Brought a magazine on the way back home in the afternoon. It's a HK mag called "Milk". Dun really like HK mag but this one's pretty nice and it reminds me of "Amoeba" which's my favourite mag but stop publishing years ago.

Anyway I read this article in the magazine which reflects on Pulp's song "Common People". I like this song, one of the many from my bro's CD collection. And I used to fancy the frontman of the band, Jarvis Cocker, and in fact I still admire him.

The song's about the guy meeting a rich girl in college. The rich girl told the guy that she wants to live like common people. The guy took the girl to experience common people's way of life, but the girl can never understand. Becasue the girl can be all wealthy again any minute by calling her Dad.

The writer of the article reflects on the song and said, the fact that you have the thought of being different , you're actually not any different from the rest of the common people. Coz every common person wants to be different.

It's a weird thought but it's so true, doesn't everyone wants to be different? And this very thought of alienating yourself from the rest of the "common people" is actually the most common thing of all. And this, according to the writer, leads to the class distinction. People with same background are grouped together and any deviation from the group norm is regarded as "different" and this is where prejudice and discrimination comes from.

So ironic. The article striked me when I read it on the bus. And I just can't help thinking, why are we trying so hard to be different? It's actually the differences between people, countries, cultures which make the world so fascinating. But we seem to be never able to fully accept the difference we have. We even regard some of the people as inferior just becasue they are different. Is difference a good or bad thing? Becasue of the difference, a person stands out from the crowd and gets all the attention, but it's also becasue of the difference, a person is alienated, ignored and silenced.

Life's so full of paradox and contradictions.

And to be honest, I do want to be different.

Here are the lyrics of "Common People" by Pulp.

Common People---Pulp

She came from Greece she had a thirst for knowledge

She studied sculpture at Saint Martins College

that's where I

caught her eye

She told me that her Dad was loaded

I said, "In that case I'll have a rum and coca-cola"

She said, "fine"

and in thirty seconds' time she said,

"I want to live like common people,

I want to do whatever common people do,

I want to sleep with common people,

I want to sleep with common people,

like you"

Well what else could I do-

I said, "I'll see what I can do"

I took her to a supermarket,

I don't know why but I had to start it somewhere

so it started there.

I said pretend you've got no money,

she just laughed and said,

"Oh you're so funny"

I said, "yeah?

Well I can't anyone else smiling in here.

Are you sure you want to live like common people,

you want to see whatever common people see,

you want to sleep with common people,

like me"

But she didn't understand,

she just smiled and held my hand.

Rent a flat above a shop

cut your hair and get a job

Smoke some fags and play some pool

pretend you never went to school

but still you'll never get it right

cos when you're laid in bed at night

watching roaches climb the wall,

if you call your Dad he could stop it all.

You'll never live like common people,

you'll never do what common people do,

you'll never fail like common people,

you'll never watch your life slide out of view,

and dance and drink and screw,

becasue there's nothing else you do.

Sing along with the common people,

sing along and it migjt just get your through,

laugh along with the common people,

laugh alsong even though they're laughing at you.

and the stupid things that you do.

Becasue you think that poor is cool

Like a dog lying in a corner

they will bite you and never warn you

Look out

They'll tear you insides out

'cos everybody hates a tourist

Especially one who thinks

it's all such a laugh

Yeah and the chip stain's grease

will come out in the bath

You will never understand

how it feels to live your life

with no meaning or control

and with nowhere else to go

You are amazed that they exist

and they burn so bright

whilst you can only wonder why

Rent a flat above a shop

Cut your hait and get a job

Smoke some fags and play some pool

Pretend you never went to school

But still you'll never get it right

'cos when you're laid in bed at night

watching roaches climb the wall

if you called your Dad he could stop it all

Yeah

You'll never live like commmon people

You'll never do whatever common people do

You'll never fail like common people

You'll never watch your life slide out of view

and then dance and drink and screw

Becasue there's nothing else to do