Just done showering - I came back at around 10.45 today after a 8-10pm piano lesson with Zhang Aidi. Played the whole Spain program. Can't really say I'm feeling tired, because after a hot bath one always feels refreshed. It feels damn good sitting here though on the 22nd storey.
Cock my head to one side, and I see all the way till the tall hills of Malaysia, which are about a few hundred kilometres away from here, but still taller than all the HDB blocks in front of it. I wonder what's going on in those hills now - sometimes this sense of mystery gets the better of me, you know? It's like, sitting in front of your desk at 1am and then wondering, what's out there in the dark? What is it like out there? I got an experience of that in Germany, passing all those huge hills and mountains at 10pm.
And then you start wondering, why are they so dark, so black? I mean, what's in them? Of course, nocturnal animals la. But isn't it always so fun to think about what creatures seem to lurk in those forested areas, covered by Mother Nature herself.
Another 2 more days before I leave for Spain...Feeling pretty hungry now. Should I eat?
Recently I went to the library and saw the book about Journal Writing. Not much inside can be used for online journal writing, so I didn't take much notice of it. Until...nope. No until. Never saw it again.
Which reminds me that I should be in bed reading the book that I borrowed. Jonathan Shin does follow book series, and there's one I follow really tightly. That's the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. I love his style of writing! Anyway talking about styles I'm trying to combine both the styles of Chopin's simply pianistic writing and Rachmaninov's strong harmonies into my as-of-now still shitty composing.
But I like the method I'm using. Although it's super slow I think it's super effective. I mean, why not, learning it by yourself simply by looking at other composers' works, dissecting them, looking at them from the macro then micro scale, and then back again.
Comparing them, then using all these things. You're ready to roll.
I'm real glad though that we have finally signed up for Rafflesian Spotlight. Never knew our class people had this talent. You see, we're able to sing any given lyrics. ANY given body of text. Then give us 30 seconds, and then it's ready. It's an entirely presentable song.
It's really a talent. To be able to listen, while at the same time create new melodies with these harmonies. And one doesn't even KNOW the harmonies. Please do join me applauding Nigel, Joseph. It's fun to know that lots of other people want to do what we're doing, because it's special.
Had a rollicking time with Kakiong and Liyoung in the jamming room also, me on bass giving the Dm, F, G, F, and just putting them on near-max volume insane mode, Kakiong on the whining leads and roaring rhythms, and Liyoung with split-second perfect drum playing. Just loved the part where he threw his stick into the air, and sent it crashing down directly on the beat.
We were probably all drooling on the floor and screaming, but I knew after that I was totally spent in dad's car. Just drooping my head with all the fatigue of playing. It's a totally different story 12 hours later though.
Quiet.
Reflective.
Introspective.
Just the sound of music in my head, waiting to be placed on paper. As I have told lots of people, every musician can have the most wonderful melodies in their head. But only the composer can put it on paper.
Guten Nacht.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Found my first-ever photo taken with Dr Hecht
My first ever photo with Dr. Hecht! I found it in my only thumbdrive I ever had. Here it is:
That was when I played Debussy Reflections of the Water for him (which I screwed up pretty badly - bet it was mosquito music) and then after that Granados Allegro de Concierto.
This photo was taken in Secondary 2 by my mum I think.
K that's all, hope you guys enjoy the blog music. I simply hate the recording though, because it was done in a super enclosed room. And it is COMPLETELY improvised so I didn't think of any segments of it before I played the entire piece.
But I personally I think I've done an alright job of blowing up the whole piece, so now there's larger fragments and more virtuosic stuff in it, albeit the whole thing's still organized. I'll record that version after I come back from Spain.
That was when I played Debussy Reflections of the Water for him (which I screwed up pretty badly - bet it was mosquito music) and then after that Granados Allegro de Concierto.
This photo was taken in Secondary 2 by my mum I think.
K that's all, hope you guys enjoy the blog music. I simply hate the recording though, because it was done in a super enclosed room. And it is COMPLETELY improvised so I didn't think of any segments of it before I played the entire piece.
But I personally I think I've done an alright job of blowing up the whole piece, so now there's larger fragments and more virtuosic stuff in it, albeit the whole thing's still organized. I'll record that version after I come back from Spain.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
From Me to YOu
I feel great looking at the bloghits decreasing exponentially. So fun! It's been a week since I last posted, all the more the reason.
Honestly I feel very stupid going for Chinese lessons. I don't hand in my work, not because I don't KNOW how to do the work, but I find myself distracted every time I attempt to start on it. just like now, when I'm supposed to be doing Chinese work, but I'm blogging.
Then again I find it neccesary to justify my own actions by writing this letter to you readers. Every single day, every single Chinese lesson I'm made to stand (with a dozen of my classmates at the back of the class) for nearly 45 minutes to an hour. Reason is because we basically didn't do our work. Well, fair enough, teachers also have a hard time trying to mark our papers and constantly chase us for our work.
I think partly the reason would be that the school is CRAZY.
That Raffles Institution, in order for it to keep its position (while others WOULD argue it isn't, I'm paid to say this so, please don't argue) of one of the top schools in Singapore, constantly spams its students with assignments, homework, CCAs. What do you expect from a top school?
I just find a serious degradation of life and morales in this school. My GPA has fallen gracefully from 3.5 to 2.0 in Secondary 4. I can't keep myself dedicated to schoolwork. There's this, impending sense of doom, you know, this chaotic inner feeling that I'm feeling. I'm experiencing.
Just me, of course. I don't think my schoolmates and classmates will feel it, but it's just me. I don't know how I manage it, but at the same time I find this inner joy in being able to do what I'm able to do.
You can't fault me for that - I find great joy in practising music and just spending my time in Chemistry lessons whirling my brain around with musical fluid. It's this inner peace, you know? I can do all of it with great abbadon, and no one is going to stop me or anything.
But time and again we'll have to constantly remind ourselves. You know, I don't mind my classmates at all, neither have I ever, ever bore a single hate for anyone of them. It's just the school, bearing down on us, MOE, not caring for any of our interests, insisting that we must finish it or die.
But luckily, I thoroughly enjoy what I'm doing at NUS. It's a love-hate relationship between MOE and I.
And then I'm dealing with this utterly powerful desire they call love, inside. Sometimes it becomes so important, other times it doesn't. Sometimes when I think about it, I really do cry! But then otherwise it's really bliss.
So once again, I'll be flying off to Spain on my birthday. It'll be quite nice, celebrating my birthday on the plane, hope the candles don't accidently fall off and burn a hole in the aluminium plates of the plane. Maybe then we'll have just a little turbulence...a teeny-weeny one. More turbulence would be ok, you guys can handle it.
I mean, you can't drop out or anything, you'll just have to stay with the plane. And if you die, too bad! We don't care about your interests or anything, we'll have to be realistic. We've got a name too man, a brand name we need to show everyone that we have yet to drop anyone from our school.
Look, seriously, I'm not in a pissed-off mood. I just want to poke at the school system...they make life really tough for people like me. 15 years of age, previously the prettiest face in Sec 1-2, now an enemy of Mama Lion. And already starting crumble at the fortress defences.
Honestly I feel very stupid going for Chinese lessons. I don't hand in my work, not because I don't KNOW how to do the work, but I find myself distracted every time I attempt to start on it. just like now, when I'm supposed to be doing Chinese work, but I'm blogging.
Then again I find it neccesary to justify my own actions by writing this letter to you readers. Every single day, every single Chinese lesson I'm made to stand (with a dozen of my classmates at the back of the class) for nearly 45 minutes to an hour. Reason is because we basically didn't do our work. Well, fair enough, teachers also have a hard time trying to mark our papers and constantly chase us for our work.
I think partly the reason would be that the school is CRAZY.
That Raffles Institution, in order for it to keep its position (while others WOULD argue it isn't, I'm paid to say this so, please don't argue) of one of the top schools in Singapore, constantly spams its students with assignments, homework, CCAs. What do you expect from a top school?
I just find a serious degradation of life and morales in this school. My GPA has fallen gracefully from 3.5 to 2.0 in Secondary 4. I can't keep myself dedicated to schoolwork. There's this, impending sense of doom, you know, this chaotic inner feeling that I'm feeling. I'm experiencing.
Just me, of course. I don't think my schoolmates and classmates will feel it, but it's just me. I don't know how I manage it, but at the same time I find this inner joy in being able to do what I'm able to do.
You can't fault me for that - I find great joy in practising music and just spending my time in Chemistry lessons whirling my brain around with musical fluid. It's this inner peace, you know? I can do all of it with great abbadon, and no one is going to stop me or anything.
But time and again we'll have to constantly remind ourselves. You know, I don't mind my classmates at all, neither have I ever, ever bore a single hate for anyone of them. It's just the school, bearing down on us, MOE, not caring for any of our interests, insisting that we must finish it or die.
But luckily, I thoroughly enjoy what I'm doing at NUS. It's a love-hate relationship between MOE and I.
And then I'm dealing with this utterly powerful desire they call love, inside. Sometimes it becomes so important, other times it doesn't. Sometimes when I think about it, I really do cry! But then otherwise it's really bliss.
So once again, I'll be flying off to Spain on my birthday. It'll be quite nice, celebrating my birthday on the plane, hope the candles don't accidently fall off and burn a hole in the aluminium plates of the plane. Maybe then we'll have just a little turbulence...a teeny-weeny one. More turbulence would be ok, you guys can handle it.
I mean, you can't drop out or anything, you'll just have to stay with the plane. And if you die, too bad! We don't care about your interests or anything, we'll have to be realistic. We've got a name too man, a brand name we need to show everyone that we have yet to drop anyone from our school.
Look, seriously, I'm not in a pissed-off mood. I just want to poke at the school system...they make life really tough for people like me. 15 years of age, previously the prettiest face in Sec 1-2, now an enemy of Mama Lion. And already starting crumble at the fortress defences.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Pictures from Germany!
From left: Uncle Wai,Auntie Geok, Auntie Emily, Uncle S.S, Me, then Clarence. In Frankfurt on Day 2, before we play soccer. Taking a stroll through the real woods, by a huge field.
Both standing on the bridge that crosses over the river that passes through Ettlingen. That is in Germany.
In the concert hall itself.
Will post more in a jiffy.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Before France
My recent fascination with Rachmaninov was fueled in Germany, after I bought a CD featuring two of Rachmaninov's piano concertos (No. 2 and 3)from a music school in Karlsruhe.
Shall continue with the Germany Anthology - A collection of short blogposts.
I shall fast-foward to the day Clarence played - couple of whoops from the audience and a total of three stage-in outs. After that he got really popular for some reasons - his Scriabin was so powerful that the entire grand piano moved when he played the last few chords.
And his Schumann was simply magical...when we all got down to listening to it you could hear everyone stifling their breaths. Really beautiful.
Non-musical stuff include driving and shopping at nearby town of Karlsruhe (nearby being 8km, ok being 50km, far being 100km). The taxis in Europe are insane, because the taxi fare rises by 10 Euro cents every second. Which means for every second, erm. It's 20 cents. You'll definitely go insane if it goes on Singapore dollars.
One taxi trip in Singapore that costs $40. Heard that? HEARD THAT??
Uncle: Thank you. Trip is, let's see...$40. PLus a surcharge of $5.
Me: But...but Uncle! $40 is...
Uncle: Ok enough, lah! We just travelled from Bukit Batok to Chua Chu Kang only what!
Me: Uncle, can use class funds?
Uncle: What that.
Then after that I bought the very kool manuscript paper, with 12 staves altogether. The special thing about is, the manuscript paper is arranged like foolscalp! As in, you can tear them off from the top, not like a book arrangement.
The food portions were as usual, large and salty. And the clothes were also equally large. No salt, thanks.
Not surprisingly I decided to go and shop, simply because I was lacking a jacket that I could wear in Germany. I looked pretty hard though for a costume that could fit my size, because all of them looked like bath robes on me. Only a person like Zhongren could buy clothings in Germany.
Personally I can't remember the arrangement of the trip, simply because I didn't keep a travel log. But I believe after Clarence played we all took a drive to France.
To FRANCE!!! Yeap. Aunty Geok and Uncle Wai picked us up at our hotel, and 6 of us squeezed inside the Mercendes-Benz and headed towards France, which was about 100km away. We went to Strasbourg, which was located at the very east of France. (We were at the very west of Germany, so the trip was possible)
Was really amazed that I could be in another country in this trip, because I was expecting ourselves to be stuck here in Germany for the rest of the week.
Did some shopping again, but I was really depressed because I didn't bring enough Euros. You know, Germany and France are just total opposites. In Germany, everything was large, salty, visually-unappealing.
But in France the clothes were small, non-salty, and visually-appealing. Just check out Lilliput and Brobdingnag.
Will talk about France later in the evening, when PM Lee gives his National Day Rally.
Shall continue with the Germany Anthology - A collection of short blogposts.
I shall fast-foward to the day Clarence played - couple of whoops from the audience and a total of three stage-in outs. After that he got really popular for some reasons - his Scriabin was so powerful that the entire grand piano moved when he played the last few chords.
And his Schumann was simply magical...when we all got down to listening to it you could hear everyone stifling their breaths. Really beautiful.
Non-musical stuff include driving and shopping at nearby town of Karlsruhe (nearby being 8km, ok being 50km, far being 100km). The taxis in Europe are insane, because the taxi fare rises by 10 Euro cents every second. Which means for every second, erm. It's 20 cents. You'll definitely go insane if it goes on Singapore dollars.
One taxi trip in Singapore that costs $40. Heard that? HEARD THAT??
Uncle: Thank you. Trip is, let's see...$40. PLus a surcharge of $5.
Me: But...but Uncle! $40 is...
Uncle: Ok enough, lah! We just travelled from Bukit Batok to Chua Chu Kang only what!
Me: Uncle, can use class funds?
Uncle: What that.
Then after that I bought the very kool manuscript paper, with 12 staves altogether. The special thing about is, the manuscript paper is arranged like foolscalp! As in, you can tear them off from the top, not like a book arrangement.
The food portions were as usual, large and salty. And the clothes were also equally large. No salt, thanks.
Not surprisingly I decided to go and shop, simply because I was lacking a jacket that I could wear in Germany. I looked pretty hard though for a costume that could fit my size, because all of them looked like bath robes on me. Only a person like Zhongren could buy clothings in Germany.
Personally I can't remember the arrangement of the trip, simply because I didn't keep a travel log. But I believe after Clarence played we all took a drive to France.
To FRANCE!!! Yeap. Aunty Geok and Uncle Wai picked us up at our hotel, and 6 of us squeezed inside the Mercendes-Benz and headed towards France, which was about 100km away. We went to Strasbourg, which was located at the very east of France. (We were at the very west of Germany, so the trip was possible)
Was really amazed that I could be in another country in this trip, because I was expecting ourselves to be stuck here in Germany for the rest of the week.
Did some shopping again, but I was really depressed because I didn't bring enough Euros. You know, Germany and France are just total opposites. In Germany, everything was large, salty, visually-unappealing.
But in France the clothes were small, non-salty, and visually-appealing. Just check out Lilliput and Brobdingnag.
Will talk about France later in the evening, when PM Lee gives his National Day Rally.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Days ! @, #
I'm back! Bet you guys have been waiting with intense trepidition for my next post. My next post is now!!! There's been lots to post about and I'm pretty sure I have time to snuggle in now to write a post about things that happened in Germany and things that have happened in Singapore.
Firstly I would like to confirm that I brought not prizes back but lots and lots of experience and fun. Yes, suddenly it didn't matter at all that I didn't win anything. Winning REALLY isn't everything guys, although I'm certain some people die to win in some situations.
I wouldn't give a day-to-day commentary of what happened in Germany, but I've got a hell lots to say.
The trip on the plane from Singapore to Frankfurt was alright, we spent the first hour pass the Check-in shopping for perfumes and watching a match between Manchester United and if I haven't forgotten, Inter Milan.
The plane ride was alright, but I was always waiting for the food. Didn't sleep at all throughout the 12 hour flight, because I was watching Ironman, 10 000BC, How I Met Your Mother (which was seriously funny), SpongeBob SquarePants, and the Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Kaspian. Listened to Liszt Piano Concerto and wrote some notes down about it, touched down safely.
On a hindsight the return plane trip was worse later, because we were seated at the tail (which means more turbulance) and we descended once for 3 seconds. A heart-stopping experience totally.
DAY !
Our first stop in Germany was for Aunty Geok's house, who was the sister of Uncle S.S (Clarence's dad). So Aunty Geok drove us from the airport to her house somewhere in Frankfurt, and I got my first experience of the long highways of Germany. It wasn't really interesting at first, because we were travelling at about 8pm (and it was dark everywhere).
Germany's really environmentally-friendly by the way. You see, instead of using the normal stick and light method Singapore uses, Germany is efficient enough to use reflectors!
You know like, reflectors, along the highway. Reached Aunty Geok's house, went for our first taste of German dinners - the first of many to come. During the dinner I met Aunty Geok's husband, Uncle Wai. Uncle Wai runs a Chinese restaurant in his town, and they get pretty good business!
We ate at an Italian restaurant, and the servings are really. really. really. huge. In Singapore we would have shared it for three, but here in Germany it's just one. One plate for one person, one ring to rule them all, hello Sauron.
So after that when all was done and eaten, we were ready to head home. BUT THERE WAS DESSERT! Everything was really good you know. There was only ONE thing we didn't like - all the Singaporeans at the table didn't like (consisting of me, Clarence, Aunty Emily and Uncle S.S). And that was the SALT.
You see, the Germans love salt alot. Deutschland bies un Saltzland. Everything's so salty, that at restaurants, instead of three holes for pepper and one hole for salt bottles, it's the other way round.
I never really go to high-end restaurants much, so I wasn't confused at all. But Clarence's parents were already so used to it that they spammed salt all over their plates before realising it wasn't pepper they were putting, but salt.
And More Salt. AND MORE SALT.
So next time when you come to Germany, don't be surprised if you come back home with a tongue that is numb with saltiness. But it's pretty alright, because the Germans are smart enough to compensate it with BEER! It's pretty amazing how I've not TOUCHED A SINGLE BOTTLE OF ALCOHOL IN MY ENTIRE LIFE OF 16 YEARS. THAT'S BECAUSE I MADE A PROMISE TO MYSELF I'M NOT GOING TO TOUCH ANY!!!!!
So as expected I didn't drink any in Germany, as will happen in Singapore. Sorry, I know I'll suck at company functions or dates. I'll skip the red wine, you can have the whole Shiraz to yourself, milady.
Had a wonderful dinner (thank you Aunty Geok and Uncle Wai), then we went back to their cosy flat to sleep. It's not shocking to realize that Frankfurt at night in the mountains is a really dark place, because light is kept to a minimum. So went the lights were turned off, it was just total darkness.
Oh yes, I was sharing rooms with Aaron, the older brother of Bryan. Both of them were of course their sons, lah! But I realise I get along better with Bryan, maybe because we were both of the same age, we both played soccer, and we had common topics.
Showered, off to bed, total darkness. Hey, no hands!
DAY @
Next morning, I woke up to the sounds of an alarm clock. Aaron's a working guy - has to get off to work by 6.30am. I was pretty jet-lagged then, and he gets grumpy in the morning. Most importantly, he didn't know I was sleeping in his room! (We were on a double-decker bed, I was sleeping above)
So he started mumbling in German because I woked up and said good morning. Maybe he asked me to go back to sleep, thinking I was his brother. Maybe he cursed at me, (oops) but after 3 'Hellos I'm not thy brother' I think he finally realised, because he apologised profusely.
Yes, in English. One day isn't enough to learn German words that include cursing and go back to sleep. And maybe sod off.
Before lunch, Clarence, Bryan and I just had to play soccer. Instead of going out to tea with the adults, we reckoned that playing soccer would boost our spirits up. Clarnece hasn't seen me play soccer, but he told me he was a good goalkeeper. Which I could believe totally, because apparently he played for a tournament once, and the Woodlands Rams coach scouted him and told him that he was interested in him.
"Once you are ready, just give me a call, and we can discuss things anytime."
Unforunately/Fortunately, he's a musician, and he didn't take up the offer under the advivce of his parents. Well, he played goalkeeper throughout the tournament and not a single time did a goal go past his hands.
He must be a great keeper to do that. But I'm still wondering which pianist would use their hands in sports! Pretty dangerous yeah.
So anyway I guess he was rusty, but Bryan was good, and most of the time I was playing a 1 versus the two of them. Scored three goals to nil. We saw two German kids aged around 5-7 skateboarding in the same basketball court, and we decided to call them over.
So it was now 3-2. End of the day, goals were scored on both sides, although I'm pretty sure we scored more goals. But one of the German kids accidently fell down and blood was just streaming from his elbow and his knee.
Being Singaporeans and German we were, two of us thought we were doomed while the other guy knew we weren't.
Well you'll know that in Singapore (and Singapore only), when kids just fall down their parents start screaming and filing lawsuits.
"You twinkling bastards you made my son bleed! I'll see you in court! You watch out you ***, you ****, you *****."
In which case we hope that this would work:
"Uncle I treat you to a nice bowl of laksa...can?"
"Really? Katong Laksa can?"
"Can...why not. I mean, you know we can settle this right...why trouble ourselves?"
"Oh yeah..."
Anyway the German mother came over and said it was very normal for the child to fall over soccer balls when they were young and that it was ALRIGHT.
ALRIGHT? Holy crap, now I'm hoping every mum whose kid I have indirectly injured is German. But anyway we helped the kid dress up his wound, so we cleaned the wound and poured water over it, and dabbed it with tissue paper. Nice and easy.
We set off for another long ride to the small town of Ettlingen.
Facts about Ettlingen:
-Population: 38000. Heard that? 38 000 only!
-History: 1250 years!
-Food: Salty!
-People: Damn nice! We greet each other on the streets, and no matter where they go people will always acknowledge you. Just like your flat storey! Smile and greet at your neighbours, once you're out, no one knows you! Anymore!
Arrived at the MusikSchule at about 3pm, and started practising immediately. Every room has an upright piano (how I miss YST. Every room has a grand piano), and some of them suck like crazy. But throughout the days I managed to single the very special and good ones, and requested to practise in them.
Got our nametags and the package for the entire competition, the briefing dates and everything.
The next few days were a blur, except for Clarence's performance. I remembered thought telling myself when I get back to Singapore I wasn't going to blog about these practising days.
Shall blog more tomorrow.
Firstly I would like to confirm that I brought not prizes back but lots and lots of experience and fun. Yes, suddenly it didn't matter at all that I didn't win anything. Winning REALLY isn't everything guys, although I'm certain some people die to win in some situations.
I wouldn't give a day-to-day commentary of what happened in Germany, but I've got a hell lots to say.
The trip on the plane from Singapore to Frankfurt was alright, we spent the first hour pass the Check-in shopping for perfumes and watching a match between Manchester United and if I haven't forgotten, Inter Milan.
The plane ride was alright, but I was always waiting for the food. Didn't sleep at all throughout the 12 hour flight, because I was watching Ironman, 10 000BC, How I Met Your Mother (which was seriously funny), SpongeBob SquarePants, and the Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Kaspian. Listened to Liszt Piano Concerto and wrote some notes down about it, touched down safely.
On a hindsight the return plane trip was worse later, because we were seated at the tail (which means more turbulance) and we descended once for 3 seconds. A heart-stopping experience totally.
DAY !
Our first stop in Germany was for Aunty Geok's house, who was the sister of Uncle S.S (Clarence's dad). So Aunty Geok drove us from the airport to her house somewhere in Frankfurt, and I got my first experience of the long highways of Germany. It wasn't really interesting at first, because we were travelling at about 8pm (and it was dark everywhere).
Germany's really environmentally-friendly by the way. You see, instead of using the normal stick and light method Singapore uses, Germany is efficient enough to use reflectors!
You know like, reflectors, along the highway. Reached Aunty Geok's house, went for our first taste of German dinners - the first of many to come. During the dinner I met Aunty Geok's husband, Uncle Wai. Uncle Wai runs a Chinese restaurant in his town, and they get pretty good business!
We ate at an Italian restaurant, and the servings are really. really. really. huge. In Singapore we would have shared it for three, but here in Germany it's just one. One plate for one person, one ring to rule them all, hello Sauron.
So after that when all was done and eaten, we were ready to head home. BUT THERE WAS DESSERT! Everything was really good you know. There was only ONE thing we didn't like - all the Singaporeans at the table didn't like (consisting of me, Clarence, Aunty Emily and Uncle S.S). And that was the SALT.
You see, the Germans love salt alot. Deutschland bies un Saltzland. Everything's so salty, that at restaurants, instead of three holes for pepper and one hole for salt bottles, it's the other way round.
I never really go to high-end restaurants much, so I wasn't confused at all. But Clarence's parents were already so used to it that they spammed salt all over their plates before realising it wasn't pepper they were putting, but salt.
And More Salt. AND MORE SALT.
So next time when you come to Germany, don't be surprised if you come back home with a tongue that is numb with saltiness. But it's pretty alright, because the Germans are smart enough to compensate it with BEER! It's pretty amazing how I've not TOUCHED A SINGLE BOTTLE OF ALCOHOL IN MY ENTIRE LIFE OF 16 YEARS. THAT'S BECAUSE I MADE A PROMISE TO MYSELF I'M NOT GOING TO TOUCH ANY!!!!!
So as expected I didn't drink any in Germany, as will happen in Singapore. Sorry, I know I'll suck at company functions or dates. I'll skip the red wine, you can have the whole Shiraz to yourself, milady.
Had a wonderful dinner (thank you Aunty Geok and Uncle Wai), then we went back to their cosy flat to sleep. It's not shocking to realize that Frankfurt at night in the mountains is a really dark place, because light is kept to a minimum. So went the lights were turned off, it was just total darkness.
Oh yes, I was sharing rooms with Aaron, the older brother of Bryan. Both of them were of course their sons, lah! But I realise I get along better with Bryan, maybe because we were both of the same age, we both played soccer, and we had common topics.
Showered, off to bed, total darkness. Hey, no hands!
DAY @
Next morning, I woke up to the sounds of an alarm clock. Aaron's a working guy - has to get off to work by 6.30am. I was pretty jet-lagged then, and he gets grumpy in the morning. Most importantly, he didn't know I was sleeping in his room! (We were on a double-decker bed, I was sleeping above)
So he started mumbling in German because I woked up and said good morning. Maybe he asked me to go back to sleep, thinking I was his brother. Maybe he cursed at me, (oops) but after 3 'Hellos I'm not thy brother' I think he finally realised, because he apologised profusely.
Yes, in English. One day isn't enough to learn German words that include cursing and go back to sleep. And maybe sod off.
Before lunch, Clarence, Bryan and I just had to play soccer. Instead of going out to tea with the adults, we reckoned that playing soccer would boost our spirits up. Clarnece hasn't seen me play soccer, but he told me he was a good goalkeeper. Which I could believe totally, because apparently he played for a tournament once, and the Woodlands Rams coach scouted him and told him that he was interested in him.
"Once you are ready, just give me a call, and we can discuss things anytime."
Unforunately/Fortunately, he's a musician, and he didn't take up the offer under the advivce of his parents. Well, he played goalkeeper throughout the tournament and not a single time did a goal go past his hands.
He must be a great keeper to do that. But I'm still wondering which pianist would use their hands in sports! Pretty dangerous yeah.
So anyway I guess he was rusty, but Bryan was good, and most of the time I was playing a 1 versus the two of them. Scored three goals to nil. We saw two German kids aged around 5-7 skateboarding in the same basketball court, and we decided to call them over.
So it was now 3-2. End of the day, goals were scored on both sides, although I'm pretty sure we scored more goals. But one of the German kids accidently fell down and blood was just streaming from his elbow and his knee.
Being Singaporeans and German we were, two of us thought we were doomed while the other guy knew we weren't.
Well you'll know that in Singapore (and Singapore only), when kids just fall down their parents start screaming and filing lawsuits.
"You twinkling bastards you made my son bleed! I'll see you in court! You watch out you ***, you ****, you *****."
In which case we hope that this would work:
"Uncle I treat you to a nice bowl of laksa...can?"
"Really? Katong Laksa can?"
"Can...why not. I mean, you know we can settle this right...why trouble ourselves?"
"Oh yeah..."
Anyway the German mother came over and said it was very normal for the child to fall over soccer balls when they were young and that it was ALRIGHT.
ALRIGHT? Holy crap, now I'm hoping every mum whose kid I have indirectly injured is German. But anyway we helped the kid dress up his wound, so we cleaned the wound and poured water over it, and dabbed it with tissue paper. Nice and easy.
We set off for another long ride to the small town of Ettlingen.
Facts about Ettlingen:
-Population: 38000. Heard that? 38 000 only!
-History: 1250 years!
-Food: Salty!
-People: Damn nice! We greet each other on the streets, and no matter where they go people will always acknowledge you. Just like your flat storey! Smile and greet at your neighbours, once you're out, no one knows you! Anymore!
Arrived at the MusikSchule at about 3pm, and started practising immediately. Every room has an upright piano (how I miss YST. Every room has a grand piano), and some of them suck like crazy. But throughout the days I managed to single the very special and good ones, and requested to practise in them.
Got our nametags and the package for the entire competition, the briefing dates and everything.
The next few days were a blur, except for Clarence's performance. I remembered thought telling myself when I get back to Singapore I wasn't going to blog about these practising days.
Shall blog more tomorrow.
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