The Last Time that….. May 24, 2009

1) …I played a Beer Game and oh was a little tipsy too which explains the hyena-like giggle towards the end of the clip and I had to pee a lot after that while the German girls sharing the dorm with me slept throughout the night, even with glass smashing pub brawls. 

2)…Kimmy recognised me before she was given away to that nice, indulgent family that treats her like a princess which has resulted in a total personality transformation where she only sleeps in an air-conditioned room with human presence and goes into furious whiny fits if you as much show a glimpse of a camera in her face. 

(Found these video clips while clearing my old laptop – realised these moments will never return and I should really start recording things more often.)

It’ll always be Ella May 17, 2009

After borrowing all the “mainstream” DVDs from the school library including High School Musical (I heart Zac Efron!) I’ve proceeded to the documentaries and the first one I zoomed in on was Ella Fitzgerald: The Legendary First Lady of Song.

Hearing Ella sing “I get a kick out of you” on my very first jazz CD compilation I bought way back in ’97 is what made me enjoy, no wait, obsess, over old school jazz for a good few years, the only thing that could get me through ‘A’ level mugging. Her voice – just pure unadulterated raw singing talent and a soul which interpreted each song with an entrancing blend of streetwise sassiness and sad innocence. There has really been no female singer quite like her, though it is through her that I have also come to love the other jazz dames like Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Judy Garland and Nina Simone.

This documentary reminded me of her perennial magic. I love it that youtube has some wonderful footage of her live performances because she is even more amazing there than the recordings and I only wish I had been born a little earlier to catch one of her concerts. My favourite video clip is a duet she has with Frank Sinatra where you see a hint of her shyness and cheekiness. Enjoy!

Lesson #4: First gut picks May 10, 2009

Up up and away

Come Sail Away by Styx

I’m sailing away,
Set an open course for the virgin sea,
‘Cause I’ve got to be free,
Free to face the life that’s ahead of me,
on board, I’m the captain, so climb aboard,
We’ll search for tomorrow on every shore,
And I’ll try, Oh Lord I’ll try, to carry on

I look to the sea,
Reflections in the waves spark my memory,
Some happy, some sad,
I think of childhood friends and the dreams we had,
We lived happily forever, so the story goes,
But somehow we missed out on the pot of gold
But we’ll try best that we can to carry on

A gathering of angels appeared above my head,
They sang to me this song of hope and this is what they said,
They said come sail away, come sail away, come sail away with me lads,
Come sail away, come sail away, come sail away with me,
Come sail away, come sail away, come sail away with me baby,
Come sail away, come sail away, come sail away with me

I thought that they were angels, but much to my surprise,
We climbed aboard their starship, we headed for the skies
come sail away, come sail away, come sail away with me lads
Come sail away, come sail away, come sail away with me
Come sail away, come sail away, come sail away with me
Come sail away, come sail away, come sail away with me…

Tan Hong Ming in love May 6, 2009

I much much much much prefer this TVC  made by Yasmin Ahmad compared to this one. 

Minimal preaching, full of heart and those kiddy talents are adorable.