Releases: One World One Dream by Leehom Wang April 30, 2008

Check out this lovely demo for Leehom’s new Olympic-inspired song, One World One Dream:

 

 

When Leehom really puts his heart into a song, out comes a masterpiece, and I think this is one. It’s quite reminiscent of his past works and collaborations such as Hand in Hand, which is also a wonderful song. Don’t mistake it for the song Han Geng and Zhang Li Yin performed together. No. Leehom and David Tao collabed during the SARs epidemic to write a song that brings people together. So I see quite a similarity in concept to this new song. He wants to unite the world in song as the Olympics unites the world in sport. It’s a really pretty song. I hope you guys enjoy it.

 

What I really love about this song is that the melody isn’t hard to remember. Some songs are hard to pick up on. I listened to this once and I could sing along right after that. I think that’s really important for a song like this.

 

Now my Chinese isn’t perfect, as you guys know. So I’m also really glad that he used some English. That way, I knew his concept. I think his voice is really sexy in English, too.

 

Video Credit: musicforeverlove @ YouTube

Album Review: Super Junior M 迷 April 26, 2008

Yes, 迷/Me is out. Apparently, in China, their release dates vary depending on the province. Only Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Korea have official release dates. So I really didn’t know when to expect it. But yes, I managed to get a hold of it and I listened to it.  It consists of six Super Junior remakes, one Sandy Lam remake, and five brand new songs. The album goes by Super Junior’s original style – except it’s in Chinese.

 

The title song, 迷/Me, is a charming, upbeat start to the album. It leaves the listener eager to hear what’s next. The U remake, as I’ve said in a past post, is a big improvement on the song. The song is more mature than its original and makes us feel as though Super Junior is only maturing and improving. 至少還有你/At Least There’s Still You is a lovely remake of Sandy Lam’s song, reinterpreted to fit the image of these seven handsome young men.

 

However, there are a few down sides. 愛你愛你/Love Song didn’t stand out. It sounded too much like Miracle and Happiness. I didn’t even notice that the song changed from Miracle to Love Song. 我抱着我/In My Arms has a different, unusual style. I’m not too sure what to think of it, but it may be a good guinea pig for something new. As for the Super Junior remakes, some were slightly awkward to hear in Chinese. Vocals from Han Geng and Henry aren’t very strong. Han Geng should probably stick with dancing, and Henry may have a blooming voice and needs more time to grow and gain experience. Zhou Mi, although he sings well, doesn’t stand out at all. Forgetting that Zhou Mi is there seems to be a growing pattern in not only the album but in public appearances as well. That’s something they should work on. Next to that, the mixture of various Chinese accents – Han Geng’s Northern accent, Henry’s Taiwanese-Canadian accent, and the many Korean accents – is unusual but not really a major setback.

 

Overall, the album is alright. It is definitely a huge step up for Super Junior. I hope to see them improve and release more in the future.

 

Track listing:

1. 迷/Mi/Me

2. U

3. 至少還有你/Zhi Xiao Hai You Ni/At Least There’s Still You

4. 你是我的奇蹟/Ni Shi Wo De Qi Ji/Miracle

5. 愛你愛你/Ai Ni Ai Ni/Love Song

6. 我抱著我/Wo Bao Zhe Wo/In My Arms

7. Don’t Don

8. Marry U

9. 我的二分之一/Wo De Er Fen Zhi Yi/Full of Happiness

10. 渴望/Ke Wang/Man in Love

11. 這一秒/Zhe Yi Miao/The Moment

12. The One

 

Personal highlights:

1. Ryeowooks singing. I do believe that Kyuhyun has the strongest vocals, as do most people. But I really love Ryeowook’s voice because it’s very stimulating and spirited. Even though he’s singing in a foreign language, he enunciates the words as though he understands them.

2. Donghae’s Chinese rapping. It’s a wonderful effort indeed. I really want to applaud him for taking that risk and succeeding.

3. Henry’s English rap in 這一秒. Despite being Canadian, we’ve never heard him speak English before. It was about time.

4. Henry’s Chinese rap in 我的二分之一. It gave the song a sweet boyish feel. In my mind, I’ve always referred to Happiness as “the queer song.” But with Henry’s youthful voice, it’s feels more boyish than gay. So I suppose that’s an improvement.

 

Miss Chiu’s Rating: 3

 

Since this is my first review, I’ll explain my scale:

5 – Amazing

4 – Pretty good

3 – Moderate

2 – Okay

1- Not too great

0 – Fail

I’m pretty tough with music, especially if it is mainstream pop, so don’t go into a tantrum if you don’t like my ratings.

 

Picture Credit: superjunior-m.iple.com

Korean Guys: They Look Like Girls

I went out with a couple friends for Korean food last night.

As I sat down and started settling in, the waiter came over with our menus and asked us if we wanted hot tea or cold water. I’m not one to look at someone directly in the face. I thought he was a girl, but there was a man voice so I was kind of speechless.

He was actually really cute. Yeah, I made sure I made eye contact so I could see his face. He had pretty, white skin and a cute face. It’s just that he had shoulder-length hair tied into a ponytail, and he pulled his hair back with a headband. That’s why I thought he was a girl. Is it just me, or do Korean guys really have a way with looking like girls? Some of them are a lot prettier than me.

But I have nothing wrong with guys and long hair, really. I actually think long hair is kind of sexy…as long as it’s clean and not greasy. Shoulder-length is a little much for me, but it really depends on the person.

Well anyways, I kept talking about him to my friend in Chinese. Things like “他像女生一樣/Ta xiang nusheng yiyang/He’s like a girl. (Mandarin)” And “Khuir peifu hou laang/His skin is so pretty. (Cantonese)”

When we left, my friend said “Wanna say bye to Pretty Boy?” I wanted to say “yes” but that’d be weird, so I said “no.” *Sigh* Then I made them wander the plaza for a while because I was flustered. Haha…

Reply: To “whatever” April 24, 2008

In response to my really bad translation of Super Junior M’s U, “whatever” said:

 

just to tell u, u can’t translate word by word in chinese, therefore the phrases with possessives it’s not possessives it’s just that u translated word by word thats y it sounds like that but in chinese it doesn’t.

 

If you’re so smart, why don’t YOU try translating it?

Lol I’m kidding. It’s alright to criticize me.

 

Anyways, that’s why I wrote a disclaimer. Mandarin’s my third language. It’s barely a receptive language for me. Next to that, I can’t understand what I read. I just…read. Usually I read it out loud for Chenzi, and she tells me what it means. 

 

If “U” was sung in colloquial HK Cantonese, maybe I would understand it better. Mandarin and colloquial HK Cantonese just don’t always use the same words. Even really good Cantonese pop doesn’t use colloquial speech, so I have a hard time understanding Canto pop. It’s a curse, really.

 

I’d also like to add. I only used my dictionary for words that I didn’t know. So that monstrosity of a translation was mostly from my head. I’m not one to rely on a dictionary.

 

But yeah, I admit. I fail at grammar. I hated French class because of grammar. And my Chinese teachers never bothered to teach me grammar. They just made me learn useless vocabulary words like “zi sha” or “yi zhi xiong.” As if I’m gonna need to use the words “suicide” or “bear” when I speak to the very few Chinese people in my community. They didn’t start teaching me practical phrases like “what’s your name?” or “how old are you?” until my last year of Chinese school.

 

My point is…maybe you should’ve left a real name. I don’t bite…unless your comment is really ridiculous.

 

Actually, my real point was to explain why my translation really sucked. I understand how Chinese works, but it’s not that easy when I have to actually do the work myself. Any second/third/fourth/tenth language people can understand, I’m sure. I guess that’s why it’s called a receptive language…hmm.

 

I’d like to thank the Angela and Christine for helping me with the translations. I wish I could reply to you two in a different way but I don’t know how.

Touched By An Angel April 21, 2008

It must suck to be Andrew because nobody ever wants to see him. Whenever he decides to show up, people stop what they’re doing and give him the “what the hell are you doing here” look. The angel of death can’t just show up for a cup of coffee or whatever?

Well, I have sympathy for the grim reaper.

Han Geng is withering away; Losing 4.5kg April 20, 2008

Recently, Han Geng lost 4.5kg and he’s getting skinner by the minute. While everyone sees that picture on the right as hot, I see a man who’s falling out of his clothes. I’ve heard that he’s been working himself to the bone and when SJM started, they’ve been relying on fast food (i.e. McDonald’s and pizza). Don’t they have a nutritionist? If not, I’m sure SM can pull a little money out of his pocket to give his money makers some good food.

But meanwhile, Geng says:

 

大家最近好吗?回来以后虽然很累,但是非常开心呵呵~~~趁休息的时间我和妈妈还有孙乐一起办了体检卡,进行了比较全面的体检.我们都很健康.希望我大家不要担心我的身体.我会好好爱惜自己的身体,为了自己为了你们嫩。希望你们也能健康开心~~~~!我会经常来的.回见呵呵~~~!

                                                                 我爱你们~~~~!

He tells us not to worry about him because he went for a physical with his mother and friend, and they’re healthy. Let’s just hope it stays that way despite all the burgers and pizza.

Sources: Han Geng’s Cyworld
Photo credit: on photos

Asian Ent. Gossip April 18, 2008

So here’s the latest Asian entertainment gossip that I would like to respond to since I haven’t had the chance to this past week.

1. Heechul of Super Junior got a new nose after his laser-surgery-induced fall. He also decided to grow some facial hair.

Well, whatever he wants.

2. SNSD finished their first set of promos. Honestly, I have to say I’m relieved. I’m tired of looking at their attire whenever I go online. They need to get a new stylist. Yeah, I’m not really a fan, although, I quite like Yoona.

3. Han Geng of Super Junior asked He Jiong to introduce him to a girl. Apparently, he’s been massively busy, lonely, and in need of someone who can understand him at a level that his mother or his friends can’t be at. After a trip to a bar, Han Geng discussed looking for a girlfriend with He Jiong, asking him “Can you introduce me to a girl? If it’s okay, I still wish to find a Chinese girl.” He isn’t picky either. “[It is fine] as long as we’re happy when we’re together [and living comfortably, and I have feelings for her] (sorry, the grammar there really sucked ass),” he says, “And also [she] must be respectful to [her] parents, and kind-hearted (Grammar 411, it should be “she,” not “they,” because I’m sure Han Geng isn’t into polygamy).”

I’m not gonna go and say that I’m the girl for him. It would never work out between us because he’s a dog lover. I assume he would want a dog. I’m allergic. I prefer rabbits. They’re playful like dogs, but quieter and a lot easier to train. Anyways, this makes me feel the desire to get a nice Chinese boyfriend. Damn.

4. The mother of the late Chinese pop idol, Anita Mui, claims that her daughter was mentally impaired when she signed her will; thus, it makes the will invalid and all of Mui’s possessions would go to her mother even though she is already receiving 70,000 HKD (9,000 USD) In response, people are calling her selfish and greedy. Peter Teo, a doctor and witness to the signing of her will said that she did not seem incapable of thinking clearly. In fact, he felt that she was mentally capable even right before falling into a coma.

Hmm I think this is old news. Whatever. When Anita Mui died in 2003, I was hoping people would let her rest in peace. Especially since not too long before, her good friend Leslie Cheung committed suicide. Also, the two women didn’t seem to have a good relationship, and her mother has only been relying on her for money. It sucks that her mom’s still picking on her even after her passing.

Then again, I have some sympathy for her mother. Their family history varies for some reason, but in every story, her husband isn’t there for the family (most sources say that he died before or right after Anita was born). With four kids to take care of, I would be pretty bitter and selfish too.

5. Chaeyeon came out with new photos. When I first saw Chaeyeon, I thought she was really pretty. But then I realized that she’s one of the artists out there that uses the “sexy image.”

There’s not much sexy about that picture though. I think she might be getting a bit too old. You can see the veins in her hands. And that position she’s in doesn’t seem very appealing. Maybe the photographer just sucks majorly, ’cause seriously, that photo sucks.

That’s all I feel like doing now.

Sources: Sohu, Lucy@FLAWLESS (translation), Hannie’s_Wife @ Sujunesia, Check out my blogroll for the rest ’cause I’m lazy.

Angry Advertising

I was sitting in computer graphics class the other day and suddenly this soda can tab flew right into my face. I just yelled “Who threw something at me?!” I took the tab, turned to the kid I talk to everyday, and said, “Look, someone just threw this in my face. People in here have problems.” He said, “Haha it must be some kind of angry advertising for the Ronald McDonald House. *throwing gesture* DONATE NOW! OR ELSE!!”

Well if that was the case, I forgave the person out of respect for creative advertising. But seriously, if I ever catch someone throwing stuff at me, that person’s gonna die.

New sleeping schedule

This week was different for me. I tried out a new sleeping schedule so I could finish my homework, feel motivated to do it, and still get enough sleep. That’s sort of the reason why I haven’t been posting this week.

I’m huge on procrastination and I’m really lazy. When I get back from school, I don’t do anything. I wind up getting nothing done or getting it done so late that I don’t get enough sleep. I kept trying to figure out what my problem was. Then it hit me, I don’t want to do homework when I get home because I’m tired.

I figured if I sleep super early and wake up super early, I could feel more motivated to do homework because I got my rest. I tried it on tuesday. I slept at 8PM on monday night and woke up at 2AM on tuesday. I got a total of 6 hours, which isn’t a lot but it’s way more than I’ve been getting lately. I got my stuff done and I wasn’t as tired as before, and I still had time to shower, make lunch, and make myself pretty. It worked for the next couple days, so I think I’ll continue it in the future.

One thing that this schedule is incompatible with is group projects. I had a group project due today. The night before, I figured that I could sleep and wake up early to finish my part and print it out. But since my work depended on everybody else’s work, I had to wait for them to send me their information before sleeping. I stayed up until 10, emailing them and making sure that they sent me their stuff that night.

I wound up not being able to wake up early. Apparently, my alarm didn’t go off. My mother happened to wake up and she “woke” me up but I think I was in one of my sleep-talking spells. She said I responded, but I have no recollection of it. My psychology teacher says that if you have no recollection of something, you were probably not completely awake.

Another thing this schedule won’t work with is daylight. A person’s circadian rhythm works with the light-dark cycle. That’s why I chose a time like 8PM to sleep.

But those two are just minor obstacles. I think people with sleep deprivation and laziness should try my sleeping method. I’m not sure if it’s healthy (I don’t see much wrong with it) but whatever works.

Releases: Itazura na Kiss the Anime April 13, 2008

Based on a manga by Tada Kaoru, Itazura na Kiss tells the story about a blooming romance between a sweet, oblivious high school girl and a handsome, popular genius. The story moves through their high school days, college, and marriage, and how their relationship strengthens as the years progress. The manga was never completed due to the sudden death of Tada-san. Since then, her manga has been developed into two dramas and, finally, one anime.

The anime’s actually been out for a couple weeks. I think it’s pretty good. Of course, I don’t understand much Japanese but from watching the Taiwanese drama, I basically know what’s going on.

Compared to the drama (I’ve never read the manga, I wish I could though), it moves a lot faster because they have to cram the plot into 25-30 minute periods rather than 45-50 minute periods. That’s understandable. I don’t exactly get the same vibes from the characters, though. Like, Kotoko’s family doesn’t seem as poor as in the drama. And Naoki’s mother isn’t initially as vibrant and enthusiastic as Jiang Mama (which I really loved) but she you know she has it in her.

However, I like this version so far. The opening theme is awesome. And it’s cute, just like any other shoujo anime. I think I may watch it even though I’ve seen the drama.

Picture Credit: animenewsnetwork.com