Culture Confusion

A radio ad goes something like this

"What zit gonna be? The American Way or the Japanese Way?.... .... .... Make this a Malaysian Way!"

Have we lost our culture? Trying to be somebody we're not? YES! The Malays will keep looking at the west for influence from Kurt Cobain rock hairstyle to the recent Jay-Z, Riah-a-a-a-na bling bling / less clothes fashion. The Chinese on the majority hand, prefers to follow Naruto and all this Japan. Just few hours ago, I saw a Chinese dude with super styled up hair like Final Fantasy kind of hair. That is probably an hour wasted daily styling.

Who are we? Where do we come from? Have you have friends that goes overseas and come back with a different accent? And you'll hate it. It's like "dude... don't pretend to be them. You aren't them". Its true, no matter where you're born, or how american your english sounds like, your skin is still the same. Sorry!

Which put me to wonder... Do the westerners in turn envy us asians? And tries to be us? Hmm

Just recently I went into debate with rachel about our friend who gotten a few hours of fame on astro. She absolutely despise astro. Very "song" very "chinaman" if you want to call it. Which I agree. But then again, this is our culture. Being song can be a cool thing. HAH!

I use to dislike Malaysian songs, because they aren't nice. Very cheezy. It is like I don't know how to explain, I listened to many worship songs and seriously non of them clicks. NOT a single one. Maybe I already had this mindset about them. Then, I begin to change my point of view. I began to accept the fact that we're who we are. CHINESE! or MALAYSIANS

That's when I began to be more acceptable to local music (exp mat rock) appreciating bands like popshuvit, one buck shot... etc and who can NOT like Jason Lo's old newspaper song. I feel that song is one of the best local music ever! Immediately it clicked. We've got something no other country has. We got all these cultures that passed by us everyday. We got it! the usage of "LAH" "MEH" "LOR" words that NOT a single guai lo that I've encounter could understand such bizzare manglish & singlish.

That's when I took a turn, listen to more local music though some really bad, but still supporting and maybe one day they'll be good. Hope we can all find our place in this world soon. I hope that it'll be the Malaysian way. I end this post with this song written by Jason and Christine. Adios!

Poor boy's Christmas

I am so not in the mood for Christmas this year. Being having celebrated Christmas for 22 years, It gets world-lier every year. Jingles, Frosty, Santarina, Candy of course presents. Everyone on the street get hyped up for Christmas every year. Like it or not we feel the dying Christmas as Christians every year. Most church would have Mary and Joseph skit or any rendition of it. That is just doing the same routine. I guess my church is going to get the same deco up again pretty soon.

But I decided to download some Christmas music to cheer me up. Of course I was looking for carols. But singing the same song for 22 years ain't exactly fresh. And when I search and search. I saw Jars of Clay - Christmas Song. Got it on my iPod and just play it. The 1st track was instrumental and straight away I got the chills. Because it is very 'minor mood' and the rest of the track should I say WEIRD if you're not use to Jars of Clay.

Listening to it I feel re-energize for Christmas. Because the tunes can't sing to it (like normal carols) I can only listen. And of course JoC is lyrical. It is not all their song though. But they sang a lot of olden day carols song about Christmas. Way before jingle bells or any of the humans today are alive (probably). The focus is indeed mainly on Jesus.

But another part of it focuses on US the human. What are we giving to God? A few song sang about a poor boy as I am, what can I give?

"If I was a shepherd, I would bring a Lamb, If I were a wise man, I would do my part. What can I give him? my heart."

My love will get you home

Have you ever listen to a CD and here is as if God is speaking to you? Well I have. My colleague pops in her collection of love songs and this song started playing. A deeper research shows that she is well a Christian artist but not well known and not in the business anymore. But when she sang, it is mostly acapella, I felt the song is speaking to me.

Whether or not this song speaks from her own self or singing a gospel lyrics, I felt so much in tune with the song. I wish she continue in the entertainment business because God has blessed her with a unique voice.

You probably heard it before. But here it is

My love will get you home
Christine Glass



If you wander off too far, my love will get you home.
If you follow the wrong star, my love will get you home.
If you ever find yourself, lost and all alone,
get back on your feet and think of me, my love will get you home.
Boy, my love will get you home.

If the bright lights blinds your eyes, my love will get you home.
If your troubles break your stride, my love will get you home.
If you ever find yourself, lost and all alone,
get back on your feet and think of me, my love will get you home.
Boy, my love will get you home.

If you ever feel ashame, my love will get you home.
If its only you to blame, my love will get you home.
If you ever find yourself, lost and all alone,
get back on your feet and think of me, my love will get you home.
Boy, my love will get you home.

Passion

What's your passion like?

Hmm, like Delirious, I have also 'grown' with Hillsong UNITED. And I have been their fan for 8 years now. That would mean since I was form 3. Wow.. How would I know it is already 8 years? well all of the above is their 8th album that's why I know!

ALL OF THE ABOVE is both good and bad to me.

The good, I can see them evolves, unlike planet shakers it is huge movement now, and their album is always evolving, different sound each album, much like d: That means I won't be bored and yea this album is like how d: evolved from TOUCH to WORLD SERVICE to MISSION BELL can you imagine? And I know they have been busy touring the world and more than that, making impacts in poor countries, doing mission works.

The bad, it helps me to see where are we now compare to them. I mean, hey, 8 years ago we're a small group, about 30-40 now, we're erm.... well let's not go there, if new people comes in and no old one lefts, we well, let's not go there also. Now their songs are so hard to sing, not because we can't sing it, not because the tone is such hard tone to sing, It is the lyrics, Everytime I hear SOLUTION, I can't help to wonder, are we ready for that? or are we still at step one / zero of it? huh?

One thing is for sure, they are dominating as some have experienced it in Audi 7 last night

"But right now, we're taking HOME to the WORLD" - Joel Houston

Watch the DVD, I HEART REVOLUTION, is it time for us to have another revolution? are we ready for it? We shall find out this Saturday.

Woah-oh-oh,
God be the solution
Woah-oh-oh
We will be Your hands and be Your feet.
Yeah, yeah

How not to?

Of course the 1st thing is Piracy is wrong regardless of reason excuses. But that being said, everyone is pirates (why not? it is free afterall) so what is right and wrong? I not saying that I do not consider myself as a pirate. I do download torrents here and there.

I guess the easiest way to deal with this is always, A) Is it available in this country? If it is, go grab it. B) Can you afford that? If you can, go get it. I feel very uncomfortable when people rip pirate especially Christian music, it is "brothers and sisters in Christ" stuff you're stealing, we are call to support each another not stealing.

That being said, What I am talking in this context is Music, A lot of times, I see people rip here and there and some rip my CD without asking (YES I KNOW WHO YOU ARE). That's too much, it makes me furious, but people still rip rip rip. If you llike it grab it, if you can't alright maybe you can rip 1 or 2 cd but not like EVERY SINGLE ALBUM. It's not like you have to beg on the streets kinda 'can't afford' ok if you're that state, rip all you want, I will bless you some albums as well.

The point is, this will never get across and into people's mindset, I will still stand? or give up asking since it is pointless? NO! It may be as well true that I am tired of arguing about this matter, I wasn't that strong anymore, my principle still stand. I am sick of people ripping cds infront of me, asking me to transfer to them the entire music in my iPod / Computer. The answer is NO. I will not do it.

I have well over 40 over cds plus countless numbers of tapes, all which I saved for it, if you like music that much, you should do the same thing. Not pirate. I am offering some people good deals yet they still choose to say: "you burn for me je la"

Piracy is like Smoking, no amount of ads or gruesome pictures able to make smokers quit unless it is by their own strong will.

And the thing about piracy is: once you get hooked on it, you will find it hard to unhook because hey, its free why waste my 30 bucks? I can buy another reload card, that has more value.

I ended my day today very sadly seen 1 ripped CD, 1 Unsuccessful transfer, 1 persisting demand of me burning an album and 1 question ask if I have 2 CD so the person can rip. 4 in a day.

the question remains...