ZHONG RU. SING MY HEART OUT!

Seeing Double This November!

noreply@blogger.com (Zhong Ru) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 05:43:00 +0000

+New albums galore! But it seems like we are seeing double this month, here I have 3 pair of albums, that share some similarities with each other! But of course there are differences also! Let's take a look!

#1 Adam Lambert - For Your Entertainment VS Kris Allen - Self-titled Album

+Okay other than both being from the Idol Alumni, there aren't any other similarities between these two albums at all!

+Adam's album first. Isn't he supposed to be a glam rocker? (See album cover above, LOL.) Then how come this album sounds more pop than rock? Here's what I think of the album. The first half of the album is pop, and the second half is more rock. Haha! But it's true! And the cover art is erm...should I say...erm attention grabbing? Not in a good way. LOL. That said, Adam delivers each and every song flawlessly, hitting all the unbelievably high notes effortlessly. The best track in the album has to be the theme of the movie 2012 (which received mixed reviews, the movie, I mean), Time for Miracles.

+Kris' next! This self-titled album is so smooth, I have no idea how to classify it! It's not rock, but it's not pop either. So what it's called? Anyone knows? LOL! Anyway, his voice is truly clean and smooth and if you have grown sick of Heartless, try No Boundaries, or if you have grown sick of that too, try Live Like We're Dying!

#2 Lady Gaga - The Fame Monster VS Rihanna - Rated R

+What's so similar between these two albums, you ask? The album art DUH. I think they hired the SAME creative director and graphic designer, and they ran out of ideas for new album art designs. Look at the covers! Both are in grayscale, emo, dark and guess what - same kind of make-up. So now they have got the same make-up artist as well? LOL!

+That said, the musical style is very different in both albums. Lady Gaga is more pop and dance, and Rihanna has graduated from the dance beats of Umbrella and Don't Stop the Music to R&B and more soulful songs like Russian Roulette and Photographs (feat. will.I.am), very much like Take A Bow. I love Russian Roulette! It's the kind of song that grows on you the more you listen to it!

+Lady Gaga, meanwhile, has stuck to her pop and dance hits formula which has proved to work, propelling her to super-stardom. The hit single Bad Romance gets stuck in your head after one listen, in a good way of course! And she proves she has the singing chops in Speechless, a ballad. Lady Gaga's The Fame Monster also has a deluxe edition, where in the package, among other things, contains a lock of her own hair. How crazy is that!

Here's a video showing just how crazy she is! A very recent performance at the American Music Awards 09, singing Bad Romance and Speechless, where she sets her piano on fire. Literally.

#3 萧敬腾 - Love Moments 爱的时刻自选辑 VS 方炯镔 - 坏人.情歌.遗憾

+Alright there are so many similarities between these 2 albums I don't know where to begin! LOL! First of all, both singers are male, newbies in the industry, and this album is a collection of covers of songs they like. And they did covers of ALL female songs. Yes, both of them. Coincidence? Hmm. Oh yes, they both chose 1 张惠妹 and 孙燕姿 song to cover in their album. Not the same songs, of course, that would be really freaky. Haha.

+Okay song choice wise, I would prefer Jam's album. But in terms of bringing a new life to the song, I think neither of them has done really well. Erm, the albums get boring after a while? Because the music arrangement from song to song sounds the same! Especially A-Bin's album.

+I like both their voices! Both put a lot of emotion into singing and you can hear it. Best song in Jam's Album would be 我怀念的, 新不了情 is just disappointing, he lost the 爆发力 of the competitions in the studios, and best song in A-Bin's album would be 天黑黑. No, I'm not being biased towards Yanzi, just because I'm a fan, but it's true! Go and listen and you'll know! Haha!

BEST WEEKEND FINDS!

The Taylor Swift's Holiday Collection
+I can't get enough of Taylor Swift! This album released in 2006/7 just made me very happy! =))) Featuring White Christmas and Silent Night! Erm country style? Haha!

Spongebob's Greatest Hits
+Who can resist Spongebob and his nonsensical songs?! Haha! In this Greatest Hits collection, favourites like The Goofy Goober Song, The Campfire Song Song and F.U.N Song are included!

AND UNTIL NEXT TIME -

+The Dancing Diva article is proving harder than it is to write! But I'll do it up! =)))

WOOHOO!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Zhong Ru) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:43:00 +0000

+It's been so long since I last blogged! Hello everyone, do continue to support this blog! =)))

+So what have I been up to since I came back? Listening to good music of course! There have so many good albums recently and I must really recommend a few. Oh, before I continue, I must annouce to the world that I have moved over to the MAC side!

The new MacBook 13"! With the same(or even better) specs as the MBPro and costing about $500 cheaper, this notebook is a killer deal. So now I'm blogging from my mac and loving it!

+Alright, enough of that, the first album that I highly recommend is 林宥嘉's《感官／世界》.

+I had such a joy listening to this album, although many may find it too hard to swallow. This time, Yoga has stuck to his own music preferences and decides to do an alternative rock album.

+Does it rock?

+You bet it does. Yoga, in a recent interview about his album, said that he prefers this album much more than the previous one (神秘嘉宾). When listening to this album, he continued, one's senses would feel stimulated, by the flow of this album. Well, I don't really feel stimulated per se, but the songs in this album really touches you. Polished singing techniques aside, his raw emotions and passion sweep over you like a wave. I particularly love the music arrangement of this album, it's very Coldplay + Sodagreen, if you get what I mean. What joy to listen to, really.

+Here is the 2nd hit from this album “说谎”, take listen and be won over. (There's a reason why this song is the second hit - it's not as alternative as the rest.)

+Is it worth my $19?

With this album, it's make or break for him, as it will certainly test the patience of his fans. For those who like their sugar-rush, they will have no doubt migrated over to 萧雅轩 and her《钻石糖》. LOL. Don't get my wrong I love that album also, just that I like this one more. The packaging of this album is really special too. I have never seen anything like this. The "lyrics book" is made of a few posters folded into "album size" and then put together. The whole stack is then placed inside a Ziploc bag. It's hard to decribe, just go take a look. Hahaha storing this is going to such a pain.

+Recommended Tracks: 看见什么吃什么, 说谎, 心酸, 唐人街, 感同身受
Click here to buy now! From YESASIA.com, free international shipping.

+Okay the next album I'm recommending is Taylor Swift's Fearless! Okay I'm slow and everything, but until recently when I revisited her songs did I realize what spellbinding magic they contain!

+Such a sweet, talented and young singer-songwriter! Her songs are very unique, it's like telling a story: no hidden agenda, no lyrics that don't make sense; everything is written and sung honestly.

+Does it rock?

+Country rock, that is. There's a reason why this teenage girl is one of the biggest selling artiste in 2008/09. She's talented, honest, and has a squeaky clean image - something that many artistes her age is lacking. ( Think Miley Cyrus or Vanessa Hudgens.) Her songs are also easy to sing along to, easy on the ears and easy to relate with. These few reasons have garnered her millions of fans! Her voice is strong when it has to be, wispy and lilty in those quiet times. Her songs are really addictive and catchy.

+Here's the controversial award-winning video "You Belong With Me".

+Is it worth my $19?

+Definitely, since the Singapore version only costs $11.90! Buy it with any of the other CDs on promotion and it's 2 for $22. How worth it is it!

+Recommended Tracks: Fearless, Love Story, You Belong With Me, You're Not Sorry, Hey Stephen
Click here to buy now! From amazon.com, shipping costs apply.

WHAT'S NEXT?

+Okay that's all for now, in the meantime, we can all wait for Lady Gaga's new album, The Fame Monster, and Britney's Singles Collection, and also Rihanna's Rated R. In the mandopop scene we can expect Jam Hsiao's collection of female love songs (I'm really looking forward to this.)and 梁文音's 爱一直存在 - both in November, 杨丞琳's 雨爱 and 王心凌's brand new album in December.

+Also look out for my next entry where I decide who is The Real Dancing Diva in the Mandopop scene.

Goodbye Brunei! (Erm, forever?)

noreply@blogger.com (Zhong Ru) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 10:09:00 +0000

+It's my last night here in Brunei and I think I should blog about it!

+I'm so glad I'm leaving you, yet there are MANY MANY things that I am certain I will miss about you, namely your $1 Nasi-Katok, your pirated DVDs, buttermilk chicken fried rice, the friends I made here and...and...and...I guess that's about it. LOL!

+There's something else I'm certain about. I'M NEVER COMING BACK! =)))

19/10/09 Flight Details

noreply@blogger.com (Zhong Ru) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 04:31:00 +0000

+I heard that Monday, 19 October is a Public Holiday! That's when I come back from Brunei too!

Flight Details
Date: 19 October 2009
Flight No.: SQ 181
Terminal: 2
ETA: 1400

+You guys can come fetch me if you are free!! Can't wait to see all of you guys! =))) Thanks!

I'm a TV Junkie 2

noreply@blogger.com (Zhong Ru) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:21:00 +0000

+American TV Series are IRRESISTIBLE. Here are some of the DVDs that I have watched/bought but haven't watch/attempting to smuggle back to Singapore. Haha. I'm taking orders as well. Tag or email me if you want anything. Movies, TV series or anime. But it's illegal ah, I say first. LOL!

Gossip Girl

90210

FRINGE

Lie to me*

Dollhouse

True Blood

Dexter

Damages

The Mentalist

+Any other recommendations? LOL!

9 More Days

noreply@blogger.com (Zhong Ru) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:39:00 +0000

+I've just finished my last duty! It's definitely a load off my shoulder, when you know your remaining days (or nights, rather) left in SAF are totally free! =)))

+With the completion of my last duty, it seems like everything here in Brunei is coming to a closure. We're doing preservation work on our tanks, clearing offs and leaves, packing and taking stock of your belongings, and I'll be signing clearances next week! It's so surreal that the day you have been waiting for for so long is finally arriving. In 9 more days, I will bid farewell to Brunei forever. After I'm back in Singapore, I get 4 days of leave, then it's back to HQ Armour to await my ORD, which is on the 10 of November!

+There's so many things I wanna do when I get back to Singapore! And these include revamping my room, getting a new hp and laptop, learn driving, travel, start singing and composing lessons, get a music related job...and so on! There's just so many possibilities! If there's one thing that Brunei has taught me, it's to not procrastinate and take things for granted. When I was in Singapore, I had all these ideas in my head too, but I just wasn't motivated enough to bring them into action. But now, I've learned that you have to just follow your heart and do whatever you want to do! Live your life!

+And for my friends who will still be in Brunei after I leave, take care, good luck and don't think so much. Your time will come soon. Treat Brunei like a train ride, people get on, people get off. For now, the train has reached my station and I'm getting off. The next stop, will, hopefully be yours. =)

+Oh yes, with much irony, seeing as how much I despise SAF, I have been presented with the "BEST SOLDIER AWARD" at the monthly Commandant Parade! LOL! So I'm best soldier for the month of September and my picture is shown in the cookhouse for the entire month of October. Hahaha! Just goes to show that hard work pays off! =)))

Don't write yourself off yet

noreply@blogger.com (Zhong Ru) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 10:12:00 +0000

+I've been playing Rock Band Unplugged on PSP, and it's really addictive! This song came up, and it really connected with me.

The Middle
Jimmy Eat World

Hey,
Don't write yourself off yet
It's only in your head you feel left out
Or looked down on
Just try your best
Try everything you can
And don't you worry what they tell themselves
When you're away

It just takes some time
little girl, you're in the middle of the ride
Everything, everything will be just fine
Everything, everything will be alright (alright)

Hey
You know they're all the same
You know you're doing better on your own (on your own)
So don't buy in
Live right now
Yeah, just be yourself
It doesn't matter if it's good enough (good enough)
For someone else

Hey, don't write yourself off yet
It's only in your head you feel left out (feel left out)
Or looked down on
Just do your best (just do your best)
Do everything you can (do everything you can)
And don't you worry what their bitter hearts (bitter hearts)
Are gonna say

+Back in 15 days! =)))

I'm The Joker

noreply@blogger.com (Zhong Ru) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:22:00 +0000

+Imagine preparing for a stand down parade of your detachment.

+For those of you who have been in the army/are in the army, you would know how hard it is. For my part, I had to paint a 10m banner (all by myself, mind you - last time, there were more manpower, we could do 10, no problem), clean the interior of the tanks (a bitch to do, due to all the small parts and the confined space of the tank, not to mention no one has actually consistently cleaned the inside), paint and diesel the exterior of the tanks and change the tracks (oh the horror of this). Other preparations included preparing a drive thru stand, a brand new saluting dias, setting up tentages, moving chairs, doing up invitation cards, creating momentos for the camp, doing a video montage, etc etc etc.

+ALL that to waste. 2 months worth of effort, gone down the drain in 3o seconds.

+"What would you guys say if we changed the parade to an indoor function?"he asked, just 3 hours before the parade. We were in the midst of setting up the parade, and was 80% done. All of us, in the sweltering heat, thought we had heard wrong.

+"Ask the armour guys to gather round please, I would like to ask them something,"he said. We put down everything we were doing, and gestured for everyone to gather. We were all perspiring while we walked over, what with setting up the banner, PA system and everything else.

+"Due to certain reasons, let's say - for our purpose here - that the tanks are not roadworthy...what would you all say that we cancel the parade, and make it an indoor function instead?"he asked, when we were all there.

+What? I thought to myself. You can't be serious. My jaw literally dropped. I looked round to see if the others thought the same but I was disappointed that most of my platoon was actually smiling and grinning. With overwhelming votes for the indoor function, the parade was cancelled and shifted to the function hall.

+No pride.

+I knew that many of them were hoping for the wet weather program. And that offer was much more than they could have hoped for. The parade was cancelled without the weather being wet. I know many of them hate this place, hate armour, hate army. So do I. But can't you have a little pride in whatever you do, even in doing things that you don't like? I've seen people being so selfish here, it makes me want to throw up. I've seen people here who are so indifferent to everything else other than themselves, that it spreads like a disease. They didn't even care that their hard work were all gone to waste. Yeah, you can claim that you are not like this outside of army, but I regret to tell you that army is where you show your true colours - if you are not like this outside of army, then I feel sorry for your friends outside as they do not even know the real you. That is truly pathetic and sad.

+And for the management who made this change, congratulations; for you have made a joke out of the camp, yourselves and the armour detachment. The heli-detachment even moved all their helicopters away from the helipad to allow us to parade there. This whole parade thing, right from the very beginning, was ONE WHOLE COLOSSAL JOKE. The reason for the change was kept from us, because "we're not supposed to know". Can you believe they said that? I think we have ALL the right to know, since we were the ones who put in the most effort, and then see it wrenched from our hands and flushed down the drain, while we stood by and watched. So, yeah, I think we have the right to know.

+The indoor function went okay, until the end when there was this unexpected twist - armour was to wash all the cutlery, serving trays and to clean up the function hall. The blatant injustice of this, when (put in his words) this was supposed to be "our day". Well, for your info, the day couldn't have ended more demoralizing with the whole detachment washing the cutlery and trays for the whole camp, in our parade coveralls and boots.

+But then again, I don't really care anymore, since no one else seem to put this on their minds, or feel sad about it, or ponder over it, well that is - except me. I don't care anymore because I'm leaving this godforsaken place in 19 days, and the army in 40 days. So there. Throw whatever arrows you want at me, I'll be the one having the last laugh, for -

Hold me close; Don't ever let me go

noreply@blogger.com (Zhong Ru) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 07:53:00 +0000

+It's been a long time since I've performed, and I jumped at the chance to perform at my camp's Happy Hour! This time, I only had 2 days notice but what the hell, it's fun! We sang "More Than Words", guitarist's choice, and "Vida La Vida", which, obviously is, my choice. LOL! Guitarist this time is John Tan, from my camp.

+Do watch our performance, comment and rate! Thanks! =)

+Yes, I know I forgot the lyrics and everything, but it's so fun! I really miss performing!

Clocks

noreply@blogger.com (Zhong Ru) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:15:00 +0000

+In less than 30 days time, I would be back in Singapore for good. Haiz. But seriously, this last month here in Brunei seems so long. And I can't believe I'm leaving soon. 7 months have passed just like this; in the blink of an eye. What have I accomplished, and what more can I achieve in this last month?

+During my tour here, I've 1)touched up my tank work, which I've already forgotten a large part during my stint in HQ Armour, 2)honed my Photoshop skills - which I picked up in HQ Armour, but very basic only - I've learned more about it here doing my camp newsletter, 3)improved my fitness, which has never been this good - sadly.

+In the coming month, I hope to end of my tour here happily, for I have never been good at happy endings. LOL! We have a stand-down parade on the 29th this month, and I hope that will go well too. During rehearsals, it has been good, so I hope that this remains. And also to my newfound friends in Lancer whom I will be leaving behind, sorry! I'll come fetch you from the airport in November - or March - depending when you guys return! I promise! =)

+The date I'm coming back is October the 19th, a monday. When I get back to Singapore, I'll get 4 days of disembarkation leave, meaning I'll only need to head back to camp the following monday. Awesome.

+Oh by the way, Dan Brown's latest novel is out!

+And it's called "The Lost Symbol", featuring Robert Langdon, the main character from The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. I'm reading this on my mobile phone, and I must say it's very Dan Brown, a writing style which I miss reading. This author knows suspense like no other. A must-read! For those who liked this, check out my (old and halfway written) fanfiction of The Da Vinci Code, The JJCode! It's a thriller set in Jurong Junior College! There's about 5 chapters if I'm not wrong.

+There's so many things that I want to do when I go back to Singapore, and I can't wait! =)))

GAHHHH

noreply@blogger.com (Zhong Ru) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 12:56:00 +0000

+I NEED A NEW LAPTOP DAMN IT!!! My 2 year old HP Compaq Presario is giving me so many freaking problems! In fact, I almost wanted to fling it across the room in frustration today! ARGHHHHH!

+And I'm looking at this!

+The Apple Macbook Pro 13 inch! As soon as I ORD! =)))

When you feel so tired, but you just can't sleep

noreply@blogger.com (Zhong Ru) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:42:00 +0000

+We found kittens in our camp! They are so damn adorable! When you pick one up, it rests snugly in a ball in your palm! And they have BLUE eyes!

+When we brought this box to the mother cat (of course we knew which cat was their mother), she actually ran away at the sight of us and a box, clearly frightened. But when we picked up her kittens and showed her, she actually stopped running so suddenly, you'll think she hit a wall. Then slowly, she advanced towards us, glanced into the box - and guess what - grabbed the first kitten she saw and took of with it. The mother cat risked her life to save her kittens.

+The whole thing took us so much by surprise that we didn't manage to catch up with the mother cat; she was astonishingly agile with a kitten in her mouth (the kitten in the first picture). So we were left with the 2 kittens above.

+We have since left the kittens alone somewhere safe, and I hope that they get reunited. The kittens like to wander around though, which is worrisome. The last time I checked, they were not in the box anymore. I cross my fingers and hope that nothing bad happens to something so adorable. At one point, I really really wanted to adopt one and keep it in my bunk but hey. I'm not that much of a nice guy yet. ;)

Nobody said it was easy; it's such a shame we had to part

noreply@blogger.com (Zhong Ru) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0000

+Alternative Rock!

+Coldplay! I've been listening to Coldplay's catalog for the past few days and I really enjoy it! Although some people may find their songs profound, confusing, trashy or draggy. It's not, okay. It's called alternative.

+Actually I'm not even sure why I suddenly started to listen to Coldplay. Perhaps it's because I'm quite sick of all those R&B, pop and club hits that I needed something different, before I die from sugar-rush.

+Some of my favourite tracks so far are The Scientist, Yellow, Violet Hill, Don't Panic, Trouble, Clocks, Fix You, Viva La Vida and many more! When I listen to Coldplay, I'm constantly reminded of how similar the Taiwanese indie band sodagreen sounds like them. Their singing style and music style is really congruent.

+But what I really like about Coldplay is essentially their passion for music, which you can hear in each and every of their compositions. They sing with so much soul and conviction, it's hard not to be won over, like in this clip of "The Scientist" Live. It's good, watch it!

The Scientist

Come up to meet you
Tell you I'm sorry
You don't know how lovely you are

I had to find you
Tell you I need you
Tell you I set you apart

Tell me your secrets
And ask me your questions
Oh let's go back to the start

Running in circles
Coming in tails
Heads are a science apart

Nobody said it was easy
Its such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be this hard
Oh take me back to the start

I was just guessing
At numbers and figures
Pulling the puzzles apart

Questions of science
Science and progress
Do not speak as loud as my heart

Tell me you love me
Come back to haunt me
Oh and I rush to the start

Running in circles
Chasing our tails
Coming back as we are

Nobody said it was easy
Oh its such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be so hard
I'm going back to the start

+And also watch this really cool video of their single "Strawberry Swing"! It's rather new I think.

+Isn't it freaking cool?

It's true. Look how they shine for you.

noreply@blogger.com (Zhong Ru) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 06:25:00 +0000

+I'm determined to keep blogging, even if no one tags at my tagboard, or comment, or if no one comes here at all. LOL. And to show my determination, I've changed the blogskin and made a new banner! Loving the new banner. The headphones are from skullcandy, which is the brand of my headphones, but no, my headphones aren't those! Hahaha! I wouldn't wear those no matter how cool they look!

+Did yall see the new iPod nano? With a video-camera? Damn, and 2 months after I've bought my iPod nano!

+Anyway, we had a mini jamming session in bunk yesterday. I was the singer, John was on the guitar (Daniel's guitar!), and Sam was the drummer. No, we didn't have a drum-set, he was just whacking the pool table. LOL! Anyway, the best song we sang yesterday was Yellow by Coldplay. It's one of my favourite songs of all-time! Maybe I'll video us next time!

Look at the stars,
Look how they shine for you,
And everything you do,
Yeah, they were all yellow.

I came along,
I wrote a song for you,
And all the things you do,
And it was called "Yellow".

So then I took my turn,
Oh what a thing to have done,
And it was all "Yellow."

Your skin,
Oh yeah your skin and bones,
Turn into something beautiful,
You know, you know I love you so,
You know I love you so.

I swam across,
I jumped across for you,
Oh what a thing to do.
Cos you were all "Yellow".

I drew a line,
I drew a line for you,
Oh what a thing to do,
And it was all "Yellow."

Your skin,
Oh yeah your skin and bones,
Turn into something beautiful,
And you know,
For you I'd bleed myself dry,
For you I'd bleed myself dry.

It's true,
Look how they shine for you,
Look how they shine for you,
Look how they shine for.

Look how they shine for you,
Look how they shine for you,
Look how they shine.

Look at the stars,
Look how they shine for you,
And all the things that you do

I've set my eyes on this

noreply@blogger.com (Zhong Ru) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:52:00 +0000

+The Super Sexy and Functions Packed Nokia X6! Read on!

Nokia X6 launched

By JBC on 02 September 2009

STUTTGART, Germany – Music just got a whole lot more interesting, with the introduction of the Nokia X6. 3.2-inch touchscreen? Check. 32GB of storage? Check. 35 hours of music playback? You guessed it, that’ll be a check. Did we mention the blow-your-mind design? We’ve only just clapped eyes on the sleek and sexy X6 and already we can’t keep our peepers off it. At a touch under 14mm thin, it’s slim frame packs plenty of power and will leave music lovers in no doubt as to how they’ll be listening to music on the move when the device goes on sale this side of Xmas. What’s more, the Nokia X6 is a Comes with Music device which means you’ll be able to tune into as much all-you-can-hear music as you like without having to spend a penny extra.

The 3.2-inch widescreen display is optimised for photos and videos, proving the Nokia X6 is more than just a musical masterpiece. Pack 20 friends onto your homescreen, along with communities such as Facebook and it’s also a fully connected social butterfly.

Did we mention the 35 hours of music playback? Well what about 16 days standby time, a 5-megapixel camera and Carl Zeiss optics, dual LED flash, TV-out, video editing, online sharing, Nokia Music store, full web browser and Flash Lite support. Still want more? Okay then, A-GPS, Ovi Maps and Playlist DJ. If you fancy a bit of gaming, then Spore is included, along with DJ Mix Tour and Asphalt4. Phew.

The addition of this device to Comes with Music takes music on the move into a totally new dimension. And we’re pretty excited about it. Have a look at the Social Media Release for more info.

The Nokia X6 is expected to ship in the fouth quarter of 2009 for an estimated retail price of EUR459 before taxes and subsidies.

+Zhong Ru says: I love this phone! The only downside is it being 14mm thick! Not slim! Haha! And I noticed at their website they used Lady Gaga as their marketing tool, eg. wallpaper and songs. Cool!

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+And oh, btw, BoA has re-released her english album in Korea! It has a new album cover and it is very very sexy. Please support her by buying her original album! I'm not sure if this version is in stores in Singapore yet, but you could always try HMV! Her english songs are seriously not bad!

Kungfu Cyborg and its Hilarious One-Liners

noreply@blogger.com (Zhong Ru) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 11:57:00 +0000

+I watched Kungfu Cyborg today!

+It is a joint production between Hong Kong and China, with graphics and animation good enough to be hailed as asia's Transformers. Not to mention it's star-studded cast! Besides the usual 曾志伟 and 郑中基 - hilarious, the pair, I tell you - we have 方力申 as the robot K1, the lovely 孙俪 with her good acting chops, and 胡军, a big change from Red Cliff! Hahaha!

+While watching, I was laughing non-stop at it's awesome one-liners! And I was really impressed with their animation and creativity too! Singapore movies(and Jack Neo's CG) has a long long way to go, seriously.

+Here are my favourite lines from the movie!

“为了更容易融入社会所以带了包烟在身边，所谓有烟有朋友，礼多人不怪，可以让人打破沉默，我的程序设定可以抽烟！”
——机器人k-1抽烟耍酷，还借口十足。

“又微又软多没男子气概啊！”
——徐大春如此评价Bill Gates。

“我们已经按照刘德华的样子来做了！”
“那你怎么不叫他去唱歌拍电影？！”
“有想过！但似乎对刘德华不公平……”
——关于K-1完美的面相的大讨论。

“IPod 只是设计…用来掩护I-GUN的，很好用的，对付陈龙绰绰有余，拜托了。”
——诸位请留意，2046年的全新产品IGun, an iPod lookalike. LOL!

“那你就当第三者咯！”

“这样做对你姐好吗？”

“当然好！世俗的眼光通常认为第三者只会破坏别人的幸福，但其实第三者是在为人提供多一个选择，所谓自由恋爱，真正意义在“有的选择，我才是主宰”！”
——Best line ever. haha

如果人是上帝制造的，而机器人是人制造的，那人可以怀疑上帝，为什么机器人不可以怀疑人？
——Reminds me of the movie I, Robot.

+Must-watch! Oh yes, I forgot to mention all the Agent Smith moves! Go watch! LOL!

I'm a TV Junkie

noreply@blogger.com (Zhong Ru) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 02:36:00 +0000

+I'm watching these series!

+FRINGE
A sci-fi drama from the creators of LOST(among others). The title FRINGE refers to "fringe science", or more commonly known as "junk science". The series deals with all these "junk science" ideas, like suspended animation, dark matter, teleportation, telekinesis etc. Which is why it piqued my interest and it hasn't disappointed yet! From what I know, it is currently showing on Channel 5 in Singapore!
Warning: Not for the faint-hearted!

+Little Britain
A series of nonsensical comedy sketches (cleverly done by Matt Lucas and David Williams) "depicting" Britain, this has become one of my favourite shows! I love the show's political incorrectness and it's rudeness! I remember watching it last time on arts central, then I think they stopped showing it because it got too rude! Hahaha! I love British accents!

+霹雳MIT
In case you were wondering, MIT does not stand for whatever university that is, it stands for Mysterious Incredible Terminator. Very Taiwan, I know. But whatever the case is, this thriller-drama wannabe flops very badly in its storyline and choice of actors.
On the whole, it's GAHHHHHH except for 鬼鬼!

I have a new hobby!

noreply@blogger.com (Zhong Ru) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 07:52:00 +0000

+I have a new hobby. It's sleeping!

+I realize that I really sleep a lot! But it's not my fault, there's just not much to do here. I do guard duty so often that I get so tired on a day to day basis. In fact, I get really sleepy by 9pm! Plus I wake up at 6.30am, people in battalion usually need to fall in by 5.30am. And if I have guard duty on the previous day, I get to rest till 1pm.

+Therefore, I get roughly 8 to 9 hours of sleep everyday. Even more if I have guard duty.

+I usually take a long time to get to sleep, and random thoughts always rush through my mind in that 15 to 30 minutes I take to fall asleep.

+Sometimes I get a really good artistic idea, sometimes it's flashbacks of the past, sometimes I fantasize about the future, sometimes I am sitting at my piano and playing a really amazing tune...which trickles away as fast as it appears when I open my eyes in excitement trying to remember it. I'm very sure these are not vivid dreams but really, still my thoughts running wild.

+Recently, my thoughts are those regarding the camp newsletter I'm working on. I get inspirations after inspirations...they just keep coming...but somehow when I wake up, I can only remember the very little of what I thought about. It's frustrating, because I believe some of those ideas are really good.

+One day, when I find out how to remember all these thoughts...watch out! LOL!

----------------------------------------------------------------

5 songs stuck in my head NOW!
These are the songs that I would rate highly, play them whenever I on my iPod, sing at the KTV...hahaha!

1) 曹格 - 入戏
from the album 超级4th场

铺天盖地是你完美演技
一句抱歉说的煽情
坏人我做就可以

若即若离是你完美演技
那里热闹往哪里去都随你

2) 张栋梁 - 低调
from the album 沉默的瞬间

我的难过是如此低调因为不想打扰
我在寂寞的墙角努力的对自己好
你用微笑回报朋友或情人不重要

我的悲伤是如此低调傻子才会哭闹
就算你发现也好我想你一定会选择
假装不知道只怕我自己的掩饰不够好

3) 萧敬腾 - 善男信女
from the album 王妃

那片乐土是不是
至少能让眼泪都停住
祝福什麼都不再记住
祝福下一次总会幸福
祝福爱情的信徒
那善男信女别太辛苦

4) 方大同 - Red Bean红豆
from the album Timeless 可啦思刻

有时候有时候我会相信一切有尽头
相聚离开都有时候没有什么会永垂不朽
可是我有时候宁愿选择留恋不放手
等到风景都看透也许你会陪我看细水长流

5) Mariah Carey - Obsessed
from the album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel

"I was like, why you so obsessed with me?"

HOME LEAVE 140809 - 240809

noreply@blogger.com (Zhong Ru) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 12:09:00 +0000

+I shall let the pictures do the talking! In chronological order!

+吓到笑 movie and Bukit Gombak Chicken Rice Outing!

+KTV with KBOX Club but not at KBOX!

+Back to School and dinner with Mr Leow!

+Back to the Phuture!

+5hrs eating trip from all over Dempsey Hill to Holland V! (only people here though, for pictures of the good food we ate, please refer to my FB)

+And other outings without pictures, like the trip to Ion Orchard, a visit to 爱情海民歌餐厅, Investment fair with Benja, Sherman and Bryan (followed by a stupid lucky draw which Sherman didn't win =.=) and of course the STGCC and HMV money spending escapade!

+Thanks to all who accompanied me during my home leave, it really means a lot! I really enjoyed myself with the company of all of you! And for all those who were too busy to meet me, like Germaine, Weiming, Chendi, Emma etc, I missed you guys too!

+Oh wait, except Chendi of course. >=)

First day only!

noreply@blogger.com (Zhong Ru) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 11:54:00 +0000

+I'm back in Singapore! Woohoo! Like finally right? Although it's just for 10 days! And guess what's the first thing I do? Haha! That's right! Spend money! =)))

+It's the STGCC and I guess I just couldn't resist! So here's what I bought!

+(clockwise from top) 1) Bamboo fun tablet! I bought this to draw stuff! I've been wanting to buy this for a long time and now I have! 2) Code Geass' Lelouch Vi Britiannia's voice-i-doll! I saw it and I bought it straight! It's in one of those boxes where they have random characters in there and I got Lelouch, the main character! How lucky! =) Oh, and it isn't just any figurine, this one actually says something when you press a button! 3) Superman comic book! Oh did I mention that they were giving out free stuff everywhere at the convention? I just happened to be next to the G&B booth when they started shouting, "FREE COMICS!!" So, being a kiasu Singaporean, I grabbed one! Haha before it was all gone! LOL! 4) BLEACH manga volume 37 - 39! This is my favourite manga series! And these are the volumes I missed while I was away, so I bought them! 5) Random comics and a pencil! These were freebies as well! I got them while buying the tablet! Hahaha!

6) Lastly, a mysterious green capsule! This is CHIAM's Birthday present! $4 okay! I went to the Haruhi machine to turn this for you! You can open it yourself! =)))

+I also popped by HMV to catch up on all the albums I've missed out on! There! Don't say I'm a hypocrite, say anti-piracy but never buy! See for yourself!

+(clockwise from top) 1) BoA - Best and USA! I really love BoA and this album art is to die for! 2 BoAs about to kiss! LOL! 2) 曹格 - 超级4th场Supermarket! There's supposed to be 4 different covers for this album but I can only find this one! Oh well. 3) Utada Hikaru - This Is The One! I've fallen in love with her hit single "Come Back To Me"! But the rest of the song are reallyyy nice too. 4) The Black Eyed Peas - THE E.N.D! I've always been a huge fan of them if you didn't yet know! 5) Lady GaGa - The Fame! I know! It's been so long right! But whatever, her songs are still damn cool. 6) 方大同 - Timeless可啦思刻! Everyone, and I mean everyone, should get a copy of this because it is so damn classy. Khalil's voice is superbly smooth and in this album, the music arrangement is top-notch. 7) 萧敬腾 - 王妃! This album is actually quite disappointing compared to the last one but nonetheless, his voice still wows me everytime I hear it.

+So, I'm now a member of HMV! Haha! "Get a stamp for every $20 spent!" I got 9 stamps on the very first buy. LOL!

+I'M SO DAMN GLAD I'M BACK! I really need to slap myself hard for actually thinking that living in Brunei was getting quite comfortable! Compared to Singapore, Brunei is...GAHHHHH!!!!

I need a break.

noreply@blogger.com (Zhong Ru) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 05:39:00 +0000

+Remember one scene in the 2006 Jet Li movie "Fearless"(霍元甲)? Jet Li's character Huo Yuanjia was at his low point in life and wandered to Yun Nan, where he was taken in by farmers. To repay them, he helped to work at the paddy fields too.

+One day, the farmers were, as usual, working hard in their paddy fields on the mountains of Yun Nan, when a breeze started sweeping across the fields. To Yuanjia's surprise, everyone dropped their tools and stood up, stretched their arms, closed their eyes and enjoyed the wonderful mountain breeze caressing their faces.

+Can you imagine that now? Taking in deep breaths of the cool crisp air, letting it take over your entire body, relaxing your mind and soul...

+I need that. Because I feel that I have been working forever. Although that isn't even necessarily true.

+I find communicating with people sadder and sadder these days. How many times have you called out to somebody just to say "I miss you?" or "Hey, how's your day today?" ?

+Think about it. Many times, when we talk to someone else, it's just to convey a certain message, fullstop. For example, "XXX asks you to meet him at XXXtiming." or "So and so needs your assistance, please help." or "Hey, I need these by monday, 8am, sharp." etc.

+We have become phone lines, mere messengers, nothing more.

+Sometimes, I would like to know: Is anyone thinking of me now? Not those you know, Hey where is Zhong Ru huh, did he take our key? Oh yes, I think Zhong Ru still owes me work. Yup, these are done by Zhong Ru. Zhong Ru has instructed me to do this this this.

+How about: I wonder how's Zhong Ru doing now? Is he happy now? Can't believe we were so happy last time, I kind of miss him.

+When was the last time someone said to me, "Hey I'm calling just to tell you I miss you."?

+I guess I really do need a break.

想念一个人是多么痛苦的事情
痛得我不敢去面对
我只能选择离开逃避

想念一个人是多么痛苦的事情
痛得我无法去承受
恨下心转过身想要走
留下借口

Snowglobe

noreply@blogger.com (Zhong Ru) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:52:00 +0000

+Do you guys know what a Snowglobe is? (wiki)A snowglobe is a transparent sphere usually made of glass enclosing a miniaturized scene of some sort, often together with a model of a landscape. The sphere also encloses the water in the globe; the water serves as the medium through which the "snow" falls. To activate the snow, the globe is physically shaken to churn up the white particles. The globe is then placed back in its position and the flakes fall down slowly through the water.

+Imagine a snowglobe now. A person looks at it and thinks, Hey this is too peaceful looking. It's boring. It's uninteresting. How about I give it a shake? Mess it up a little? Stir up some shit? And he takes hold of the snowglobe, shakes it real hard and watches while the city inside it falls into disarray and randomness, all the time sniggering as the snow slowly settles down.

+What about the people inside the snowglobe? How do they feel? They go around in their small confined area, doing their daily work, walking along thin lines, for fear that one wrong step would trigger off a hard shake of their globe. They would not like that, it disrupts their lifestyle, it makes life more difficult...

+The shaker however, finds real joy in doing all of the above, for he is unaffected; he has never been through all these disasters before and would never understand how the people in the snowglobe feel. He is too caught up in his act of tyranny to realize how much fear he is causing. He receives pleasure from the pain he causes people. He is too high up on his throne to care.

+But what the shaker does not realize is that how ridiculous he looks, holding the snowglobe and shaking it. He shakes the snowglobe, waits stupidly as the snow settles then shakes it again when the last snowflake floats into place. Some sane outsider will observe and ask, What the hell are you doing? Oh, I'm just stirring up shit to make life more difficult in the snowglobe, comes the reply. As if life isn't hard enough inside the snowglobe, The outsider retorts and asks, Moreover, why are you doing that to a snowglobe? Isn't whatever you are doing rather pointless; a storm in a teacup?

+I'm not trying to sound biased, but all the shit stirred up in this camp has to do with the Armour guys(which is us, if you didn't yet know). First the accusation of us not doing our work, for we "half the time stay in the canteen, half the time at cohesion". For your information, we hardly go to the canteen at all, except after working hours, of course. And just because you can't remember that our last cohesion was actually(and rightfully) last month doesn't mean that we go for cohesion every week. Secondly, the unfair imprecation that one of our guys fell asleep at during sentry duty and made someone's car wait at the gate for 5 minutes. Hey, we had video proof that that someone waited for only 11 seconds, why wouldn't you admit that you had made our guys a scapegoat just to warn the camp? Thirdly, just because our 3SG didn't answer your question about the weather correctly, you had to go to our PC and PS to make a complain, not realizing that our PS is somewhat cranky in the mind and how much repercussion your words would cause. Because of you, we had to clean all four of our tanks, both interior and exterior, clean the bloody engine, pull through all the damn main guns, clean the rammers and muzzle brakes, all within 3 days(2 of which are weekends), and anyone from armour would tell you how much of a bitch all these are to do. Didn't you realize how powerful your words were when you decided to punish our detachment by sending us all to LC to clean their armskotes(and arms)?

+This place has become rotten, it is too comfortable for too many, and there is simply too much resistance to change. People have forgotten, like people often do, all the hard work that the armour guys have done for this camp. People abuse their ranks, hell, we were scolded for not greeting an officer when we saw him 20m away, for we all expected to do so. (Point is, we greeted him when he was nearer to us; it's not like we didn't greet him at all.) To other people, CNY and SAF DAY happened just like this. To us, however, we know all the hard work that has to be put in to organize and put together an event like this. Today, when someone asked me to fill up an interview form regarding our roles in SAF DAY and what you have done, I don't even know where to begin. How can months and months of hard work be put into mere words? For many other people in the camp, however, I reckon they will have nothing to put down on that piece of paper, because, well, they did nothing. There are many more stuff that the armour guys do that is unrelated to tank work, but I shall not elaborate. The bottom-line is that we do so many things and we haven't failed at any yet, so people rely too much on us. Yet when things are done, they take us for granted and they forget. What I'm asking for is not appreciation - just don't forget the things we do. If one does a hundred good things and gets penalized for just one mistake, is it fair?

+I refer to our camp as a snowglobe because it is so small, our whole strength consists of only less than 70 people. Everyone basically knows everybody, yet they don't know anybody. It is amazing how much drama there is everday, when the camp is so small. I conclude that this can only be due to one reason: We are selfish, and couldn't give a damn to what we do everyday. But I expect this is the same in every S*F organization, where selfishness prevails.

+If only everyone can give two-hoots to their own job and to others' feelings, none of these dramas would have happened, and we would all be very peaceful, where all the snow has settled and the shaker wouldn't find a reason to shake the snowglobe.

+I have typed over a thousand words and oh today is Harry Potter's birthday. =)

I watched these in the cinemas okayy

noreply@blogger.com (Zhong Ru) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:34:00 +0000

+It's summer! And this means summer blockbusters!

+The above movies are arranged in order of preference! Firstly, it would have to be Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I have been waiting for this movie for 2 years! And it wasn't disappointing. For those who have bad things to say about this movie, I suggest you stop watching Harry Potter and go ogle over Twilight instead. About 70% of this movie kept to the book, and those edited parts didn't affect the story.

+My favourite actors from this movie would have to be Daniel Radcliffe(Harry Potter) - turns comedic, Emma Watson(Hermione Granger) - sizzling hot, Tom Felton(Draco Malfoy) - seriously well-dressed, Alan Rickman(Severus Snape) - very good acting and Helena Bonham Carter(Bellatrix Lestrange) - she plays deranged females really well (think Sweeney Todd's Mrs Lovett).

+And the worst actress is Ginny Weasley! I won't even bother finding out her real name! She's so wooden and needs more practise, not to mention eating up Hermione's screentime...

+Next up, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen! Starring Shia LeBeouf and Megan Fox, directed by Michael Bay and produced by Steven Spielberg with a staggering budget of US$200 million, Transformers 2 is destined to be a massive box-office hit.

+This sequel provides more mind-blowing action, eye-boggling transformations and more robots you can ever catch up with. That said however, the storyline is kind-of cliche, and Shia's acting really needs polishing. Plus, Megan just doesn't have the action star kind of look. But then again, this kind of movie is the entertaining type, just watch it with the right attitude. If it was meant to be anything else, they would have called it a film, not a movie.

+On the whole, I enjoyed this movie very much and I left the cinema wanting for more!

+Lastly, comes the superstar crime thriller Public Enemies, starring Johnny Depp(Pirates of the Caribbean, Sweeney Todd) and Christian Bale(The Dark Knight - basically, Batman LOL, Terminator Salvation). You would think that this movie would surely work, what with the talents and star power of the two, but no, I felt that this movie did not live up to its expectations at all.

+Watching the movie, it's 2hr45min runtime proved to be tortous and tedious - it's almost like eating glass mixed with M&Ms. Occasionally you get something good but otherwise, it's just bad. Draggy, artsy filiming style and avant-garde wannabe, this movie wastes the talent of Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, and a good opportunity to produce a really good blockbuster.

+Set during the Great Depression, it focuses on the true story of FBI agent Melvin Purvis's attempt to stop criminals John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and Pretty Boy Floyd. Only watch this though, if you're a die-hard fan of Johnny Depp or Christian Bale.

+That's all! Remember! Anti-piracy!

如果没有机会，有再多的实力也没有用

noreply@blogger.com (Zhong Ru) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 05:48:00 +0000

+I've modified the blogskin a little, and added a new banner!
Oh well.

+Recently, I've been watching this taiwanese drama “爱就宅一起”, starring 杨丞琳, 汪东城, 胡宇崴, 金勤 and Linda!

+Haha, you guys will probably know all about this series due to all of its crazy promotion in Singapore early this year. I'm watching this series because I've been watching in Singapore halfway before I got sent here. Hmph.

+The series starts of as more of a comedy, with Rainie Yang being the 宅女陈默默, who stays at home all day, has very few friends - actually just 1, played by George Hu 加森 - and is obsessed with the comic series Prince Cashaba 卡沙巴王子. MARS 庄俊男(?!)- played by Jiro Wang - is a superstar who is no longer popular, comes into her life one day when he is stranded with no where to live.

+They also go to the same university, which makes things even more interesting as MARS, though unpopular, is still very much a celebrity. He causes a stir and fuss everywhere he goes and sometimes it gets to his head and hilarious consequences follow.

+The case is entirely different for Chen Momo, however, as she floats around the school like a ghost, and her teachers and friends address her as “那个陈···”, where at this point she would finish the sentence herself, “陈默默。” In one scene, her classmates didn't even know she exists. Isn't it sad?

+MARS' sole purpose is to propel himself back to super-stardom again. That said, however, he is actually a person with backbone and refuses to rely on others on his way to fame. For example, he turns down a female director who asks him to 脱, declines to go to a party hosted by a classmate whose uncle is a famous director, and rejected collaborating with his ex-girlfriend who somehow achieved superstar status.

+In doing all these and more, MARS and Momo slowly and unknowingly fall in love with each other. Yet what is an 偶像剧 without a love triangle right? Momo's 青梅竹马 Jiasen openly professes his love to her and catches her off guard. So what will Momo do...?

+An entertaining watch, really, on the whole. What I liked about this show is that it gives us a glimpse into the entertainment industry. Tony哥, a super manager, is played by 包小柏, who in real life, probably manages some artistes himself. Some of the best lines include:

“在这个圈子，人们只是在乎你红不红，根本不在乎你是怎么红的。”
“我们在等待的就是这个机会，不是吗？”
“道歉就是低个头而已嘛，你就当演戏啊。”

and my favourite:
“如果没有机会，有再多的实力也没有用。”

+No, I'm not refering to myself, but to thousands of people who one-day, wish to carve a name for themselves. What everyone is waiting for is a chance. The most recent event that got me thinking about this is the One Million Star Singapore Challenge. Haiz~ (for Charlene, not me. =p)

+I also love this theme song from the series! (No, not 越来越爱)

远在身边
周定纬
作词：藍小邪
作曲：降落伞

不是每只船都不怕流浪的孤单
可是它们仍扬起帆
因为心中有个彼岸
也许有些路注定要一个人走完
所以背包总是塞满你所有温暖很暖

原来你一直在我身边
不管距离多麽遥远
就算乌云在眼睛里不散
你的笑容让我灿烂

原来你就在我的身边
不管时间怎麽疏远
所以就算我飞上了云端
只要想像你住在我心里我就心安

不是每片叶都不怕坠落的遗憾
可是它们仍然飞翔
因为身後树的期盼
也许有些梦做起来才知道很难
可是一想到为了你眼睛就不会流汗

《论毅力》

noreply@blogger.com (Zhong Ru) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:25:00 +0000

《论毅力》
梁启超

原文：

天下古今成败之林，若是其莽然不一途也。

要其何以成，何以败？曰：有毅力者成，反是者败。
盖人生历程，大抵逆境居十六七，顺境亦居十三四，而逆境又常相间以迭乘。

无论事之大小，必有数次乃至十数次之阻力，其阻力虽或大或小，而要之必无可逃避者也。其在志力薄弱之士，始固曰吾欲云云，其意以为天下事固易易也，及骤尝焉而阻力猝来，颓然丧矣；其次弱者，乘一时之意气，透过此第一关，遇再挫而退；稍强者，遇三四挫而退；更稍强者，遇五六挫而退；其事愈大者，其遇挫愈多；其不退也愈难，非至强之人，未有能善于其终者也。

夫苟其挫而不退矣，则小逆之后，必有小顺。大逆之后，必有大顺。

盘根错节之既经，而随有应刃而解之一日。旁观者徒艳羡其功之成，以为是殆幸运儿，而天有以宠彼也，又以为我蹇于遭逢，故所就不彼若也。庸讵知所谓蹇焉、幸焉者，皆彼与我之相同，而其能征服此蹇焉，利用此幸焉与否，即彼成我败所由判也。

更譬诸操舟，如以兼旬之期，行千里之地者，其间风潮之或顺或逆，常相参伍。分彼以坚苦忍耐之力，冒其逆而突过之，而后得从容以进度其顺。我则或一日而返焉，或二三日而返焉，或五六日而返焉，故彼岸终不可达也。

孔子曰："譬如为山，未成一篑，止，吾止也；譬如平地，虽复一篑，进，吾往也"
孟子曰："有为者，譬若掘井，掘井九仞，而不及泉，犹为弃井也"

成败之数，视此而已。

白话文：

天下古往今来种种成败的人和事，它们所经历的道路是如此的纷繁不同。

概括地推究：它们为什么成功，又为什么失败呢? 回答是：有毅力的就成功，反之则失败。人生的历程，大体逆境占了十分之六七，顺境也占了十分之三四，而顺逆这两种境遇又常常是相互交替着轮流出现。无论事情是大是小，必然会遇到几次乃至十几次的阻力，这种阻力虽然有的大有的小, 但总之必定是不可避免的。

那些在意志和能力方面薄弱的人，开始的时候一定会说我想要如何如何，我要如何如何，他心里认为天下事本来就是很简单容易的，等到马上尝试，阻力突然来临，就颓然丧失了信心。那些意志能力比较弱的人，凭着一时的意气，通过了这第一关，遇到第二次挫折就退缩了; 意志能力稍强的人，遇到三四次挫折才退缩；又坚强些的人，遇到五六次挫折才退缩。他所做的事情越大，他遇到的挫折就越多，他不退缩也就越难。不是极其坚强的人，就没有能够善于达到它的终点的。

如果遇到挫折而不退缩，那么小的逆境之后，必定有小的顺境；大的逆境之后，必定会有大的顺境。

经过了盘根错节的复杂情况以后，尔后随之才会有迎刃而解的一天。旁观者只是非常羡慕别人的成功，认为这个人大概是个幸运儿，而老天总是因为某种缘故宠爱他；又认为我遭遇不顾利，所以成就也比不上他。这种人哪里知道所谓的“不顺”啊、“幸运”啊，对于他和我都是相同的，而是否能征服这些“不顺”，同时又利用这些“幸运”，正是他成我败的区别所在。

再用驾船来做个比方，如果用二十天的时间，来走一千里的路程，这期间风向潮流有时顺有时逆，常常交互错杂。他凭着艰苦忍耐的力量，迎着那逆风逆流冲了过去，然后能从容地前进，去度过顺风顺水的一段。但是我或者一天就退回来了，或者两三天就回来了，或者五六天就回来了，所以彼岸就始终不可能到达。

孔子说： “比如堆土成山，只差一筐土了，如果停了下来，这是我自己停了下来的。又比如平整土地，即使刚倒下一筐土，只要前进，我也在往前进行。”
孟子也说：“要有作为，就譬如掏井，掏到七八丈深，还不见泉水，仍然还是一个废井。”

成败的规律，看看这两段话也就知道了。

+I didn't appreciate this piece of writing last time...

...but now I do.