Once bitten, twice shy

I feel used.

I was there when you needed me, but where are you now?

Things got better, so you’ve gone back down that path.

This never meant anything much, after all.

I’ll lock my heart.

Earth Hour gig @ I-City, Shah Alam

:)) Before I rant about how freakin’ awesome the bands were and what a great time I had, I’ll just tell you what it was about. UNFORTUNATELY, because I am also super awesome, I brought my camera without the memory card, so I couldn’t take any photos. Vanessa took some though. :) Thankyooo.

Earth hour. The most publicized HOUR where people spend oodles of money and effort to spread awareness about climate change. Hopefully it works–if not, it was just another excuse for getting together and having a carnival/fiesta sorta thing.

Exactly a week ago, Wilfred from my church called me and asked if I wanted to play a gig at this event for Earth Hour at I-city in Shah Alam. Never heard of the place before, but I thought, “One week to practice and put stuff together? Let’s call PUS.” (PUS a.k.a Pick Up Symphony a.k.a Josh’s band, lol) Due to a series of unfortunate events, Alvin and Kay Mun both couldn’t make it, so I was left as the sole vocalist, and Faye was brought in as rhythm guitarist. Andrew filled in as lead guitarist cum backup vocals, whilst Josh and Joel stayed playing bass and drums respectively.

RtL : Joel, Faye, Andrew, Josh, me. yeng b&w edit courtesy of Vanessa.:))

Ok, so now that you have the lineup… I’ll move on to the songs. We were told we had an hour to fill, so we practiced 10 songs (in 4 days! Give us credit lol), but only got to play 7 of them. That was good, though, because we weren’t very well-prepared. We played Estrella – Stay, Marie Digby – Say it Again, Colbie Callait – Realize, Taylor Swift – Love Story, Michelle Branch – Everywhere, Demi Lovato – This is Me, and Paramore – Decode. I think we could’ve done much better if we had more time to practice and prepare… But we gave it our best shot and had fun! Thanks guys.

I like this pic the most out of the lot. :)

I enjoyed performing Decode the most. :))) There’s something about the heavy guitars, drums, and cacophony of sound translating into one energy-filled song. And the style of singing I had to try was challenging, but wild and gratifying, in some strange way. I don’t know if I prefer Jazz or not, now that I’ve experienced doing Paramore.

OK! Moving on. There was free food and all at the fiesta, and I didn’t really pay attention to much of the other events, but I CAN tell you about the next two band performances by Army of Three and Bus Company. Andrew felt super paiseh because Army of 3 saw us perform the first set (which was shitty) haha.

The bands were mindblowing!! Me being someone who is pretty clueless about the local music scene, I’d never really seen or been keen on many local bands because of previous bad experiences (sucky bands). However, these two today were different from what I’d seen before, and I really enjoyed it. They were so tight, and had their own thing goin’ on!

I liked Army of Three because they were so tight and their music was really interesting. The lead guitarist had really agile fingers, and the bassist, Darren, did his famous bass-swinging thing during one of the songs. Bus Company was more fun, and their drummer–also called Darren–could beatbox AND sing! Their lead guitarist did some really cool things with the pedals and effects. Managed to say hi and talk to a few of the band members of both bands, and they were really friendly (and niiiice, and even asked about PUS). Talk about local talent. :))))

Again (as I’ve said before), it’s at times like these that I wonder why I’m doing medicine.

But I’ll stick to it.

…..YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW BADLY I WANNA BELONG TO A BAND AND WRITE SONGS AND PLAY GIGS TO A THROBBING, PULSING CROWDDDDDDD DDDDD:

Sigh. ): Back to Hematology & (soon) the gastro-intestinal system. There’s a reason for everything… There’s a reason for everything………

Broadway Jazz ala KL Swing style

Have I told you how much I love swing lately? :))

With Abang Lionel. No, we're not posing. HAHA

Saturday night was an awesome night out at yet another swing class, followed by a semi-social with a Broadway Jazz theme at Lake Club, KL. Sing Lim from Swingapore Jitterbugs was the guest instructor, and since I was busy I missed the first two classes (sniff) and only made it for the last one–intermediate.

D: I’m sad I missed the first two!!! WHY WHY WHY!!??!

IT WAS SO FUN YET AGAIN! Sing is sooo cute. :) Chan Meng is pretty awesome too. I also had my first taste of blues. It’s slow and rather sexy. I felt jakun as always, but honestly, had so much fun!

But yeah. We’re a good-looking bunch.

LtR: Moi, Pei Ru, Sean, Queen Ming, Nabihan, Aizat, Chris

When the social ended around 1am, a few of them went on for an after-party at Sky Bar. I had to go home though, having to wake up for worship duty in 5 hours… Oh well.

I had my fill of dance–until Tuesday slides by again. ;) Swing socials @ Aliyaa (Bukit Damansara), Tuesday nights – 8pm til whenever your legs give way, anyone?

David Gomes Jazz Band @ Groove Junction

Aside from missing the turnoff and paying toll twice on the Kerinchi Link before finally locating Groove Junction at its cozy 1st-floor nook in Sri Hartamas, it was a great night spent listening to smooth, smooth, groovy jazz. The David Gomes Jazz Band, featuring Junji Delfino, with special guest drummer Hong from Bangkok, and guest guitarist Jose Thomas.

Not such a great photo, but the best of the lot.

I was actually fairly tired and a little upset from the IMU’s Got Talent semifinals, mostly due to how it dragged on and had some less-than-satisfactory performances tonight, so I didn’t want to go at first. However, Steven, Jon, Raymond, Cheryl and David were already there, and I had nothing else to do… So I got directions and with great trepidation, drove there.

Even though I arrived late and circled the area a few times for a parking space, the show hadn’t begun. :) It started about 15 minutes after I got in. Saw Weili, the violinist from SIB, there as well. He grew out his hair, so I couldn’t recognize him at all! He had to jog my memory of who he was…

When the band began, I think I fell in love with jazz all over again. Sigh. :)) I hadn’t listened to live jazz since the Saskatoon Jazz Festival in 2006, so this was well and truly a treat as well as a jog down memory lane.

Didn’t know most of the songs they played, but I loved every moment of it. I did know “Misty”, and “I’m in the Mood for Love”, though. The room pulsed with their energy, and you could see how the band absolutely loved the stuff they were doing. And loved each other, too. Great chemistry and communication! Seriously. :)

GREAT STUFF THAT I ASPIRE TO DO SOMEDAY. D:

Junji Delfino. Fantastic vocals and expression. Stunning improv soloing! Wow. I loved it. David Gomes. Is there anything he can’t do with those black ‘n white keys? Jose Thomas. Oh my worrd, this man and his guitar are on fireee. That smile on his face could only mean love for the jazz groove. Wan on bass. Smooth, understated soloing. And Hong from Bangkok on drums–driving everything along with amazing beats and solos. So conversational. So casual. So jazz.

:) Can you tell I had a good time?

————————————–

Anyway. Just a quick overview of IMU’s Got Talent and the rest of my day prior to the superb ending. Began the plans for the upcoming Noise & Movement event in April, then helped a little with the move down to the BRAND SPANKING NEW MUSIC ROOM @ LG floor. Judged the IMU’s got Talent semifinals, which were “meh”. Only a few people really stood out, IMHO. Most of them deteriorated from their audition performances.

Yeah. That’s it. Good night!

The Boyfriend Phase

Er, Jo, Rae & Dea know what I’m referring to in the blogpost title. Sweaters, cologne and all. We’ll leave it at that.

But ANYWAY.

Random snippet of conversation today from dinnertime with Jo, Jon & Wilkinson at Sri Petaling’s Ipoh Nga Choy Chicken Rice shop… We were discussing the possibilities of Jo + myself + Faye + Rudy doing some music thing together in the future.

Jon: Actually, you know, I can’t picture you two singing together. Jo, you wouldn’t DARE sing together with Jade! Correct, right??

Jo: *after a moment’s silence* JADE I THINK YOU’RE SUPPRESSING MY TALENT. YOU SHOULD LEAVEEE

Ok, HAHAHA. It was such an immediate response. Jo, I know what you think of me nowwww. D: So much for me trying to be supportive of your singing debut in IMU… *mock sniff!

:) Nutty friends are a good close to the day.

And what a good day it was.

Also,

A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CAME TO THE IMU MUSIC & PERFORMANCE WELCOMING PARTY! It was a bigger turnout than we expected, and the food ran out (*coughWEIJINandDANIELcough*), and I felt like I was a tad too long-winded… But I’m well and truly excited for the year to come. :) Now that it’s more official that I’m in charge I can say something about it. I think I have an awesome committee, and we have many exciting activities planned, including the Battle of the Bands. :D

Stay tuned, world, for the next installment of Noise & Movement, the afternoon music showcase, at the end of April 2009. ;) Drop us an email at musicperformance.imu@gmail.com if you’re interested in performing–IMU students only.

Dragonball: White dude version

Nothing beats the absurdity of hearing a white guy scream “KAME-HAME-HAAAAA~”, and recite the prayer to call forth Shen Long…

Goku: “COME FORTH, DRAGON.”
Wei Phin: “Wtf, then the dragon really appear ah?”
- Shen Long appears and roars on-screen. -

I grinned inside, haha. Other priceless things were “Sifu Norris”, and Chi Chi’s (largely successful) attempts to romance Goku. Oh, and the two stock characters… that scientist lady who came looking for her Promethion, and the Asian dude who dug a hole and tried to make money off of the protagonists when they fell into it…

I have never read/seen/watched the original series, be it in anime or manga form, so I can’t compare the storyline accuracy, but I think I know when an actor FAILS. Haha. I daresay the actor for Goku was not so great with the acting skills, because he was awkward at points, and you could see him thinking about his next move.

I FELT LIKE I WAS WATCHING A VERY BAD DUB. It would have been THAT much cooler if it was in Japanese, and with English subtitles, IMHO. But it was bearable… It was entertaining… And I wouldn’t pay to watch it again. Come to think of it, it would be the kind of movie that I’d wait for to reach DVD, rent it, and then watch it.

The special effects were really cool, though. :P

Entertainment factor, it rates a 7.5 out of 10.

Props to the horny Master Rosh…Raisha… whatever his name was. Bikini quarterly indeed. :)

Drug Issues

WHY DO DRUG MANUFACTURERS GIVE THEIR DRUGS SUCH AWFUL, LONG, SIMILAR-SOUNDING NAMES?? WHY??

Phenoxybenzamine. Phentolamine. Phenytoin. Pyrazinamide. Disopyramide. Bipyramides. Propefenone. Propanolol. Prazosin. Procainide. Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors.

COMEEEE ONNNNNNN.

…I’ll bet it’s just to torture us medical students when we’re trying to remember what they are, what they do, and when you can’t use them.

I mean, srsly.

WHY?????

AND ALL THE OVERLAPPING EFFECTS & TOXICITY??
AND THE CONTRAINDICATIONS???

I second Jon’s idea to rename drugs by their use, like “Headache reliever 1″ and “Headache reliever 2″. Or even “Painkiller 43″ or “Painkiller 178″.

The more effects, the longer the name. BUT OH SO EASY TO REMEMBER WHAT THEY’RE USED FOR.

Yes, yes, I can also see the absurdity of the idea.

I </3 drugs and their interactions.

And I </3 the AIR topic. What a sneaky way to make us learn something we’d never normally take a second glance at.

4 days to D-day.

Nature-inspired

Au naturelle encouragement:

You are a plant,

Your notes are water,

And you are THIRSTY.

THIS IS DEDICATED TO RAE BABY, LOVE OF MY LIFE.

And my beloved batch, MEDT 1/08.

Randomness after midnight, while studying DCM/HCM/RCM/Arteries/Veins/all that wonderful shiz. D: I’m soooo behind.

And a big thank you to Thomas for answering my random questions through smses & msn, haha.

Jason Mraz LIVE @ Stadium Negara, KL

Yes, mang. I went for the concert by the one and only Wizard of Oohs n’ Aahs n’ Falalas, the Wordplay Man, Mr. A-Z, JASON MRAZ.

Went with Ming, Faye & Robyn, though the two girls were separated from us–they bought the RM88 free seating tix, whereas Ming & I had the RM138 free standing (“The Rock Zone”) tix.

Being smart, I forgot to charge my camera batteries, so I didn’t bring my camera. Oh well, I know Faye & Ming took LOADS of videos and pictures, so I’ll just leech off of them now.

The concert actually started half an hour late, which is not bad by Malaysian standards, haha. The man himself came onstage and started up with Make It Mine, from his latest album. Thereafter, things got a little slower as he did older songs, and other downtempo songs from his new album. He did Bella Luna, which I loveddd, No Stopping Us, The Geek in the Pink, Live High, Live Mighty, AND he did my song–A Beautiful Mess. I was ecstatic and swayyyed to the music, and sang along when I could. His voice is SO SMOOTH. ENVY ENVY!

Lucky was a disappointment, only because of the local celebrity they got to sing it. No idea who she was, but she was late for the song (he started the song without her and asked the fans to fill in & sing along), had some kind of a grating accent, and didn’t have a voice that blended well with his. And her stage movements and attempts to rock it out failed miserably. :( Jason rocked though. I WAS SO TEMPTED TO SCREAM, “LET ME SING WITH YOU JASON!!!” I restrained myself though. Ahem.

He also did a little improv session during which he introduced the rest of the band, and the awesome Toga, who sang in I’m Yours, and provided some hot beats. His falsetto can beat a soprano’s high register… “Confident men” lol.

THEN THEN THEN MY FAVOURITE BESTEST MOST BELOVED SONG CAME AT THE END OF THE NIGHT. WHEN HE STRUMMED THE INTRO CHORDS I WENT CRAAAZZZYYY!!!! :)))) You know what song it is.

Yeah.

You know it.

Faye knows it too. ;)

BUTTERFLY!!!! *squeals*

It was gooood. It was sexyyyy. It was smooooth. It was everything I ever imagined. Jason Mraz, playing live, was awesome. He sounds exactly as on his recordings, BUT when watching him, you get the whole package–his “actions” to the The Dynamo of Volition chorus, his idiosyncrasies and expressions when he sings, his body language… It just makes the experience of his music all the better.

THE VERDICT: The ticket was wooorrrtttth it. I should have gotten the RM258 one–a chance to be closerrr to Mr. Mraz and have a more comfortable show, not toughing it out with 3000 other people.

THE RATING: 8/10

:)) Jade is a very satisfied, sweaty, and sleepy person. Good night dears. Back to CVS, Respi & reality’s crush tomorrow.

Happy Birthday, Dea-chan!

Wishing the most GORGEOUS, BEAUTIFUL, and TALENTED LADY in my life a HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY! <3

Dear Dea-chan, we’ve been friends for 11 years and counting now, and I’ve loved every single moment of it! Even though I’m not the most awesome friend and hardly manage to see you from time to time, I still love you lots, and want you to know I am ALWAYS ALWAYS here if you need me. <3

It’s been an awesome time knowing you since you were 10… The first memory I have of you is when you taught me how to fold origami in class (or was it the other way ’round?) and you exclaimed, “Li Yen, you’re so nice!!” Hehe.

All those times that we skipped class to “practice piano” for the SKKT Prizegiving ceremonies, hanging out with Encik Ghazali in the music room, trading off on the little keyboard that was blasted over the main speakers, and exchanging Sailormoon stickers… Making FF8 Triple Triad cards when we went through the fangirl phase (me loving Squall and you loving his father, Laguna Loire, president of Esthar…), writing fanfiction, making up love stories, watching the FFX underwater kissing scene 40 times over in your upstairs TV area, playing FF music on piano, teasing you about your cockroach man (Gojyo, right?) and the one that looked like a woman (Tokiya Mikagami :D hehehe), and all the other “men” in your life. :P

Then when we went into secondary school, we were separated but still hung out and did dumb stuff together–I have photos to prove it! Our “dress-up” as all our favorite characters, the overnight stay at Duta Vista and masquerading as Japanese peoples in your yukata, attending Bon Odori, random crazy hysterical times in my old room (which was never tidy, and still never is, haha)… OHHH, and don’t forget the time we made our first website together: The Kawaii Shinzo clique. Then it was the “Broken Dolls” phase + Gothic clothes, which I think we’re all still into. :P

Now, we’re all grown up and in med school together, where we occasionally see each other because I’m too busy working my butt off doing 100 000 000 things that I can get my hands on, and you’re off happily doing things in your usual, quiet little way.

Dea, I think you are truly a beautiful woman. You possess an inner, tensile strength that has enabled you to just cruise through life even though challenges are thrown your way. Your exterior is a polished, smooth veneer that speaks of elegance and refinement, yet for all I know of you, you’re a cute, sweet little goof that is secretly blur and disorientated at times. Hehe.

And now, you’re OFFICIALLY an adult! Wow. We’ve grown up together, from little girls to teenagers to adults. Remember our song and your verse in it? :P

In moonlit shadows of darkened nights
I wait in silence for the coming light;
To think I’m one– To think I’m whole
I’m but a patchwork with many folds.

You are a patchwork of a gajillion talents, abilities, and capabilities. <3 And you are beautiful. I’m so honored to be your best friend of 11 years, and so proud of you, Dea-chan. I hope that today will be one of the most special days in your life, and that you will always have the best memories of the day you officially hit adulthood. I wish you all the happiness in the world, all the strength and confidence in the world, all the intelligence and ability to become a FANTASTIC doctor cum astrologer cum manga-ka cum model (hehe, childhood ambition?), and ALL THE LOVE I CAN GIVE!!!!

HAPPY HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY TO MY BELOVED DEA-CHAN!!!! <3333333333333333 I LOVE YOU TONS HONEYY!!! GO ROCK THE WORLD!!!!

p/s – I’ll eat chicken (with bones) in public for you anytime.