Ketcho blog..(cont'd)

Attended Jeff Chang's concert last weekend, for those who know me long enuf, i'm a fan of him..for the longest time..

Before i rave about his voice..let me kao beh about the venue first..It was the 6th concert of his that i've attended, all of which were held at SIS previously..this was the first time it was held at the bird-dun-lay-egg-exhibition hall-diguised-as-a-concert hall..

I had paid good money, some $130 of it(which was the second most ex)..and i expect a decent seat with a decent view, complete with decent sound system..turned out the seat was the kind of chair that you find at a chinese restaurant(and i'm not talking about tung loks), no arm rest, not much cushioning..and the seats were on level ground, which meant all i can see most of the time is the head directly in front of me! And the sound system is just of acceptable standard..Oh, and did i mention i spent 15mins queuing to get in the carpark and another 15mins trying to park? In the end, i just parked at an empty spot, which wasn't even a lot, mind you..I'm still upset 2 weeks later..

Anyway..when the concert started, when his first notes floated across the hall..all freyed nerves were soothed..and i was transported back some 10 years ago..when he was THE pop star of the moment, when his songs can be heard on the radio every now & then..

But..when i caught the first glimpse of him(rem i can only see the head in front of me?), my jaws dropped slightly..tat was a err..erm, interesting hairstyle..

Nevertheless, he was always one to deliver 'ting jue' rather than 'shi jue'..and soon again, i was lost in his ballads..

Life, 17th Mar 2008

Jeff Chang's artful ways

'What followed was not your typical Chinese pop concert. As Chang delivered his love ballads, masterpieces from canonical Western art were shown, from Bottiecelli's The Birth of Venus down to Edvard Munch's The Scream.

Still, all of the staging and production would have been for nought if Chang had not delivered as a singer.

And deliver he did as the prince of ballads dug into hig big bag of hits and pulled out one familiar favourite after another, including Bie Pa Wo Shang Xin and Ai Ru Chao Shui.

Apart from a moment or two of strain, he showed excellent control over his pristine tenor pipes over the 2.5 hours show.

His heyday might have been in the 1990s but he still has his fans. The 7000 capacity crowd comprised those in their 20s and 30s(yep, i think i fit the 'profile')

He might not have the most electrifying stage presence and he might not have the slick dance moves, but he nevertheless fashioned an entertainming show from the unlikely combination of Chinese pop and high art.

You could also read the presentation as Chang making a case for his songs as art. Before each number, the title was displayed and the composer and lyricist duly credited.

You might not agree, but there's no denying that the crooner has accumulated an impressive body of well-loved classics over two decades.

And that's no small achievement.'

Ketchup Blog..

Time to catch up..on my sleep..my life..oh, and my blog too..

Had a pretty packed week: day rides, nite rides, recces, meetings, courses..if i were to get paid for every hour i 'worked', i'd have earned enough for a month in this week alone..but alas, i'm a self-employed which does not enjoy such 'luxuries'..

Think my weariness showed on my face when a colleague remarked 'u look very tired hor?'

Took 2 days to recover from an overnight event..think age is coming up on me too..

H B Wei!

As per past 2 years' tradition..i shall wish my long-time pal, Wei happy birthday thru my blog..so..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAL!

Still on the topic Passion vs Money..

Met a sch mate(more specifically, brother of a fren) recently..First time we met ever since leaving school some 10 years ago..

He was of the 'model student' calibre..good in studies, good in sports. Was expecting him to be a high-flyer by now(coming from a family of accountants - the sister is currently working as one, as expected). From our chat, it turned out that he did start out doing auditing for a couple of years and switched to finance for a year but found that he didn't 'see the point' and found his well-paying job 'meaning-less'.

He went on to a VWO to do youth development work(which is how we met) and was much happier there and slowly he found his 'calling' - to be a teacher and has since signed on to be a teacher - enrolling in NIE this coming July..

Another supporting case for my 'Declining Scale' theory..

It's been quite a long while since i really sat down and blocked..wtf, i mean blogged..think i really got a writer's block..after the knock..(i kok my head yest, damn pain siah!)

After reading the article on introverts..i can safely say, yes I belong to the 'strong, silent' type..Maybe tat explains the lack of blogs these days..i think by thinking, not talking nor blogging..and so the thoughts remained in my head..

Had kopi(or teh for me - which explains why i'm still so alert at 1055pm) with 2 frens today. She, of my age and recently quit her job and he, graduating in 4 months' time and starting his search for his first job.

Which is more important in one's job? Passion or Money? And we came out with 2 theories, ceteris paribus(i never thot i'll ever use this term again since i left sch!)

The 50-50 theory : Equal weightage to both; Passion so that you won't dread working and hopefully you can stay long(dare i say life-long?) in the job? Money so that you can pay off watever debts(sch loans!) and save lotsa money and hopefully retire early so that you can pursue your passion?

In other words, no conclusion, go toss coin

The declining scale theory : Start with 90% money 10% passion(too cruel to do a job with 0% passion)..then with every job change, lower the percentage for money and up the percentage for passion.

In other words, quit after 5-6 years when the % for money decreases, not necessarily replaced by passion but a new factor 'xian-ness'(as suggested by anecdotal evidence)

Not exactly scientific..but definitely relevant..

'Hush is the word' - ST, 26th Jan 08

As edited by ZXL :

We hear a great deal about freedom of speech but what about freedom of silence?

As The Atlantic corresponent Jonathan Rauch says, 'As an introvert, I belong to one of the most misunderstood and aggrieved groups in America, possibly the world.'

Being introverted does not necessarily mean being shy; it just means that people tire you out. While extroverts need company like the Energizer Bunny needs batteries, introverts recharge by spending time alone.

But Rauch makes it clear that introverts don't harbour a grudge against the rest of the human race: 'We love people..We just can't socialise with them all the time. We want to hold their hand or hug them or just sit quietly and read a book with them.'(Or in my case, just read my blog..)

What introverts don't want to do is go to parties and make small talk.

But the world is filled with people who do - and they set the standard for what is considered normal and desirable behaviour. Some introverts learn to keep up with a stream of conversation but those who can't or won't tend to be labelled as shy, aloof or arrogant.

Rauch notes that female introverts have a harder time because people don't usually think of women when you say 'strong, silent type'

It's not that introverts have no personality, it's just at the other side of the spectrum whereby somebody who can break into Elvis impersonation at the drop of a hat.

According to Rauch, if introverts ran the world, it would no doubt be a calmer, saner, more peaceful sort of place. In a world run by introverts, no meeting would last over an hour because they don't think by talking; they think by thinking.

Rauch recommends helping extroverts to be comfortable with their opposites. It can be hard to relax with another person when silences keep breaking up a conversation. But not if you understand that 'if someone is being quiet it doesn't mean they're having a bad time; it doesn't mean they're lonely or need psychiatric help or medication'.

If you're an extrovert, be confident that the introvert next to you is enjoying your company. If he isn't, don't worry about it. It's not like he's going to tell you.

So, it's time to raise some awareness. Start by sending this article to 25 people within the next 3 days. Failure to do so will mean being trapped at 75 parties where people won't stop talking to you.

The debate continues(sort of)..and then it turns to goat's milk..

RQ : colleague and I just discussed a problem. Without going into details, suffice to say that the gist of it is whether you would extend yourself to make life easy for someone else while at the same time running the risk of being held responsible if
the extension doesn't work out. I said no, no point. Just do things in normal mode.She probably thinks I'm nasty...haha...=P I wondered if this reaction is schooled by experience? Hmm...if I were a freshie, would I have reacted differently?

Sam : On the scenario u mentioned - Depends on what you wish to achieve. If u make life easier for most people thereby translating into effficiency and increased productivity for the organisation, yeah why not? U doing a good thing. But yeah, this day and age, we typically not so selfless. Everything at work is done with an agenda in mind.. hahah... simply because we don't have the free bandwidth to help anyone else except ourselves.

u see.. the worst kind of predicament u can be in is u worked hard and others are climbing up at the expense of your hardwork. : ) I told myself I will not let that happen to me (anymore). U compare ard, there are those who are just good at talking n not doing and they get far... haha.. strange world. So if u indeed wanna excel and get the accolades from your peers, I believe the hard work cannot be obliterated. Btw, this morning I switched to goats' milk - erm.. almost puke. The smell v v strong. I had to gulp one mouthful, then swallow another mouthful of water. :P had to down a fisherman thereafter.. yicks.. how how? 3/4 more litre to go!

RQ : I dunno, more of like I'm simply tired of doing stuff like that...hmm...I don't really chap if pple climb using my work, cos I know I answer to someone else. Interesting, I think I should go figure out why I'm like that...=) hey, where are you getting goat's milk from? I can get fresh for you if you like, the farm quite near my place.

ZXL : Erm..ya, the goat's milk i tried wasn't tat bad..they come in choc flavour too..