A Note of GoodBye

This morning, I had some time to rearrange my little library at work, and I came across a book I forgot I owned.

It was green, self-titled, Tales from Shakespeare written by Charles & Mary Lamb. As I flipped through the first page, there was a note that read,

“Dear Kim, Hopefully you will enjoy this book more than the joy I had in giving it to you.. Sincerely, Yahya Yaacob 01.04.09”.

And I thought to myself, that I haven’t check on this person for a while now, I quickly grabbed my phone and checked the last chat we had, that was last year, Sep 25^th 2014, where our dear DYY told me that he was doing fine although feeling weak, in his months of battle with the big C.

I ended the conversation with

“Mudah-mudahan Datuk, May God renew your strength. You are not in this alone. We are praying for you”.

His last reply dated Sep 25^th, 2014 read, "TQ for your prayers and good wishes".

Today, amidst all my troubles, I suddenly remember that I have not checked on DYY for a while. A person so distant, yet so close and someone I grew to respect over my years of working for the Company. But as I started typing my message on WhatsApp, I had a terrible feeling. I thought to myself, Oh God, pls tell me what I’m feeling is wrong.

I quickly placed my fingers on my keyboard, and googled news on Yahya Yaacob… Datuk Yahya Yaacob, and what appeared right in front of me, was news, old news, news that came in October 11^th, 2014, that he had passed on. News that I never came across, I never knew. I suddenly feel nauseated. A sudden flow of sadness came to me.  

What followed immediately after was my frantic search of his card, a card he sent me years back, hours before his surgery. I searched for the Literature notes he sent me, his passion for Shakespeare and his notes. As I searched and searched, I became desperate, and tears just flow. I am heartbroken, that I never knew, that I didn’t get a chance to bid him farewell, that I didn’t get to tell him, everything will be alright Datuk, even If you lost, you certainly WON this battle. And we are all PROUD of you. That I didn’t get to say,… You did well Datuk, I applaud you!

It’s all memories now, vivid memories of meeting him for the first and the last time. As I remember our first conversation, when I called him with regards to some official matters, I greeted him Good afternoon Datuk. And he replied, what is so Good about this afternoon? Feeling nervous, I went on and on explaining about the weather and how that is good for golfers like him, only realising minutes later, he was pulling my leg. Yes, that is the DYY that I know, he is a great joker, a humble man, and as he lived through his last days, I get to know him as a wonderful family man.

Tonight, as I shared with my children, the works of Shakespeare, I remember this particular piece, that was shared by DYY himself, one of his favourites. I suddenly see in my eyes, image of him reading in his chair, as he recited the same poem, with a smile on his face, he is finally free, no more worries, and no more pain. I can almost hear his laughter, strangely from a far distance and as I closed this little chapter, I know I will always remember him that way. May your soul rest in peace Datuk, till we meet again… 

O Never Say That I Was False of Heart

O never say that I was false of heart,

Though absence seem'd my flame to qualify:

As easy might I from myself depart

As from my soul, which in thy breast doth lie;

That is my home of love; if I have ranged,

Like him that travels, I return again,

Just to the time, not with the time exchanged,

So that myself bring water for my stain.

Never believe, though in my nature reign'd

All frailties that besiege all kinds of blood,

That it could so preposterously be stain'd

To leave for nothing all thy sum of good:

For nothing this wide universe I call,

Save thou, my rose: in it thou art my all.

William Shakespeare 

This is MY farewell.

Yesterday, was a sad day. Sad for everyone in the family of IJMP. Sad for those who has spent years of loving and knowing a shy soul by the name of Saga Embang. Our friend has left us for eternity and my apology as I was not even able to bid farewell, nor was I able to accept how his sudden demise has left an empty hole in the hearts of many, this shy little soul, a big hearted man, a son, a brother, a husband, a father, and a good friend in the eyes of many. I can’t seem to even comprehend the circumstances, of how these happened and how he was taken away with no warnings. But I guess, life is like that. Most of the time, we don’t get any warnings, or do we? Since yesterday, I’ve had a series of flashbacks. I kept seeing his smiles, hearing his voice, and I kept thinking of the little chats we had. I still laughed at his story, the one he shared with me years ago. And how that “one” story has defined who this person is to me. God has better plans for you, our dear friend. I wish to close this chapter, as you end yours. But to promise you, that you will forever remain in the hearts of many. We shall meet again. Saga Embang-may you rest in peace.

Journey to the Fairy Wonderland of the East..

This is probably the longest overdue entry I’ve ever made ..; it’s been a while since I last blogged. Year of the snake has been rather “bumpy”; nothing seemed to be going as smooth as planned. We were all not in our best in terms of health, and it was also an extremely busy year for the Daniels as we were busy with house moving, and basically, adjusting to a place we now call, our new home. It has been rather difficult for my little Tom who is adjusting to a new school, a new environment that came with more expectations and obviously, a new education syllabus, that wasn’t too user friendly, at this point. L As for the little Jerry, she is blooming like a little sun flower, showing her true bright colors, and growing cheekier by the day.

By June, 2013, I had more than a fair share. There was a stressful period due to an unknown miscarriage, follow by some national security issues that we all had to deal with, a brief period that sort of changed the way I feel about the community I have been living in all these years. It’s strange of how just one incident would change one’s long life perception. The anxiety was further lengthened by the GE, and how, for the first time in my life, I thought it might not be a bad idea after all, to actually own a dual citizenship. And how I knew then, that sometimes, when we have tried all we could, the one last thing we should do is to have faith, to believe that He is indeed, in control. But again, I am a woman after all; my imagination can go beyond any wonders. With all, that’s happening, it felt like I was on a roller coaster ride. I was dizzy, nauseous, and obviously not in my best. I was looking for a remedy, a quick one, and it was around this time, I thought of dear Tony from Popular Express Travel J

I remember the day when I chatted with Tony about a place named Hokkaido, my curiosity of how this fairy wonderland truly is.. as I have heard so much being said about this place. And I thought, maybe.. just this once, we should spread our wings to the land of the rising sun.

I must admit.. having two young children, traveling to Japan doesn’t really appeal to me. I try to avoid lands where Mother Nature is really sensitive and at some point, much crankier than I am.  Safety has always been my main priority. But you know what they say, sometimes.. the most dangerous place.. could be the safest of them all. Still, I had my doubts. And to be honest, world history as well as true life experiences of the elder generation who had to live in the grim period of the Japanese occupation, made me really uncomfortable about visiting this land. In between these lines and those long articles on world war crimes, and “unit 731” .. I kept thinking was I being too unforgiving. But again, who am I to judge. Interestingly, as much as I had all these thoughts, I was really amazed, of how strong this nation truly is, from its downfall after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and other similar war destructions to countless natural disasters, these people have raised above it all, and today, is not only a major economic force to be reckon with, but a reputable nation in a class of its own.

Yes, its mind boggling of how, a simple idea of a winter vacation could lead to that many fractions of doubts, thoughts and as I dig deeper, I felt like I would soon embark on a journey of  self-discovery.

And so.. with “all” that in mind (and of course… after some words of comfort from Tony.. and lots of it, P.S Tony, I seriously don’t think I would survive living on the streets of Tokyo during winter with a sleeping bag, if earthquakes or human stampede don’t kill me, I would really freeze as its mighty windy in Tokyo during winter!), I told myself… lets be crazy and lets booked the tour. Yes, I don’t eat sushi, not a fan of Japanese cuisine, and is obviously, not very sure of how we would all survive this tour, but it’s a true comfort to know that I will be traveling with the experts of the industry J and the verdict- It was indeed another delightful and beautiful trip to remember by.

The flight from Kota Kinabalu to Narita International Airport was probably something that my kids or even other tour members were looking forward to. As it marked the beginning of a long waited vacation. But on that fateful day, I was more excited about meeting our tour leader. I kept thinking, who he is, what he’s like… and so the moment came, when I saw him at the departure check in counter.. this tall lanky good looking man, with the friendliest smiles ever J I had this thought.. …. This indeed is, a very..very good start J and so the journey to the fairy wonderland.. begins.

The flight on MH 80 took about 5 hrs and 20 minutes. The moment I went on board, I was very grateful that Tony remembered my sitting requests, and was hoping that the arrangement did not inconvenient him at all. As we landed at Narita International Airport, we began to meet the rest of the tour members, and although, there were some familiar faces, everyone was too excited for formal greetings and introduction. Shortly, we met up with our local tour guide, who pretty much resembled Japanese, but as it turned out, is a Hongkie, born in Indonesia, married to a local and who has called Japan his home, for the last 20 years. This trendy curly haired man, hardly passed for anyone in his forties..has a naturally warm personality that we felt at “home”, all at once.

The transit to Haneda Airport, was short and sweet. I remember borrowing some yen from Lax, our tour leader to get some water from the vending machine as all we carried were big notes.  Interestingly, for the next 7 days .. and even if it costs MYR3.70 each time, we had so much fun “interacting” with the vending machines! As we waited for boarding.. we had a quick meal, which turned out to be the best ramen noodle we’ve ever tasted before J

I can go on and on about Hokkaido. But I don’t think it’s necessary to add on to the descriptions of how clean and beautiful the places were, the felt of the powdery snow.. delicious food... I love the toilets/washrooms and although I almost lost my right hand after the snow mobile ride, seriously.. I’ve never had cramps that bad L, this was indeed a great relaxing vacation! Wished we had more time at Rusutsu Ski Resort as we were supposed to build a snowman! But time was not on our side. What we saw was probably a mere drop of the ocean, but it was good enough to bring us back here again. The resorts and hotels we stayed in were fantastic, the hot spring facilities were at its best, and we thought the goods and services were reasonably priced. Food selection was definitely not as how I imagined it, and the tastes were nothing but impressive. I didn’t expect a fussy eater like me would seriously enjoy the spread but I did, and the testimonials were the extra pounds I gained even without taking a cup of instant noodle I brought all the way from home!

The tour arrangement was commendable. From our arrival till our departure, there was nothing lacking, and everything was to our satisfaction. I applaud Lawrie, the tour guide who, in this very short journey, taught us so much about the people of the rising sun. I appreciate all his efforts of making this whole trip a great one to remember by, thankful of the stories he shared, from his personal lives and experiences to his thoughts, his little endeavors and life adventures, his love for fishing, his passion for art and manga, his love and devotion for his wife and two young boys. I truly treasure the experiences he shared with us on the March 11^th earthquake/tsunami as it not only touches my very soul but it won new insights and respects for the people of the rising sun. I remember every single thing I could, from his recommendations of vitamins, eye drops, skin care, Issay Miyake hand bags, kitchen knives, white chocolates, sea food…beef…etc- he is just a one rounded tour guide who truly knows, the tricks of the trade.  I was really impressed of how closer I am to the people of Japan through this professional tour guide by the name of Lawrie Ho! If I haven’t said it enough, thank you so much Lawrie for bringing Japan closer to our hearts.

And to Lax, our tour leader.. if I could, I would love to put you in my pockets and bring you home. My mum would love you to bits! It’s heartwarming to just see your smile every wake of the morning. We appreciate all your assistance, your stories.. .. and all that you have shared. This trip is memorable to us, as your presence made all the difference!

And so, we had a blast in Hokkaido, an exhausting day in Tokyo Disneyland with so many ques that never ends, I had a wonderful learning experience while dining in a restaurant near Tokyo Dome Hotel, next to a table of a Japanese family of 5. It wasn’t the food we had, but it’s the voluntary efforts this family put into cleaning their tables and utensils after their meal. I suddenly felt embarrassed of the doubts I had, and is envious of their love and devotion to their country. This was indeed a great wake up call! Next thing I know, Christian stood up and took tissues from the counter and started cleaning away too! J

Although, I missed my sister and her family as they were away in London & Paris during our trip, I would love to just rewind this whole thing and do it all over again. Its true of how beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and how to love something, we need to learn what and who they truly are. And sometimes, it’s easier to make a judgment call than going further down the road. But then, how would one ever know. Perceptions could be normal, expectations may vary, but in a tour holiday like this, it takes you through a different side of your life journey and it’s not what you see that actually matters, its more to what you learn from the culture and interactions of the journey itself and how these interprets and translates into an added value to your own life. I may be a nerd to call this a field trip, but I’m glad to know that I had the opportunity to be apart of it.

To Candy and your Crew, thank you for this wonderful “field trip”!! You guys are the best J

I don’t think I would wanna have another miso soup again.. for a long long time.. but I know I will crave for it soon enough. And when I do, all I need is to call my pals at Popular Express Travel J and hubby, this time.. I am bringing one extra big luggage! Don’t stop me, pls!

A Bit of This & A Bit of That

These days, I’m always running here, there and sometimes, everywhere, to get things sorted out. It’s all in a day’s work, I used to call it. And by 5 pm, I would be longing to go home, and see what my two little ones are up to. Nothing beats seeing them anticipating my return, competing for my hugs and kisses. Next thing I know, I will be checking on my son’s school works, screaming on top of my lungs to tell them to behave, doing house chores, settling for evening meals, and quite often, a little dance or two on our new toy, the Xbox. It’s like that, life’s like that.. 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week. It gets monotonous, it gets routine, it gets dull yet, it builds who we are, the bonds in between, relationships, and many more. I guess, that’s what counts. In the end of the day, what these life experiences makes you, and the people you care for and how you are able to find the significance in between, cause its all in His plan.

Someone used to tell me, how he wished there was more that 24 hrs in a day. It sounded strange when I first heard it, but now, probably as I approached the same life phase, I started thinking the same way. How nice would it be to have say… 38 hrs a day? Imagine the things I can do or accomplish in those extra hours. Funny, cause even with just 24 hrs a day, I’d be like hanging on to my last bit of energy before I call it a night! Yup, age is indeed catching up whether I like it or not :) And that’s life, where like the four seasons, each summer will have to give way to autumn, only to be replace by cold winter and the lovely spring.

If there’s one thing that I’ve done, and is really difficult to do, where the challenge is unpredictable and the sense of accomplishment is tremendous, has to be parenthood. Nothing touches my life so deeply. And it’s not just any assignment where you could complete in a time frame, it’s more like a journey where there’s no end. It comes in uncountable phases with different sets of challenges. Parenthood is life itself; it gives a whole new meaning to what fulfillment is. And the joy of seeing your off springs…words can’t even describe it. The excitement, the sadness, the fears, the happiness, frustration.. and it’s like a melting pot of all these emotions combined. Nothing is as great, and that is why, parenthood is crazy but it’s the greatest blessing of all.

Interestingly, when people ask me questions like, how have you been? Are you happy? Are you living right? I’d be like so overwhelmed with many stories to tell, I wouldn’t even know where to start or rather how to begin? I guess, there are times, when I wish I didn’t crawl out from the wrong side of the bed, but it would be silly to crawl back in, just to wake up at the right side of the bed, cause that would be a waste of time, and time just won’t repeat itself, like opportunities, where you may get plenty but seldom the same. But if there’s one thing that we have which is of abundance, would be choices. We are given lots, in every single thing that we do. And to help us settle for the right ones, we used our wisdom, what we have learned from life experiences, books, people, the tangible and intangible, hoping choices we make would be the best there is. And even if regrets comes much later, we can justify that much thoughts have been put into the process and like all any other processes, success is not guaranteed. Nothing is and nothing can be. Along the way, however, we always forget who we are, and the fact that we are just humans. We forget about the great master. About the two invisible hands up there, the Creator, our Father. The Reason why we are here. Feel him, trust him, and seek for him. Other things remain pointless, really. Therefore at times, things may go really wrong, rest assured.. this could be apart of His plan, and if we continue to believe, we may even see how even the wrongs, no matter how bad they are, has great lessons in store.

So when I look into my life right now, this instant, I can proudly say, yes dear, I’ve been well and never better. My cup is always half full, but if it gets too full, that would probably be too much for me to handle. The emptiness is what that keeps me humble and the half full is what that keeps me going. Nothing more yet nothing less. :)

From Taiwan with Love

This is long overdue, I know. Been a while since I last blogged. Been busy, maybe. Just not in the mood. Between work, rugby, housework, kids, renovation and more work, its like, all you wanted to do is just get away. Get away from them all, and just relax your mind, free your sprits and just be in a foreign land! That’s what I looked forward to, every year end, and even if that means, it will be a crazy 8 days fully packed vacation, I thought, why not, anything and anywhere, but Here!

And this time, it’s special. Year 2012, was the year, we celebrated the 50th wedding anniversary of our beloved parents. After a warm family gathering earlier in the first half of the year, all of us (siblings) decided to send our parents on a trip together, and the destination they were interested in was Taiwan.

And so, we started looking at the right dates, lots of talks in between, this is almost like contesting for Congress! We must plan, we need a “formula”, and we need strategies! How tough could it be? With us, the Tan’s, anything as simple as ABC can be as hard as flying to the moon (not that I will want to, literally). But that’s just who we are, we are a bunch of thinkers and maybe, perfectionists. Myself and my biggest partner in crime, my beloved and one and only sister :), chose the dates, and to make it more fun and meaningful, decided to tag along.

Lets be honest, I would never even consider visiting Taiwan, I guess its because every day from Monday to Fridays, after work, and when I reached home, my parents will be in the living room, watching Taiwanese programmes, from those long, and exceptionally lengthy Taiwanese dramas (where episodes can go up to a couple of hundredth only to have the ending written in one episode! I was like, what’s that about?) to cooking and travel channels. It became a part of my daily routine, to hear about this, and that and about Taiwan. And, I must admit, places with natural catastrophes doesn’t interest me, either. But I thought, this time, its different. We are doing this, for a special cause. And what is more special than to be with our parents, to create new memories of their 50th wedding anniversary.

So, with an open mind, without knowing what to expect, I contacted Popular Express Travel, now everyone who knows me, just know that I love Popular Express Travel. Been a faithful fan, and to cut it short, I called up friendly and reliable Tony for reservations. All booked, and as we approached the dates, we were getting excited to just “get away”.

As soon as I got the itinerary, I studied it, more than I ever studied for my geography and history lessons in high school. Why? Ignorance could be bliss, but I didn’t want to get caught in a surprise. I need to know what to expect :) You know, when they say how much we can actually learn from text books, in my case, how much can Google actually tells me, in a way a lot, but even the “lot”, was too little as I discover it.

Then, I came to know Mandy. Who wouldn’t love adorable Mandy? She’s probably the friendliest tour leader I’ve ever known, she’s responsible, warm and is always in high spirits-that’s Mandy that we came to know, came to love and we just adore her. We thought what a wonderful start to a journey of discovery ahead of us.

When we arrived Taiwan, we were excited, but it didn’t feel like Seoul. We are so into this Korean Wave thingy, that comparison comes almost naturally.

And then, we met the Tour Guide, Siow Chang (George Chang), a petite, well dressed & fine fair looking Taiwanese, we were in for more surprises. I remember him telling us, in his soft spoken ways, three rules to a happy holiday,

1. Don’t Compare

2. Don’t Talk Unnecessarily

3. Don’t Sleep

I’m a good student indeed!

Throughout the 8 days journey, we traveled from the North to the South, and South to the North. We were on the plane, bus, bullet train, boat, and went up on a cable car. We were basically everywhere, painting the town fiery red. We get to see all possible faces of Taiwan, some of the most beautiful places, sights and sceneries, friendly and unusual faces, interesting and unique cuisines, and experienced some of the greatest hospitality. Most of the nights, we stayed like the royalty and dine like one. Maybe this is not unusual to many, but if you guys were in the same tour group, you will feel that this by far, is very unusual than many. And the difference is –Siow Chang!

Siow Chang is one of the nicest character that we’ve ever come across and not only he does his work professionally, he does it with that extra mile- big S=sincerity. He is tireless, motivated to the max, dedicated, humble, and he could pull lots of stunts one could never ever think of, that includes his tea making ability, his balloons tricks, I could just go on and on-We just love him. My parents love him so much; they wish they could just “pack” him home. My mum sees him just like her SON.

Now, as we got back to reality where everything is familiar again, we still think of Taiwan. Interestingly, we don’t think of the places, the culture, the food, or anything else, but Siow Chang. To love Taiwan is to love Siow Chang. To us, he represents the high spirits of the nation, the true face of Taiwan and we are indeed blessed to have our paths crossed!

So, Siow Chang, this may be long overdue, thank you for the great memories, for making us fall in love with this “foreign land”, and we look forward to seeing you again soon! To all of you, who wanted to experience Taiwan the way we did, please look for the best Travel Guide of Taiwan, George Chang/Siow Chang of Bao Tao Holiday Agency. You won’t regret it!

Taiwan packages may start as low as RM3,500 per pax through Popular Express Travel, but we all know, the experience traveling through the “right” people, not only matters but its all that matters. And the experience traveling with your loved ones, is nothing but priceless!

So that’s how we ended 2012, and as we begin the journey of 2013, here’s wishing all of you an advance Gong Xi Fa Chai! Hope the year of the Snake will bring all of us endless joy, best of health and lots more. As we embrace this New Year, let us pray for a better world, with lesser misfortunes, greater heights of humanity through unity and peace.

Its not Secret Garden, its Hyun Bin!

Yes, even after all the praise and the never ending buzz about Secret Garden, nothing has actually moved me to watch it. Emmm.. even when the yummy Hyun Bin stars in it. Why? I suppose, I am not a big fan of Ha Ji Won. I have not really seen much of her stuffs, but lets says, after Love so Divine, I am not really crazy about her.

So, why change my mind now. Been watching World Within again, for the second time, trying to understand Jio’s character, and reassess why the sudden break up of a seemingly fast yet short lived love affair between him and his on screen partner. Everyone who knows me, knows I love SHG. And although, the “real” drama is off, between them now before HB went to the army, I am still struggling, trying to understand what went on screen that caused the tension between them in WW. So, on my nostalgic walk, I thought, gees.. we won’t be seeing much of this “ladies” man .. I started missing his work. And with all the major pimp work between my two Korean crazy friends, I thought I probably should give it a try. Hence, the journey to this secret garden begins. Let me see if I could discover any hidden secrets, while trying to reminisce the works of a good yummy actor by the name of Hyun Bin.

Friday the 13th, 2011

Is that why all the movie channels are showing Jason, the last few nights, and again, the coming few nights? Gosh, I am gonna have a difficult time, explaining to my son, if he happens to catch a glimpse of the movie, when we browse the channels. Anyway, what is Friday the 13th to me, funny, when I asked myself that last night, I was like duhhhhhhhhhh….I don’t dig friggatriskaidekaphobia. Does people really suffer from this?

But today, back in where I am, it is Friday the 13th, and it is a black Friday. You know why, because James Durbin was just voted off from American Idol!!!!! This is so amazingly insane, because 1 or 2 of the surviving contestants were so mediocre, so pale in comparison. This is crazy. Crazy indeed.

Need to get a hold of myself. Let me just try to calm down and remind myself that, this is popularity contest, a singing competition cum popularity contest. I guess, James was beaten out by those who have a bigger fan base, and there are people out there, who was probably tired of hearing him scream. We have another Pia shocker here, so what will the producers say.. James was never a front runner??? Are you kidding me?

Okay, I am obviously still pissed. So, not a good time, to reason myself out.

Black Friday it is. My daughter is covered with red spots all over, heat rash after days of on and off fever. I am stuck with migraine that is so madly in love with me & can’t seem to leave me alone, emmm… wonder how black could it get.

My hubby always says, once you go black, you can never go back. Not true, I still have the whole day, to bring some colours in!

So, we’ll see.

Finally, I have seen the last few episodes of My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, after attempting to do so, several times! One of my close friends told me, to beware of the ending. It will cause a tear or two, something that I am never prepared for. It’s the last thing I need after a long day at work, settle down on my couch, and feeling depressed over some tv shows! We paid to get entertained, not to get bullied to tears. Fortunately, it was not that bad.

You know what’s bad? Having to see Stefano left AI and seeing James Durbin jumped on his pal, moments after Stefano, finished his last performance. Tears just came, unstoppable. That is genuinely sad to me. I really felt it. Weird, but its true. Well, no matter what, AI is just a competition; the real journey starts out there. Hoping all will stay true to themselves and do well after AI! And with the final seven cut to final six, then six to five, and later five to four, where am I really? Neither here or there. Kinda lost interest, in a way.

We have James, Scott, Hailey & Lauren. Emm, is this like an equal battle, may not be the case, but who knows? Honestly, I am surprised that Hailey made it this far. No offence, and although she obviously improved in the last few weeks, I thought she just didn’t shine as well, compared to her peers. And James really did wonders when he performed during the Carole King week. That must have been the best of his performance so far. So good, that I was hoping for something similar if not better when he took the stage last week, with not one, but two songs. I liked the second one better than the first, although it was not vocally perfect, but who wouldn’t like James. He showed who he is. A true artist, with vulnerability that we could relate to. He is just so real. And for that, I salute him. As for Scott, the guy with the voice. Although, he probably sounds the same every week, he has grown so much as a performer, and in his own merits. Lauren, she has the voice, but would she go far, after Kelly? And Hailey, I don’t know. The problem I have with her, she is just forgettable. Maybe, I am just hung up on the guys. :)

So, I am still rooting for James & Scott in the final two. And am really hoping that would be the case, and is expecting and hoping for a great FINALE. I mean, after the huge upset most of us suffered when Adam lost, and the sleepy AI a year later, am hoping for a blast this year, before I take off for a short vacation with my family in May.

AI, hope you won’t disappoint me three years in a row :)