황영민 ~ Tim

Another singer goes to my K-pop book. This time is Tim (the stage name for Hwang Young Min). His debut began in 2002, but being a not so avid K-pop follower anymore, I just need to settle to encounter his songs in IMEEM. And it only took 1 song to make me officially a fan, Serendipity.

Most of his songs are ballads which are very fitting to his vocal. In terms of music style, Tim's is very much similar to K. However, there's still a different in there. In some ways, Tim's are more subtle and tend to be softer. His vocal delivery is not as aggressive as to K, which in his case, it works wonder to the songs. The mellow tones for the ballads, it's like a lullaby to easy listening before bed time.

Below is the playlist that I discovered in IMEEM, full of Tim's ballads. To be honest, I'm quite surprised with his songs. All of them are so easy in the ears and they're all nice songs. Not the type of songs that will make you boring after listening to them more than 2 times. Definitely I have my own favorites, like Serendipity, I Love You, and Wish List.

In conclusion, I'll be looking forward for his next music, for sure.

Tim ~ Hwang Young Min

자유롭게 날 수 있도록 ~ H.O.T

Free To Fly - H.O.T

Yes, it's one of the fossil songs coming from 15 years or so ago. It brings out the nostalgic where the likes of Youtube and Itunes were unthinkable, so we have to buy the CD to get the songs (or at least that's what I did during that era). Koala introduced me to H.O.T thus brought me to the world of K-pop. And this song was the trigger to my K-pop mania, and still a K-pop fan until now...
The lyrics was not that fantastic if you compare to the current mainstreams, kind of lame if you think back. But, hey, it's the Backstreet Boys songs era... so these types of lyrics were the IT lyrics.

모두 잊고 살 수 있게 너를 버려야만 했던
끝을 향한 내 이 마음을 너는 이해할 수 있니
어떤것도 내게 힘을 주진 못했기에
더이상은 짐이 되긴 싫었어
아직 맘속에 내가 살아있다면....
너는 행복할 수 없을테니까
지워야해.....

너와 함께 할 수 있는건.....
너무 어렸던 날들의 작은 꿈이었어....
자유롭게 날 수 있도록
나의 곁에서 너를 날려 보내줘야해......
나를 잊어줘 안녕...

의미없던 시간들일 뿐이라고 말했어도,
사실 내게 있어 가장 소중했던 순간들을
영원토록 묻어 둘 수 밖에 없다는게,
나에게 아픔만을 남겨주지만

너와 함께 할 수 있는건.....
너무 어렸던 날들의 작은 꿈이었어....
자유롭게 날 수 있도록
나의 곁에서 너를 날려 보내줘야해......
하지만 너를 사랑해
이것만은 알아주길 바랬어
너는 잊겠지만 나는 못 잊겠어
언제까지나 이대로..

너와 함께 할 수 있는건.....
너무 어렸던 날들의 작은 꿈이었어....
자유롭게 날 수 있도록
나의 곁에서 너를 날려 보내줘야해......
나를 잊어줘.......
영....원.....히........

Just so I could forget everthing and live on,
I had to throw you away
Do you understand that of my heart towards the end?
Nothing could give you strength,
So I didn't want to be a burden anymore.
If I am still alive in your heart,
You wouldn't be happy,
So you have to erase me.

To be with you...
was a small dream in the days I was too young.
Just so you can be Free to Fly,
I have to fly you away.
Forget me... goodbye~

Even though I say those were meaningless times,
Those were really the times that were most precious to me.
The fact that I have to bury them eternally only leave me pain.

(Forget me) But I love you.
Oh! I just wanted you to know that.
You will forget, but I can't forget.
Till whenever, I'll just be...like this...

Lyrics & translation are from http://aheeyah.com

Olivia ~ Tears & Rainbow

Can't get enough of this sad yet heart lifting song... A reason for being a fan of her...

Tears & Rainbow - Olivia Lufkin

物憂げな君 瞳に映る星

Monouge na kimi, hitomi ni utsuru hoshi
You're to tired; stars reflected in your eyes

瞬き遥か遠い 幾光年の涙

Matataki haruka tooi, iku kounen no namida
The twinking far, far away; so many tears of lightyears

Come be as one
Come be as one
And fall in love
In love, in love, in love

Touch it touch it now
Touch the tears & the rainbow

過去に手に入れたものさしはもう捨てて
Kako ni te ni haireta monosashi wa mou sutete
I've already thrown away the ruler I got from the past 

Touch it touch it now
Touch the tears & the rainbow
ありのまま感じて

Ai no mama kanjite
Feeling like it's love

雨の囁き 耳を傾けて
Ame no sasayaki, mimi wo katamukete
I my ear to hear whispers of the rain 

そこに隠された 七色の秘密

Soko ni kakusareta, nanairo no himitsu
I a seven-coloured secret at the very bottom

Come be as one
Come be as one
And fall in love
In love, in love, in love

Touch it touch it now
Touch the tears & the rainbow

虹の中雨が太陽に口づける
Niji no naka ame ga taiyou ni kuchidzukeru
In a rainbow, rain is kissing the sky 

Touch it touch it now
Touch the tears & the rainbow
Just the way you are

Breaking Dawn

Breaking Dawn is the last installment of Twilight saga. Finally it's coming to an end. It's also the thickest out of the whole saga and contains the longest plot and chain of events. After reading the whole series, I find that the first and the last book are the best, the 2nd and 3rd books are the seasonings to make you appreciate the last book. Another bravo for Meyer.

Again, picking up what was left in Eclipse, Breaking Dawn starts with a happy, merry chain of events for Bella and Edward (ugh, it's so hard not to give out too much spoiler), but off course after around 150 pages, things suddenly turn bleak (where got the fun of reading the book if it's all about happy events, right?).

What's unique about this book is that half of the book is told from Jacob's point of view. Partly maybe because it's too intense if it's told from Bella's point of view. But this way, readers can understand Jacob better and can't deem him to be too annoying anymore.

As for Edward, well, he wins our hearts again and again. Amazingly selfless and clearly devoted to one girl, it's any girls' dream comes true, in books, no reality. Lol... But in here, his sacrifices at least were equalized by Bella's, which won't make us think that Bella is one damn lucky girl. Again, it's part of a good plotting.

Less action than Eclipse, but enough suspense and rush thanks to Volturi evasion attempt. Surprisingly the chapters for this are very long, considering what previous books have, where action parts are relatively short. This time it takes about more than 1/3 of the book to plot the stress and demise that Volturi caused the Cullens.

So, overall, absolutely adore this saga because:
1. light reading (I can't take heavy readings, except for compulsory accounting textbooks)
2. good balance of comedy, drama, romance, and action, which is very entertaining
3. love the characters
4. it's a good bed time story, period.

Eclipse

Eclipse is the 3rd installment of Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. Unlike Harry Potter series that you can read in not necessarily in order, you'll miss a lot of meaning reading Eclipse without reading the New Moon first. For starter, it picks up what was left in New Moon, literally a continuation.

Overall, I would give this book a PG-13 rating. All the dreads felt from reading New Moon (may be partly because of my impatience) eventually are answered in here:
1. Vampire on Vampire action, tons of them, though mostly are toward the end of the book. At least more details written about the fight, so it's very easy to imagine.

2. More twisted love triangle. Definitely entertaining to read 2 sworn enemies by legend, neck to neck competing to get the girl. It's a good thing that Bella never budged from who she loved the most, so we don't see the manga heroines' dilemma, which most often are annoying.

3. Totally agree with Koala, Edward's character is Korean drama's character with the American face. Lol in here. If you set aside cultures, countries and origins, girls will always be girls. We all love the cheesiness and corniness, which blatantly displayed in Twilight series, however big our denials are. So just suck it up and dream about it. There won't be any reality like that. Yes, we know that, that's why we all like to wish and dream.

4. The romance level is up along with the cheesiness off course. That's why it's PG-13 in the first place. But the good thing is, Meyer did a quite good job in having which part should have more details elaboration and not. So, it left us free to wonder and imagine. Again, it's all about imagination Lol...

5. Bella's hormone starts to kick in in this book which is totally hilarious. Absolutely love the twist and turn dialogs of compromising, which make it very fun to read and make the relationship feels real.

6. Alice's part is getting bigger, and adding more laugh factors in this book. As much as we love Bella, we definitely love Alice too.

Off course, as Twilight saga is designed for teenage girls, you may feel that some parts was just too high-schoolish, which is why the book is so light and easy to read, despite the overwhelming thickness... wondering how long will it take for Koala to finish it...

Angela Aki ~ This Love

This Love - Angela Aki

「愛があれば平和だ」と

"Ai ga areba heiwa da" to

When there's love, there's peace

誰かが口にしていた

Dareka ga kuchi ni shiteita

Someone used to say that

頷く人もいれば

Unazuku hito mo ireba

There are those nodding to it

疑う人もいる

Utagau hito mo iru

And there are those doubting it

苦しみがあるからこそ

Kurushimi ga arukara koso

Whenever I was in pain

あなたを抱きしめる時

Anata o dakishimeru toki

you’d hold me closely

その腕の優しさを

Sono ude no yawashisa o

And it was in the warmth of those arms

平和と感じるのでしょう

Heiwa to kanjiru no de shiyou

that I felt peace

ある時から無口になり

Aru toki kara mukuchi ni nari

But then I stopped talking to you

心を締め切り

Kokoro o shimekiri

and closed off my heart

この恋が引き裂かれそうになった

Kono koi ga hikisakaresou ninatta

this love was torn apart

重ねたこの手を

Kasaneta kono te o

This time I don’t

今度は離さない

Kondo wa hanasanai

let go off my heart

信じる力が

Shinjiru chikara ga

Because the power of belief

愛を自由にする

Ai to Jiyuu ni suru

will set love free

友情に救われたり

Yuujou ni sukuwaretari

When you helped me as a friend

未来を想像したり

Mirai o souzoushitari

I imagined our future together

幸せは見えるけど

Shiawase wa mierukedo

And though I saw happiness in store for us

自分を見る事はない

Jibun o miru koto wa nai

I didn’t see my own issues

約束と言う私達のコンパスだけでは

Yakusoku o iu watashitachi no conpasu dakedewa

Though we said our promises would be our compass

この恋は方角を見失うの

Kono koi wa hougaku o miushinau no

we lost sight of the direction this love was going in

奇跡を待つより

Kiseki o matsuyori

Instead of waiting for a miracle

この手をつなぎたい

Kono te o tsunagitai

I want you to hold onto my hand 

信じる力が

Shinjiru chikara ga

Because the power of belief 

私を自由にする

Watashi o jiyuu ni suru

will set me free

この恋を恐れずに

Kono koi o osorezuni

You don’t have to fear this love

You don't have to fear this love,this love

重ねたこの手を

Kasaneta kono te o

This time I don’t let go off my heart

今度は離さない

Kondo wa hanasanai

信じる力が

Shinjiru chikara ga

Because the power of belief

愛を自由にする

Ai to Jiyuu ni suru

will set love free

奇跡を待つより

Kiseki o matsuyori

Instead of waiting for a miracle

この手をつなぎたい

Kono te o tsunagitai

I want you to hold onto my hand 

信じる力が

Shinjiru chikara ga

Because the power of belief 

私を自由にする

Watashi o jiyuu ni suru

will set me free

Happy Moo Year

Yes, Happy Moo Year in deed! It's the beginning of the Year of Ox, another new year. I'm stranded in Jakarta and finally get to connect to the virtual world again. The feeling of anxious on not been able to connect to the Internet for the past couple of days had gotten to my nerves. I guess this is the result of continuous daily online brooding in both office and home. I'm not surprised now if you can call connecting to Internet is and equal addiction to Heroin.

Still in CNY mood, I touched down to Soekarno-Hatta airport and picked up by my dad on Saturday. When I saw our CRV parked at the airport parking lot, part of me wishing that it's our CNY new CRV was the one parked there. But alas, the damn dealer not finished with the registration (why so slow, I wonder why, but then again, this ain't Singapore). So there goes my blissfull rides in the new car for this week.

So there're another 2 days left for my trip but luckilly beyong believe, I found the Twilight book 3 and 4. And where did I find the book? Just smack down in the bookstore below my apartment, not Kinokuniya, not Borders folks!