Wednesday, May 24, 2006



(Photo by cutsie itsy bitsy Sylviaa)

23/05/2006. Tuesday.
I have stepped down as Chief Editor.
The official handover was done today.

If you're curious about who's who now, the results are as follows:

Chief Editor: Loga
Sub Editor for Online: Stanley
Sub Editor for Print: Sheri
Secretary: Guang Liang
IT Mistress: Christine
Publicity Head: Izeen

Anyway, on the whole, I could not possibly ask for a better selection of members for the exco. They compliment each other and together, should be a solid and strong force. Hehe... THE JOURNALISM RANGERS. I really have a lot of faith in them and I believe they can do what we set out to accomplish excellently and go beyond that to do even more. I have big hopes. ^^

It's gonna feel really really weird from now on, not having to wait with Sylvia for production meetings to begin at 4.15 pm, chatting with Hui Min, May, Kai, Shu Fang, Vinny, looking out for the occasional special appearances of Chiselle and Ee Wei, secretly laughing at Vinny's unintentional aloofness, observing the juniors which simply triggers amusing musing, leaving the school in the darkness, thinking of the articles I have to write or edit and worrying about how The NY ConneXions could somehow up it's readership rate... I had fun! There were trying times, but it's definitely one of the best experiences of my dull JC life (okay on second thoughts my JC life is never dull). But this is as far as it gets and it's time to move on to focus on my studies.

I feel like I've given my baby away. I feel lighter in a strange and unsettling way. :( Please do take good care of her. That's all I ask of you. Haha.

Ookaayyy this is starting to sound like one of those super cheesy predictable speeches they give on stage. Er hem. *Coughs*. And finally, I would like to thank Mr Toh and Mr Seah, for their continuos support and encouragement, because all of these would not have been possible without them. *Coughs*. HAHA. But I really do mean what I say.

>__________________<

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Am suddenly addicted and obsessed with The Phantom of the Opera. Simply lovely lovely lovely. The songs such as 'All I Ask of You' and 'The Music of the Night' are beautifully lyrical and the plot is utterly heart-wrenching. I feel seduced by the grandeur of the french opera house and their elaborate costumes, the snatches of Erik's mysteriously hidden past, Christine's mesmerizing voice of an angel, Raoul's save-the-damsel-in-distress-while-drowning-in-love heroism... It haunts me the same way Christine must have felt haunted by Erik's songs and spells.

The reason why a book written close to 90 years ago continues to enchant and relate to us is because we are each and every character in the book. We are Erik who longs and yearns secretly secretly secretly, even though we know the darkness and the ugliness of our soul, who lusts after the fairest of flesh secretly secretly secretly, even though we have been rejected by society and turned away from all warmth and compassion from any human being. We are Christine who dreams idealistically of a perfect life, who hoped against hope when everything she ever knew was taken away from her as a child, and who sings and finds solace in the wildness of her imagination as her father's Angel of Music comes to life through Erik's magic. We are Raoul, who falls in love with her when she sings because come on who wouldn't, who loves bravely and passionately and fights to protect the one he loves.

I would have chosen Erik. He was the one who was with her during the lowest periods of her life. Raoul only proclaimed his love for her when she was already made exquisite by Erik. One could easily argue that in the first place Raoul never knew of the existence of Christine in the opera house and therefore could not have been able to do anything to relieve her of her sufferings at such a young age. But even so, shouldn't Erik's efforts to help Christine throughout the years win him her love? Why must a young, handsome, wealthy man gain Christine when he's already so perfect? But love is blind and sacrifices are necessary in that aspect. Perhaps Erik's affections towards Christine were never that of love but more of a desire for companionship and understanding that grew out of hand when loneliness and insanity caved in on him as he hid in the shadows.

Night-time sharpens,
heightens each sensation . . .
Darkness stirs and
wakes imagination . . .
Silently the senses
abandon their defences . . .

Slowly, gently
night unfurls its splendour . . .
Grasp it, sense it -
tremulous and tender . . .
Turn your face away
from the garish light of day,
turn your thoughts away
from cold, unfeeling light -
and listen to
the music of the night . . .

Close your eyes
and surrender to your
darkest dreams!
Purge your thoughts
of the life
you knew before!
Close your eyes,
let your spirit
start to soar!
And you'll live
as you've never
lived before . . .

Softly, deftly,
music shall surround you . . .
Feel it, hear it,
closing in around you . . .
Open up your mind,
let your fantasies unwind,
in this darkness which
you know you cannot fight -
the darkness of
the music of the night . . .

Let your mind
start a journey through a
strange new world!
Leave all thoughts
of the world
you knew before!
Let your soul
Take you where you
long to be !
Only then
can you belong
to me . . .

Floating, falling,
sweet intoxication!
Touch me, trust me
savour each sensation!
Let the dream begin,
let your darker side give in
to the power of the music that I write -
the power of the music of the night . . .

-The Music of The Night from The Phantom of the Opera Soundtrack

8 comments:

Miao 妙 said...

i have the soundtrack!! :D

love 'cats' and 'cabaret' too.

QM-pest said...

SIGH....Hahaha.I would have chosen Erik too. Raoul is too sissified man. I like Erik's voice more, cose it's erm more powerful and full of emotions? Heehee. Especially when he sang music of the night. XD I dont know how come I'm so freaking high now.Maybe it's because the weekend is approaching.Haha.

양사민 estelwen said...

did u realise e photo u put in e previous entry, e one with e liht shining on ur face looks like the phantom's (or is he called erik? wadever lar) mask?

LOOK LIKE RITE???!!!

Anonymous said...

lol. hmm. yea Erik. But... we aren't Christine herself, and we got a fuller picture of the story, and we could show more sympathy for him, so we would choose him. Because we don't really see Raoul doing much.

but... imagine. you love this other guy so much. and this new guy who has been secretly loving you and helping you confesses to you. your feelings for the first guy you still like wouldn't change that quickly ^^;

I think, if Christine only showed pity and sympathy for Erik, she shouldn't choose Erik because she would be with him for the wrong reasons and make him lie to himself that she loves him.

Although, I think Christine and Raoul are quite... childish. x)
And it's really painful to know that Christine had to choose him instead of Erik. Who cares about Raoul? xD But in the end... I think Christine returns the Phantom's feelings in a different way :\ at least she did appreciate him

Love is unfair. haha.

QM-pest said...

Hmm, but she do that to save Raoul right, though I have to admit that she felt genuine sympathy for Erik.Haha.Raoul is just the typical product of an opera, you know those kind of rich kid who thought they are damn smart etc.

"but... imagine. you love this other guy so much. and this new guy who has been secretly loving you and helping you confesses to you. your feelings for the first guy you still like wouldn't change that quickly ^^;"

Well, actually if you think in a more realistic way (for people like me),it is actually much better if you go for someone who really loves you than to delude yourself and enter into a serie of mind games trying to find out if the other guy likes you, then getting hurt in the end when you are rejected.Heh.Also, I think it is actually possible to love someone in time. (I have the statistic ok? It was found that couples who got together through match making had a happier and more blissful married as compared to couples who got together because they they they are suitable for each other) I'm a very practical person I guess.XD

Sorry Faith, but I realise that I'm spamming your blog. Hope you dont mind!=D

Faith said...

"I think it is actually possible to love someone in time."

Know what? I think so too.

But that doesn't eradicate the fact that Christine had feelings for Raoul first, feelings which cannot be diminished obviously since they were childhood sweethearts. Anyway I think it's easier to love a stranger when you have no one special in your heart, than to have to try and forget someone you love and replace him/her with another which was what Erik demanded of Christine. That isn't love already. It's being selfish. And I think he realized that and stumbled upon this revelation himself.

Actually I think we would rather be the one to give love than to receive love, because the feelings are more intensified in us as compared to the detached nonchalance you possess when others love you whom you care little for, with or without sympathy. Love becomes a burden when you find yourself unable to reciprocate it.

And let's face it, why wouldn't you want to be with somebody perfect like Raoul? Only readers would pick Erik. Only Christine would pick Raoul. The author has cleverly made sure that this would happen. But I have a question: Do we as readers pick Erik out of love? I think it's once again out of pity, so in that sense, we are like Christine.

Anonymous said...

why are u all holding a debate over these 3 ppl? haha... so cute lar u all

we are just the way we are. why do we need to identify ourselves with anybody?

lolx... cest la vie

Anonymous said...

you know what. 'possible to love someone in time'. ...... i don't know why. i don't believe it. i'm afraid to believe it.