London is the place for me* - D Lime (feat Tabago Crusoe)

Used to call this place 'home'. But home is where the heart is - and my heart was there... It's no longer there anymore but i have many sweet memories of this place. And this video stirred up those memories for me. The parks, the markets, the people... just a bit surprised that there is nothing much on musicals and classical music.

It's been a while since i've been back there - the next time i go there will be special as i'll probably be taking my girls there. And they have heard so much of London from me - i'm sure they'll be super excited too! Hope that day will come.

*This remake of the 1948 song is found on the soundtrack of the movie, Paddington

海闊天空* - Beyond

26 years ago, on June 30th 1993, Wong Ka Kui of Beyond died tragically.

Just a few weeks ago, I attended a wedding lunch. the highlight of it to me was the wedding singer. She was really brilliant and talented. My daughter was captivated with her and kept on looking at her, watching her performance. At the end of the lunch, she sat on my lap and we just listened to her singing. One of the songs she sang was this song 海闊天空 (The Broad Sky). To me, whenever i think of Beyond, i think of this song. Such a brilliant Canto-Pop (or Canto-Rock?) song which passes the test of time.

The wedding singer gave a wonderful rendition of this brilliant song and made me really miss his music. Sharing this in memory of him.



*My favourite song of theirs.

The Kid* - Peter Paul and Mary

Fernando El-Nino (The kid) Torres announced his retirement from football.

He will always be remembered fondly by many Liverpool fans - like yours truly. Even though he left us to join Chelsea, we are willing to forgive him. He was after all in my view the last real no. 9 that we have had in the likes of Fowler and Rush.

Look at some of his goals here:-

 

So sad he did not win anything with Liverpool - but at least he won the FA Cup, the Champions League and the Europa League with Chelsea. And he won the World Cup and the European Cup with Spain. So I'm happy for him - and thankful for those wonderful moments that filled me with joy and delight seeing his wonderful skill.

*This was actually a cover version of a song by Buddy Mondlock - released as late as the 1995!

Father and Daughter* - Paul Simon

This morning, my oldest girl woke me up to give me my Father's Day present. But what moved me to tears was later in the morning, she came to me again and pointed upwards. I looked at the ceiling wondering what was that all about. She then waved upwards and said Happy Father's Day, Yeh Yeh (Cantonese for paternal grandfather - basically referring to my father). She was reminding me to wish my father who is now in heaven a Happy Father's Day!!! And up to that point, I had been so busy that I have not spared a thought for my father who has left us for 12 years now.

I hugged my daughter tightly and asked her why she suddenly thought of my father - sadly, she never had the chance to get to know him. She said she always think of him as we go back to my mom's house weekly and she sees his photo there.

I told her that there are times I miss him very much and that she would have loved him if she had the chance to know him.

Happy Father's Day, Pa.

*A song that he wrote for his daughter when she was 7.

Memory* - Barbra Streisand

But it's not about the place, it's about what happened there. You own those memories.

Officer Bishop, The Rookie, S01E11

In the past, i often miss places i used to live at in the past. My old house where i grew up, London, Colchester... Sometimes, I would long to go back there and my heart would ache for those places - especially London and Colchester.

But this quote reminds me that at the end of the day, it's not about the place. It's about the life i lived there with special people. And today, if i go back there, it will not be the same again. That is true with my old house - it's so different. And also London - i remember visiting the place where i studied. It brought back memories but it was not the same anymore.

I'm glad i have those memories.

*Taken from the musical, Cats. Lovely song - i remember listening to it even before i knew what musicals are.

Happy together* - The Turtles

Yesterday, eve of Raya, I was at the mall with my girls. I walked passed this mobile accessories stall, stopping to look at the Avengers (what else) themed stuffs. The stall was manned (or wo-manned?) by a Malay girl. Later, i would walk pass the stall again. This time, a man of Chinese ethnicity was giving that Malay girl a green packet (a gift money for Raya) and walked away. She took it happily while some of her friends from other stalls came around her to share her joy. She did not open it to see how much it contained. Instead - i busybodiedly looked at what she was doing - she was reading a message written on the green packet. She was obviously and clearly happy.

I do not want to emphasise the race of people (as we are all Malaysians - presumably. Unless she is a migrant worker?) but i wanted to do so in this post as this incident reminded me that for most part - especially for us in the Klang Valley - Malaysians of different races live and work together without any issues. In fact, we do so happily, respecting our differences in culture and religion and embracing our common ground - that we are Malaysians.

To all my friends who are celebrating Raya today, I sincerely hope and pray that you will have a wonderful and meaningful time with your family and friends - and that you will be safe.

*Their only song that reached no. 1 in the US - knocking off the Beatles' Penny Lane.

Black night* - Deep Purple

30 years ago, students were murdered in the streets of Beijing. The Chinese government would want us all to forget what happened that night but we never let that happen.

 

*Their highest charting UK single, it peaked at no. 2 in 1970.

What a relief* - Lee Sera

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE!!!!!!!!

I have not watched a Liverpool game 'live' all season. At the end, a part of me felt that it was a good thing i didn't as the outcome was too painful - losing it by 1 point. So i did not plan to catch the finals too. i didn't. In any event, i was too tired having so much work to do and having to wake up early for church so i went to sleep. I did wake up in between to check the results. When i found out that we have won, to be honest, I'm more relieved than ecstatic. So unlike how I felt way back in 2005. Too many false dawns. Came so close too many times and it has hurt so much. 

But I am happy, definitely! And happy for Klopp - who has been a losing finalist for so many times - the last 2 being with Liverpool. And i'm happy for Salah - who had a miserable finals last year hopefully erased. And i'm happy for Milner - who surely must have thought that his chance to win a champions league medal was over after losing last year. And i'm happy for the whole team - who worked so hard throughout the season. This is the least that they deserved.

Maybe I'll start watching them play live again next season.

*This Korean song is taken from the OST of Tomorrow With You.

Take a bow* - Madonna

So it's bow-tie day today cuz my daughter wanted me to wear it.

*Another one of her brilliants songs. This was released in 1994 and produced together with Babyface.

I will follow you* - Ricky Nelson

It was reported today that a headmaster tried to justify one of the school exam questions by simply pointing out that the correct answer was taken from the textbook. So basically, the correct answer is correct because the textbook says so.

This shows the problem with our education system. Just because the textbook (allegedly) say so, that is the right answer. This coming from Headmaster (who however was clever enough to insist on his anonymity). Our children are not taught to think but to follow blindly.

I face the problem in the Uni - a lot of students initially want to know which textbook to get. The importance placed on textbooks is more important than the ability to figure out the answer themselves. During tutorials, some students are more interested to know what is the right answer - not why is that the right answer.

I guess it id down to the politicians again? They just want people to follow orders, to follow their instructions, to follow without question.

I teach in my human rights class the importance of the right to education. I see more and more the importance of this right - and why some states deny this rights to some of the people. It is through education that people will understand what is right and wrong, what is fair, what is the right thing to do. Today, a lot of people keep on harping on the fact that the law/constitution says so so we cannot question it. Does not matter if the law is right or not.

I am glad that a lot of those whom i have helped educate are seeing the light - and saddened to see some who behave like those uneducated one. Thankfully, they are the exception rather than the norm.

*His cover version of the popular song I Will Follow Him.