Day 5 : A Song A Day, The Christmas Way

There’s one particular scene in the 7th season of Friends that I remember very well. It was near Christmas time, and Phoebe just came in to Monica’s place with a skull-shaped candy bowl. When asked why she had that candy bowl, she explained that her mom used to put it out every Christmas, “to remind us that even though it’s Christmas, people still die.”

In the same spirit as Phoebe’s mom’s, I’m posting “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” today. This is one of my all-time favorite Christmas songs. It may not fall into the “Christmas carol” category, but it’s a good reminder to not only share my love with people I already love, but also those who have not felt love in their lives because of their living circumstances. Hopefully, we don’t have to wait until Christmas (or any other big day there is) to start thinking and doing our part in helping others, though.

I personally believe that as long as the world has not met its end, there will always be war and poverty. I don’t think it means we should care less about war and poverty; rather we should always remember that there is never a time when our help is not needed.

Now about the song. The song was originally written and performed by John Lennon. It had been a form of protest against the Vietnam war at the time. Some artists have covered this song thoughout the years, and my personal favorite cover version is Celine Dion’s. I’m posting both Celine and Lennon’s version tonight, cause honestly, I can’t pick just one this time. For heads up, Lennon’s video is heartbreaking, since it’s filled with scenes of child victims of war around the world (at the time the video was made).

Here goes~!

- cheers to all -

Day 4 : A Song A Day, The Christmas Way

For today, I’m posting “We Need a Little Christmas”. It’s a song originally written for a musical, Mame,  in 1966. It builds the anticipation and brings the rush of excitement for the holiday.

My favorite version of the song is, of course, the Mame version. When I listen to this version I somehow remember bits and pieces of happy old school Christmas cartoon movies I used to play when I was little. I never see the musical, but I imagine a small warm house, filled with a happy family going about from the attic to the living room to the kitchen, opening boxes of stored decorations and hanging ornaments happily, while the smell of freshly baked fruit cake emerges from the kitchen. Ah~ what a happy place it must be.

Another version of the song that I like is one by Glee cast. You might want to check it out too.

Slice up the fruitcake;
It’s time we hung some tinsel on that evergreen bough.
For I’ve grown a little leaner,
Grown a little colder,
Grown a little sadder,
Grown a little older,

And I need a little angel
Sitting on my shoulder,
Need a little Christmas now

So here goes~! We all need a little Christmas now!

- cheers to all -

A Song A Day, The Christmas Way (1)

Whether you’re celebrating baby Jesus, or just in it for the year-end hype and festivities, the Christmas season does have a lot of joy to offer. The lovely decorations everywhere, the excitement of giving and receiving gifts, the holiday or day-off for those lucky enough to get one (in Taiwan, there is no Christmas holiday >.<), the seasonal food and treats,… I can go on and on.

This morning, I was asked : “What is your favorite Christmas song?”

Oh, Christmas songs~! I don’t think there’s any one song I can pick as a favorite, because I like a lot of Christmas songs. Then I also started thinking, there’s no Christmas song I dislike (or maybe I just haven’t found any bad ones yet, we never know). But like and dislikes aside, an idea suddenly dawned on me afterwards : I should make a 365-something type of post in my blog on Christmas songs! I’d post one Christmas song everyday, only I wouldn’t do it for 365-days (whattt), but 25 days instead. You know, until it’s really Christmas.

I think I’ll try to post less known Christmas songs, but we’ll see.. We’ll see what catches my interest everyday.

So here goes. The first song I’m posting is “Mary Did You Know”. I chose the version sung by Clay Aiken, cause it’s the better one from the others I’ve listened to (the runner-up version goes to Cee Lo Green‘s, which is darker and a little slower).

Honestly, I never knew until this morning that there was a Christmas song called “Mary Did You Know”. Someone introduced the song to me and my friend, and I liked it. And I think it deserves to be the first song posted, because it depicts what Christmas is actually and originally about. Lately I feel that, in a lot of places (including Taiwan), Christmas has been more of a season where people buy gifts, decorate, go to parties, just because that’s how it’s always been for years. They don’t know why it was celebrated in the first place. Kinda like Halloween, I think. People wear costumes, go trick-or-treating, whether they know what Halloween’s really about or not. You don’t have to believe in what the big day is actually celebrating, but it’s always nice to know.

- cheers to all -

If I Had the Stage to Myself

I don’t know when it started, my love for the stage. My earliest memory of performing on stage is dancing for a Christmas celebration when I was 5. Some people like to brag about how they’d loved what they do since little, but personally, I don’t think that memory was any moment of definition though. I just don’t get the idea of myself falling in love at the age of 5.

I think my love was nurtured gradually. I’m blessed enough to have various opportunities to dance and sing on stage growing up. It doesn’t always have to do with dancing or singing, though. Giving a speech, being part of a play, telling jokes. Done all, loved all. In college, even announcing something in front of a crowd excited me. Ha.

Now, in the midst of anxiety and stress for not having better experiment results at the lab (I’m currently a grad student), I can’t help but feel so relieved just by imagining myself on a stage. The feeling of holding a mic and talking with the audience, and just being there. I figured it would be nice to make a list of songs I’d like to perform whenever I get the chance to sing on stage. As my natives say, “you gotta bring an umbrella before it rains”.

So here goes, as I wait for my rain to pour down, the list of songs I’d like to sing on stage :