Lifehouse~

I have this affinity for live music, probably because I am convicted that good bands (I emphasize gd) sound so much better live than in the recording and when a golden opportunity like this is presented, I can't miss it for the world. Lifehouse started their Disarray tour in the US yesterday, and Seattle was their 2nd location. Held at Showbox SODO (SOuth of DOwntown Seattle), which turned out to be kinda like a big abandoned warehouse, furnished and fitted with a stage and acoustics. It had a nice underground feeling to it, due to the low ceiling and the wooden columns that seem to be holding the place up. In comparison, it was in between a small music club in Singapore like Wala Wala and the Indoor stadium. The showbox had the cosy-ness of a pub with a bar and restaurant and had the space needed to hold about 1000+ people. It didn't have any seats so it was an all stand kinda concert/gig. It was nice cos the standing area is kinda close to the stage, so you could see the band playing kinda close up compared to somewhere like indoor stadium where they will appear like tiny little dots if u get the cheap tickets. We arrived to meet a long queue outside its doors at 1815, and waited until about 7 till the 1st two bands started opening. Lifehouse only came out at like 9 pm, a long but well awaited wait. This probably is the 1st ROCK concert I've been to, and I would say it lived up to expectation and didn't disappoint. The band was way cool in their playing and in they sounded perfect, albeit abit loud. They played a mixture of old and new songs from their new album, and it was good that I've heard quite a few of them. Nevertheless, it was an experience that will be remembered, an experience unfortunately or fortunately wasn't caught on camera due to my folly of not bringing the charged battery out with its camera, an experience that was refreshing and inspiring that will be anticipated again in the time to come. :)

The Double edged Sword~

We travelers, walking toward the sun, can't see

Ahead, but looking back the very light

That blinded us shows us the way we came,

Along which blessing now appear, risen

As if from sightlessness to sight, and we,

By blessing brightly lit, keep going toward

That blessed light that yet to us is dark.

-Wendell Berry

Can't wait for the lifehouse gig tomorrow!!! :)

The week~

This week felt so much more relaxing, so much more fulfiling and satisfying than the many weeks I've been here. Besides the exciting Vancouver retreat over President's day long weekend, and the visits to gay community Capitol Hill and boring Tacoma, there were the badminton sessions that were much missed last week,the receiving back of midterm exams which grades I'm very happy with (Thank god for tt), and the slowing down of classes which are much appreciated. A few of my professors postponed homework datelines from this week to next week too due to whatever reasons, which allowed me to slack more than I was prepared for, but was thankful for.

Off to Vancouver~

Now's the time, an absolutely impeccable one I would say, to play escapist. See ya'll in 3 days!

When the Going gets Tough~

This week has by far been the toughest week in Seattle for me. The amazingly high workload has forced me to hibernate and study in the apartment since Saturday, and till today I have postponed visits(to boeing), badminton sessions and the Singles Finals with Mikko, meals, good health, and valentine's day(to next year!). Thanks to God's grace and mercy, everything has gone well so far, despite the downs, there has been ups. In the centre of the storm, there is the eye. The eye is represented by the trip to Vancouver over the long weekend, where in the midst of the all the niggling tests and assignments that are blowing my mind away, there is calm and serenity. Calm to take a breather, to muster strengh to prepare for the remainder of the storm to come on Tuesday. As the old saying goes, tough times don't last,tough men do......

Broken~

The Broken clock is a comfort
It helps me sleep tonight
Maybe it can stop tomorrow
From stealing all my time
And I am here still waiting
Though I still have my doubts
I am damaged at best
Like you've already figured out

I'm falling apart I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart
That's still beating
In the pain
There is healing
In your name
I find meaning
So I'm holding on
I'm barely holding on to you

The broken locks were a warning
You got inside my head
I tried my best to be guarded
I'm an open book instead
And I still see your reflection
Inside of my eyes
That are looking for purpose
They're still looking for life
I'm falling apart I'm barely breathing

I'm hanging on another day
Just to see what, you will throw my way
And I'm hanging on, to the words you say
You said that I will, will be okay
The broken light on the freeway
Left me here alone
I may have lost my way now
But I haven't forgotten my way home

The Killer Week~

I knew something like that was coming. It couldn't be this chillax here. So here it is. 4 mid term examinations, 3 assignments, 5 days. If that wasn't enough, after coming back from vancouver which we would be going over the long weekend next week, 1 mid term examination and 1 assignment. So its 9 days of 5 mid term examinations and 4 assignments. Wish me luck....

CNY~

No ang baos, no meeting up with friends and relatives, no chinese new year cookies, no chinese new year songs, no chinese new year atmosphere. This has certainly been the 1st time I've spent chinese new year outside of Singapore, and it certainly has been chinese new year with a twist for me. The GIPers went for a "reunion" dinner on Wednesday night at a chinese restaurant called Shanghai Garden in International district, despite heavy schedules and many having midterms the day after. It was a sin if we didn't go out for dinner that night. I committed a sin by doing homework and studying on Chu yi, something which I knew I wasn't supposed to do but didn't really have much of a choice.Yesterday and today, the two presidential nominees for the Democrats dropped into town. Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama spoke at rallies held in Seattle and being curious and having the "everything also must try and must do" mentality, I spent chu yi and chu er listening to the speeches of who might eventually be the next President of the United States. It was just way cool and indescribable to see them in person, with so much admiration and respect for them. I just came back not too long ago from the first house party I went. It was kindly organized by the Singapore Student Association in UW, and we met quite a few Singaporeans studying full time or working in Seattle and friends. It was nice to get to know new people, although the mood didn't permit me to do it in a fulfiling manner. Nevertheless, it was a great night of chinese food, mixers, wine and company.

Badminton~

I've never expected myself to be playing so much badminton here in the US. I play at least 2-3 times a week, and probably because of the ongoing Intramurals tournament that I'm playing in. But, because I took part in this tournament, I've gotten to know more people that I can play with, and the badminton atmosphere here is more fun than competitive, at least at the UW where I play. I've yet to venture into the badminton clubs, which offers higher standard of badminton and as a result higher fees?? Anyway, I broke my string on Friday while playing and was totally awestruck. Luckily for me there was Wufei, this nice Chinese guy who told me where to string my racket. It turned out to be quite disastrous cos firstly, the string, a YONEX BG 65 cost me 27 USD. Yeah tt's like 40.5 Sing dollars to restring 1 racket.OMG. Nvm, as if it didn't already broke a hole in pocket, a day later the guy told me he didn't know how to restring my racket cos the shape was different from the template given in the book (They restring mostly tennis rackets), so the shop, Avanti sports told me I could only collect it today cos the badminton expert would be down to string my racket. Thank god for him. Earlier in the day I received yet another phone call. Apparently the badminton expert called me and told me that 25 lbs is too high for a badminton racket. OK MAN. So he managed to convince me to tie at 23 lbs. When I went down to the shop just now, bad news rained down on me. While they were restringing the racket they broke the string, so i have to go back again tomorrow to collect it. Well done. So much for 40.5 Sing dollars of restringing. But I'm not complaining (am i??...aha) At least i can get my racket stringed here. Tomorrow, I'll be playing badminton again with Wu Fei and Tomas, 2 of the better players I've met playing at the UW, and am definitely hoping to meet more good players:)

The Race called Life~

There are many runners in the race. Some run faster, some run slower. Some stop by for a chat. But they shouldn't linger, cos if they do, they be running other people's lives. Some will lag behind, some will run faster. Everyone will be running in different directions, but there are a few who will run together, sometimes in groups, sometimes in pairs. Those who run alone will be lonely. Those who run alone will get weary. All they want is someone to run the race with them. It could be for that short distance, it could be till the end. But, the race belongs to each individual. And each one should run his own race, because that is what defines him. For when one does not have a race to call his own, he will get lost, and will never reach the finish line, the line which when crossed leads to eternity.