I just got Yael Naim's latest album (yes, I love Apple that much) and when Toxic came onto my iPod i was seriously stunned. I heard this before. I heard this before. kept chanting in my head.

Note: The new MacBook Air ad features Yael Naim's New Soul, and like other music on Apple ads, they end up in Apple fan's iPods immediately.

When I got home I quickly googled the other singers who performed this song. And lo and behold, it was first performed by pop princess Britney! Haha, I guess part of the love for mainstream pop hasn't left me yet. I still like Yael's version of this song though!

Albums on the iPod now are: OneRepublic's Dreaming Out Loud, Yael Naim's Yael Naim, The Shin's Wincing the Night Away and Paramore's Riot. My taste in music is bending toward Alternative, Indie and Folk, although, like I said earlier, nobody can escape the clutches of mainstream pop.

Abigail (and Danial) whined about my blog's subject matter: society and culture and stuff not Weng Keong. Having been an avid blogger since Primary Six (close to four years soon), my subject matter has gradually migrated toward the surround rather than self. I don't really consider this a bad thing; just an inclination. But since feedback is such I shall try to write closer to home.

The Woodlands home is now drenched in a mass of Chinese New Year stuff- shitake mushrooms, pineapple tarts, kuey bankit, oranges, tacky decorations, nuts, ang pow jua, love letters, weird chinese food, abalone, herbs, tea leaves, sweets and a whole entourage of other things. Walking through the kitchen and hall is just a stunning revelry of Chinese New Year-ness. The smells, I believe, have been brought all the way from Chinatown to my home.

On a happier note, I have spent three quarters of my budget for new year clothes (In the past people only got new clothes at the new year, now it's just another excuse for teens to buy stuff). And I bought new jeans (I have been surviving on one pair since November) from Gap! I now think that based on comfort alone, Gap totally trumps Levi's. After the first wear, I was overwhelmed by the feeling of the jeans rubbing against my skin. It feels freaking good. Haha, sorry.

Other out of the blue CNY things include the Victoria Hall (hostel) CNY celebrations on Tuesday night, and, erm, that's all. Of course there's the usual chuxi (eve) dinner, chuyi (first day) visiting and chuer (second day) dinner. I'm not sure how much I'll enjoy this rush of tradition but for certain it'll feel much better with fatter angpows.

新年快乐！