Music is Subjective, Sound is Perspective.

Music is subjective, Sound perceptive.

Ever since I watched Hotel Rwanda for Social Psychology, its scenes flash through my mind whenever I hear its songs. And it is with this realization that I know what I want to do in life.

Music is subjective. What is pleasant to the ears of someone may be unpleasant to the ears of another. Rock may be life to one individual but to another, it's pure noise.

Sound, on the other hand, is an interesting topic. Sound comes in two categories, the forced and the natural. Farting is natural, putting your hand in your armpit and flapping your arm creating the fart is forced.

Yet, the most interesting sound that exists is the unplanned; the beat of the heart, the rhythm of the footsteps.

But I don't want to just major in sound. I want to create sound. That will inspire and bring out the emotions. Just like Mama Arira from Hotel Rwanda.
Take a listen. It's of a foreign language but it fulfills its purpose, that is, to portray the sad theme by genocide.

Sound is not bound by language, or race, or religion, or age, or gender, or geographical distance. In fact, it is the lack of restrictions that allow its beauty to be amplified.

Music is of sound but sound is not of music. Music is but a subset of sound.

Nothing stands in the way of sound. You know, I think even deafness cannot stop sound. It may stop external sound, but what about internal?

Sound is perceived from one's life experiences. Music of one's emotions.

Oh, to compose sound that would touch hearts, move many, and inspire others.

Sound as a form of media. Why not?

So Chinese New Year is kinda around the corner, and you know what, religion does play a part in celebrations of such festive occasions. In a way, you could call it cultural influence.

See, most chinese families would do their spring cleaning before the new year and well, follow along with the chinese cultural norms like reunion dinners and Yu Sheng [Lo Hei]. However, being a Christian chinese family has its, shall we say, unaccustomed traditions?

I'm a kid caught between two differing cultures. See, my dad's side is very traditionally chinese. It could be due to the fact that they're Buddhists and most of the religious festivals they celebrate like the 7th month and stuff. On the other hand, my mum's side of the family are mostly Christians, and since it's usually seen as a Western religion, they don't celebrate that much of Chinese cultural festivities.

Thus, during CNYs, I go to my grandma's house, that is, my dad's mother, and exchange greetings with the family - the people you see once a year, and on the way there, you spend five minutes furiously remembering who is who, and then regurgitating out all that you've memorised to whoever you meet.

One stark difference between both sides of the family: my dad's side plays mahjong, my mum's side plays blackjack. As you know mahjong's a rather Chinese game, and blackjack, its popularity is growing within the West now. So there you have it, two sides, two different cultures caused by two different religions.

What about me? I'm a hybrid i guess. I'm a Christian who celebrates Western religious festivals, under the notion that Western means Christian, yet on the other hand, I play mahjong and can swear well in Hokkien which most Westerners would be unable to.

A Chi-tern or a West-nese? I have no idea.

Ah. Life.

Ain't life grand
giving us so many friends
Letting us meet people
get to know them well
and pull us apart
leaving us like a grain of sand

I recently went to one of my friend's friendster profiles, to catch up with her latest updates and well, update myself about her. What a surprise. Ain't it amazing, the relationship between one's looks and one's character. of course, it's not always related, though I could fathom a prediction of her character as of now, judging from her pictures.

You know, when some people are attached, they have this attached look, though this may just be the mind playing tricks since I had the knowledge of her marital status.

She used to have this radiant glow on her face. Now, looking at her pic, she's lost most of her facial glow, though her eyes are brighter now. I guess love does brightens one's eyes, i mean, after all the eyes are the window to one's soul. Eyes show one's honesty, character, strength, trust, hope and love. For some people.

Most don't know the different but the face is actually an important component of our body, simply because it beholds our beauty, both outer and inner. Sadly, the outer is what is lust over, though its fragility is as thin as soggy paper.

Nobody appreciates the eyes no more. Why? Superficiality? Or lack of knowledge?

How powerful her eyes are.

Have You Ever?

Have you ever
seen the leaf that flew past
gone with the wind
pleasantly unwilling

Have you ever
seen the tear that fell
from bittersweet memories

Have you ever
seen the ant scurrying around
busy ensuring its own survival

Have you ever
felt misunderstood
assumed by friends
misjudged by men

Have you ever
seen the power of a drop
of rain as it falls
on a leaf

Have you ever
echoed the beating of the heart
the rushing of the blood
the hurt as it breaks

Have you ever
wished you could turn back time
undo thy wrongs
and make peace with friends

Have you ever
pondered who you are
who are your friends
why are they your friends

Have you ever?

lives

We're all born the same, the same features, the same faith and love and hope, after which it is up to the individual to perform.

And as life passes by, its velocity never constant, each being creates lives. A life in school, a life at home. While each life could reflect a certain aspect of the individual's character, any one of the lives can be a farce and what has been formed, that is, the life created, cannot be absorbed or oblige with the commanded to cease to exist.

However, one should never create lives purely for entertainment, due to its severe consequences if any of the lives should nudge each other in the course of un-ending time and tide.

sheesh. maturity.

Doing audio interviews for a radio individual assignment can be rather interesting at times.
On Wed, I went to interview the furniture shop opposite my school and it went remarkably well. The owner was in the premises, and speaks english, which made the recording a much smoother process. [Bet you've never heard me speak chinese on record]
In fact, we talk a little bit too much. I dare say while people think the challenge is getting people to open up, I feel that it's how you end the conversation that maketh the challenge. You've got to exit with grace and audio-wise, that's very hard to do.
We talked from my topic to the Integrated Resort to the media industry in Singapore to the economy to foreign talent.
I have to admit, he was friendly and definitely matured as compared to the person I couldn't interview on Thurs. Due to a lack of time on Wed, I went to seek other shops on Thurs. Went to the electronic shop opposite school, and, sheesh, she's twice (or maybe more) my age and probably has the maturity of someone half my age!
I asked if I could interview her about [insert topic here], and she scrunched up her face, and turned around and 'huh...', in the qian-da tone.
Hey, if you don't want to let me interview you, just say you don't want. Simple. No need to give that kind of tone and have such a reaction what. Unless she was trying to flirt with me la. Which would be a different scenario altogether since girls don't flirt like that?! Unless well, perhaps for her generation. sheesh. the unique shop owners u meet. and they say the young should learn from the older generation. Thanks but no way.
And! I went to Tampines St 23 and St 11 to do some more interviews. This old man was rather demanding, saying he'll allow me to interview him if I buy something from his store. and he sells furniture. What am i supposed to do man? Buy a bed so I can get a minute of interview? Siao Tar Po!
I know we should invest wisely in our education but surely buying a bed would be too much and too worthless an investment.
Well. That's that. Going to do my final installment of interviews tomorrow. Hope it doesn't rain, cause I seriously doubt anybody busily putting stuff in his car in the rain would allow some kiddo to ask him questions. Oh well, would be interesting me thinks. tata lovelies.

Diamonds.

There was a man who was obsessed with diamonds. He was so obsessed with diamonds that he planted numerous crops on his acres of land, that stretched far and wide. He would then sell off all his harvested crops in order to acquire diamonds. However, the acres of land that he had, were barren land, and no matter how big the investment was, the land never seem to produce good crops. In desperation, he sold off his land to fuel his addiction with diamonds. Unknown to him, there were diamonds hidden beneath his land, which the new owner took advantage of and made a fortune.

We're all like this man. We search and seek something that we want so much, be it fame or fortune or love or simply to be understood. Yet what we so eagerly desire is already there in us, hidden and waiting to be discovered and used as of its purpose.

We always comment on how the other person has something we don't have like "That person is so sensitive. How I wish I can be more like her" or "That guy is so cool. If only I was as cool as him"

However we rarely realise that what we have in us is so much better than what we envy in the other people.

Don't be like the foolish man who sold all his land for something that he actually had right under his nose! Take a look within yourself and mine out the diamonds - the precious and rare gems - in you.