UBS = U've Been Sacked

Singapore's 1st "One-Under"

I wasn't affected, but reminds me of another one-under on a Monday morning rush hour in London.

International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its 'Abolition' (?!)

August 23 of each year is designated by UNESCO to memorialize the trans-Atlantic slave trade.  The International Day commemorates the uprising which took place on 22-23 August 1791, when slaves in Saint Domingue (present-day Haiti), launched an insurrection which ultimately led to the Haitian revolution and helped to promote the cause of human rights. It was first celebrated in a number of countries, in particular in Haiti (23 August 1998) and Senegal (23 August 1999).


The following TED talk by Lisa Kristine was posted just in time to remind us that slavery is far from being abolished - whether the slavery remains within state borders, or exists as modern human trafficking, trans-Atlantic or otherwise.

Recorded at TEDxMaui 2012, held on January 22, 2012 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center.

If you are inspired by her amazing talk and especially her stunning photographs, and you truly want to end modern day slavery, you can buy the book (proceeds go directly to help end slavery) from Lisa Kristine's web page:
http://www.lisakristine.com/shop/books-and-dvds/slavery-standard-book/

or donate directly to Free the Slaves
www.freetheslaves.net

I want to tell you about my feelings ... Communication is like Playing Catch

From Mamoru Itoh's"I Want To Tell You About My Feelings"

http://www.itoh.com/flash/booke.html

In Singapore we have the same expression from the Hokkien dialect 'liak boh kiew' - directly translates to Singlish 'Catch no ball', which mean totally cannot understand

Democracy is not Demo-crazy

Came about when I heard some demonstrators pronounced democracy as 'demo-crazy'

Remembering Robin Gibb

YK’s 2-Cents: 

I Started A Joke

あなただけを / 醉眼看世界 / 流水年華

YK’s 2-Cents: 

Time to go down the memory lane again ... to the 70s ...

For most people, their exposure to oldies is through their grandparents or parents.  Mine came from my ex-neighbours whose priciest possession in their home was the hi-fi, and they made sure the whole neighbourhood knew about it.  流水年華 popularized by the late Taiwanese singer 鳳飛飛 Feng Fei Fei was such a hit in the 1970s, they played it all day and continued playing it well into the 1980s.  But somebody in Japan sang it before her!

This familiar classic was originally released in Japan on 25 Jun 1976 in the Summer Heartbreak album of Teruhiko Aoi.

Composed by: 常富喜雄 Yoshio Tsunetomi

Arranged by:  惣領泰則 (amazingly, this arrangement was kept for all versions!)

Original Singer: あおい辉彦 Teruhiko Aoi

Japanese lyrics by: 大野真澄 Ohno Masumi

あなただけを 

ああ今年も南の风に　诱われてきたよ　 

静かな夏の 雨に濡れた浜辺に 
今もあなたを 想いつつ 

あゝいつでもあなたの侧に いられるようになりたい 
あなたのなにげない　ちょっとした仕草さえ 
见ているだけの 仆だけど 

今より素晴しい人生 爱するあなたとならば 
かなわぬ梦もありはしない 受けとめて欲しい 

あゝあなたを爱し続けたい 仆のすべて赌けても 
一绪にいる时も 离れている时にも 
爱し続けたい いつまでも 

あゝあなたが歌を口ずさみ 仆の心を揺さぶる 
ほかの谁にも 闻かせたくないんだ 
あなたの声は仆だけに 

波打つ髪が风に吹かれ 白いうなじにからんで 
爱は永远にと嗫やいている 海より深く 

あゝ　あなたを爱し続けたい 仆のすべて赌けても 
一绪にいる时も 离れている时にも 
爱し続けたい 生きている限りいつまでも


In 1977 Hong Kong, the Cantonese lyrics for  醉眼看世界 was written by 盧國沾 and it was released in the late 羅文 Roman Tam's 家變 album.

醉眼看世界 - 羅文

醉眼看世界，亂咁派，舒我愁懷，
我醉眼看世態，人人古怪。
望見他，埋頭苦幹，

只要為兩餐，乜嘢都講快，
望見他，骨痛如柴，做到傷哂。

醉眼看世界，亂咁派，舒我愁懷，
我醉眼看世態，人人古怪。
望見她，盈盈嬌態，
搵個大闊佬，貪佢死得快，
未結婚，可以住埋，為有錢派。

飲番杯，今朝有酒今朝醉，
飲番杯，充吓小丑，夜郎自大，
飲番杯，不必記掛，聽朝博命捱，
估估吓猜枚咁去猜。

醉眼看世界，亂咁派，舒我愁懷，
我醉眼看世態，人人古怪。
望見金，人人都拜，
一見就去搶，多見不多怪，
為兩餐，只有係捱，做到癲哂。

醉眼看世界，亂咁派，舒我愁懷，
我醉眼看世態，人人古怪。

望見她，盈盈嬌態，搵個大闊佬，
貪佢死得快，為兩餐，
可以住埋，為有錢派。

飲番杯，今朝有酒今朝醉，
飲番杯，充吓小丑，夜郎自大，
飲番杯，不必記掛，聽朝博命捱，
估估吓猜枚咁去猜。

醉眼看世界，亂咁派，舒我愁懷，
我醉眼看世態，人人古怪。

望見金人人都拜，一見就去搶，
多見不多怪，為兩餐，
只有係捱，只有係捱，只有係捱，做到癲哂。

At around the same time in Taiwan, the Chinese lyrics for  流水年華 was written by 蔣榮依 and on 1 May 1978, it was released in 鳳飛飛's '花有情花有爱' album, though later renditions by 刘文正 and 庾澄慶 were popular too.

流水年華 -  鳳飛飛

朦朧地街燈　靜靜躺在小雨中　往事又掠過我心頭
猶記離別的時候　緊緊握住我的雙手
輕輕一句多珍重　眼兒也濛濛

年華似水流　轉眼又是春風柔　層層地相思也悠悠
他鄉風寒露更濃　勸君早晚要保重
期待他日再相逢　共渡白首

今宵微寒　路上行人匆匆　朦朧的街燈　孤立在小雨中
遠處傳來幽幽的歌聲　句句在我心田

年華似水流　轉眼又是春風柔　層層地相思也悠悠
他鄉風寒露更濃　勸君早晚要保重
期待他日再相逢　我期待他日再相逢　共渡白首

Interestingly, for the same melody and arrangement, the 3 lyrics portrayed entirely different emotions.  While the Japanese title translates to 'Only You', the Cantonese and Chinese version were less sentimental.  醉眼看世界 - translates to 'Looking at the World through Eyes of a Drunk', highlights the wackiness of some social behaviours.   流水年華 sings of the memories of parting with a love one, but the upbeat tune focus on sending well wishes and the anticipation of reunion.


With news of the passing of 鳳飛飛 (03 Jan 2012) at age 58 to lung cancer, and losing 羅文 about 10 years ago (18 Oct 2002) at age 52 to liver cancer, currently at age 64,  あおい 輝彦 outlived them.

Happy New Year! 2012 must be better than 2011!!!

From the live telecast of fireworks at Marina Bay after the countdown to 2012

新年進步,萬象更新!