The music video i produced

The following video was produced and directed by me some time ago, last year. the video, together with 5 other videos were produced to celebrate the 15th anniversary of our group "The Wanderers" when i was still in the university.

the whole video has taken me 1 day to shoot and 1 week for post-production. it was my attempt to try out the effect of putting 2 images of the same person into the video. see if you guys like the video or not, and do comment ok. :)

parody and satire... can they be considered as arts?

talking about intertextuality, parody and satire are 2 possible expressions. but can they be considered as arts? that's really arguable.

i have seen steve martin's many movies, and some other comedies, and even comedies that make fun of famous horror movies. extremely funny they are especially if you have watched the original movies, but in terms of production values and quality, even creativity, they are far from being an artform. perhaps with an exception of "scary movie" (don't hit me).

not long ago, a singer in hong kong named 林海峰 (Jan Lamb) have written a song titled 流行曲 "pop song". if you miss the lyrics, you've missed the best part. he's being really satiric about chinese formulaic pop songs that focus mainly on cheesy love story, and how to design the vocal and arrangement of the songs to make it really karaoke friendly... check out the lyrics if you know chinese: (those who know chinese n english, pls help me to translate, hehe)

林海峰-流行曲(粤)

清唱 一开口用喉咙声清唱
这样才会令你为我拍掌
扮偶像派系我理想

感动 段段歌词要写得感动
能够讲鼓舞及明日理想
一浅白易明人就唱 wo

假音 唱到第二段嚟个假音
震音 震爆个尾音至够压场 wo
惨情 我爱你抵死冇好收场
煽情 必两粒眼泪情绪高涨 wo

(chorus)
去到 chorus chorus 要易记易唱 wo
记住要重复 重复 我为k迷着想
仲要 repeat 又repeat 这旋律先算最强
流行曲要大众随时随地唱

点唱 手机响用和弦声即唱
这样日与夜我会到处响
日播夜播就最理想 wo

和音 要大量和住咪我走音
懒音 好有风格人人会跟得上 wo

repeat (chorus)
流行曲要令到全场大合唱

再上再上 呢段要越唱越抢
再上再上 呢段会越唱越娘
争住唱 你记住要出我份粮 (冇钱点唱)

再上再上 乸实块面唱做样
再上再上 一定会断气内伤
三连音 三连音 三连音
三连音 三连音 三连音 音

wo chorus chorus要易记易唱 wo
(repeat chorus)
流行曲 唱就唱 咪求其是但唱

我首流行曲 一定中 一定爆
争住点唱 攞硬奖


download the song!
(you can go download the song from the above link. just right click on the link above and select "save target as")

the funny thing is, he sang this song in a really typical chinese pop song format, followed exactly what he is satire of in the lyrics! funny... now this is what i call an artform... a personal statement that has been made!

then, just last week, i also read a really satiric blog by Kenny Sia... entitled "kenny sia attempts to write a bimbo blog"... his version of parody towards highly popular bimbo blog... damn funny... go read his blog in the following link:
read this first.
and also you can read the bimbo blog his was refering to here:
then read this!
both are funny!! i like them... wuahahaha!!

如果还有明天 - 纪念薛岳！

一个生命力如此强的歌手，虽然顶着被肝癌侵蚀得不堪的肉体，却仍然坚持做专辑开演唱会，我又怎能不感动？忘了那一天电台播着《如果还有明天》，摇滚的节奏，我发现我竟然可以跟着哼起来。新歌吗？怎么我会唱？旧歌吗？是谁的啊？有种熟悉的感动。直到又有一天在电视上看到MV，才猛然记起薛岳，那个曾经用他的生命鼓舞我的人。在他最后一场的演唱会，他披着火红的衣服，挥动着一头长发，狠狠的哭诉“如果还有明天”。两个月后他就死了，只留下这首歌一直在我脑里盘旋。


如果還有明天
演唱:信/薛岳/柯有倫


岳:我們都有看不開的時候　總有冷落自己的舉動　
岳:但是我一定會提醒自己　如果還有明天　

信:我們都有傷心的時候　總不在乎這種感受
信:但是我要把握每次感動　如果還有明天

岳:如果還有明天　你想怎樣裝扮你的臉
信:如果沒有明天　要怎麼說再見

信:如果你看出我的遲疑　是不是你也想要問我　
信:究竟有多少事還沒有做　如果還有明天

岳:如果真的還能夠有明天　是否能把事情都做完
岳:是否一切也將雲消煙散　如果沒有明天

信:如果還有明天　你想怎樣裝扮你的臉　如果沒有明天　要怎麼說再見
岳:如果還有明天　你想怎樣裝扮你的臉　如果沒有明天　OH～ 要怎麼說再見

岳:如果還有明天　　信:如果還有明天
岳:你想怎樣裝扮你的臉　　信:裝扮你的臉
岳:如果沒有明天　OH～ 要怎麼說再見

[柯有倫:RAP部分]

1990的秋天　演完最後一場　生老病死的對話　送來新的希望
下雨了下雨了　那是你的眼淚嗎　將我淋濕可以嗎　讓我感受你的痛啊
笑我吧　不管黑夜是否太傻　笑我吧　走在邊緣只剩掙扎
笑我吧　哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈　還有明天

1990的秋天　演完最後一場　生老病死的對話　送來新的希望
下雨了　那是你的眼淚嗎　將我淋濕可以嗎　好讓我感受你的痛啊
笑我吧　不管黑夜是否太傻　笑我吧　走在邊緣只剩掙扎
笑我吧　哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈　如果還有明天　是否這生命能夠聽的到
希望我們的夢想永遠不會被忘掉　希望有一天 哈 哈　可以再見面

click on this link to download the song by 信，薛岳 及 柯有伦 for a limited time only!
click on this link to download the original song by 薛岳 for a limited time only!


(摘自http://www.cdnet.com.tw/Catalog/ShowPerformer.asp?PerformerID=7)
36歲的薛岳在這一年面對了人生中最痛苦的生命掙扎，卻也在劃下休止符前，他將自己的生命用音樂燃燒到最後，留下燦爛的光輝樂章。
這一年，薛岳真的好忙，忙的卻好有意義。 第五張個人作品「生老病死」及「灼熱的生命」演唱會在多位好友的努力配合下完成，在他走前，他仍不忘記留下這些他熱愛的音樂，希望在音樂裡帶給我們生活上的不同體驗。
作品「生老病死」不僅是薛岳個人音樂上的成長紀錄，從搖滾、爵士風格蛻變為更自由的音樂型式，也是個人演唱詮釋的最佳表現，雖然他在唱片製作過程中，虛弱的身體讓他一天只能工作三小時，過時則可能會發燒、體力不支，連在錄音室唱歌都必須以高腳椅抵住臀部支撐上半身的重量才能順利完成，但是他的毅力和來自生命中的親身感受讓他在唱腔上有著豐富的情感表現。 一張薛岳用生命餘燼然燒出來的作品聽來格外讓人感動。
有人說薛岳的「生老病死」專輯是「捶著傷口」錄出來的，那又何忍答應讓一個身體虛弱的人再去面對群眾舉辦一場「加速自己生命燃燒」的演唱會呢？薛岳試圖要在生命的盡頭前綻放自己最後的光芒，他用信心和對音樂的執著完成了這場於國父紀念館的演出，雖然館內早已準備好救護車和醫護人員，他還是精彩唱完了演唱會！那一夜，不僅是媒體閃光燈的集中地，更是台上台下音樂感動淚水的一夜。
演唱會後，薛岳在媒體寫了一篇文章，其中一段說：「幕總是有起有落，現在對我個人來講，就是落幕的時候了」。　不禁讓人想起了Queen（皇后）合唱團的一首歌The Show Must Go On，歌詞中寫道：「縱然我的心已碎，臉上的彩妝將落，我仍會笑容以待」。　薛岳就是這樣，在人前絕對是張笑容常開的臉，「灼熱的生命」演唱會裡還不斷表現出他的幽默感，但卻也就是這樣才格外讓人心疼。　十月二十四日，他要求剪去蓄留多年的長髮，只因為他「不要再麻煩媽媽了!」， 十一月七日，下午2時零4分，薛岳安詳地走了，他的生命真的落幕了。

brokeback mountain

the movie is actually pretty old school: old-fashioned cinematography and plotlines, the acting style is not over the top. it definitely helped with a Chinese director Ang Lee. he with his poetic touch not only successfully bring his previous "Sense and Sensibilities" to life, but in this film, give the film new breath. i haven't read the book, but i doubt it's going to be this poetic. Music definitely shape the mood. acoustic instrument, solo guitar with often monotonous melodies, create surprisingly haunting surreal ambient rather than a calm one. all in all, a genuine work of art.

i like the fact that the "couple" actually started the relationship with lust, but thru the years, it built up to be a true love. this no doubt is not a breakthrough notion of gay relationship, but often untouched (or actively avoid) by filmmakers (could it due to the fact that it lower gays' self-esteem?). We might question their lustful relationship first, but couldn't deny the intensity of their love after so many years. sadly, it only became clear to Ennis, that the love between them is so strong, after Jack died. don't we all love tragic moments in film? the moment where everything is going on a one-way train heading a wrong direction, and all we can do is sit there and sigh "if we could only turn back time!"?... that reminds me of another line from Jack again, "It could be like this, just like this, always." our life is full of so many "if", but we are never satisfied with "if", but yet we are so afraid of facing the truth hence we turn away... how nice if Ennis decide to take on Jack's proposal to open a range of their own (metaphor for building a family together)... then the ending will forever changed...

hopefully after the movie, ppl will realized that it will only bring more miseries if we deny and dicriminate the gay community. all the gay bashers, even if you don't bash the gays literally, the ideas of your mere existence haunt them forever. look at Ennis, how the image of the death/humiliation of an old gay cowboy left such an impression on his 9 yrs old mind, and the fact that his father could be the person who bashed the poor man even reinforce the resistant he has when Jack suggested to open their own range together... so the pain and misery spread out to both's wives and kids... and it also reminded me of another film that i watched, "The Laramie Project", where there is one scene when the lesbian mother said she was walking down a street with her gf and daugther, a truck passby, the "macho-man" driver looked at them with hatreds, and how she was so afraid that the truck would turn back and knock them... although the truck didn't really knock them... but the thoughts and insecurity that they will, already kill them... and it's not fun at all staying in fears... what am i talking about....??? hahahaha.... guess this movie just give me too much things to think about, and that is how great a movie can get!

i also like the way Ennis's character is constructed. praising the cowboy slang that Heath Ledger "mastered" is superficial... but his mumbling words, he habitually lowered his head, constantly looking away while speaking to people, cowboy hat that cover more than half of the face, all these really make his character become 3D and real... excellent job both Heath and Ang Lee...

Let's see if it will win Ang Lee another best film and best director... i really hope the best for my favorite director (man, Ang Lee's "Wedding Banquet" is perhaps another of my all time favorite movie!)... Go watch it, grab a copy if you can, don't miss it!! standby a box of tissue at the end of the movie if you think you are as emotional as me... :P

Another CNY entry! :P

We hosted a small get together at my home on last friday night, uncles auntie were turning up for steamboat dinner. it was fun to see all the relatives (once a year), hahaha!

My lovely home...

my cousin brother who stayed with my parents during his secondary school years. now he is a doctor, his wife is a doctor, and his kid is so damn cute! hehe!

that's me with the nephew... me tried to haunt him from behind! hehehe!

my uncle loves kids... dunno what tickle my nephew, laughed until like that... -.-

my young nephew was holding my little nephew... hahaha, see how curious a kid could get!!


Then on Sunday night, we all know it's the time for the hokkiens to pray to the SkyGrandpa... hahaha, pai tin kong! my family do that every year too...

table full of offerings! hahaha!

check out the mouth of the dragon... got smoke come out from there... hehehe!!!

tea, tang-yuan, and nian-kao in yuen-pao shape! then they are all sorta kuih and bread and fruits! notice all of the offerings have to be wrapped with a red stripe...

and of coz we have to offer 3 types of meat... chicken, pork rib, and duck

then the event continued with burning of hell moneys...

(what a waste... hehe) see... what's left??

after the god has been fed, it's time to feed the humans now... hahaha!


my mom forced me to take photos of her plants and garden... hahaha....this is the plant she bought for the new year... don't mistaken, it's not cherry tomatoes, it's chilli!! (ask my sis, she knows, she tasted it before!!! so damn hot she said.... wuahahaha!)

and this is the flowers that my mom's very proud of... during CNY, suddenly there appeared 6 blossoms together, and she thinks it's a good sign!! hahaha, chinese what... what do you expect? :P

My trip to 佛光山东禅寺

It was a pleasant saturday and my family and I decided to pay my uncle a visit at Banting... and we also wanted to go to the famous Fo Guang Shan - Dong Chan Si. A heavy pour that day, so the weather cool down, just the perfect day for visiting. we parked our car pretty far away from the temple, and we walked 3 streets to reach the entrance. there were cars, people, stalls, buses everywhere, it's so happening... and i can't imagine a small town with such big crowd! thanks to the temple, at least the small town is back alive now.

There weren't really much to see, but the garden were really pretty with nicely trimmed giantsized bonsai... hehehe... but it was dark, so my dumb digital cam just don't work well under that condition.

Here, i found 1 part of the garden they put some stones carved in the shape of 12 animals as in chinese year... whatever lah... hehehe... so here i put 2 of them, rabbit for me, and horse for beh, hehe

On the 2nd floor of the main building, they have the exhibition of international flora whatever, which my mom was very interested... it's nice lah, but most of the flowers are there for too long, so a bit layu already. :P

so when we finally drove home around 10pm... it was totally jammed on the way back!!! we reached home around 12am... what a day! so sleepy! hehe!

Let's have some pics!

New year is the time for family gathering... here i am taking snaps of the younger generation!


















And this is Shogun, the japanese buffet restaurant at 1U... hehe, time to feast the stomach! yum yum!!

如果。爱

昨天看娱乐新闻时，主持人问来宾谢霆峰喜欢什么样的女孩子。他想也不想的回答，“如果能够说出喜欢这个人的什么，那就不是真的喜欢她了。”

这早熟的男孩说出了我心里的话。很多人都说，我要找的女孩子是长发飘逸，或身材苗条的，或眼睛大大的；有些人则说，我要找的男孩子是粗狂有型的，或驾名车的，或浪漫风趣的。但当你把这些条件列下来时，你正把这些人给物化了。这时你不再是喜欢这个人本身，而是喜欢他的某一部分而已。当他的其他缺点更大于他的优点时，你的眼里心里就再也容不下他了。那又何爱之有呢？

又或许是我太执著或太完美化了。你大可说，喜欢可能就只止于那一刹那的悸动，或只是对某一方面的仰慕而已，无需太偏激。那，爱呢？当你说爱一个人的时候，你的心态是只止于喜欢般的肤浅吗？或是已下定决心要完全的包容这个人呢？

许多人说爱是喜欢的升华，我则认为，爱是喜欢得毫无理由。当你对这个人已经是喜欢得可以忘记他的优点，包容他的缺点，那你就是爱上他了。

非常喜欢《Sepet》里的一段对白，当Orked的朋友取笑她已经被阿龙喜欢上了时，Orked回答，“错了，他不是喜欢上我，他根本不认识我，又何来喜欢上我呢？他，是爱上了我！爱，那是有分别的！”

我是相信一见钟情的。你可以取笑我的浪漫主义，但我宁可相信爱情的命中注定，也不愿看到爱情的廉价贩卖。