LET'S KARAOKE 27 : BASIA - CRUISING FOR BRUISING

Basia might not be ruling the chart like other pop singers but her music is 1000 times much better than most of the garbage that I have to endure nowadays. For someone who is neither American nor British, I consider it a tremendous success for her to be part of the international music scene (she is Polish). I first saw her on television performing 'Time And Tide' on a late night show more than 23 years ago. I think it was 'The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson' but my memory is a bit hazy here so I might be wrong. 'Cruising For Bruising' is more than 20 years old and yet it is still as fresh as it was then; an indisputable indication that quality music is timeless and evergreen. I have always loved 'Cruising For Bruising'. There is a bittersweet sentimentality to it that some of us might identify with when love alone is not enough to sustain a relationship and make it work. I don't have the CD single of this song since it is quite difficult to come by and can be a little bit on the expensive side whenever available.

p/s By the way, from certain angles I think there is an uncanny resemblance between her and Maya Karin, the actress from the critically acclaimed 'Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam' and the commercially successful 'Ombak Rindu'. Watch the video clip and you will see what I mean.

The single's cover

Cry
Come to me and cry
I know, I know, I know it's not easy
Your heart is aching
But so is mine
But so is mine

How
Can I tell you why
For so long, so long, so long
I've been thinking
Now I know
I can't live a lie
Can't live a lie

They say true love lasts forever
If we want it
There will be waiting
A second chance
Baby but now we need time
Time to learn
Time to understand
Where we went wrong
'Cause I feel so strong
We're cruising for bruising, my baby

Second chance
Baby but now we need time
Time to learn
Time to understand
Where we went wrong
'Cause I feel so strong
We're cruising for bruising

Go
I must let you go
Don't stop, don't stop
'Cause it's better now
When I still love you
Don't say goodbye
Don't say goodbye

They say true love lasts forever
If we want it
There will be waiting
A second chance
Baby but now we need time
Time to learn
Time to understand
Where we went wrong
'Cause I feel so strong
We're cruising for bruising my baby

Second chance
Baby but now we need time
Time to learn
Time to understand
Where we went wrong
'Cause I feel so strong
We're cruising for bruising

So long, so long, so long
So bye for now
Don't let it die
'Cause we can try
Some other time
So bye for now
Don't let it die
'Cause we can try
Some other time

MY TOP TEN MALAY CDS OF ALL TIME

 I have always loved music since I was young. Growing up, there was no specific genre that I listened to since the only source of music was either Radio 1 RTM or FM Stereo. FM Stereo would start broadcasting at 9 p.m. every night and I always looked forward to its Pilihan Bersama slot (a song request programme). Every Sunday morning, I waited patiently for a programme called LPMI (Lagu Pujaan Minggu Ini) to be aired on RTM 1 and I would faithfully sit by the radio with my neighbour, Kak Dah (may Allah bless her soul). We jotted down the top ten songs of the week and predicted which one would become the number one song. When I went to boarding school, I kept a small battery-operated transistor radio under my pillow and the songs played would help me go to sleep at night. In college, I always had a few cassettes in my knapsack which I listened to on my yellow Sony Sports Walkman. I wrote about this Walkman in my previous entry so I won't go into details about it here. Nowadays, it's the regional radio station that I listen to most of the time since I truly feel that I cannot totally connect with the music played by the more contemporary radio stations (read : I am getting older). This post, by the way, is about my top ten favourite Malay CDs. I don't own a lot of Malay CDs so my personal choice is also quite limited.
 Aishah - Aishah : Her first solo Malay album after making waves in New Zealand and Malaysia with Fan Club. The group only managed to come up with two studio albums before the members went their separate ways. Aishah's killer song 'Janji Manismu' is still a favourite for many until today and has been covered by two other singers (both Indonesians). With a fantastic voice, clear diction and brilliant interpretation, Aishah is indisputably still one of the best singers around. This album also spawned a few other hits for her and thus, making her one the most popular singers of the early 90s.

Ziana Zain - Puncak Kasih : Ziana Zain during her peak in the local music industry was fabulous. Utterly fabulous. The packaging for this CD was also unique and different compared to the other CDs released at that time. Her previous album (Setiaku Di Sini) was certified platinum and I guess her record company had a lot of confidence that this album would sell well too. Hence, the extra-special packaging for the CD. Ziana still has a lot of loyal fans who support her but unfortunately, has not come up with a full album for quite a while now. Her last CD single "Dingin' which was released a few years ago only received lukewarm response from the public and media alike.

Sharifah Aini - Kenangan Lela Manja : This is Kak Pah's first album without Ahmad Nawab after he left EMI to join WEA. All the songs have been remastered and a few more songs of the same genre were added for this special release. This album truly showcased Kak Pah's ability to render traditional Malay songs flawlessly and effortlessly. Her voice was also at its prime at that time and in my opinion, no current pop singer can top her when it comes to singing traditional Malay songs.

Sheila Majid - Emosi : This is the first Malay CD that I bought more than 20 years ago when local CDs were still manufactured overseas (this one was made in Australia). I'm sure many of her fans were happy when a box set comprising all her studio albums was released a couple of years ago (you can check out the post on Sheila Majid's box set that I wrote if you are interested). 'Sinaran', the first single from this album was initially banned from being aired by the Ministry of Information due to Sheila's pronunciation. This album was commercially well- received by the public in Indonesia and made Sheila a household name there.

Sheila Majid - Legenda : A brilliant and classy interpretation of P. Ramlee's songs with modern instrumentations and fresher arrangements. This is the Japanese pressing of the same album which, in my opinion, is a thousand times better than the Malaysian pressing in terms of sound quality and packaging. The Japanese version, however, has a different version of 'Bunyi Gitar'. The R.A.P. Mix was used as one of the tracks instead of the Extended Mix.

The Bolshoi Ballet Theatre Orchestra Of Tashkent Present Tan Sri P. Ramlee : This is another album which I am not sure whether I can label it 'Malay' or not since it's pure music without any singing at all. It is one of the albums that I listen to whenever I need to relax and unwind. The stereo system that I have doesn't really do justice to the impeccable performances of the orchestra but is good enough to create a calming and soothing ambiance in my house especially during quiet evenings. Even my usually restless cats seem to be subdued every time I put this album in my CD player.

Kumpulan Harmoni - Penantian : I first heard of this group when I was still in high school. Their hit song 'Penantian' immediately became one of my favourites. For some unknown reason, I even asked one of my friends to write the guitar chords for it. FYI, I didn't know how to play the guitar and I still don't. One of the lesser known tracks from the album, 'Sepanjang Jalan Ke Pulau Pinang', is very special to me for reasons that I will keep only to myself. My heart still bleeds (profusely) whenever I listen to it. To my knowledge, this is their only full album that has been released in CD format.

Ebiet G. Ade - Cinta Sebening Embun : I'm not sure if this album can be classified as a 'Malay' album but I'm going to include it in this list anyway. The Indonesians are very proud of their 'Bahasa Indonesia' and they might consider it inappropriate to refer to an album sung in their national language as 'Malay'. This is a collection of songs from an Indonesian poet-singer who is well-known for his 'Camellia' tetralogy. Unfortunately, 'Camellia I' and 'Nyanyian Rindu' are not featured in this compilation and a few other favourite songs of mine are also missing.

Amy Mastura - Amy Mastura : Like Ziana Zain, Amy Mastura was also a stewardess with the Malaysia Airlines before becoming a singer. This is her debut album after winning Asia Bagus in 1993, a star-search television programme produced by Fuji Television. Just like her bubbly personality, most of the songs are cheerful and upbeat.The album was published by Pony Canyon, a Japan-based record company which is a subsidiary of one of the world's largest media company, Fujisankei Communications Group.

Fauziah Latiff - Apa Sebenarnya : Fauziah Latiff (or Jee as she is called) has been singing since her teenage years. This is her seventh studio album but it did not sell as well as her previous effort 'Epilog Memori Gelita' which contains the hit 'Teratai Layu Di Tasik Madu'. There were a lot of speculations regarding her personal life at the time this album was released. A few of the songs also seemed to hint at the speculated marital problems she was having but nobody knew whether the lyrics were intentional or not. She rarely sings on television anymore and nowadays, fans can only catch her when she appears in the occasional drama.

FLASHBACK : MY YELLOW SONY SPORTS WALKMAN

I'm sure many of us have a few things in our possession which we consider as precious due to their sentimental value. These items don't necessarily have to be expensive but they can mean so much to us. This post is about a yellow Sony Sports Walkman which I owned many, many years ago. FYI, I'm referring to the portable cassette player invented by Sony which revolutionised the way we listen to music the world over. It was a WM-F35 which I bought a from a college mate who was in need of hard cash at that time. That Walkman was very chic, sporty and durable. It was also very yellow just like many other Sony Sports products at that time. It never gave me any problem although I did not treat it very well. After the Walkman exchanged hands, it became my constant and loyal companion throughout my college years. I took it almost everywhere I went to. I listened to it while I was studying (or sleeping, rather) at the library, doing my art projects in the studio, completing my term papers (usually at the last minute), walking from one end of the campus to the other (which made me sweat like a hog), waiting for the bus, eating my packed lunch (sandwich, enchilada or quesadilla most of the time) alone in the park. I even listened to it when I was in the loo. My 'love affair' with it, however, did not last. Somebody stole it from me. I was really upset then. I never bought another Walkman since I could never find the same model. More than 26 years later, fate handed me something similar to replace my old Walkman when I least expected it. Zainal and Azhar, two of my friends from out of state came to visit me two weeks ago and as usual, we would head to the Sunday flea market. I have bought a few things there in the past especially secondhand novels, storybooks, magazines and CDs. Nowadays, I go there just to watch the people and enjoy my Sunday. I no longer look for anything in particular since I'm trying hard to curb my hoarding habit (which is making a slow but steady comeback). I was wandering aimlessly in the stifling heat (my two friends were nowhere to be seen) when an old yellow Sony Sports Walkman suddenly attracted my attention. It was not the same model like the one I previously owned but it was the only yellow Walkman that I had seen in quite a long time. I slowly approached the seller since I did not want to show my growing excitement. I did not even ask whether that Walkman could still work or not. After all, its functionality was secondary to me now (FYI, it works just fine). Initially, that guy wanted to sell it for RM 8.00 but I asked him if I could have it for RM 5.00 (I don't like to pay top prices for anything from the flea market). Honestly, I would have paid that RM 8.00 he was asking for in a jiffy but to my surprise, he did not even argue with me (maybe it was my hobo-like dressing that made him feel sympathetic towards me). He simply said okay, pocketed the money that I gave him and handed me the Walkman. I could not believe what I was holding in my hands. A yellow Sony Walkman! I felt as if I was being transported to another time and place. At that time, so many memories came rushing into my head. I remember how I wanted to own a Walkman when it first came out but could not afford one (like a lot of other people, I could not afford a lot of things back then but it was okay). I remember listening to it while walking home alone a few miles from the art studio very late at night since I had missed the last bus. I remember getting mad at a friend for using up my batteries. I remember playing and rewinding Depeche Mode's Strangelove almost 20 times after I bought the cassette single. I remember my housemate, Nasir taking a picture of me holding that Walkman and sitting on the cereal station at the school cafeteria (where I worked a few evenings a week washing dishes after my classes were over). I remember many other things as well but most of all, I remember how a secondhand yellow Walkman gave me so much joy and happiness when I was alone, lonely and did not have much in this world.

p/s I know that this yellow Walkman will never replace the one I had a long, long time ago but this beauty is still able to put a smile on my face and bring back memories of good times in the past.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013 - LET'S KARAOKE 26 : KYLIE MINOGUE AND JASON DONOVAN - ESPECIALLY FOR YOU

Yay! Happy New Year, everyone! 2013 is here and I'd like to announce to everyone that the world did not end on December 21 (lots of heavy sarcasm inserted here). I wonder who among us was stupid enough to totally believe such BS. NOBODY, let me repeat that, NOBODY knows when the end of the world is going to happen except Allah. Well, 2012 had its ups and downs for me but I'm grateful that I am still given a chance to be a better human being, son, brother, friend, employee, colleague, listener et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. I also hope all good things will come our way. To welcome 2013, I'd like to post another Kylie Minogue karaoke but this time, it's a duet with her back-then beau, Jason Donovan (they were so cute together). The single was released in 1988 and at that time, Kylie was already a well-known international singer while Jason was just beginning his foray into the international music business. The single was quite successful but sadly, their relationship didn't have the same fate. Well, nobody can have everything all the time (I'm sure they have gotten over it though). So this karaoke is especially for all of us and let's hope that 2013 will be a wonderful year.

The single's cover

Especially for you
I wanna let you know what I was going through
All the time we were apart I thought of you
You were in my heart
My love never changed
I still feel the same 

Especially for you
I wanna tell you I was feeling that way too
And if dreams were wings
You know I would have flown to you
To be where you are
No matter how far
And now that I'm next to you

No more dreaming about tomorrow
Forget the loneliness and the sorrow
I've got to say
It's all because of you

And now we're back together, together
I wanna show you my heart is oh so true
And all the love I have is
Especially for you

Especially for you
I wanna tell you
You mean all the world to me
How I'm certain that our love was meant to be
You changed my life
You showed me the way
And now that I'm next to you
I've waited long enough to find you
I wanna put all the hurt behind you
And I wanna bring out all the love inside you

And now we're back together, together
I wanna show you my heart is oh so true
And all the love I have is
Especially for you

You were in my heart
My love never changed
No more dreaming about tomorrow
Forget the loneliness and the sorrow
I've got to say
It's all because of you

And now we're back together, together
I wanna show you my heart is oh so true
And all the love I have is
Especially for you

2012 ROUND-UP (2009, 2010 AND 2011 RECYCLED)

Any great achievements for me? NO. Any extraordinary happenings? NO. Any exciting changes in my lifestyle? Definitely NO. Everything came and went like the previous years. Am I happy? YES. To some, it can be quite strange how a person can be happy and content when not much has happened to him or her. Yeah but that's me. I'm comfortably cocooned in my life at the moment that I don't think I want anything changed (unless it's for the better). At least, not yet. I'm sure that something is bound to happen sooner and later and I'll be shocked out of my pants when that happens. Till then, I'm going to enjoy the routine that I've created for the past couple of years and if there are going to be any changes, I hope they will be gradual. Some of my friends have commented on my laid-back attitude and I can only agree with them. After all, what is there to argue when everything that they say is true? Still, it doesn't mean that I don't work hard or put in any effort at all. I do but I don't think I'll be increasing the quota for my effort any time soon. Even then, I would say that what I've done is definitely much more than that done by some of my colleagues and friends. So how about that?

p/s This entry is recycled for the third time just like I predicted.

MY SMALL MUSIC COLLECTION

When I was still in school, I'd buy pirated cassettes since I could not afford the real stuff. These pirated cassettes were dirt cheap compared to the original stuff. They could easily be found at any night markets and even at most music stores. Consumers could also choose between the much more expensive (but more durable) cassettes and the cheap (but less hardy) ones. Sometimes, I would go to the music store to have my own mixed tapes made. The amount that you had to pay depended on the number of songs chosen and the type of tapes used. I no longer have most of these tapes anymore. After I left home to further my studies, they mysteriously disappeared and were nowhere to be found . Someone must have 'borrowed' them, I guess.

In college, I joined Columbia House, a mail-order music club. This club offered customers a number of cassettes, records or CDs at one cent with a legal agreement that the customers would buy a number of other music products at regular prices over a stipulated length of time. I didn't own any turntable or CD player at the beginning so I ended up buying cassettes instead. The tapes were of inferior quality than those that one could buy at the music store but I thought they were a real good bargain for a struggling student like me. In the beginning, the offer looked too good to pass. It was only later that I realised that I was actually paying more than I should. After I had fulfilled the obligation of buying the number of cassettes under the contract, I quit the club. By then, I had already found a few other avenues to fulfill my craving for music.

Not far from my campus was a music store called Peaches which I would frequent after my classes were over. The store was spacious and had quite a good selection if you were into pop and rock music. The staff would also play newly-released albums for the customers to listen to and display the covers of the currently-playing records at the check-out counter. The section for 7 and 12 inch singles was adequate if you were looking for the latest top 40 music or dance music. There were also a few other music stores (I can't even remember what their names were) that I went to especially the ones located in the shopping malls but it was much more convenient for me to go to Peaches. Most of the cassettes and singles I own were purchased from this store during my student years. Although I don't listen to these cassettes anymore, I still keep them safely (in alphabetical order, of course) at home. I still own a functional cassette player which is as ancient as I am but I had to bid adieu to my turntable a few months back. I'm not sure if I will ever own another turntable again.

There was also another record shop in my college town which specialised in alternative and college music. I bought my first CD from this shop and also a few 12 inch singles which were not available from other music stores. I only went to this shop a few times and one of the reasons why I rarely went there was because it was located too far downtown. I did not own any transport back then and the walk there could be exhausting. Going to that shop also meant I had to brave the downtown crowd and I did not really enjoy doing that. I was such a weird (but fun) dresser back then and I loathed having people look and stare at me unnecessarily.

There was also a small music shop at the Students Centre on my campus called School Kids Records & Tapes. The music selection was very limited and it was mostly pop and rock titles. I don't think I ever bought anything from that place. I might be wrong about that but my memory is a little bit hazy regarding this particular shop. The Students Centre was usually busy with the more 'normal' crowd especially during lunch hour and I tried to avoid it as much as possible.

I also managed to secure this music catalogue (see the picture above) from a friend which enabled me to know about albums released by my favourite singers. From this catalogue, I'd ask the music stores if they could order the albums that I wanted. I could have ordered the albums directly from the catalogue but somehow, I never did. This catalogue also had a special section for CDs since not all albums were produced in CD form back then. Most of the CDs were priced at US$ 15.98 which I considered as a ridiculous amount of money to be spent on a CD.

My favourite music haunt was a secondhand shop called Papa Jazz Record Shoppe. The shop perpetually smelled of incense and also other intoxicating unidentifiable scents. It was difficult to move around in the shop and the ventilation was not that great either. There were records all over the place including those in boxes and milk crates on the floor. CDs were such rarities back then and only a few titles were available. I loved that place since I could buy a used record for $2.50 and sometimes even less. I spent many hot and cold afternoons in the store browsing thousands of records which I had never heard or seen before. The staff would never ask you what you were looking for and you were free to stay and look even if you never bought a single thing.

I was really excited when Tower Records opened its first shop in Kuala Lumpur. Everything was much more organised and the store was also very spacious and convenient. Going to the store was always fun and exciting. To my dismay, the original KL store was closed after a few years operating. I have often wondered if the changing trend of buying music was the cause of the closing of the store.

Nowadays, buying music is no longer fun like it used to be. I'm not sure what the cause of this feeling is. One possible reason is I no longer feel the connection with current music. Not many songs are able to touch me the way they did when I was younger. The excitement of waiting for new albums to be released and buying them is gone. I still buy a few things that I like through the Internet from time to time but they are mostly albums that I can no longer get in the Malaysian market. As I get older, I believe one of these days I will no longer buy any music at all. All my cassette tapes, compact discs and records are precious to me and are part of my youth. At the moment, everything in my music collection is kept safely far from public view (except for my CDs) where they will receive the occasional visit from me whenever I feel that nostalgic thug on my heartstrings.

p/s I am yet to buy any music digitally.

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.

MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL

I have to admit that I don't know much about this festival although I live in a town where the population is mostly Chinese. Its historical and cultural significance is lost to me and I am quite sure there are also many other Malaysians who are like that. I will automatically know that the festival is getting close when I start seeing mooncakes and lanterns being sold. That's why this festival is also known as the Mooncake Festival or the Lantern Festival. When I was small, I was always fascinated by the colourful lanterns hanging along the corridors of shops which sold them. I would stop for a while to admire these lanterns on my way back from school and wished I could have one too. In my hometown, there is usually a parade to mark the celebration of this festival. There will be children (accompanied by their guardians of course) carrying beautiful, brightly-lit lanterns, adults carrying banners and a band playing music as soon as the sun sets. I was on my way home yesterday evening and I forgot that the road to my house would be used for the parade. I did not expect that the festival would be celebrated on a grander scale this year and I was quite surprised when I saw the huge crowd getting ready to start the parade. There were people everywhere; taking pictures and causing slower traffic flow. Lucky for me, only one side of the road was closed at that time so I still managed to go back home without getting trapped in the 'semi' traffic jam. Had I been late a few more minutes, I knew I would have to go the other way around to get home. I wish I could have stopped to take a few pictures or at least, watch the parade but I had had a full day and was not ready for any more excitement. I hope I will be able to watch the parade next year. I know it will be a beautiful sight with all those brightly-lit lanterns swaying gently under the full moon. And maybe, I can get a chance to eat a mooncake or two. And preferably with lotus seed paste filling too.

p/s These pictures were taken a week before the festival. The lanterns (which look almost similar to the ones during my childhood) definitely transported me to another time and another place.