her daughter's birth, i think. And even tho friends like Lizzie like her earlier works very much, i prefer this song. Sandy has embraced the modern, more popular singing style with it. When i first heard it on the radio, i thought sounds like Faye Wong but isn't, yet just as accomplished a singer. Suits my mood and this post, no?