Hey, it's already 2008!

I've been out already, running errands, visiting a new bookstore and cooking an nice lunch (cold soba and omelette, plus an nice fruit punch). Gee, i'm pooped.

Yesterday, at lunch, i had an interesting conversation with Jay. She was telling me of her short holiday in Korea, where she stayed at a hostel of sorts. All sorts of people were there. Serious pop fan from Japan, there to watch a concert. A Frenchie who loved to photograph folk. A girl travelling the world. Even some foreigners who worked for the local conglomerates.

The more i heard, the more round-, wide-eyed i became. And her final comment: 'and what are we doing the same time as these people? Getting canned in the sardine tin daily (read LRT); writing little book blurbs, dusting the shelves.' You could sense her envy of them living on the other side of the fence. You can even sense my envy of her being able to meet people like that, i'll bet too.

Huo-de jing-cai (It means living a vibrant, interesting life)
That's what we should be doing. It doesn't necessarily mean chuck your job and go backpacking. Just don't live life in mediocrity; your kind of mediocrity.

But don't forget that living well means balancing how we want to live with how we ought to; for i'm sure those people she met had responsibilities they weren't taking up or are running away from.

i remember distinctly i used to say that i never want to have any regrets. i wonder if the me today could meet and look directly into the eyes of this me who believed those words. i'm not sure what to think, but for sure, like everyone else, i am after a beautiful life. Though, my idea of a beautiful life may not be yours.

Huo de jing cai pa! (I haven't written about books or other stuff lately, but coming up soon. They are all floating around in my head, waiting for the right moment)

SONG FOR A MOOD
My Rising Sun - Northern Bright. This is from one of my favourite albums, Northern Songs; all the songs rock. It's already out of print so don't bother hunting. It's a little late in the afternoon but you can play it every morning. Very stirring!

i'm about to go to bed but this is such an important day to miss posting a comment, ya. The end of the year, and the only time i've actually managed to consistently maintain a blog. Which makes me wonder how long this will continue...

But i'm quite into it, right now. So no fear, yet.

Anyway, it was kinda sad as today's the last day i'm in the uniform. And as for the locker i've used for five years, good-bye. Come Wednesday, and i'm like a plain clothes policeman. (incognito). There are good, good points to wearing a uniform.

One - People know you work there.
Two - They don't recognise you, only the clothes.
Three - You don't need to buy loads of clothes.
Four - Everyday at work you wear the same things, like everybody else.

Then there are bad, bad points. Which unfortunately, they are the same as above!

Em (i'm gonna call Ma-chan that from now on, cos i think it's cooler. Like M or short for Emily, Emilie, Amelia ... and the one we don't mention so that she remains anonymous, as much as possible). Anyway, Em said she wanted to cry when she learnt that she had to wear a uniform, imagine all the cute clothes she couldn't wear.

Now what is wrong with Jay and yours truly? Holding on to the blue 'cleaner's clothes?
Uniforms are equalizers, they really are.

Well, this was meant to be short, will keep it that way. Going to bed, folks.
Sayonara, Ni-sen-nana Nen (2007), sayonara.

SONG FOR A MOOD
Sayonara 2001 - Mr Children. This accompanies the delightful Kimi Ga Suki single as the B side. And even though, i truly love the first song. I simply adore this one. It's sad yet hopeful. I don't understand the lyrics at all, but i like to think that he's begging for more time, for there is more to do. Mr Children's sound has been sunny most of the time, but this and a few others have dark tones. I love those very much and prefer them than the more popular hits. Honestly, i think, no words can describe the mixture of feelings this song gives me.

i wanted to choose a song to cheer Ma-chan up, 'cos she's very sick. But something else happened to put me in the doldrums.

Seems that there's a pipe leaking in the apartment so some of my storage got wet. I spent nearly four hours looking through training material, personal letters, unwanted but important bills and documents. i came to one conclusion. i have too many notebooks; all half used. And their contents were sometimes quite 'unfit' for the eyes of others. There were also some which i must have written in a creative daze 'cos i don't remember being that articulate and expressive. In fact, at times i don't even remember i knew half the words used.

Perhaps i can plead temporary insanity or amnesia because there are some i don't even remember ever writing. (some were comic reviews dating 10 years back or more)

So there they were - my whole life in notes, hidden in a box. Today, and in the near future, here it is my life in a 'blox'.

SONG FOR A MOOD
Boxes - Wan Fang. There are many reasons for loving this song. Tune by Gou-mao, touching words, guitar by Rashid, sung by one of the saddest voices in Taiwan. The song fits with the concept of the actual album, it illustrates the protagonist packing and leaving but i always think it also means us, living from out of a box, our whole lives repeatedly doing the same stuff - packing, moving, unpacking - be it physical property or emotional baggage. From her album, Fly Away, my first of many by her.

It has been raining a lot lately. Of course, elsewhere it's snowing already, but the only thing happening here is just a whole lot of water out of control. In colder countries, it's sort of gray and endless drop-drop-drop, i suppose. But only in this part of the world, we get sudden huge downpours (so i've heard).


A recap on yesterday: my cake (Kocha cake) turned out ok. This is the second time I've attempted, using the wonderful Kenyan tea that i'm currently in love with. Hajiman (but) my cookies were burnt! So sad. Here's the pix to proof that i blew it.





Back to the wet day we've had.


On days like this, there's nothing more relaxing than a nice mug of hot tea (or whatever), in nice comfy and warm clothes, watching the world go by. It puts you in a mellow sort of mood. My songs of choice in this case, would probably be something sentimental. In this case, i chose a song from a new cd, an Xmas prezzie. ;-)


SONG FOR A MOOD
The Circle Game - Joni Mitchell. First of all, i seldom listen to English songs. But sometimes i do. This particular song reminds me of my Mum and Big Sky. They used to sing it, too. Secondly, i think in my previous life, i was a guitar toting hippie' cos i absolutely adore folk. And so, from Hits album, to put you in a nice, mellow, yellow mood.