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Wednesday, August 29, 2012

HK song Spotlight: Andy Hui (許志安), Sammi Cheng (鄭秀文), and "唯獨你是不可取替"

Last Updated: 12-JUN-2018, 21-JAN-2024

If you know me, you would know that I know nothing about today's music in Hong Kong, but I do appreciate the oldies. Many may know veteran Hong Kong singers, Andy Hui (許志安) and Sammi Cheng (鄭秀文). When their duet "其實你心裏有沒有我" ("Do you really have me in your heart?") came out, the song exploded into the Hong Kong music scene, winning Sammi and Andy a 1993 Jade Solid Gold Top 10 Award. The song became extremely recognizable and I'm sure many people tried to sing it in the karaoke room.

Andy and Sammi sang together numerous times, but one song particularly touches my heart. It is the song, "唯獨你是不可取替" ("Only You Cannot Be Replaced"). To be honest, I cannot sing this song without crying. It's so touching! I may not know that much Cantonese, but I will cry when I hear:

"是我不敢相信真愛" (It is I who don't dare to believe in true love)

"如果今天將失去眼前的一切" (If today I will lose all of what's in front of my eyes)

"下半生准我留住你" (For the next half of my life, allow me to stay with you)

All of those sentences are so powerful to me. It is poignant (by my imagination) and romantic at the same time.


Here is a video of this song on Youtube. To be honest, I'm not sure if this song belongs to Andy or Sammi. I first heard this on cassette tape where Andy sang it. On another website, I read that Andy sang it originally and then Sammi took the song and made it her own. Actually, this song is originally a Japanese song called "Sekaiju No Dare Yori Kitto" ("Certainly More Than Everybody In The World") sung by Miho Nakayama, which is a more upbeat song.


Note: Click the video above to watch it directly on Youtube

Andy's version: (My favorite! In fact, when I think about it, I really love Andy's singing style.)





A version where Sammi sings it (Andy is in the background singing back-up!) The way Andy looks at Sammi is pure love. I read that they are getting married by the end of this year. Andy chased Sammi in real life for so many years and their on-and-off relationship confused the public. Well, since I heard they moved in together this summer, marriage is only the next step!

Update: Andy Hui and Sammi Cheng married in 2013.




Here are the Chinese lyrics! Credit:
http://mojim.com/twy100170x40x12.htm
  
I noticed nobody posted the English lyrics. I'll try to translate it and I apologize in advance if I make any mistakes. I'll translate it the way I interpret it, which is literally. I like it this way so you can study the words and understand the implied meaning yourself. English translations will be in BLUE font. Rhetorical meanings are put in brackets [ ].

I also found a website that featured nonstandard pronunciation to the song at Feitsui.com.

 唯獨你是不可取替 (Only You Cannot Be Replaced) 

作詞:梁芷姍
作曲:Tetsuro Oda/Sho Uesugi/Miho Nakayama 

 

曾聽說有許多戀愛 ([I] Once heard about a lot about love)
沒有結果 卻剩傷心者感慨 (No results, yet
what remains is those distraught people who lament)
令我都刻意避開 (Causes me to also leave on purpose)
是我不敢相信真愛 (It is I who doesn't dare to believe in true love)
但你不惜真心真意對待 (But you don't hesitate to truly, meaningfully treat it [meaning true love])
竟令我再感到意外 (Unexpectedly cause me to feel [something] unexpected)
讓我獻出 (Let me offer [you])
全部熱愛 (All of the passionate love)
全面喝采 (All-around applause)

Chorus:
如果今天將失去眼前的一切 (If today I will lose all of what's in front of my eyes)
剩低清風兩袖也不計 (to be left with "refreshing breeze, two sleeves" [meaning to have nothing], I won't calculate [meaning, I won't care]
唯獨你一個是不可給取替 (You alone [is the] one [person] that cannot be replaced [or switched out])
是我生命裡的一切 Wooh ([You] Are my life's everything] Wo-oh)

如早知今生跟你 有幸可相愛 (If only I knew earlier in this life that being with you would have [brought] luck and requited love)
在當初應更努力為未來 (At [From] the start, [I] should have strived more for the future)
其實我知道 是可一不可再 (Actually I know [this is] possibly one, but cannot again [meaning once in a life time opportunity]
下半生准我留住你 (For the next half of my life, allow me to detain [stay with] you)
一直相愛 ([In order] To continue loving each other)

[End of Chorus]

誰似你這般欣賞我 (Who resembles you, this category [of person], who appreciates me)
誰也說不上你一般清楚我 (Who also unable to say [Who else can say why] you ordinarily, clearly [know] me)
問我可需要甚麼 (Ask me possibly need what [Ask me what else I would possibly need])
願你終身交託給我 (Hoping you [would] life-longingly entrust [yourself] give [to] me)

讓我一生好好把你照料 (Allow me a lifetime to take care of you)
請讓我體恤你需要 (Please allow me to empathize with your needs)
讓我獻出 (Let me offer [you])
同樣被愛 (The same cause of love)
從來沒缺少 (Always never lacking)

Chorus again!

其實我知道 是可一不可再 (Actually I know [this is] possibly one, but cannot again [meaning once in a life time opportunity]
下半生准我留住你 (For the next half of my life, allow me to detain [stay with] you)
一直相愛 ([In order] To continue loving each other)


Some CD/DVDs where you can purchase this song.
Wehaiyo! receives a small fee as from a purchase through the Amazon link below. Support Wehaiyo!

https://www.yesasia.com/us/andy-hui-first-round-concert-live-karaoke-dvd/1004025918-0-0-0-en/info.html

 

Saturday, August 18, 2012

2NE1 Flashmob and Concert - Prudential Center, NJ



Yesterday, I participated in a 2NE1 flashmob. We had barely two weeks to learn the choreography, but that's okay. The moves were simplistic enough and I managed to dance better than the first flashmob I attended back in Oct 2011.

Basically, I taught myself the moves. Anyway, I'm so glad it turned out well. What didn't turn out well was when I showed up at 3PM for the rehearsal and there was only a handful of people there! Our leader and the majority of the dancers came late. The actual flashmob didn't start until 5PM at the Prudential Center.

What is also very odd is that I've never really toured or walked around the Newark area in New Jersey before. I didn't even make it two blocks when so many beggers came to beg me for money. Their approach is more rude and demanding than if I were in Manhattan. Another thing I notice is that a lot of Newark people like to talk to themselves out loud and have no regard for crossing the street. Drivers also do not hesitate plowing through traffic even if a pedestrian is very close to the curb. As I walk through the streets, everybody knew that I was going to the 2NE1 concert later that night because I think it is because of my Asian face. I don't think they are used to seeing so many Asian people.

If you haven't heard of 2NE1 before, it's time to learn about them now. 2NE1 is a hip-hop style Korean group who is making a bold step in holding a world tour. If you think Girls Generation is a popular group, 2NE1 is just as popular. I first heard their song, "I Don't Care" back in 2009 and I was hooked. Buying a ticket to their concert is worth the money because they have so many good songs! If I wasn't holding a camera, I'd be partying along with all the other people who were frenzied at the concert.

Members:

We have CL, who is sort of the leader of the group. CL and I have a connection and I don't mean a personal connection, but more like a fate-like connection. We were born on the same day (Feb 26th). I love CL the most out of all 2NE1 members because she is an excellent singer and rapper. She is so good at what she does that there is no doubt in my mind that she could also hit it big as a soloist. CL has attitude on stage and she really brings all her energy to her performance. I saw that on wikipedia, CL lived in France when she was younger, but I still have no idea why her English is so naturally good! I can't hear any accent at all. She claims to be the shy, quiet type in person, but it's really hard to believe when she's such an extrovert on stage. She dominates the stages and it's pretty easy to see or think why she is the leader. Though, according to Yang Hyun Suk, founder of 2NE1's entertainment agency, YG Entertainment, CL was rejected many times in auditions. Eventually, she was accepted into YG Entertainment only because she was persistent in sending new audition tapes to show that she too can improve her skills within time. It was the same with her groupmate, Bom.



Sorry, my picture of Bom isn't that good. I missed the chance to really capture her doll-like face. Bom seems like she never ages. She is the oldest of the group, yet she is the one with the baby face. Sure, she wears really heavy makeup and dresses in skirts most of the time, but Bom will always be a doll. Besides CL, Bom has the powerhouse vocals of the group. There's a good chance Bom will sing the chorus in a 2NE1 song. Bom has a beautifully mature voice and she has the vocal power for it. That is why when Bom released a single last year, she achieved all-kill, meaning the top number one ranking spot on every single Korean song-ranking chart. Like CL, Bom was rejected many times at YG entertainment, but she eventually made it with her persistence and endless home audition videos. Where would 2NE1 be without Bom?


To me, Minzy is different version of CL. Minzy, the youngest of the group, has deeper alto vocals which is almost as strong as CL in rap and vocals. I like the way Minzy also sings with the hip-hop attitude. What is also unique about Minzy is that she is also a really vigorous dancer, but she claimed through an interview that she wasn't always that way. Minzy admitted that when she first started training, she knew nothing about dancing and had to train herself. Well, look at her now. She can gyrate. She can do splits with no problem. Minzy is truly an inspiration.


Lastly, we have Sandara to complete the group. Her precious looks and vocals seem out of place with the other power singers, but surprisingly, her opposite talents prove to be very compatible at times. Sandara is the one who looks the tiniest with a mouse-like voice. I can't imagine her doing any major climatic solo parts with 2NE1, but when she sings with a auto-tuned voice accompaniment, it sounds fierce just like how 2NE1 should be. Some consider her the most pretty and the most popular of the group. She can be the most feminine looking of the group and will look pretty no matter what she wears or whatever hairstyle she puts on. Speaking of hairstyles, Sandara rose to fame with her pineapple-like hairstyle, which has become one of her signature looks because of how outrageous it looks. I like how she constantly pushes the boundaries of conventional fashion. When she was younger, Sandara's family moved to the Philappines so she is able to speak Tagalog fluently. Sandara also has a brother in the Korean music industry as well. You may know him as Thunder from the popular Korean group, MBlaq. This brother-sister pair has such a great relationship and is always posing with each other in pictures. Sandara also adores Thunder's cat and even got over her fears for cats.

Now that I have introduced all the members, let's watch the flashmob videos! I could also post my concert videos, but I think the quality of mine isn't that great. Maybe I'll post them at a later time if you want to see them. You can hear some of 2NE1's popular songs in the flashmob:
I Love You
Fire
Please Don't Go
Can't Nobody
I Am the Best
Ugly


Practice: Military Park, NJ

 Performance 1: Prudential Center, NJ


   Performance 2: Same place, facing opposite direction




2NE1 Mini Album Vol. 2 - $15.99

from: YesAsia
  


Sunday, August 5, 2012

Top K-drama Kisses

Hello, welcome to Wehaiyo and I can't wait to get started to talk about what's on my mind at the moment. My name is Karen and I will writing out my thoughts on Wehaiyo. My Korean skills are really poor so I rely on subtitles to help me through this post. Because all these actors I'm about to talk about are such excellent actors, I can practically feel their passion flowing through the screen.

I was searching through Youtube when I decided to think about my favorite Kdrama kisses of all time!
All video credits go to Youtube and the video's owner.
All of these dramas can be seen for free at http://www.dramafever.com


#1) Yoon Shi Yoon and Lee Ji Ah - Me Too, Flower




I thought this was the best kiss ever because just when Cha Bong Sun (Lee Ji Ah's character) decides to cuff Seo Jae Hee (Yoon Shi Yoon's character) to take him to the police station, Jae Hee vehemently denies breaking the law and kisses her forcefully instead. With all the emotions pouring out of the couple including the shock Bong Sun previously encountered when she found evidence of the stolen diamond bag inside of Jae Hee's bag, Bong Sun realizes how much she loves Jae Hee, stops resisting Jae Hee's kiss, and then goes for an encore kiss afterwards. This time Jae Hee is the one who is surprised, but genuinely kisses her in return. What a sweet and heart stopping moment, which cannot be beat! The kissing was so realistic that it's hard to believe this was only acting.


#2) Song Seung Hun and Kim Tae Hee - My Princess


 There were actually two scenes in this whole drama that took my breath away. Park Hae Young (Song Seung Hun) and Lee Seol (Kim Tae Hee) are both on the opposites sides of conflict. They know that they cannot trust one another given their situation of Lee Seol becoming a princess and Park Hae Young losing all his fortune as his grandfather wanted to give everything he had back to Lee Seol due to his guilt over what happened in this past.

Kiss number one where Lee Seol was drunk while getting a piggyback on Hae Young was pretty entertaining. As she mumbled nonsense, Hae Young still carried her back to a house she was supposed to stay in overnight since Lee Seol ran away from the palace. Since Lee Seol complained about her shoes being untied, they sat down on the stairs for a while. In a unusually clearheaded drunk moment, Lee Seol tells Hae Young what she thinks of him and then pulls Hae Young's tie towards her so she can innocently kiss his cheek. On top of that, Lee Seol arches her eyebrow as if she was trying to dare Hae Young to kiss her back. Lee Seol sweetly smiles at Hae Young waiting for his response. A long pause increases the drama. In a confused moment, Hae Young touches his cheek where Lee Seol kissed and looks at Lee Seol for a confirmation. With their proximity so close to one another, Hae Young makes a conscious decision to kiss her, but tells her beforehand that whatever was about to happen right then, just forget it. He dives in for the kiss and I wanted to strangle the music director for not putting in some dramatic music. Lee Seol and Hae Young kiss in silence for a while and that ends the episode. I almost died in happiness.

Of course throughout the series, Song Seung Hun and Kim Tae Hee have a couple more kisses, but nothing heartstopping until the very end. I don't want to spoil the ending, so if you don't want to know, stop reading here.

Lee Seol was on the same plane sitting two seats away just when Park Hae Young thought he was dumped by Lee Seol because of his lack of commitment due to Korean politics and threats against him especially after his family is now seen as a traitor by the public. After a bit of some lovely dovey moments of their reunion, Lee Seol asks Hae Young what he wants to do the most since they now have 13 hours to "date", which is apparently how long the plane ride will be, Hae Young kisses Lee Seol on the lips and than tries to lessen the embarrassment with a cheesy smile. Little did he know that he set Lee Seol's heart on fire and she darts in front of him for a salacious kiss. I was so shocked because it was such a public place on a plane and the two didn't seem to be embarrassed. After some small kisses, Lee Seol apparently wasn't satisfied and energetically kisses Hae Young again. Sadly, their relationship was still up in the air as the two cannot marry, but continue to be engaged in secret. I'll just have to hang onto the hope that they will resolve it somehow.


#3) Honorable Mention: Yoon Eun Hye and Joo Ji Hoon - Goong




I waited until episode 23, which is almost towards the end of the drama to see the satisfaction of a fiery, passionate kiss! Honestly, Lee Shin (Joo Ji Hoon) and Shin Chae Kyung (Yoon Eun Hye) were fighting so much that I wonder if they have any passion left for each other.

Chae Kyung arrives back at the palace only to hear that Shin has been feeling nauseous since being accused of arson and possibly losing his prince status and going to jail. On top of that, Chae Kyung previously mentioned divorce in a national public interview, sending him into a deep depression. Shin is in his room, weakly drinking his medicine. Chae Kyung asks if he's in a lot of pain and Shin cooly replies, "why do you care?" Shin gets up and is about to walk away when Chae Kyung desperately hugs him from behind and apologizes. Chae Kyung finally admits that she wants to stay in the palace, but Shin tells her that he might lose his prince status any day now. Chae Kyung quickly interjects and tells Shin that she loves him not because he is the crown prince, but because of who he is as a person. Shin could not believe Chae Kyung's love confession and asks her to clarify. With tears in her eyes, Chae Kyung makes the official confession and tells Shin that she loves him and that she thinks her heart aches because she loves him. Shin gives Chae Kyung a final warning and tells her that if she stays by his side, he will break her wings so she can no longer run. He says this because she previously told him that she wanted to fly away from the palace because she couldn't breathe. Chae Kyung looks at Shin and tells her that it doesn't matter. Chae Kyung wanted Shin to tell her that he wants her be his side. Shin does not respond. Chae Kyung looks up at Shin and starts to worry. She walks away with a few mini steps while stunned at Shin's lack of a reaction. Finally, Shin admits his feelings by telling Chae Kyung to stay by his side a little more. Shin tells Chae Kyung not to leave him. Finally, Shin tells Chae Kyung not to leave him alone. Chae Kyung runs to Shin to give him a hug. As if this moment wasn't explosive enough, they start kissing. What is beautiful about this kiss is that Chae Kyung is still crying at the same time so it was a painful, loving, and relieving moment for her. I waited for this confession and kiss so badly that I was happy to spend 23 hours watching Goong just for the story to lead up to this moment. This scene was such a relief to know the main characters loved each other.


#4) Honorable Mention: Park Shi Hoo and Kim So Yeon - Prosecutor Princess


While the kiss between Park Shi Hoo and Kim So Yeon isn't romantic at the end of episode 8 of Prosecutor Princess, this kiss is still memorable. Sorry for the bad quality of the video, but it was the only one I can find on Youtube at the moment. In the story, Ma Hye Ri (Kim So Yeon) wanted to date fellow prosecutor colleague Yoon Se Joon (played by Han Jung Soo) and wrote a letter to ask him out on a picnic. Sadly, Se Joon's young daughter saw the letter and was worried so she didn't tell Se Joon about the invite until much later in the night. Hye Ri was already upset that she was stood up after she spent so much time making food for a picnic with Seo In Woo's (Park Shi Hoo) help. While Hye Ri made her dejected walk home again, In Woo waits around, sees her, and meets her outside. Hye Ri explains that she's been stood up. In Woo was upset that Hye Ri would wait four hours for a man to show up. In Woo asks Hye Ri what she did with the food they made and Hye Ri told him innocently that she left it in front of Se Joon's house. In Woo explodes with disbelief at how naive Hye Ri is and sighs. Suddenly, at the corner of his eye, In Woo sees Se Joon approaching them. Determined to help Hye Ri, In Woo turns Hye Ri around so she couldn't see who was behind her and tells her from now on, he is going to do something to help her. Confused Hye Ri asks In Woo what he's going to do. In Woo says he is going to take Hye Ri into his arms first, which he does right afterwards. Se Joon sees this and stops in his path in shock. Hye Ri is too shocked to say anything. In Woo then holds Hye Ri's face with both hands while Hye Ri looks at In Woo like a deer in headlights. Right before In Woo makes a daring kiss, he smiles widely and then says, "this..." as if he knew he was going to enjoy it. In Woo forcefully kisses Hye Ri. Hye Ri's eyes were opened as she was confused. In Woo also has his eyes open to check Se Joon's reaction. While this wasn't a romantic kiss, it seems to be that In Woo really enjoyed the moment. His playfulness and manliness really shown through in the scene. I have no idea what kind of woman wouldn't fall for that. What kind of man smiles before going for a kiss? The scene was so romantic even though it wasn't a romantic moment as Hye Ri wasn't interested in In Woo.


Prosecutor Princess (DVD) (6-Disc) (English Subtitled) (End) (SBS TV Drama) (US Version) - $44.99

from: YesAsia


Well, that's all for now. I can't seem to think of any more moments. When I do, I will add to the list. I hope you enjoyed my first post!

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