Lady Gaga - Stupid Love (Official Music Video)

Mama monster is back, baby monsters!

I don't proclaim myself a baby monster, but I do enjoy many of her songs, although I don't yet consider myself a fan since I don't really all her movements.

But I do like her songs and many of them am I still listening after so many years. So when I learnt that she was releasing a song at around 1pm Malaysian time, I just had to listen.

I first listened it on Spotify, and it struck me as normal. But let's admit, her songs don't sit in that fast. It becomes an earworm that slowly adjusted itself comfortably into your ears, and then it become a nuisance and you just have to listen to it again and again.

This song is quite good, although it harkens back to her time prior to Perfect Illusion - to Bad Romance's era. I love the Perfect Illusion Gaga, so I hope she doesn't revert back to the maniac Gaga. Although, however form she chooses to take, I most likely will still be a fan.

Maroon 5 - Misery (Cover by Calum Scott)

I just learnt the existence of Calum Scott a few days ago and I just fell in love with his songs.

Then, I learnt that prior to his appearance on GBT, he toured around as a member in Maroon 4 covering Maroon 5's songs.

His voice is distinctly similar to Adam Levine's, and his cover of his song's Misery really just sounds too enchanting.

This is Calum Scott, singing Adam Levine's Misery before he became a star. I'm not joking. He might sound like Adam Levine, he might look like Adam Levine, but make no mistake, the guy in the video is the amazing Calum Scott.

Calum Scott - Dancing On My Own

This version triumphs Robyn's version. 

This is the sensational version that fits the song better.

Haley Reinhart: Bennie and the Jets

I think I stopped watching American Idols since....I don't know, season 5? And that was a decade ago, think probably almost two. It has been a long time.

I was bored and somehow my brain had a little miswiring and all of the sudden, American Idols came to my mind and I googled it. The first video that came out was the Top 10 best performance of all time, and among my favourites is this, Bennie and the Jets sang by Haley Reinhart.

I've no idea who she is, but she's apparently an awesome singer! I mean, watch her performance, can you see how beautiful is it?

You see, this is the difference between the Western singing competitions when compared to China's.

A lot of people commented that after you've watched Sing! China, X-factors, AGT, BGT and American Idols and the likes became so meaningless that it didn't worth a second of your time. I whole-heartedly disagreed.

The difference between the Western and Chinese culture actually has its roots within the difference in their attitudes, and this, by extension, affects how people sing.

The Westerners tend to sing the songs and do their best to enjoy themselves, without the competition being a huge motivation but it is apparent the competition goes second for them. The main priority is to enjoy themselves, and you can many of the artists' performance - there is very little fear of being different, of being substandard, that however appalling some of them can be, they acted like that stage is theirs and it does not matter the response is cold, all it matters is the few minutes they get to enjoy themselves. Consequently, you do get lots of idiots who just wanna grab your attention, but within that mix of interesting bag, you do get a few individuals who shine unusually and blindingly bright. And this person, even if he/she is only 1 out of a 100, is extremely inspiring.

The Asians tend to treat competition very seriously, and has that target as number one, and therefore while their performances impress, it's because they are a product of undeniable hard work. You're impressed by how much effort they are willing to put in, but not the fact that they enjoy themselves. If you watch their performances, majority has a storyline or a plot, or tend to be deeply emotional that intend to emotionally support their deliverance. You very rarely, though not impossible, see contestants who truly enjoy what they do on stage, and who reacted like it did not matter what people care. Their concern is to impress, and to grab the people's attention and recognition. Unlike the Westerners - the aim is not to enjoy, but to be recognised. While I do admire a lot of what they do, a lot of them lack inspiration. You watch their performances and you're impressed with what they're capable of, but you hardly would be inspired to be them. On the other hand you may feel stressed that everybody has some talent, but you are just ordinary.

Anyway, watch it. It's an awesome performance!

Offer Some Advice?

I'm at a crossroad of my life where I do not know how to proceed.

I don't particularly hate what I am doing. I enjoy what I'm doing, it's just that it is very repetitive and there's no sense of accomplishments. I do get to learn a lot, and that's very satisfying although at the same time learning more simultaneously brings more questions and that slowly shreds my confidence layer by layer as days go by, and I also enjoy gaining knowledge. But my dilemma isn't exactly work-related, but life.

You see, I'm 26, halfway past the critical age where people cease being a teenager and identify as an adult, and yet I'm nowhere close to what I imagined I would be when I was little.

To be honest, rather naively I had imagined I would have a stable life at 26. No I do not want that now, on hindsight that was a naive thought because having a stable life at this young of an age curtails a lot of possibilities. I want there to be security, not stability. I can afford to experience some turmoil and volatility, I just need assurances that I can overcome them. I do not yet have this feeling.

Occasionally I do wish I have a partner. Everybody around me has one, but most of the time I really don't. I want there to be somebody in my life, but I'm really not interested in puppy love or those immature relationships one often has to suffer through. I just look forward to the kind of married life where one goes home and another one is at home and one only really needs each other for company. I need someone to be there but to be honest I know I can get by without one. I have never learnt to live for another person - this kind of love is incomprehensible for me. If I ever have a girlfriend it would be because I like her for who she is, it won't be because I'm lonely or that I need someone to live for. I have myself to live for and I've lots of things I still want to do so a lack of reason to live wouldn't really be something I would need to find on another person.

I want to go to someplace foreign (Singapore is overseas but doesn't quantify as 'foreign' for a Malaysian), preferably with entirely different culture, or entirely similar, and with four seasons. I've always yearned to live in either Taiwan or New Zealand and I'm actively exploring this option. But the problem is, Taiwan is a harsh place to work though a pleasant place to live and I do enjoy Taiwan. The work environment there is just insane, and I don't think I can visualise myself writing in traditional Chinese characters that also do not adopt Hanyu pinyin. But the 4 seasons there are not very harsh and liveable. New Zealand is a great place to live but not exactly a great place to work, because it is highly specialised and the knowledge there aren't exactly applicable in Malaysia/Singapore where high rise buildings are more dominant and seismic less of an emphasis. New Zealand places extra emphasis on seismic and infrastructure, two of which Malaysia isn't very appreciative of although Malaysia should be. Plus, New Zealand is too far away, and going to such a foreign country alone is not something I look forward to. Perhaps when I was younger, when I was more adventurous, it would have been very inviting for me. But now, at age 26, I would either be going there for postgraduate studies or to work, and both options are highly costly and the culture difference makes it a little prohibitive.

So you see, I don't know what to do next. I'm still in Singapore but I cannot visualise a life in Singapore because this is a city for one to work, not live. It's a city that lives on the sole purpose of a necessary survival in an ever-changing society intertwined with fast-paced globalisation. As a tiny island with nothing to offer, it hinges on what other countries need, functioning as an entrepot to import raw materials from third world countries for processing to export to first world countries. Therefore it often chokes on the fast-changing countries like USA, UK, PRC, Europe and it doesn't get space to breathe, slow down and enjoy life as people in other countries have the privilege to. In Singapore, this basic essence of life, enjoyment, does not exist, for the sole reason its existence deprives the country from the relevance it finds support onto.

What should I do next? While I do like the idea of taking a break by going into postgraduate studies, I also wish to continue writing, perhaps exploring my other hobbies: writing. Language studies sound nice. Perhaps teaching. I don't know there are a lot of things I want to do, but I just am lost on which to go for next.

Bebe Rexha - Meant to Be (feat. Florida Georgia Line)

I cannot remember whether I've shared this song before, and I'm just too lazy to check.

This song somehow just wakens the slumbering part of my brain and lifts my spirits up.

To be honest, my favourite part is the first one minute sang by Florida Georgia Line. While the rest still sounds awesome, somehow their vocals are exceptionally captivating.

All We Know - Cover by Jonah Baker

The first time I heard this song was from a pirated CD I bought from Tabuan Plaza in Kuching (oops, admitting to a crime). After years I still wish to know who the singer is because it's so sentimental and the voice is so soothing I just couldn't forget such a beautiful voice.

Plus the sudden smooth transition from one song to another towards the end is really fascinating.

I've never been able to find it for years because this is a cover version and the singer probably isn't established enough for a Google search. Until today it came to my mind he may have uploaded his song to Spotify and....tada....there's where I found him!

After so many years. This shows that if you do not give up, you do get what you want at the end.

Sharing with you guys, one of the greatest songs I've ever heard.

Coronavirus in Singapore

Chill the f*ck down Singaporeans!!

Yesterday, the Singapore government reported three locally transmitted cases which couldn't be traced to the previous patients and also PRC, the origin of the virus. Because this is a sign that is a local transmission and ain't an imported one, MOH raised their alert level a notch higher to Orange, which is the second-highest on their scale, and merely advises people to take care of personal hygiene. In no way is their circular written that a lockdown would be implemented, and schools aren't even ordered to be closed yet.

So the typical kiasi Singaporeans interpret it the kiasi way - lockdown is imminent. Whole island reacts like zombie would rise anytime and rush to get daily supplies, resulting in queue in stores that stretch to metre and depletion so severe the bosses of NTUC, ShengSiong have to come out and urge people to stay calm and don't hoard and that they have plenty of supplies to sufficiently distribute to everyone.

But, as a typical kiasi Singapore would interpret to such a statement: their focus is that they have sufficient supply, not to stay calm, so they would go out and buy more instead!

At the event of potential difficulty, the ugliness of the society comes out blindingly apparent and the over-reaction to something so tiny is what place Singapore so high on the stressful environment list.

Singaporeans obsession to over-react to every incidents, however tiny it is, is what causes Singaporeans so stressed. They don't know how to live - they live like they work. When a mistake is committed, the first thing to do is to find who is liable and how to prevent another from happening. Unlike the rest of the world where the natural first response is to determine how severe it is - if it's minor then reprimand and fix it and move on but if it's major, fix it first and reprimand later. Not Singapore. Singapore pattern is, got problem? Faster check whether it is mine. If it's not mine, not my problem. No sense of society. No sense of responsibility. Whatever they do, only they themselves matter most. Just like when this warning of virus is raised.

I don't know why anyone actually enjoys Singapore. I mean, sure this country is awesome. The infrastructure really is outstanding and I love their MRT with every fibre of my being and their economy really is the envy of the whole world. But the people here, facepalmed.

If you live the way you work, you're giving yourself a lot of undue stress.

Life doesn't always go smoothly. Sometimes mistakes happen, and our lives aren't meant to be planned. What goes along comes around and what is meant to be is meant to be. You cannot make your living so rigid and treat it like it's something that has to be scheduled. You cannot see people do something and then kiasi and follow suit. I still cannot understand why peer pressure is so significant in Singapore to the point the whole island country subscribes to only one life - do well, work well, go kiasi and follow all newest trend and then what? Die of old age while still cannot take out your cpf?

I really don't understand Singaporeans.

Hans Zimmer - Pirates of the Caribbean

This masterpiece should be shared so that the whole world can taste a slice of heavenly music.