Winter Trip

Off to Munich tmr!!! 'm goin' do hev fun!

Stranded today at hall bcox no tube or bus could take me to Angel's place. What a country. Everything shuts down on X'mas day.

...

Ytd hosted my 1st guest - Mr. Chairman!

Korean BBQ tonight.

Assignments accompany me through X'mas.

Re-watching Love Never Dies: The Re-written Version

Today met up with Johnny who I haven’t seen for almost 2 months and we are both in London! This is a shame! We went to see Love Never Dies tonight.

So I talked quite a lot about the show last time I saw it. I thought the plot was poor, but there were some touching moments and beautifully staged scenes. This time, they’ve re-written some parts and lyrics. And it felt like a new show. It was much darker.

It opened with ‘Til I Hear You Sing’. The way Ramin Karimloo (Phantom) sang it was so different from last time. Last time there was much more tenderness. This time I could feel more angst and desperation. I prefer the former version in terms of the music but this version probably suits the show better. Anyway, you could tell they’ve changed the characterisation of the Phantom.

The opening scene and the following 2 scenes as a whole made a better beginning. It got straight to the point. Madame Giry was not as mean in the beginning of the former version. Now she was the bad woman all the way through.

1st important change came during the scene where Raoul, Christine and Gustave were brought to their room. In the former version, Raoul went out for drink on his own accord but now it was the Phantom who tricked him out of his room. On the whole the Phantom is much darker in this newer version. I think there were criticism of how the Phantom was not dark enough and too romantic when the show first came out. It’s good to take on criticism but it’s not good to overdo it. In the former version, Christine did not know that the Phantom and Raoul had a bet on whether she’d sing. But now, the Phantom threatened her to sing. if not, he’d take away her son. Damn! I thought he loved her. He was such a jerk! And before the performance when Christine chose to sing, it just didn’t feel right.

The 2nd change that I hate was during ‘Beauty Underneath’. In the original version, it was Gustave who took off Phantom’s mask and the Phantom was totally hurt. In this version, the Phantom took it off himself and revealed his face to Gustave. Then after Phantom confronted Christine, he said he’d let Christine and Gustave leave even if Christine doesn’t sing. But that was just because he knew she would sing. And he made Christine promise him not to tell Gustave about the truth.

They kept the scene where Phantom and Raoul came face to face. Same scene. So, basically the Phantom is doing more wheel and deals in this new version.

The change I hate most, absolutely most was the final scene. The original was so beautifully staged. While Christine was dying, Gustave looked for Raoul, she told Gustave Phantom was his real father and Raoul never appeared again. So, the focus was on Phantom, Christine and Gustave. In this new version, while Christine got shot, she was desperate to tell Gustave that Phantom was his father. Gustave didn’t ask and Christine even said to Phantom that she knew she promised him but she couldn’t keep that fro Gustave. C’mon! Who wrote the lines? The original flow was much more touching. When Gustave knew Phantom was his father, in the original, he didn’t run away. In the new one, he did. And unexpectedly he appeared with Raoul again! What was Raoul doing there? In the old one, Gustave gave Phantom a hug and then Phantom kneeled know and slowly took off his mask. That was one very touching and tender moment. Now, Gustave gave Raoul a hug and then Phantom a hug. And that’s it. Curtains closed. Why ruin the last scene? Why? In the old one because the Phantom never wanted to take off his mask in front of Gustave. So, when he took it off after Christine’s death, he exposed himself and be true to who he was. He let Gustave see the real him. Now, with Raoul on the stage and the mask not taken off... Poof! They ruined it.

By making the Phantom darker, they’ve made him a jerk. Now I hate him. And, just as Johnny said, it’s just pretty hideous to imagine the Phantom and Christine engaging in the act of procreation.

But I’ll see it for the 3rd time because it’s amazing to listen to such beautiful live music. Amazing voices of Ramin Karimloo (Phantom), Sierra Boggess (Christine) and Liz Robertson (Madame Giry). And to see the old and new version of the same show is some special experience. You can see how the actors change the way they sing a song as their character changes. I’d still recommend everyone to see it.

...

Dad called to ask me about cert collection at HKU and he mentioned my still-don't-know-if-I-can-go trip to GER.

‘好凍wor你0個邊。’

‘Ok la.’

‘係咪仲lum住去德國ar？’

‘0下？我book 0西d 0野lor wor！’

雪je，未勁到會令我0吾去lor！

話之keoi3落到幾大，總之0係我飛到去Munich就得啦！

Heavy Snowfall

Today met with Yuko Lam~

Ok I admit, I fail as a Londoner...

Gosh! Now I'm worried about not being able to fly to Munich bcox of the snowfall. When I checked the weather forecast several hours ago, it was quite promising. But now it isn't...

The worst thing about snowing is not the cold, it's your damp clothes. Today walked in the heavy snowfall and it was terrible. The snow kept hitting my face...

These Few Days

榴蓮三日都坐我附近lor... Bad luck!!! 搽hand cream都無用！Sigh!

Tue

Bad luck

榴蓮坐我附近......

＝＝＝＝＝

不是high了，而是瘋了。

同學們自發性組織唱K活動，落堂之後一齊到酒吧唱k，只可以說‘老外k’真係‘頂keoi3 0吾順’。首先無MV，淨係得個screen show歌詞，仲攪笑到會話你知‘instrumental 30 sec’。D同學真係好勁，一黎就飲shot. 我係一黎就去食0野打底先。

30mins內食完0野返去途中見到Nick同Stephanie揾cash point，keoi3兩個好似已經醉醉0地. Haha!

我想講，我0吾飲酒都會0甘hyper！我發現，Stella Artois好好飲！無飲開啤酒，只係知道Stella Artois無中文名所以先叫，點知真係好好飲！難道我ge啤酒生涯就0甘開始？

唱Gimme Gimme 0個時，Stephanie無端端叫‘Gimme Vincent’ 0個0下真係勁攪笑！無端端又畀人拉左去跳舞，hee，un腳0乍0卦？Anyway, 雖然無mut歌識唱，但係堅好玩。講真，點會0係HK落pub唱k跳舞？

Wed

生日！！

Bad luck

榴蓮坐我附近......

間餐廳服務勁差！

0係車差0吾多pk...

但係。。。我0地去左high tea同睇Mamma Mia!!!

Mamma Mia!臨尾全場起身唱歌好正！！！不過Love Never Dies d歌比較震撼。各有各好啦！

最正係大家0係theatre外面，Piccadilly Circus唱生日歌，多謝saai！有個外國人搭‘傘’話識唱中文生日歌，但係其實係日文同埋0吾係生日歌lor！

Thurs

Bad luck

榴蓮坐我附近......

Phonetics大半班走堂。有最愛ge Prof. John Harris!

Phonology. Andrew將review用黎介紹keoi3自己ge research。

Logic and Meaning

無期望之下依然失望。

上堂好嘈，有同學突然話對大家講‘If you dont want to hear, you can leave!’. 只可以話文化差異真係需要適應。

錯grammar 0吾係問題，但係content一錯再錯，而上堂ge時候完全無發現，sorry，我真係0吾覺得你0係logic E方面好有研究lor。

Can’t believe it was last school day! Seriously! Have met many nice classmates and had so much fun!!! I’m already missing the class...

Fri

Bad luck

有人recall左Bilingual Child...

Print readings之外就係上網，d 0野0係去Germany之前一定做0吾saai.

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近日和外國同學仔談起旅行，說會遊德國，他們都問：'Do you have a friend there?'

'No. I just go there for travelling.'

'Are you going with Qing (Another classmate who's also going to GER)?'

'No. I'm going alone.'

'Your'e going alone!?'

很多來自歐洲的同學都要回家。Dunno, 一個酷愛歐遊的香港人當然要把握機會去旅行吧！

Big Surprise

Class wasn't too great today but it's definitely one of the best days in London yet.

Lulu almost fainted outside the classroom. We called the ambulance, waited 50 mins and no one showed up. Are you kidding me?

Got a sandwich and coffee from Pret and went back to Chandler House. A very nice long chat with Nick. Probably it was the longest period of time that I had to speak in Eng since I've come to London.

Thanks Kant for the Christmas present! Black ball pen. He said it was from his grandpa. His grandpa said a Ling student needed a good pen to write. So sweet!

And of cox! My dearest Mandy and Yu Hsuan gave me a surprise party!! Thanks for the chocolate cake, passport case and Mr. Darcy card!!!

You guys rock!

Lately

Lost the urge to write anything. Why?

Ytd went to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park with Vincent. OMG! The atm was sooooooooo great! You never get such a huge carnival in HK! Just walking around felt joyful.

Wt was funny was my meeting with Richard.

Do you have a place to live in?

Do you eat food?

Are you surviving?

Hahaha!

He asked me whether there were any other problems. And I told him about ‘榴蓮飄香’. I saw the smirk on his face!!! He could barely stifle a laugh. XDD

'Maybe you should sit away from that person... Is it the case now?'

Hahaha!

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Today went out with Chloe who's on business trip here in London! Went to Tate Modern. Love it! Fantastic Gallery!

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Next Mon Arsenal vs Man Utd.

How come it's on Mon? I thought it's tmr! And now I kinda spoiled the effort that they've been making to give me a surprise part on Mon.