Friday 31 May 2013

Quotes from episode 3 of “小子当家” (I'm in charge)

“小子当家” is a new drama serial currently airing on channel 8, at 9 pm from from Mondays to Fridays. 

The main character, Wang Jiahao, was a teenage boy who had lost interest in his studies long time ago.  He had engaged in fights and was expelled from government schools.  His mother finally managed to enrol him in a private school but the school fees were very high.

In episode 3, Wang Jiahao's mum was hospitalised and Jiahao wanted to quit school. He went to the principal's office and saw a new principal.  The new principal had an interesting name called Niu Pigu (牛霹辜) which sounds a bit like 扭屁股 (shake - your - bum). Mr Niu immediately knew who Jiahao was. He said Jiahao was one of those students blacklisted by the previous principal. 

This was what Mr Niu said to Jiahao:

“在我牛霹辜眼里,是没有烂学生,黑学生的。所以我的治校理念是一个都不能少。... 你们都是有潜能的,是一颗未经打磨的钻石。这包括你,王家豪.”

Which was translated as:


To me, no student is bad or rotten.  My philosophy as a principal is, never leave anyone out. ...  All of you have potential. You're an uncut diamond and that includes you, Wang Jiahao."

After hearing the principal's words, Jiahao changed his mind and did not even bring up the issue of quitting school.

Wow, using diamonds as an analogy. That was a good one.  All of us know that diamonds, when cut correctly, will sparkle and is much more valuable.  Similarly, when a person's potential is developed, he or she too can sparkle and can command better remuneration.


Thursday 30 May 2013

《若不是因为你》(“If Not because of You”)

《若不是因为你》是周华健唱过的一首歌。这首歌应该从来都不是主打歌。 Ardon在我们交往的时候唱这首歌给我听。我就是那时候才第一次听到这首歌。旋律不错,歌词也很好。虽然歌词不是那种很直接的爱的告白, 却是那种可以感动对方的歌。

"If Not because of You" was sung by Wakin Chau.  This was not one of those title song that he had promoted.  In fact I had never heard this song before until Ardon sang this for me during our courtship days.  The music was nice and the lyrics were meaningful.    It was not the typical love confessions kind of lyrics but would be able to touch the heart of the one you love.






若不是因为你


作词: 刘思铭

作曲: 刘志宏

编曲: 洪敬尧


歌词:


忘了许久的欢喜 在你真情的眼中里 

慢慢想起

那是怎么样的感情 开始离不开你


有一点有一点想见到你 想见到你


伤过痛过的心情 随你的轻声细语


渐渐忘记

那浮浮沉沉的曾经


在你温柔眼底

第一次 第一次 找到安定找到安定


若不是因为你 我依然在风雨里


飘来荡去 我早已经放弃


怎么相信爱情 我怎么拥有你


一生一世的心注定是为了你



This can be translated as:

I've forgotten what happiness was but in your loving eyes, 

I slowly remembered 
what that kind of feeling was,  I found that I cannot live without you.
I wanted to see you, see you.
Because of you, I've slowly forgotten the pain and hurt that I had experienced, the ups and downs in the past.
In your gentle eyes, for the first time, for the first time, I felt you are the One.
If not because of you,  I would still be searching around.
I would have already given up.
How would I possibly believe in love, how could I possibly have you.
My heart is destined for you.

Tuesday 28 May 2013

Quotes from "The Millennium Bug" (千年虫)

I was reading an article just now and at the end of the article, there was this phrase:

Today is a Gift
That's Why we call it the Present.

It reminded me of the Singapore Chinese TV drama serial named "千年虫" (The Millennium Bug).

These quotes appeared at the beginning of every episodes.

Yesterday is History
Tomorrow is a Mystery
Today is a Gift
That's Why we call it The Present

The above quotes probably originated from some other people but that was the first time I came across these quotes.

《千年虫》(The Millennium Bug) was a 1999 TV drama serial and had its setting based on the "Milliennium Bug".  The main cast were Zoe Tay, James Lye and Chen Hanwei. I had enjoyed watching this drama very much and was expecting a sequel to it because at the end of the last episode, the screen showed "to be continued... ".  I was pretty much disappointed that they did not do a sequel to this.

It was also through this drama that I got to know of this song "Long Long Ago".  It's a very nice old song.  Below was what I found on YouTube that has the full version of the song.

Monday 27 May 2013

"96°C Cafe" - Viewers' Choice of Ending

The results were out.

Viewers' choice: Majority voted for Chuanzhi.

So, Chuanzhi is Yuchen's Mr Right.


Related posts:

Romantic Things
"96°C Cafe" Ending


Saturday 25 May 2013

"96°C Cafe" Ending

"96°C Cafe" aired on MediaCorp's Channel 8 every Monday to Friday, at 9 pm. Last night was the last episode. Prior to the drama serial, prequels of 8 webisodes were released on xinfirst's portal progressively from 18 February to 11 March 2013.



The webisodes focused more on Yuchen (played by Julie Tan) and Liqiao (played by Desmond Tan), how Yuchen got the job at 96°C Cafe and how the two of them got along. There were other characters in the webisodes that were not shown on TV, such as Shuting (Yuchen's good friend played by Chantalle Ng), Zi Wei (Shuting's senior played by James Seah) and Yuchen's admirer (played by Zhang Zhenhuan), Liqiao's sister (Ruolin) and grandmother and many others only appeared on the TV episodes. 



Liqiao was a guy who had lost his wife in a car accident and unable to face up to reality, chose to go for boxing sessions to torture himself. Yuchen had fallen for him and wanted to help him forget his pain of losing his wife. On the TV drama, Yuchen had a new admirer, named Liu Chuanzhi (played by Ian Fang). Chuanzhi was always helping her and cheering her on when things did not go smoothly.

On the last episode, Ruolin finally decided not to marry Lao Jingfeng (played by Tay Pin Hui) and chose Tang Weida (played by Romeo Tan) who was many years younger than her. No doubt Tang Weida had done a lot of things to make her happy but it seemed that she was not really that happy when she was with him, so I find this ending a bit weird. I thought she got along better with Lao Jingfeng. It seemed to me that the scriptwriters wanted to make people feel that Tang Weida's efforts were not wasted, We were also told on the last episode that Lao Jingfeng had phobia of getting married, so it was a good thing they did not marry each other in the end. Although weird, I am still happy that Tang Weida's love and innocence had touched Roulin's heart.



As for Yuchen, Liqiao and Chuanzhi, at first I thought the ending was another "hang in the air" or "up to your own imagination" kind of ending. Actually, I hate this kind of ending. If it is up to my own imagination, I might as well be the one writing the script, ha! ha!. Fortunately, after the end of the show, we were told that we, viewers had a chance to vote for the ending that we wanted. We can go to Chinatown Point on 26 May 13 to vote for the ending we want. Whether Yuchen will choose Liqiao or Chuanzhi is entirely dependent on the votes. 



On rational grounds, I will vote for Chuanzhi. My reasons for choosing Chuanzhi over Liqiao:



1) Chuanzhi was always there for Yuchen.

2) Chuanzhi risk his life to save Yuchen.

3) Liqiao did not know how to treasure Yuchen and did not love her enough:

a) 1st time, he only started to woo her when she left 96°C Cafe for a new job. He then realised he needed her and liked her.

b) 2nd time, he suddenly went overseas when he found out his wife had cheated on him when she was alive. He claimed that he had lost faith in love. He only realised he still liked Yuchen when overseas.

Wah, only when the girl was not around, then he would start to miss her, what's the point. Should treasure her when she was with him. Although Liqiao had done up his cafe to be the dream cafe for Yuchen, Chuanzhi had done up the dream house for Yuchen. So, what will be the more popular ending? We shall see it on 26 May 13, at 10.30 pm, on Channel 8.







《我们》 (“We”)

这首《我们》是梁文福比较近期的作品。这首歌是梁文福为《当我们同在一起》这部电视剧写的词和曲并且得到红星大奖2010的最佳主题曲奖。主唱是陈伟联。陈伟联是一名视障歌手。他是第一届 《绝对SuperStar》 的总冠军得主。 《绝对SuperStar》 是由新传媒举办的歌唱选秀节目,第一届是2005年6月开始播出, 9月1日结束。他有一把很好的嗓子。

"We" was a more recent song written by Liang Wenfu. Liang Wenfu compose both music and lyrics for this song to be used as the theme song for MediaCorp TV drama "Together".  This song won the "Best Theme Song" award in the 2010 Star Awards.  This song was sung by Kelvin Tan who is a visually impaired Singaporean Singer. He was the overall Champion in season 1 "Project Superstar" singing competition.  ("Project Superstar" is a singing talent search competition organised by MediaCorp, the first season ran from Jun 2005 to Sep 2005). He has a very good singing voice.





歌词:

一条街有多长 年少就多长
我时常都回到 昨天去徜徉
那外面有多大 用笑声去丈量
你背影有多长 思念就多长

我们总是这样 借彼此肩膀
我们总是错过 幸福那一站
拥有了全世界可是你却看不见
我宁愿重回到那一年 牵着你去看明天
失去了全世界 还有你在我身边
能不能重回到那一年
你的梦 我的歌 蓝的天 叫永远


The lyrics roughly translate as:

Youth is as long as the street.
I always return to yesterday and wander.
Use laughter to measure how big the outside world is.
I miss you for so long.

We are always like that, lending each other our shoulders.
We always let happiness slipped away.
If I were to own the whole world but you cannot see it,
I would rather go back to that year, holding your hands to see tomorrow.
If I were to lose the whole world but with you at my side,
can we return to that year
where your dreams, my songs and the blue sky are eternity?



Friday 24 May 2013

Multi-Purpose Relaxation Cushion (Massage Cushion)

We went to "Japan Home" yesterday to get some cleaning brushes and were pleasantly surprised to find that they were having a special offer on the Multi-Purpose Relaxation Cushion (Massage Cushion).  They were on sale at $8.00.  So we bought one for ourselves.

This cushion can be used to massage on neck, back, thighs etc. It requires only 2 AA batteries to operate, so we can use it anywhere without the need of a power point.







Upon return to our home last night, I immediately tried the massage cushion on my legs (my legs were tired after one day of walking).  After that, I also tried on my back.  Not too bad. It did help to relieve some tense muscles.

The massage cushion only has one speed.  The massage is a mild vibration so even my daughter, Sera can use it.  Sera tried it on her legs and said she liked it.  Of course this cannot compare with those more expensive massager but it's ok for us.  For those people who liked greater vibration or more functions, then this may not worked for you.   

We are happy with the purchase at this price.


Wednesday 22 May 2013

《某某人住在很那个的小镇》(“This Person Lived in That Very What town")

我在翻阅梁文福的词曲作品时看到《某某人住在很那个的小镇》的乐谱。哇,好久没听到这首歌了。我记得第一次听到这首歌就蛮喜欢的。这首歌写得挺好的,用有趣的方式写很现实的例子。曲风轻快,琅琅上口。这首歌是梁文福1988年的作品,且由刘瑞正唱。很开心能够在 Youtube 找到这首歌。不晓得是谁做的影片,做得也蛮可爱的。

I was flipping through the musical scores of Liang Wenfu's works when I came across this song 《某某人住在很那个的小镇》, which translate as "This Person Lived In That Very What Town."  Wow, it's been a long time since I last heard that song.  I remembered when this song was first released in 1988, I found this song very cute and interesting.  It's the way Liang Wenfu wrote that makes this song interesting.  The tune is quite lively and catchy.  The lyrics depicts reality but phrase in a funny way. This song was sung by Liu Ruizheng. I was happy to find that someone had uploaded the song on Youtube.  Not sure who did those slides but they looked cute too.




歌词:

某某人他住在很那个的小镇,
很那个的镇上,住着很多人。
很多人总喜欢很那个地问,
某某人是不是什么人的什么人。

某某人他也象很多人
有很多的烦恼,很那个的责任。
来不及去想,也不习惯去问,
做一个没人特别提起的某某人。

其实某某人,他并不介意任何人,
可是任何人总有恩怨来分。
有些人的朋友,难免总是有些人的敌人,
所以某某人总需要得罪某某人。


某某人有他的快乐和愚蠢,
当每个人随便,他不会太认真。
他有足够的聪明,慢慢学会什么叫做安分,
该不懂的时候,不会很那个地问。

某某人重复着很多人的故事,
白天他演现实,晚上看电视。
青春是幻梦,理想是很那个的空,
教堂在敲着婚礼和葬礼的钟。

其实某某人,他并不介意任何人,
可是任何人总有恩怨来分。
有些人的朋友,难免总是有些人的敌人,
所以某某人总需要得罪某某人。


某某人他住在很那个的小镇,
当他死的时候来了很多人。
很多人在哀悼,然后很那个的问,
某某人是不是什么人的什么人。

This roughly translates as:

This person lived in that "very what" town,
In that "very what" town, lived many people.
Many people always liked to ask in that "very what" tone,
Is this person related to that person?

This person was pretty much like many other people,
He had many problems and many responsibilities.
He did not have time to think and was not used to asking people,
keeping a low profile.

Actually this person, he did not mind anybody,
but everybody always bears grudges
some people's friends were bound to be some people's enemies
that was why this person always had to offend some people.

This person had his own happy and foolish moments.
When everybody was casual, he would not be too serious.
he was clever enough to slowly learn not to mind other people's business,
he would not "anyhow" ask when he should not.

This person's story was a repetition of many other people's story
He faced reality in the day, watched TV at night.
Youth is now a dream, dream is "somewhat very" blank.
The Church was sounding the wedding bells and funeral bells.


Actually this person, he did not mind anybody,
but everybody always bear grudges
some people's friends were bound to be some other people's enemies
that's why this person always had to offend that some people.

This person lived in that "very what" town.
When he passed away, many people came.
Many people were mourning, then asked in that "very what" tone,
Was this person related to that person?

Note: In order to preserve the style of writing of the song, the English translation may seem a bit weird.  I use "very what", "somewhat very" and "anyhow" as the English translation for "很那个"


Sunday 19 May 2013

“童话” (Fairytale)

我第一次听到这首歌是在第一届的 “绝对Super Star ” 的其中一场决赛。“绝对Super Star ” 是新传媒在2005第一次举办的选秀节目。当时就觉得这首歌非常好听。后来我发现这首歌的原唱者是光良也看到了以下的音乐视频。这个音乐视频使这首歌更加印象深刻。画面非常感人,令人情不自禁会掉下眼泪。


I first came across this song “童话” (Fairytale) during one of the "Project Super Star" shows in 2005.  "Project Super Star" was a variety show organized by MediaCorp in search of singing talents.  Found this to be a very beautiful song.  Later I found out that the original singer was 光良 (Guang Liang)and also saw the original MV. Coupled with the MV, it makes the song even more memorable.  It's very touching.  






在以上的音乐视频里,女主角似乎得了癌症。当光良要为她弹奏这首歌时,她却昏倒了,得立刻送往医院急救。有一幕他录了他自弹自唱的“童话”, 然后拿到病床前给女主角听。应该是

要鼓励她不要放弃,要坚持下去。要她相信幸福和快乐可以是他们的结局。


In the MV, it seemed that his girlfriend contracted cancer.  He played this song for her, before he could actually get started (only played a few notes), she fainted and was rushed to the hospital.  There was a scene whereby he recorded this song he played and sang, and gave it to his girlfriend.  I think it was like an encouragement to her, so that she could fight on and believe that bliss and happiness could be their ending too.



歌词 :

忘了有多久,再没听到你对我说你最爱的故事。
我想了很久,我开始慌了,
是不是我又做错了什么?

你哭着对我说,童话里都是骗人的,
我不可能是你的王子。
也许你不会懂,从你说爱我以后,
我的天空,星星都亮了。

我愿变成童话里 你爱的那个天使,
张开双手变成翅膀守护你。
你要相信,相信我们会象童话故事里,
幸福和快乐是结局。


以下是我在Youtube找到的另一个音乐视频。是由 Jason Chen 和 JRice 合唱的中英文混合版。英语版本的歌词和华语版本的歌词大同小异。不象有些其他的歌曲,翻译成另一种语言,整首歌的意思都变了。


Below was another MV I've found on Youtube.  It's sung by Jason Chen and JRice with mixture of English and Chinese Lyrics.  The English lyrics more or less conveyed the same meaning as the Chinese version of the song. Not like some other songs when translated to another language, it became a totally different story. Enjoy.






Lyrics:

Don't know how long, it's been a while since you told me your favourite story.
It's been on my mind, driving me crazy,
am I the reason that you're crying now?
I see the tears in your eyes, they tell me you don't believe,
that I can be your Prince Charming,
Maybe you can't understand, but when you said you loved me,
my life was changed and I wished you could see.

I'm willing to be the one and the angel that you love.
With open arms, I'll always be there.
You must believe that you and me will end up happily
in our own fairytale story.

你哭着对我说,童话里都是骗人的,
我不可能是你的王子。
也许你不会懂,从你说爱我以后,
我的天空,星星都亮了。

我愿变成 童话里你爱的那个天使,张开双手变成翅膀守护你。
你要相信,相信我们会象童话故事里,
幸福和快乐是结局。

I will be, be the one and the angel that you love,
With open arms, I'll always be there.
You must believe that you and me will end up living happily,
in our own fairytale story.

Saturday 18 May 2013

"想着你的感觉" (How I Feel Thinking of You)

当一首歌红的时候,多数的人都会注意到歌手是谁但很少人会记得它的词曲创作人。

这首 "想着你的感觉"  的词曲创作人是 梁文福。

这首歌原本的歌名是 "从你回眸那天开始"。巫启贤不是这首歌的原唱者但确实是他把这首歌给唱红了,让更多人注意到这首歌。

真的很佩服梁文福能把这种感觉描绘得如此诗情画意。

Usually when a song became popular,most people would take notice of the singer but few people would remember the song composer.

This song is titled "想着你的感觉" which translate as "How I Feel Thinking of You".  Both music and lyrics were written by Liang Wenfu (梁文福).

The song was originally titled "从你回眸那天开始" which roughly translate as "Starting From the Day You Look Back".  Eric Moo was not the first to sing this song but he sure was the person to sing it to fame.

I really must admire Liang Wen Fu again for writing such good description for that kind of feeling.  Really poetic.






歌词:

每一次我走近 总是那么悄悄地 

不敢使你讶异 让你发觉自己是幻影



每一次我唤你 总是那么细细地 

不让寂寞听到 嘲笑我用温柔的声音


每一次我离去 总是那么轻轻地 

不敢将你惊醒 让你发觉醒在我梦里

每一次我等你 总是那么静静地

不让光阴知道 安慰我用无言的嘘息


一个一个想你的日子 砌成一栋孤单的房子

我在上楼下楼 开门关门 翻着抽屉 寻着你名字


一个一个想你的日子 从你回眸而去那天开始

我的日记写成诗 诗的背后寻到你的名字




想着你的感觉 有如雨的缠绵

淋湿我的岁月而我却依然不知不觉


想着你的感觉 有如风的缱绻


吹乱我的日夜 吹也吹不走你的容颜






一个一个想你的日子 从你回眸而去那天开始

我的日记写成诗 诗的背后寻到你的名字




想着你的感觉有如雨的缠绵 淋湿我的岁月而我却依然不知不觉

想着你的感觉有如风的缱绻 吹乱我的日夜 吹也吹不走你的容颜




想着你的感觉有如雨的缠绵 淋湿我的岁月而我却依然不知不觉

想着你的感觉有如风的缱绻 吹乱我的日夜吹也吹不走你的容颜



This roughly translate as:


Every time I walked towards you, it was always done very softly,
so that you will not be surprised and discovered that you were an unreal image.

Every time I called you, it was always done very softly, so that loneliness would not hear it, mocking me for using such a gentle tone.

Every time I left, it was always done very gently, so that you would not be awaken and realized that you woke in my dreams


Every time I waited for you, it was always done very quietly, so that time will not know, using silent sighing to console me


Every day of missing you, had stacked into a house of loneliness


I walked up and down the stairs, opened and closed the doors, searching for your names in the drawers.


Every day of missing you, from the day you looked back.


My diary was written into peoms and I found your name behind the poems.


Thinking of you was like the lingering rain, unknowingly drenching my years


Thinking of you was like the loving wind, messing up my days and nights, but your face is still imprinted in my mind.

《雪花红梅》(“Snowflakes and Red Plum Blossoms”) and 《三寸天堂》 (“Short Lived Heaven”)

This is the song that I loved most in 《步步惊心》(“Scarlet Heart”) and it is called 《雪花红梅》 (“Snowflakes and Red Plum Blossoms”).

The MV above was a scene from the show. It sets a very beautiful mood. Loved the way the dance started behind the beaded curtains, with snow and red plum blossoms floating in the air and falling to the ground at about 1.20 mins.  Especially loved the part at 2.20 mins when the 4th Prince (played by Nicky Wu) only had eyes for Ruoxi,  with the surrounding darkened, the snow falling and Ruoxi dancing instead.  The way the 4th Prince looked at Ruoxi, the love, the longing and probably the helplessness...

在《步步惊心"》这部电视剧里, 我最喜欢的一首歌是《雪花红梅》. 以上的音乐视频取自于该剧的一个段落。我喜欢她们在珠帘后翩翩起舞, 有雪花与红梅飘荡在空中的景象,  意境很美。我尤其喜爱在2.20 分钟播的那一幕。四王子 (吴奇隆饰) 眼里只有若曦 (刘诗诗饰), 仿佛四周无人, 雪花纷飞, 跳舞的人变成了若曦。四王子看着若曦的神情, 那深情, 那渴望和那些许的无奈....

歌词 (Lyrics):

天已黑了 太阳在休息
遥远的夜空 看见闪亮的星
幻想着你我的天空 自由自在的飞翔

陪我歌唱 坐在弯弯的月亮
秋天过了 寒冬快来了
看见梅花枝叶 散落在眼前
星光闪耀的夜 却触不到你的脸
独自眷恋 我已再不能停息

雪花红梅飘 在空中
你的关怀 总让我感到心动
想起你的温柔 心情像花一样红
其实我也害怕寒雪的刺痛
雪花红梅飘 夜冰冻
烛光点燃 让我幻想着美梦
北风吹呀吹 慢慢流下了眼泪
只能思念 让爱随着风飘荡
不再回


秋天过了 寒冬快来了
看见梅花枝叶 散落在眼前
星光闪耀的夜 却触不到你的脸
独自眷恋 我已再不能停息

雪花红梅飘 在空中
你的关怀 总让我感到心动
想起你的温柔 心情像花一样红
其实我也害怕寒雪的刺痛
雪花红梅飘 夜冰冻
烛光点燃 让我幻想着美梦
北风吹呀吹 慢慢流下了眼泪
只能思念 让爱随着风飘荡
不再回


I have found a good translation of the song's lyrics here.
I also like the song often played at the end of the show




三寸天堂MV - 步步惊心片尾曲

演唱: 严艺丹



停在这里不敢走下去,让悲伤无法上演。
下一页你亲手写上的离别,由不得我拒绝。
这条路我们走得太匆忙,拥抱着并不真实的欲望。
来不及等不及回头欣赏,木兰香遮不住伤。

不再看,天上太阳透过云彩的光。
不再找,约定了的天堂。
不再叹,你说过的人间世事无常,
借不到的三寸日光。

那天堂是我爱过你的地方。




Click here for the translation of the lyrics.


Friday 17 May 2013

《步步惊心》 (Scarlet Heart)

The show 《仁医》 (”Dr Jin“) reminded me of another time travel TV drama which I watched in 2011, titled 《步步惊心》 (Scarlet Heart). This was a china production and the story was based on the popular online novel of the same title. I was glad to find that Nicky Wu and Damian Lau were one of the main actors. 


"Scarlet Heart" was about a girl named Zhang Xiao (played by Cecilia Liu) who met with a car accident. When she woke up, she realized she had travelled back in time to the Qing Dynasty (China) and was in the body of Ma Er Tai Ruoxi, the sister of the eigth Prince's wife. There she began the process of adapting to palace life after being chosen to be a palace maid to serve the emperor snacks and tea. She learnt not to take sides and not be involved in politics. She also learnt to accept the fact that she won't be the only women or wife of the man she loved in the Qing Dynasty. 

She managed to gain the emperor's trust and fatherly love. She was also on good terms with many of the Princes and were in love with 2 of them (at different point in time). While she tried so hard to be with the man she loved, eventually she chose not to marry the man whom she loved when she could. The irony.


There was always a question in Ruoxi's mind. She did not know what her ending would be but she knew what would happen to the people around her from the Qing Dynasty. 

One of the quotes that I like from the show were “既来之, 则安之”, which means "take things as they come". This was the advice given by the 4th Prince (played by Nicky Wu) to Ruoxi. If you can't change anything, take things as they come.

Another phrase which always came out in the show was “立场不同”, which means different standpoint. There was no right or wrong, bad or good, just that they happened to be in a different position, so they handle the matter in that way which will usually hurt the other party in order to survive in the power struggle. I thought that was an interesting point, because most show will portray one party as the ultimate villian and the other party as the "good guy". This was also a point made by Jingzhuo in the show 《仁医》(“Dr Jin”) .

This drama was very exciting. It was a great show and many people had been anticipating a sequel to it. I was very happy to learn that they are currently filming the sequel. Scarlet Heart 2 will wrap up filming in June and is expected to broadcast at year end. Hope MediaCorp will telecast it here in Singapore too! 

The songs broadcast in 《步步惊心》 (“Scarlet Heart”) were all very nice too. Will discuss this in another post.



Quotes from "96°C Cafe"

"96°C Cafe" is currently airing on Channel 8, every Mondays to Fridays at 9 pm.    


I like these lines from the show last night:

Ruolin: "一个人年纪再大, 都需要一个可以依靠, 相依为命的人。" (No matter how old you are, you still need someone for emotional support.)

Liqiao: "这个人不容易找,找得到未必适合,适合, 也未必能在一起。" (Finding that person is hard. The person you've found may not be the right one or the right person may not grow old with you)

Ruolin:  "所以说, 一旦找到了, 就要紧紧牵着对方的手,不要轻易放开。" (If you ever find the  right person, hold on to that person's hand and never let go)

Ruolin was telling her brother Liqiao not to give up on the one he loved.








Wednesday 15 May 2013

《求婚》 (Marriage Proposal)

In a previous post titled Romantic Things, I had mentioned that Zhao Yonghua's song being very down to earth.

When talking about Zhao Yonghua's song, I must really mention this song called 《求婚"》(Marriage Proposal). This song is very catchy. The rythm is light-hearted and the lyrics are very cute  Coupled with the MV, it's a perfect match. This is one of my favourite songs of all time.

在之前的 Romantic Things 里,我提到赵咏华的歌有一个特色,那就是歌词生活化。

既然谈到赵咏华的歌, 我不得不提“求婚”这首歌。这首歌朗朗上口。节奏轻快,歌词也很可爱。加上那音乐视频,简直是绝配。这是我到现在还非常喜欢的一首歌。




求婚

作詞 姚若龍 
作曲 李正帆


你说你有一只可爱的小狗 总是埋怨你不懂得照顾它
又说你有一间美丽的厨房 只可惜没有飘过饭菜香

我不哭不笑不点头也不摇头
看着你的汗像下雨一样的流
要等你说够一百个求婚的理由
量一量我在你的心中到底有多重


你说你一有钱就花得光光 实在需要人替你管管帐
又说你朋友总会欺负你傻 得靠聪明的伴帮你别上当

我不哭不笑不点头也不摇头
假装你的话还不够让我感动
我非要听够一百个求婚的理由
谁叫你你让我等这天等了那么久


你说你厚厚胸膛冬暖夏凉靠着你保证睡得特别香
又说你虽然平常记性不好老婆交代的话可就不会忘


This roughly translate as:


You said you have a cute little dog, you always complain you don't know how to take care of it.
You also said you have a beautiful kitchen, it's a pity that it's not been used for cooking。

I did not give you any reply
Looking at you sweating like the rain
I want to hear your 100 reasons for proposing
To see how much I mean to you.

You said you always spend all your money, you really need someone to manage your finances.

You also said your friends always bully you because you are muddle-headed
You need a smart companion so that you won't fall for their tricks.

I did not give you any reply
Pretending that your words were not enough to touch my heart
I must hear your 100 reasons for proposing 
Who asked you to let me wait for so long.

You said your chest is warm in winter and cool in summer, I will definitely sleep well on it.
You also said although you are forgetful, you will remember whatever your wife tells you to do.



Tuesday 14 May 2013

《仁医》 (Dr Jin)

This Korean drama 《仁医》 aired on MediaCorp's Channel U every Monday to Friday, at 10 pm.  Last night was the last episode. It was about a doctor named 秦赫 (Qin He) who accidentally fell off the hospital's building. When he woke up, he realized that he had travelled 150 years back in time to the Joseon Dynasty (1860s).

There, he met a girl named Yonglai who looked like his sister, Meina who also happened to be his fiancee.

Initially, we  (Lynn and I) found the show a bit boring and can be gruesome to watch when they perform surgery on patients.  However, as we continued to watch, the drama got more interesting and exciting.

We didn't know which side Jingzhuo was on.  On the one hand, he seemed to be helping the Regent while, on the other hand, he was helping his father, who was the Left Premier.  It was only on the second last episode that we finally knew that he was indeed helping his father.  Whatever he did to help the Regent, they were done upon the instructions of his father so as to trap or trick the Regent into making a wrong move. 

We also did not know why Qin He travelled 150 years back in time to Joseon Dynasty. Chunhong, who is the most famous prostitute in that time and a fortune teller, told him that because he had saved  those who should not be saved (especially by saving the Left Premier's life), history was changed. He made penicillin many years before it was discovered.  Riots happened before the dates that he learnt in history and were more severe.

The events were all jumbled up.  However, those people who were supposed to die still died eventually. For example, a prostitute whom he managed to save by giving her penicillin, died later by committing suicide.  A poor lady whom he saved after she was kicked by a horse later died while saving her son during a fire.  The war that happened between the Joseon Dynasty and France ultimately still happened despite the efforts made by Yonglai and Qin He to prevent it from happening.  (It was due to the persecution of Catholics in the Joseon Dynasty that led to France declaring war on the Joseon Dynasty)

We also did not fully understand the parallel universe concept.  It seemed that Meina was the reincarnation of Yonglai in the modern era and they were supposed to share the same fate.  If Meina died in the modern era (she met with an accident before Qin He travelled to the past), Yonglai would also die and vice versa.

On the last episode, Qin He managed to save Yonglai's life.  When he returned to the future, he also managed to save Meina's life.  I supposed it's a good ending.

Note:   秦 is probably pronounced as Jin in Korean, hence the title "Dr Jin"


Saturday 11 May 2013

Yoei Egg Boiler - Part 2 (Salted Eggs)


Yesterday, we used the Yoei Egg Boiler to cook salted eggs that were stored at room temperature (maybe about 29°C to 30°C). The recipe called for 50 ml of water to cook 6 eggs stored at 25°C. 


We put 50 ml of water onto the heating plate, placed 3 salted eggs on the egg holding tray, covered it and pressed the button.




See the button light up on the next picture.





The light indicator will go off once the eggs were done. The salted eggs were cooked in about 10 minutes.






Part 1    Part 3    Part 4


Friday 10 May 2013

《关怀方式》 (“The Way I Care”)



I first heard this song 《关怀方式》 (The Way I Care) on TV in the telemovie 《七月俏佳人》 (“Cupid Love”) .  This telemovie was shown on TV in 1995.  The lead actress was 朱茵 (Athena Chu) and and lead actor was 陈汉玮 (Chen Hanwei). The storyline was a simple but touching love story.

Initially, I thought this song was sung by Athena Chu and Chen Hanwei.  Some time later, I found out that the female singer was 蔡礼莲 (Leelian Chua).  This was the song that brought her to fame.


关怀方式  The Way I Care

Verse 1:
寂寞开在心事旁随手种一些伤感
不让星星来窥探找个沉默的夜晚

Verse 2:
找个沉默的夜晚不让星星来窥探
随手种一些伤感寂寞开在心事旁

Chorus:
我的关怀方式是你无法察觉的悲凉,
只能在你不经意时才锁上我心房。
你往常的亲切友善是我今生的遗憾,
受伤后无悔的埋在不流露的脸上。


Each phrase ends with a word the the "an" or "ang" sound which really rhymes.  You can see there were some phrases that I put in purple, blue, green and red.  The words in each phrase are the same for the phrases in the same colour.  You will also notice that the last phrase in verse 1 is the same as the first phrase in verse 2, third phrase in verse 1 is the same as the second phrase in verse 2 and so on.  Such a unique way to write lyrics and still make sense when the phrases were sung in reverse order.

This is a simple song.  Simple in the sense that it did not have too many different lyrics yet the words were so meaningful and touching.  Of course the tune is very nice and catchy too.  I also love the fact that the guitar was used as the main musical instrument in this song.  Simply love the sound of guitar.

I think this song had become a classic.


This is what I understand from the song.  Hope the translation is correct.


Verse 1:
Loneliness is in the mind, planting seeds of sadness,
Don't let the stars come and pry, find a silent night.

Verse 2:
Find a silent night, don't let the stars come and pry,
Planting seeds of sadness, loneliness is in the mind.

Chorus:
The way I care is something that you are not aware.
I can only keep my feelings so that you are not aware.
Your usual friendliness is my lifelong regret.
No regrets will be shown even after getting hurt.