Decisions

// No real introduction for this music video. Faye's voice is just very pretty, and I need something to brighten up the gloom, even if it is a dramatic song. \\

Presented with the opportunity to escape the situation I've found myself in, a feeling of trepidation creeps in unbidden. Stay the course, stay strong, and stay focused...

After a long conversation with Ben and Ngoc, the possibility of moving out crept up. The idea of living in Texas isn't too appealing, considering the weather and the sheer distance from my current circle of friends, but let's be realistic. While I do adore my core set of acquaintances, I rarely spend any time with them, perhaps meeting up once a month or so for a brief drinking excursion or movie adventure. I wish we were closer, but we all have our commitments, and our interests often clash. Besides, they seem comfortable enough without me. I can always adapt to the weather/stay indoors hugging the A/C unit.

The issue of the brother does come up though, and it's a rather serious thing to contemplate. I love him, no doubt, but he brings problems to the table that are hardly dismissable. I don't know if I could handle it, his problems... it's hard enough handling it over the phone, I can't imagine dealing with it in person on even a weekly basis. I know I joke about dying early, but the stress from having to carry his burdens probably would shave off years from my already short stack.

Another option would be Wisconsin, but I don't quite know about that. Ben did offer first, and it would seem a bit rude to opt for someone else. But it's Wisconsin, and the presence of snow is so alluring. I don't know how well I'd fare outside of the metropolitan setting I'm used to, but I guess I'd adapt for a few years. The lack of asians might be a bit unsettling, but it's not like I'm looking for someone to settle down with up there; I just need a change of scenery for a while.

The problem with either option is that I'd be imposing and become a burden.

I feel too old to be doing this sort of stuff, but young enough that I can't quite establish my own roots. What should I do...

~ Kesshi, FXC

Musical Tastes (Part III: R&B)

It's somewhat hard to separate Asian singers into specific subgroups, because so many of them tend to crossover into a variety of genres. The next few artists I'm classifying as R&B will more often than not have a few songs that are decidedly not R&B in flavor, but for the most part will have either the majority of their music conform to the R&B image, or have had their roots in R&B (although they may have subsequently branched out).

Utada Hikaru: Oh Hikki... there are no words to describe how much I love her. My favorite artist of all-time... even with those songs that will not be mentioned here marring my eardrums... She had her roots in R&B, with a soulful English album that served to catapult her to the top of the Asian music scene. Although her style has decidedly evolved into something more experimental at times, it hasn't yet fallen in quality, and only seems to be getting better with every year.

Fuck it, I'm posting more than one video for Hikki. "Sakura Drops."



"Beautiful World."



"Hikari."



"First Love."



"Wait and See."



Okay, so I might be an Utada fanboy. >_> On with the rest...

Emi Hinouchi: It infuriates me that she's not a bigger star in the Asian music scene. She has such a wonderful voice that manages to convey a sense of strength to the listener while still remaining delicate. You can hear her emotions spilling out on her slow songs, and her upbeat tracks invigorate the soul. "Only Love."

愛だけが


Mika Nakashima: Yes, she's more jazz than R&B, but whatever, the two genres are related enough for me to justify putting her here. Besides, I don't really know any other jazz artists... >_> "Aishiteru."



Faye Wong: Not quite R&B either, but it's definitely not pop, at least as far as I understand what pop is. She has such a hauntingly beautiful voice that it's hard for me to shrug off what her singing does to me. Her English is also really damn good, at least in her songs. Posting two of her songs for comparison. "Hero."



"Eyes on Me."



Chae Yeon: This woman embodies sexy. Helps that the music is damn catchy too. "Two of Us."



Bonnie Pink: I'm running out of English to describe these singers, and that's terrible, considering I want to write... I need to go back to school, or buy myself a thesaurus... whatever, I just really really like her stuff. "Water Me."



Seo In Young: She has such potential. I wish she had put out more ballad-type songs than she did. Oh well, I'm content with her up-tempo tracks for now, and the occasional slow song. "I Want You."



Bennie K: Two sexy girls, one rapping, one singing. What more do you want! "Sunrise."



Hn... Pop next!

And yeah, I'm gonna clump BoA into pop. WHATEV, WHATEV, DUNT CURR.

~ Kesshi, FXC

Gambling the Time Away

// It's beautiful. There's really not much else I can say about Faye's voice. Of all the songs I have ever heard in my life, her cover of 千言萬語 is one of the very few I can listen to over and over again and still be able to enjoy every single second of it. \\

Valve is coming out with Left 4 Dead 2 this fall, which is pretty exciting news. From the trailer at www.lrd.com it seems like there will be an assortment of new weapons, including a chainsaw and a frying pan. I can just imagine braining a hunter with a cooking utensil. ^_^ Maybe they'll include more playable zombies in the sequel. The tank looked a bit deformed, although it could just be an aesthetic design change and not so much an actual class alteration.

Been reading the strips at www.threepanelsoul.com recently. Quite a few of the works had me giggling like an idiot.

Planning on going to the Borgata this Thursday and Friday. Hopefully I won't blow all my cash this time around. It'll just be nice to see some old friends again. Between living and working far away and not having a car, I haven't had much opportunity to hang out with a lot of my old college friends anymore. It's a bit saddening, but I suppose that's life, right? Losing yourself in a job you don't really care about and coming home to nothing, sitting alone in your room wondering where it all went wrong? SOMETHING like that I guess. :x

Work friend is going to Japan on the JET program. Sad to see him go; he was such a pleasant co-worker, and we could hold random conversations about this and that. Don't really have many of those kinds of people at work. Jealous that he's able to do this. Hopefully I can figure out a way to stow away in one of his bags...

Faye Wong's rendition of Teresa Tang's 千言萬語 is... there really is no way for me to adequately describe how it makes me feel. I had dabbled a bit in Faye's music before, but she hadn't quite solidified her position in my top 5 until I stumbled upon this live track. It captured my heart, and maybe it spoiled me for future slow songs, because I don't think anything I've heard after this has ever really measured up.

我爱你,

~ Kesshi, FXC