Well, it's been a few days, but I've been meaning to make this post since 31st October, since my favourite Taiwanese actor Nicky Wuqilong became 41 years old!
So anyway, these are two beautiful MV by Nicky's Panda fans from Vietnam. They made good videos, these girls! And don't ask me why Nicky's fans are called pandas, but perhaps because the clan leader is as cute as a panda itself!
This video used a sweet song by Hongkong-Sydney singer Susan Wong called 'Winds of Change'.
The lyrics are as follows:
Winds of change until the end You will see that I will be your friend If you believe I'm heaven-sent Stay and I'll forever be your friend
You're my lover and my man You can see the writing in the sand Lover as it's in the air I will hold you and we'll be a pair
Standing at heaven turn You must be heaven-sent Dreams must be made of this I just can't let go I just have to hold your hand
Reff: You will ever and forever be my man and I will ever and forever be your friend So this will be true my love for you Time will then forever take a stand
You must ever and forever be a friend I have this feeling that will never play pretend Together we'll be strong, this can't be wrong And dream like these were meant for us to hold We'll always be so.
And this video compared Nicky with pandas! So cute! Not sure what the song is called, but it's a cute Mandarin song.
So, happy birthday dearest Nicky! Thanks a lot for Shui Ruohan, Xiao Shi Yilang, Li Hou Zhu, Li Mo Yuan, Yinzheng/Fourth Prince and all the future treats you're giving us! Be healthy, happy and prosperous forever!
I didn't realise that I've been absent from my blog for more than half a year. Sigh... so many things happened, some bad, some good... but I've been grateful so far.
Anyway, I've been enraptured by a new Mandarin series called Bu Bu Jing Xin ('Startling by Each Step'), starring e.g., Liu Shi Shi ('Ruo Xi'), Nicky Wu Qilong ('4th Prince', later 'Emperor Yongzheng'), Kevin Cheng ('8th Prince'), Yuan Hong ('13th Prince'), Lin Gen Xin ('14th Prince') and Damian Lau ('Emperor Kangxi'). The story was based on an internet novel of the same title, written by Miss Tong Hua, which became so famous that it went into print and was adopted into a TV series. The story evolves around a 21st CE working girl that was accidentally transported to early 18th CE Qing Dynasty in China, where she encountered several gorgeous princes, most of them would hurt each other to gain the throne.
I love all the cast, but my favourite is definitely Ruo Xi and 4th Prince. Their love is just too heart wrenching, but too beautiful to ignore. Nicky Wu's performance as 4th Prince should have gained him an 'Oscar' like award, same as LSS' performance as Ruo Xi... but I heard that they might not get it. At least in the fan voting site, the onscreen couple seems to win by a large margin.
Many websites and blogs have dedicated themselves to writing reviews about BBJX, and most of them marked the series as excellent. I can see why. I will tell you what I think of it later, if I have time. But for now, I want to treat myself with Cecilia Liu Shi Shi singing 'Season of Waiting', one of the OST of BBJX.
The translated version is here:
And this is the lyrics:
Season of Waiting
Waiting for Summer, waiting for Autumn Waiting for the next season I have to wait until the moon is full again Before you will return to my side Shall we meet again? Can’t help it but missing you Suddenly want to see your face That familiar face Holding hands is unnecessary As we walk slowly through the snow and drift Unable to see each other And we still pine inside for each other I only want you to know I am doing just fine A love for a lifetime, a passion for an eternity I will wait for you until I grow old I only want you to know I can’t let it go and I can’t forget it Your smile and your care Is my warm support
In response to a fellow hubber regarding tv versus personal development :
In some people's minds the realities are that we live busy lives that are demanding on so many levels. My philosophy is a little different. Growing personally takes time, effort and demands that we look inward before looking outward. By thinking of locus of control (who/what in our lives make our lives the way they are) people become scared to admit to themselves they can be better or different. The old addage of "Do onto others as we would have them do unto you" is probably one of the toughest things to do. Not because we don't all want to be treated with respect, feel heard and listened to, have a sense of belonging (beyond our families), feel worthy and have some self esteem. No, its because we feel on times (no matter who you are and what you do in life) that someone owes us. Don't tell me you never thought "I'd let that guy get into this lane had it not been for the idiot who cut me off back there". We see the world as 'dog eat dog' instead of one long continuum of events that we have total control over. We like to give 'others' (boss, wife, husband, mother, father, brother, sister, power company, tax man) power over us as a means to blame and shirk responsibility for our own actions. That way we can justify our actions to ourselves. It makes things more palatable when things go wrong... moreso not go our way than wrong in some instances.
All of this plodding and scheming leads to a life that is comfortable, where things 'just don't go my way', where 'people are to blame', and that 'can never turn around'. For if we were to take control back from 'others' then we would have no one to blame,nothing but ourselves to fall back on. We become accountable for our way of living, our way of dealing with others, and our short comings. And really, who wants all that responsibility?? I'd rather watch CSI:NY, that way I'll see others living more crappy lives than mine, getting what they deserve because they didn't take control of who they were/what they did. We choose to live blinded by guilt, shame, disappointment, envy, greed. And it is all because we are afraid of what that accountability will mean for us in the long run, but also what that accountability will mean for situations in the past.... We were at fault. we could have done differently, we could have chosen a different path, but we were too selfish to go that path. So we chose the lazy path... one that is comfortable and easy, one that we've been living for a long time. We have little motivation to consider alternatives to our thoughts, philosophies, our beliefs, because we believe no one else is doing it... why should 'I' be the one to change... 'they' should take a good look at themselves not me.
Odd thing is that if everyone were to take a moment and rectify a wrong they had committed (no matter how big or small) then people would start thinking "hey it's okay to be accountable".... "that guy is a stand up guy"... and not only would you be changing yourself, but you'd change other peoples understanding and perception of us. Sounds like a win-win to me.
And a Youtube video by Luka Bloom that covers it very well:
Out of the cold, dark winter space We come together, looking for Brigids grace We dip our open hands deep into the well Where our rivers run to, who can tell, who can tell
We warm our hearts and faces in the heat of the burning flame Something about our spirit never stays the same
Dont be afraid of the light that shines within you Dont be afraid of the light that shines within you Dont be afraid of the light that shines within you Within you
So many lives in shadows, with so much to give away Brilliant dreams in waiting, to see the light of day We step up to the well at the dawn of spring time When we go our way, we let the light shine, let your light shine
Dont be afraid of the light that shines within you Dont be afraid of the light that shines within you Dont be afraid of the light that shines within you Let the light protect you Let the light direct you Dont be afraid Dont be afraid The light that shines within you.
Been a while since I posted anything. So, for this Valentine's Day I'd like to give my gratitude to the Universe for my dearest partner who may prefer to be unnamed... to his love letters this morning that made me cried like a baby in happiness, and to our beautiful home that always welcome me at the end of the day.
And here's to my friends out there, single or double or single again... I just want to say this:
**Before we love someone else, we have to be totally in love with ourselves first**
So, love yourself first and foremost, and let the soothing rays of love overflow from within you. Connect with your inner self, and be happy always.
And here's a song for us all in this Valentine's Day. I chose something that is more reflective to the need to love ourselves first, which is the main ingredient for loving someone else.
True to Your Heart (Mulan, Disney, Stevie Wonder)
Baby, I knew at once that you were meant for me Deep in my soul I know that I'm your destiny Though you're unsure Why fight the tide Don't think so much Let your heart decide
Baby, I see your future and it's tied to mine I look in your eyes and see you searching for a sign But you'll never fall Till you let go Don't be scared Of what you don't know
[Chorus:] True to your heart You must be True to your heart That's when the heavens will part And baby, shower you with my love Open your eyes Your heart can tell you no lies And when you're true to your heart I know it's gonna lead you straight to me (Got to be true to your heart)
Someone ya know is on your side, can set you free I can do that for you if you believe in me Why second-guess What feels so right Just trust your heart And you'll see the light
[Chorus:] True to your heart You must be True to your heart That's when the heavens will part And baby, shower you with my love Open your eyes Your heart can tell you no lies And when you're true to your heart I know it's gonna lead you straight to me
(Ya know it's true) Your heart knows what's good for you (Good for you) Let your heart show you the way (Ya know it's true) It'll see you through (Got to be true to your heart)
Girl, my heart is driving me to where you are You can take both hands off the wheel and still get far Be swept away Enjoy the ride You won't get lost With your heart to guide you
[Chorus:] True to your heart You must be True to your heart That's when the heavens will part And baby, shower you with my love Open your eyes Your heart can tell you no lies And when you're true to your heart I know it's gonna lead you straight to me (Got to be true to your heart)
True to your heart You must be True to your heart That's when the heavens will part And baby, shower you with my love Open your eyes Your heart can tell you no lies And when you're true to your heart I know it's gonna lead you straight to me (Got to be true to your heart)
When things are gettin' crazy And you don't know where to start Keep on believin', baby Just be true to your heart When all the world around you It seems to fall apart Keep on believin', baby Just be true to your heart
I have New Scientist edition 25 September 2010 in front of me, talking about several interesting topics (including the importance of happiness and sexy daisies in Africa). However, what catches my attention right now is an article by Battersby et al titled ‘Cosmic Coincidences: Ten improbable events that paved the way for our existence’, which – as it goes – tells me how coincidence is a big factor that shapes the Earth into a living planet habitable for human (and rabbits, and dolphins, and also dinosaurs in the past). And then cometh the Moon, my favourite planetary object.
I’ve learned for quite some time that the Moon was actually not ‘captured’ by the Earth’s orbit, but rather was ‘made’ by the Earth because of a massive impact a long long time ago. But I didn’t realise how important is the role of the Moon until now. I will copy some paragraph from the article, written by David Shiga (p. 39).
Mars attacks
The solar system in which the infant Earth found itself was an unsettled environment, filled with lumps of rock whizzing around on irregular orbits. Some 4.5 billion years ago one of these, a Mars-sized body, clobbered our planet. The result was a comprehensive rearrangement. Some of the impacting material stuck, while the rest was blasted into orbit along with bits of Earth excavated by the collision, where it formed the moon.
It does not sound a particularly propitious event. But luckily, it resulted in a satellite that is anomalously big in comparison to its parent planet. There is nothing else like it in the solar system, where satellites are relatively small bodies that either accreted slowly from orbiting debris or were captured in passing. Elsewhere it seems a similar story. Giant collisions in other solar systems would produce abundant dust visible to the infrared Spitzer Space Telescope, but although a few such dusty systems have been found, collisions big enough to produce something like the moon seem to happen in only 5 to 10 per cent of solar systems – with the number of instances where this has actually happened considerably smaller even than that (The Astrophysical Journal, vol 670, 0516).
Why does this matter? Because the moon’s size provides a steadying gravitational hand that helps to stabilise the tilt, or “obliquity”, of Earth’s axis. That prevents wild changes in the pattern of solar heating on the planet’s surface that could lead to extreme climate swings, including frequent periods where the whole planet freezes over. That’s a big deal for us. “Conditions might be bad for complex land-based life if there were no moon and obliquity varied significantly,” says David Spiegel, a planetary scientist at Princeton University.
Earth might still have spawned life without its outside moon – even with a frozen surface, the water beneath could offer a decent habitat for sea creatures, Spiegel says. It’s just unlikely that we would be around to appreciate it. ~ David Shiga
Over the last few years, I’ve been always thinking and seeing the Moon as a source of guidance. I understand that my belief might be originated from the ancient civilisations around the world that referred to the Moon as a sacred object. Now I see that such notion might not be far off at all. Instead of just merely being ‘seized’ by Mother Earth as she strolled along the cosmic path, the Moon was actually sent by the Earth herself to guard her. And for billions of years, she has done the job well. She provides the force to stabilise life on Earth while she the Moon Maiden remains barren.
I start to really see the Moon as our major sentinel now.
I hung my hat on a wishing tree I asked for one wish - I could've had three But I only asked for what I needed Could've asked for money riches and wealth But all I really wanted was to find myself Unaccustomed as I was to seeking
And my heart whispered inside And the moon rose and the angels sighed And they said
Here comes your second chance You'd better believe it Open up and receive it Here comes your second chance Take a deep breath This is your second chance
Make peace with your mother And your father, too Make peace with the stranger inside of you And forgive yourself for the things you tried and failed to do Embrace your anger, your lust and your greed That's how we drop the things that we don't need Pick up a musical instrument Or plant a seed
That was my heart whispering inside "Welcome" it said, "you're home and dry"
Here comes your second chance You'd better believe it Open up and receive it Here comes your second chance Take a deep breath This is your second chance
Well the years went by and my wish came true And i find myself here with you I had to climb that mountain There was no was around it And we all come and go like waves in the sea Each with our own responsibility To leave this world more beautiful than we found it
That's your heart whispering inside And you know your heart, it never lied
Here comes your second chance You'd better believe it Open up and receive it Here comes your second chance Take a deep breath This is your second chance
Lyrics from Miten and Deva Premal's 'Songs for Inner Lovers' Pic: Living Tantra Bliss
I mean, come on! Agora was nominated for 13 Goya Award, and won 7 of them. It was screened out of competition for the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, and it talked about the 4th CE Egypt without the usual swords and gladiator-style debacles. Well, okay, it eventually ended up with a riot that killed my new fave heroine mathematician-astronomer-librarian Hypatia (played by Rachel Weisz, excellently I believe), but still, it is favoured by many and it's not screened in Australia yet?!?!
Okay, okay, it was screened in several cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra) during the Spanish Film Festival last May, but not yet in Townsville, the city of Powerpuff Girls! And not in big chain cinemas like Event Cinemas and Reading Cinemas. What an insult.
Even United States was late; it started the limited screen of Agora on 28 May10. Come on people, a good movie is there, and it's not the cliche gladiator stuff, nor the cliche Julius Caesar and Cleopatra stuff, and we're not watching it?!
I guess the fact that it was made by Spanish Alejandro Amenabar and was first screened in Spain in October last year didn't elevate it to the international level huh? Bummer. I'm telling you what: I'm buying the DVD in Ebay, and I will tell you what I think of it after I receive it. I will also STILL watch it in the cinema if ever it plays here by the end of the year...
That's the least I can do for a woman who died protecting sound science, her faith in herself, and the past glory of the Library of Alexandria.
Adriana Trigiani is officially my favourite authoress now, on par with Sophie Kinsella on my book (or book shelf?). I admit that I had been eyeing ‘Very Valentine’ since before Christmas last year, but was put off by its expensive price. I was also reluctant to start reading a story from an author I haven’t read before. Then I spotted the smaller TPB version of VV last May at the airport (most of my fave books I encountered in airports!), really browsed the first few pages, and… well, I can’t resist a novel that talks about shoes (particularly bespoke wedding shoes), can’t I?
But Adriana delivers much more than a quench for my thirst for good shoes and a good story about how bespoke shoes are made. She delivers Life itself that speaks through the heroine Valentine Roncalli, an Italian American living in Greenwich Village New York (I swear, if I ever go to NYC, I shall visit Greenwich Village. As Colin Firth’s Darcy said: “I shall!”). In many ways, I can relate to Valentine. Single woman of mid 30s, has big family that more often than not are noisy about her personal life, has to prove to herself that she can save and live her dream life… and has a good taste of well-made and comfortable shoes. Okay, I don’t have a nice tomato garden at the rooftop, but I am contemplating about it now.
Reading ‘Very Valentine’ is like… eating a meal so delicious, you don’t want to finish too early. You want to eat it bits by bits, because the slower you eat it, the more passionate you become of the food. Like eating sushi (please forgive the reference of a non Italian food). Unless you are very hungry (like I was a few years ago after a long day of kid drawing festival), you tend to eat the sushi slowly but sure. You savour every bit, marvel at the fresh pink hue of the salmon on top of the vinegary rice before dunking it to the salty ketchup with a hint of wasabi and ginger. Then, even as you eat it, you savour every taste that marvels in your mouth. Divine.
That’s how I describe my way of reading VV. Slowly, page per page, marvelling at every paragraph, sometimes even every word that ignite my imagination of shoes, New York, and Italy. In the love department, I was like… ‘so soon??’ when Valentine met Roman (soon to be her new beau) who used to catch her showering the rooftop tomatoes naked (yeah, it was a hot summer night after an annoying wedding party)… but then I kinda got along with it. But – although I originally thought of him as indecent and pervert – I have to admit that I was intrigued by Gianluca’s presence. Something about him that I like about, and although I was sad that Val and Roman didn’t work it out, I found myself intrigued by the prospect of Val and Gianluca. Particularly after reading the sneak peek of ‘Encore Valentine’ (in the US would be ‘Brava Valentine’) with Gianluca as the major actor in the first few pages.
More than giving me good romance, Adriana also gave me friendship through Val’s relationship with Gram, former nude dancer June, and Gabriel (who if he wasn’t a gay, I would promote him to be Val’s beau; and he apparently agrees! No. Scratch that. Had Gabriel been a normal guy, I would have dated him myself!). Family problems are also fleshed out, along with each member’s way of coping with them. It made me wish that my family had been better, but who am I kidding…
And of course, the shoes. I need to get back to this very important ^_^ matter because really. This is the first novel with shoes as the main actor/actress really, for without them, the novel would not exist. Adriana Trigiani gave me a 4 nights crash course on the world of shoes (particularly bespoke shoes), what to expect and look for in a pair of well-made shoes, and the love and devotion these shoe artists effuse into a pair of shoes. As a shoe aficionado who champions gorgeous, lovely AND comfortable shoes, I thank her for giving me a very nice book to get back to again and again.
Adriana also satisfied my love for Italian food. Expertly, she weaved the scenes where any character (usually Roman) cooked an Italian meal, pointing out the difficulties, best ingredients for the said meal, and what to expect from such a meal. If not salivating over the beautifully described shoes (or sighing at Gianluca), I would salivate over Italian food in this book. Yumm…
Conclusion: Five stars for Very Valentine.
Now, I need to save some money for that pair of sunflower yellow Sundance ballet flats. Ahem. And to pay my rent, save for the dream house, etc. And to write the review of ‘Encore Valentine’, which is the sequel of ‘Very Valentine’. But that can wait. I need to make dinner. I think tonight is pasta.
Pic: UK and OZ version of 'Very Valentine' cover (the small paperback) from Amazon UK
PS 1 June 2010:
I forgot one very important thing. One of the things I admire the most from Valentine is her determination. She believes in what she does, and she loves doing it. She loves making beautiful bespoke shoes that make women happy. And when piling debts almost forced her and Gram to either sell the shop and move somewhere else (or close the business entirely), Val looked here and there to save her company. Which she did, eventually, but not before she discovered what truly mattered for her, and being honest about it. I learned a lot from her.
I’ve recently made some purchases from US, so I thought I’d just pour myself some more tips on converting your shoe size when you do online purchase. For reference, I usually wear size EU 38 or 39 for heels; I’m happy with insole length 9.5-9.75” (24.5-25cm) and width of ball of foot 3” (7.5cm), but for heels, if it gets larger than that, it won’t do me good. I go up to EU 40 for boots. My right foot is half a number smaller than my left foot, but that’s common for many people, so I’m not an alien here. I might have to say that these sizing tips apply only for women shoes. Sorry, guys…
Is AU size = US size? The thing is, whenever I go to Novo, one of my favourite shoe stores in Australia, I usually go with “8 = 39” and it fits me well. So naturally, I thought that my size is AU 8 or EU 39 (which is the size I use in Indonesia). Several time I shopped in Ebay UK and I always asked for UK 6, and they fit me well.
Then came the time when I found Modcloth and got confused because they said AU 8 = US 9.5, or EU 41. Which is impossible! So, what is my US size? Is it possible that I actually had been shopping with US 8, and thought that it was AU 8?
Heels
A few months ago, I bought a Poetic Licence Butterfly Love (or ‘Rainbow Road’ in Modcloth’s term, cos it reminds people of the cute Rainbow Brite!) from Modcloth. I adopted both names and henceforth call her Rainbow Brite.
Now, Poetic Licence is from London, and many US Modcloth buyers already testified that they ran at least half a size bigger (so buyers better size down). I’m glad I spent some time to chat with Modcloth’s stylist (very recommended and helpful!) cos eventually I went and bought the only size left: US 7.5. And… it fits. Okay, not like heaven, cos it’s made of leather and I need to break it first. But still, it proves my suspicion that when I shopped for shoes in Australia, I actually shopped with a US size of 8 (instead of AU 8).
Breaking period
Breaking new shoes with your own feet is never advisable. Not in my book, at least. For my new Rainbow Brite, I placed my inexpensive shoe stretcher into the left pair just to break it and stretched the right pair with a small sandwich bag of water inside the fridge. See Michelle Phan’s tutorial for stretching your heels with water/ice.
In the morning, the left pair became very comfortable for my left foot, and the right pair becomes accommodative to my right foot. I then wore them inside for a few minutes every night (your feet tend to be larger in the evening after work) to get my feet used to them. I also buff them with aromatic oil (coconut oil with jasmine essence) to moisturise them and give them the glow. The oil was absorbed well, and the heels are fragrant now. I debated to spray them with Tana waterproof sprayer, but after a bit of testing inside the shoes, I decided not to. The sprayer changed the colour a bit, but because my Rainbow Brite is bright electric blue, I’m not taking the chance.
By the way, because of my increased confidence in US size, recently I bought a pair of Born sandals (‘Rosie’), projected for my sister’s upcoming wedding (or other important events…). I bought US 8, and now waiting for the preciousss one to arrive. Born Shoes is famous for their comfort, so I might be reporting about it later.
Heel tips:
For leather heels, if you don’t have the best size, you can go down half a size and stretch the shoes later. It worked well for me. Don't go up a size, even just half a size. You don’t want your heels to be too floppy, it will give you blisters (I had it more than once!). Tips for Poetic Licence: Size down for heels, particularly leather peep toes. Possibly applies to UK's Miss L. Fire as well. Tips for women in Australia who usually buy size ‘AU 8’… just be mindful that there is a chance that you actually use size US 8 instead of AU 8.
Boots
A while ago, I saw a pair of black leather ankle boot that I’d been salivating upon went on 40% sale at Williams. Because I didn’t have any black boots (excuses, excuses…), I just HAD to buy it! After cracking my student bank account, I came out with a pair of Diana Ferrari Supersoft boots, size 7.5C. Supremely comfortable… but it made me think. Size 7.5 for boots… whereas I usually wear size 8 for heels. Heck, I should’ve only fit with size 8.5 or 9! How’d that happen?
Then I remembered that on two other sale occasions last year (I’m not THAT shoeaholic!), I bought two pairs of Corelli heels size 7.5; one slingback, and one strappy heels. I wasn’t confused back then, cos I usually bought size 8 anyway. But now, I realise that the Corelli shoes operates with US size then, instead of AU size. Thus their 7.5 still fits me.
The insoles of the heels are always smaller than boots. If you have heels size US 8.5, very likely you’ll have boots size US 9 or 9.5. Or heels size UK 6, you’ll do boots size UK 7 or higher. Which means that my Diana Ferrari should not be sized US 7.5 at all. But it fits. Hence…I conclude that Diana Ferrari operates with REAL Australian size. Online Conversion states that AU 7.5 = US 9 = EU 40, which is the same as Modcloth’s size conversion.
Boot tips: Your boots would go half or one size larger than your usual heels, so size up if you never buy boots beforehand.
Golden rule of online shoe purchase
Always ask for the insole length of the shoes (and width of ball of foot, if possible). If there’s no one replying and you still want to buy it, read the reviews of that particular brand and model. You’ll reduce the risk of mis-fitting the shoes.
For boots, seller cannot measure the insole length, so ask for the bottom length, or the half-perimeter length, from the tip of the toes to the back of the heels. Match the measurement with your old boots, or your friend’s boots of the same size.
My shoe measurements
To conclude, I go with US 8 for heels with standard medium width, sometimes going down to US 7.5 depending on the brand and style. That is the equivalent of UK 5.5-6 (EU 38-39), and also equivalent with AU 6.5 - 7. For boots, I go with US 9 (EU 40, AU 7.5). For ballet flats, I go with US 8 as well (so I might be selling my Tangerine Guess ballet flats cos size 9 is too big for me - I wasn't well-educated about international sizing back then).
Hope the tips help you deciding your best online measurement. So, anyone wants to buy me a pair of shoes? I can use a yellow or peony Miss L Fire Alisha!
Now, Poetic Licence is from London, and many US Modcloth buyers already testified that they ran at least half a size bigger (so buyers better size down). I’m glad I spent some time to chat with Modcloth’s stylist (very recommended and helpful!) cos eventually I went and bought the only size left: US 7.5. And… it fits. Okay, not like heaven, cos it’s made of leather and I need to break it first. But still, it proves my suspicion that when I shopped for shoes in Australia, I actually shopped with a US size of 8 (instead of AU 8).
Heel tips:
