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Sia has released a new single from her upcoming album "This Is Acting", which is made up entirely of songs written for other artists such as Beyonce and Rihanna -just to name a few. Her first single, "Alive" from the album was co-written with British singer-songwriters Adele and Tobias Jesso Jr. and originally intended for Adele's next album. Nonetheless, Adele rejected the song at the last minute. Sia later offered the song to Rihanna (without Adele's vocal as Adele told Sia that she did not want her vocal to be floating around on a demo)  where she had "seller's remorse" once the track was sent to the her for she felt that she was too attached to the song. When Rihanna too rejected the song and returned it to her, Sia felt relieved. In the end, Sia decided to include the song into her own album.

"I'm calling it 'This Is Acting' because they are songs I was writing for other people, so I didn't go in thinking. This is something I would say. It's more like play-acting. It's fun." -Sia told NME in February.

However, Sia has not announced the release date for her "This Is Acting" album but it is expected later this year or early next year. On 24/9/2015, Sia unleashed "Alive" in audio on YouTube and it has accumulated more than three million views just within few days. Personally , I feel that the  powerhouse pop song with magnificent vocal performance suits well with Sia! The lyrics were empowering and she nails the vocals amazingly. What do you think of the song? Let me know your opinions in the comment box below. Enjoy the song below if you have not listened to "Alive" already! Till then, au revoir!


Alive lyrics

I grew up overnight
I played alone
I'm playing on my own
I survived
Hey
I wanted everything I never had
Like the love that comes with life
I wore Ambien and I hated it
But I survived

I had wanted to go to a place where all the demons go
Where the wind don't change
And nothing in the ground can ever grow
No hope, just lies
And you're taught to cry in your pillow
But I'll survive

I'm still breathing
I'm still breathing
I'm still breathing
I'm still breathing
I'm alive
I'm alive
I'm alive
I'm alive

I found solace in the strangest place
Way in the back of my mind
I saw my life in a stranger's face
And it was mine

I had wanted to go to a place where all the demons go
Where the wind don't change
And nothing in the ground can ever grow
No hope, just lies
And you're taught to cry in your pillow
But I'll survive

I'm still breathing
I'm still breathing
I'm still breathing
I'm still breathing
I'm alive
I'm alive
I'm alive
I'm alive

You took it out, but I'm still breathing
You took it out, but I'm still breathing
You took it out, but I'm still breathing
You took it out, but I'm still breathing
You took it out, but I'm still breathing
You took it out, but I'm still breathing
You took it out, but I'm still breathing
You took it out, but I'm still breathing

I had made every single mistake
That you could ever possibly make
I took and I took and I took what you gave
But you never noticed that I was in pain
I knew what I wanted; I went in and got it
Did all the things that you said that I wouldn't
I told you that I would never be forgotten
I know that's part of you

And I'm still breathing
I'm still breathing
I'm still breathing
I'm still breathing
I'm alive (You took it out, but I'm still breathing)
(You took it out, but I'm still breathing)
I'm alive (You took it out, but I'm still breathing)
(You took it out, but I'm still breathing)
I'm alive (You took it out, but I'm still breathing)
(You took it out, but I'm still breathing)
I'm alive

I'm alive
I'm alive
I'm alive
I'm alive

As I have promised, here is my post about my second vacation during the summer break! About two months ago, I have had a 12-day solo trip to the Melbourne, Australia. Well, it was a reward for myself after I have successfully passed my second year in medical school. Also, this is actually my final three months of holiday because third year onwards the summer break will be shortened to a mere five weeks. #sadlifeahead Anyway, let's get back to the topic before I digress further. I will break it down into several parts since cramming 10 amazing days in Melbourne with a cornucopia of stories might take forever to complete and it may explode your mind! Jokes aside, I will also include my expenses while I was travelling around this lovely city! Hopefully it will give you an insight on how much it will cost you to visit Melbourne, Australia. All the expenses will be converted to USD.

I have purchased my return flight ticket via the AirAsia back in May which cost me about RM1204  ($283). It was a seven hour journey from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Melbourne, Australia. If you buy your flight tickets earlier, it might only cost you under RM 1000 ($235). I departed from Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA 2) on 2/7/2015 at 10.30 in the night ALONE.

Day 1
Living in the tropics for all my life does makes me wonder what is the feeling of staying in an area with four seasons, especially winter since it is hot throughout the year in Malaysia! Fortunately summer break in the UK means winter in the Melbourne. Hooray. The plane landed safely around 8.10 in the morning at the Tullamarine Airport (also known as Melbourne Airport). After entering the airport, I have to go through the custom and it was so crowded with people and there were ferocious dogs sniffing around for illegal stuffs. By the time I have passed the custom it was already 8.30 in the morning. Then I proceed to get my checked-in luggage and it took me another 10 to 15 minutes. The temperature in the airport was just right and I thought it would be the same as the outside. The moment I exit the airport, I felt the cold and was shivering until I have my jacket on.

Since my friends were lazy enough to not fetch me from the airport, I have to board a shuttle bus to meet my friends on this foreign land which kind of terrified me! Luckily, it was actually pretty easy to spot those shuttle bus. All I have to do was to cross the road in front of the airport and turn to the right to see a fleet of shuttle buses waiting for you. I took a single trip to the Unilodge Swanston via the Starbus which cost me AUD$20 ($14) but if you purchase a return ticket, it will much cheaper overall. But the driver cheated me and dropped me off at the Faraday Street where I was told that I have reached Unilodge Swanston instead.

After wandering around to look for my friend's apartment (thank god I got his address before I came) but to avail, I ended up asking several kind souls on the street for the directions. Much to my delight, after walking for few minutes, I met my friend and we stopped at his place to put my things before we went out again to start my trip!

Melbourne University
Our first stop is definitely the eminent University Of Melbourne! My friend who was studying there brought me to visit around the university which consisted of several huge buildings. The things that I found interesting was that almost each of the lecture halls were named after a place. There were Malaysian Theatre, Singapore Theatre, Brown Theatre -just to name a few. It was unfortunate that I could not see the foliage and flowers around the university as it was winter and all I could see was nothing but dried naked trees.

Except for these three trees!

Monash University
Before we started our journey to Clayton in order to meet another buddy of mine, first we visited a seven-eleven shop and I got my own Australian mobile number as well as a MYKI card so that I can use the public transport. After glancing through the plans, I decided to opt for Optus mobile carrier as it was cheap (only AUD$2) and the MYKI card cost me about AUD$26 ($18.5) where AUD$6 ($4.3) was for the card and the remaining AUD$20 ($14.3) was for the credit.

MYKI Card

Flinders Street Railway Station

Then, we walked for about 15 minutes before reading the famous Flinders Street Railway Station boarded one of the trains to Clayton. After reaching Clayton, we walked around to explore a bit of the place while waiting for the other friend. The weather is a little bit insane right here as the temperature suddenly dropped from 10 degrees to 6 degrees. What might seemed to be a small change actually left me feeling colder and colder to the point that I was shivering! Right after we met with our friend, three of us dashed into an Indian restaurant to fill our empty stomachs (part of the reason we picked the restaurant was because it was so warm inside!), Anyway, we tried the delicious spicy Indian curry and goat cheese with spinach puree which were so good compared to any Indian dishes that I have ever had.

Indian delicacies!

After we have done eating, we went to visit my friend's university, the Monash University! I have to say that Monash's compound was enormous! You literally can call it a city with convenient public transports. There were various buildings for the university offered an array of courses for the students. In addition, there were also university shop where it sold all sorts of products ranging from clothings to books.












Brighton Beach's Bathing Boxes
After wandering around Monash University and its hostel, Brighton Beach was our next destination which was not that nearby. We had to take a bus and a train before reaching Brighton Beach railway station and walked for half an hour before reaching the famous tourist spot where it has 82 unique bathing boxes with different designs. Along the journey, we saw various kinds of opulent bungalows by the beach! Much to my dismay, the bathing boxes were locked and they were solely made for display purposes only. However, they does brighten up the beach and it was getting colder and colder as the wind was blowing violently !

Brighton Beach Bathing Boxes!

Panoramic view!

Free Fireworks Under the Stars at Docklands
When it was getting darker , we left the beach and headed to Docklands to watch the Winter Fireworks which marks the beginning of winter season in Melbourne. It was held on Friday each week from July till August. There were hundreds of people coming from all sorts of place gathering at the waterfront. The fireworks illuminated the dark sky with vibrant colours from 7.30 in the night and it lasted for a good 15 minutes. It was probably one of the best fireworks display I have ever seen! Once it has ended, we went for a simple dinner before heading back to our hostel and called it a night.

Image Source: youtube.com

Image Source: youtube.com

Taylor Swift unveiled her music video for "Wildest Dreams", her fifth single from "1989" album during the pre-show for MTV's Video Music Awards 2015. Set in an African savannah, dark-haired Taylor appears as a movie star shooting a film with Scott Eastwood who stars as the leading man in the music video. In addition, Taylor also hangs around with various types of wild animals such as giraffes, elephants and lions -just to name a few. The Hollywood starlet then falls in love with the leading man only to find out that he was engaged during the premier of the movie that they have shot together.

Image Source: youtube.com

I have always been a fan of Taylor and I find the music video which is directed by Joseph Khan is amazingly done! What do you think of Taylor's Wildest Dreams music video? Let me know your opinions in the comment box below. For those who have yet to watch the music video, I have attached the music video along with the lyrics below. Till then, au revoir! :)


Wildest Dreams lyrics

He said, "Let's get out of this town,
Drive out of the city, away from the crowds."
I thought heaven can't help me now.
Nothing lasts forever, but this is gonna take me down

He's so tall and handsome as hell
He's so bad but he does it so well
I can see the end as it begins
My one condition is

Say you'll remember me standing in a nice dress,
Staring at the sunset, babe
Red lips and rosy cheeks
Say you'll see me again
Even if it's just in your wildest dreams, (ah, ah),
Wildest dreams (ah, ah)

I said, "No one has to know what we do,"
His hands are in my hair, his clothes are in my room
And his voice is a familiar sound,
Nothing lasts forever but this is getting good now

He's so tall and handsome as hell
He's so bad but he does it so well
And when we've had our very last kiss
My last request is

Say you'll remember me standing in a nice dress,
Staring at the sunset, babe
Red lips and rosy cheeks
Say you'll see me again
Even if it's just in your wildest dreams, (ah, ah),
Wildest dreams, (ah, ah)

You see me in hindsight
Tangled up with you all night
Burning it down
Someday when you leave me
I bet these memories
Follow you around

You'll see me in hindsight
Tangled up with you all night
Burning it down
Someday when you leave me
I bet these memories
Follow you around

Say you'll remember me standing in a nice dress,
Staring at the sunset, babe
Red lips and rosy cheeks
Say you'll see me again
Even if it's just pretend

Say you'll remember me standing in a nice dress,
Staring at the sunset, babe
Red lips and rosy cheeks
Say you'll see me again
Even if it's just in your (just pretend, just pretend) wildest dreams, (ah, ah)
In your wildest dreams, (ah, ah)
Even if it's just in your wildest dreams, (ah, ah)
In your wildest dreams, (ah, ah)