Book Heavens

Cartoonist Syem is making a caricature of me!

Within the last two weeks from this post has been a fun time for me to do book-shopping. Why not? There is a major book fair still going on at PWTC until 28th March 2010 where I spent two consecutive days seeking the desired titles and also entering new realms of books. I am also happy that these days we could easily find interesting-looking books and novels for kids and pre-teens. There are also motivational or informational books for them which are written and presented in such a way that it looks pretty and fun to delve in and enjoy the content. This is quite important for me because I would love to nurture the reading habit to my young nephews and nieces and to provide them another option to learn things. And also, giving them another choice to fill up the time rather than watching tv, playing computer games and other not-so-beneficial things or let themselves get carried away by the stresses created whether directly or indirectly by the adults around them, enduring sometimes hard life themselves.

With the author of "How To Think Like Mahathir"..the author spent 6 years with the man himself to conduct her study of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)

...or maybe I am the one who got carried away in this post..haha..Anyway, the point is, I love all the books that I bought...perhaps it would take the whole year to finish reading all of them, with the time that I sometimes find it hard to organize. Perhaps, I can write about some of them in this blog...that can be an enjoyable thing to do, sharing with like-minded people.

Then one day I decided to spend some free time before starting my shift, where else but at Amcorp Mall, Petaling Jaya, the mall that has been no stranger to me since it is very near to my office and it has several book shops which can make me dried up of $$$ if I didn't control myself. The latest addition to this book heaven is Book Xcess. If I'm not mistaken, this bookstore started smaller in one lot before upgrading itself to bigger lots. 

The vast collection of my favourite genre..filling up the entire wall!!

And many books are with a deliciously low price! If you go to its website you can browse its collection and the price it offers.

Ah, I am so happy..it's time to enjoy them.....

Much ado about talking

Talk.
Talk is the best remedy when you have a great partner.
Talk is thought-provoking when challenged.
Talk is panic-stricken when attacked without warning.
Talk is constipating when everything goes wrong.
Talk is silence when in doubt.

Talk is an important element in a conversation. A moment of conversation is priceless when it is being done in the right way. Talk does not have a complete meaning without listen. Talk and listen are the couples of a mighty boost in a relationship. Talk well. Listen well. Stay together.

Music: "For Your Entertainment" Adam Lambert

This album is the first music cd I bought after several years of not doing so and after several years of not keeping up with the latest tune on the scene. For some quick info, this singer is the first runner-up of the American Idol Season 8 ( a show which I never follow..the same with other singing reality shows..) and first conquered the music scene with the first single "For Your Entertainment", an OST for the movie "2012" and this album. Truth be told his first single didn't amaze me that much to buy the album. Anyway, it was the second single and a little bit Youtube browsing of his live performances that made the call. Well, I am a fan of live music. Anybody with a great live performance is my favourite. So yeah...and here is my two cents in this album..track by track.

Music Again
The rocking intro of this track quickly set the pace and make you start moving right away. At some point I thought he sounded like Mika..but anyway, it's a good fast tune. My favourite line from this would be "But now you're giving me back my raison d'etre, and I'm inspired again.." which made me learn a new phrase, raison d'etre, meaning reason or justification for being or existence. It is inspiring to meet or find something that make you bounce back to life and make you feel like a brand new person, isn't it?

For Your Entertainment
Most probably this track does not mean anything to me other than the singer's statement that "I'm here and gonna rock your world with my music". Good tune to dance. But not my favourite.

Whataya Want From Me
When I first heard this track on the radio I didn't know yet who's the singer but I already like it. This is one of my favourites in this album. Just that I like the music and part of the song is about keep holding on to love and try to work it out, which is somehow connected to my life at the moment.

Strut
This is a fast tune but honestly, I didn't quite like this one more than the others. However, hearing through the lines..."....and get yourself some validation. You got something to say, your hands are tied. Open your mouth, open it wide. Let the freedom begin." Yes, liberation is what I want...

Soaked
Listening to its grandioso intro, I thought I am in an orchestra...feels so 'orchestratic' if the word even exists. Then the tune start to mellow and even feels like crawling...at once I thought the sound seemed familiar. Like a Muse song. Looked for the songwriter and it's Matt Bellamy..of course, that's why I thought there's a Muse influence there. I don't like the slow crawling rendition but I love the 'orchestratic' part but all in all, it's not my favourite.   

Sure Fire Winners
Kinda like this one. I can keep replaying this track. Hearing it feels like it's a song with boosting confidence and going all out in this world with high self-esteem. One of my favourite fast tunes.

A Loaded Smile
This track is obviously about a fading love to someone or a love turn sour...I felt so stuck in my mind with this slow number...can't go anywhere..so melancholy..the keyboard solo is not to my liking..so, not liking it so much. Probably a person who can get connected with the story inside would feel more about this song.

If I Had You
A nice tune to dance but not one of my favourites. Other than that, I am quite neutral about this track. Nothing more to comment.

Pick U Up
This is Rivers Cuomo (Weezer)'s song. I like this track. Really, I actually don't quite get the meaning of this track but how I understand it is probably about waiting for something good to happen to you but you can enjoy all the things happening right now..cherish the moment, have a blast. The track has the 'let go' feeling, nothing stressful. Free.

Fever
This is the song that he collaborated with Lady GaGa. Not so much to my liking. I can skip this track anytime. I learned another new phrase in this song, though....ménage à trois, hah, what a meaning..I don't have the heart to write it here, please find it yourself. But it is as silly as the line goes "Just you and me and the bar, silly ménage à trois..." lalala..

Sleepwalker
One of my favourites. The music is rather haunting, a Ryan Tedder (OneRepublic)'s work. It is about still being haunted by old memories after a break up...or at least that is what I understand. Though the meaning is not connected to me in any way, but I like the music. And great guitar solo there too.

Aftermath
My numero uno song in this album! And it happens that the singer himself wrote this strong, beautiful track. The first few lines of this track, at first I thought his voice sounded like Daughtry. There are some parts in here where his voice is a little bit deep and the whole piece is well-rendered. I really want to hear this being sung live, couldn't find it anywhere yet in the Tube. But I'm guessing that with a terrific vocal ability that he has, I doubt that I will be disappointed. "..Take a step before you leap, into the colors that you seek. You get back what you give away, so don't look back on yesterday." Love this song.

Broken Open
The longest track in this album. This one also has the haunting and mysterious feeling when I heard it. I am quite neutral about this song too. It's just too mysterious to me that I keep wondering what it is about. " I know the battles, chasing the shadows, of who you wanna be..." Uff, hit the spot there.

Time For Miracles
This is the bonus track, the OST for the movie "2012". Like it. Another song about not giving up on something that you hold so dearly.

So, that's it. It's cool that the singer co-wrote many of the songs in here. And to me with half of the tracks here are my favourites, I think the album is not too bad. Enjoy.

Life choices

Life is about making choices. It is whether to choose a healthy sandwich or a beef burger with cheese for take-out lunch. It is whether to stay at home or spend RM18 for a movie ticket when your pay day is still two weeks to come. It is whether to be a sucker at work or Ms. Commitment. It is whether to continue your sad, unhappy life or change it to be better. It is whether to keep wishing for the things you don't have or to start appreciating the things you already have. You can never know what or how will you choose until the time comes.


Sometimes, things can be done either way...it doesn't matter which one do you choose. You feel that it works for you no matter how. It's like 'no biggie'.  Anyway, feeling that way for most of the time, it is as if you don't have a direction to go. It is as if you want other people to choose for you and you depend on that option. As if you don't know what do you want. So if it doesn't work out well, who do you blame? Yourself or the person you depend on?

Oh..sometimes it is too difficult to choose...