SeowRead: How Was Your Day by Boey

 

Breaking away from his previous "When I Was a Kid" series which are stories about his childhood, Boey's latest book, "How Was Your Day" takes on the subject of being a young adult. I think this is clever transition as the first book of "When I Was a Kid" first published way back in 2011. The kid who first bought the book when it was published would have now going through experience similar to Cheryl, the young adult that "How Was Your Day" will be telling us. 

Cheryl, a young adult at the age of 28 is facing what most young adult face in the working life. It starts with her job interview and what she faces during her changed of working environment. I won't want to spoil too much here.

I faced a similar experience as her in my first two full time jobs. Managers that shout and scold that also sometime likes to micromanage. I find it happens when the manager is way older than me, I was in my 20s and my manager then was in their 40s. As I changed jobs, I found that manager that was near my age has a much friendlier management style. I of course able to survive (maybe I am a male) the scolding and even became friend with my older managers as I will stand at their point of view on why they will be like that. As time goes by their attitude towards me changed.

Apart from stories about her at work. We also follow her relationship with her parents. Like most young adult who wants to make their own decision yet still get the nagging from parents. Because no matter how old we are, in our parents still view us as a kid. I found it a bit weird is why she mentioned "Jusco" instead of "Aeon" even in the year 2020. Jusco changed its name to Aeon in 2004. So, Cheryl would be around 12. Oh well sometimes name will get stuck from young. Maybe it is Boey that is still stuck with the name.

To summarized it, I found myself more excited to read "When I Was a Kid" series as it serves as a nostalgia to me. Boey and I both grew up in the same era after all. As for "How Was Your Day", it is a been there done that kind of reading. As Boey said in his interview, Cheryl is all of us. I think most young adult or even late teens will get more out of it than I whom is already 45 this year.

P.S. R.I.P. 小强&百脚.

Gigi 炎明熹 - 還有一艘救生艙 Review

This is the second single released by Gigi Yim in 2024. For the first time in her MV she has got a love relationship with a male actor. This song is about long-distance relationship that didn't end well. 

I think this is the first time Gigi has a typical Canto style ballad in her song list. She did very well in bringing out the emotions of this song in her singing. I teared a bit just 30 seconds into the song when I first heard it.

I love her ad lib as always. I would say this song will likely become very popular amongst the fans. Hopefully the Hong Kong radio stations will help to broadcast more of this song in the airwave.

Simon Listened: 5/5

Gigi 炎明熹 - 透光者 Review

The first single for the year 2024 for Gigi Yim. 透光者, which mean The Translucent One wants to tell a story of someone that is invisible to the one he/she likes. No matter what they do, the person they like won't take notice. 

Using a kind of mixed voice to sing this song, Gigi said that it is a new approach for her and she was not satisfied with her performance during recording. Such a perfectionist. She said that she hopes that she will do better when doing live performances of this song.

This is of a more band sound and a bit of Country influence. Gigi handled the transition of chest voice to falsetto nicely. I especially like the Bridge and the ad hoc at the end. This song might not be a song that hit you when you first hear it but after looping it a few times it will gets more and more hook on you.

Seow Listened: 9/10