Had dinner with my section mates at Fish & Co. And after that we went to LJS for pineapple cream pie, yum! Heehee actually we were quite undecided between BK or LJS, since both had chocolate pies, but in the end we decided on LJS. Haha everything's still the same as ever, Debbie and I always just stoning or listening-but-not-bothering-to-understand the others' idol talk about whoever-wherever-whatever. And everyone's still as lame as ever, saying funny things and making me laugh... (and getting hit by Debbie like a humpty-dumpty! Heh sorry Debbie, I dunno why but I just found it particularly hilarious when Jiehui said it...) Nice to know that although we don't get together very often, in fact we get together quite seldom, we are still very at ease with each other. Going to miss all the fun, laughter, lameless and company of all of y'all! Too bad I won't get to see Debbie off (and probably for quite long still huh, since our holidays are during such different periods).


Thanks, yiting, for this photo!

Sighz got to go tidy up my bed before I can sleep. Oops I've strewn almost everything across it this morning while attempting to tidy up the room by searching for all the documents I'd need and putting them neatly into the luggage. But at the same time, messing up the bed with all the other stuff I won't need. Bleah. Hah so much for tidying up the room...

Yay I finished packing the stuff to be shipped. My bro should be helping me lug the bigger box to the post office. Either one of us could probably manage the CD case box alone, but not the one with scores, books and CD shelf. Yes, I dismantled the CD shelf and packed it in the box. Was a bit unsure of whether to just leave it here and then get something there to hold the CDs but I suppose why not, since there was still space in the box. In the end the box weighed about 16 kg, I'd definitely not make it to the post office alone. Even if I did I think my arms would be aching so much I'd have to not touch the piano for one or two days.


Scores and books


It looks so bare without the CD shelf...


All packed and ready for shipping!

Haven't blogged for quite some time. Thinking of changing the look again. Been a little more occupied with packing. A bit early for packing every single thing, but a little late to pack all the stuff that has to be shipped. Since they say it'll take about 6-10 weeks, it's probably going to arrive between the 4-8 weeks after the proper start of the term, since my first two weeks there are going to be international welcome week and freshers week.

Got the boxes from singpost last week. Bought a size 5 box and two size 4 boxes. And bubble wrap. But didn't get down to packing until today. A bit lazy, and because I didn't know whether it was safe to actually send it to the Elgar Court address before I actually paid for it and get the key. But I guess I can only trust in their guarantee scheme and room reservation thing. Plus I won't be staying in the same room for the welcome week. But then I don't think it'll arrive that early so hopefully it's going to be ok. More scary is whether the boxes will get lost during shipping. My scores! And CD cases!

Managed to squeeze all the CD cases into a size 4 box. The CDs are of course, not inside. Decided to bring them with me in a huge CD wallet.


The CD shelf's empty...


Lots of bubble wrap to protect the cases.


CDs Done!

Whew. I survived recital. Haha of course I would, it's just how well I survived right. Well I guess I'd know tomorrow... having my lesson. Ahh so soon. Hmm on the way back Adeline and I were wondering whether Ms Ching was genuinely happy when she said "well done" at the end of the recital. Not that we think she's a hypocrite, but of course we know even if she had something to criticize she couldn't do it in front of the audience right.

There weren't much people anyway, which was actually a good thing. Haha less scary. But I guess it was a bit disappointing given the impressive turnout for the previous recital by another class. And we prepared so many programmes! On such nice paper! And we tied them nicely! And we bought chocolates! Lol ok nevermind, since there's extra chocolate I'm very happy hahaha.

Didn't know what to expect, but I was already warned that the piano was going to be quite hard to sound. So it wasn't too much of a surprise when the piano sounded muffled when we had a chance to use the piano before the recital started. It's sort of like the new Boston grand, muffled, but the keys are different. It's the typical "shallow-feeling" keys, like you just don't feel as if your fingers are pressing right into them even though in actual fact the keys are pressed down already. Give myself quite a fright before the concert, I was just playing halfway when suddenly I forgot the next chord. Think I wasn't concentrating. Luckily it wasn't the real thing!

When it really was time to play I didn't get any memory lapses, except a tiny one which I think (or hope) no one noticed. Was near the end and cos it was quite similar to another part, I nearly played the wrong chord. Lol if I did I guess I would have no choice and have to repeat all over from that part of the piece! Almost 80 percent of it would be repeated hahaha that would be disastrous. The runs were a bit slippery, but because of the muffled sound maybe it wasn't that noticeable... hmm ok maybe Ms Ching noticed? Anyway, I'd know tomorrow.

Ok shall go and do some last minute practise. Haha put Beethoven, Mozart and Messiaen in cold storage cos Szymanowski was more important. Can't afford to have any major breakdowns for recital right.

Went to Ms Ching's house for a run-through of the recital next Sunday. Was feeling quite happy to get together with them again, since I may not be joining them for the next class lesson. Or I may, if my last lesson isn't going to be on fifth week. Played ok, better than the last class lesson definitely. At least the left hand runs were not messed up like the other time. But all the left hand jumps and big chords sort of made the phrases choppy. Got to practise that passage again. Frustrating. When I've finally got the aiming of the jumps right, something else will mess up. And when the something else is fixed, the left hand will miss the jumps again. Argh. Now I know why it's an etude lol.

Think everyone improved while preparing for the recital. Was so in awe of everyone's playing, especially Bernice's Beethoven. Haha when she started the third movement an image of an old castle suddenly came into my mind, with the attendants all rushing about preparing for their king's return and the queen excitedly overseeing the preparations. To think that I used to dislike class lessons, cos it's just so scary and nerve-racking. But now I think I will actually miss having class lessons. Think we got to know each other better while organising the recital so it's less scary now.

The questioning part of the introduction for each piece was supposed to add some sort of spontaneity so it's not just the MC speaking by herself. But it's also very fake. Like, "Why did you choose this particular piece?" And you'd think, "Er, because Ms Ching suggested it?" But of course we can't give that sort of answers... Bleah.

Ok starting to feel excited about the recital. Mixed with some anxiety too of course. Haha better practise hard the coming week. But first, practise for Wednesday's lesson... don't want to get scolded again.

Woohoo! One day off work. Seriously want to quit but she keeps saying I'm plain lazy. Argh.

I just want more time, and more energy, and more enthusiasm, to practise! After work I just feel like slopping on the sofa until it's bedtime. Call me a couch potato.

But when I have one whole day free I'll feel so happy and I feel like practising!

So ok, I didn't take the initiative to do slow practise the last time, this week I did slow practise everytime I touched the piano. But it scares me cos I don't even know if I'll be able to pull off playing at normal speed tomorrow? Without having tried it after all that slow practise.

Think I'm going to get scolded againt tomorrow. But who am I to complain and moan and groan... it's my fault that I don't have the discipline to practise. Sigh. Can only blame myself.

Spent a day without my phone today. Sorry to those who msged me but only got a reply at night! Oops

Was either practising or lazing on the sofa watching tv or eating.

Thanks pohning for calling me about the accommodation! Heh I've been quite out of touch with the computer, simply because usually I'll try to cram in some practising when I reach home after work so that I can be a total slob later on without feeling guilty. And I'd try not to switch on the computer cos my eyes are already tired out from looking at the computer all day.

Eh ok going to sleep. Need lots of concentration for piano tomorrow!

Wow although work is still boring, it has never been busier. If at first I thought it was busy enough (updating stuff that dates back to february!), I was wrong. On my second week back there I also had to check through piles of listings for un-updated stuff (you'd be surprised how screwed their system is, almost 80% weren't updated properly!), on top of the updating. At first my personal target was to get through the updating as quickly as possible, hoping that I can stop working as early as possible. Even from the beginning it seemed like an uphill task... lol there are literally hills of listings at the TC corner waiting to be updated! But now it seems almost impossible.

Nowadays I've also had to call up schools that didn't return a form by fax. Oh man, some of them claim not to even have seen the letter and the annex that was supposed to be completed and faxed back to us. And then we have to go through all the trouble to print out another copy (because the letter specifies the school name etc, so we can't use the same copy for every school) and fax it to them. After calling the first few schools I've already become like a sort of recorded voice message. Haha every call I'd find myself saying the same thing lol. It's like their recorded message that goes, "If you know the party's extension, please dial now. Otherwise, press '0' for general office... blah blah" And I've heard Scott Joplin's The Entertainer many times over while waiting to be connected or when put on hold. And some other very waltz-like song that I quite like... it's got that "feel", like the song the choirboys sang when they bid goodbye to their teacher in Le Choristes. But definitely less sad, less brooding, more cheerful and has a kind of lilt to it that cheers me up a little.

Got quite irritated at one point because sometimes there are children running around and screaming on the other end of the receiver, such that the clerk will repeatedly tell you to speak louder. Lol ok I know for sure it's not my soft voice, even other clerks there have complained about this. They always say it's very embarassing to raise their voice in the office because their English is not really standard and most of them speak English that is "chinese-sounding"... you know, like most of the older generation. And seriously, in the mostly-quiet office (when they are not gossiping loudly!) it's quite embarassing to raise your voice, especially since there are those who are English-educated around (meaning those who are higher in rank and draw higher pay than them). It's true to some extent I suppose. Most of the time I feel better if I'm just speaking to someone in the general office, feel ok if they transfer my call to some teacher, but feel nervous when they make me speak to the P or VP.

Left work early today to go collect my visa. Walked past two Starbucks outlets on my way there, was so tempted and was debating whether to stop by on my way back and enjoy my favourite caramel frappucino. Then I realised I was too early (visa collection is only between 4-5pm, and calling to enquire whether the visa is ready is also restricted to the same time, how brainless!) so I decided to indulge in my coffee. Bad decision! Instead of the thick aromatic coffee blended with ice, topped with sinful whipped cream and caramel... I got something that tasted like I was drinking crushed ice with a little taste of coffee on random sips, and a teeny bit of caramel on even fewer sips. Couldn't taste the whipped cream, but then again I only saw a super thin layer of that on top of the coffee in the first place. So much for coffee in Shenton Way huh, they probably try to maximise profits because some office workers just need their coffee break. Hmm was astounded at how free they seemed to be, sitting around leisurely enjoying their coffee, chats, and also what I hate most, they were puffing away! Argh I've never quite gotten used to seeing women smoke. I think it makes them look very ugly, no matter how pretty they may have seemed when they weren't smoking.