ok i finally post after so many days.
Our RE group really did a stunt as what jinghui said. 6 pop songs in 4 weeks. Can you believe it? I seriously cannot imagine.
Anyway yesterday was NDP preview and I performed! I think my face was on the 2 big screens but I'm not really sure because while I was playing my back was faced towards the screens and the main floating platform.
Anyway the whole thing was very very cool. DJs...blah
right. so I finally touched this blog post after 1 week. how stupid can this get!
Very.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Harry Potter - Spoilers
Just watched harry potter last night at Junction 8, but didn't really enjoy it.
The aircon was so cold that me and Nigel (my ACS cousin) periodically gave each other my jacket.
And the movie itself is so ???.
Ya, gives you a little of that ??? feeling. Some parts are seriously damn funny, but the rest of the show is of mr. potter dreaming and predicting, and of course two wizard fights.
A little Spoilers start here.
One wizarding duel between Voldemort's Army and the Order of the Phoenix, and another one between, of course, Dumbledore and Voldemort. Yum Yum.
But oh mine Sirius Black died just an anti-climax death. No wonder Aveda Kedava is hopeless. The person just turns pale and fade away. Dang...
But I didn't know Black was so good in casting spells and fighting, seriously. I mean, his costume is so cool, and it just makes him a Jack Sparrow wizard, cunningly twisting and turling the wand, pushing and pulling, punching and kicing.
Of course, it isn't real. Anyway I spotted almost the whole class of 3F, and Angela from St Nicks String Ensemble.
THe coolest thing was of course me and my 5 cousins, the youngest being p4 (that's 9 years old) and the oldest being 18. Imagine us wondering around at what, 10pm, and afterwards 1am.
Thanks guys. :)
Oh, Spoilers end here. Or just now.
Yesterday afternoon we had a instrumental workshop from 3.30-6.30. 3 hours of fun and good knowledge, probably for future quartermasters.
During the holidays I might go and be an assistant there, but I might as well be a piano tuner...$50 a day!
The aircon was so cold that me and Nigel (my ACS cousin) periodically gave each other my jacket.
And the movie itself is so ???.
Ya, gives you a little of that ??? feeling. Some parts are seriously damn funny, but the rest of the show is of mr. potter dreaming and predicting, and of course two wizard fights.
A little Spoilers start here.
One wizarding duel between Voldemort's Army and the Order of the Phoenix, and another one between, of course, Dumbledore and Voldemort. Yum Yum.
But oh mine Sirius Black died just an anti-climax death. No wonder Aveda Kedava is hopeless. The person just turns pale and fade away. Dang...
But I didn't know Black was so good in casting spells and fighting, seriously. I mean, his costume is so cool, and it just makes him a Jack Sparrow wizard, cunningly twisting and turling the wand, pushing and pulling, punching and kicing.
Of course, it isn't real. Anyway I spotted almost the whole class of 3F, and Angela from St Nicks String Ensemble.
THe coolest thing was of course me and my 5 cousins, the youngest being p4 (that's 9 years old) and the oldest being 18. Imagine us wondering around at what, 10pm, and afterwards 1am.
Thanks guys. :)
Oh, Spoilers end here. Or just now.
Yesterday afternoon we had a instrumental workshop from 3.30-6.30. 3 hours of fun and good knowledge, probably for future quartermasters.
During the holidays I might go and be an assistant there, but I might as well be a piano tuner...$50 a day!
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
why am i staying at HOME?!
And so we did RE for about 2 and half hours.
We managed to complete 3/4 of a new song today, and progress is generally ok, except that there is definitely room for improvement, we don't stop trying!
I visited Nigel's blog and I have reconfirmed my hypothesis - that blog pictures indeed boost your visitor ratings.
Unfortunately I'm not fond of taking photo, neither do I have the skill to operate connecting the camera to my computer quickly. The camera. Not the phone camera.
And considering how unlikely I'll bring my camera to school everyday/at all, the chances of me posting photos are very little.
I don't even know how to connect my phone to the computer! How stupid can things get for me.
Anyway today our first period was Chinese, Chinese was pretty normal - the mood was relaxing and she didn't understand much English. When teachers don't understand English, insulting the teacher with words seem like a huge treat. But we don't do that, because she's a good teacher. Old, but experienced, and like a grandma to us. She's quite caring man!
And then I had a free period, AND Norman's history class was also having a free period, which meant that I stayed for that one whole hour to play volley-balloon.
Volley-balloon isn't really something like a party, it's basically taking a balloon and playing it like how you play tennis/volleyball. Quite tiring, considering everyone was jumping for the ball, blocking, setting, smashing.
Woohoo. After one hour all our uniforms were wet with sweat. Probably should have a youtube.com video to go with it. But some other time.
Perhaps tomorrow ;)
Physics next, then recess, then Maths.
Maths was as per usual, meaning that me and Benyap at the back could have stood up on the chair for 2 seconds plus without her noticing.
Imagine students standing up and sitting down at the back of the class. Childish, but come on, considering my childhood has been lost, it's my only chance of OBTAININg it back man.
Today's my mum's birthday. Happy birthday mum, may you guard your prison better.
And then we had the famous RE period, where we literally composed 5 songs in 3 weeks.
We were slacking for the first half of the entire year. Or the entire first half of the year. So we suddenly found our spark of inspiration, and wrote the songs!
Yeah, we're going to get $6000 man. $5000 goes to the school, $1000 to us. I'll take 100 of 250 and donate it to charity. :)
As per usual!
We managed to complete 3/4 of a new song today, and progress is generally ok, except that there is definitely room for improvement, we don't stop trying!
I visited Nigel's blog and I have reconfirmed my hypothesis - that blog pictures indeed boost your visitor ratings.
Unfortunately I'm not fond of taking photo, neither do I have the skill to operate connecting the camera to my computer quickly. The camera. Not the phone camera.
And considering how unlikely I'll bring my camera to school everyday/at all, the chances of me posting photos are very little.
I don't even know how to connect my phone to the computer! How stupid can things get for me.
Anyway today our first period was Chinese, Chinese was pretty normal - the mood was relaxing and she didn't understand much English. When teachers don't understand English, insulting the teacher with words seem like a huge treat. But we don't do that, because she's a good teacher. Old, but experienced, and like a grandma to us. She's quite caring man!
And then I had a free period, AND Norman's history class was also having a free period, which meant that I stayed for that one whole hour to play volley-balloon.
Volley-balloon isn't really something like a party, it's basically taking a balloon and playing it like how you play tennis/volleyball. Quite tiring, considering everyone was jumping for the ball, blocking, setting, smashing.
Woohoo. After one hour all our uniforms were wet with sweat. Probably should have a youtube.com video to go with it. But some other time.
Perhaps tomorrow ;)
Physics next, then recess, then Maths.
Maths was as per usual, meaning that me and Benyap at the back could have stood up on the chair for 2 seconds plus without her noticing.
Imagine students standing up and sitting down at the back of the class. Childish, but come on, considering my childhood has been lost, it's my only chance of OBTAININg it back man.
Today's my mum's birthday. Happy birthday mum, may you guard your prison better.
And then we had the famous RE period, where we literally composed 5 songs in 3 weeks.
We were slacking for the first half of the entire year. Or the entire first half of the year. So we suddenly found our spark of inspiration, and wrote the songs!
Yeah, we're going to get $6000 man. $5000 goes to the school, $1000 to us. I'll take 100 of 250 and donate it to charity. :)
As per usual!
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
The Girl's Sorrow
My love, my dearest sweetheart,
How you are to me like a flower's bloom,
Beautiful fragrance, nature's art
Yet by your fires my body consumed
You whisper the sweetest nothings into my ears,
I can only surrender with soft reply,
My eyes are wet with happy tears,
Why would our love ever die?
The birds sing of your arrival,
and I can embrace your's.
The light kisses those petals,
My heart opens its doors
Gentle lips upon gentle lips,
Fingers inter-twining fingers
Softly in your arms like in a baby's crib,
It is with you my heart lingers
Sweetheart, my darling
You know I love you,
Sleep tight, my darling,
I'm always with you.
But that day you brought it down
My mind was brought senseless,
My feelings astound
I felt my life was hopeless.
When I ran my fingers through,
Your hair, that golden colour of hay,
When I asked whether you love me,
And you told me you were gay.
How you are to me like a flower's bloom,
Beautiful fragrance, nature's art
Yet by your fires my body consumed
You whisper the sweetest nothings into my ears,
I can only surrender with soft reply,
My eyes are wet with happy tears,
Why would our love ever die?
The birds sing of your arrival,
and I can embrace your's.
The light kisses those petals,
My heart opens its doors
Gentle lips upon gentle lips,
Fingers inter-twining fingers
Softly in your arms like in a baby's crib,
It is with you my heart lingers
Sweetheart, my darling
You know I love you,
Sleep tight, my darling,
I'm always with you.
But that day you brought it down
My mind was brought senseless,
My feelings astound
I felt my life was hopeless.
When I ran my fingers through,
Your hair, that golden colour of hay,
When I asked whether you love me,
And you told me you were gay.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
She is so addicted to Korean dramas, watching them for at least 10 hours a day for the past few weeks. I hope the portable DVD explodes someday. She plays it at such a huge volume that...wth I can't believe it hasn't exploded yet.
Anyway she left the aircon on for 16 hours, hows that. My heart aches like nothing else - it's money wasted! Gosh...
I have been reading The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay for this entire week, and I seriously find it very good and exciting. Go read up on it on the Internet. You should read it too, imagine a novel on comic book heroes and their writers.
Fun!
Piano Lesson later, nothing to talk about.
For guys go play the Miniclip game 'Rifleman' it's 3D and something like counterstrike but can only move in a space of 3m. Sniper.
Anyway she left the aircon on for 16 hours, hows that. My heart aches like nothing else - it's money wasted! Gosh...
I have been reading The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay for this entire week, and I seriously find it very good and exciting. Go read up on it on the Internet. You should read it too, imagine a novel on comic book heroes and their writers.
Fun!
Piano Lesson later, nothing to talk about.
For guys go play the Miniclip game 'Rifleman' it's 3D and something like counterstrike but can only move in a space of 3m. Sniper.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
The mind, body and soul
Damn! Studying for Math TA now, and confidence level is 60/100. How many times did Sally(not her real name) mention to use the substitution method in logarithms? How many people have already fallen asleep only in her lessons? How many people, when questioned, understands what she is talking?
And I don't think it applies only to our class.
Ask any other class that Sally teaches. So I don't think it's just our class.
Proposed solution: The school has this system for teachers to check and improve themselves. Probably salary will be affected, but all I'm asking for is a better student rapport and also more movitating teachers please!
I'm not attacking or anything but just a plea for school admin to update teachers on recent student feedbacks.
And then I don't know why but my mum is in her moodswings, not me. She's one minute nice the next moment freaking nasty. Freaking nasty = pull hair, pinch, slap. Not the scoldings. Oh, and of course the scoldings are included. I should think normal conversation being 60 decibels, her shouting should go to about 90. It's louder than you imagine it can be, but that is it.
Anyway the last. Aiyah crap I just hate to hear my mum's voice. I should record and put it online for people to sell to eBay titled "Voice to make you cry"
Anyway the last Lisztomania concert i went to was totally crazy. Second best concert I've ever been in my life - 6 encores and a standing ovation. 6 freaking encores - La Campenalla, Minuet by Chopin, Polanaise by Chopin and still got some more. Imagine 2 hours of playing strong melodies, completely made of octaves, trills, runs, scales, emotions, imagery, strength, both mental and physically. Being pianists, we have to use all - the mind, the body, and the soul.
It all applies - we all start with the body - honing and training the technicalities and skills of our fingers, the usage of our shoulders, the hand to leg coordination, training our ears to listen for every note, its tone, texture, quality and depth.
And then comes the mind - we strengthen it, memorising scores, tons and tons of them, concentrating on the music, coordinating the hands and feet,
Then comes the soul - we develop it from the beginning - we've never experienced the true feeling of losing someone close, neither have we understood the power of anger, of true love, and of the depths of despair.
As pianists we train ourselves for it, the mind, the body and the soul.
So being a pianist isn't that easy after all...
And I don't think it applies only to our class.
Ask any other class that Sally teaches. So I don't think it's just our class.
Proposed solution: The school has this system for teachers to check and improve themselves. Probably salary will be affected, but all I'm asking for is a better student rapport and also more movitating teachers please!
I'm not attacking or anything but just a plea for school admin to update teachers on recent student feedbacks.
And then I don't know why but my mum is in her moodswings, not me. She's one minute nice the next moment freaking nasty. Freaking nasty = pull hair, pinch, slap. Not the scoldings. Oh, and of course the scoldings are included. I should think normal conversation being 60 decibels, her shouting should go to about 90. It's louder than you imagine it can be, but that is it.
Anyway the last. Aiyah crap I just hate to hear my mum's voice. I should record and put it online for people to sell to eBay titled "Voice to make you cry"
Anyway the last Lisztomania concert i went to was totally crazy. Second best concert I've ever been in my life - 6 encores and a standing ovation. 6 freaking encores - La Campenalla, Minuet by Chopin, Polanaise by Chopin and still got some more. Imagine 2 hours of playing strong melodies, completely made of octaves, trills, runs, scales, emotions, imagery, strength, both mental and physically. Being pianists, we have to use all - the mind, the body, and the soul.
It all applies - we all start with the body - honing and training the technicalities and skills of our fingers, the usage of our shoulders, the hand to leg coordination, training our ears to listen for every note, its tone, texture, quality and depth.
And then comes the mind - we strengthen it, memorising scores, tons and tons of them, concentrating on the music, coordinating the hands and feet,
Then comes the soul - we develop it from the beginning - we've never experienced the true feeling of losing someone close, neither have we understood the power of anger, of true love, and of the depths of despair.
As pianists we train ourselves for it, the mind, the body and the soul.
So being a pianist isn't that easy after all...
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Liszt and Mozart
Lisztomania - the Singapore Piano Festival - which has stirred the musical scene in Singapore alive once again.
I've been to all the performances in this year's Piano Festival - as the name suggests the programmes mostly consists of Lizst. Briliant, especially when I'm playing Lizst's Sonetto 104 del Petrarcha currently.
I enjoyed Mr. Katsaris's and Mr. Albert Lin's performances the most - Mr. Katsaris's perfection on the 'transcendental technique' is almost otherworldly. I remember fondly another performer of Liszt's works from the last Piano Festival - that of Mr. Valerie Kuleshov. He got a standing ovation by the way. A very very rare occurence from the audiences of Singapore.
And anyway of course we musn't forget the man behind the scenes - Dr. Chang Tou Liang, and his team for giving us such a dynamic yet smooth Festival!
Today will be last performance of the event - I can't wait to see this rendition of Balakirev's Islamey - yumyum!
And I'm proud to say the RE group has been doing very well and efficient. Our last 2 meetings have given birth to 2 new songs - unfortunately/fortunately without Zhiyi.
Just love the songs by the way, and will love composing the next few songs.
Met a few people yesterday - Miss Koh, my theory teacher whom I've not seen for quite a few months. She's getting married in August! Then I saw Selina at the VCH door but was damn nervous then run off already -.- and then some random guy said he knew me, shaked hands with him, he said he was 16 and he watched me play...and I think Azariah's mum whom I talked to for quite a while, and a woman in her 50s with all her friends watching Mr. Albert's concert giving me some advice - try playing more Mozart.
Which I realised I haven't in 4 years or more, and she told me that there's this special touch to find in Mozart. I probably haven't found it yet, but I will. Probably by next year I can rediscover the magic of Mozart!
I've been to all the performances in this year's Piano Festival - as the name suggests the programmes mostly consists of Lizst. Briliant, especially when I'm playing Lizst's Sonetto 104 del Petrarcha currently.
I enjoyed Mr. Katsaris's and Mr. Albert Lin's performances the most - Mr. Katsaris's perfection on the 'transcendental technique' is almost otherworldly. I remember fondly another performer of Liszt's works from the last Piano Festival - that of Mr. Valerie Kuleshov. He got a standing ovation by the way. A very very rare occurence from the audiences of Singapore.
And anyway of course we musn't forget the man behind the scenes - Dr. Chang Tou Liang, and his team for giving us such a dynamic yet smooth Festival!
Today will be last performance of the event - I can't wait to see this rendition of Balakirev's Islamey - yumyum!
And I'm proud to say the RE group has been doing very well and efficient. Our last 2 meetings have given birth to 2 new songs - unfortunately/fortunately without Zhiyi.
Just love the songs by the way, and will love composing the next few songs.
Met a few people yesterday - Miss Koh, my theory teacher whom I've not seen for quite a few months. She's getting married in August! Then I saw Selina at the VCH door but was damn nervous then run off already -.- and then some random guy said he knew me, shaked hands with him, he said he was 16 and he watched me play...and I think Azariah's mum whom I talked to for quite a while, and a woman in her 50s with all her friends watching Mr. Albert's concert giving me some advice - try playing more Mozart.
Which I realised I haven't in 4 years or more, and she told me that there's this special touch to find in Mozart. I probably haven't found it yet, but I will. Probably by next year I can rediscover the magic of Mozart!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)