Happiness

As if happiness is measureable, CNN released the results of a happiness survey done on Americans.

Based on the results, to live the happiest life, the strategy has to be:

Born in a warm to hot region. Start to study the bible early and be a religious person at a very young age. Study hard enough to graduate with a college degree. Be a republican. Get married as soon as possible and don't have kids.

If sex change is available, then born as a female and perform sex change at the age of 30 to maximize the gain.

If you become single again, get rid of the kids. Single parents are miserable.

There are many happy moments in our lives. Comparing our degree of happiness is quite an unpleasant thing itself. If I am happy doing A, would I try doing B to top my experience performing A, or should I continue with A until I am not happy any longer? Do I need to always find a way to be happier than the last happiest time? Is happiness that moving target we've been chasing since we were very young but could never be completely fulfilled? Are we happy just in the process of searching for the ultimate happiness?

I think happiness is an understanding of the fine balance of sufficient. Part of it depends on our own thinking and part of it depends on fate.

The truth about happiness may surprise you

Depeche Mode

Corey was right about one thing: I like Depeche Mode's unique metallic percussions sound.

I just received the remastered version of 'some great reward'. I am listening to multi-channel SACD at the moment, and I must say it worth every penny I paid.

'reward' is one of the two essential Depeche Mode's records on my list. The other one is 'black celebration'.

Depeche Mode is an important band to me. It's like a friend that grows with me in those lonely days. I remember the times when I was waiting for their releases. Waiting for someone to share their inner thoughts with me. I suspect people who's listening to the back catalogue wouldn't feel the same.

I liked their singles, they were the first who put real lyrics in dance music. I am still listening, buy of course not as eager as yesterday. At the end, Depeche Mode is more than a single's band. This remaster treatment is what great music deserves and is a treat to all fans.

Another best of Depeche CD just came out today. Hmm, I will buy it just for the videos of the singles.

Wong Tze Wah

Wong Tze Wah did a show in Calgary this Tuesday. As in his words, it was a marvelous performance.

There were many wannabe stand-up comedy acts in Hong Kong since Wong Tze Wah's fame: from the household names like Michael Hui to the cash-thirsty Liu Wai Hung.

Even Jun Lam put up an act last year. I really like Jun as a singer, but the show he did was just too dry. Maybe I was not in HK, and I did not have the background on all his advertisements and announcements, I really did see how funny it was. I didn't marry a popular singer and didn't have 2 girls at home, I didn't care much about his family lives. I was probably too self-centered: the things are not remotely interesting to me. Well, just not my cup of tea, I said. Ironically, in my mind, Jun Lam is a better singer than comedian.

Wong Tze Wah does not always put up a good show. The first 2 major performances were good, and then it went down hill. At around 96/ 97, he did a big come back. He became so experienced on the stage to make us feel as comfy and confidence as he was.

Wong is a hardworking artist. He's good at the lingual but he was always very well prepared. (Those materials just couldn't be make up on-the-fly) He might have read books, did research, and wrote his script with a flow. It's like a plot, a road movie. It brought us to different places and at the end it landed somewhere concrete. The previous shows always had positive themes, and they are quite philosophical.

O yes, he likes to swear, or pretend to swear on stage. It did not turn me off. Even popular, his shows are still for the intellectuals, may be middle class. Unlike the others, Wong was the only one who could send a positive message in a skeptical, comical way and without putting most of the audience to sleep.

Wong is still the best stand-up act in Hong Kong. There is no competition.

memories of murder

This 2003 Korean movie is one of the finest movies I've watched.

The ending of a movie is important, so is the plot itself. Movie is about experience, and Memories of murder exceeds in creating a detective story.

Unlike a some other Korean movies, this one is not too elaborate or exaggerate. Nothing fancy, it is just a solid piece of film making, storytelling. The subject of detectives finding a serial killer has been tried thousands of times, the fine screenplay brings us so close to the eye of a hurricane, yet never try to run us down like a low-budget Hollywood suspense feature.

The result is a atmospheric, suspenseful drama with serious acting. It's highly entertaining and interesting, and I do care about the characters. Formula lovers and smart cookies who are ambitious to think faster than the screenwriter may be disappointed - this is not that kind of film.

I watched this movie on VCD a few years back. Finally got the region 1 DVD this week. The disc had a 5.1 English dub and Korean 2.0 track. I couldn't understand the Korean language, but the dubbed version lacked the raw emotions emitted by the actors - which was one of the quality of this movie. I wish next time they will have a 5.1 original language track on the disc.