College's back

Two weeks passed; holidays ended; time to say hello again to college.

I was rather excited. So good to see my college mates once again, like that Tan Veen Dee that has been disappearing the entire holiday because she had a great time in Australia with her BOYFRIEND. Woot.

But the she brought back something for each one of us, so it's worth it to miss her. Hoho.

She said she immediately thought of me when she spotted this T-shirt. Haha. I'm Smart because I'm still single. Hoho. But then she says I can't really wear it now. So... she actually bought another thing to replace for me.

This pretty rose necklace. I love accessories with roses! Why does she know me so well. =DD

In the end, I get to keep both presents! Hehe.

Terima Kasih Tan Veen Dee. =D

I'm taking pretty fun and interesting subject this semester.

Introduction to Radio Production. (Hoho. DJ Fern in the making. Fun Fun)
Introduction to Photo Communication. (Photography class. Fun Fun Fun.)
Organisational Communication. (Oh..okay.)
Principles of Copywriting. (Ohh.......)

Probably I just thought I was having fun than to suit myself back into the study mode again.

We were divided into groups for our Radio Production project. Right when the lecturer told us we will never get to choose our team mates as long as we are taking his subjects, everyone prayed hard.

Prayed so so so hard that they won't team up with the two notoriously disastrous team mates of the entire century.

I am save. Christyna was kinda save. Esther at the slight brink of danger. Veen Dee's prayer's worked upside down. She needs to stay with one of the notoriously disastrous team mates of the entire century for the semester for the supposed fun-est subject.

I can hear some good signs coming for the semester. I hope I hear it right. =)

Quick Facts about Chin Fern

I know you have had enough of me being ugly. I know I know.

Because I am not. That's why I know you got enough.

Show you me in case you wonder why I havn't been posting up my photos recently. (Or maybe you miss seeing my face or something like that.)


Anyway, I can't manage to update the blog because:

1. I am too busy. (The usual half-true excuse)

2. My mum implemented the 'must-sleep-at-1am' rule, if not she'll confiscate my laptop. -.- Okay.

3. I'm working part-time in PISA for the next two days! I'm sort-of first job. Hoho. This gives me more credibility for saying I'm really busy.

4. I've changed my spectacles! My sister slept/sat on it and broke it. (Actually not her fault because I put it on my bed, which a place meant for sleeping or sitting.) This new one makes me look more intellectual, my mum said. Haha. I'm not used to looking myself into the mirror yet with this new spectacles.

5. I'm trying to make the post I'm working on now interesting. So please be patient. Please wait. (For your quick information, it's regarding a Leo Idol competition I joined last weekend and didn't win the title. But all the comments I got are more interesting than ever. So wait for the post. Seriously, you won't want to miss it)

6. I have missed my piano class two time so far this month. So which means I paid the full fee and received only half the value of what I've paid. All because of my stupid careless forgetfulness. If I were to inform my teacher I won't be able to make it for my lesson those two days, then I would have gotten replacements. Please slap me if you can.

7. My sister will be back staying in Penang long-term after being in Johor for the past 3 and a half years. I'll not get to monopolise my bed entirely like I have been used to, but I'm glad she's back.


8. Facebook is weird to decide to change their interface. It's ugly, not just weird. (This is not a quick fact about me though.)

9. "The Reader" isn't as nice as I've expected. It proves my statement right when the cinema has only 6 audiences and an angmo couple went off at the first quarter of the show, I think because too many sex scenes have been cut and they were actually going for that purpose. I said "I think" only.

10. To end your day in a happier mode (or NOT), I've extracted some jokes from an email, which is sent by Oh Su Lin. You might have read it before, but it's too good that you want to read it for the second time. (or 3rd or 4th or 5th whatsoever).

Marriage Humour

Wife: 'What are you doing?'
Husband : Nothing.'
Wife : 'Nothing...? You've been reading our marriage certificate for an hour.'
Husband : 'I was looking for the expiry date.'
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Wife : 'Do you want dinner?'
Husband : 'Sure! What are my choices?'
Wife : 'Yes or no.'
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Wife: 'You always carry my photo in your wallet. Why?'
Hubby: 'When there is a problem, no matter how impossible, I look at your picture and the problem disappears.'
Wife: 'You see how miraculous and powerful I am for you!'
Hubby: 'Yes! I see your picture and ask myself what other problem can there be greater than this one?'
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Stress Reliever Girl: 'When we get married, I want to share all your worries, troubles and lighten your burden.'
Boy: 'It's very kind of you, darling, but I don't have any worries or troubles.'
Girl: 'Well that's because we aren't married yet.'
-------------------------------------------------------
Son: ' Mom, when I was on the bus with Dad this morning, he told me to give up my seat to a lady.'
Mom: 'Well, you have done the right thing.'
Son: 'But mom, I was sitting on daddy's lap.'
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A newly married man asked his wife, 'Would you have married me if my father hadn't left me a fortune?'
'Honey,' the woman replied sweetly, 'I'd have married you, NO MATTER WHO LEFT YOU A FORTUNE!
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Girl to her boyfriend: One kiss and I'll be yours forever.
The guy replies: 'Thanks for the early warning.'
-------------------------------------------------------

And my favourite of all!

A wife asked her husband: 'What do you like most in me, my pretty face or my sexy body?
He looked at her from head to toe and replied: 'I like your sense of humor.'

Walao damm funny ok. LOL.

They might be a little insulting. But heck did you even read the word 'Humour' before you kill your cells unpurposefully?

Hope you think it's funny. Hahah.

Snippets of the Leo Idol

span >I senang-senang went to join the Leo Idol 2009 Region 1 (Penang) singing competition.

I was no. 46. The last to be auditioned.

When it was my turn, I took a deep breath, put on a smile, and walked in confidently.

There were 5 judges in there, 4 guys and a girl. One of them includes 8TV Personality Host, Baki Zainal.

After a brief introduction, I sang L.O.V.E to them, hoping as much to impress.

But to no avail.

Baki Zainal, voiced out first. "Erm...Fern right? Being the last contestant of the competition, we are gonna give you another chance, because seriously you were boring." Another judge (let's call him judge no.2) nodded the head vigorously.

Okay.

Judge no. 2, said: "Because this is an oldies right? You need to sing it very well." And then I can't remember what else he said.

Baki said again, "Ya, so we are gonna give you another chance to sing us another song."

And I had to sing my all-time song 'Sway' in the second attempt to impress them. Gees. I don't want to be missing this out and not going into the finals!

".....(Singing)....."

Baki: "Fern, do you usually listen to 'Light and Easy' (apparently Light and Easy plays more oldies than modern songs) ?"

Fern: " No."

Baki: " You know what, it's actually nothing wrong listening to songs like these, big bands, jazz. I like this genre. Is just that you have to have the personality to sing them. You need to have some special kind of voice to bring out that song. And the song like L.O.V.E, you just don't have the personality and the voice to sing it. I just want to say you are not black enough for the song."

(F.Y.I The original singer of L.O.V.E, Natalie Cole, is a Black.)

Judge no. 2: "Do you know the meaning of the song?" (as in Sway)

Baki: "Ya, like what meaning does the song bring?"

Fern: "Er...like....very seductive and er...come and.....dance...with me?"

Baki: "No, the meaning of the song is come and make love with me tonight. And you did not bring out the message or portray it out from what you sang just now."

Fern: "Wah...Like how am I supposed to portray the 'message' here?!"

Oh ya. Maybe something like that. Woot. *Drools*

And then everybody started laughing.

Judge no. 2: "So, ya, this song is seductive right. But from how you sang just now, we are not seduced at all."

Baki: "And Gees, there are 4 guys here."

Walao. How can they not be. I don't understand. Haha. Hui Theng said maybe they are just trying hard not to show their feelings. LOL. Hmmm..I see that rather true.

Judge no.3: "I actually like your voice. (Like finally! Something good about me. Haha. )But you have to polish it up and add more techniques to it."

So from what they said, I had a strong feeling that they don't fancy my performance or the entire process at all. I just bored them out. Shit. Die. Bye.

When I was done, it was long before the judges came out from the audition to announce the result in front of every other contestant.

"So the people who can go into the finals are: no. 36 Gini, no. xx, XXX, no. xx, XXX , no. 46 Fern..... "

I walked out the crowd in amazement. I really didn't think I got through. Cos seriously, I didn't receive good comments, how am I supposed to have confidence in myself?

Anyhow, I was super glad I made it through! =D (And the final is on the night itself!)

Finalists

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Finals.

So the night finally comes.

The Top 11 finalists drew their lots, each got their turns, and mine was lucky no. 2.

When the clock strucked at the (I don't know what time), contestant no.1 went to sing. When she was done, the judges got so enthusiastic to kick start giving comments.

Judge #1: Harsh
Judge #2: Harsh-er
Judge #3: Hash-est
Judge #4: Harsh-est-est
Judge #5: (You get what I mean)

(The harshness sequence is not entire accurate, but you get what I mean.)

I bet every contestants were gulping a few times while wiping their sweat hearing what the judges have to say. And even before I can finish my gulps, it was then my turn up on stage. *gulps*

I think you might know what I sang.


Yes. English song.


Yeah. PCDolls.

Yala. "Sway" again la.

Ok. *Curtsy*. Thank You. =)

Let's hear what the judges have to say.

(For your info, this is one of the most interesting part of the entire show. It's too jaw-dropping to have had to hear what the judges commented on me. All quoted verbatim. Sentences in brackets are my self-talking inner thoughts. Get ready.)



Judge#1: Zenny Lynn (DiGi Celebriteen 2007 Central Region Champion)
Mmm..Ok, Fern. One thing I love about you is..your dress. ( -.- Okay. Thank you. I appreciate your comment VERY MUCH.) Again ah, you have ah, pitching problem. (What do you mean again? No one said I have pitchy problem during auditions.) And uhm, from this morning, uhm, from the audition I see you, ok, you have improved a bit. which, but, you overdo it, the stage presence and everything. Okay? Thank you.


Judge#2: Lion Alan Thoo (Head in-charged of Leo Idol)
Ok, uhm, diction ah, is S-w-a-y, not suey. You pronounced it 'jin nia suey ah'. Ok Fern, I know you took the extra effort to sing an English song (WTH do you mean 'an extra effort', you mean my English was so bad that I tried so hard to pronounce the English words in the English song and it sounded like a pain in your ears?). I'm not sure whether you are uhm, trying to impress to judges by singing an English song, just because the two of us here do not understand Chinese songs. BUT like what Zenny said just now, your actions are not natural. You're like doing it, a little bit, over? Do you know what's over-reacting? (Er. Ya. And no, I did not over react, I was just trying to tell you the message of the song, like what I was taught this morning during audition, come and make love with me tonight) Ya. It's like a little bit too much movements and it's not really natural la.

You have the voice, again you need to polish it up, everything is not out yet but ya, don't, don't over do it. That will NOT uhm get you more points if you 乔 (as in hiao/slutty) on stage. (WTH -.-)


Judge#3: Baki Zainal (Celebrity host for 8TV's Celebrity Chat or you know the Malay guy that can speak Mandrin that appears Media Prima channels )

(OH..here also comes the 'juice'! )

Before I say anything else, I would like to say that uhm, I want you to give yourself a big round of applause because you're very daring today. Seriously. You took over advice ya, but one thing still, I did not see Fern. (Oh, you mean you actually know me and can see me through but just one simple short audition?) Ya. I did not see Fern.

(Then I was curious and couldn't understand, so I asked Baki back: What is Fern to you then?)

Well, the girl that I saw this morning, did not try to seduce all of us in a sleeky black dress that were showing off her g-string. (WTH WTH WTH WTH WTH WTH WTH! I remembered my face immediately changed when I heard that comment. I mean seriously, do you really need to tell the whole world, I mean whole hall that I'm wearing a g-string even though they might already know. WTH.) Okay? What I'm trying to send across, sweetie, is this: You can be a performer. I can see that in you, you know? In fact, I was waiting the whole process after the auditions to see your performance tonight and when I walked in I heard you rehersing, I like that. But you did today was you went overboard. You went overboard, you know? To a point where your dancing and all, uhm, did not match your voice. You sounded like the hippopotamus trying to take more breath under water. (Er. No. I didn't. I watched my recorded performance like hundred times already. I didn't sound like a hippo.) Okay?

But babes, hold on, hold on, I being serious here, I being serious, ya? YOU, can go every far. Just know where to keep your limits are, and be truthful to yourself. (What makes you think I am not being truthful to myself? Do you mean like a college student like me, cannot seduce people one is it? Hahah. And now that I tried so hard to seduce people, I was betraying my purest heart of a student?) Okay? Thank You.


Judge #4: Aesar Mustafa (Recording artiste from Gangstarz Season 2)
Hello! Ok, mulanya saya nampak kamu saya nervous, sebab beautiful. Sebenarnya, suara awak, uhm, besar tau. Awak keluarkan suara awak tetapi tak balance dengan uhm..I mean that macam, you tak merancang betul-betul pergerakan tu. I suka you bergerak sana, bergerak sini, tapi you kena merancang. Rancang jadilah cantik. Apa yang kita nyanyikan itu, kena seragam dengan steps, okay? Ok, thank you.


Judge #5: Mr Ou 欧老师 (Penang's renowned Vocal Coach)
好，也是跟他们同样的一些意见，就是今天晚上，你的这一个动作，比较刻意一点点。尤其是在第二段的时候，你的声音已经没有什么变化了，气很紧，也开始很喘了。到了第三段呢，第三段更喘，所以，变成你的声音在第二段，第三段过后，转弱了。然后跟你这一种，那种挑逗的表情，我相信还挑逗不到这些男生。 (-.- 因为那些没有被挑逗的不是男生。 Okla, nola, I'm just saying. Haha. You don't have to be seduced to be guy, but then it's hard not to be....LOL. haha. whatever. I actually rolled eyes right after he said this.) 还不够，你的年龄暂时还做不到这样子的神情。

Translation if you need: Okay, I'm just gonna give some similar comments that the other judges mentioned. Your actions, tonight, was rather made-up, especially during 2nd verse and 3rd verse, there were already less transition in your voice. Your breath was tight and you started to pant. At the 3rd verse, you panted even more. So actually your voice turned weak after the 2nd and 3rd verse.

And your flirtatious expression, I believe didn't mange to seduce the guys here. (-.- Because those that are not seduced are not males lo ok. Okla, nola, I'm just saying. Haha. You don't have to be seduced to be guy, but then it's hard not to be....LOL. haha. whatever. I actually rolled eyes right after he said this.) Not enough, you still won't be able to reach that level of expression at your age.(I'm nineteen for heaven sake. not 9. Why do you think I can't reach that level. -.-)


Anyhey, anyhow, when the result was announced, I wasn't in the Top 3 of the competition.


I reckon that was really a tight competition and I accepted the results openly. The 3 that won, really did deserve them, especially the winner, Teoh Gini. She's has powerful vocals and is definitely one future star to be. Amazing talent. She's also my junior from high school choir and I didn't find out such voice existed in our choir.

Singing her winning song, 'Why', a korean hit by Jang Ri-in. (Go youtube for her recorded performance!)

Gees. Mu junior and she beat me. Haha.

And I can only stand there and stare at the trophy in her hand that I really wanted. LOL.

I am ugly now =(

For once in my life, I think I am ugly.

Oops. Haha. Actually not just once.

I mean, seriously now I am damm ugly.

My wrist, my arms, my elbows, my shoulder, my feet, my lower back, my waist, my midriff.

Thanks to all the rashes that I got right after I came back from my KL trip.

But thank God my face is still as pretty. Haha. (You can throw rotten eggs at me.)

Right after the concert, Mr You Jing asked me: "You don't drink alcohol, right?"

So I thought: Ok, he knows I don't drink alcohol, so he's gonna bring me to some cafe that serves non-alcoholic drinks or something.

And then he brought me to a pub. -.-

Although it's a very atmospheric semi-open air poolside bar on the very top of a building, overlooking the scenic view of KL City, it mainly serves alcoholic drinks. And then this very smart guy ordered an alcoholic drink for me which does not have the smell or the taste of alcohol at all. Plus, it's super yummy.

And I thought he knows I don't drink alcohol.

As it was also Ladies Night, I was given another free vodka drink.

At the end, I finished the big tank of yummy pink alcoholic drink. And the vodka. (And I thought I say I don't drink alcohol.)

Right after I sipped the last from my free vodka glass, the bar tender took my glass back and asked: "Do you want more? What else do you want?"

I was having a very bad dizziness and I don't want anymore drink. But I don't know what I should say to the bar tender and so I look towards You Jing and hope he would say something to the bar tender.

But he didn't. How stupid.

He only opened his mouth by the time the bar tender had mixed something new for me and present it in front of me with a smile.

Shit.

"Hoho. You have to finish this drink already. The bar tender see you so leng lui only give you another free drink. You have to 'give face'."

Okay. Shit.

So in a half-conscious mode I finished the cranberry alcoholic drink and I remembered receiving Ying Tian's message at that time asking me has the concert the ended because I was gonna put up at her house and me telling her that it has ended and I'm having a superduper headache now.

That was the worst headache I have ever had in my life, like either I'm gonna die, head gonna burst or something. Haha. I didn't know I was so alcohol-intolerant.

The next morning when I woke up, I saw some reddish patches at my back, so I was thinking: Wow, I must be having too much sugar in my blood that's why so many mosquitoes bit me.

It was still ok UNTIL I came back to Penang.

On Friday morning, there were more reddish patches. I was thinking: why are mosquitoes breeding so wildly this season, I'm having more mosquito bites and they ITCH LIKE HELL.

As time goes by, the rashes increase in numbers. And then I realised the MAIN FACTOR to it.

Shit. The alcohol.

I'm allergic to alcohol??!! It could be that reason. It could also be because my body is too new to accept this kind of substance into the whole system therefore they are reacting.

So, I'm looking terrible at the places I got my rashes.

Horrible and terrible.

I couldn't wear a low-waist jeans because when I sit my blouse/shirt would automatically revealed my lower back because most of them are just at the right length and therefore people will see the rashes on my lower back, which is the most horrendous part.

I couldn't wear a sleeves-less or spagetthi because the marks on my elbow and left shoulder would be emphasised.

I couldn't wear my bikini. Like obviously.

And I had to scratch them many times because they seriously ITCH LIKE HELL.

Gees. Why the alcohol didn't like me. I know it's wrong for me to not like them in the first place, but but but...I just can't stand the smell. Not my fault, blame my smell receptors please.

So...now I'm helpless with all these reddish extra protruding flesh on my skin.

I'm everyday telling myself: 'They will heal. They will heal. They will heal.'

Yes. Please heal as soon as possible and erase the marks and scars off. Thank You Very Much. I want to be pretty again. Haha!

A night from the Geek in the Pink

I'm a little afriad when I decide to write this post. I fear that my inadequate vocabulary of the English language cannot match up to the great singer's talent.

But heck, he's too good not to write about. If under any circumstances that I don't knw the exact word to describe him, I can just use 'very very very very' or 'super duper uber' or terms like that tell you how amazing he was that night.

So...

Jason Mraz's Live performance, need not me to even mention, was definitely a total BLAST.

Although I don't even know 80% of his songs, besides the ubiquitous I'm Yours and Lucky, it was uber pleasurable just to listen to him singing with his superb unbeatable vocals, watching him having fun on stage, seeing him showing off his skills on guitar and embracing his quirks and cheekiness.

He's a fantabulous musician, singer and performer, all packed in one body.

I travelled all the way down to KL for his concert held in Stadium Negara and went together with my super sweet and lovely and favourite friend, You Jing.

Stadium Negara is one size smaller than Stadium Merdeka where I attended Jay Chou's World Tour concert just February last year. (I still remember it's on a 23rd!) But it was a full house concert definitely. And I think Jason Mraz's audiences consist more of pure good music listeners, than Jay Chou's crazy screaming fans.

Nothing wrong about screaming fans of Jay Chou, both of them just have different markets. After all, I'm part of Jay Chou's bunch of crazy screaming fans.

Alamak. Why am I even comparing both of them. Sorry, I shouldn't. Really shouldn't.


Our tickets were the Rock Zone category and since we hurried to get the place right at the divider, we are only around 60metres to the stage! Woot. So the ticket we bought, I think, is super worth the value.

BUT I didn't have a camera with me, besides my pathetic camera phone. So I only had some pathetic shots of Jason Mraz on the screen.

As the concert started, there were seven musicians on stage, handling the trombone, trumpet, saxophone, bass, percussions, keyboards and drums; the man himself on his signature, the guitar. The first song to serenade the crowd was 'Make It Mine'. The whole stadium couldn't help singing along with him. The whole song, how cool is that. (I think is cool la. Hehe.)

Photo source: junkonline.net

Now I cannot forget the 'hah-la la la hah- la la la I-la la la la love you' part.

He charmed the audiences with improvisational skills. So actually, singing along with him is a bit hard, cos we won't know when is he going to drag the note so long and then push it up using his falsetto and sings through the running notes and then end it with a twist that you have never heard before. But he can make it so good that you would want MORE!

Photo source: junkonline.net

He somehow has the ability to make his less familliar tracks very enticing. The entire audience will just sway along with the music, while he did his job.

The heat was at the peak when he introduced the start of his biggest hit 'I'm Yours', using his guitar, the very familiar guitar sliding melody. I was most enthused because that's the song that I really really know of. -.- Haha. I video-recorded this part of the concert using my phone. I ended up hearing myself than him singing. Alamak.


If you want experience the atmosphere that night, go Youtube, go Youtube, super a lot.

The whole team suddenly bid goodbye after an hour of performance later.

What? Ended already? It's only one hour. Then You Jing said the lights were not on yet, there's gonna be more. Then I recalled on Jay Chou's concert, true, all the singers like to buy their share of 'encore' from the audience using this technique. Hoho.

So ya, don't leave the concert on the first goodbye. They are actually asking you to shout 'encore' for them.

More shoutings, more 'We want more', more 'Jason! Jason!'...and then...

...the happy guy hops out cheerfully again!

This time with a very diplomatic cut-off sleeves T-Shirt, I ♥ KL.

I ♥ the shirt, but I want a T-shirt which says I ♥ PG, don't want KL. Haha. Anyway!

'Lucky' is up! Yeay. I thought he wasn't going to sing because he can't be inviting Colbie Caillat all the way to M'sia, to sing ONE SONG.

So we were all waiting, who is it gonna be?

"If she's not coming out, all of you will have to sing..!" with a very funny accent, said Jason Mraz.

When the Colbie's part is up, no female singer was in sight, so everybody joined in the thrill! Until the chorus...still no Colbie-to-be and then suddenly..poof..Penny Tai, appeared on the stage singing to the song.

Photo source: junkonline.net

Jason Mraz closed the concert with the song 'Butterfly' and put a beautiful full stop to the wonderful concert.

This concert is damm good and this could even be an understatement. As what his latest album says, he danced, he sang, he stole things - our hearts! Maybe it is because of his perfect vocals, his quirky moves on stage, or just his smile, this concert is definitely one to remember for long. He's so damm good! Argh.

I ♥ Jason Mraz

and

You Jing.

=)

Jason Mraz!

I'm going to say Hi to Jason Mraz later tonight at Stadium Merdeka!

And he's going to sing for me! (And a lot a lot a lot more people)

Gees. Actually I just want to tell you I'll be at his concert!

Oh yeah.

Don't be jealous.

I'll help you say Hi to him. =)