The reason I have no enemies, is because I have friends like these.
Today is my birthday. Thank you very much. Thank you to my friends who wanted to play Dota with me because it was my birthday and paid for my LAN gaming fees amounting to $7.50. Despite the fact you enjoyed yourselves more than I did. But thank you all for paying anyway. Thank you for taking my mind off the maths A Level on Friday, even though I shouldn't have. Nor should you guys. Thank you for being my friends. It's because of friends like you that I do not have enemies. Any offence taken is purely intentional and I am not joking. Of course if you were my friends you would know I was. But I say I'm not. It's my birthday! Do not oppose the birthday boy!
justin.
I forgot to thank Cambridge for that bloody difficult GP paper. Thanks alot.
I have a very stixy friend. He only breaks, never bends.
This is a story of sheer stupidity. To be more precise, the sheer amount of stupidity that can arise from putting four 18 to 19 year old boys together. To be even more precise, how 3 of them like to play a stupid game called DoTA and the other one is just plain lazy. And how this combination of stupidity plus laziness can lead to disastrous effects for them.
On a bright and sunny Monday morning(2 days before GP), the four of them were in school, studying for the coming A Level examinations. Most were practising Maths, which was on Friday, even though there was GP on Wednesday(since I already said 2 days before GP. But I like to repeat and redund myself). So after finishing about half a Math paper, some of them more, they paused for lunch, after which the stupidity comes into play. So they proceeded to Paradiz Centre to play this stupid game. Of which the stupidest was the one that didn't enjoy the game. Why go in the first place when there are lovely books to read and lovely papers to do?
On the way, each and every one of them was saying how stupid they were. And each and every one of them proved their words to be prophetically accurate. Indeed the stupidity was immeasurable. But what have they to lose? Apparently, they had not only lost 2 precious hours of studying time, $4 - which would have gained them entry into a public toilet 40 times - , but also 2 games of DoTA and for two of them, 1 game of Pudge Wars. What was gained was merely 2 hours of cheap thrills, which was gained at high opportunity cost. So technically it was two hours of expensive thrills, which I hope they do not have to pay for with their future.
shucks.
justin.
oh well. here it goes.
Days have been passing really quick these days. I guess one doesn't really notice the time when activities have become routine. It has all been going to school, trying to do essays and papers, playing PSP, going home. And 2 night study days. World domination has not been very successful as yet, due to minor distractions such as A Levels. But in the wise words of the Sage, "We sometimes have to put down our tasks at hand and focus on our distractions." Or something like that.
(Text)Books have been part and parcel of my life for so long but only recently have I suddenly developed an innate interest in what is going on within the thin, smooth and coloured pages of Strahler and Strahler, David Waugh, the black and white and yellow highlighted pages of Hashim Ali. I still haven't really gone through Great Expectations but wanting me to do that is a great expectation in itself no? Why have books become so popular in Singapore? It might have something to do with the recent invention of reading.
The point I had originally intended to make was that A Level's begin on Wednesday. Now is 3.20am on a Saturday early morning, of which I have stayed up to since Friday night. It is unhealthy and stupid but I am still doing it. What a rebel. Or as Douglas might put it - Rabbi. I better conjure a magic potion to set my body clock right. Or as Fiona might put it - conquer a magic potion. And so the beginning of the end of uniformed school life is about to begin and the beginning of another uniformed life beckons(Not if we have already achieved world domination by then). But let's focus on the distractions.
justin.
them pinkies and brains.
3 lab rats, stuck in a cage in SEEJAY [secret experiment everyone jeered at yesterday] lab, were putting themselves through a series of lab tests. Exhausted at the endless tests which they had put themselves through during this inprisonment, they made plans for their future. Molding the
mind of young lab rats, selling things to other lab rats and engaging in politics with local and foreign rats were just some things they discussed.
They arrived at the conclusion and laughed heartily, or as heartily lab rats could laugh, at it. Taking over the world. They made use of their knowledge from the various lab tests to discuss various policies. First, they would make themselves competitive with their neighbours, then their neighbour's neighbours so on and so forth. After that, there would be revolutionary plans to change the world according to the way they see fit. Just as they were going to execute their plans, the clock struck 10 and they decided to sleep. Taking over the world was too much trouble.
rantom rands. technically thats not even true.
I was very bored today. So I went to the supermarket to get some sundries. And some Mondries. And Tuesdries. And Wednesdries.....
ok not funny.
_____________________________________________________________________
On a totally unrelated note, I'd pretty much like an old school haircut. Beatles like or pseudo Beatles like, since I don't have long enough hair for a Beatles haircut. I think. You know the whole fringe above eyebrow with no parting and mushroom looking haircut. Anyway I think it might look something like this. At least I want it to.
justin.
There's only one test I want to take now.
driving test. but before that lessons and all etc.
well, why are you still here?
This is a question I would dearly love to ask myself. In fact, I have already done it. But I don't have the answer to it. At this point in time, there are 3 things on my mind. There's the A levels, which should be given top priority, since it comes first and is the most important, there's the after A levels, of grand and fantastic thoughts of liberation, and where the liberation is suddenly and abruptly cut off. Yes. National Slavery. Right now, my mind is filled with thoughts of this non-academic education. So filled with it that it has momentarily pushed the A levels out of my thoughts. For 2 days I have been doing minimal if not ZERO studying. Not the best thing in the world. In fact, it's not even good. It's VERY BAD. My brain is dying and I am unable to have any interesting and thoughtful thoughts. Not for some time. I suppose it's goodbye until after the A's then. Need to have more discipline.
justin.
i never thought i would be saying this. at this kind of time.
I don't know what has gotten into me. All of a sudden, I feel like shutting down and just playing all the way, even though I'm so close to A's. Must be my enlistment date.
January 25th BMTC School 2, 9.30 am. Anyone?
On 2nd thoughts, why did I ask this? Anyone PES C? Anyone even read my blog now? I believe not. Redundancy. I should be studying. But I want to sleep.
And while we're(hello anyone?) on the topic of sleeping, I wonder why people say you can sleep all you want after you die and that sleeping is a waste of time. The "sleep" after you die is more likely than not, in fact 100% likely to be permanent. Which means you have more or less(actually just more) no chance of waking up feeling utterly refreshed. Going to sleep already. I'm not wasting time. Not in my own opinion at least.
justin.
so here it comes.
I have taken off the lock in my blog. Because now that I'm officially graduated, the need for self-censorship is finally(I hope) no longer needed. So hello, I hope no-one extra will read it other than the people I give it to or the password might come back on. I hope I don't need to do that.
justin.
my wasn't that fast?
You know, this might be a little late. Because I graduated a full 3 days ago. Well, officially anyway. Unofficially I still have to drag my lazy ass to college to get remedial lessons and all because I need them. Well, less about that. In the blink of an eye, 2 years have just flew(sometimes crawled) by. Because we all know how sometimes minutes pass like years (in lessons) and how days fly by like seconds. The complexity of the human mind.
There were alot of lasts in the past week. The last time Zixiang, Darren and I had the plate putting back timetable. The last time we spent all lessons dreaming about break and what to eat. The last sleep in lectures. The last time I will draw on the LT tables. The last time we could mess around with the tennis ball in class. The last time we played football as school boys (in university we would be school men). The last time we chanted "eh eh eh eh eh". Maybe not. The last time etc. The list goes on and on and on and on and on.
Of course with these lasts there were firsts. Since it was the last week of school, everyone just let go and the teachers didn't mind as much. Well some of them. And these firsts and lasts were all captured on camera. In the middle of lessons(a first as well). Of which I have none because noone has sent me anything and I did not think of bringing a camera. Some people in class gave out little memorabilia to everyone. I felt so bad because I didn't give anyone anything. On graduation night then. The last of the last. Funnily enough, I have this feeling I'm gonna miss that condemned place. The place itself is quite condemned no? But the friends I made along the way, the 3.10 aunty, some of the teachers, those are the redeeming qualities I suppose.
I was thinking of a tribute to the classmates I have had for the past 2 years. But then, I think I'd do that on grad night as well. Since that's the real last day. For now, it's the A levels. The days now pass like seconds and the seconds like years. But once that becomes history...
justin.
ps. I realise this post is quite incoherent. That's probably because of the time right now, as well as my unbalanced state of mind due to a poor performance by Liverpool. And also probably because it's already 2/3 days after Friday, which means I do not remember all of the things such as the ceremony, the class lunch, which everyone went, which was a first, the $10 wasted on dota, which I did not know how to play. Wait. Why do I remember so much now? Damn.
Oh yes. What grand plans.
Sometimes what everyone has in mind is different. When everyone wants to be a leader, a mass of confusion ensues. The grand plans of each individual is then compromised and turned into a combination of what everyone doesn't really want. That's probably how civilisation works anyway. In the end, all the grand plans made remains as that. A plan.
While we are on characters, Mr John Lennon.
So anyway, as the title suggests, I'm going to write something about John Lennon. As well as how Mayday so aptly used him in a song. Which probably means I have been listening to the songs quite recently. While I go along, I'd like to give credit to Mr Ashin of Mayday who is quite adept at using perspectives of other characters to write his songs, many of which are based on famous characters like Neil Armstrong in my previous post, John Lennon in my current post, Mickey Mouse, Superman, Che Guevara, alien, which I probably will not post about. I might. But I'm not sure. Meanwhile, Mr John Lennon of The Beatles fame.
约翰蓝侬(once again the Chinese translation of an English name. Really English this time.)
那年冬天 子弹 它给了你自由
The winter that year, the bullet gave you freedom.[If anyone doesn't know, Mr Lennon was shot. I assume everyone knows and I'm just spouting a load of organic waste here.]
没了躯壳 就活在人们心中
Without your shell, you live in people's hearts
看着今天你会笑还是会摇头
Looking at today, will you smile or shake your head.
整个世界曾经都跟着你作梦
The whole world once dreamt with you
如今和平依然在歌曲里头
Today, peace still lasts in the songs
猜忌战火还跟着我一起生活
Suspicion and gunfire still lives with me
能不能暂时把你的勇气给我
Can you lend me your courage for awhile?
在梦想快消失的时候
When dreams are disappearing
让我的歌用力的穿过天空
Let my song pierce the air
为我爱的人做一秒英雄 woh
Let me be a hero for one second, for my loved ones. woh.[right why did i translate woh]
一颗红豆为何想单挑这宇宙
Why does a single red bean want to fight with the universe one-on-one
都要怪你在我心中播了种
It's all because you planted a seed(of something, which I personally would assume to be the courage to dream. It's not explicitly written.) in my heart.
一把吉他 就想对抗万千炮火
A guitar, against millions of guns.
玩着游戏 出糗 喧闹的摄影棚
I shame myself while playing games in the crowded recording studio.[I presume Ashin is talking about himself playing games with his band members]
怪兽 石头 默默的吐在厕所
Monster and Stone puke in the toilet quietly.[Yes he is. How the hell does he make so much sense of nonsense?]
ok 再来 要世界为我们感动
ok, let's go, let the world be moved by us.[I refuse to use touch because of the possible negative connotations.]
能不能暂时把你的勇气给我
Can you lend me your courage for awhile?
在梦想快消失的时候
When dreams are disappearing
让我的歌用力的穿过天空
Let my song pierce the air
为我爱的人做一秒英雄
Let me be a hero for one second, for my loved ones.
能不能暂时把你的梦想给我
Can you lend me your dreams for awhile
在勇气快消失的时候
When courage is disappearing
总有一天要人们叫我披头
One day, I want someone to call me a Beatle
最后没成功也作过最美的梦
Even if I don't succeed, I would have had the most beautiful dream.
So I guess the song is not in the perspective of Mr Lennon at all. It's in the perspective of a person who looks up to him. If anyone happens to think this song might be emo to a certain extent, I absolutely assure them. NO! IT'S NOT EMO! It happens to have quite a catchy, Beatle-like melody. I wonder why I'm plugging Mayday on my blog. Beatles rocks also. I realise this translation also makes more sense than Armstrong, though it has lost all sense of beauty in terms of poetic structure. Oh well.
justin.
Neil Armstrong says "A small step for me, a giant step for mankind". Or something.
In the wake of Sze Ying's translation of Mr
張震嶽's songs, I am inspired to do a little translation of my own. Of who else but Neil Armstrong. Actually it's Mayday. The song itself 阿姆斯壮 is about Neil Armstrong because it's the Chinese translation of his name. No, it's not about Armstrong only but Armstrong is used as a tool to convey the message of the song. Which I shall try to translate, thus losing 98% of the original meaning along the way. I hope not actually. It's going to be quite a literal translation with little or no attempt to change the grammar so pardon me on that. I'm just motivationally challenged(read: lazy)
阿姆斯壮
阿姆斯壮登陆月球 是我心的感动
Armstrong lands on the moon. It's a great feeling in my heart.[I cannot translate 感动. Which does show the superiority of Mandarin in conveying subtle language nuances.]
终于你心上我安全的降落
Finally, I have landed safely on your heart.
阿姆斯壮那个家伙 他好像有说过
The fella Armstrong, he seems to have said before
这一步虽小 对我来说却是大突破
This might be a small step, but to me it's a big breakthrough. [even though that's not what Armstrong said. But it's a literal translation and a song!]
喔喔喔喔我不要再忍受喔喔喔喔离开无聊的地球
Wo-oh-oh-oh, I don't want to endure this anymore. Wo-oh-oh-oh, leave this boring planet. [Once again due to loss of poetic 押韵 as well as the melody, this doesn't make much sense.]
柔道插花街舞调酒 这些我都学过
Judo, flower arrangement, breakdance, cocktail mixing, I've learnt all of this before.
还练了肌肉加强了幽默
I even trained up my muscles, and worked on my humour.
为你而笑为你发疯 你叹气我刮风
For you I smile for you I go crazy. A sigh from you is a gale to me.
爱情不自由没有关系我可以接受
Love is not free, but it's ok, I can accept it.
喔喔喔喔 我不要再忍受 喔喔喔喔 离开无聊的地球
Wo-oh-oh-oh, I don't want to endure this anymore. Wo-oh-oh-oh, leave this boring planet.[again]
喔喔喔喔 我不要再忍受 喔喔喔喔
Wo-oh-oh-oh, I don't want to endure this anymore. Wo-oh-oh-oh
给我活着的借口
Give me an excuse to live.[At this point in time I shall cut in to say that I do not think the phrase is meant to be emo. I just cannot translate it without at least some people feeling this way, due to upcoming events.]
请你爱我 我不要再忍受
Please love me, I don't want to endure this anymore. [At this point in time, I shall cut in(again) to say that even though the protagonist of the song sounds damn desperate, he's not. At least I think he's not. Or at least the melody influences me to think that way. Also technically 请你爱我 means I invite you to love me, which sounds nonsensical. But this is no time for technicalities =)]
请你爱我 给我活着的借口
Please love me, give me an excuse to live.
阿姆斯壮登陆月球是我心的感动
Armstrong lands on the moon. It's a great feeling in my heart.
终于你心上我安全的降落
Finally I have landed on your heart.
这是大突破!
This is a great breakthrough!
Okay, I'm finally done with this poor translation. Encouraging comments are welcome. Derisive remarks are not! Go away! =)
justin.
