Slack

Am currently looking at the JC bandsfest photos. Wish I cld've been a part of it somehow or the other. But no, I'm living on another island, claiming it as my new home.

Anyway, I saw quite a few NJ juniors including JUNIOR and Lisa etc. oh Jean too, and my ol' AMB juniors. Sigh...they seemed to be having so much fun...

Whenever I think about how everyone else is enjoying their freedom, the lyrics of the song come to me to comfort me...

Have you ever wondered? (Have you ever wondered?)
Why must we serve? (Why must we serve?)
'Cause we love our land! ('Cause we love our land!)
And we want it to be free, to be freeeeeee YAH!

Yea, so I'm not doing this in vain.

And, we should stop addressing each other as senior and junior, it's kinda numbskulled. We do have names, ya know?

Oh ya, Junior I'm proud that you did a solo as you said and I saw pics of you in bandsfest...haha. I think I watched some videos of that Mr Atasari guy conducting you all. I must mention that you people didn't get as nice a repertoire as we did last year. Wahahhaha!

And as for me. I wonder when I'll have the courage to pick up my flute which collecteth dust....

Happy New Year!

The new year has finally come. Somehow, in this new season of my life, time seems to have been knocked out of it's normal rate and it doesn't feel like the new year, just like how I missed Christmas. That's because unlike the last 12 years of my life, I haven't had to associate the New Year with having a bit of a party before getting back to horrible school after two months of blissful freedom. Of course now, I'm not reliving that pattern, cuz I'm currently waiting very patiently for my book in day to come on Tuesday. Which is when the holidays really come and everyone on Tekong turns into a devil.

Anyway, I cannot believe what a colourful year 2006 has been for me personally. So much has happened within this year, and I've been through so many seasons of my life this year that it feels like a few years squeezed into one. Who would think that within one year, I would've been in the midst, and then end the first stretch of my tertiary education, reach the probable close to my musical life (or perhaps just a tacet before I play again), and then lose all my civilian rights?

Anyway, 2007 promises to be another challenging year as would be any new year. I have to deal with becoming a man so they say. The day I am NOT awaiting is the results slip day coming very soon. After that, I guess, I can take a fairly slow cruise. I also have to contemplate what I'm gonna do with the rest of my life, and it's very difficult considering the fact I need to figure out how to survive BMT.

So here goes. It's the fourth hour into the new year. I wish all of you a Blessed 2007. Do keep in touch, old friends, and do keep a special place in your hearts for me as I do you! You'll never know how much you miss people until you're whisked away to a faraway island...

Oh, and I've been reading some guys blogs. To my amusement, most of them are scared that their enlistment day is approaching. I think to myself, how funny. I've been in the army business for 3 weeks, and prior to that I was fairly excited. No denying I was getting horribly jittery and a bit depressed too. But now I feel that I'm well accustomed to the army life, though still struggling to survive the emotional turmoil. Guys, it's going to be alright. Just make sure you make good friends and keep enemies at bay. Human relationships' ain't gonna get easier in army; in fact the male ego will ensure that it gets very difficult to relate to other people. The good thing about guys is how they fight and the next day they fool around again. Anyway, I always tell myself when things are getting different, divine protection is always around. And I dream about my home just across the seas, telling myself that if all goes bad, I'll just take a walk in the park (or like they say in the army when you're moving slowly, "Take a walk down Orchard Road"). I hope this isn't considered divulging secrets because I'm getting horribly paranoid. Anyway...

Yea, so here's wishing all my male friends best of luck for army!

And here's signing out my first entry of 2007

The Gift

Whoa Dorea really gave me a splendid Christmas present! She gave me a DVD that she found in Shanghai called "Queen Symphony". As you can guess, it's an orchestration of various Queen tunes into 6 movements. Well, I shan't critique it, I did get a couple of impressions listening to it. No doubt it's got a bit of genius in it, like combining the themes of The Show Must Go On and Radio-Ga-Ga so subtly I nearly missed it. I enjoyed watching it as much as I enjoy people enjoying themselves playing music. How enjoyable.

So big thanks to Dorea who just disappeared from MSN before I could thank her again.

My phone is bonkers....well it isn't la. It's just that the keypad is more sensitive, so if I don't lock the keypad, stray msgs will be sent all over the place. For instance, I smsed an old friend yesterday 15 times! There goes my bill. Anyway it was a good to catch up again a bit.

Anyway, I share slightly similar sentiments to Edo that composers of today seem to compose for the sake of experimentation or to play around with sound, not so much to express a musical idea that culminated from an emotional or intellectual origin. The only thing I disliked about the Queen Symphony is that it doesn't capture the essence of some songs, like the fun-loving nature of Bicycle Race, but it's turned into some show-off material for a Virtuoso. And We Will Rock You became We Will Scare You. So at times there were moments of heavy heavy contemplation and others of unwarranted fear. It doesn't match up to the intentions of the original idea, that came from Queen. The orchestrator and conductor is Tolga Kashif. I think he's a gutsy guy to do something as unimaginable as orchestrate Queen songs but I have to take my hat off to him.

Anyway, the musings shall terminate here. I had other things to say but so little time. Oh, that's it. Can't help but think I'm boring and a lousy conversationalist. Baaahhhhh, But who cares. Army is teaching me to appreciate who I am instead of trying to be someone I'm not...

Book out book out book out day!

So here's my second ever bookout. In short, it was terrible, because while we were marching to the ferry terminal one of the big shots decided he wasn't happy with our marching and discipline and made us march halfway back to company line before showing us half-hearted mercy and letting us board the ferry. Mood totally spoilt. But nothing beats being free from the island.

After another week of restless male-ego storms, and then the quashing of over-inflated egos by the omnipotent commanders, I'm dead beat. I had a nice two hours of sleep in the afternoon which is a luxury.

The best part of the week wasn't so much the shooting although I performed very well for it, but the footdrills. Ironically, that was the session in which we were all decimated and crushed because the superiors only demand perfection. That is, after teaching you the moves for the first time. And things that AMB has been practicing for three months to get right, they wanted to get done in ten minutes. I can only be thankful for my formative years in Anderson where I learnt my drills, so compared to my peers, I was at an advantage, and I could help them out so we could move together.

But while the sergeants were screaming at us, and everyone was complaining how shagged they were, I felt I could go on and on and on. I was probably the only person who enjoyed it. It brought back good memories. I guess it's kinda in my blood. If my platoon mates heard me saying these things, I think they'd stone me.

Anyway, now that I'm back on mainland, I gotta try to use my time properly. And when I say that, I no longer mean sleep my ass off. I'm a changed man. Haha...

Ah! I'm completely disconnected from reality. Firstly, the newspapers haven't been really arriving on time. Secondly, if they do, my evil platoon mates never tell me that the newspaper came (on purpose) although they know I'm addicted to the newspaper. My lack of knowledge of what is going on around the puny island is so appalling that I didn't even know there was an earthquake in Taiwan until my mom talked with me today. She was like "The internet's slowed down ever since the earthquake in Taiwan..." and I was like "What there was an earthquake in Taiwan". Basket.

Ya, so I'll make it my mission to find out what's been happening these last few days.

I have so many stories to share but paranoia keeps me from doing so. Anyway, right now I'm indulging in my music so I shall stop multi-tasking and get back to a bit of slack life...

Have a blessed Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all who actually read this rotting weblog!

I'm now getting ready to go back to my home for the next 3 months or so. By the way, I'm getting paid to do this protecting the country business so I'd better not complain. HAha.

Either way, I'm not unhappy that I need to book in on Christmas. I'm just hoping that I can get out again sane and feeling happy! And hopefully a few kilos lighter again. See you all on Friday! :D

Striving to stuff as many blog entries within these few days

While in camp, there'd be so many things I'd want to blog about but the absence of any qwerty just makes it impossible to upload an entry. Now that I've returned regretably momentarily to civilisation, I've forgotten all that I've wanted to say. And if I did remember, you'd be having a fun time scrolling down your screen to read all that I've to say.

These last two weeks have undeniably been torturous to an extent. But I think they've already begun to change me for the better, and I'm looking forward to the challenges ahead.

However, I forgot a to comment on something very important in the last post.

On the second last day before book in, I received, to my dismay, a dreaded sms saying that my grandpa had passed away. Initially, the gravity of the situation wasn't that significant, because for long my grandpa had been unwell. Within the last year or so his health has degenerated tremendously, and if you recall a few months ago he had his close brush with death. Since then he's been in a hospice where they've taken good care of him. There'd been a few more close shaves. But I'm thankful that his end came, if I'm not wrong, as a peaceful one. I'm sure he died peacefully, knowing full well that his afterlife has been secured in heaven and he'd never have to suffer pain again.

All those words sounded so nice and dandy, but I kinda started looking at it in a different way, through his eyes.

When I spoke to my parents that night, my mom told me how just a few days before that they spoke with my grandpa on the phone and told him that I was in the army. In his state, he's nearly lost touch with reality but it's a miracle that he actually remembers us, although everything else is blur to him. I imagined how the news came to him. I think news like that would come to him as another rude jerk in his perception of reality. It's like when you're dreaming, and the dream changes and reality is reset. People are different, situations and surroundings have changed. I'm sure your dreams can be like that. And I think that's how it might have been for him. Poor man, can you just think of what it is like to be in that state where nothing seems to be the same but keeps changing? What's real?

My granny has been very strong and yesterday she seemed to have gotten over her loss. I feel the most for her, because she's the one who's had to look after him for all these years, even when her own body is ailing. Of coruse, my aunt is there to look after them too. But I think if your spouse dies, a great part of you dies as well. But she's confident in the affirmation that he's in a better place.

So now it's going to be very strange, when in the future, during family reunions, a signature character is missing. And we'll know that his absence is permanent. But he'll always be watching, I think.

This is my first time I've experienced the death of a family member. There'll be more to come, and this experience must make me hardy enough. I will never take my own parents for granted anymore. I'm sure the day they pass away will be my most painful day.

So life in camp hasn't been a bed of roses, especially with news that makes you feel down, and the persistent grindings from the superiors. Other features of camplife include the clashes of male egos within the section (especially mine). To survive, you need a tad amount of humility and a great amount of sanity. Everyone has the risk of going off the blink. Training of course is frustrating when it's physical, or you just can't get it.

And I'm dead set on debunking this unfounded stereotype that we JC students lack initiative. I find it absolutely ridiculous that I'm accused of not having initiative when you see more bo chap characters around. My reasons for not doing what I did were grounded on the fact that people are generally self-centred and most likely won't bother to help you. I think my superiors already realise my tendency to work alone and even shoulder more than half the responsibility when it is shared with another assistant. Sorry I'm generally not a people person. And the reason why I'm so perturbed by their opinion of us JC students is not because we've been conditioned to think we're superior after all these years. On the contrary, it's because such comments make me ask what is our relevance in the army, then, if we don't seem to be as flexible or handy as the other kinds of people.

Nonetheless, I want to prove myself because I have sufficient reason to think that my superiors want something of me and believe in me. These are the pre-requisites for me to do well. And I will do my bestest where I can. I'm a new man and I feel fresh blood in my veins. hehehe.

I haven't thought very far about what I want to be in the army. I need advice and I need to wonder whether I should go for glory or go for my passion. Or whether I can make glory my passion, or passion my glory. Am I confusing you?

Hmmm...by the way, I completely missed the Christmas season this year. For the two weeks I was there, I forgot what time of the year it is. It was only on my last day while waiting in the parade square for the speech that I suddenly heard Christmas carols emanate from the cookhouse. And then I remembered. Haha. Yesterday when I reached home, I instructed my parents to coop us all up in the car so I could see the Christmas lights at Orchard. They're nothing too spectacular. I think it would be nicer to walk down Orchard road instead.

My Christmases are very different from the ordinary person. I haven't given any gift and I don't give any gifts. Neither do I toil to send cards. Our family doesn't have an Christmas tree installed in our house. House is devoid of any decoration. We are careful about how we practice the season because the Christmas as you know it now have been contaminated with many pagan influences and we want to keep to the true spirit of Christmas as far as possible. I believe Christmas goes all year round. And as it was very cleverly said in an article in the newspaper today, it is CHRIST-mas and not CLAUS-mas. The only thing that makes my Christmas special is a special ease, love and warmth that spreads during this time. And Christmas carols are very important: the music is what defines the season. Alex is a bit weird and normally starts listening to the carols in June/July. haha. And when I say Christmas Carols, I don't mean Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You". Eeeeyeerrrrr.

I think I shall give this a rest now. I missed blogging incessantly all this while. I have to endure my life for another two years before I continue my education. In the meantime, I'm having difficulties thinking of what I should really do after I've completed my 2 years. I hope they give me enough time to reflect....

Back from the intro 2 weeks

The highlight of my return was the warm shower that I had, with proper scrubbing and shampooing (shampooing wasn't much a hassle cuz I don't have much hair but there's still hair left on the other parts). For two weeks I endured the thing I hated the most, cold showers. Cold showers that conflict with your own surface temperature and cause you to shudder with a freezing sensation.

Note: Before I continue, I must warn you that when I took the oath on the first day, I very secretly and unknowingly agreed to not divulge any secrets in the camp. Therefore, don't expect me to give you any information on the structure and strength of the arms forces. As it is, it won't be long before ps finds my blog. If you do, do take time to tag!

Anyway, I'll briefly tell you the things I learnt there. Firstly, I learnt to love sweat. If I didn't, I'd be in big trouble. Because you sweat 24/7 there, with the activities. You hardly have time to do laundry and so you must tolerate the faint stench of sweat the next day and the next day and the next day for as long as you don't wash your clothes properly.

Also, that the army makes you into a man, that it's a rite of passage and whatever, is just a myth. Sure everyone including the superiors have to exude an aura of masculinity, but when you look closely, everyones' just a boy. Give them a few balls, and the sergeants start playing like little kids. But that's the magic of army; we're all play buddies and not men going to grind flesh into stew. I suppose in a certain sense the attractiveness of war to many males is that it's just like a game to be played, although a few things I saw in the army tells me otherwise. That, I shall expound upon later, if I remember.

Apart from that, I realised that you'll never know and treasure the people you really love until you're put on Tekong. Or to be more exact, when you're separated from them, and life's not all good for you. For the first time in my life, I kinda felt slightly homesick, and speaking to my family at night on the handphone gave me comfort. Along the course of the day, I'd suddenly remember random people and then sms them at night just to see how they're doing. Sometimes, I contacted people I haven't contacted in a long time. I even did something quite daring....I smsed 'someone' out for a walk around the neighbourhood when I got back just to cement our friendship and not leave it dangling. I guess, in a sense, army does make you more bold.

In the army, they cleverly mix you up so that you meet all sorts of people. And that's probably something I really needed. Fresh out of JC, all you've known through your life is that you've got to go on with your education until you've gotten your carreer, and then fight it out to the top and make something out of your life. When I came into army, I met people who stopped schooling as low as PSLE level. Some have been playing all the way until army after primary or secondary education. There are many smokers. There are many people who've been working. There are just all sorts of people. You will never have thought such people have existed all your life after being stuck in the system. But after realising that, it enhances your appreciation for diversity, and the necessity for cohesion in order to maintain fighting competency. I find this extremely useful for us stupid JC students.

JC students ahhh....we're kinda looked down on as the nerdy types who are not as suited to the army as those technical students or poly students who've had a more hands-on approach to their textbooks. We're regarded as being useful for only reading books and memorising. And what's more, we lack initiative. Hmmm...such a mentality is prevalent but now I'm too tired to comment on it so I'll just grouse and say it's unfair...

Ok...I'll end soon. I watched the band of brothers on the third last night of camp. It was really impactful. I saw the reality of what a war scene is like, with bullets flying everywhere, noise enveloping you and your senses, shouting like mad men, escaping death and receiving lethal wounds, having their limbs blown off etc. I finally understood what my maternal grandpa went through when his leg was blown up. War is just chaos, confusion and senselessness. Where is there any humanity in war? Yet war is a way of life for humans, for whatever reason. I've always thought there's no point being a soldier because the whole point of war is senseless. It lacks logic. But the truth is, it be, and I can't do anything at all to stop it. NS has kind of made me realise that if that's the case, then I must do my duty and defend. Singapore is prone to conflict just like any other country.


People all around us,
People everywhere
Children having fun,
While we are holding guns,
Have you ever wondered,
Why must we serve?
Cause we love our land,
And we want it to be free, to be free, YEAH!

Well, I was walking around Serangoon Gardens. I felt eased to be out of rigorous training, listening to my favourite music. I observed little kids playing around, having fun, yapping to themselves and playing with sand. And then I thought to myself, what happened if tomorrow, these patches of play areas where they pass their dainty childhood years became war-torn. How then would their childhood be spent other than in fear and despair? While walking down I had this immense conviction to be their guardian, along with my fellow army men.

Well...I'm gonna make the most of my hols. Then, I'm going to have to face a more challenging week. They say it's gonna get worse. So I need to expect the worst. Maybe then it won't be as bad when it really comes. Ok good night!

Enlistment!

Not many of you may know this...

Not many of you may care....

But whatever the case is,

I'm off to Tekong!!!!

It's gonna be fun!!! Haha

Thanks to all the well wishes from everyone who wished...and if anyone dedicated a song, try harder...I didn't hear it. Well...jk. No one I know dedicates songs anymore. But anyways, I'm going to enter a new phase of life, one that has come sooo fast. I still remember me telling everyone it's still 8 years away, and suddenly, it's in less than 8 hours.

It's going to be a very tough time, but it's going to be a period of finding the true me, making new friends, finding the meaning of true comradeship, brotherhood, fraternity, whatever, challenging and persevering, suffering and strengthening. I'll aim for the highest, and if I don't succeed, I'll never stop doing my best. Army blood runs through my veins. I'm sure this is going to be an enjoyable experience.

No hiding the fact I'm scared and nervous. I've no idea what awaits me. All I know is that army now is chicken feet compared to what it was like in many adults' time. Kinda makes it less exciting, knowing that we're being 'pampered' compared to the previous years. Does it make us any less a man?

A few interesting things I've found out about NS. One is that it became easier ever since Lee Hsien Loong joined the army (that's what an sweet old lady told me), and it became even even easier when his own son joined! Haha! I guess the PMs have made Singapore a better place in that sense. Secondly, it's common practice to break up before entering army, cuz guys KNOW (not suspect or guess) that their girlfriends will cheat on them once they're in. Thirdly...they provide mattresses!!! HAHAHA. I thought we'd be sleeping on wooden planks or something.

Anyway, whatever the case I'll remember you people at some special time of the day and dream of mainland Singapore and my life back there. Meanwhile I'll strive to make sure the whole of Tekong knows me (not in a bad way hopefully) so that I can rock the island!

Ok I'm quite high...hope I can sustain it for the next two weeks.

Don't be afraid if you see me offline for the next two weeks. Don't miss me too much, too! Ok I know you all won't care since you're living your own sweet lives having fun. I'll promise to remember you though!

Cheers.

Signing off for a long time, Craig.

PS. I won't stop blogging though! haha

I need to learn to..

...accept criticism in a good stride. Ok, I should learn to just ignore criticism and just let it shoot past me as if I didn't feel a thing, and then give a stone look and say "huh?"...

It's kinda sad when you chance upon a blog and see that someone comments on NJC boys' dress sense for the prom very negatively, and on the list of things he dislikes about their dress sense, "A fugly leather jacket" comes somewhere there. Like WTH? I was the only one wearing a leather jacket as far as I remember!!! I mean, there were many ppl wearing polos, many wearing jeans (I think), this and that. But I bear all the brunt of criticism for the leather jacket department? And it's fugly! How am I supposed to feel?

Hmmm...see...what I'm supposed to do is treat his comments as such...

It's ok that he thinks that way. My opinion of the grad ball anyway, is that you look good but there's no need to compete and try to look the best. People's fashion senses differ, so I respect his conviction that leather jackets don't look good. Other people may also be unable to afford clothes, or they may be hindered by other limitations. There's no need to be so critical about how they dress. The whole point of the grad ball is not to show off, but to enjoy your friends company who have been with you for the last two years.

But forget it. I'll just be the devil I am and say this...

FUGLY? WHAT THE HECK DO YOU KNOW ABOUT FUGLY??? For your information that jacket came from Pakistan, exquisite leather you'd never get anywhere else in the world, exquisite leather that costs a fortune! If you think it's fugly, you have no appreciation for value, or you have nothing in that nut of yours. You lousy posers waste your time dressing up to the prom following your own fancy and what you get out of it is the same as we do...the food the photos, the strip shows, whatever! Why the heck do you have to make an issue out of how NJCians dress for goodness sake? If you so despise the people in our school, you're just another one who subscribes to stereotypy that's uncalled for. It's plain bias, see? Thank you so much for making us look horrible in public! Will people remember you for what you wore or will they remember you for who you are? We remember each others faces, not garments. We'll have fun and enjoy each other's company, not show off how we look, thank you. For your information, I, the bearer of the leather jacket, did not make a conscientious decision for what I wore, in fact I got everything together a few hours before the grad nite. But I had fun, and got the best out of my time. I despise your material musings!

But you see, the problem with becoming angry, is that in the end, I really didn't care about what I wore. I got didn't prepare as hard as many other people did. So why should I care about what people say?
What's more, do you notice how much more red text there is than green?

Nah, I'm just disappointed that people humiliated me and mocked my jacket. Which is my father's actually. Which was an expensive gift from a colleague. Think it's cheapo. But if you think about it, my dad didn't have any use for it just yet, and it would lie there wasting away in his cupboard. I put it to good use, plus I saved a lot of money. I laugh when I hear people threw away hundreds of dollars on a new outfit when they could easily recycle their old ones. No value for money nor the things they buy. Use once, throw away. GAH.

Well it just proves how it's ones pride that leads him to lash out at criticism. And if I want to live a meaningful, prosperous and victorious life, I've got to stop caring about what other people feel. Many complimented me on my jacket. It came of an unlucky deceased cow in Pakistan. Sacred cow le. HAHA

Grad night photos!

For more of them, check this website


by miyazawaman

Some really bad shots there. Awful.

But it's truly a night to remember

Short Note on Graduation Night

School is kinda like the life of your wife. You meet her as a friend, and she's a new and unfamiliar when you first decide to court her and have a deeper relationship. That's like how we all first met on the 3rd of January and found ourselves in a new environment, courting new friends and deepening our relationships, while sinking your roots in the school. Eventually, the marriage occurs where you vow to be committed to her, just like how our place in NJC was confirmed and decided. Soon after that is the harrowing pregnancy where she looks awful, worked up and to a small extent, a bit undesirable. That's when real school life hits us and we look awful and grey right up to A levels. And when the baby is born, and the mother is proud of her newborn, that she finds new zest in life and looks absolutely fabulous, like how she looked when you first me. The pregnancy of the A levels is over and Grad night is the aftermath of it. It was a night to look fabulous once again.

(By the way, I think it's highly inaccurate to portray pregnant women as undesirable although they get crabby and sickly and all but I tell you, there's a glow that's on a woman who is carrying a child in her womb that is indescribable and exceptional, and I'm very sure my wife will have that same glow and I look forward to the proud day I become a father)

Ok, now let's focus on grad ball and not on my future life. Everyone looked fabulous and it was a waste that I took only 80 good photos with my camera. To be honest, it was slightly boring, although it became quite interesting at certain points, and steamy at A certain point (yes there was really a strip show). But I won't be unfair and absolute in the statement for the councillors who toiled to get this up did a good job and just getting the thing running was a feat. The food was not that great la...the mango pudding was the best course haha.

From the 3rd of Jan to the 3rd of Dec, many friends that were made, be it to the degree of an acquaintance, or to a closer degree, became important, and although just capturing a lousy image of the two was not justifiable, I became snap happy anyway. I'm very proud to have classmates that I do, though most of them are girls. I'm also very proud of the band friends I made here, although I missed the company of some very special people including Hara and Alex.

Lastly, I'm very proud because I finally managed to do something I was afraid to do for the past two years. All you have to do is take the plunge, and everything will go slippery smoothly. I can't believe how easy it was, and how easy it made me feel. I almost regretted not doing it earlier. But, that's over now.

What's more important, is that the begining of a new life starts. One I'm going to make the most of, and do things I could never do before. I will leave my past life behind with me, everything single thing that defined my NJC life, I will forget about it.

But I will never forget the relationships forged. I will remember you for as long as my memory can last me.

Now I have a photo collection to be proud of :D

Rhapsody Evening

Hohoho, this was very unexpected but yes, this is my third concert in three days! Concert going spree!

Anyway, Rhapsody evening isn't anything spectacular, but it's really cute. It's the annual concert put up by Rosyth Primary School Concert band which I've been attending ever since my brother joined it as a tubist two years ago. Although he's left the band to secondary school, we went to watch my sister play, because she just joined the percussion section this year, and she aspires to become a drummer. That is a dream I won't crush haha, although I think that drumming is really not suitable for a girl. Haha. But my sister's a rebel from such a young age so heck la.

Anyway, there's nothing much to say since they're a primary school band. It's primary school stuff la...hahaha. Anyway, half of the concert normally features skits prepared by the kids during the camps that they have before the concert. Normally the skits make no sense but everyone just laughs because the little kids do silly things and act funny and cute. It's really funny though, to watch little tots about a third your size playing on wind instruments. They can cause even a flute to look big!

Anyway, these last few days I've seen a whole range of standards of music, from primary school and to secondary school band to JC band. And the best part of it was the orchestra. I'm so in love with the orchestra that it's just solidified my earnestness to join an orchestra in Uni. Yeah. I wanna move onto something new while not giving up my interests, and that's the best way. Hopefully, if I do successfully get into NUSSO or whatever SO I do join, I hope I can finally get a good teacher and really be guided well. You can't excel unless you have a teacher. Fullstop.

Lights! Camera! Action! and Invitation to the Dance

Let's give the KL holiday a short rest and let's talk 'bout the two concerts I indulged in right after reaching home soil.

ACJC concert
For convenience's sake I will talk call it ACJC concert although it was really a mixture of ACS(I), ACS(IB) and ACJC. That's because Shu huey my junior from there is from ACJC and she invited me.

Eh but Shu Huey is actually my senior although she is in J1 cuz she is born ONE DAY before me!!! HAHAHA.

Anyway...the concert overall was very nice and light-hearted. I appreciate the wardrobe gimmicks that Dr. Lee used. I don't appreciate it that it wasted a lot of time though. Haha. Ya, so a considerable part of the concert was gimmicky, put extremely well pulled off. That includes the opening Pink Panther, and the IB's Incredibles' stunt. Haha that was hilarious. Especially the last part when Dr. Lee scolds the tubist and says "Ok that's better :D". Music wise, you can tell they put an extreme amount of practice into it because co-ordination was near impeccable. The intonation was very good too, except perhaps the IBs. That is the consequence of Dr. Lee's infamous tuning sessions and drive for perfection.

Speaking of which, I enjoyed the IB's performance the most because they seemed to be enjoying themselves the most. I like watching people enjoy themselves because only then will I enjoy myself. No one likes watching constipated people play.

Anyway, of my favourite were the Star Wars Trilogy, and Superman. But towards the end it was getting overbearingly long...sorry...kinda started losing focus but ya...I had been there for like 3 hours...argh. I'm wondering if that's what Etude was like.

I enjoyed the concert very very much. I also finally got to see Dr. Lee in action.

Singapore National Youth Orchestra Concert
Undoubtedly, the highlights were Ravel's Bolero and Jacques Ibert's Flute Concerto. The former because I know the song, and I love it's gradient from quite and poised to big and majestic. I think for it's time, the orchestration was truly unconventional, but so was Ravel one of the proponents of Impressionism. It differs because firstly, if I'm not wrong the orchestra is rather big compared to the norm. Also, I think not many composers considered adding saxophone parts into their pieces, but this had a part and a solo for tenor and soprano sax. There was also a weird keyboard instrument which I can't put my finger on (erm meaning I can't figure out what it is...I haven't lost my hands neither is the instrument untouchable to the organic human hand). Only Ravel's counterpart Debussy actually did something for alto sax. Shucks I need to read up more on this...

Ok the later was Jacques Ibert's flute concerto. Marcus played it. Boy oh boy...last time I heard him was last February. Every time I hear him again, he grows exponentially in his playing. I was so proud of his performance that I sent him a really soppy and sentimental message after that to which he still hasn't replied haha. He must be still out with his fan club. Bah.

The fluency at which his scales go, the accuracy of his tone when it comes to awkward intervals and the brilliance of his tone in general is astounding. He's also very good at what I'd call singing with his flute. Somehow when I listen with my flute ears and imagine what's going on in his mouth when playing...it's like he's singing. He's got a very good falsetto voice by the way. Lee Min says I've got one too...hahahah. But he's got wider range of voice than me boohoohoo....eh anyway we're talking about his flute. Oh ya. I realised it was shiny. He probably got better sense to clean it instead of let it rot. Maybe SNYO finally scolded him. LOL just kidding. Oh...and the best part of his solo, was the last note. Highest F that a flute can reach practically and the note I've never dared to try to sound. I can't. haha. He's a prodigy man.

Anyway...the orchestra in itself is really great. I still haven't changed my opinion that their competence is superb. They aren't perfect nor are they close to an adult professional orch, but I think their standard is very high. You can really tell that they're feeling and enjoying the music and music making. Ok before I go off tangent....

Yea. Marcus. My hero for so long. I heard some smart aleck usher (who I suspect is from the training orchestra or maybe smart aleck) call him a demi-god. Actually so did Dian Xiang and Cindy. But I will never consider him a demi-god or flute god, because only I, knowing him since his training orchestra days and his days in AMB, being his second, know that he's more human than any other player in the world. He didn't just steal the show and become an expert. I've seen his growth from Sec 3 all the way. Even though I'm of junior position and shouldn't really be expected to make comments, yes, I know that since 2001 he's grown a lot in his talent. And he owes it to nothing more than human hard work berthed out of passion and zest for the flute. Only I (and a lot others la) know that he practices so hard and so often that even when I call him on his home phone he plays the flute. When he's on MSN he's actually practicing. That's why he takes so long to reply. LOL.

But it's kinda sad really, that personally, I feel so left out. He's got so many fans that when I just want to have the same communion that we used to have as first and second, so many others crowd around him. He's probably still having dinner with his friends and fan club, most of them comprising his batchmates. Even people who hardly know him speak so awesomely of him. Though it makes me feel sad, I can still proudly say none of them had a privelege so rare that only a few enjoy it, to sit next to, to be taught by, mentored by, and trusted by this great person they know as Marcus. That's why today when he came out of the backstage finally, and when the first thing he said was "Hey Craig Dee Soo Za!", I was thrilled, as if that bond still remained. Thou he Chinese Chattered with his friends for a while, he sitll had the decency and kindness to thank me very much for coming and watching him. Of course after talking a while, I shoved off so he could be overwhelmed by his fan club.

Oh but before I went, I was itching to ask him what the last note was.....that was when he told me it was an F. He gave me a cheeky smile and said "hehehe try it one day!" He's really never changed. Haha