STELLA & TIM'S WEDDING

One of my secondary schoolmate is getting married!! Congrats Stella and Tim!! I attended their wedding ceremony at the church and then went for the wedding banquet at night.

They are both Christian and their wedding ceremony was wonderful!! Stella looked beautiful!! She smiled a lot and was so happy!!

I enjoyed the banquet as well!! It was good to see old friends again! Just like another gathering!!

STANLEY BEACH

I got a hangover today and I woke up at around 2pm. My throat was so dry and my stomach didn't feel so well. Drinking much is really good for health. I wasn't sure how Dirk was so I texted him and waited for his reply. Then I called Connie to see if she was awake. We couldn't go to Macau coz it was already late. Dirk texted me at around 3pm and he said he went home last night coz he couldn't find us.

I met Dirk at 6pm at his hotel and then walked to meet Connie at the minibus stop where we were going to Stanley. When I saw Dirk, he looked awful and he explained why he left us alone and what happened in the club... Lucky him!! He really had great time!! Or may be he was just day dreaming lol I knew why he didn't pick my phone call and replied my messages now lol

We had a walk in Stanley and then rested on the rock next to the sea. The sea breeze was so gentle and it cooled me down. I felt good to just relax and chat there. I didn't realise it could be so relaxing by just sitting on the rock and do nothing. Usually when I go to Stanley, I go for barbecue and I rarely just sit there (gotta get rid of the sunshine).

When it's getting dark, we walked back to the Stanley mainstreet and then had dinner at a Italian restaurant. Dirk doesn't like Chinese food at all especially the chicken feets lol Chinese food scary him, huh? :D



We went back to CWB after dinner and then sent Dirk back to hotel coz we all were so tired and we wanted to catch up some sleep after the clubbing night out.

ANN SALLY BEST OF THE BEST

Going out with my friends but they were late so I went to Hong Kong Records to kill time. Didn't mean to buy any CDs but after listening this album, I like it. I have never heard Anna Sally and I dunno where she is from but her voice is very good and the songs are very easy listening. This is the kinda vocal Jazz that I like so I just bought her CD.

I looked up her info when I got home and found that she is Korean by ancestry but she was born and raised in Japan. She doesn't sound like Japanese at all!! There are 3 Japanese songs in this album but I like the English songs more. It's good to listen in the middle of the night.

DAVID GREILSAMMER PIANO SOLO

Watching the Piano Solo of David Greilsammer at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts tonight. It was quite hard to find the way and we were almost late. I expected the concert hall would be quite big but it was so small!!

Actually I have no idea who Greilsammer is but me and my friends want to join some events of Le French May so we chose to watch this Piano Solo. I like classical music but I was very disappointed with his performance. He has skill but not really impressive and he played piano like practising piano at home. He had to read the music scores (usually the pianist memorises the songs and no need to read the music scores) and he threw the music scores on the ground after finishing the chapter.

He played 6 pieces but I only know Mozart Sonate en la mineur and Mozart Sonate en Do mineur. Other pieces were quite boring and we almost fell asleep. I can't say he wasn't good but it's just he played non-standard repertoires which didn't impress me much.

BACKSTREET BOYS CONCERT

Went to AsiaWorld Expo to watch BACKSTREET BOYS concert tonight. It's my first time to go there!! So far away!! It took me nearly an hour to there!!

There were no reserved seats, only free standing area. We bought the $480 tickets and we didn't go there early so there were many people when we arrived. I couldn't see the Backstreet boys clearly!! They were too far away!! And the audio was not good!! I was a bit disappointed. But so far the atmosphere was good especially when they sang the old songs. All the audiences followed them to sing, clap hands and wave!! We got hyper when they sang Everybody and Shape of my Heart :D

It was so hard to take the pics coz I couldn't get closer. The pics are so blurry!! Maybe I should have bought my tripod? :D

I was the fan of Backstreet Boys 10 years ago and what a shame that Kevin has left the group. I really liked him. It would be better if he could come for the concert. BSB has changed a lot!! They are no more boys but MEN :D But they can still sing and dance well!! It was a good show!!

PETER AND THE WOLF

A friend recommended some songs which are very suitable to listen alone at home at night or on a lazy Sunny day. I'm not a folk song fan but Peter and The Wolf's songs are really good. It makes me feel relaxed. I like "The Apple Tree", "Slient Movies", "Scarlet and Grey"... Sometimes it's good to listen different kinda songs but not only the main stream music. It makes your day a little bit difference ;)

RÉVÉRENCE

Shopped around at HMV today and then I bought this CD "Révérence" by Henri Salvador. Actually I wanted to buy his other album "Chambre Avec Vue" but it was out of stock. What a shame. I know him by accident coz once my friend sent me some Jazz songs and I found his voice is very magnetic. His voice doesn't sound like he is 90 years old!! It's a wonderful album!!

FRINGE CLUB LIVE JAZZ ORCHESTRA

Watched Live Jazz Orchestra at Fringe Club, it was great!! But the theatre was small and there were not enough seats so we had to stand all the way. But I enjoyed it!!

After watching the orchestra, we wanted to have a drink at LKF but all the pubs were full of people so we went to TST Ned Kelly's to have a drink, eat some snacks and enjoy Jazz band show again. It's really a good place to chitchat and relax!!

"big onion rings @ Ned Kelly's"

NED KELLY'S

Chilling out at Ned Kelly's after French lesson. I wanted to go there long time ago since I knew there is Jazz live band show. Didn't plan to go there tonight but suddenly someone also wanted to go too so we went there to see how it is.

It's totally like a differnt world when I get into the pub. The woody decoration and atmosphere are good!! It's a how Jazz/Blues bar should feel like. Most of them are foreigners and middle-aged customers, they go there to enjoy the live Jazz music. We ordered few drinks, potato skins and salad. The potato skins were great but I didn't like the salad. Can't believe they made with canned tuna.

Live band show is from around 9.30pm - 1am. Luckily we booked the table, the pub was quite full! We had to share a table with 3 Dutch men. But they were nice and funny and they talked to us. I supposed they are also Jazz lovers! They even bought us drinks without telling us! I had great time and I love the live Jazz music!! It makes me want to learn saxophone so much!! I was in cheerful mood and I felt so relaxed. A great place to chill out!!

1ST PIANO LESSON SINCE 8 YEARS AGO!!

I have been thinking to start learning piano again but due to many reasons, I didn't really mean to start it. I was worried that I may be only keen to learn for a short while and also the main reason is I never have enough time to practise. My schedule is very tight and I need something to motivate me.

I hardly remember when was my last piano lesson, probably 8 or 9 years ago. I wonder if I paid more efforts, I could be a piano teacher now. God knows?! Well I'm not learning for being a teacher, I'm learning for interest only. I had my 1st lesson today and this teacher is very strict. He can point out my problem without looking my fingers!! Oopps! I didn't know my fingering is so wrong!! Kinda frustrated and I regret I have wasted lots of time before... Hopefully it's not too late to start again!! I still have a year and a half!!

MUSIC

I realise those years that I was only learning how to play piano but not learning how to perform music. I don't just want the techniques but I want more than that. Like how to establish your own style and how to perform a song with your heart. Also it's important to know the music history and the style of differnt music period. A good teacher can shorten your way to be a good performer. What a shame my piano teachers were craps. There is no mearning to play a song but you don't know the composer and the background story. Music is not that simple!! I'm glad to know somone is being a responsibile piano teacher. Teaching for money? No way!!

BAND BAND BAND

Kinda busy work today... The new staff had worked for a week only and she resigned yestday... Oh my god, I just taught her some stuff and now I have to work them all by myself again. She made some mistakes and I have to fix the problem. Why me? Sigh...

After work I had French lesson, level 3 is much difficult than level 2!! Especially the grammar!! I'm afraid I can't catch up. Too busy to study!! I really need someone to help me with my French.

Tonight I joined a friend and his band memebers to see them jaming songs. It was so fun and great!! I start to think I really need to practise my piano playing. I shouldn't have stopped playing for so many years!! My fingers are so stiff!! What a shame!!

LES CHORISTES IN CONCERT

Watching LES CHORISTES concert today! The cute little singers all had lovely sweet voices! So amazing!! Especially the lead tenorist, he has a fine treble voice!! The songs were great and impressive! After the concert we got chance to take pics with the little singers and get the autobiography. Lucky :D

"Cute lead tenorist"

I WISH YOU LOVE

I like this song very much in both French and English version. The haunting melody evokes my memories wistfully. The Original French Version is Que reste-t-il de nos amours, I don't understand the French lyrics. I only know the song name Que reste-t-il means What remains of our Love. The melody is deeply touching my heart.

I WISH YOU LOVE
English lyrics by Albert A. Beach

Goodbye, no use leading with our chins
This is where our story ends
Never lovers, ever friends
Goodbye, let our hearts call it a day
But before you walk away
I sincerely want to say
I wish you bluebirds in the spring
To give your heart a song to sing
And then a kiss, but more than this
I wish you love
And in July a lemonade
To cool you in some leafy glade
I wish you health
But more than wealth
I wish you love
My breaking heart and I agree
That you and I could never be
So with my best
My very best
I set you free
I wish you shelter from the storm
A cozy fire to keep you warm
But most of all when snowflakes fall
I wish you love
But most of all when snowflakes fall
I wish you love
I wish you love
I wish you love, love, love, love, love
I wish you love

salle des pas perdus

Kinda stressed out these days, got a chance to listen this album and it's good! Her soft, silky voice blends with light jazz melodies relax me a bit especially in the middle of the night.

GOODBYE / airsupply

2 Korean colleagues has come to our office from Korea today. They don't really look like Korean. They look more like Japanese and Chinese. I don't contact with these 2 Korean colleagues much and I didn't expect to have dinner with them at night. I was so tried and I wanted to go home as quick as I can. We had dinner at JIN LUO BAO, it's quite boring to talk about business at dinner and I was a bit fed up with it.

After dinner we went to Korean karaoke box, it was quite entertaining but there were no new Cantonese/Mandarin songs. I found an English old songs "Goodbye" which sang by Air supply and I like it! I heard it long time before but this song didn't impress me. But now I think it's good.

you would never ask me why

my heart is so disguised

i just can't live a lie anymore

i would rather hurt myself

than to ever make you cry

there's nothing left to say but good-bye

GLOOMY SUNDAY

Someone told me the story of a haunting song "GLOOMY SUNDAY", it's a song written by a Hungarian painist Rezso Seress in 1933. It is also called "Suicide Song" because over a hundred people felt too depressing and committed suicide after listening to it. It seems like this song was being cursed. Seress's fiancee left him so he wrote this song to win her heart back but she also committed suicide after listening to it.

I'm curious about the power of this Suicide Song, I've listened the original Hungarian version, the piano instrument version and other English versions, I think this song is very impressive. It's a very blue song and I like the melody. But what make people suicide? I can't believe music can kill anyone. Or may be today is a sunny Sunday and I'm not in blue mood so I can't feel the power of this song :P

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime . . . Lead me, save me from my solitude . . .

Watched Phantom of the Opera Musical tonight, it was excellent!! The stage effect was amazing and impressive. Phantom's deep touching voice was near perfection. I like the final scene in the cave with Raoul, Christine and The Phantom, it made my emotionally driven. It's worth to pay so much to watch this musical.

The only impection was the chandelier, it wasn't as grand as I thought. I watched the film version of POTO, the chandelier was so beautiful but this one didn't look so good. Anyway it was AWESOME!!

++ the chandelier ++

Moonlight Sonata - Adagio sostenuto

Suddnely want to play this song but I haven't played piano for many years, my fingers are stiff. It's quite frustrated but I can't blame.

Beethoven composed the famous Moonlight Sonata and dedicated it to his love. There are 3 movements, I like the 1st movement most. It sounds mysterious, the haunting melody is dark and whisper like.

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA TICKET

Finally I reserved the tickets of The Phantom of the Opera Musical! Yay! I didn't want to reserve the most expensive tickets but the cheap tickets are fully booked. But at least it's cheaper to watch it in London. I hestitated to book Stage A final row of Stalls or 1st row of Circle but seems it Circle is better coz it's on the upper floor. Really can't wait to watch it!!