Friday, August 27, 2010

Sherman Chung Malaysia Album & Book Promo 2010

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Yeah, Good news! Sherman is coming again!! Do come support her, she's a very nice singer!

22nd August 2010: Wang Lee Hom Album Showcase

EXCLUSIVE. PLEASE PROMOTE BUT NOT REPOST. THANK YOU.

"Crowd, crowd, crowd.............."


The only thing I could use to describe this event is C-R-O-W-D. Just mention that Wang Lee Hom is coming to town and people go into a fan frenzy. To a very unexpected me who only arrived at the venue at 5.45pm (because of some other obligations) when the event starts at 6pm, I was shocked at the number of people there waiting for Lee Hom. This star could make people travel all the way and probably even from overseas (the couple standing beside me is from China) to just have a glimpse of his face. And when I say a glimpse, I really meant it. Having a stage with a 7,000 people crowd (fit for an Arena of Stars Concert), no projector screen, really, how clear could you see him eh? Well, of course, unless you get his album and bring it up for him to sign? Nah, that too, only lasted probably less than three seconds?

Well first, arriving there, I met up with Eunice and Wai Wai who were already there since like 12pm?? When I finally managed to meet them, I was already soaking wet. Not because of the rain, but because of the humidity and heat from such a crowded place! The word I said the most to make my way through was, "Sorry, excuse me.....sorry, excuse me....." Just so you understand what I meant, here's a picture of the crowd.


And besides crowding outside, people were also crowding around window panes inside the mall. Well, at least they had air conditioning! Hahaha....



After waiting for like 30 minutes, Lee Hom finally appeared on stage with sunglasses to frenzy screaming fans singing his new song, '你不知到的事'(Things you do not know). I enjoyed his singing though. His voice was clear and powerful. Good vocals! Here is a video taken by a fan:





After singing one song, the MC(Royce) said that its time for media photographs and also autograph session. And our reactions at the time was 'One song only???' There were fans shouting encore, however Royce said Lee Hom can't do an encore because of time constrain. He's rushing for a flight after this (Geez...can't imagine how pack his schedule is!).

So alright, autograph session time. However, things were so unorganised, we do not even know where should we be to que for autographs. And its not easy to find or even ask because with 7000 fans waiting for autographs, things were really chaotic. We soon realise that people from the fanclub and with special passes from organisers were given priority to get an autograph first. That's very different from the fanclub I'm in..LOL. In Joey's fanclub, we let the public get an autograph first. And when I say fanclub members get to get an autograph first, its not like 20-30 members. I think the number of 'Homaniacs' members present was like 100-200 of them! It took Lee Hom like 45minutes signing, but he was still signing for people from that group. So what we were doing?? We just walked around and some Astro personell approached us to do an interview for them. So I dragged Eunice with me...(because I'm not really a Lee Hom fan!!!)

So, with camera pointing at us, the interviewer started asking us questions...what time did we arrived? (12pm...what a lie!! Well, at least for me..haha)...What's your opinion on Lee Hom's new movie? (haha..not bad, very comedic.....gosh another lie...haven't even watched it)...what song of Lee Hom is your favourite?(Wei Yi...which is his song that I'm most familiar with and also a song from N years ago) to which the interviewer replied..is Wei Yi your only favourite? (of course not! there's still many I love!...LIE!) Can you sing us the song? (Erm..'~ni jiu shi wo de wei yi~'....oops forgot lyrics...pushes mic to Eunice..to which Eunice didn't sing...BIGGER OOPS!) Anything to say to Lee Hom? (Add Oil! Support You!)


After the interview I was laughing..gosh what a failure. I'm sure Astro would cut everything away and probably just put in the last part, Lee Hom Ga Yao! LOLS...maybe those who watches Astro AEC's Show Power programme or something like that can lookout for it..since I don't watch it. And this made me realise that the interviews we all watch of other artiste...they may be just the same...fakeness..LOLS. But having chasing stars for a few years now, I'm very clear of this fact. So to the fans that go all fan frenzy and believing whatever their idol says, this is a gentle advice. Don't sink too deep and end up getting dissapointed. Replying interviews is just a promotion and part of their job. It does not necessarily represent them or their beliefs. Have something more realistic that you could cling on to idolise. Eg. their talent. Do not choose good looks. That's the worst!

So after lingering around the place not knowing where to even start queing, suddenly there was action up stage. Lee Hom suddenly stood up from his seat and walked forward. I thought he wanted to sing another song for the waiting crowd. Hahaha...turned out he said he needed a toilet break! LOLS....that's really something to laugh out to. So, while he was standing and talking, I took some pictures.



Then as nightfalls, we started crowding around and looking for the que. We saw where all the crowd was and just joined in. It was soooo crowded that people started gettting sick. First, I heard someone vomitted and then I saw another lady walking pass me almost fainting. She walked to the side and had to sit on the ground..her whole face was red and sweating. Gosh...getting sick because of Lee Hom, is it worth it?? The question "what am I doing here?" honestly did cross my mind. Haha..Being squashed between the crowd..standing, waiting...luckily there's no sun! But once you're in the crowd, there's no way out. You do not take a step forward. You wait till you are pushed forward.



After being squashed for like an hour, we heard that Lee Hom will only sign until 9pm. Looking at the number of people still waiting for an autograph, I actually don't put much hope! And true enough, when we were so near the entrance for que, they said they are not accepting entry anymore. Then things became chaotic. People start jeering. They said its unfair! Then the security guards were screaming telling people not to push. Some people were pissed off and left the venue. That was when I spotted Aiko (a friend in the fanclub) and waved to her. She then came and asked Wai Wai to throw over her lyric book so that she could go up and get it signed. Funnily, after Wai Wai threw hers, many other people threw theirs at Aiko too. Hahahaha...Aiko only took Wai Wai's up to sign though. After awhile, Lee Hom had to speak up...he said (while signing), "He has a flight to catch. However, he asked his assistants to first go to the hotel to pack his stuffs for him so he has extra time here to sign." (good strategy to calm the fans down. Although in reality, the luggage must have already beeen packed earlier on...LOLS!) So, finally, we all managed to get in the queing zone.

As I mentioned earlier, even getting to get up to get an autograph, its just a glance at Lee Hom. Lee Hom looked really blur at that time. He doesn't even has time to respond or shake hands with fans. He just kept signing and signing, while looking up at alternate occasions. I can't help wondering how much he earned from album sales that night?? Must be several tenths of thousand!

So after that, we went to the back to wait for Lee Hom to get up the car. And when he finally came out, I don't know what happened to my camera!! Must've gotten the wrong settings!! It didn't do continuous shots so everything turned out blur!! Arrghhh!!! What a waste!! Once Lee Hom went into the car, he straight away adjusted his seat to sleeping position and vanished from sight. LOLS. After everything ended, we went for food and here's a picture of the autographed album with Eunice posting to it.



All I can say, famous Taiwan artistes are scary...well untag that. It should be Taiwanese artsite fans are scary!!! Scary in the sense of its number and also their selfless support towards their idols. Rain or shine, day or night, they'll stay there and support. Phew, I'm more selfish in this sense...KEKEKEKE....


Pictures which mostly consisted of 'Artistic' shots...LOLS...the flowers were more to the focus than Lee Hom was! Hahaha....



Venue: One Utama, Petaling Jaya

Monday, August 23, 2010

Review: Joey Yung Airport (空港) EP 2010




Its been awhile since I wrote a review on an album. This time, I'm writing one because if I don't, I feel its a waste to many Cantopop listeners to miss out listening to this EP. Of course, I am a Joey fan, however, this review is written from a very unbiased point of view because its so good that even by not being a fan, you cannot deny that its a good release.


Track List:

01. 空港
02. 破相
03. 飛
04. 綠野仙踪(“百老滙”廣告歌)
05. 星圖

Departure:

Opening the EP with the concert theme 空港 (a metaphor for 'Airport'), the sound of guitars and drums playing to a light rock genre surprises as rock is not a genre frequently associated to Joey. The beat attracts one to listen on and although being rockish, the song sounded refreshing and relaxing at the same time, thanks to Joey's vocals for creating a balance. 'Airport' gives a magical feeling of lightness and happiness and at the same time not missing out on heavy musical substance. Moving on to the lyrics, Wyman Wong did a great job in penning and creating the 'Airport' methaphor. An 'Airport' in the context of the song, being a place in the heart of each of us where we have the sense of belonging and existence. A place, where we hold on and look forward to whenever we are away. Thus, giving birth to the concert theme; the Hong Kong Colliseum, being Joey's 空港 this November.

On Board:

Slowing things down with track 2 is 'Disfigured'. The familiarity with Joey songs return as listeners are presented with a conventional Joey Yung rated ballad. 'Disfigured' might be the favourite among listeners as it brings back the feeling of old Joey Yung ballads (which she lacks in recent years) similar to 摩登時代 (modern times), 流淚眼望流淚眼 (teary eyes watching teary eyes), 心淡 (dull heart) and 習慣失戀 (used to heartbreak) among others. Ballads can be considered to be Joey's forte as she posseses the art of homogenizing the lyrics into the potrayal of the song. Her voice speaks the lyrics which enters your heart and you could naturally experience the painfulness of the song. This is definitely a different level of singing which stretches beyond beautiful vocals.

Cruising:

Track 3 'Fly' presents another ballad and just as one reduces their expectation and interest to another ballad, the song surprises with its unconventional arrangement and ad libs. Ad-libs are rare in Cantonese music which makes the song sounds more special and Western. Joey presented the song and ad-libs in a more soothing, airy way in contrast to a powerful emphasis. Definitely makes you feel like floating (flying perhaps?). An excellent sidetrack to the EP.

Vacation:

Track 4 'Wizard of Oz' brings back happiness as Joey sings to another breakthrough melody. A rare or one could say uniquely arranged melody by Hanjin. This song showcases Joey's versatility and her ongoing improvement in singing fast beat tracks. The melody and Joey's mood put into the song makes you feel like dancing. It brings back the happiness from the previous mellow melody from 'Fly'. The song suits the atmosphere and theme for Broadway electronics Commercial this year. No wonder this Queen of Cantopop is the sweetheart of advertisers!

Homecoming:

Bringing an end to the EP is 'Star Map'. A groovy, soul and R&B influenced music. Another song that rarely comes from Joey. A very good addition to the EP, showcasing her versatility in genres and styles. It brings a beautiful conclusion to the EP. This singer could really put on anything and never stops leaping forward to bringing her career a step further. Impossible, truly is nothing.


The end of track 5 felt like the end of track 1 of the EP. One of the reasons for recommending this EP is for its smoothmess of flow and unequivocal balance. Credits to the production team for the track arrangement. A succesful and remarkable collaboration with Joey this time around.

A suitable metaphor I would use to describe this EP is a 'plane ride'. Listening to the EP is similar to a cycle we take which forms the subheadings Departure-On Board-Crusing-Vacation-Homecoming. A sense of excitement from departure, to feelings of melancholy from leaving, followed by an enjoyable vacation and a warm welcome home. The EP forms a vicious cycle attracting listeners to repeat and repeat and repeat plays without wanting to skip any tracks. Moreover, skipping a track leaves a sense of guilt for spoiling the beauty of the flow. Good Job JY, you exceeded my expectation and impressed. Definitely seeing you at your 空港 coming November.

Recommended Tracks: 空港, 破相, 綠野仙踪

Immortalise Music Industry, Listen Original, Buy Original! Click here for YesAsia! Purchase.

Preview of Title Track 空港

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Justin Lo Live in Genting 2010

EXCLUSIVE.PLEASE PROMOTE BUT NOT REPOST. THANK YOU!

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Time to update on this concert! I made a last minute decision to watch Justin Lo's concert at Genting last week. I was actually browsing through the internet for something else when I came across someone wanting to sell tickets for a cheaper price online. So very last minute decision (around 2 days before) I got the tickets and booked a hotel at Genting to watch Justin's concert.

Thanks to Mr. XX who sold me the tickets! The seat was at center stage, thanks for that. I think he'll probably be reading this post. Haha. However, I did something which I regretted!! I left my DSLR at home!!! Its been too long since I watched a concert at Genting that I forgot that Genting do not check bags and allow photography!! They only stop video recording!! I only brought in my compact camera! What a waste! Haihz...So again, have to use press pictures.


So Justin. I quite like his songs but I don't expect a spectacular concert because he isn't famous for one. And the only reason I watch his concert is because he has a good voice and also he writes good songs. Justin opened the concert with 好人 and his vocals was really good. I was surprised that he sang 男人KTV as the second song. Because I thought that is one of his famous song that he'll leave more towards the end. However, that night, I noticed that Justin's voice wasn't in top condition. because he went off key a few times. There was even one part where he himself realised the degree of seriousness in the off-keyness that he repeated the last phrase again to compensate the audience. And after that he added, "I allow you all to put that on Youtube!" LOL.

The concert was very casual. There wasn't really a theme for example,usually concerts would have a theme...such as Eason Chan 'Duo' Concert, Leo Ku 'Eye Fever' concert, Miriam Yeung 'Ladies & Gentlemen' concert etc. However, this concert of Justin didn't have a theme. That is why, the concert felt very casual. There wasn't any special effects or special choreography. He did the same dance as I saw at T-Music Festival concert. There was one part of the concert where I felt sleepy..hahaha...the part where he duetted with the band Rubberband...LOLS. Probably because Justin just kept singing in the same costume for about 7-8 songs and also I didn't know the song of Rubberband.

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Justin's guest performer, Rubberband


Fortunately, after that, things became more livelier when Justin came out in another costume and did some dancing. And because Justin is a little flabby, he couldn't do much dancing as he gets really exhausted. LOL. There were a few ballads that I really enjoyed Justin singing as he put his feelings into singing it. One of them is 'She's out of my Life'. I guess, most of the songs that he wrote towards his girlfriend, he could sing it with feelings and could make me feel teary eyed. Hahaha.

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A rare sight of a bald Justin


Justin also sang two MJ songs and did a few MJ dance steps. And that part was quite nice too. I realise that Justin could sing english songs well. Justin sang mostly ballads and changed costume three times. One of the highlight was we got to see Justin's bald head as he removed his cap. Something very rare. Hahaha. He also did two very famous dance moves; Wonder Girl's 'Nobody' and SJ's 'Sorry Sorry'. However, after that, he was panting like hell..Hahaha. Justin has to build up his stamina!! Justin ended the concert with 情歌.

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Justin doing the 'Nobody' dance


And I have to say, his concert was really very short. It was just about 2 hours. Usually concerts I watch stretch from around 2 and a half to 3 hours. However, he did came out for two encores. Hahaha. First, to sing 30 days. And Justin cried while singing it. Because he thought of his girlfriend...LOLS..and the second verse, the original cantonese lyrics was all out as he sang the song in English. I think that must've been his original demo version where he sang it for his girlfriend. Hmm....he must've loved his girlfriend really much. It made me teary eyed too. Hahhaa. The second encore, Justin came out again because he said it was embarrasing he ended the concert in tears. So he came back out and sang a fast song as a conclusion.

After the concert, I tried to wait for Justin and there were many other people waiting too. However the annoying guard kept chasing us. He kept chasing and yelling asking people to leave...Come on...what's wrong with us waiting there?? Not that we'll do anything to harm people!? And he kept chasing us away, that my mum said let's go. No point waiting and getting chased like that and lowering ourself. Which I agree and left.

So how enjoyable was the concert? Out of 10 I'll give Justin 6/10. The reason is because the concert lacks a theme, lacks choreography and Justin lacks the showmanship and proffesionalism that a superstar should have. Everything seems too casual and there's not much of effort put into the concert by him. Advice to people watching an un-themed Justin concert in the future, only watch the concert if you are familiar with all his songs. If not, its not a bad concert, but nothing very interesting to watch (although, it may be different if he does a world tour themed concert). Which reminds me, next time better to watch a world tour concert!


Saturday, August 14, 2010

7th August 2010: Big Four Concert Live in Malaysia

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Down memory lane to the 80's together with the Big Four (William So, Dicky Cheung, Andy Hui & Edmond Leung)

Finally found the time to post up updates on last week's concert! I was down with illness for the past few days after the concert and also caught up with tutorial and assignment work. I'm still not fully recovered yet even now. However, since its the weekend, I'd better get this post done before I proceed to another event. LOL.

Big Four concert has to be listed as one of the concert that is considered enjoyable to watch. I will not say that it is a concert of international standard (so far, the only Asian concert I have seen so far that could compete with international superstar standard is Joey's Starlight Concert). But, this concert is considered one that left an impression and also one that is memorable.

The concert started with a recorded announcement which was really funny by Sandra Ng. Sandra which is one of my favourite Asian actress just like her usual self, made a really humorous opening by exclaiming "I want my Big Four......I want my Big Four......" with increasing "hao-ness" (lust and desire) in her voice. HAHAHAHA. The crowd first laughed at it and slowly began to chant together with her..."I want my Big Four"...and the chant was connected by the opening verse of the first song "Big Four" performed by the four. An interesting opening I would say. Although very predictable. The four of them was quite lively and energetic which made even my mum who didn't really know their song feel entertained.

After singing about two more songs together in a group, they then stopped for a very long break to talk. I was expecting the talking session to be quite long because I've heard from Hong Kong fans about this. I was actually quite worried that it will be really boring if the talking session is very long. And indeed, the talking sessions was very long. However, fortunately the long talk became more of an entertaining talk show. So, it was another kind of enjoyment to receive from a concert besides live singing (of course, unless you do not understand Cantonese).

After talking session, the next part was back to the 80's part which is one of the most hillarious parts of the concert. The audience was first screened each member's new talent singing competition clips. And after each clip, each of them would appear in the exact same clothes and hairstyle they wore during the talent quest and resang their entry song. Edmond's one was one of the funniest as he had his hair curled which is a big contrast to his current mohawk. LOL. Dicky did a somersault when he performed during the talent competition. However, he didn't perform it during the concert. His three 'brothers' then teased him that he's too old. So he can't do it anymore to which Dicky then challenged them and said if he fails to do it, he'll eat away his wig. So the drumroll begins..........Bang....Dicky slipped and failed in his somersault!!!! HAHAHAHA........he was rolling with disappointment. Poor thing. He then said, "Lam yan dai jeung fu...gong dak chut zhou dak tou" (I'm a man of my words). Then he added, "bei ngoh zou yuen yin cheung wooi sin hui hao thoi, jin kui bin yat si yat si, sin sek. Dak Mou?" (Let me finish this concert then only I'll go backstage and cut the wig into smaller pieces to eat. Okay?) His brothers of course didn't give in. Then Dicky added, "sek sai kua dou yiu chit lar hai em hai?" (Even when eating a watermelon, we have to chop it first right!?) Of course, they were just playing around. LOL.

Failed attempt to perform the somersault by Dicky. William says: Get up and devour your wig! haha!


There were certain sessions of the concert that wasn't very nice. And they were from William So and Andy Hui. Both of them had parts of singing sexy songs. However, the song selection in my opinion was really poor. The song was plain and boring and added (it may be the sound system problem) their voice was not distinct and clear enough for me to hear the words of the song they are singing. Distinct vocals and clarity is very important when singing Cantonese songs or I should say Chinese songs in general. Which is why I don't really like listening to Jay Chou songs. No offense, its his style, but I prefer distinct and clear voices. Out of the four, I would say Edmond has the best vocals. In one of the solo parts where each member performs, Edmond appear on stage with a grand piano, playing the piano while singing to his ballad. I love that part!! "Lam sei"!! Hahaha. The four seem to have their own roles in the solo parts. Dicky was responsible for talking, Edmond for his prince charming heart-melting romantic ballads (>.<), William for his sexy sequence and Andy Hui for his hip-hop dancing. Andy's dance was enjoyable but his vocals isn't really good.


The concert was also filled with laughter. Because the four of them revealed a lot of their funny moments as friends together. They played clips and images such as how the three brothers did silly things to a drunk Dicky on his wedding night such as tying him up, sticking stuff into his nose etc. LOL. Besides, there were also home videos took during their trip in Thailand where Dicky secretly recorded a bathing William So. Of course the sensitive parts were blurred. Hahahaha. And also a caught red handed scene of Dicky farting onto Edmond's face! Hahaha..Poor Edmond!!!

Another enjoyable part of the concert is where the four of them sang their famous hits one by one. And their song selections were different than the one they did in Hong Kong. I'm glad that Dicky changed his selection to 'ni ai wo xiang shui'. Because its my favourite song of his. He didn't sing it in Hong Kong because its a mandarin number. At this time, everyone started enjoying the concert, however they announced that this is 'may' be the last song for the concert and they then sang 愛莫能助 together as the last song. Of course, when they say may, it means there will be encore. Hahaha. After about 5-10 minutes, they reappeared in shiny costumes and sang a 15 track medley while running down almost the whole lower area of the stadium to shake hands with audience. The situation was really chaotic. Hahaha. A really hard time for the security guards LOL. There were like 10 guards having to pull and guide each of them down the stage while they shook hands. After they finish with shaking hands, me and my mum noticed something. Dicky was so exhausted after that! His other brothers were running up stage and dancing, but he slowly walked up and moved to the side to remove a few button of his suit. I think he went short of breath. Really pity him. He's not young. Already in his mid 40's. So its understandable. However, he forced and push himself on to dance about and bow and bid farewell to the audience and ended the concert in a high note.

Owh, and I didn't take any pictures from the concert. Because, its not allowed and I didn't want the authorities to bother me if I take any pictures. A little fed up with that happening everytime I watch a concert. LOL. So the few pictures here are coutesy of pictures from news sites. Overall, its quite an enjoyable concert. Not a 100% music satisfied concert, however its more to their showmanship and sense of humour that makes it nice. I tried to wait to see if they will come out after concert, however, they didn't. Hmm..is it just Joey who does that? LOL. But anyway, I saw Joey Tang! The music producer for the concert and also one of the member of the band "Tai Chi" after concert on stage. I actually wanted to take a picture with him! He was also the producer for Joey's MOOV Live mini concert last year and also producer for many other concerts such as Eason's and Miriam's etc.However, I didn't. Now I regret. LOLS. Should just grab the chance next time. Hahaha.
Finally, all the best to the four of them for their following shows at other parts of the globe! I'm starting to like Edmond more now. Hahahaha~

Concert Rundown:
From Big Four::《Big Four》、《火熱動感La La La》、《愛莫能助》、15首串燒組曲

From New Talent competition: :《霧之戀》(許志安)/《深深深》(梁漢文)/《Careless Whisper》(蘇永康)/《戀愛交叉》(張衛健)、《伴我啟航》

William So: 《不願一個人》、《越吻越傷心》、《男人不該讓女人流淚》

Andy Hui: :《翻騰+將冰山劈開+不倦的蝴蝶+反正經》、《愛你》、《唯獨你是不可取替》

Edmond Leung: 《半天假》、《老死》、《七友》、纏綿遊戲

Dicky Cheung: :《真真假假》+《哎吔哎吔親親你》、《身體健康》, 你爱我象谁

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Joey Yung to lose weight for concert


source: Apple Daily

Joey Yung and Wyman Wong attended British designer Gareth Pugh I.T apparell store visit event. Joey hopes that Gareth could help her in designing her costumes for her upcoming concert in November.

Joey revealed that she will be visiting Paris around September or October accompanied by Wyman for dance rehearsals and also costume arrangements.

When asked whether the concert will emphasise on sexiness, Joey laughed and answered, "I don't have a bottom line. I have to lose weight, around 10 pounds is my target."

Please give due credit if reposted. Thank You.

Ivy: Seems like ages since I translated news!! Haha, however had the mood to do one tonight. And because I'm excited to read more news on Joey's coming concert. I guess the hype is starting now after Raymond's concert ended. Hahaha...I suppose this 2 concerts are the anticipated concert of the second half of 2010 in Hong Kong.

And Joey having to reduce 10 pounds sounds so scary!!! If she's around 50kg now, that means she'll have to reduce to 45kg with a height of 169cm??? OMG!!!!! However, its cool that she'll spend her time in Paris for rehearsals!! Wonder what she has planned in mind? And besides that, Joey was Raymond's concert guest for his final show!! And they look really adorable together. I'm probably influenced by the movie Jade & the Pearl. Their collaboration turned out better than expected. And they do look adorable together at the concert that night! Here's some nice pictures to share!




Raymond wanted to kiss Joey! However, Joey rejected him! HAHAHA...Poor thing! They look so cutey together!! Hahaha...hope she didn't got electrified by Fung though...although she's a year younger than Fung. LOLS!! And I have to say, I love Joey's fashion sense!!!! The white top plus colourful boots <3<3<3>