Due to my MadWorld auditions, I was introduced to Sara Bareilles. I've heard her song 'Love Song' on airplay and then I heard 'Gravity' played once on the "older folks" radio channel, but never really got into her. I thought she was another regular pop act.
Then, when I had to sing 'Gravity' for my callbacks, I was hooked, line and sinker into Sara Bareilles.
Got my hand on the 2nd album 'Kaleidoscope Heart' and never looked back.
With my slanted interest towards the lesser known acts, I really like Bareilles' way of writing and composing. She writes with such wit, such eloquence and her melodies are definitely memorable. Her lyrics are vulnerable, raw, yet polished with her melody. There's often that raw honesty to her songs and the way she expresses them that makes her songs resonates deep, even without having going through the same heartache or excitement that she has gone through. Somehow you can identify with her almost completely.
She isn't the most compelling singer (I mean, no one beats Whitney Houston and those legendary divas), but she knows how to hone it to her advantage, hence, she has one of the really beautiful vocals of her genre. I still can't sing her songs without either running out of breath or having choppy timing. Well, they are all techniques, and Bareilles is one that got hers down pat with her self-written songs fitting to a tee, hence her voice fits her songs perfectly and vice versa.
My dream is to be able to sing-songwrite like her. *looks at the piano and sighs
P/S: I really do love her gutsy-ness.
Music video for 'Gonna Get Over You' from her sophomore album 'Kaleidoscope Heart'
One of the best live singers:
AND The song that started it all (from her major-label debut album, 'Little Voice')
Live:
Music video:
SaraB, I love you.
March 29, 2012
March 26, 2012
The Lessons of Mercy and Grace
What is mercy?
When somebody bestows compassion upon you.
What is grace?
When somebody bestows mercy upon you even when you don't deserve it.
"My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness."
How am I going to repay that kindness and mercy and grace?
Oh Lord,
purify my heart,
restore to me the joy of my salvation and
that I will never stir away.
Anchor my soul and
refine me to be like pure gold.
Amen.
When somebody bestows compassion upon you.
What is grace?
When somebody bestows mercy upon you even when you don't deserve it.
"My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness."
How am I going to repay that kindness and mercy and grace?
Oh Lord,
purify my heart,
restore to me the joy of my salvation and
that I will never stir away.
Anchor my soul and
refine me to be like pure gold.
Amen.
March 25, 2012
Travel
It's been a while since I flew out of my country to another.
This time is to a country I longed to go for a long time. This time, I could.
Korea.
What a trip. We walked. Got lost. Found our way back. Walked some more. Ate. Drank. Shopped. Met friends. Opened hearts. Spoke the local language. Spoke English.
Time is so short. I wished I can be there for longer. I wished I can see more, experience more.
This trip only makes me want to go back for more.
Korea is a great place for the creative mind to flourish and find inspiration. It has its crazy moments; People can be curt, people can be in a rush and the language barrier is real. It could do with more public rubbish bins and less public spitting, but it's a country with its own charms. Quaint restaurants, even quainter cafes, but with big ambitions. It's a mix of tradition and increasing metropolitan tastes. On one street you can see youths in their school uniform just fresh off school, hanging out and laughing over nothings; then on the other, you can see a few older men smoking cigarettes and sharing a few bottles of soju, discussing about their dreams.
On one street, history and modernity co-exists together. In an old house, you see a modern cafe. In a modern restaurant, you taste traditional Korean food with a good makgeolli (rice wine) to boost.
Roads turn from busy to quiet, and even though every door looks the same, they boast a different air, a different kind of pride. The persistent ahjummas (aunts) who keep inviting you into their shop for some fried fish, the trendy young girls who brave the cold all day inviting you into their shops to buy their snail creams, all these looks the same and feels similar, but a different charm to them still.
Every night back at the hotel, I would reflect on the day and wondered if this is a place I would want to come back. Even if the day may turned out less than expected, and people's response may turned out to be less than friendly, I'd still want to come back.
I can't pinpoint what exactly is the reason why I want to come back. Maybe I'm just short of time and there are just too many things to explore. Locals often told me that it is a small country, but I beg to differ. Korea may be small geographically, but it's big at the heart of it.
It's not a perfect country, but Korea leaves much to be explored again.
Or maybe I'm just happy I got my Tablo album after so long.
March 03, 2012
Discipline
I don't remember when was the last time I blogged so fervently. I guess it's good to be writing my thoughts down?
Yesterday my colleague introduced me to this fitness blog. Honestly, while I don't mind reading them, the level of commitment they have towards fitness can be a little too obsessive to me. But I was intirgued and while I don't agree with everything the blogger writes in there, perhaps they are more doubts than outright disagreement, the author does have a point in keeping fit.
This reminds me of what a popular singer in Korea said when she was interviewed about her exercise regime. She works out everyday at the gym for about 2 hours. She said she loves singing so much so she is sure to keep her body physically fit to fuel her passion. Because honestly, being physically well and fit really does help one's singing. Our vocal cord is so dependent on the body's condition. If we are tired, people can hear the fatigue in the voice without even looking at us.
While I don't think it necessary to be overly buff and rippling, as some people do go to lengths of making sure that happens, I do think it's really good to be working out. You feel fresher, you feel like you can do a lot more things than being sedentary and you do see the benefits in the long run. I actually feel more confident after working out especially when I can see results.
That being said, I am still a far long way off from getting a fit body. But I hope to continue. I may not end up buff but at least I'll be fit. I can have a longer lasting stamina, as it is becoming evident in my singing. I'm glad I took swimming classes and now I can at least swim, even if it's just breaststroke and freestyle (which I still struggle).
But this is the caveat: exercising requires discipline. Keeping fit requires discipline. It's like taking care of your face. Cleanse, tone, moisturize. But you have to do this everyday (and more) so that your skin will display the result. Same goes for exercising...well, same goes for anything, really. Discipline is a practice I long struggle with. I still fail from time to time. I think maybe virtually from hour to hour! Procrastination is still a very big part of me. But I am going to overcome this! By God's help, I will overcome this sin that has entangled with me too long. Procrastination leads to complacency and that leads to mediocrity. God did not create us to be half of us. We have unique places within the body of Christ, each with its own purpose.
So, accept no mediocrity. Start with discipline. You reap what you sow. And with discipline, all of us will definitely feel better once the fruit is tasted. It may take a long time to fulfill, and that gets to us, because everything is instant nowadays. But work on it day by day and it will come.
Talking about discipline, I should be disciplined about my sleeping time. Hee.
Yesterday my colleague introduced me to this fitness blog. Honestly, while I don't mind reading them, the level of commitment they have towards fitness can be a little too obsessive to me. But I was intirgued and while I don't agree with everything the blogger writes in there, perhaps they are more doubts than outright disagreement, the author does have a point in keeping fit.
This reminds me of what a popular singer in Korea said when she was interviewed about her exercise regime. She works out everyday at the gym for about 2 hours. She said she loves singing so much so she is sure to keep her body physically fit to fuel her passion. Because honestly, being physically well and fit really does help one's singing. Our vocal cord is so dependent on the body's condition. If we are tired, people can hear the fatigue in the voice without even looking at us.
While I don't think it necessary to be overly buff and rippling, as some people do go to lengths of making sure that happens, I do think it's really good to be working out. You feel fresher, you feel like you can do a lot more things than being sedentary and you do see the benefits in the long run. I actually feel more confident after working out especially when I can see results.
That being said, I am still a far long way off from getting a fit body. But I hope to continue. I may not end up buff but at least I'll be fit. I can have a longer lasting stamina, as it is becoming evident in my singing. I'm glad I took swimming classes and now I can at least swim, even if it's just breaststroke and freestyle (which I still struggle).
But this is the caveat: exercising requires discipline. Keeping fit requires discipline. It's like taking care of your face. Cleanse, tone, moisturize. But you have to do this everyday (and more) so that your skin will display the result. Same goes for exercising...well, same goes for anything, really. Discipline is a practice I long struggle with. I still fail from time to time. I think maybe virtually from hour to hour! Procrastination is still a very big part of me. But I am going to overcome this! By God's help, I will overcome this sin that has entangled with me too long. Procrastination leads to complacency and that leads to mediocrity. God did not create us to be half of us. We have unique places within the body of Christ, each with its own purpose.
So, accept no mediocrity. Start with discipline. You reap what you sow. And with discipline, all of us will definitely feel better once the fruit is tasted. It may take a long time to fulfill, and that gets to us, because everything is instant nowadays. But work on it day by day and it will come.
Talking about discipline, I should be disciplined about my sleeping time. Hee.
March 01, 2012
Jonathan: Humility And Friendship
In 1 Samuel 23, we see David fleeing from Saul, who was bent on killing David as the presence of David threatens Saul's throne and his lineage.
Instead of Saul finding David, his son, Jonathan, finds David instead.
The Bible has mentioned about David and Jonathan's friendship more than once. This shows how close those two brothers are. "Ma brother from another mother, yo." that kinda thing. Their friendship started after David killed Goliath and was honored in Saul's courts and Jonathan honored him as well. You can read the rest of the story here: 1 Sam 18: 1-5 If you continued on, you'll find why Saul is seeking David's life in better details.
But back to the point.
What truly amazes me is Jonathan's character and attitude.
Jonathan is the son of the king. He is next in line to the throne. But he willingly gives it up for David and encourages him as well! I mean, this man really has solid character! It's not easy to give up something that you inherited or something that people and yourself are expecting to receive, what more for a non-family member, besties notwithstanding.
The funny thing about this conversation was that Saul knew about Jon's support to David and I do believe this riled Saul up further. "Son, you nuts?" is most likely the modern equivalent.
This shows that Jonathan knows that God chooses what He knows is right for the nation and so he SUBMITS to God's perfect plan. By submitting to God's plan wholly, Jonathan is free to love and support David, with confidence in God that God knows what He is doing. When we let go and let God, we are free to love and support even our "enemies". Or our real enemies. Of course it's not easy. Letting go of my pride is the hardest thing I have to do each and every day, but it does help because I can be genuine and authentic. I need not be afraid of my motives when I encourage people in their talents, etc and I can truly be happy for them. I can truly thank God that He has blessed them with talents and not wallow in self-pity or a perfectionism spiral downturn.
Jonathan, unfortunately, dies before he could see David crowned. So the promise of being next to David back at Horesh, he could not fulfill. But David did his part. When he found Jonathan's son Mephibosheth still alive, though crippled, David took him back into the palace and cared for the son and his servants. (You can read it in 2 Samuel 9)
I thank God for my friendships and that He taught me that I must learn to treasure my friendships and to work on them. Sometimes it is difficult because we live in a world that is constantly busy, we lose track of time and thus forget to work on things that actually matters the most.
--
Through Jonathan's character, of how he humbly, genuinely gives up his right to the throne for the love of God and friend, we can see the friendship of David and Jonathan worthy of several mentions in the Bible, which should inspire us further to be humble and to treasure our friendships.
Instead of Saul finding David, his son, Jonathan, finds David instead.
The Bible has mentioned about David and Jonathan's friendship more than once. This shows how close those two brothers are. "Ma brother from another mother, yo." that kinda thing. Their friendship started after David killed Goliath and was honored in Saul's courts and Jonathan honored him as well. You can read the rest of the story here: 1 Sam 18: 1-5 If you continued on, you'll find why Saul is seeking David's life in better details.
But back to the point.
What truly amazes me is Jonathan's character and attitude.
"And Jonathan, Saul's son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God. And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Saul my father also knows this.” And the two of them made a covenant before the Lord. David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went home." 1 Sam 23:16-18
Jonathan is the son of the king. He is next in line to the throne. But he willingly gives it up for David and encourages him as well! I mean, this man really has solid character! It's not easy to give up something that you inherited or something that people and yourself are expecting to receive, what more for a non-family member, besties notwithstanding.
The funny thing about this conversation was that Saul knew about Jon's support to David and I do believe this riled Saul up further. "Son, you nuts?" is most likely the modern equivalent.
This shows that Jonathan knows that God chooses what He knows is right for the nation and so he SUBMITS to God's perfect plan. By submitting to God's plan wholly, Jonathan is free to love and support David, with confidence in God that God knows what He is doing. When we let go and let God, we are free to love and support even our "enemies". Or our real enemies. Of course it's not easy. Letting go of my pride is the hardest thing I have to do each and every day, but it does help because I can be genuine and authentic. I need not be afraid of my motives when I encourage people in their talents, etc and I can truly be happy for them. I can truly thank God that He has blessed them with talents and not wallow in self-pity or a perfectionism spiral downturn.
Jonathan, unfortunately, dies before he could see David crowned. So the promise of being next to David back at Horesh, he could not fulfill. But David did his part. When he found Jonathan's son Mephibosheth still alive, though crippled, David took him back into the palace and cared for the son and his servants. (You can read it in 2 Samuel 9)
I thank God for my friendships and that He taught me that I must learn to treasure my friendships and to work on them. Sometimes it is difficult because we live in a world that is constantly busy, we lose track of time and thus forget to work on things that actually matters the most.
--
Through Jonathan's character, of how he humbly, genuinely gives up his right to the throne for the love of God and friend, we can see the friendship of David and Jonathan worthy of several mentions in the Bible, which should inspire us further to be humble and to treasure our friendships.
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