> Shrouded in darkness;

~~Sunday, May 27, 2007~~

5/27/2007 11:02:00 PM

Sometimes, I am under the impression that I grow up in a family with an extremely limited flair in music. I mean this applies to my mother’s side – the Sims family. For example, Cousin Derrick, who is my mother’s sister’s son, can sing ‘Bad Day’ tonelessly and rap the Black Eye Peas’ like speed reading an oath at the Supreme Court. I couldn’t understand the bean sprouts jiggling on the music lines and was always playing cheat at music classes during primary school days. That also explains why I quit my secondary school's symphony band. My sis stopped her cello lessons after a finger count times because the instrument rolled off from Grandpa’s bicycle during a trip to bring her there. Our encounters with music never were… fine.

On the other hand, my father’s side – the Lu’s, are better off when it comes to music. My aunt, who is my father’s younger sister, used to be a soloist. My Uncles strum the guitar like pros. And my Dad, believe it or not, he can more or less handle a piano after testing a few keys, without being taught. But his CCMI (Confim-Cannot-Make-It) style didn’t promise a career as a pianist. However, he has a driver license 5, ample for him to earn a living at companies like PSA.

It appears like I have inherited the Sim’s monotonous choral genes, though my identity card indicates ‘Lu’. My sis shares the same sentiments… and genes. I am the worst one – wait a minute - no, no… should be that cousin of mine who bellows the ‘Bad Day’ song with immense satisfaction and pleasure.

Minus my ‘Bad-Day’ cousin, when my sis and I sing, we often express our restricted vocal range, which stretch no longer than the circumference of a fifty cent coin. Give us a nursery rhyme and we’d pass it fairly well. But when challenged with songs requiring advanced level of vocal techniques… gone case.

Still, listening to music brightens up our moods. Singing, especially the dogged way, relieves stress you could never imagine.

This afternoon and a couple of times back, we were yelling Jay’s ‘An Hao’. Ya know, the climax part where you have to lift up your vocals to the fullest without inhaling for the next several seconds (I wonder how Jay did it), the both of us were practically yelling, slaughtering chickens and ducks on the top of our lungs.

We don’t feel lousy because of this. But rather, yelling a song can also be enjoyable compared to singing a song (You have to ask Cousin Derrick if you can’t figure out why). Ha, you get to alleviate tension and stress… at the expense of others’ peace.

... seen through it and moved on.

~~Monday, May 21, 2007~~

5/21/2007 11:54:00 AM

I met up with my friends from secondary school, primary school and tuition times last Friday. Huimin, Huilin, Branda, Lester, Andelin and Celine. We came from different places and met at different years, different times. And yeah, it’s amazing how everyone got to know each other through each other over the years.

The dinner we had at NYNY, where amusement over jokes swelled our stomachs… our short attendance at the esplanade concert… the crowded ride in Branda’s car to and fro under the heavy rain… the board games we played at settlers café, over a platter of fried food and glasses of floats… the pangs of laughter and craziness - we were creating such a din that the café guy had to come over and politely tell us to shut up…the new games we attempted… the stress relieved and tension alleviated…reaching home at 3am but still feeling refreshed, renewed (Many thanks to Branda and Lester, for sending each of us home).

That’s what we define LIFE.

The happenings last Friday brought me back to where I once was, you know, those innocent woes-less lives I once had. The kid in me, for the first time ever since so long, surfaced and came back to life.

Thank you, buddies, for the chill-out so fun and blessed.

... seen through it and moved on.