He was making omelette, suddenly he struck a note singing, “Laila Main laaiiiiiilaaa….. bla bla bla”
I giggled.
Me: Is that a real song?
Z: Yes. Why?
Me: Bcos it is the song on an advertisement for ghee.
Z: Really?! (Laughing cos we were using ghee fo rthe omelette)
Me: Yeah! Laila Ghee!!
LOL!!
So he said he would sing me the full song. So here it is!
Firstly, Now it looks neater with a proper keyboard stand instead of the instrument sitting on two IKEA stools. This is so that if Zubair wants to bring it out to the living room for practice, it wont take precious table space; Also good for any concert performance.
This keyboard stand T20 is courtesy of Ayah. Thank you, Ayah.
I did some homework before purchasing this item. Called Yamaha to ask how much is the proper stand for PSR – S500 series and he said $68 before disc. How much disc? i asked. 5%
According to History, Yamaha always charge higher. The actual keyboard we bought at Mustafa at almost $200 less!! So to be sure i’m getting the best deal, I called up Mustafa and asked. They don’t have a T20 issued by Yamaha but said they have a stand good for S500 @ $79!!!
Wah liao. Like this can i still trust Mustafa for EVERY single thing? I know already some of the food stuffs are more exp than say… NTUC. Do i want to continue shopping there? Hmmmm
Good news is because we are a member of Yamaha (membership is free from our last purchase: keyboard bag) we got 10%. So we paid just $58.60!! weeehooo
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This is the window in my room. Nothing seems out of place right? Exactly! Now everything is in working condition!
LOL… for the past month or two one of the rivets of that middle one came loose and it almost came off. So we had to support it by closing the other half of the window, resulting in only half a window opened (the other half – left most – is covered by a window unit air conditioner).
For a longgggggggggggg time we’ve been living with it. Until one day when it was just too hot to bear, i asked Ayah what’s the progress on changing these windows. That’s when i found out that he had already called 5 different contractors approved by HDB (Housing Development Board) to do this change of rivets from aluminium to steel (it was ruled to be mandatory that ALL housing window rivets in Singapore must be changed to stainless steel by a certain date, due to countless mishaps that caused grave injuries).
Anyways, all these 5 contractors said that they are all fully booked. I thought it might be because of Hari Raya or Eid peak period where everybody rushes to renovate their house. But Ayah thought that its because it is such a small job, they don’t wanna do it anymore. As such, i prepared myself mentally to put up with it all thru Eid. Room becomes smelly with only half a window open, hence the need for air freshener (lol).
Fortunately, by some act of miracle, Ayah happened to call the next contractor in line in the listing and magically, they can do it and they are free. PLUS when ayah mentioned that one of the windows have already … how do i say… fallen?… they told Ayah they will come right the next day! Oh bless them!
At the end of the day, Mummy described how it was very scary when they had to change the half that’s fixed with the aircon. The guy had to hang on the parapet OUTSIDE the house or something to that effect.
The boss even said to the trainee Indian guy, “Don’t drop the window, You drop nevermind.” LOL! Luckily, we’re only on 2nd floor!
Next Change: is curtains, carpet, bedsheet and standing fan! That $30 or $40 fan that i wrote about sometime ago failed on us just after 1yr! The bugger! Might as well buy that $19.90 Akira brand.
More changes to come: my extreme left side of the built-in wardrobe (Nan, i think u can imagine which one this is) will be getting a make over to welcome the baby =)
Right now it is bare, in the sense that it has no divider no nothing. Imagine that u can pile 3 cots standing up in that wardrobe. So intend to fix a bar at the top for hanging more clothes. Then I will put plastic chests of drawers at the right half of it for baby’s clothes, toiletries and such.
Can’t wait!
Saturday morning, just as i was leaving the house for my 2nd class, Zubair asked me if i wanna go to see the show.
I was like, HUH?? Isn’t it Sunday, 31st Aug?
No no, its tonight, up to you if u wanna go tmrw, he said.
So Zubair is attached to Temple of Fine ARts, volunteering his time n expertise to represent them as a keyboardist playing Classical Indian music. That night at the Jubilee Hall of Raffles Hotel, they are performing religious songs from Hindu, Sikhs, Christians as well as Islam with Zubair being the rep for Muslims.
But I sooo cannot tolerate last minute plans and WRONG INFORMATION!! All these while i had been anticipating for Sun night, ONLY. And as such, i was having difficulty getting anybody to come along seeing that its a fasting WORKING day the next day.
On top of that, i was annoyed at Z the previous night for coming home late (sorry, hormones lah. Makes me feel unloved if u do that, darling.)… and then i also have a hair appointment all the way at Harem, East Coast Road that all in all, i couldn’t go to his performance that Sat night. Can u imagine, i left the spa at 4:45 and reached home 7pm?!?!?! Stupid 168 had to break down on me! oh well… gave me a good excuse not to be able to go to the concert! LOL
Now Sunday… I didnt have anything planned. In fact i stayed home all day. BUt i really didnt feel like going bcos
1. i wont know how to appreciate Indian Music
2. Its going to be 2 whole boring hours
3. I hafta go and return ON MY OWN, AT NIGHT.
But i wanna go bcos
1. I wanna support him,
2. A bit guilty
3. Dont wanna regret not seeing him at his glory. lol
I smsed him asking would he get offended if i dont go. What can the poor guy say, right? Of course he said, you can rest at home if u dont wanna go.
So i just let him enjoy with his friends lah.
When he reached home, he showed me some of the pictures in his hp. I was surprised to see that its an assemble of almost 70 pple on stage!!! Choir made up the bulk of it.
Guess what? The choir ladies are all so taken by him that they actually pooled some money and gave him after the event! Awww so nice…
The day for another karaoke session at Ayah’s office finally came.
It took so long cos the room was always booked, we had to wait for more than 4 weeks! But the wait was all worth while. Cos we got the bigger room this time. very spacious!
This time, invited guests were Cik Girl (my mum’s youngest sister) and of course, Cousin Yayan.
Thankfully, Ayah helped to make a video of Me and Zubair singing Yang Tersayang. Zubair LOVES this song. The only malay song thus far that he likes, listens to almost everyday. But last fri was the first time he tried to sing it properly. His diction is very nice and clear except for a few confusion in pronounciation like the word DEMI becomes more like DIMI but considering that its his FIRST time singing, it was like a A Star!
We had the room from 6 – 10pm. It wasn’t enough!! Bcos some of them reach very late. And then we break for prayer… dinner… So guess what? Since the night was still young, we continued the momentum at Cash Studio two NEL stops away.
Over there, we sang for another 3 hours ending at 2am. Zubair got to sing a lot of Hindi songs. But some of them we had to SKIP bcos of the disgusting home made Video. ERGH! But we had a lot of fun singing ISABELLA ’98. I was Amy, Cik Girl sang Jamal, Yayan became Saleem and Long Zamani. We had to repeat it a lot of times cos we got confused about whose turn it was to sing! LOL
Let me then conclude with a summary of the pros and cons of both places
Club 7
Pros:
Cons:
Cash Studio
Pros:
Cons:
If you ask me which place would i visit again, it would hafta be Club 7.
I find it difficult to call Zubair a musician nowadays.
Esp after the many times he dismissed the songs i was listening to as TRASH, CRAP and most insultingly NOISE!
Hey i wasnt even listening to any black metal stuffs ok. Instead i was dancing to the likes of Mariah Carey’s E=MC2, Duffy’s Mercy, Hannah Montana and my latest craze Jordin Sparks!!
In my point of view, a musician should be able to appreciate all kinds of music genres. But he. He only likes of course his Hindi / Pakistani pop rock songs and oldies like Cliff Richards and Carpenters. Me i love ALL Hindi, oldies, jazz, rock, anything lah. But as long as i can sing along with it.
So there!
Yesterday, out of the blue, Zubair decided to visit this place called Temple of Fine Arts located at Chinatown Point.
He dropped his resume and as usual the person told him they will get back to him. But that he’s welcome to come by for their performance the next evening at 8pm.
Since he was nearby, i asked him to wait for me to knock off from work then we can go home together. By the time he reached my office, he told me that he had to go back there at 7pm bcos the principal or whatis wants to see him.
I hesitated about accompanying him for the interview firstly bcos i was tired, secondly i was sooooo looking forward to get to my home pc. And right decision too. Cos he didnt reach home till 10:30pm. When i called he said he’s practising with the rest of them. So i asked, “What? They hired you already?” He said, “Yeah sort of… i tell you later.”
As it turned out… they are having a performance at RAFFLES HOTEL on 31st Aug 08 and was in need of a keyboardist and then miraculously, fate got Zubair visiting their office. Of course they love him! And told him to keep practising with them everyday 7.30 – 9.30pm and that they will apply for him work permit. Also not to worry even if they couldnt get him a work permit, they will despatch him somewhere that he CAN. And that if after a while and they are comfortable and pleased with Zubair, then they might just offer Z a teaching position.
As i mellow over the alarmingly familiar catch phrase, i suddenly remembered a few options to get the work permit approved! We can approach the MP! I remember the officer saying, “Once you have an employer willing to give your husband a job, but somehow MOM dont approve the work permit, that’s when we can come in and help you.”
Otherwise, i hope we can also approach Uncle Pyara’s contact to help make the application go thru. However, its still a waiting game for us.
I must say this video is SUPERBly professionally done! The kid is Shumaim, their youngest bro. The vocalist is Shaji . And i GUARANTEE you will SWOON when you see Shumail (eldest) at his guitar. Not good for your health to fall head over heels for him though. He’s a heartbreaker but super kind and appropriate to guests.
The 3rd guitarist is Giant. Behind the drums is Asad, their cousin.
Zubair cldn’t sleep after seeing this music video for sheer … regret? of not being in it after a lot of hardwork he’s put in for the song itself. He WAS being called to come to Pak to film this video but of cos it was toooooooooo expensive for us.
I suppose i can understand his pain. But im all too relieved actually that he’s not in it. Who knows what some pathetic girls will do to my husband upon seeing it? Already there’s one who just can’t stop clinging to him. and its not me.
Zubair entertained me while in the hotel.
This time, i know the title of the song! I even know what it means! “Is this love?”
Kya = what / question
Yeh / yahi = this
Pyar = love
Hai = is
(Stay to the end to get to the advertisement part)
We decided not to stay idle and wait for that restaurant to come up with something for Zubair since they dont have the Public Entertainment License thingy and havent proposed anything else for 2 weeks?
Besides, Z is adamant to get a MUSIC job and not any others, esp after he got endorsements after praises about his wonderful talent. Much to my frustration. But if he believes he can do it, then its my duty to give him moral support all the way. Just hope he won’t go all “Kacang lupakan kulit” (Malay proverb) one day.
Fortunately, the Band Leader’s gotta know somebody who is looking for a keyboardist and ask Z to contact him.
As it turn out, that guy LOVES him. Despite him being a Chinese Indonesian, he still appreciates Hindi music.
Actually the hotel that he works for is looking for a different kind of alternative music and Z strikes him as The One. He said, “You play very nice, great voice, good looking. The only thing is, my manager wants a female singer also. Can you find one?”
When Z asked me if i knew of any female Hindi singers, i said, “Mummy Maimoonah?” The one he sang with at the wedding and he said, “Dont be crazy ok.”
But i tot, what’s wrong with that? Her voice still in top form ok. But i would think easy to maintain “inner” / shrill voice than of a loud hailer, high pitch, 8-octave (mariah style) kind. Besides, it will be in a hotel 8pm to 1am. it’s a HOTEL not a CLUB.
Of course, there’s no way he would allow ME to sing with him even tho its just a HOTEL, despite me being crowned the SG IDOL. LOL
Good news is, (ive long since not let it up my mood too much) the guy said that he would definitely take Z under his wing and find him employment. Now, where have i heard that before? He even said that if his manager wont take Z, then he would quit too. Hmmm… sure or not? Nonetheless, i appreciate that he loves Z and wants to help and is doing something about it.
I pray to God that if this is good for Z then let him have it. But if its not good, then let him have a good one ASAP. God knows how brittle i am already and i might not hold out for long.
CONCLUSION! Interested applicants please send your picture & audio or video clip to My email add. No idea about renumeration or is it remuneration? *blur*
At a wedding last Sat just a few blocks away! Pardon the quality of the video. just using Handphone. Otherwise i wont know how to upload from the video camera haha.
As usual i dont know whats the name of the song.
He even had a duet partner! LOL A Mummy something. She was popular in her younger days ie in her 20s and she had been singing Hindi songs ever since. She’s half Indian but definitely Malay integrated. She was VERY SUPER funny!
Glad he had a great time.
