Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Fountain

As summer came around, more and more people started congregating at the fountain.
Some of them are with dogs, well, those they need to.
Can’t expect the pets to pee in the apartments no?

The rest just sat around, there’s plenty of benches, tables with chairs. With books, they sit there with coffee on the table and a book in hand.
There is one with a weird keyboard contraption on his tablet.
Near the late part of summer, they started having plays at the fountain.
Plays, Shakespearean plays.

They have the costumes, they have the language, they have the grammar.

They have audience participation too. One of the actors came to the person at the front, and said “You are too young and too nice to bear the child of my blood, but thank you for offering”. I think... that's a complement?

It’s the commitment that impresses really. There is no stage, there is no place to hide, no curtains. The only place for refuge is a little tent that they have setup for costume changes or touch ups. Every movement, even not as the centre of the attention, is in character.

In that sense, grabbing the audience attention is also difficult. With no stage, there isn’t a centralized place to look towards. Attention is attracted by either the sound that starts the scene, or just straight up vocal volume. It’s great.

Initially just walking past the fountain, he stopped one day when he heard a busker sing. She sang well, he stopped... and sat down nearby.

In that moment, with the sun shining down through the shade. He heard this song for the first time.
“Bülow - Two Punks In Love”
She delivered it beautifully. He makes a mental note to download it later.

He went back every Saturday from that point on, sometimes he would be late, sometimes he would catch the last of the songs. He would sit there, and then enjoy the sun, enjoy the dogs that pass by, enjoy the breeze that comes through. Either listening to the busker, or listening to his songs on the phone.

Perhaps more importantly, enjoying the peacefulness.

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Last 3 Stages: 如果这就是爱情

Last 3 stages.


如果这就是爱情 - 张靓颖
你做了选择 对的错的
我只能承认 心是痛的
怀疑你舍得 我被伤的那么深
就放声哭了 何必再强忍

我没有选择 我不再完整
原来最后的吻 如此冰冷
你只能默认 我要被割舍
眼看着 你走了

如果这不是结局 如果我还爱你
如果我愿相信 你就是唯一
如果你听到这里 如果你依然放弃
那这就是爱情 我难以抗拒

如果这就是爱情 本来就不公平
你不需要讲理 我可以离去
如果我成全了你 如果我能祝福你
那不是我看清 是我证明 我爱你

灰色的天空 无法猜透
多余的眼泪 无法挽留
什么都牵动 感觉真的好脆弱
被呵护的人 原来不是我

我不要你走 我不想放手
却又不能够奢求 同情的温柔
你可以自由 我愿意承受
把昨天 留给我

如果这不是结局 如果我还爱你
如果我愿相信 你就是唯一
如果你听到这里 如果你依然放弃
那这就是爱情 我难以抗拒

如果这就是爱情 本来就不公平
你不需要讲理 我可以离去
如果我成全了你 如果我能祝福你
那不是我看清 是我证明 我爱你

If This Is Love - Jane Zhang
You made a choice, right or wrong
I can only confess, my heart is in pain
Questioning if you are willing to hurt me this deep
I cry loudly, there's no point holding it back

I have no choice. I am not whole anymore
Seems that the last kiss can be this cold
You admit passively that I am to be forgotten
As I watch you leave

If this is not the end, if I still love you
If I want to believe you are the one
If you hear this, if you still want to give up
Then this is love, I cannot resist

If this is love, it is not fair to begin with
You do not need to justify, I will leave
If I let you go, if I can wish you the best
It is not that I saw clearly, it is proof that I love you

Grey skies cannot be guessed
Excess tears cannot be held back
Emotional with everything, feeling really fragile
It is not me that you want to care for

I do not want you to go I do not want to let go
But I am not begging, I do not want pity
You can be free now, I am willing to endure
Leave yesterday with me

If this is not the end, If I still love you
If I want to believe you are the one
If you hear this, If you still want to go
Then this is love, I cannot resist

If this is love, it is not fair to begin with
You do not need to justify, I will leave
If I let you go, if I can wish you the best
It is not that I saw clearly, it is proof that I love you

紫色/Purple - Bargaining
蓝色/Blue - Depression
棕色/Brown - Acceptance

Saturday, August 31, 2019

First 3 Stages: 我不难过

While figuring out the playlist selections, I found two songs that seemingly capture more than one stage of grief.
One song handles the first 3 stages, the next song handles the last 3, with an overlap in the middle.
It's been a while since I've done a self-translate. So here it goes.

我不难过 - 孙燕姿
又站在你家的门口 我们重复沉默
这样子单方面的守候 还能多久
终于你开口向我诉说 她有多温柔
虽然你还握着我的手 但我已不在你心中

我真的懂 你不是喜新厌旧
是我没有 陪在你身边 当你寂寞时候
别再看着我 说着你爱过 别太伤痛
我不难过 这不算什么
只是为什么眼泪会流 我也不懂
就让我走 让我开始享受自由
回忆很多 你的影子也会充满我生活
我并不懦弱 你比谁都懂
虽然寂寞 这会是我 最后的宽容

终于你开口向我诉说她有多温柔
虽然你还握着我的手 但我已不在你心中

我真的懂 你不是喜新厌旧
是我没有 陪在你身边 当你寂寞时候
别再看着我 说着你爱过 别太伤痛
我不难过 这不算什么
只是为什么眼泪会流 我也不懂
就让我走 让我开始享受自由
回忆很多 你的影子也会充满我生活
我并不懦弱 你比谁都懂
虽然寂寞 这会是我 最后的宽容

抱紧我 再抱紧我
这一份感动 请你让我留在胸口
别再说是你的错 爱到了尽头
是非对错 就让它随风
忘了所有 过得比你快活

我真的懂 你不是喜新厌旧
是我没有 陪在你身边 当你寂寞时候
别再看着我 说着你爱过 别太伤痛
我不难过 这不算什么
只是为什么眼泪会流 我也不懂

不要再说 或许这是最好的结果
现在分手 总好过你不爱我一拖再拖
松开你的手 离开你左右
我向前走 这会是我 真正的解脱


I'm Not Sad - Stephanie Sun
Standing in front of your place again, the silence persists
This one sided waiting, how long can it last
Finally you start to tell me how gentle she is
Even though you are holding my hand, but I am not in your heart

I really understand, you are not fickle
I was not there by your side when you were lonely
Don't look at me and say you loved me don't be too hurt
I'm not sad, this is nothing
I just don't know why these tears are falling
Just let me go, let me start to enjoy my freedom
Memories abound, your shadow will envelope my life
I am not a coward, you know this better than anyone
Even though I'm alone, this will be my final tolerance

Finally you start to tell me how gentle she is
Even though you are holding my hand, but I am not in your heart

I really understand, you are not fickle
I was not there by your side when you were lonely
Don't look at me and say you loved me don't be too hurt
I'm not sad, this is nothing
I just don't know why these tears are falling
Just let me go, let me start to enjoy my freedom
Memories abound, your shadow will envelope my life
I am not a coward, you know this better than anyone
Even though I'm alone, this will be my final tolerance

Hug me close, hug me close again
Let me keep this moving feeling in my chest
Don't keep saying its your fault, love has reach its end
Right or wrong, leave it to the wind
Forget everything and live better than you

I really understand, you are not fickle
I was not there by your side when you were lonely
Don't look at me and say you loved me don't be too hurt
I'm not sad, this is nothing
I just don't know why these tears are falling

Stop talking, maybe this is for the best
Breaking up now, is better than you not loving me and dragging this out
Letting go of your hand and leaving you
I walk forward, this will then be my true escape

绿色/Green - Denial
红色/Red - Anger
紫色/Purple - Bargaining

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Decisive

Sitting in front of a busy street, he recounted his various troubles.

He felt that maybe she just didn't get him. His work was a lot more demanding. And she, well she was not contributing at all, other than parenting.

He sat there, talking about it like a matter of fact. His emotion does not show, or at least not on his face.

It seems then, he has thought of everything.
He looks like he has thought a lot of this through, including the worst case scenario. Well, in my opinion worst case scenario, I'm not sure if he sees it that way.

"I just want you to know that you need to know exactly what you're getting yourself into."

He looks at me.

"There will come a time somewhere down the road where you will look back at this and go... Did I try everything? Did I make a mistake?"

"And when you haven't tried everything that you could. That's when the regrets come. But at that time, it will be too late."

"I just want you to be able to convince yourself... when the time comes."

He nods.

"Not if, when."

Friday, August 9, 2019

Lifetime

There he was, standing in front of the flower bouquet indoors. He held her hands in his, giggling as they try to complete the ceremony. Well, this was more ceremonial than anything, making it official I guess.

Surrounded by friends, they make the best of the situation. Every serious photo was followed by a not serious one. They do their best work when it’s a candid. Every now and then the friend tries to stir up some shit. “Be more sexy” He would say. “Think teletubbies!”

Before everything, he was confronted by his friend, he asked “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“I’m sure”

“Alright, let’s do this”

As he tells it, “my feet are extremely warm”.

1 down. 3 to go.

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

还是要幸福



你如果很幸福
半夜的簡訊我就無需回覆
因為你的悲喜已經有了 容身之處
我也 能有 最純粹的孤獨
最孤獨 的孤獨

If you found your happiness
I won't need to reply to your midnight texts
Because you have found a place for your sorrows and joy
And I can finally have the purest form of loneliness
The lonelinest of loneliness

Sunday, August 4, 2019

KTV

He wanted to sing his heart out.

He went with his closest friends, he did not want a big crowd. In that case, well, people would be fighting for the mic wouldn't it.

He's got his song list, his list of emotions that he wanted to get out. I guess he could have done it at home. You could argue that it is not the same is it. The acoustics are amazing, the microphone is good, it's happy hour. What else could you ask for really.

Song selection is average, but most of the songs are there.

Between his songs, his friends would get in a song of their own.

In their words: "one English and then one Chinese". They didn't really keep to that, but you know, who's counting.

The third song...

He couldn't get to the second verse.

The lines were rolling on screen. He turned the singer back on, trying to maintain some sense of continuity.
我真的懂,你不是喜新厌旧
是我没有,陪在你身边当你寂寞时候

He tried again, and tried again.
我不难过,这不算什么
只是为什么,眼泪会流我也不懂

He failed. He just let the song play out. It's a good song too. Classic.

Saturday, August 3, 2019

Park

He loves her with all of his heart. She does too.

He wonders about their differences, and if it meant that they shouldn't be together. He wanted to go out sometimes, she didn't. She did not like crowds. He was... whatever with it.

There would be frustration, compromises. He would get upset over social events, she would get upset over entertainment. They are still going strong though.

We sat down at a bench.

"Listen, I need you guys to fucking make it okay. You need to!"

"I don't think I will leave her. Not in a million years. If she asked me to..."

He paused, we looked out at the softball game that's going on.

The blue team is really bad at catching, they're making it up with hitting though. The green team is just average. The referee is taking it way too seriously though.

"If she asked me to, I would do it..., but I'll probably end up like you."

Ha, jackass.

"Well I don't think you have to worry about that, nobody ends up like me."

I pointed at him, did the "look at me" motion.

"Hey, you better try your fucking hardest."

He smirks.

"Yeah yeah"

Thursday, August 1, 2019

Walking

He walked with her along the lake. It was a place that you could never really see unless you were authorized to. Seeing the cityscape, it was wonderful, it was beautiful, she is beautiful.

They walked and walked, through to the market.

As they walked through the market, she broke the news to him in front of a greek frozen yogurt store.

"Wow".

His brain started to consume and digest the news, he realized he had a lot of growing up to do.

He was scared. He was puzzled. He is determined.

From that point on, everything was different.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Travelling

He flew constantly to meet her.

In these long distance relationships, maybe each of them enjoys the freedom of being free.
Then the feeling of being wanted is amplified in the moment that they are together.

Yet, in the spirit of being free, some things get lost no matter what.

Complications. Betrayal. Things get tossed, arguments.

Yet, even till now, he says he can't bear to listen to music that they enjoy together.

"I have it in my phone like right now." He taps his phone that's on the table, to make his point.

"I just can't press the play button, I can't listen to it. It reminds me too much."

I nodded. I didn't have any words to offer him. Stuck, it seems.


Sunday, July 28, 2019

Dessert

He has never been good at cooking.

Learnt a new recipe, he decided to try to make it again himself.

He bought mascarpone, he bought eggs, he got the kahlua, he has the savoiardi.

What the fudge is mascarpone, he thought to himself. Well he bought it.

Taking out the hand blender from behind the cupboard, to be honest he has not used it ever before. Though, he sure as shit am not going to beat the eggs by hand.

Combining ingredients, he carefully layers on all of the items.

The one thing he did not take into account. The eggs were almost expired.

Oh no, he messed up. He messed up big time.

He found another recipe sometime later.
It was different enough to give him hope. The best part of it all, no eggs.

He thought he did a good job. He was still afraid though.
That kind of reputation hit, not sure it can be rebuilt. He offered, but to no avail.

Recounting now, he smiles to himself, what a klutz.

Haha. Let's stick to professionally prepared foods from now on.

Friday, July 26, 2019

Convenience?

He has been with her for a long time.
He wonders if they were meant to continue.

He came from the East, and her from the West.
One grew up with cha-siu, the other pasta all the way.

They both made compromises to stay with each other.

Is it just convenience that they are together?

In passing amidst the conversation, he said: "I really like her".

"Don't you mean love?"

He stopped talking, looked directly at me, realizing what he just said.
Might have stopped breathing too.

Maybe it is pride, or insecurities, not being able to say the L word out loud.
Keeping the emotions in, keeping it in check.

He did not respond directly.

"I think you do. I got a good feeling about you two."

He exhales, and nods.

______

Shuffle has a way of finding songs from my library that I forgot. Today is one of those days, it played multiple songs from a while back that I added, thought they were great, but never really thought about it.

It has been a busy, tiring and frustrating week.

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Dream

The recurring dream.

He wonders if it was lack of sleep that he has been experiencing.
Regardless, he wakes up around the same time every day. Too early.

It would always be in the same scenario. A housewarming, surrounded by family and friends, coworkers. Laughing.

It's peaceful, the afternoon sunset glows through the windows. It's pretty.

He wakes up with a smile on his face.

The peacefulness is fleeting.
His smile stops, he tries to go back to sleep. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not.

.....

Amidst the party that was going on, sitting on their newly bought couch:
He asked
"Are you sure you want to get off the express train?
Even if you get off, there would be nothing but dessert.
Would you walk on dessert?"

"I will"

________


I need to find a time to watch The Farewell again.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

65 of 88



I went to see The Farewell yesterday.

I first heard about this movie during the press tour of Crazy Rich Asians. Awkwafina was expressing that the Asian representation in Hollywood movies was growing, and that she was starring in a more personal story.

If you did click through the trailer, you'll have the gist of what this story is. Whether or not you relate to it personally is of course a separate discussion.

For me well, it was hard to sit through sometimes. It was ... too real.

The story did not answer whether or not the lie was good, but instead focused on everybody's reaction and action to it. The answer ultimately is up to you. Is it good to keep a lie going for the sake of them being happy? Or should the person know and prepare for the eventuality? I'm not going to spoil the ending, but it did go one way over the other.

There was one part that stood out to me, and part of it is in the trailer. The difference between East and West.

What was not in the trailer... the idea that telling her will just shift the guilt and responsibility to Grandma, that she is now facing her own mortality. A lot of Asian families will choose to carry that guilt as a whole, preferring not to tell Grandma, and shoulder the responsibility together as a unit.

There is a saying in Chinese 报喜不报忧. Loosely translates to "report happiness but not sorrow". You can not only see that in this movie as a whole to grandma, but even little things. Even as the main character's failing in life, she doesn't tell Dad that things are not going well, she can't afford the rent.

The subsequent viewings gave me some more perspective. Actually I noticed an interesting dichotomy in the audience. There is a set of people who would take a particular scene at face value, and laugh at the awkwardness of the situation. The other set would initially chuckle, but quickly quiet down. It seemed to me that the second group of people understand that while the situation looks ridiculous, they did find some particular point of connection.

If it is not abundantly clear haha, I highly recommend people to see it.

In any case that you don't intend to see the movie but are interested to know what happens.
This is the episode of This American Life where writer and director of "The Farewell" Lulu Wang recounts the actual story:
https://www.thisamericanlife.org/585/in-defense-of-ignorance

________

Love 爱. Family 家庭. Responsibility 责任. Conviction 执着.

I did not know when responsibility came around.
I was driven, blindly. I missed a lot of things, I glossed over a lot of things.

It is apt then, when I did open today's piece of paper:

65:
"Building blocks of Andy's Life"

- "Family"


Damn it. Got me again.

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Lemon



我比较喜欢用中文来解读日文歌词,我觉得更能捕捉歌词的意义。

あの日の悲しみさえ あの日の苦しみさえ
那日的悲伤 与那日的痛苦
そのすべてを愛してた あなたとともに
连同深爱着这一切的你
胸に残り離れない 苦いレモンの匂い
化作了深深烙印在我心中的 苦涩柠檬的香气
雨が降り止むまでは帰れない
在雨过天晴前都无法归去
今でもあなたはわたしの光
时至今日 你仍是我的光芒


Sunday, July 14, 2019

Cast Away

Oldie but a goodie.

I really like this movie.
To put it in its straightest of terms, this is a story about survival. Of a man trying to survive.

Through the movie, he survives, he perseveres on the island, beating the odds.

The loneliness, the bleakness, knowing the probability of being rescued gets closer and closer to zero.

HELP being written in the sand, and being washed away, and then the resourcefulness of it all. Figuring out the fire, the tides. Burying his washed up co-pilot. Using the ice skates as axe blades, reusing coconut containers for water storage.

Every night, he looks at the picture of Kelly in her family watch.
Every day, he fights against the elements.

Until this becomes the norm.
He has Wilson, the best rubber ducky pair you could ever ask for.
But Wilson is not the reason for his will to survive? Nobody is going to live for a volleyball.
It had always been Kelly, she was his drive, she was his goal, she was his survival.

Four years. Four years is a long time.

He makes it back, and everything has moved on from him.
He can't sleep in the bed, he needs to sleep on the ground, where he's the most comfortable for the last 4 years.

Kelly, the person that he has been surviving for, moved on. It is not anyone's fault, just as the movie says, she had to. The chances of coming back were close to zero.

He went back and gave her the watch, it was the only reason he would want to meet up anymore. He did get his car back though... not before saying sorry to each other.

"I never should have gotten on that plane. I never should have gotten out of that car."

The rest... I'll let the clips do the talking.





I admit. This got me good.

Conviction is a more directed version of stubbornness.


Thursday, July 4, 2019

Chapter 6: 30.6

They say passing 30 is like a big milestone. The proof that you've moved onto the bigger challenges in life.

These days I call it adulting.

I'm laughing at my younger self now. Calling it the "end" of something. He wasn't wrong, yet he didn't cover everything.

Now, especially now, as I spent more time sorting through my emotions, it's become somewhat clear that I need to write this to clear my head. The last chapter was 9 years ago. It has been a long time.

I never really ever set a goal for myself when you hit the big three-o. I was always on the track of you'll figure it out when you do. These days, well a lot of my friends are getting married, having kids, taking care of them. I'm here wondering if my life experiences could match up with everything they were doing.
___________

My other grandma passed away last year. Her 90th year. She was the same zodiac as me, Dragon. 60 years apart. She was the one in Shanghai. The one I couldn't really leave behind, and yet I did. My memories of Shanghai, the time when I was young, was completely with her.

From what I remember, she single handedly brought up my dad and his four other siblings. My grandpa died when my dad was in his teens. Everything from that point onward she raised them all by herself. I have scant memories of the old place they used to live at before the siblings got married one by one. It was cramped. Traditional one big room, and because it was a big family, they had... I guess what I would call them would be "bunkbeds" that are on top of the kitchen area. As time went on and everyone started moving out, it was decided that my grandma would move in with us. I think it is because of me being the only male born son in the family (and because of the one child policy).

I really have fond memories of her. She didn't receive any education when she was young, so she couldn't read. She couldn't speak Mandarin Chinese either. It was only Shanghainese (specifically a particular variation of Shanghainese) that she could speak. She took care of me from birth really, and from what I can remember from other people, did clash with my mom on how to take care of me. I have to assume that this may be a rite of passage for all moms to go through.

My memories of her were she would always come to me with a smile on her face, with her fake teeth implants, asking me what I wanted to eat. I remember afternoons with her where I just "help" with making rice dumplings. I would try to get the leaves to make the rice dumpling shape for her. However, I would evidently always miss a spot with my small hands somewhere where the raw rice can leak out, causing her much annoyance.

I love eggs. When I was young, I love it when it is... I guess in English it would be over hard (crispy please!)? That was not the main attraction for me. It was the crispy egg white sides that were amazing to me. Even now, I don't think I can get to that level (or maybe I shouldn't?). Coupled with the amazing soy sauce (宴会酱油) I can eat that for days. FOR DAYS. I remember my grandma being super excited that I was enjoying her fried eggs that she burst out crying exclaiming how happy she was.

That... did not last long.

My grandma was heartbroken. She would continue to live at our old place, alone. I would see her only during June and December school holidays. This was still in the late 90s. I would want to get a laptop and use the internet, but of course in those days... it was dialup. She would get exceeding frustrated at me for hogging the phone line, and me at her for disrupting my download (Commandos Demo was a ~50MB download IIRC, that would take forever). Even more important than hogging the phone line, she would lament her phone bill. It was much much more than what she was used to.

The other change... was more drastic. My grandma took up religion. She became a devout christian. I actually do not remember how she got into it, but I do know why. She would ask me to pray with her, to pray that my parents would get back together. She would ask me to go to the Sunday mass with her. I was extremely uncooperative, in my mind it was ... something that was not going to happen. That or it took up time on my holiday. It would be a source of disagreements that I have with her.

That being said, I do appreciate her new faith. It led her to start reading, actually reading. At 70 years old, being a completely uneducated farmer, she read the bible, page by page. It was tough, but she persevered. She would ask whomever was around for help when she didn't know how to read a character. It was difficult for me. All of my Chinese I learned in Singapore, and my grandma did not know how to pronounce words in Mandarin, only Shanghainese. I had to do some leaps in logic to help transition those words into the dialect. I did what I could.

There was a time when my mom and I were very much into puzzles. We did quite a bit of puzzles together, Disney ones, scenery ones. One day we were browsing the store and we found something interesting. It was a 1000 piece puzzle of the Last Supper. Completed the puzzle in three days, glued it up, framed it. My grandma was overjoyed when we presented her with the puzzle. It hung on her wall till the day she passed.

She moved around after we sold the place. That was an ordeal on its own. She first moved to one of the places that my aunt lived at. However, it was on the top floor of a 6 floor apartment, and there were no stairs. I remember she would try to climb the stairs and then tell me to go first, that she will be resting for a little bit. They ended up buying a place for her that had an elevator after I entered university.

It was here that I was taken aback with how much I reminisce about my younger more innocent/naive times. My grandma kept all of our old furniture. The dresser where she kept a lot of photos. Some of them me of my various trips back, some dating back to when I was younger with her. Photos of aunts and uncles weddings, of cousins sharing the time together. There was one that was bigger than the rest, it was the photo taken at the airport when I left for Singapore.

I remember the time when I got the call, my dad told me. She fell at home. Undergoing surgery, she had metal installed in her left leg. She was not the same as before. From that point on, she started losing cognitive function, she would forget people, forget names, forget. Cerebellar atrophy, that was the official name. It got worse and worse until remembering was the shorter period, and even that period got shorter and shorter. The family got her a maid, and did a really good job taking care of her.

I went back as much as I could. Then there was a period of time that I couldn't visit her, I couldn't go anywhere. I was praying, praying that I would be able to see her the next time I could fly. She pulled through, but she became bedridden. Everyday was assisted, solids became liquids, words became gibberish, and soon not talking at all. When I finally was able to visit 1.5 years later, I broke down. She had deteriorated to something I was not expecting.

The family moved her to emergency ward care. The maid came everyday. She would bring her the three meals, wipe her back, wipe the drool off of her mouth. When I'm in Shanghai, I would visit. I would talk to her, tell her what has been happening, to me, to my cousin. Tell her about my life, my work. Most times, I would say nothing, sitting there holding her hand. Every time I leave, I would tell my dad... take care of her.

Shortly after my trip, she was transferred to an old folks home in May. She couldn't stay at the hospital anymore. A couple days later, she passed away. My dad told me not to come back, I had been there just a month ago. My mind was a blank, that month was especially hard to go through.

I flew back for her funeral. Winter Solstice, it was the same time as my uncle who passed.
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Writing this look longer than I wanted to admit. This past year has been challenging to deal with.

My best friend is getting married in a month. I'm happy for him, truly truly am.

Listening to: 田馥甄 - 爱着爱着就永远




Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Playlist/播放列表: 5 Stages - Bargaining

Bargaining (讨价还价)
Stay With Me - Sam Smith
好心分手 - 卢巧音 & 王力宏
We Belong Together - Mariah Carey
不要对他说 - 张信哲
我不想忘记你 - 郭静
The Heart Wants What It Wants - Selena Gomez
When I Was Your Man - Bruno Mars
当爱已成往事 - 林忆莲 & 李宗盛
给我一首歌的时间 - 周杰伦
会呼吸的痛 - 梁静茹
倒带 - 蔡依林

Denial and Anger are closely linked. Often there are overlaps, even relapse.

The next two are attached to the hip as well.

Thinking of the what could have been... would everything have been different if you just put in more effort, said something, did something, didn't do something.

All of the doubts come racing onto the surface. 
This is the beginning of the end, the internal pain starts.

Everything hurts.

Monday, April 29, 2019

Playlist/播放列表: 5 Stages - Anger

Anger (愤怒)
IDGAF - Dua Lipa
Love the Way You Lie (feat. Rihanna) - Eminem
In Pieces - Linkin Park
Sorry - Beyoncé
我以为 - 品冠
Are You Happy Now - Michelle Branch
Cry Me A River - Justin Timberlake
爱的初体验 - 张震岳
Rolling In the Deep - Adele
All Rise - Blue
Figures - Jessie Reyez

This is the second stage.
Where you start to realize this is not a dream. This is real.

Anger casts a wide net.
Everything comes crashing down, the hate, the rage, the resentment.

Hating yourself, how did I let it get to this step.
Hating others, how could he/she/they do this to me.

Whatever, I don't need them. Screw them.

Youtube Playlist

Saturday, April 20, 2019

Playlist/播放列表: 5 Stages - Denial

Denial (否认)
1. So What - P!nk
2. Don't Wanna Know (feat. Kendrick Lamar) - Maroon 5
3. It Ain't Me - Kygo & Selena Gomez
4. Treat You Better - Shawn Mendes
5. 我们说好的 - 张靓颖
6. 最后的风度 - 罗志祥
7 . 我不难过 - 孙燕姿

1st stage of grief.
The amazement of everything failing apart so quickly.
The alleged confidence that everything is going to be fine.
The I don't have time for this right now.

YouTube Playlist
______________________

This has been something that I had worked on ~7 years ago. Picking this up now and trying to consolidate this list again, with new songs that are now in my song library.