Lee Hom's " Forever 1st Day " Album Diary

89/08/12~89/08/18�@@Part 10

Dear Friends,

It was great to see so many of you last Saturday when we had tea together with Xin Bao. The atmosphere was quite mellow and relaxed, not at all like work, but more like just meeting with friends. It was also great to chat with many of my fans online last week. The greatest thing about the internet is that I can chat with fans from all over the world; unlike other forms of media, it is completely international. Thank you all for the support you have given me as I continue to shoot the two movies CSF and TEKKEN, while also promoting my new album, "Forever's First Day". It sure is keeping me busy!

It happened again this morning. I woke up and had no idea which country I was in! Album promotion from 10 a.m. -6 p.m., and then we film from 6 p.m. -6 a.m. To be honest, I never even have time to appreciate the amenities of these fancy hotel rooms, they are just the places where I crash when work is done. That is why I sometimes wake up and have no idea where I am.moving from one hotel to another makes it almost impossible to differentiate between them!

There is quite a lot of down time during the filming of these movies, during which time I sit down with my music notebook and write, write, write. I have written many new songs already, some of them are good ones. Everyday, I sing these songs to myself so I won't forget how they feel. It' s funny when you sing a song that no one else in the world knows but you. That's what it feels like to be a composer. Sometimes it can be quite lonely, and the loneliness doesn't end until you take that music from your heart and make it happen for the world to hear. Once you've shared it with the audiences, then you are at peace. These days, I find myself longing to get back into the studios where I feel like a fish in water. Don't get me wrong, I'm having a wonderful love affair with this new creature called, "acting", but first and foremost I am a musician, and I miss my studio.

Am I happy with this lifestyle? Yes, but only for the time being. This life style is a bit out of my control. Of course, it was my decision to commit to these projects, but now my 24 hours are at the mercy of production companies to schedule, they argue between each other about who will get my time, and when they decide, they arrange for the plane tickets and hotel rooms, and "POOF", like magic, I'm there. That's how thing go in this business. It's kind of crazy. I love living a crazy life, but I also think freedom is of utmost importance. That's what I love about my production period, I am the executive producer so I do all the scheduling. Even though I may be just as busy as I am now, at least I arranged it that way.it seems to make a big difference mentally.

I'm told by the experienced actors on the set that next year, I'll look back and be so thankful that I spent the second half of 2000 working on movies. I suppose they're right. I can only imagine what it will feel like to watch myself on the big screen in a movie theater for the first time. What a thrill that will be! I'll have to bring all my family and friends to the theaters when CSF comes out in the US, and when TEKKEN comes out next summer, my new album will be all done! Ah.such happy thoughts! But for now, I've just got to suck it up and deal with the long hours and lack of sleep.

Have my dreams changed this year? No, not really. My goals still include making unique contributions to Chinese pop music, writing a Chinese musical, a symphony orchestra, and composing my first English album. Next year, I will be releasing my first English album in Japan! I am already looking forward to working on that project. Otherwise, no, I don't have delusions of becoming a Hollywood movie star, and my dreams still are pretty much centered around becoming a more adept and mature musician. Your support and friendship continues to be my greatest source of inspiration. Thank you, and have a great week.

Very truly yours,
Lee-hom