The TENG Backstage series provides educational entertainment through vlogs and light-hearted videos with TENG musicians. This post is just to keep a record of the videos subtitles that I have translated so far. Full playlist of the series can be viewed here.
Musicians React to Chinese Music Stereotypes
Good to see musicians from a more daily-life perspective. Makes them seem more approachable and relatable.
Jiwei Tries Spartan Class?!
Wah this one… I tried doing the exercises with the video… so difficult leh…
TENG Recap 2021
2021 is also a difficult year for the arts practitioners and arts companies. Glad to see that TENG has survived the initial stages and is doing so well 🙂
the weather has been a bit gloomy over the past few days. having worked overtime till well past midnight for three consecutive days has made me a bit jittery and irritable to say the least. my heart muscles ache due to all the staying ups, but i couldn’t stop as i was already way past the deadline. only managed to complete the last minute project this morning, and turned out i still missed out some stuff. my salad-making for dinner last night failed miserably too – the coleslaw was too salty. my family hated it. i hated it. had to throw it away in the end.
while trying to finish the abomination of a coleslaw last evening, i saw the news that yuzuru hanyu had came in 4th yesterday, since he did not execute the quadruple axel (4A) in its completion. i wouldn’t call myself a hanyu fan (or a “fanyu”, as they call it), as i am not that acquainted with his sports career, nor did i follow his reports and updates diligently like many fans do. but i have watched several of his skating clips throughout the years, and have always been mesmerized by his skillful, artistic, and expressive performances. it is truely remarkable how he can just blend each jump in with his movements and make them seem so graceful and effortless.
as the holy grail, never-been-done-before jump for ice skating, hanyu has been aiming to complete the 4A jump for the beijing olympics. so for his free skate program, he did it, but he fell. he then did another a quadruple salchow (4S) and fell as well. the rest of his performance was flawless, but the falls, coupled with his missed 4S in the short program a few days ago, placed him in the fourth place. however, his 4A attempt was also the first to be judged as a 4A (albeit under-rotated) and not be downgraded to a 3A.
as the two-time olympics gold medalist, it must be pressurizing on him to defend his title and achieve a gold for a third-time. with his skills, he could have just played it safe and chose a manageable routine passable for gold, and it would be a perfect exit for his third (and perhaps the last) olympics. instead, he chose to give it all up just to attempt at a seemingly unattainable goal. despite the injuries, the falls, and the uncertainties, his hardwork was not rewarded. there were no miracles. which is why it must be even more disheartening for him at the moment. not to mention his attempts also brought back memories of my own past failures as well. i was still downcasted today, and my mood worsened upon receiving some shocking news at work. frustrated and unable to concentrate, i went to practise a small section of a piece that i’ve wanted to challenge myself with for weeks, and finally felt a bit better afterwards.
in his post-competition interview, yuzuru said that he was disappointed that his hardwork was not reciprocated, but felt that he did the right form of hardwork in attempt to achieve the 4A, and in attempt to win gold. he also felt that it was the most ideal 4A that he has completed so far. to keep on challenging yourself and give in your all with no regrets – i think he has demonstrated the spirit of a true olympian. hardwork may not always be rewarded – one may often end up in disappointment and frustration, but at least it will ensure that there will be no regrets. hanyu may not have won gold, but his spirit transcends beyond any number of gold medals and accreditations, and i believe that his relentless attempts have inspired many people, myself included – if hanyu, at his level, continues to give his all to chase after the seemingly unattainable quadruple axel, then what is stopping me from chasing after a quadruple axel of my own?
dec 9: revising this post 10 months later – i did my own quadruple axel! 🙂
i was awake texting a friend last night when the clock strucked 12:00. despite having been through this ritual for twenty over years, my heart still skipped a beat as i sat through the invisible transition into a new year and listened to the sound of fireworks rumbling in a distance. new year’s eve this year feels different from before – perhaps deep down we have all grown more aware of the preciousness of little happiness in life, when faced with all the mishappenings around the world (that we are turning disturbingly accustomed/indifferent to).
this is also a year where friends my age are proceeding to new stages of life, be it career, marriage, kids, or further education. scrolling through posts of exciting events and achievements (that are not mine) does make me self-conscious and embarrassed at the apparent stagnancy in my own life – all the more compounded by the lack of mobility from working from home. i can recall numerous instances of me comparing myself to friends (usually triggered by a failure or disappointment), which more often than not led to a recollection of past failures, anxiety, and self-belittlement.
all of these mostly stemmed from self-awareness of my inadequacies, which i believe will be reduced as long as i work hard. but i sometimes also lacked enough gratitude towards what i already own – good health, food, a roof over my head, mobility, stable job, parents healthy and well, time to do my hobbies, a safe and secure environment, and the time, energy, and potential to do a lot of things. i still recall my former self in school, struggling to balance academic life with CCA responsibilities, and longing to graduate from school so that i can find a job, make a living, and leave some time to read, write, translate, and play music…. which is exactly what i am doing now…! if i look from this angle, then i have already accomplished one of my goals, which is pretty amazing!
so for this year, instead of solely focusing on what i lack, i hope to be mindful of what i already have, and to treasure them while they last.
afloatingeyot 