I was working in the lab the other day with my friend on our design project when he saw the wallpaper on my notebook, which had the name 張懸 (Deserts Chang) on it - it was one of the wallpapers available on her site featuring her new album, 城市. My member pointed and commented, "that's a good artist."

I was pleasantly surprised, as this was the first time that someone other than me knew who 張懸 was. According to my friend, she's actually quite popular. I knew I liked her music, but I didn't realize that she was as popular as my friend described.

One of the things that I appreciate about 張懸 is that she is a singer-songwriter. I've come to appreciate this genre a bit more, since I find that sometimes, their lyrics seem less fabricated.

He recommended to me another artist, 盧廣仲 (Crowd Lu). I looked him other the other day while taking a break from studying, and found his music not bad at all. Some of his songs remind me of David Tao a bit. But I like some of his songs already.

In particular, the first song I found on Youtube was Oh Yeah. The lyrics are really simple, but he sings it with enough feeling that you can feel a degree of happiness emanating from him.

Another song I found I liked was 愛情習作. A lot of the Mandarin music I listen to are actually from female artists (i.e. 張懸). So listening to a male singer-songwriter is pretty refreshing, perhaps in someways on the lyrics side. Guys and girls think about things very differently. And that may come through in lyrics.

And so a song like 愛情習作 is one that you would likely not find from a female artist. Which is maybe why I like it right now. (Though perhaps some may disagree with me...? I know I'm painting with huge generalizations here. Give me a bit of a break for now...)

I feel nostalgic. But then I realize I have to study.

Sometimes, I just don't know anymore. But then, did I actually know anything to begin with? Probably not. Sometimes, I just think I know or can do so much. And then it's now when I realize how little I actually know or can do that it hits me.

Pride goes before destruction,
  a haughty spirit before a fall.
Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed
  than to share plunder with the proud.

But by now, the fall already hurts.

I used to think that the song Falling for the First Time by the Barenaked Ladies was about falling in love. But I think now that it's not. To me, it's maybe not even about "love" in that sense at all, whether falling in or out. Either way, I invite you to have a listen and make of it what you will...

Barenaked Ladies - Falling for the First Time

I'm so cool, too bad I'm a loser
I'm so smart, too bad I can't get anything figured out
I'm so brave, too bad I'm a baby
I'm so fly, that's probably why it
Feels just like I'm falling for the first time

I'm so green, it's really amazing
I'm so clean, too bad I can't get all the dirt off of me.
I'm so sane, it's driving me crazy
It's so strange, I can't believe it
Feels just like I'm falling for the first time

Anyone perfect must be lying, anything easy has its cost
Anyone plain can be lovely, anyone loved can be lost
What if I lost my direction? What if I lost sense of time?
What if I nursed this infection? Maybe the worst is behind
It feels just like I'm falling for the first time
It feels just like I'm falling for the first time

I'm so chilled, no wonder it's freezing
I'm so still, I just can't keep my fingers out of anything
I'm so thrilled to finally be failing
I'm so done, turn me over cause it
Feels just like I'm falling for the first time

Anything plain can be lovely, anything loved can be lost
Maybe I lost my direction, what if our love is the cost?
Anyone perfect must be lying, anything easy has its cost
Anyone plain can be lovely, anyone loved can be lost
What if I lost my direction? What if I lost sense of time?
What if I nursed this infection? Maybe the worst is behind

At church today, the speaker made a remark about making a logical choice versus a loving choice.

Actually, at times, a choice could both be logical and loving. But at other times, they can be vastly different.

This could be misconstrued into people justifying poor choices out of "love" (or perhaps infatuation).

On the other hand, decisions made out of an understanding of God's love may occasionally be illogical, yet still a good choice depending on what your perspective on faith is.

So then, are my illogical choices out of "love" or love? It's good to be mindful of this.

A personal favourite... they come in Tetra-Paks here usually... Somehow the cans in Singapore seemed more satisfying.