Magical White Horse

Most sons share a close bond with their mothers. I am no different. My mom and I share a very special relationship that no normal boys would do with their mothers. Maybe it’s because of my different sexual orientation. Mom drags me along for shopping whenever I go back for a short break. She trusts my fashion sense so much when it comes to shopping. Well, it just happens that the clothes that I chose for her got her compliments from her colleagues at the office. Shopping for fashion items include accessories, cosmetics, perfume and even the box for her spectacles.

We rarely argue. Well, partly because it is not my nature to quarrel. My mom thinks I am too good boy. Even Prince Charming pointed it out. One weekend, he asked me what I was doing. "Studying,” was all I replied him. Prince Charming commented that being my mother would be the easiest job in the world. Mom would agree with him, though at times she prefer to think otherwise.

She thinks I am not normal sometimes. I’m too calm. Too quiet. And too mysterious. She thinks that when I am really quiet, I have dark thoughts things going inside my head. Like diabolical plans to take over the world. She does think I’m a little peculiar though. I go after things I love with so much passion that she could not believe her eyes. Like playing the piano at midnight when I had an inspiration for a song. Or getting up in the middle of 3am in the morning to write. Or singing to myself, the same song, over and over again.

Few months back, I was singing a song for 24/7 when I was at home for my holidays. It drove my mom crazy. I was listening to this song by a new singer-composer by the name of Xu Jia Ying, 徐佳莹, with her song, 身骑白马 (Magical White Horse). The chorus of the song was sung in local Taiwanese language, or Hokkien to Malaysians. The moment I sang the first line of the chorus, mom stared at me in disbelief. She stopped me and asked if I was cursing in foul language. I wasn’t, just that my Hokkien pronunciation is dreadful. After I successfully finished the entire chorus, instead of applauding, she asked me why I am singing such an old song. The chorus was actually an excerpt from a Chinese opera, and a very sad one, where a lady pines for the love of her life. I got a good scolding for being so old fashioned. “Young boy should sing new and happy songs,” mom quipped. I thought it was very creative of Miss Xu Jia Ying to turn a hideous opera tune into a song of such wondrous melody. Here’s Miss Xu’s version:

Here's the Chinese opera version:

No wonder I got a scolding from mom. Hehe.

I started listening to Chinese songs seriously only when I was 18 years old. I learned how to read and sing most of the Mandarin songs on my own. Not too bad for a boy where Chinese is only half of his mother tongue.

I continued singing the song until it grew on my mother. Okay, maybe it didn't. Think I saw her shielding her ears tight whenever I start crooning the song. Before I end my post, I leave you with another take on the Chinese opera chorus, another favourite version of mine for the song: