Another Beautiful song by Timi Zhuo 卓依婷.................

I so love this song by Timi Zhuo one of my favorite singers.
This song was originally sung by 韩宝义（Han Bao Yi）but hands down i love TiMi version the best.

卓依婷 (Timi Zhuo) - 粉 红 色 的 回 忆 Pink Memories (梦 里 的 依 恋)


The lyrics goes something like this.........

夏天夏天悄悄过去留下小秘密
The summer passed silently by, leaving behind a small secret.

压心底压心底 不能告诉你
I cannot tell you of the pressures in my heart.

晚风吹过温暖我心底 我又想起你
The evening breeze blows warmth into my heart as I again reminisce about you.

多甜蜜多甜蜜 怎么能忘记
How can I forget all the many memories, sweet as honey?

不能忘记你 把你写在日记里
I cannot forget you, I write about you in my diary.

不能忘记你 心里想的还是你
I cannot forget you, the one I still miss most in my heart.

浪漫的夏季 还有浪漫的一个你 给我一个粉红的回忆
A romantic summer and the still romantic you, gives me a pink memory.

哦 夏天夏天悄悄过去 依然怀念你
Whoa With the summer silently passing by, I continue to cherish you.

你一言你一语都叫我回忆
Every word about you also calls memories to mind.

就在就在秋天的梦里 我又遇见你 总是不能忘记你
Having met you again in an autumn dream, I will never be able to forget you.

Lou Jing 娄婧 update......................

Sometime ago I wrote a blog about racism in China which was brought to the national spotlight when a black Chinese girl Lou Jing appeared on the Chinese reality television show called “Let’s Go! Oriental Angels,” Lou Jing gained national fame and notoriety — largely for her skin color.
Now CNN international just did a story about Lou Jing, and racism in China.

Here is part of that story...........

Lou's experience has put a spotlight on perceptions of race in the country and the challenges China faces as its economic boom fosters a more ethnically diverse society.

"I am Chinese," Lou said. "But when I read the comments, I started to question myself. I never questioned myself before. This time I started to think about how I am different from others."

As China rapidly expands its ties with Africa, commentators said Lou's story exposes deep racism in China, where the ethnic Han are in a vast majority.

In the southern city of Guangzhou, where residents refer to one downtown neighborhood as Chocolate City,because there is a large African population concentrated in that area,local newspapers have been filled in recent months with stories detailing discrimination and alleging police harassment against the African community.

"In Guangzhou, to be frank, they don't like Africans very much," Diallo Abdual, told internationa reporters, he came to China from Guinea west Africa 1 1/2 years ago to buy cheap Chinese clothes to ship back to West Africa for sale.

"The security will beat you with irons like you are a goat," he said. "The way they treat the blacks is very, very bad." He and others pointed out the spot where in July several Africans jumped from an upper-floor window to escape an immigration raid.
One migrant was reported critically injured in the fall, and a large number of Africans marched on the local police station in protest. The Guangzhou Security Bureau said in a statement at the time that it had a duty to check that foreigners living in the city were there legally.

"In the same year Americans welcomed Obama into the White House, we can't even accept this girl with a different skin colour?" wrote Hung Huang, a talk show host and magazine publisher often described as "China's Oprah Winfrey.

Although Lou is still working towards her dream of being a television presenter, she said the episode had left her less optimistic about whether she can find a place on China's airwaves.

"They want a TV host who is considered traditionally beautiful," she said.

"Ever since I appeared on TV, I realised that maybe I don't fit the image of a TV host. Many believe a TV host should have white skin, high nose and big eyes."

The beautiful and talented Chang Hui Mei 张惠妹 (A-mei)...........................

A-mei

Ok so its been a while since popular Taiwanese singer Chang Hui Mei 张惠妹 (A-mei) , have come up with anything that i really like, but i still have a lot of love for her, i think she is a really great singer.
A-mei made her debut in the world of music in 1996, achieving instant mega commercial success. She has frequently been called a diva of the Mandarin pop music scene, as well as the "Pride of Taiwan". She has won numerous music awards and become one of the biggest music sensations within pop music of the Mandarin-speaking world.
She hails from an aboriginal tribe in Taiwan, the Puyuma people on the rural southeast coast.

A-Mei sparked anger in China couple of years ago after singing at the Taiwanese president's inauguration.

She sang the national anthem of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and was subsequently blacklisted by Beijing.

US soft drinks giant Coca-Cola was forced to drop a multi-million dollar advertising campaign in China that featured her.

Here are some of my favorite songs from her...



but this song she calls can i hold you is absolutely my favorite of all her songs.....

Since exploding on to the Chinese pop scene in 1996, she has released three acclaimed albums, performed to sell-out audiences and netted dozens of awards in Asia.

The gorgeous Landy Wen(溫嵐)...............

popular Taiwanese singer Landy Wen(溫嵐) has one of the best voices in the Taiwanese music industry, though it seems that her talent is often overshadowed by her rumored relationship to the "King of Asian Pop" Jay Chou, the singer/songwriter who has been revolutionizing Taiwanese sound over the past decade.
Fortunately, despite the efforts of the tabloid journalists, Landy is an accomplished singer in her own right, having released five albums since her debut in 1999.

here are some of my favorite songs from this talented singer...............



and and i really love this duet with this guy call Jason.......



A member of the Atayal ethnic group, Landy Wen is one of the few Taiwanese aborigines to become a musical star. She is currently slated to star in the TV Drama "Less Than Zero" (Announced 2010), a retake on Bret Easton Ellis' classic novel that will be set in Taipei.

My own Bizarre food moment....................

Andrew Zimmern.

One of my favorite shows on cable is the travel channel's bizarre food hosted by Andrew Zimmern.
On Bizarre Foods, you see Andrew traveling the world and eating basically anything that walks or craw, eating local cuisines that may seem bizarre for you and me. This show is fun, entertaining, educational, and makes you hungry and grosses you out at the same time.

Here is an episode of bizarre food with Andrew in Taiwan...

I am usually really particular about what i eat, and when i do go out to eat i usually just stay with what i know on the menu, but my friend Tony insisted that we try this South east Asian restaurant in the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis, it was my own bizarre food moment to say the least.....
Here is some of what is what i had......

The Duck feet was actually very tasty......

I think this was the pig intestine

This was by far the best on menu.....

The food was good, but i doubt it is something i will be trying again anytime soon.

The legend that is Fei-yu ching 費玉清............

Fei-yu ching 費玉清

Man lately it seems i just cannot get enough of Fei Yu-Ching 費玉清 songs.
Fei Yu-Ching is a Taiwanese ballad singer, His career began in the late 1970s, and he began to build a large fan base along with his brother. He performed several theme songs for television shows, some of which were more successful than the shows themselves.
His numerous hits include such hits as "Goodnight Song" , "A Spray of Plum Blossoms" and "Ode to the Republic of China." his enchanting love ballads and friendly manner, have won him a lot of fans which continues to grow all the time.

Here are some more of my favorite songs from this talented singer...



In 2006, he featured in a duet with Jay Chou another one of my favorite Taiwanese male singers, and when two legend get together, only magic happens,here is the video

Jay Chou 周杰伦 ft.費玉清 - Faraway 千里之外



These guys are really awesome.

Another Beautiful song by Xiao Feng Feng(Joyce Lim) 小鳳鳳.......

Xiao Feng Feng

Malaysian songbird Xiao Feng Feng(Joyce Lim) 小鳳鳳 continues to be one of my all time favorite Hokkien singers.

Here are some of my favorite song from her....

小鳳鳳 -十二蓮花　12 lotus flowers



Xiao Feng Feng Joice Lim 小鳳鳳 深深的愛



What a lovely and talented singer

Feeling a little nostalgic today...........................

As most of you who read my blog know, I am one of the biggest fan of the legendary late Taiwanese songstress Teresa Teng(鄧麗君) , i am also an avid collector of everything Miss Teng. but no matter how many times i listen to her songs i always have this nostalgic feeling about the beautiful and good times we had as kids growing up.

There was a huge Chinese community in Liberia, most of these folks were farmers and had big farms that supplied almost the whole country with fresh Agriculture produce.
At the end of the work week, all these good folks some mainlanders, others from Taiwan would all come together to eat,drink tea, and play mahjongg.

It was during these times that i first heard and fell in love with Teresa's angelic voice on the radio.....
Some of my Teresa Teng music and video collections

I especially like her old songs from the 70s and 80s, they are such classic that
they will be played again again in Chinese communities all around the world for years to come.....

Check out this song called 無奈(helpless)



Teresa recorded this song in 1985. It got lost at that time, only to be discovered 20 years later by chance.
This song is the mandarin version of a well-known Paula Tsui song.

And what person of Chinese decent will not instantly recognize her 1978 hit song 再見我的愛人(Good bye my Love)

Even though she has left us, for millions of us who are her loyal fans she will always be our idol.
How can we not love this woman who through her many songs made us feel happy, sad, and countless other emotions that cannot be describe.
Even if one is deaf, and blind, one will still feel the power and beauty of her voice
Such is the greatness of this highly gifted woman.

Dad ...............................

My Dad is one of those guys who have gone beyond the call of duty to serve his native Country Taiwan. Dad came to Africa in the early 70s right out of the military, to work with the Taiwanese agriculture technical mission that helps mainly developing nations developed and improve their Agriculture sector. When he met mom he settle down in Africa for a couple of years to start a family, in later years when we all moved to the United states, he decided to back and work for the government.
he have since worked all over the world.

In the African nation of Malawi (2007)

In the south pacific nation of Papua new Guinea (1991)

In the Solomon Island (1998)

In Liberia west Africa (1983)

Port Moresby PNG (1990)

We don't get to see our Dad as often as we would like because of the kind of work that he does, but the family is planning a big reunion in Taipei in early February, where for the first time Dad will get to meet his grand kids.

My brother Eddie

With Keira,

can you believe she is already applying make-ups

My brothers and i were truly blessed to have a great man to be our father, i only hope and pray that one day our own kids will say the same about us too.

Beautiful Chinese folk ballad by Timi Zhuo 卓依婷 .....................

I really love this beautiful ballad by Timi Zhuo 卓依婷, 中 华 民 谣 (Ballad of China).

This was released in Timi's 1999 Transformation albulms, when Timi was just 19 years old. the album was the third out of five in the Transformation series 蜕变3 谜.

This song was originally sung by an eminent Chinese singer 谢东 (Xie Dong), but i can say for certain that i love the both of them.
Here is his version......



What a beautiful song it brings back lots of memories.

Another Beautiful song by Jiang Hui 江蕙 ( Jody Chiang)..........

The more i listen to the angelic voice of Taiwanese singer Jiang Hui 江蕙 ( Jody Chiang) the more i get to appreciate this genre of Taiwanese music call Tai-pop and sometimes Hokkien pop.
The genre is not the same as Mandarin pop music from Taiwan. However many Mandarin pop singers from Taiwan also cross-over into Taiwanese pop genres as well, and there is increasingly more Mandarin pop influence in Taiwanese pop.

Born to a poor family in rural Taiwan, Jiang Hui struggled to make it to the top. When she was still young, she starting singing to help support her family. She literally sang her way to fame and stardom.

Here is another one of my favorite songs from her called 落雨聲 or the sound of rain..

You Have to Be Patient, one of Jiang Hui song, seemed to tell the story of her life. This was also the first song which catapulted her to fame and made her a household name in Taiwan.
She sang her way to acceptance in the mainstream pop world once dominated by Mandarin song stars. Her landing on the pop charts in Taiwan was unprecedented for someone specializing in Taiwanese songs.
Today she is affectionately called the queen of Taiwanese Music (Minnan songs)

Lou Jing (娄婧) the sad story of a Black Chinese girl.......

Lou Jing (娄婧)

I have never been outrage about a story coming out of China then this one.....
When 20 year old Lou Jing (娄婧) who is of mixed Chinese and black heritage became one of the five Shanghai finalists on the reality Tv show Go! Oriental Angel, the color of her skin became a national issue on what a true Chinese person is suppose to look like. She also became a target for cruel gossip and vicious racist attacks on Aug 30, when her mother shared their family's story on the show.
The attacks began after Ms Lou's mother revealed at a preliminary round of the show early last month that her daughter was the result of an illicit affair she had with an African American man some 20 years ago.Ms Lou's mother, who is a Shanghainese and known only as Madam Lou, said her Chinese husband divorced her when he found their newborn looked African instead of
Chinese.






Here are some of the comments that people were posting online ............

Shanghai people’s value plunges. A bastard, brought her out to show off because of the foreigner descent. The girl is ok, her mom is a whore, married and still mess around with black guy, maybe it’s the great “love”, it’s a pity the black guy was just playing her, Chinese girls please have some self-respect.

Her mother still has the face to go on stage, she is shameless, and this kind of thing is definitely scandals you should keep in the family. She still dares to go on stage, maybe she does not feel ashamed, instead feels proud. Is this the legend of the bastard? And an unwanted bastard.

Her mother is a shameless woman, pregnant by a black guy, and then abandoned, was it good when he was pleasing you? Still obsessed with him after several decades? Not feel ashamed, even go on TV to look, looking for what? Looking for lost big XX? Looking for climax never had again? Shameless! Why are Shanghai women always the target of criticism? It’s because of shameless bitch like her! Dragon TV please help this bastard find her family. Let the black father with a big XX hurry back, address this old woman’s needs! Black Dad, come back soon! Someone cannot forget your big XX.

This woman has no sense of shame, married and you cheat, give birth to a black kid so there is no way to hide, if wasn’t for that her husband will have to raise their children.
Cheap is the word, in order to run with a foreigner, even do with black people.

As a person who is also of mixed Chinese and black heritage, i can certainly relate to this young woman's story.... and frankly, its outright shameful and disturbing that people would be so narrow minded like this.

With my dad and uncles, i am the one in the red shirt and black shorts

My siblings and i had great parents, and we were truly loved by both our African side, as well as our Chinese side of the Families, and thank God i live in these great United States were i am sure if this young woman had grown up, the sky would have been the limits for her talents and beauty.

Here is a video of Lou Jing on Go Oriental girl....



In many ways, Lou Jing is a typical young woman from Shanghai. Pretty and confident, she speaks Mandarin heavily accented with the lilting tones of the Shanghai dialect and browses the malls of this huge city for the latest fashions.
And i would only hope that she has the strength and courage to stay true to herself.

Jay Chou 周杰伦 the King of Chinese Music...............

Jay Chou

Known as the King of Chinese Music, Jay Chou 周杰伦 the talented Award-winning Taiwanese musician, singer, producer, actor and director, has certainly made a name for himself.
he is known for combining both Chinese and Western musical styles to produce a fresh sound that fuse R&B, rock and pop genres, that is quite unlike what is produced in mainstream Taiwanese pop, and also for his unique lyrics which touch on various issues such as domestic violence, war, and urbanization.

Here are few of my all time favorite songs from him.......



and i absolutely love this one he call hair like snow....



this song has got to be the best jay chou song of all.

Since the release of his first album in2000, His music has gained recognition throughout Asia, most notably in countries such as China, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Taiwan, and in overseas Chinese communities, winning more than 20 awards each year. He has sold over 25 million albums worldwide.

In 2007, he was named one of the 50-most influential people in China by the British think tank Chatham House. He starred in Initial D (2005) for which he won Best Newcomer Actor in Golden Horse Awards, and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor by Hong Kong Film Awards for his role in Curse of the Golden Flower (2006). His career now extends into directing and running his own record company JVR Music.

The beautiful voice of Taiwanese singer Huang Yee-ling,黃乙玲..............

Huang Yee-ling

If you are a big fan of classic traditional Taiwanese or Minnan music as i am, you may have heard of this lovely lady called Huang Yee-ling,黃乙玲.
Fans including me of the veteran Holo pop singer Huang Ming-jhu, who performs under the stage name of Huang Yee-ling,黃乙玲 were thrilled when she released her 28th album in 2008.
Born in 1969 in Taipei County, Huang began singing early at the age of nine. Echoing the theme of inescapable destiny that pervades many of her songs, Huang says that while she loves singing now, her music career began because she felt she needed to do something to support her family, although she was very young. "Singing might be the job I was predestined to do," she says.

Check out this beautiful song from her.......

黃乙玲 - 無字的情批


Huang have won many music awards including a Golden Melody Award for best female Holo-language singer in 2006, and an earlier Golden Melody Award in the same category in 1999 as part of a career spanning nearly 30 years.

My Little Princess at Three...................................

Yesterday my baby turn three, we celebrated her birthday in the backyard with BBQ and cake.
here are some of the pictures from yesterday celebration.................

Sister in law helping out with the food preparation

Keira and cousin Gavin in the back yard.

Another beautiful classic by Malaysian singer Zhuang Xue Zhong 莊學忠 .....

For some reason i think Zhuang Xue Zhong 莊學忠 sound and have the same singing style as Taiwanese singer Luo Shi Feng 羅時豐. check out this beautiful classic by Zhuang called Forgive me, sweetheart 原諒我吧心上人.....

莊學忠 Zhuang Xue Zhong Yuan Liang Wo Ba Xin Shang Ren 原諒我吧心上人



Zhuang has released 30 albums since his debut album release in 1986, and has won more then 150 championships in singing competitions and other awards. Early last year, he celebrated his 20 years in showbiz with a concert in Malaysia.

An Old Classic by the beautiful Michelle Hsieh 谢采妘.............

This beautiful song called Serenade of the Green Island or Green Island Serenade 绿 岛 小 夜 曲 have been done and redone by so many great Chinese singers, but by far Michelle Hsieh 谢采妘 version of this famous classic is one of the best to me.
Many Chinese people especially the older generation are familiar with this song....
I remember my dad playing it on his harmonica when we were kids and it just sounded so heavenly.

谢采妘 (Michelle Hsieh) - 绿 岛 小 夜 曲 (Serenade of the Green Island)



Wow so much memories

Beautiful oldies from Taiwan........

I just bought a Video CD of some classic old songs from Taiwan....... for some reason i am more drawn to these old songs, and veteran old singers like Fei Yu qing 费玉清, Teresa Teng 鄧麗君, Tsai Chin 蔡琴, Jenny Tseng, and Hong kong canto pop star Paula Tsui 徐小鳳.

Here are some of the songs on the VCD



And who can forget this classic by the one and only Fei Yu qing 费玉清....



These are songs that really can never get old, and it just brings back a lot of good memories.

Thank you Itunes.....................

I am so so happy,..... i just found out that I tunes now carry most of the legendary Teresa Teng songs on their site...i was able to get some beautiful but really rare songs

Here are two of the songs i got from I tunes...

Teresa Teng 鄧麗君 -- I can wait forever....



Teresa Teng 鄧麗君-----Fall In Love At First Sight 一見鍾情



some of these songs i have heard since i was a kid, this is so cool...

Fun with the whole family......................................

I took the whole family to the Minnesota Zoo, it was awesome, the kids were excited, to see the many animals that the call the zoo home. It was good to spend some much needed time with the family..........

we saw some animals that i have never seen before

My Brother in law and his family

My wife was tired after all that walking...

The bear was too close for comfort...

The African section of the zoo was my favorite.