The Opera Populaire

I love reading Chinese song lyrics and Chinese poems. There is something about them that cannot be expressed in other languages. Somehow they touch at that inner core when you recite them when you are moved by a particular scenery, when your heart's been broken etc. I hate crappy modern Chinese pop lyrics that express things too directly. The words "我爱你" (I love you) and the like are simply too blatant and have been overly used to be of much meaning anymore. Don't you think that words such as "沧海桑田不怨相遇" (I do not mind crossing the oceans just to meet you) makes it a whole lot more poetic and beautiful? Ok, I think I'm not doing the translation justice. Non-Chinese readers probably still won't get what I mean. But hmm.

Anyway do check Jay Chou's song lyrics out. I think he's one of the rare artists in the Chinese pop music scene who is able to marry the beauty of Chinese phrases with modern tones.

菊花台
曲：周杰倫Qu : Zhou Jie LunMusic: Jay Chou詞：方文山Ci: Fang Wen ShanLyrics: Vincent Fang

妳　的淚光　柔弱中帶傷
慘白的月彎彎　勾住過往
夜　太漫長　凝結成了霜
是誰在閣樓上　冰冷的絕望雨　
輕輕彈　朱紅色的窗
我一生在紙上　被風吹亂
夢　在遠方　化成一縷香
隨風飄散　妳的模樣
Chorus:菊花殘　滿地傷　妳的笑容已泛黃
花落人斷腸　我心事靜靜躺
北風亂　夜未央　妳的影子剪不斷
徒留我孤單　在湖面　成雙

＊Verse 2:花　已向晚　飄落了燦爛
凋謝的世道上　命運不堪
愁　莫渡江　秋心拆兩半
怕妳上不了岸　一輩子搖晃
誰　的江山　馬蹄聲狂亂
我一身的戎裝　呼嘯滄桑
天　微微亮　妳輕聲的嘆
一夜惆悵　如此委婉

Repeat Chorus

Labels: Writings/Quotes

Buat apa susah, buat apa susah
Susah itu tak ada gunanya

Buat apa susah, buat apa susah
Susah itu tak ada gunanya

Labels: Writings/Quotes

I closed another chapter
In my book of life today,
And paused for meditation
As I laid the book away

I thought of smudgy pages
Where the record was not clear,
And dreary lines of trouble
Confused o'er by doubt and fear

It's now too late to alter
Any script that's dried and set:
The story's far from perfect,
But it's vain to stew and fret.

I asked the Lord to pardon
The mistakes that mar the book,
And give me grace and courage
By a hopeful, Christ-ward look.

So now, there lies before me
A new chapter clean and white.
And I hope to write its pages
So the plot will turn out right.

I trust the final chapters
Will the Master's plan reveal,
And weave the many fragments
To depict a life that's real.

--Selected

Source: Knight's Treasury of 2000 Illustrations


Happy 2007 to all!

I have decided to post the above instead of writing a 2006 in review. As someone who loves history, I have looked into the past far too often. This year, I made up my mind to "forget what is behind and straining towards what is ahead". The poem, which I found on the New Year's service church bulletin, summarises my feelings very well. 2007 will be a year of new beginnings, new endevours and in short, a year dedicated to the Lord.

For a short update, I will be starting work at a certain institution very near to dearest Mr. Ang and also Mr. Tan this new year :p Enjoy what is left of the holiday!

Labels: Saya Affairs, Writings/Quotes

饮茶以客少为贵
客众则喧
喧则雅趣乏矣
独啜曰神
二客曰胜
三四曰趣
五六曰泛
七八曰施

Copied the above from my plastic cup which was used to serve tea at 同仁堂, a medicine shop which used to house the imperial physicians in China. While I was personally disappointed that an acclaimed name like 同仁堂 has been commercialized, I found myself very much amused by this little writing on the plastic cup.

The Japanese has their own 茶道 (chado), elevated to a high form of art. It is interesting to read a Chinese text which suggested that we too have our own tradition and culture regarding tea drinking.

Labels: Writings/Quotes