Words of the Mad

Gonna love Wordpress for its one-click automatic upgrade to the latest version (though I can’t see any obvious differences). If only they make the downloading of themes easier.

Anyhow, I made myself see the big picture since my last post but it seems kinda blurry now. I’ve left my job of two and three-quarter years (excluding National Service at that place) and joining a new one next Monday. Gave myself a break for a week and a half (I LOVE VERONICA MARS!) and it’s onward to jittery learning curve.

Big step.

I should be proud of myself for landing 3 offers, but somehow I wonder if my capabilities are overrated. Ah, the usual self-doubt of self-worth, but really, what do they see in me?

A career switch definitely wasn’t on my list of New Year resolutions. I must remind myself not to make any more resolutions. I hardly fulfilled any of them over the last half of the year, other than the enjoying parts.

I am glad that the switch happened anyway. I’m turning 26 and I don’t know enough about the trade. It’s time to explore and decide where I should go and what I want to do in life. I don’t have my life planned out for me, so I’ve got some exploring to do. I know I should go on and get a degree, but, well, I don’t think I want it on my plate right now.

I am hoping that I’m not going to disappoint at my new workplace. I put down reputable names as my referees, so reputations other than mine are at stake. I better work hard.

Good luck to me.

Just as the stars seem so aligned and life is moving the way I want it to be (albeit a little slowly, grrrrr), there just had to be a red herring to complicate matters a bit.

I will focus on the big picture. I will. I will. Big picture. Big picture.

I don’t know why I bother renewing my domain for yet another year. It’s not like I blog any more than I used to for the past, hmm, 5 years? Who even comes here anymore?

I’m expecting some significant changes in my life around July / August this year. I have made and am trying to execute some plans to make life a little better. It hasn’t been a very good year I must say, other than the month I was away overseas, of course. Anyhow, now is a good time for a change. The stars seem aligned.

Will update again. If you’re here, do let me know.

I’m officially moving Les Misérables up to the 4th place with Chicago. I seem to remember more than what I thought I remembered about the musical, after listening to Susan Boyle, the latest sensation on the internet for her performance of “I Dreamed A Dream” from Les Misérables on “Britain’s Got Talent”. It’s like everything that I saw came flowing back and seem very enjoyable on hindsight. I wonder why that is. Very weird.

Frankly, I miss the time I spent in London watching musicals a terrible lot. I want to go back there. I can’t imagine taking another 13-hour flight, but I really want to go back there. Sighh. Good times.

The dreams I had when I was young; they do come true, in all ways you can imagine, or not imagine actually. Everything just seems so surreal now, if not for some annoying upsets some idiot is causing.

It’s ok. It’s alright. I shall be zen about it. I shall be “ML” about it. She’s great inspiration, this (soon-to-be-ex-) colleague of mine. Gonna miss her.

May some good things happen soon.

February and March have come and gone. Time simply flew! I’ve spent my 2 weeks in San Remo (Italy) and 1 week in London. It was over so quickly! Too quickly, in fact.

I’ve had a lot of fun both in San Remo and London. Many friends made in the former, many musicals seen in the latter. Life was very fulfilling and I get to shop like some rich tai-tai in London because I was helping my sisters get their Guccis. Fun!

I didn’t mind the cold and very cold, but I hated the rain in London. There was a hailstorm in London on my last day there though. Good thing I was indoors, but it’s not everyday you get to see the sky raining ice.

Photos from San Remo can be found in my Facebook – Part 1 & Part 2.

Hardly took any pictures in London though. However, I do want to talk a little bit about the musicals I’ve seen there. Just to document some thoughts down, before I forget them.

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8 musicals in 7 days. Quite a feat, I must say, though I could have done another 1 or 2 if I researched a little bit more. Nevertheless, quite a feat. I’m a very happy boy.

21 Mar 09 – Avenue Q
22 Mar 09 – The Lion King
24 Mar 09 – Phantom of the Opera & Chicago
25 Mar 09 – Les Misérables & Hairspray
26 Mar 09 – Mamma Mia!
27 Mar 09 – Wicked

And to rank them in terms of my favourites:

1. Wicked

The story and plot were great! The music and singing were EXCELLENT! The Act (“Defying Gravity”) just before the interval was so overwhelming and powerful that I couldn’t stop feeling the emotions during the entire interval! AMAZING! Till now I still can’t shake off the feeling of “defying gravity”. It affected me a lot!

2. Hairspray

It was such a happy show! I was having a really lousy day (didn’t enjoy Les Misérables very much, and the weather was so cranky with the rain-sun-rain-sun getting drenched and all) but this musical just lifted my spirits ALL THE WAY UP!

3. Mamma Mia! & Avenue Q & Phantom of the Opera

I have to say I would have preferred Mamma Mia! over the other 2 if not for the fact that there were minor technical glitches (mic wasn’t turned on) and non-fantastic singing from the main cast (Donna & Sophie), AND the theatre allowing late-comers to enter disrupting the show a bit.

I love the songs still, and the Sam Carmichael’s singing here is definitely better than Pierce Brosnan’s Sam, but I expected more. Still, having the entire theatre to stand up and dance after the Final Act was a great experience.

Avenue Q was very funny and the talented cast and puppeteers were definitely a big plus-point. Very enjoyable, but less the memorable.

For Phantom of the Opera, I must say I went in with low expectations; Cara said it was hard to understand with the opera-singing and I thought the movie version was a little draggy. Was surprised that I actually appreciated the performance throughout and after. Again, I’m very impressed by their singing and music.

4. Chicago

I realise after the musical that I never actually liked the story of Chicago from its movie version. It was the songs I was attracted to. I enjoyed the live singing and dancing, and the performers were YUMMYYYYYYY (*slurps*). But that was about it.

5. The Lion King

Kudos to the set and props design. It was really an eye-opener for me with the “human-giraffes”. How did anyone even think of that? That said, I dozed off a little bit during the show. That explains why it’s ranked here.

6. Les Misérables

I dozed off a little longer than I did during The Lion King. Period.

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That was my overseas trip for the year. I don’t know if I’m going anywhere else again later this year, but 3 countries in 4 months (I just went to Taipei in Dec 08), I think that’s about enough for a while (long-haul flights suck! I hate flying now).

Would love to go back to London again in future for the musicals and maybe San Remo to get away from the hustle and bustle. I’m not a scenery-looking-appreciating person. I’ve no interest in photography either. My idea of a holiday is just to take a break from work and do the things I like, which is mostly eating, sleeping and shopping or walking around aimlessly. That’s mostly what I’ve been doing for the overseas trips I’ve had thus far.

And I enjoyed myself.

我不喜欢所谓的 “逢年过节”。
什么传统，习俗，似乎离我好远，好远。

Other than having a new ridiculous super-micro-managing indecisive (the worst combination) Director in my office and seeing my colleagues bearing the brunt of it, with me feeling really sorry and annoyed for them, the 1st few months of 2009 should be pretty exciting.

14 Feb 09 – Dark Knuts: Welcome to Avenue Quantum stage play.
20 Feb 09 – Yoga 林宥嘉’s 《迷宫》 concert.
07 Mar 09 – Fly to Sanremo, Italy (transit at London).
08 Mar 09 – Arrive at Sanremo, Italy.
09 Mar 09 – Start of Course.
20 Mar 09 – End of Course.
21 Mar 09 – Fly from Sanremo, Italy (transit at London, stay there for a week or so).
XX Mar 09 – Musicals after musicals after musicals in London.
XX Mar 09 – Return to Singapore.
18 Apr 09 – 《天冷就回来》 musical.

That said, I can’t wait to leave soon enough, seeing how my superior is brown-nosing his way with the new Director, trying to accede to his many ridiculous demands. Ok, that’s unfair, because some are indeed areas of concern. But these concerns are dated waaaaaaaay back with no practical solutions nor decisions made but yet the superior is putting on his, erm, creative thinking cap, making everything seem so, URGH, because he is trying very hard to impress this new Director. Big waste of my time being involved in his meeting to resolve problems.

BLEHHHHH!

Not a big fan of 五月天, but this song somehow struck a chord with me, be it the music or its lyrics.

Melancholy; my favourite word; perhaps my favourite emotion.

Sometimes the person whom you think you are closest to causes you the most grief. In that case, one wonders if that person is who you should be thinking to be closest to.

Alright, I’ve never done this before, but heck, new year, new changes.

In 2008, I…

- got a car (sunshine silver Mazda 3 SP);
- was emplaced on perm employment from contract employment;
- got several credit cards (spend, spend, spend);
- got a queen-size bed;
- got a 32″ widescreen TV (and hooked up my CPU to it);
- got a gym membership;
- started drinking some coffee (Caramel Macchiato, Latte);
- travelled alone to Taipei;
- had less patience with annoying and/or useless colleagues and/or superiors;
- refreshed my memory of ひらがな (Hiragana – basic Japanese characters) after 7.5 years;
- felt more confident at work.

In 2009, I hope/intend to…

- read at least one book a month (repeated titles are ok);
- blog book reviews (improve writing skills);
- blog movie reviews (improve writing skills);
- go to the gym at least once a week;
- master my recognising and writing of ひらがな (Hiragana) & カタカナ (Katakana);
- be more patient and zen with/about annoying people all around;
- spend less money;
- enjoy my two weeks in Sanremo, Italy (on course);
- enjoy myself in some parts of Europe after Sanremo (or at least London);
- catch a couple of Broadway musicals in London;
- drive safely;
- read, instead of browsing, newspapers;
- blog more.
- whine less.