Apr 25, 2009

My Confession

I'm a big but quiet fan of Josh Groban. Love the song My Confession. My most favorite song of all time! It's the song I listened over and over again when I was in Antarctica.


Andrea Bocelli and Josh Groban - The Prayer (Grammy Awars Live) from Joshwa on Vimeo.


Pride & Prejudice: My Confession from darcywil on Vimeo.

Vivo Per Lei

I chanced upon an awesome song & video today on YouTube when I was reviewing the song I Dreamed a Dream (made famous now by Susan Boyle). It so happened that Hayley Westenra sang it when she was 14! Borned in 1987, that made it 5 years ago. I was then given a treat when one thing led to another and I found the song Vivo Per Lei which she does a duet with Andrea Bocelli.
Here it is, listen to the song first & then read what I thought about it.



Do you like it? I love it! It is such a beautiful song. A song which helps me feel what is inside myself. That journey to a place which you can't see or be seen by others, the journey to the heart. You know it exists, you can certainly feel it. It is when one is touched by a smile, a breeze, a child, a moment, anything beautiful to you... It is that moment when you feel you are alive and happy to be alive!

I do not aim to share my 'special' knowledge of anything, but I try to write about how I feel about everything. I think that's the only way I could have witnesses to my mere existence. My knowledge, my intelligence (or my stupidity), my action, my job... they all do not define me. My feeling does so and that is something I'd like to share, be it to just one person, a hundred, a thousand or the entire world. 

Apr 23, 2009

I Dreamed a Dream

Les Misérables is one of the musicals which I've long forgotten. If not for Susan Boyle.
I landed in London early morning 4 years ago or possibly even longer, very early, about 6 am after 12 hours in the air. Had the hotel concierge got me a ticket and that was the only night he managed to find a ticket to the show. Spent the day around London & by the time I got to the musical, I was not tip top. Ok, I'm owning it up here... I even dozed off half way through the show (it was a long one btw). I was out of control, simply couldn't help it!

But, I do remember this song. I knew I liked it, but there are many other songs which I liked too. Les Miserables didn't leave a deep imprint in my mind, much less my heart! Although it did my colleague who had actually seen it 5x, I was recently told. Les Miserables, 5x? OMG!

What I'm trying to say is this... at times, something in a show, movie, or event, makes it bigger than it otherwise is. This is one instance. Susan Boyle's rendition of the song makes it a stunning revelation; a calling which deep down we all have at some point in time, especially the world is now in its deepest recession (or depression for many). It is a case of "There's nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come (Victor Hugo)". It speaks to the world audience, of desperation, of hope, of the past, the present & the uncertain future.


When Fantine was unemployed & destitute, it is the same circumstance as many of us are in right now. When Susan Boyle sang the first verse, I was touched deep inside. Deeply touched. It's something in her voice that did it. I couldn't help myself from shedding tears. Not because I think she's destitute or because she's pathetic. It's not her, and possibly not even her voice. It is not the song either. I think it is HER rendition of the song. In this case, she has made something which have existed in public eyes for decades and turned it into something of a miracle. That to me is God is speaking.

Trivia: The song I dreamed a dream has also been sung on the night of President Clinton's inauguration.



Hayley Westenra sang the very same song when she was 14 in 2002. I love her voice!


Another rendition of the very same song by Elaine Page.


After going through the many artiste who had sung the song, I think the X-factor truly lies in the song I Dreamed A Dream!!!

Today's Video: Spente Le Stelle by Emma Shapplin

Apr 22, 2009

My Lunch 'date' with Jet Li

Technically, I am not a fan of Jet Li's movies & not an idol of him in his acting capabilities.
His movies are entertaining enough & his acting good enough to be famous. Yet, I was not and am still not dying to catch his next movie.

BUT, as a person, he holds a great attraction for me. This revelation is a result of having watched an interview of him in Shanghai. From this 2 hours of interview (you'll need to understand Chinese to grasp the whole conversation which I'll try to upload here or link it to the site) and discussions about what he believes in, what he is currently venturing on, he has impressed upon me how similar we are in our believes & thought processes. That is a great revelation to me, to find someone out there whom I don't really know anything about for many years & then to instantly find that connection. On top of that, he convinces me about his cause. That is what most people would not be able to convince me of. & for that, I do admire him.

I shall not write to much about what his believes are here as I believe everyone has a chance to discover it for himself/herself (again, you need to understand Chinese to do so). It is a journey into one's core belief if you choose to watch these few videos. These videos have completely changed my prior perception of Jet Li the actor. It is the best interviews I've watched on CBN (China Business News, Shanghai) this year.

李连杰:慈善是一门生意(上)
李连杰:慈善是一门生意(下)
李连杰:天生我才必有用(上)
李连杰:天生我才必有用(下)


Note: You need windows player to play these videos.

P.S. This is the same review I posted on Lunch about Jet Li.

Apr 21, 2009

Let's do Lunch after VT


As some of you might have know, I was into travelogues many years ago. Spent majority of my waking hours on VirtualTourist. Made some great friends along the way too & got to see many parts of the world which I otherwise wouldn't have step into!

Well, the boss JR Johnson sold it off and is beginning to launch another site. So, he has invited me over to Lunch! Sorry about the delay of posting of this post. I've been otherwise engaged & have been investigating about the potential of Lunch. The verdict?

Lunch is still in its infancy. A beta version as it is appropriately labelled. There are some fine tunings (as with our selection on the menu when we go lunch) that need to be ironed out. And imho, narrowed its selection into groups (remember about going to a restaurant that offers too many selections to the extent that we are at a loss as to what to order? yep, i got that feeling after 2 days navigating the site & trying to write some reviews. It's a little big (even at this initial stage!) and in disarray. It definitely has potential. It'd be great if I get a map when I enter the compound though. At times, I feel lost! It's like going to WDW without a map! What exactly is Lunch? It's central theme is quite similar to VirtualTourist. A platform for interested party to voice themselves (in VT case, about travel & the travel relatede) on anything (literally under the sun) they are interested in. In other words, blogging & rating about whatever that caught your attention, be it good or bad. If Lunch is able to draw crowds & tons of audience who turn into writers, then it can be great site. The most crucial issue, imho, is how to manage the site when it gets real big & messy. Trust me, from my many years of experience on VT, it can be real messy (without even getting too big)! All in all, best of luck to JR Johnson! I hope you can make Lunch into our main meal of the day!

Apr 20, 2009

Reeve, Fox & Swayze... Always looking up!

What do Reeve, Fox & Swayze have in common?
I read about Swayze with cancer just 2 days ago, and I wondered what had happened to Fox. These are actors who have one way or another entertained us, inspired us & made us laughed & cried at the very same time.

Christopher Reeve left me with Somewhere in Time & Superman. Michael J. Fox with Family Ties & Back to the Future while Patrick Swayze with Dirty Dancing & Ghost. Yet, they are people who were/are fighting for their lives. What's important though is that they have left us with a legacy. A legacy that when you look back on your own life, they've been there with you at some point of your life.




Apr 19, 2009

Harry Potter & the Economy

It's said "dark times bring people together".
The winter is over and the summer is just around the corner. Harry Potter & Half-blood Prince will be in theater soon, probably after Angels & Demons.
I've followed every single episode of Harry Potter since the very beginning. Just as I once did Indiana Jones, Star Wars & The Matrix. Why are these movies & books so exciting & endearing? The central theme? To me, imagination, creativity & the good always triumph. Hollywood is that part of America where anything & everything is possible. It is the realm of possibility, of hope & of personal freedom. What's keeping the American spirit in Hollywood will still be what's keeping the American spirit in real if all those in America still believes it. 

We see that deviation in the last decade in America politics. And with it, brought the downfall of its economy.



Today's Read: An organism survives Antarctica, and may be Mars (Time)

Today's Video: Time 100: Are You on the List?

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