Wednesday, August 29, 2007.11:01 PM

Hokkien Photographer

.:. 0C o m m e n t s.:.

No manners!

Singaporeans are always rushing to somewhere. So they can get rather impatient when they don't have their way...literally. I nearly walked into this middle-aged lady while crossing the road. She simply wanted no obstructions in her way and I got the loud 'TSK' and 'STUPID' exclamations coming from her mouth. That really pissed me off. Now, am cold and hungry and pissed. Rainy days don't make my mood very good especially when I'm too lazy to go out in the stormy weather just to get some food. The scattered-brain me also boarded a bus and told the bus driver to stop and let me alight cos I couldn't find my wallet. Thought I'd left it in the computer lab in school. Just when I got down and rummaged through my bag again, I found it. The day didn't start too well and didn't end too well either. Except for a rather good bassoon lesson I had today. :)

Anyway, back to that auntie on the street. I don't think she was rushing to her parent's deathbed. Neither did she look like she was going for some important business meeting. Why the rush, auntie? Even if you really HAVE to rush to somewhere and I was blocking your way, you didn't have to be so irritated. If you would not be so irritable, I am quite sure you'll also be a happier person. Auntie ah, li bo ga si ah...! Tsk!

Perhaps I can forgive that auntie lah. Courtesy Lion campaigns weren't yet concocted by the gahmen in her youth.

.:. 0C o m m e n t s.:.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007.1:47 AM

Which tree represents you?

Look at your birth dates and choose the corresponding tree that represents you!
It's mostly true for me... :)

Click on the pictures to see a larger view.

.:. 0C o m m e n t s.:.

Drama during Noon Recital 27 Aug

I thought the year 1 violinist had seizures when he didn't appear onstage after the audience waited for more than 5mins. Some students were probably too bored and started applauding. Turned out that the violinist had a broken string and was changing it backstage. I bet he was practicing so hard that his string broke. No surprise since it was a Paganini caprice.
But still... T_T"'

First bassoon studio class this semester

Quite a fresh start. He asked the two year 1s to play their audition pieces and asking us to comment...but er...in the end, he hardly asked for our opinions.

He wanted someone to demonstrate the orchestral excerpts the junior year students had to play for orchestra placement. Named someone who doesn't even want to play in the orchestra and hasn't touched his bassoon for 5months, asked another who didn't have his instrument with him to play, and everyone pushed it away until the cow farmer shouted out my name. Why is it that I'm his last choice? :( I shall prove you wrong...

Speaking of proving him wrong - both joints on my left thumb hurt. It feels 'dislocated'. I can't have been practicing too much cos I have played even more during the CISMA camp. Must be the toccata and fugue lah!!! Imagine having to play this: la-so-la-fa-la-mi-la-re-la-d0#-la-re-la-mi-la-fa-la-la(8ve lower)-la-si-la-do#-la-re-la-do#-la-re-la-mi-la-fa__


Who wants to go to the one-night only Vienna State Opera performance? There's the Russian National concert in Oct I think. Any interested parties?

.:. 0C o m m e n t s.:.

Saturday, August 25, 2007.11:55 AM

以牙还牙

*An eye for an eye*

Am just not willing to waste my time over irresponsible people like you. I shan't be trampled on by parents who think tutors are just maids they hire to sit beside their kids to watch them do work. We value-add ok! *snort*

.:. 0C o m m e n t s.:.

German

German 5 class yesterday felt rather scary to me...even before it started. However, as N**mann began the class, it seemed ok cos I found myself understanding what she was trying to say most of the time. Heh heh. Surprise surprise. I also found a familiar face in my class - a particular person from *PO. Was it my fear of those people who simply come into a class with the aim of outperforming the rest or is it just her? I found myself liking her less as we got through the 4hours of german. Ugh. Kept talking nonstop and would grab whatever chance there is to speak or ask a question. Arrogant schwein.

.:. 0C o m m e n t s.:.

Thursday, August 23, 2007.2:26 AM

Oh dear.

I wore my top inside-out for half a day. Only when I buttoned up did I realise it.
"Hm...why is my button so funny?" (flip the ends of my top inside out to see)
"EEEEEKS!" (rushed off to nearest toilet to change)

Aiyo eh...need to do a brain-scan man.

.:. 0C o m m e n t s.:.

Farewell...

Sent C off yesterday and gave her a sweater as a farewell present. Glad that she can finally study flute overseas. Do make full use of this precious experience! Am also sad cos she'll no longer be around to do suppers, go on fun outings together and to argue with.

The school's so boring now that my gang has all left school to pursue further studies or work. Sigh. I gotta get used to it and find new lunch and dinner kakis! :(

All the best to you all who're overseas following your dreams!
And don't lose your instruments!

.:. 0C o m m e n t s.:.

881

Watched 881 over the weekend - So Singaporean...but better than JN's.

Some catchphrases from the movie:
"Techno ChiKoPek"
"Po Jiao" - There's a Leading 'chicken' in the movie haha.
"Techno Bitch"
"Hit the little man 'tao', hit the little man 'chui', hit the little man 'ka'..." LOL.

If you like Singaporean humour and can understand some Hokkien, it's a nice show to watch. It's hilarious. :D

.:. 0C o m m e n t s.:.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007.1:16 AM

Random

**Ab-Bb trill fingering: Bb fingering, trill G key**

I've forgotten the above trill fingering for at least 3years man...cos the other puchner I used to play on has the Ab-Bb trill key. My bassoon doesn't have it. :

Finally! Studio classes are going to be held on Monday nights! No more rushing to school on Saturday noons... :)

I gotta stop buying stuff on impulse.
Just awhile at the bazaar and Co-op made me spend over $60...Schaum's German Vocabulary study guide, post-its, instant mashed potatoes, biscuits, Nintendo Monopoly, One-plank Bridge puzzle, mints. The monopoly and puzzle games were ridiculously cheap lor. I need to brush up on my german vocabulary (Schaum's is quite good!). Food to store in my locker when I'm too lazy to leave the Conservatory to buy food. Post-its are for reminding me the To-Do's...no choice since I'm getting senile...

Managed to adjust a pzzzzzzt reed quite successfully today. Perhaps I should make a video of my reed-making/scraping processes so I'll remember what adjustments I did. I'm senile, remember? Who knows I might even be able to sell these reed-making videos in future!

Reeds that have no buzz to it sound too 'slow and stupid' whereas reeds that are too buzzy are immensely difficult to control. Especially one that's stiff also. Can't recall how exactly I made it less buzzy, but the trick to scraping reeds is to be even and careful - too many scrapes or too localised scrapings will only cause the reed to be bumpy, collapse and be unplayable. Having the dial indicator might speed up the process, but it makes me prone to do alot of localised scrapings. Perhaps I shouldn't get it anytime soon.

.:. 0C o m m e n t s.:.

Sunday, August 19, 2007.2:04 AM

Maybe I should really keep quiet during quintet.

I think a chamber coach who doesn't get to see what happens during her students' quintet rehearsals is unable to give a true reflection of their chamber music skills in terms of grades. And some people who don't actually contribute ideas get credited for it. Whereas the ones who did got lower grades (from the past sem results). She simply awards grades based on one's skills on his/her instrument - which I think is reserved for their instrument major teachers instead. But how well the student can demonstrate those ideas on his instrument also plays a huge part. Even if you contributed the idea and you can't materialise it, that's as good as nothing.

So, perhaps the only way to go is to contribute my ideas during class...but it's way too selfish and doesn't help the quintet...

_________________________________________________________

I can quite successfully turn a thick-sounding reed to a relatively good reed now.
The problem lies with the buzzy-sounding reeds after going to the guillotine. Attempts to make them un-buzzy have been mostly fruitless. In the end, they can't really play. Doshitei? 1 reed blank 5bucks lor. I wasted 10bucks already. :(

.:. 0C o m m e n t s.:.

:(

What am I doing?

She is fussy. Or am I just not playing well enough at this stage?

Any use of practicing every night until I get thrown out of the practice rooms?

Too many questions and no answers now.

:(((

.:. 0C o m m e n t s.:.

Thursday, August 16, 2007.2:32 PM

狗狗猩猩大冒險

.:. 0C o m m e n t s.:.

Pankun 阿笨 阿占

.:. 0C o m m e n t s.:.

Pankun 阿笨 阿占

.:. 0C o m m e n t s.:.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007.12:32 PM

Wang Liang - Oboe

.:. 0C o m m e n t s.:.

AYMC

That Asian youth music competition was one bizarre affair.
Audience - mostly PRCs, were walking in and out of the theatre at Suntec Convention Centre, with bowls of instant noodles and drinks in their hands, talking loudly, hopping in and out like they're at a picnic. People are even more well-behaved than that in cinemas here.
Gosh.

Contestants were young kids, mostly from China. One 8yr old girl played 东方之珠 accompanied by.......a CD. I even recall hearing this song on 安培那杯儿童karaoke when I was a kid! So farnie...There were alot of contestants who did the *ahem* Instrumental Karaoke and also looked like they were going to perform for 七月歌台 - one particular boy looked like a chinaman who accidentally time travelled to the victorian times and was trying too hard to blend in. Wah Lau...

Ridiculous...After listening to 2hours of crap, we finally saw Luis coming onstage. The Mozart sounded good, though a little reserved and on the soft side. Hey, too bad you were sandwiched between 2 saxophonists - Mr Casablanca and Mr Paganini - they're simply TOO loud.

Tired. Will post the video and sound clips tomorrow. :p

.:. 0C o m m e n t s.:.

Monday, August 13, 2007.12:12 AM

Personality Test

Symbol test - Which symbol appeals to you the most?

Choose the symbol that you like best and then the one that you like second best. Don't allow any intellectualization about it, just make a quick and simple choice. Afterwards read the analysis and explanations.

*Scroll down for the analysis*

My choice: 1.Squiggle 2.Triangle

Squares feel most comfortable with a stable environment and clear directions on what to do. They are conservative and like things that are regular and orderly. If given a task they will work on it until it is finished, even if it is repetitious, cumbersome and lonely.

Rectangles like structure and regularity. But they will better establish it with organization, meetings, committees and so forth. This will have to be done the proper way, taking all rules and regulations into consideration. If given a task they will start organizing it to be sure it can be done the most systematic way.

Triangles are goal oriented. They enjoy planning something out and then doing it. They get motivated by the accomplishment. They will tend to look at long-term issues, but might forget the details. When given a task they will set a goal and work on a plan for it.

Circles are social and communicative. No hard edges. They handle things by talking about them and smoothing things out with everybody. Communication is the first priority, and making sure there is harmony. When given a task they will talk about it.

Squiggles are off-the-wall and creative. They feel best doing new things and get bored with regularity. When given a task they will come up with bright ideas about it.

The square, rectangle and triangle are all convergent. They are working towards something specific and finite, and they do it in a logical and systematic way. But they might be lacking in personal creativity.

The circle and squiggle are divergent. They are creative, extroverted, and intuitive. They will reach out around them into new areas and to other people. But they aren't particularly systematic or dependable.

This categorization is very useful for evaluating people for job positions or for finding out how well people will work together. If you really need something specific done, the square is most likely to do it exactly as specified. Squares will work great in the accounting department. If things need to be organized amongst a group of people, then the rectangle is most likely to make that happen. A triangle might be a good executive, setting goals and making sure they are met. The circle will be good at public relations. If anything new is needed a squiggle is the person for the job. Advertising, problem solving etc.

The different categories of people might often get into conflicts with each other if they don't realize that they each work differently. The convergent people might get frustrated that the divergent ones don't care about deadlines. The divergent people might find the convergent ones cold and narrow minded, not taking human factors and new possibilities into consideration.

These categorizations can tell us a person's preferred method of working with something.

A square will need fairly specific instructions. They are not happy just floating around, not knowing where they are going. A square will feel good about being presented with a technique and carrying it through until it is done. It doesn't matter much if it is repetitious, regularity is a source of comfort. For a square it is a good idea to have more of a formal routine, certain rituals that are repeated.

A rectangle needs to see how things are organized. Rectangles enjoy understanding the principles of what they are doing. The rectangle will feel comfortable knowing and noticing that systematic techniques are being used and that they have names and so forth.

A triangle needs to make goals and accomplishments. They would appreciate making a list of tasks and then checking them off. It should always be clear what the underlying intention is for each task. If the direction is agreed upon, the triangle can be quite flexible on how the task is to be accomplished.

A circle doesn't need a plan or a system. They prefer to talk about whatever is at hand. Achieving harmony is more important than using the right procedures or techniques.

A squiggle must be presented with new and different things. Unexpected perspectives and angles are what motivates them. It is perfectly fine if no procedure is defined and every session is different. They are flexible and avoid preconceived ideas about where they will end up.

If it isn't already apparent, there is no value judgment connected with each category. None of them are better than the other. Each one is a somewhat fragmented package and has qualities that are better for certain purposes.

.:. 0C o m m e n t s.:.

Sunday, August 12, 2007.3:47 PM

Scatter-brained

Suddenly realised that the staff access card is still with me!!!
Crap...getting more scatter-brained.

Must pass it to my ex-colleague asap.

.:. 0C o m m e n t s.:.

Bizarre placements

Couldn't quite contain my disbelief when I saw the placement lists for orchestra and chamber this semester. I'm neither placed in the orchestra nor the new music ensemble for the first concert. Yet, I'm in R's chamber group. 唐三藏 forever trapped in 白骨精的魔掌...*Boohoo*

I don't want so much free time lor...and the placements for all the winds are so odd. So many young birds in there. Good luck...Wyh.

Never mind...die die also must fight to play 1st for Eroica and the other Mozarts in the November concert.

Senior recital pieces......hea..d...ache.......

.:. 0C o m m e n t s.:.

Saturday, August 11, 2007.11:59 PM

Problem kid

My student sat in the practice room holding her bassoon for 2hours today without even attempting to 'borh' her bassoon. Neither did she answer me when I posed her questions. Except fiddling with the silly B flat key...

Me: Can you play all the notes that you have learnt up till now?
Student: *sits down there fiddling her Bb key and doesn't move otherwise*
Me: Can you play all the notes that you have learnt up till now?
Student: *silence*
Me: Have you forgotten all I've taught you?
Student: *silence*
Me: Just play whatever you know...
Student: *looks at her bassoon and fiddles with the keys*
Me: Ok...You decide whether you want to play the bassoon or pack your bassoon and go home.
Student: *Silence...continues fiddling with bassoon*
Me: ...You want to play or go home?
Student: *continues playing dumb and deaf*
.
.
.
.
I was sick of repeating myself and went about making my reeds. So when the 1hour was up, I told her to pack up and go home...the 2nd hour passed and she ......... STILL SAT DOWN THERE FIDDLING WITH HER BASSOON!!!!!!

I finally raised my voice a little..."You've been sitting here for 2 hours...Go pack up NOW." After a while longer, she finally moved her butt slowly, kept her bassoon and got out of the room quietly...

If she was my junior in secondary school, my reaction would have been oh-so-different.
Now, I have to coax and beg..."Play a little louder....come on...push more air... just hold it a little longer...yes! that's good! now let's try the next note..."

Am I a bad teacher? Is that why she's behaving this way?
Someone should set up a special class for these problem kids who play dumb and deaf and are lazy.

Oh, did I also mention that she cancels my lessons with her every alternate week?

.:. 1C o m m e n t s.:.

Friday, August 10, 2007.1:52 PM

Is there anything more painful than losing someone you love deeply? She just lost her boyfriend of 7yrs. The guy said he's sick and tired of the relationship and wishes to concentrate on his career for now. 7 yr itch? Whatever.

It pains me to see her cry herself to sleep, wake up and break into tears again...
Seeing her reminds me that my problem is so microscopic, yet I still cannot help feeling upset sometimes...

Sigh...

.:. 2C o m m e n t s.:.

Musings

Listening to my newfound favourite jazz artist, Tony O'Malley's Autumn Leaves as I type this...

Should I go for the Tasmanian Music Festival?

No:

1. The orchestra wasn't any good according to those who were there last year.
2. I have to drop my Japanese language module in NUS - a few hundred points gone.
3. Not enough time to prepare for the National Piano and Violin concerto competition pieces.
4. It's not fully sponsored.
5. No friends going with me.

Yes:

1. Get to go overseas - been wanting to do that for a long time.
2. Bring my bassoon on her virgin music festival overseas.
3. Get some quality alone time to sort out my thoughts.
4. Networking.
5. Opportunities.

What should my decision be...?___________________________________________________

Relationships are so fragile. Love between friends, Love between lovers...can be so volatile that's akin to a delicate chemistry experiment. Some chemical reactions are irreversible - and if it's unfavourable, too bad then. Let it be a lesson. I'm afraid there're certain chemicals which we will never be able to find out their entire set of properties in our time - it's just not meant for us to discover. When the right scientist comes along, it will happen like how the right key fits into the right lock at the right time.

Guys can be quite hard-hearted when it comes to relationships. (Girls are too soft-hearted!!!) There are just too many differences between guys and girls - the way their minds and hearts operate. It sometimes takes a few failed relationships to realise just some of the many differences. But personalities also matter alot.

So complicated.

Humans aren't without flaws and you got to accept them in their entireties - more so for lovers. I guess that is the rest test.

Understand.
Communicate.
Share.
Trust.
Cherish...

.:. 0C o m m e n t s.:.

Thursday, August 2, 2007.10:31 PM

我最讨厌有些人只会坐在一旁指挥别人而不帮忙

又有一些人不自动， 不会帮忙就算了。。。还帮倒忙。

咳。。。

还有啊， 我越看他的嘴巴越想笑，一直在twitch不停。 但是又不能不看，因为他在说话嘛。不看又没礼貌。。。看了又要强忍住笑。 真烦。

他现在有一个新奴隶不用， 一直叫我帮他做这个、做那个。连倒水也只叫我做。
那你请她来做啥？！

*#($)@*#&$^%^@*

.:. 0C o m m e n t s.:.

Pankun and James: shopping for shoes

.:. 0C o m m e n t s.:.