Lost In Translation

I think there are a lot of really creative people in the world.
I love music videos. Especially these bunch here that has been on my video playlist for a bit. They are every bit inspiring and so juiced up with creativity it'd make you think you're dumb.

Now get inspired, you bums.

I had a chat with rachel today and she insisted that I should do this.
It's good to be able to laugh at yourself and let others laugh at you. I think she was pushing for the latter a bit more but nevertheless, I thought what the heck.

So I'm not as cool as her when I was growing up in the 90's. At 1990, I was living in a remote oil palm estate in Sabah. It was so remote, we only went out to buy our groceries once a month, as the travel to do so involved a motorboat ride, hours of driving, and perhaps flying too sometimes. We'd sometimes stay over at where we get our groceries too from before heading home because it'd be too late to travel back.

Being in such a recluse area, let alone being 6 years old at that time, I hardly developed any taste or liking for music at all. I was, however, exposed to a lot of movies, and one of my earliest memories from that time was watching Jaws and Robocop on laser disc then at my dad's friend's house. The two movies, especially Jaws, gave me nightmares and instilled a fear of death in me. The only music I'd listen to is that of my dad's cassette tapes. And they were enlightening. My dad likes Michael Bolton, Kenny Rogers, the Bee Gees and the likes of them evergreen karaoke songs.

The first time I found myself distinctively drawn to music was late that year though, I believe. It was Richard Marx's Right Here Waiting. I obviously didn't know what the song was really about but I'd remember the lyrics and sing to it whenever it came on. Coming back to Kluang the following year, I began to develop my own taste in music from what I'd hear about from friends in primary school or the radio. Growing up in Kluang may have seemed to be limiting my sources. Only so much stock gets through to this small town and at a day and age before internet and piracy (high 5 for piracy), one can only get exposed to so much music.

Progressing through the years, I went through different phases wearing different things and parting my hair in the middle as every other boy would after Nick Carter. I remember very clearly on my birthday in 1991, I was in London and Michael Jackson released Dangerous, which was my first CD and favourite album for the longest time. I wanted to be black and like many other kids, wish I could moonwalk. By 1999, I was in Form 2 and listening to angry music because I thought profanity and baggy jeans were cool.

Like rachel, I wouldn't trade the 90's for a different decade (say, now) to grow up in - but not in a I'd wanna do-it-all-over-again kinda way. I'd prefer to do a movie list because I'd have a cooler list to go along with. I love my movies and my years of growing up with them. But if a playlist is what defines a teenager (and I guess in a way, it really does portray one accurately), then here is a rough one of mine, growing up in the 90's, in no particular order of liking or chronology.

1. Richard Marx’s Right Here Waiting
2. Bryan Adam’s Everything I Do
3. NKOTB’s Step By Step
4. Michael Jackson’s Black or White
5. Boyzone’s Words
6. KRU & P. Ramlee’s Getaran Jiwa
7. OAG’s Beautifool
8. Butterfingers’ Chemistry
9. Blur’s Song 2
10. Barenaked Ladies’ The Old Apartment
11. Alanis Morisette’s Ironic
12. Blink 182’s What’s My Age Again?
13. Jason Lo’s Evening News
14. Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit
15. Lit’s My Own Worst Enemy
16. Beastie Boys' Intergalactic
17. Lauryn Hill’s Doo Wop
18. Goo Goo Dolls’ Iris
19. Jars of Clay’s Worlds Apart
20. Sting’s You Were Meant For Me
21. Eric Clapton’s Tears In Heaven
22. Shawn Mullins’ Lullaby
23. Oasis’ Wonderwall

Yes, I listened to Boyzone, and yes, I loved my fair share of Malay songs as well. There was also NKOTB and everybody listened to Backstreet Boys. But I wouldn't dare list BSB as I wouldn't consider them to have defined a portion of my life, as much as we both know I'm probably in denial for that.

I hope we can still be friends.

Today could've been so different.

I was just having supper with merv and ryan and as we do everytime we catch up, we were reminescing the misadventures of our high school days - the pretty teachers we'd drool over, the nightmarish ones we'd curse at, the funny ones who won our hearts, and the funnier ones whom we wish we didn't know.

We then spent about a good hour simply talking about how life was in those days; what we perceived to be cool or in and compared it to where we were now.
So much has changed.
Our appearances or sense of dressing makes only a minute part of how different we've become. Our very own ideals and perceptions of what life would've been like... could've been like, has also drastically changed. On Monday, merv starts his first day at work. And as of the end of this month, so will I back in Melbourne. Just 6 years ago, who would've thought that he'd be an interpreter and me an accountant? I still catch myself baffled from time to time at the fact that I'm an accountant.

I tried imagining us living the lives we thought we'd live back when we were 17. Think Sliding Doors.
For me, I'd never have set foot on the island down under. I would've graduated from my multimedia or graphics design degree by now and be looking for a job in the design industry. Locally.Now please don't get me wrong here. I'm not hurling insults at the local grads, but merely evaluation my could-have-been life. I believe that my perception of designs and art would've been very different too had I stuck around here. The way I appreciate art now and the way I could have would have been standards apart. My appreciation for the value of money would be a lot more slack from where I stand now (which could serve both ways to be a good point or a bad). My relationship with God would've been vague depending on the crowd I'd surround myself with. I would probably have been dating some Chinese girl who hopefully would not be ah lian down to the "-ish" bit. And I would not be caught wearing skinny jeans. Ever.

If you know me well enough today, imagine it.

As I said, today could've been so different.

In two months, a good friend of mine is getting married. She is the first friend whom I've technically grown up with among us back home to get married. The first of our time. Yet another new chapter in story.

I just wonder what am I gonna be saying about today in another five years' time.
Wouldn't that be interesting?

My one week is up. And yes, I'm still alive.
I struggled with a bit of fever and mild food poisoning for two days, but I was up and about again almost immediately thanks to sheer determinance.
Unfortunately, I failed to catch up with everyone I thought I'd be able to meet up with. I realised, much slower than I should, how times have changed. My peers are mostly working now. We're no longer students. Our catchup times are now confined to merely lunch breaks and dinner/suppers. No more afternoon shopping-and-we-can-do-whatever-the-heck-we-want-to-because-we-can stuff.
Times have changed indeed.

Nevertheless, I'm spent (both physically as well as financially). I've never driven so much within a city in a week all my life.
Surprisingly, I'm really looking forward to going back to Melbourne this time round. Despite the fact that I start work pretty much immediately, I can't wait to get back into the cold weather and see some faces I've come to sorely miss (so soon?).

Till then, it's selah for me.

I have 6 more days here and I don't expect to do much but rest. Maybe visit Singapore for a day, but that would be it.

It's been a good holiday.

Yesterday I went to Singapore for a (little too short) daytrip. There, I caught up with Rulin who took me to Haji Lane near Bugis where I:

wish I had more money to spend at,
am thankful I didn't have more money to spend at,
think almost every sales assistant in that one tiny lane is pretty,
am not over that sales assistant from Soon Lee,
should've bought that jacket and nerd specks, and
ate Mos Burger and then thought I should've went somewhere else.

All in all I totally loved my day there and bought a sweet shirt and a super sweet scarf.
Totally recommendable to everybody who feels like they've got a fat wallet that needs dieting.
With Rulin - a Singaporean lost in Singapore - as my tourguide, I could not have asked for a more entertaining day.

On the ride back, I couldn't help but notice how bad the traffic has gotten over the years at the Causeway.

The motorcycle lane itself consisted of hundreds and perhaps even up to a thousand bikes lining up just to cross the border back into Malaysia in the evening. What's most scary is that these people probably do this twice everyday for about an hour, and for that hour, they're simply breathing in carbon monoxide.

It is a slow process but it is suicide, and it is ridiculous.
They should swim.

Amazing story. Beautiful photos.

Days with my father.