SOMETIMES YOU MISS THE MEMORIES, NOT THE PERSON

Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! It felt as if somebody knocked me on my tender head with a giant hammer when I stumbled upon this quotation. Had I been holding on to certain memories so hard all this time that I failed to see the truth and reality behind them? Looking back at certain memories, I can remember many things that took place back then but ironically, I can't even recall the names of some of the people who were with me at that time. Memories are very much like an infectious disease; easy to contract and difficult to shake off. We tend to remember only the good parts, neglecting the fact that sometimes there were a lot of pain and heartaches too. Obviously, I am in a much better position and state of mind/emotion today than I ever was in the past and yet, the not-so-fantastic old times always seemed so much better to me. Strange as it is but that's the truth. Conversations with my former high school buddies (a few of them are still my good friends until now) always revolved around the memories but never the people. We talked about how much we missed our teenage years but never said how much we missed somebody whom we knew then. I once went to my high school reunion a few years ago and I never went back since. I had never really understood my reluctance to attend the annual gathering despite the persistent coaxing and phone calls from my ex-schoolmates. It's only now that I realise now that I don't really miss most of the people I grew up with. I only miss the memories. In the back of my mind, maybe I knew that meeting them could never bring the memories back. I even realise that many of my posts are quite 'past-oriented' in nature. Re-reading them only reaffirms my belief that it was the memories that made me tick and not the people. I also had a tendency to connect everything around me with certain memories, thus making the past look even more wonderful than it truly was. I believe that a lot of people do feel exactly that way too; thinking that the past was fantastic when actually, it might not even be that great after all. Memories to many of us (including me) are simply blurry, happy mental pictures with countless and nameless people in them. Bring in the real people who were part of our past and we can see the the good, the bad and the ugly of the whole thing. In today's world, nostalgia is undoubtedly big business and entrepreneurs know they can play with the emotions of those who have a keen interest in the days gone by. My fascination (even obsession, maybe) with certain collectibles and the desire to obtain them are testaments to this. I had never thought twice paying for something that I really wanted. Having the item in my hands was like being transported to the past; a past that my mind had subconsciously (and possibly falsely too) painted with happy images and cheerful colours. It was a feeling of indescribable bliss and ecstasy. All in all, I'm not saying it's wrong to miss the memories since they will always be a part of our lives. All that I'm trying to say is don't let the memories be seen through a rose-tinted glass and don't ever forget that for the most part, it was the people that gave us the memories. Without these people, there would be no memories to begin with.

LET'S KARAOKE 25 : GEORGE MICHAEL - CARELESS WHISPER

This is one of the biggest songs from the 80s and it still receives a lot of airplay until now. It's also one of the more well-known George Michael (or is it Wham!?) songs. It is quite popular among karaoke-goers especially the older generation. There are many unofficial karaoke versions of this song and some of them are quite good actually. You can go to any karaoke lounge and there is a high possibility that this song is in the song list. There are a few other Wham! original instrumentals released on the the B-sides of their singles but I have chosen this song as the first Wham! karaoke here because of its popularity and familiarity among listeners. I do have another George Michael karaoke that I have published in this blog though. You can check it out if you want to. There are a few other George Michael and Wham! karaokes I am still working on at the moment. I do wish I have the original instrumentals for George's newer songs though. It will be wonderful if I can do 'As' or 'Amazing'. As much as I love this song, I can't even sing it to save my own life. I sound awful (I sound bloody awful on most songs anyway) whenever I sing it and I always end up stopping half-way. It's a great consolation to me that not many people can sing this song and get away with it either. 

The single's cover

Time can never mend the careless whispers of a good friend
To the heart and mind, ignorance is kind
There's no comfort in the truth
Pain is all you'll find
 
Should've known better

I feel so unsure
As I take your hand
And lead you to the dance floor
As the music dies
Something in your eyes
Calls to mind the silver screen
And all its sad good-byes

I'm never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it's easy to pretend
I know you're not a fool

Should've known better than to cheat a friend
And waste the chance that I've been given
So I'm never gonna dance again
The way I danced with you

Time can never mend
The careless whispers of a good friend
To the heart and mind
Ignorance is kind
There's no comfort in the truth
Pain is all you'll find

I'm never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it's easy to pretend
I know you're not a fool

Should've known better than to cheat a friend
And waste the chance that I've been given
So I'm never gonna dance again
The way I danced with you

Never without your love

Tonight the music seems so loud
I wish that we could lose this crowd
Maybe it's better this way
We'd hurt each other with the things we'd want to say

We could have been so good together
We could have lived this dance forever
But now who's gonna dance with me
Please stay

And I'm never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it's easy to pretend
I know you're not a fool

Should've known better than to cheat a friend
And waste the chance that I've been given
So I'm never gonna dance again
The way I danced with you

(Now that you're gone) Now that you're gone
(Now that you're gone) What I did's so wrong
That you had to leave me alone

A FUNFAIR IN TOWN

While everyone is getting super excited about the new Legoland, I'm simply quite happy to know that there is a funfair in town. The last time I went to a funfair was a long, long time ago and I can barely remember what I did there. When the sun begins to set in the horizon, a magical fairyland will suddenly emerge. Bright lights. Blaring music. Delicious street food. Fun games. Exciting rides. And endless fun. From what I have heard, the response from the public is quite good but I don't think will be doing my share of the whole funfair thing this time since I have a tendency to make a fool of myself whenever I am in places which make my adrenalin rush. There is a possibility I would be acting like a kid on a sugar rush or worse; someone on an acid trip. Living in a small town like mine, I know news will spread faster than a bushfire if I were seen that way. Still, curiosity took a hold of me and as if in a daze (I'm always in a daze anyway), I went to the funfair during the living daylights to see what the whole place looked like. I was on my way to fetch my Mum from the dialysis centre when I decided to pay the funfair an unofficial visit. I was alone but that did not stop me from doing what I wanted to do. I felt almost adventurous at that time (what was I thinking?). The entrance to the ground was wide open but nobody was there. Not a single soul. Not even a cat or a bird. I took a few pictures of the entrance and then, I walked into the funfair. I could have been charged for trespassing but they had left the entrance wide open without any security at all. Walking into the funfair, I felt as if I was walking into a ghost town. The stalls, the machines and the rides were all around me but everything was dead still. I saw a giant Ferris Wheel looming ahead of me and a beautiful carousel. The hot sun was blazing on top of my head and I wondered where everyone had gone to. There was no sound at all. Everything was silent. I thought maybe the crew members were having their naps before the funfair began its operation for the night but I didn't see any makeshift quarters for them either. I was about to go for a little bit of further exploration when my cell phone rang. I woke up from my short reverie and found that I was standing in the middle of the funfair. It was my Mum asking my whereabouts and I told her that I was on my way. Quickly, I left the ground after taking one last picture of the ticket counter. While walking to my car, I contemplated about my life and life in general. Like the giant Ferris Wheel and the carousel that I saw earlier, life is just like a circle and nothing ever stays at the same spot forever. And in the end, everyone has to get off the ride.