If no one cheers me on...

It is always a challenge to scrape together my thoughts to cough up a reflection of my current life. Even more challenging is finding joy at the dull lack of milestones in my life. In contrast, the newspaper, which involve collective human experiences is much more interesting. Asking a girl out becomes a challenge, second to asking a friend out. Then there's always the basal dread of long-term commitments towards my goals and ambitions. I wonder why often, I inevitably find myself -freaking hell- worrying about today, and not enjoying my life to the fullest. Yes, I'm sulking here. My little hiding place.

Meanwhile, I have got things to do (On my own). I have gotten all too comfortable in my current life - it's easy to get depressed. If no one will encourage me on, at least I can conjure up an imaginary friend (light a match like the matchstick girl) that says with a little voice: "C'mon ZH, it's only a quarter in your life journey. You've GOT to pull up your socks!!"

Embrace your dreams. do not leave room for doubt

it's funny, bcos sometimes i hate the text i'm just hammering right down.

I REALLY HATE MY STYLE OF WRITING. A read of past entries, just make me want to puke, vomit-blood, slap my thigh and laugh hysterically.

It's just the BLATANT LACK OF CAPS, and PHOTOS amid the sterile text. The text is lost, and longs to cling for the mother picture. The text is raw material that has no fixed form. It does not crawl to a Stop. It travels nowhere. And it suffers relentless abuse from your eye-gazing, your restless cursor - just stop - hovering - over me right now, or I'll - get angry. . . *there's no point in this entry*

and so it ends

TOKYO!

Last evening, I watched TOKYO! a film of 3 shorts, Interior Design by Michel Gondry.

The first film held my attention considerably. It was about a young woman, whom under dire circumstances, gains the ability to turn into a chair. Driving outside in the rain, the female protagonist Hiroko with her director boyfriend are looking for a place to stay in Tokyo. They put up temporarily at her friend's small apartment. A series of pressurising events follow as they look for a place to stay with little success. The boyfriend takes up a gift-wrapping job to pay a parking fine, and meanwhile their car and filming equipment are towed away. After a screening of the film, Hiroko finds herself a liability as 'the girlfriend' as the boyfriend gets his shot at fame.


Merde was a rather eccentric film, showing how an eccentric character can inject mass mayhem onto the streets of Tokyo. This disgustingly foul, bearded man with a milky eye emerged from the sewers, walking in an uncharacteristic gait grabbing anything in his path. He was captured subsequently with draggy court proceedings. The effect on the masses were pro-merde and anti-merde groups that were reminiscent of human rights activists. And a possible sequel? Oh No!


Shaking Tokyo is about the life of a hikikomori and how he decides to go after a pizza end delivery girl one day, only to find out that she's another hikikomori. This strange subculture is explored in detail. I can't believe ppl can lead such sad, antisocial lives. And only in the advent of a disaster, such as an earthquake, be temporarily awakened to reality.

Viva la Vida (or what it actually means)

I am selectively lifting responses to the Coldplay lyric from the website: http://www.metrolyrics.com/viva-la-vida-lyrics-coldplay.html.


ouhhh (061008):
"Viva la vida" doesn't mean "Live your life" only. In fact "Viva la Vida" a Spanish phrase (I know it because I'm Spanish) also means "Go life!" I don't know how to express it correctly, but it is something like "life rocks!" or "C'mon Life", something like you are cheering the life, (using the personification literal expression)

I also think that this song is related to the french revolution basing on the album's cover, a painting in where we can see "Liberty" which is the most famous painting representing "french freedom"

I think that Coldplay is using this french revolution metaphor to express that it doesn't care how powerful you are or you think you are, because everyone has an end and for everyone there is a time where everything changes, and what can seem secure and unchangeable, of course it can turn around.

Like I've reflected before..


ouhhh (061008):
This song not about fear of not going to heaven or being turned down (its too optimistic), nor about any particular king or other ruler who lost his power.
First read the lyrics well, than hear the way he sings and read the title.
This song contains a story told by (kind of) a generalized case of human who believed that he has a power and did something that caused him being hurt and proven that the power was just an illusion. But the moral of the song is that after such a mental catastrophy, one should discover that ruling the world is not really necessary to have a good life and just enjoy the life. This is what the title says. Viva la vida means "live your life", be free and happy.
See what the fourth verse of the refrain starts with:
"And that was when I ruled the world" turns to "But that was when I ruled the world". 'But' is important because it suggests that the speaker no longer thinks the way he did before, he wants to separate himself from who he was before. He discovered that life is great without ruling the world and that is why he is singing so happily.


poliklosio (061008):
If you want to move on and relate the song to an average human's life, this is also a good metaphor of maturing, leaving the adolescense.


Crono (021008):
... this song is not about Napoleon. It's not about any particular factual ruler or king. He didn't "sweep the streets" of his own country, but died in exile on an island. This song is about the fall of a man that used to be on top of the world. It's not a Christian song or religious song by any means, but it is a song of a fallen leader. Napoleon is just one example, and this song could be applied to many throughout history and even some contemporary men that have fallen...

...the Saint Peter reference in the song is from a Catholic belief, not a Christian one (yes, there is a difference). No where in the Bible does it say that Peter is a gatekeeper in heaven. Even if he were to be one, he isn't one now, because he is "asleep" awaiting the resurrection of the righteous, as are all the other men and women who died in Christ.


gray7 (041008):

Never liked Coldplay which is confusingly me slightly as I love this song. Am a bit disturbed by the Christians claiming it though. Suspect the St Peter reference is ironic - he's not going to call any of our names as he doesn't exist - but Cronos is spot on about Napoleon. He might have woken up alone on Elba but he certainly wasn't sweeping the streets - were there any? - and Marie Antoinette ditto who was executed rather than put to some useful public service such as street sweeping. (Sorry, have a history degree. Know this stuff). Being a fellow Brit I suspect Mr Martin like most of us doesn't do God but likes his religious, historical and political references being a bit posh and very well educated. Got to go with the Cronos analysis that it's about someone who was on top and then screwed up. Ideally a short selling hedge fund manager who's now bankrupt. As James put it a decade ago: 'Now I've swung back down again it's worse than it was before. If I hadn't seen such riches I could live with being poor'!


***

It's nice to read how other people feel about songs in general (cryptic lyrics by RH seem to get everyone guessing). Lyrics shouldn't be taken too literally - like those romantic love songs. The way the lyrics are delivered in song breathes meaning into the overall message. Kudos to the reflections contributed by the above. I especially agreed with those points italicised. In my own interpretation (the video included), the song toys with the idea that fame, power, good things in our lives (and that of our lives) are transient - see the physical disintegration of the band members @ the end of the video - and one has to be prepared to be able to face bad times, when the tide turns.

Coldplay lyrics have been more subtle and comprehensible. I won't be surprised if Mrs Martin had a helping hand in the affair.


***




The most in-your-face Anti-Bush, Anti-War video. Politicians frolicking in fun, while the bloodletting is being carried out in the Middle-East. Very misleading though - that politicians lead good lives. Nobody wants to take on the role of the bad guy - but going by the train of rational thought, the war and occupation in Iraq is justifiable to liberate the oppressed people there. You can't just stand by the sidelines and ignore atrocities being carried out by tyrants, terrorist groups. Hence, being evil to eliminate a greater evil is justifiable, for the protection of personal interest and the maturity of mankind. What if celebrities that opposed war were asked to take on the Presidential term? They must know there are flipsides to the choice of peace. Rock bands should tone down their take on international politics, especially if they are not exposed to those kind of diplomatic relations 24/7. It's no easy job of responsibility, so of course letting your hair down is justifiable. This kind of anti-Bush propaganda is both defamatory and misleading, especially to those youth that are not well-read about international politics.. Mr Martin should use his fame responsibly to promote good causes, and not make any personal attacks.

I had a dream I was in a nightmarish landscape. With black, dark clouds of apocalypse above me, but the sun still shone through in little specks. I could see the rays of the sun, yellow, orange, crimson lines that pierce the matter, the space, until it becomes uncertain, where the ray has travelled to, where the piercing end of the ray has touched. The light has illuminated two figures. Meanwhile, The strings played in the background, an apocalyptic tune on the minor key. change chord, gets higher up by a fifth (or a few tones). It was a picturesque landscape which wasn't original. It was extracted from an anime and the matrix. It was the setting for a major confrontation of two people who were close, but were in trying circumstances, that threaten to upset the balance of the world.

Expectations, Hopes & Fears.

The last word is in the negative sense that I would not dwell upon. ZH does not fear. He is invincible. at least he thinks he is.

Mounting 7d duty is f***ing crazy in every sense. Of course, not to say that we screw up on the job without fail. But the boredom and trepidation that follows with the expectation of 'what-if'. 'What if' something were to happen, that threatens the security of the base I'm guarding. 'What if' there was a bomb threat... 'What if' war broke out in the region. It IS a HEAVY WEIGHT to BEAR on your SHOULDERS. I feel tired as my work days is 7 days per week. I'm going to miss the Singapore Biennale, other activities, and I can't pursue weekend activities (e.g. studies or enrichment activities). I feel like a bird in a cage!

Then our superiors have high expectations of how we carry out our work. Seriously, how would you feel if the company is under-staffed and the hours are long? And on our resting days are organised live firing practices of outdated weapons, and over-strenuous Physical training with unrealistic expectations of your men. The cramming of our schedule on training days, in result, cheats us of our freedom to take leave.

Don't expect me to love thy unit and thy duty. Two words for you. F.. you....