♪ Thank you for the music... ♫

Dear Reader,





It's high time for another musical post. This time, I would like to share a song called 'Bagaikan Puteri' by Farra. It means 'Like a Princess'. The meaning behind the lyrics is a bit sad, but the tune is really catchy. I mean, super catchy. Like stuck-in-your-head-for-a-week catchy. Anyway, here are the lyrics and the translation.





Farra
'Bagaikan Puteri'

[Chorus]
Tapi sayang, hanyalah impian
Bulan tak bisa tumbuh di taman
Dan bila mentari datang
Pulanglah segala kenyataan

Jika dunia aku yang punya
Akanku dirikan
Sebuah syurga
Malam tanpa siang
Untukku bermimpi

[*]

Sepanjang masa, tanpa kecewa
Bertemankan bintang yang setia
Bagaikan puteri kisah khayalan
Yang hidupnya suci dan sempurna

[Chorus]

Jika dunia aku yang punya
Akanku hiaskan
Sepasang sayap
Putih dan berseri
Untukku kemudi

[*]

[Chorus] x2

English translation:Farra
'Like a Princess'

[Chorus]
But too bad, it's only a dream
The moon can't grow in a garden
And when the sun comes
The reality returns

If the world belonged to me
I would build
A paradise
A night without day
For me to dream

[*]

All the time
Without disappointment
Accompanied by the loyal stars
Like a fairy-tale princess
With a pure and perfect life

[Chorus]

If the world belonged to me
I would adorn
A pair of wings
White and shining
For me to navigate

[*]

[Chorus] x2

See what I mean? A bit pessimistic, really...but at least it's realistic; it is a widely accepted belief that the moon does not grow in gardens. Anyway, that's all for today. Hope you enjoyed this somewhat brief post. It must be a refreshing change for you, my dear reader. Until we meet again, ciao!

Yours,

Figgy the Music Lover

Results are in!

Dear Reader,




Kindly refer to the title above. Yes, the results are, in fact, in.


"What results?" you ask, scratching your head in confusion.


Ah, my silly and scatter-brained reader, don't you remember? I told you all about this in one of my posts, dated 22nd of February 2009, under the title of 'Birthday Girl'.


Still not ringing any bells? Very well. I'll just have to come out and say it. No use prolonging this ridiculous situation any longer; you don't know what I'm talking about, I won't let you know what I'm talking about. Just a waste of time, really. I mean, you must be absolutely dying of curiosity by now.


Ahem.


The results in question are my SPM examination results. And they are in; as in, they are out. Officially out. They came out on the 12th of March, actually. But due to my acute tendency to procrastinate, I have postponed the announcement of them until today. The 12th of March fell on a Thursday. An ordinary, average, garden-variety Thursday. Remarkable only in the degree of how extremely ordinary, average and garden-variety it was. Oh, yes, and that was The Day, The Dreadful Day, when my results came out, of course. The results that determine my future, my career, and my standing in the eyes of society.


I bet you want to know how I did, don't you, my inquisitive reader. Well, I did okay. Just okay. I didn't get straight A's, but at least I passed.


I shall proceed to deliver a severely detailed and extremely specific report of my aforementioned results. Please find it in your heart, my dearest reader, to stay awake for the entire duration of this mind-numbingly boring post.


But first, I shall acquaint you with the Malaysian SPM grading scheme. We do things by grades here. A1 is the highest grade: 100% to 85%. Next is the A2 rank: 84% to 76%, I think. And then there's the B3: 75% to 64%. Or something like that. Then there's the B4, C5, D6 and so on and so forth. I'm not really sure about the marks allocated for each grade...I've quite forgotten by now.


Overall, I received 8 A's (6 A1's and 2 A2's) and 3 B3's. There are actually just 10 compulsory subjects for SPM, but students are allowed to take on as many extra subjects as they feel they are able to handle. I took one extra subject: Bible Knowledge, mainly because it's easy; a guaranteed A.


Now, on to the good stuff.


English: I received an A1. Hardly surprising; English was always my best subject. And Malaysia's standard of English is a bit...mediocre. It's to be expected, of course, in a country where English is not the national language.


EST: This harmless-looking acronym is actually a curse in disguise. It stands for English for Science and Technology. Basically, it's a waste of time. We are forced to take this subject because our Education Ministry feels that the separate subjects of Chemistry, Biology, Physics and English aren't enough. We need another burden, another subject to study, which is just the combination of these four subjects, but with a different set of rules and format to memorise.


I got an A1 for it. My essays were mostly crap anyway. I discovered a long time ago that as long as you write crap with a serious enough tone and with good enough English, you'll get good marks for it. That's the only good thing about EST; the teachers that mark the papers are English teachers, not Science teachers.

Bahasa Malaysia: I got an A1 as well. This was actually quite a surprise. I expected a B3 or maybe an A2. I never got anything higher than an A2 in my normal school exams. Thank goodness for the bell curve, I guess.

History: Another A1. Like with my Bahasa Malaysia, I was expecting an A2, at the highest. But I vaguely remember making an actual effort to study. Maybe that's what did it. Or it could just be the bell curve again.


Mathematics: I got an A1 for it. Math, compared with Additional Mathematics, is so much easier. There is definitely an imbalance in the curriculum they teach in Malaysian schools. Classes in Malaysia are divided into two 'streams' after Form 3--I guess that would be Grade 9--Science stream and Arts/Commerce stream. I was in the Science stream. Students in the Science stream are required to take Math as well as Add Math. However, for students in the Arts/Commerce stream, Add Maths is not compulsory. There's too big a difference between the subjects. I mean, the stuff we learn in Math is just another English lesson, but with numbers and 'mathematical reasoning'.


Biology: Shockingly, an A1. I was expecting something much lower. I think the highest I ever got for Bio was an A2. But Bio was always my favourite science subject. And I think I managed to get some brownie points because Bio is really all about remembering and explaining the biochemical processes that occur in living organisms. Yup...I'm really good at taking a little bit of information and just elaborating on it into as many sentences as I can, like thinly-spread butter on toast.


Pendidikan Moral: Translation-->Moral Education. I got an A2 for it. Man, I hated Moral. We had to memorise, word-for-word, the definitions and key-words of 'virtues'. And there were also a number of incredibly pointless and confusing formulae for answering questions; there were at least two different ones for the subjective questions, depending on the marks allocated. And there was one for answering essay questions. Needless to say, it was extremely frustrating to get penalised for something as pathetic as writing an 'and' instead of an 'as well as', or leaving out one single adjective from an already over-descriptive, long-winded sentence. Speaking of long-winded...


Bible Knowledge: An A2. Exactly what I expected. I remember thinking as I sat for the paper, 'it's gonna be an A2, at least.' And I was right. I could've gotten an A1, but, as is the norm with me, I left the studying til the last possible minute.


Chemistry: I got a B3. I hate Chemistry. It sucks. I respect all those people who actually 'get' Chemistry, seriously. I doff my hat in humble adoration and homage to all you Chemistry geeks; you may be the socially-inept nerds of today, but you will be the leaders of tomorrow. Remember, the geek shall inherit the earth...or something like that.


Physics: Another B3. Yeah...I'm not a numbers kind of person. I am fated to fail in any field of study, area of interest, or branch of learning that is based solely on counting, calculation and mathematical formulae.


Additional Mathematics: Yet another B3. Refer to paragraph above. 'nuff said.


So, my dear reader, you may awake from your deep and, I trust, restful slumber now. I am finished. Well, almost. I haven't told you how I feel about the outcome of my SPM yet. To be honest, I feel torn. Ripped in half. Divided. I can't decide whether I'm happy and relieved to have passed every single subject, or disappointed and a bit regretful that I didn't get straight A's.


I know, I know, I should be feeling grateful that I managed to even pass my stupid SPM. And if I regret not getting all A's, I only have myself to blame for not studying hard enough. Or often enough. Or long enough. But still...I wish life had a reset button.


It's no use dwelling on the past, I guess. How can you move forward if all you're ever doing is looking behind you?


Well, I believe I have taxed your patience quite enough, dearest reader, and I shall leave you to continue your nap in peace. Til next time, adieu.






Yours,



Figgy the Fractured

♫ ♪ Music and Lyrics...and Translation?

Dear Reader,





You should know by now that when I hear a song, it's not the music I listen to first, it's the words. I am quite fortunate to be able to understand two languages quite fluently: English and Malay. And, by understanding Malay, I can almost understand Indonesian. You see, the Malay and Indonesian languages share the same relationship as American and British English. The accents and colloquial terms are quite different, but the basic words used are pretty similiar.



Malaysians sometimes borrow Indonesian words, especially in poetry, novels or songs, because Indonesian words sound so much more poetic and romantic than our Malay ones.



Anyway, the reason I'm composing this post is not to deliver a lecture on the differences or similarities between the Malaysian and Indonesian languages. I'm here to share a song with you, my dear reader. It's called 'Juwita (Citra Terindah)' by M. Nasir. Here are the lyrics and the translation:





M. Nasir
Juwita (Citra Terindah)
Bagaimanakah aku gambarkan
Rasa yang membakar jiwaku?
Tiada kata yang tak cliché
Bagai habis bahasa bermutu
Sedang engkau teristimewa buat diriku
Ilham tugu Taj Mahal
Didirikan, oh…


Barangkali kita perlu
Melihat di sebalik materi
Kau wanita, aku lelaki
Ayuhlah kita *mengikat janji
Yang kau Juwita menolak segala dusta
Citra yang terindah
Cerita yang sakti

Chorus:
Ku serahkan nasibku pada cinta murni
Jugaku rasakan bukti
Patahkan, ku hancurkan badanku ini
Kau tetap menjadi

Oh-oh, oh-oh…*Pujaan
Oh-oh, oh-oh…Juwita

Kau segala-galanya

Kau Juwita menghidupkan jiwa yang lara
Menggoncang kalbu yang lama membeku

[Chorus]

Oh-oh, oh-oh…Pujaan
Oh-oh, oh-oh…Juwita
Oh-oh, oh-oh…Pujaan
Oh-oh, oh-oh…Juwita

*Sempurnakan cintaku
Juwita...Juwita...
Kaulah segalanya
Segalanya...
Kaulah segalanya
Segalanya...






M. Nasir
Juwita (The Most Beautiful Image)
How do I describe
The feeling that burns in my soul?
There are no words that aren’t cliché
As if language of good quality has been used up
Whereas you’re the most special person to me
The inspiration behind the Taj Mahal
Being built, oh…

Maybe we need
To look behind the subject matter
You’re a woman, I’m a man
Come, let us *make promises
That you, Juwita, push aside all the lies
The most beautiful image
A sacred story

Chorus:
I deliver my fate to a pure love
I have also felt the proof
If I break, crush my body
You will still be

Oh-oh, oh-oh…*The one I adore
Oh-oh, oh-oh…Juwita

You are everything

You, Juwita, brought a miserable soul to life
Shook up a heart that has long been frozen

[Chorus]

Oh-oh, oh-oh…The one I adore
Oh-oh, oh-oh…Juwita
Oh-oh, oh-oh…The one I adore
Oh-oh, oh-oh…Juwita

*Perfect my love
Juwita...Juwita...
You are everything
Everything...
You are everything
Everything...









*mengikat janji--make promises
Ok, so I translated this phrase as 'make promises'. But the literal word-for-word translation is 'tie promises'. I love this phrase because it implies that promises, like knots, can be tied; that they are binding. Just thought you would like to know that, my dearest reader.


*pujaan--the one I adore
The original [accurate] translation for 'pujaan' is 'idol', or 'sacrifice'; you know, something to be worshipped and adored. I thought 'idol' was a little heavy for the upbeat mood of this song and, besides, I believe in the whole monotheistic "You shall have no other gods before Me" thing. So I paraphrased.


*sempurnakan--perfect
The word 'perfect' is used as a verb here, not as a noun. Examples:
Verb: 'please perfect my love'.
Noun: 'make my love perfect'.
Interestingly enough, it's almost the same situation with the Malay word. 'Sempurna' means 'perfect', a noun. Add '-kan' to the back and it becomes a verb.





Alrighty then. I should probably go now, before I come up with anymore footnotes and bore you to death. Bubbye!





Yours,



Figgy the Philologist

A Day at the Beach

Dear Reader,

As the title above suggests, I recently spent a day at the beach. It was on the 9th, a Monday. The prophet Muhammad's birthday, I believe. Therefore, it was a public holiday, and nobody had any classes to attend. And so, we decided to go to the beach!



I am fortunate enough to live relatively close to Sarawak's coastline. There's a slew of beach resorts in Santubong, about half an hour's drive from my house. But, since they're all resorts, we can't just waltz into the place and use their beach. We would have to check in to a room or something first. So, we went to a place called Pasir Pandak, which is a bit farther away than Santubong, but totally free. Pasir Pandak, translated literally, means something like 'Short Sand'...'pasir' meaning 'sand' in Malay and 'pandak' meaning 'short' in Iban, one of the many native languages of Sarawak.



Anyway, me, my older sister Rebekah (a.k.a. Bekah), Bekah's boyfriend Emmanuel, Daniella (a.k.a. Dani), Julia, and my [other] cousin Tracy (a.k.a. Urei) all piled into the Pajero and headed for the beach. It was a bit crowded, even using the Pajero, because the four of us--me, Dani, Urei and Julia--had to fit in the middle seat, which was originally designed for just three people. We had to do this because the back seat was fully occupied with all the stuff we brought along, you know, 'just in case'.



Let me see, we brought a portable barbeque set, specially purchased for the occasion just the day before. We brought food; chicken and hotdogs for bbq-ing, rice to go with the chicken and hotdogs, some left over chicken curry Julia had cooked that morning, and a lot of junk food to snack on during the drive. We brought water; four big mineral bottles of it, if I'm not mistaken, and two more bottles of soft drinks. We brought a mat to sit on, so that we wouldn't have to get all sandy; we actually took the mat from our living room floor. We each brought a change of clothes, towels, and toiletries; shampoo, soap, etc. Do you have any idea how yucky your hair gets after a soak in salt water?



But, salt water aside, it was a thoroughly enjoyable and fun day. And, my dear reader, since pictures speak a thousand words, I should probably stop talking [typing?] now and let the pictures I took speak for themselves.

The aforementioned portable bbq set.

Clockwise from the dude: Emmanuel, Bekah, Urei, Dani, Julia. They're sitting on the missing mat. The white Kancil behind them is just some stranger's car. I'm taking the picture.

Awww, someone brought their dog to the beach...

My flip-flops (red and black) and Julia's sandals. I have no idea who the guy was...just some random beach-goer.

From left: Julia in a cowboy hat, Urei, me, Bekah, Emmanuel. That's our Pajero behind us. Dani's taking the photo.

A very candid moment.

The spot we picked was really nice and shady, because of all the conveniently located trees.

I was focusing on the plant, but I took another photo of the unsuspecting Random Beach-Goer...

If you look closely, you can see all of us walking towards the water. Except Dani, she's the one taking the picture. Julia's the closest, then Urei. I'm the tiny figure with the cap and ponytail. Emmanuel and Bekah are next to me. Bekah's wearing a football jersey.

I thought the dark, green leaves against the blue sky looked nice.

Well, that's that. I've finally found something eventful to post about. I hope you enjoyed it, even if you don't exist, my dear and faithful reader. So, until we meet again. TTFN!






Yours,



Figgy the Beach Bum